Chapter 2
Today is the day I have been looking forward to and dreading. Cavan stares at the clock waiting for it to say noon. The game is run by the government and the selection show starts at noon. I fidget with my band on my wrist. I never win anything; in school I was basically forgotten. I only had a couple of people who I could have called friends. Both the popular kids and the bullies ignored me like I wasn’t really there. My life has always been lonely. Not very many girlfriends, especially none that lasted for very long. I was rather intelligent but so lazy and most of the time I’m in my own world.
Yet here I am about to do something so desperate and still I have no control over it. Sighing I activate the band on my wrist and pull up the selection show. A pretty, blond women with sparkling white teeth and a round inviting features was talking excitedly.
“Welcome to the ARR Game selection show! Today in about ten minutes we will begin pulling numbered balls out of the machine and for those who have signed up to participate and been selected to receive a number please look at your email in the next couple of minutes.”
She smiles brightly, the excitement shown blatantly on her pretty face. While she was talking, I was bringing up my email wondering if I was selected or thrown out as usual.
“There are one thousand balls, and each number represents one hundred contestants. We now know that over five million citizens applied for a spot in the game.”
Great…yeah, I’m not getting picked, I thought.
“The government narrowed the field to only one hundred thousand. So, if you are the lucky few to receive an email congratulations!”
The email was up, and I haven’t received anything yet. I turn my attention back to the show, back to the wondering what the reeducation program entails.
“Ding” startled, I look at my email.
ARR Application was the title of the email. My hands started to shake as I reached out to open the email. “Calm down Cavan, most likely it’s a rejection letter. Remember you never win anything. Also, even if I do get a number the chances of my number getting selected is very low!” The pep talk gave me some courage and I selected to open.
Fireworks greeted me. Absently I wondered if that was some default thing as I had seen this before. CONGRATULATIONS CAVAN D. TEECH!! YOUR NUMBER IS 16! What? I was approved for a number? Cavan started to breathe heavily.
Cavan turned his attention back to the selection show. The pretty reporter hostess was still talking. “This is extremely exciting! It is almost time to begin! But first an incredibly special speech from our own Supreme Leader David Grotten!”
The camera cuts to the White House Lawn. First it surveys the thousands gathered, then it focuses on a figure tall and opposing despite his age. Wearing a perfectly fitting black suit. His white hair cut perfectly, showing the strength of his features. Then he started to speak, the charisma oozing out of him with each precise confident word.
“My fellow Americans, today marks a great achievement. After twenty-six years of peace, we have recreated a Nation that celebrates the whole and not those of the pettiness and hate of individualism. Look at us now!”
The crowd roars its appreciation.
“Now today we celebrate the second season of the largest game ever created! Only a month ago we had finished our very first game! Our heroes Avery Johnson, Gregg Verion, Johan Reinstein, Jesus Alverez, and Phillip Yates are our first winners, and we will never forget them nor stop celebrating them!”
The crowd roared again, and I joined in. My favorite contestant was Phillip, man was he something else!
“For ten days our heroes played their hearts out and we watched every moment live around the world! Now other Countries will start their own Royal Rumble’s!”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The crowd was starting to go crazy thinking that they can now watch even more Royal Rumble games. I was also excited by the prospect. If I wasn’t selected, then I could spend my time watching all the Royal Rumble I could stand! Or at least till the reeducation program comes gets me.
“Rejoice my fellow Americans! LET’S GET READY TO RRRRRUUUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLLE!”
The crowd cheered so loudly that the camera started to shake. Camera then switched back to the pretty reporter hostess. “Wow! What a speech! That is one of the best speeches I have ever heard!”
I found myself nodding in agreement with her.
“Let the selection show begin!”
The camera switched to a room with a very large see-through ball with a thousand smaller balls popping and flying inside of it.
“I’m your hostess Alexa Vreedon and in less then a minute the first numbered ball will be called.” The pretty blond, Alexa walks into view beside the large ball machine.
Cavan’s palms start to sweat, anticipating whether his number will be called.
“Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One!” The machine pops out a ball right in front of Alexa. She looks at it for a second.
Cavan could only hear the blood rushing in his ears as he realizes he was holding his breath.
“The first number is seven hundred and forty-nine!”
Cavan lets out his breath shrilly. The screen scrolls down the list of one hundred names in the group.
“This is so exciting! As you can now see in front of you the first one hundred names selected and from what state they are from. Online on the official ARR website we will have all their background information and of course for the next two and a half weeks we will interview all of them!”
The next three groups were twenty-eight, nine hundred and one, two hundred and nineteen. Four groups out of ten are selected now. The odds are getting lower and lower for me to get in.
“The fifth number is five!”
The odds of a teen number being called are exceptionally low now after that. Cavan sighs in resignation. The next three numbers called were seven hundred and eighty-one, three hundred, and eighteen. Two more groups to go. Maybe I will be called for one of the ten reserve spots.
“The ninth number group is sixteen!”
Cavan heart stopped momentarily. Fear, anxiety, happiness, doubt, disbelief rushed through him. “I…I got picked.”
The names roll on the screen, and he sees his own scrolling up.
I watch as it rolls up thinking that I’m gonna be famous. If my mom was still alive, I could imagine myself calling her up saying hey mom I’m on TV! Your son is gonna be famous! Cavan barely registered the last number.
“The last number is…nine hundred and twenty-five!”
Numbly Cavan heard the familiar ding of an email coming through. Cavan, in shock opens the email. He hardly notices the fireworks bursting out towards him in a celebratory way. Cavan also ignores the congratulations part of the email. Instead, Cavan focuses on the main part of the email.
Mr. Cavan Teech,
you have won a spot on the greatest game ever created America’s Royal Rumble! On Wednesday May 1st you will be picked up by our organizers and take an all-expenses paid flight to Puerto Rico for a two-month training regime. We will be training you in all things to help give you an equal chance to win!
No need to pack, everything will be provided for you. You may take one personal item with you if you wish (Highly recommended is a photo of loved ones). Please let your employer know and finish any unfinished business by the previously stated date. Once again on behalf of the United States of America we salute you and congratulate you on your selection!
Sincerely Shelly Tratmaun Head of Entertainment Bureau of The United States of America
Lead Advisor of the Supreme Leader
Mr. Steve Archy Personal Journal
Oct. 21st Page 1 Third paragraph
Dr. Flenning started us off in the meeting. “We have failed.” Like many in the room I was confused. What have we failed, why have we failed? General Vice gave voice to these questions. Which Dr. Flenning replied, calmly stating the end of the world in precise details. “To have you understand what I am saying to you all, I will dull it down for you. We have not been able to curb the carbon footprint in the world. Despite everything we have done the earth will not be livable in around twenty years at this point. We have concluded that the reason for this is actually pretty obvious and for many reasons we have ignored it. It is humanity that is causing this, not only because of our technology but much like the mass-produced animals that we have all but expunged. The homo sapiens species is too numerous, and the numbers are increasingly growing.” Anger, fear, and disbelief exploded in the room. Myself included, most of us protested loudly and fervently. For a couple of minutes, we were allowed to go on until SL Grotten raised his hand silencing all there. “This is the truth, accept it. Go on Dr. Flenning.” “Thank you, Supreme Leader Grotten. As I was saying, in twenty years the earth will not be able to support the human race. We estimate that at least twenty percent of the population needs to be euthanized in fifteen years if we are to have any chance of surviving.” The silence was deafening, all I could hear was heavy breathing from everyone. I struggled to find my voice, “what…what are you saying exactly? Because this sounds like you are recommending that we kill nearly two billion people.” Dr. Flenning nodded, “Exactly. The question now is how.”