Watching the End of the World – 7

Nate was trying to take a nap when all the wall screens on the jet came on, showing Arnie sitting at a table. ��He gave them a big smile and wiped his glistening forehead with a tissue. ���Hello again!��� he cried heartily. ���I hope you���re finding the jet to your liking. The production company wanted to send you on a commercial flight but I put my foot down.��� He mimed stomping one foot, which only made him look foolish when he hit his knee on the underside of the table, nearly tipping over the glass of water at his elbow. His smile never faltered though. If anything it grew brighter.

���Now, I���m sure you all have lots of questions. No doubt you���re dying to know more about the nuts and bolts of Reality Island, but that���s not why I���ve called.��� There was an audible groan from a couple of the contestants. Arnie shook his finger at them. ���I can see and hear you, you know. You���re all already on camera.��� Nate looked around. Sure enough, there were at least four cameras that he could see. ���Patience, as they say, is a virtue, though I can���t say it���s ever gotten me anywhere.��� He chuckled at his little joke. His smile turned down a few watts. ���I called to say I want you all to spend the next hour or so in a little meet-and-greet. I realize some of you have already started getting acquainted ��� ��� he raised one eyebrow and gave a knowing leer ��� ��� but I want to make sure you all get to know something about each other before we start filming in earnest tomorrow.���

���Is this one of those first-day-of-class things?��� Tony said. ���That everyone hates?���

���Exactly!��� Arnie cried, clapping his pudgy hands together. ���Here���s how it���s going to go: You���re going to partner up, boy-girl, boy-girl. You���re going to get a few minutes to talk to each other. During that time you���re going to learn your partner���s name and a few details about them, like where they���re from, something about their childhood, their favorite hobby. Also, you need to find out one secret. When the time is up, each of you is going to introduce your partner and share what you learned about him or her with everyone else. Don���t worry about whether you���ll be able to remember it all; Kelly and Adam will be coming around with paper and pens for each of you.���

���A secret?��� someone groaned. ���What kind of secret?���

���Whatever you choose,��� Arnie replied, winking. ���It���s up to you. I will tell you this though: your viewers will be watching and they will be voting. You don���t want to let them down, do you? Pair up now so we can get started.���

Nate was hoping to pair up with the Indian woman but Tony got to her before he did. Jenna paired up with the quiet guy. Caleb chose the blonde as his partner and they celebrated their partnership by clinking beers together. The Latino man paired up with the African American woman. That left Nate with the woman in the aviator sunglasses and the no-nonsense manner.

They were all settling into their places, conversations just starting, when Arnie suddenly interrupted. Someone off-camera had handed him a sheet of paper and his smile faded as he read it. ���Something���s come up so I���m going to have to let you do this on your own. Don���t worry. Kelly will keep time and let you know when to share what you���ve learned.��� The screens went dark.

���Strange guy,��� Nate remarked to his partner.

���TV is full of strange people,��� she replied. ���Maybe it���s a way to keep them all in one place and occupied so we don���t have to pay to institutionalize them.���

���Personal experience?��� Nate asked her.

She shook her head. ���Not me. I���m just a simple soldier. Ex-soldier,��� she amended. She leaned over and extended her hand. ���Akila Mourad.���

���Nate Devereaux.��� She had a strong grip. The muscles stood out on her arms when they shook and Nate had a feeling this woman could hurt him if she chose to. It wasn���t a pleasant feeling. Then they sat back in their chairs and Nate took up the clipboard Kelly had handed him. ���So you were in the military? Which branch?���

���The army. Corporal Mourad. Two tours in Afghanistan, one in Iraq.���

Now Nate was sure she could hurt him if she chose. He decided he wanted this woman on his side, whatever kind of competition this turned out to be. He had a feeling she could carry him to the finish line. She seemed supremely capable.

���So, Mourad. That���s an unusual last name. Where did it come from?���

���It���s Egyptian. So���s Akila. It means ���intelligent.��� You can use that as my secret.���

���Not very juicy. I think Arnie was hoping for juicy.���

���Well, too bad for Arnie.���

���Here���s to that,��� Nate said, leaning forward and putting out his fist for a bump. At first she just stared at his fist, hanging there, and he found himself feeling very silly, like a twelve-year-old trying to impress the big kids and failing miserably, but then she leaned forward and gave him a gentle bump. Nate swallowed. ���Were you born in Egypt?���

She shook her head. ���I���ve never been there. The closest I made it was Iraq. I was born in Eugene, Oregon. My father was a visiting professor there when he met my mother.���

���Your mother was a student?���

���This feels like another secret. I only have to give one.���

Nate held up the clipboard. ���Just following orders, ma���am.���

She responded with the faintest smile. He found he liked her smile. ���She was Brazilian.��� Nate caught the past tense and wondered what had happened to her mother. ���She was attending the University of Oregon on a dance scholarship and met my father in a political science class.��� She shook her head. ���I can���t even imagine what those two ever saw in each other. Complete opposites. My father is rigid, dictatorial, real old-school. My mother was a free spirit, full of fire and life. The affair didn���t last long, but long enough to produce me. When my father found out my mother was pregnant with me he insisted that they marry. She insisted they not, though it went against her Catholic beliefs. Then he pulled some typical male macho bullshit on her and she pulled a little capoeira on him.���

���What���s capoeira?���

���A Brazilian martial art. It���s a mix of dance, acrobatics and music. Very Brazilian. Very effective.���

���Yet you ended up with his last name?���

Akila shrugged. ���As I said, she was very traditional Catholic.���

���Favorite hobby?���

���I don���t have any hobbies.���

���Everyone has a hobby.���

���Killing people.���

Nate looked up from his clipboard, sure she must be joking. She was staring at him expressionlessly. ���Okay. Killing people it is.���