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Petra waited nervously behind the curtain. She knew there were two other people on the stage with her, but she couldn’t see them because of the walls of the booths each of them were in. She could hear the noise of a crowd on the other side of the curtain, an indistinct murmur that rose and fell like waves on the ocean. After a few minutes, she heard the warm-up act begin but she couldn’t make out their words, either. The audience must have liked it since she heard laughter and applause. It went on for what felt like hours but was probably not more than fifteen minutes. Eventually, after the crowd had reached a fever pitch—she could feel the energy even in
her box behind a heavy curtain—the show’s host, Brick Hazelton, came out. She knew because the crowd went wild. He spoke for a minute or two, then the curtain went up and she was caught in the glare of the lights.
“Let’s meet our contestants!” Hazelton said as he walked over.
He started on the end opposite her and even though she was right on there on stage with them, she had no idea what either of her competitors said. There was just too much going on for her brain to process it. She couldn’t have repeated what they said if her life depended on it. She fidgeted in her booth, waiting for all this to be over and she could get on with whatever task the producers had for her. Finally, Hazelton made his way down to her.
“And, last but certainly not least, we have Petra Brunson.” The crowd cheered. “Petra, it says here that you’re a single mom and your daughter, Abby, was born eight weeks early and has a congenital heart defect. Is that right?”
“Yes, Brick.” They’d been particular about that. On air, she was to call him “Brick”. Off air, it was “Mr. Hazelton” and she’d better not forget.
“And,” he said, “I believe they told me that you work in a call center for Advantage Financial?”
“Well, I used to. Now, I work from home.”
“Ah. I’ll bet that helps taking care of that sick little girl of yours.”
“It does, and I’m very grateful to Advantage for letting me do that.” That was a lie because Advantage hadn’t let her do anything. She’d had to fight tooth and nail for the right to be available for her child.
“Oh, I’ll bet,” he said with more warmth than she’d ever felt from him before. “But I’m guessing that doesn’t pay as well as you’d like. Especially since you’ve racked up some pretty hefty medical bills.”
“Definitely,” she said, brushing her hair back from her face. They’d gotten onto her about her hair several times during rehearsal. “Right now, we owe a little over $600,000.” The audience gasped, audibly.
“Whoa,” Hazelton said. “That may be a record here on Relative Race.” He looked offstage. “Joanie, can you check that?” He turned back to Petra. “So, do you think you win this and get back in the black?”
“I’m going to do everything I possibly can to do just that,” she said. They had coached her to be confident, but not cocky. She guessed she struck the right balance because the crowd roared approvingly, which made Hazelton happy.
“Excellent!” He turned to the audience. “Oh, Joanie has just informed me that Petra’s debt is, in fact, the largest we’ve ever had on the show.” After the applause died down, Hazelton went on. “Now, it’s time to let these gals in on what they’re facing.” He walked over to a large screen. As he did, the platform under the contestants’ booths pivoted back so they could see it also. “Okay.” He pulled a remote out of his coat pocket and a bulleted line of text appeared on the screen. “Each of these contestants,” he read, “has a relative that is near and dear to them.” He clicked again and the next bullet popped up. “Unbeknowst to them, that relative has been spirited away and hidden somewhere in the continental United States.”
Her heart sank at that. After her mother’s passing, she only had one relative: Abby.
“Each contestant has to find their relative within 1 week or that person will die a horrific death. To help their search, our contestants be given a series of clues. Wrong guesses or attempts to circumvent the system will be considered a strike and take a day off their time. That day will be up for grabs and the first to solve a clue will have it added to their time.” Another click. “If they get three strikes, they’re out of the game.” One last click. “The first to find their person will have all their debt wiped clean and receive a very generous stipend for the rest of their lives (both the contestant and their loved one). The other two will not only lose their loved one, they will also assume the winner’s debt and be sent to a debt resolution center to work it off.”
Petra knew all that. She had to sit through a long briefing and sign multiple forms saying she’d been advised and consented to everything. Still, hearing Hazelton state it all so matter-of-factly shook her a bit. I mean, what if she didn’t win? No, she wouldn’t let herself think that. She had to win. Her bill collectors were getting more and more insistent. One had even told her if she didn’t pay up soon, they would take Abby and send her to a DRC. She knew that Abby wouldn’t last long in foster care (which was just a euphemism for “slavery” anymore). And, she wouldn’t last long without Abby. This nightmare of a game show was their only hope. While she was spacing out, Brick had moved on and she tried to catch up.
“Of course, we’re going to throw them to wolves. We’re not that cold.” The audience laughed. Everyone knew that the production team running the show was exactly that cold. That’s why people watched. He continued. “Although they have surrendered their phones and any other tech they might have, our contestants will be given a tablet that will serve all their needs: searches, communication, and even a bit of entertainment during their downtime.” Petra thought that sounded too good to be true and wondered what the catch was. There had to be on—No, stay on task, she snapped at herself. “And,” Hazelton said, “It has a GPS tracker embedded so we can keep tabs on them.” There it is, she thought. I’ll bet it does more than track, too.
“Now, a few minutes ago,” Hazelton continued,” I said that the losers of our game will forfeit the lives of their relative. Would you like to know how that will go down?” The audience roared “YES” so loudly that Petra cringed a bit. She could hear him telling the crowd what would happen to the other contestants’ loved ones but, again, the words didn’t register in her brain. When he got to her, however, she snapped into a laser focus.
“Now, just as with our other contestants,” he said, “We’ve picked out something special for Petra.” He turned to her with a smile that was entirely too cheerful for the occasion. “On your application to be on the show, you said you have cynophobia. Would you mind telling the audience what that is?”
At the mere mention of the word, “cynophobia”, her heart rate had increased, her breathing had picked up, and she felt the faint beginnings of a cold sweat. “Um, it’s a pathological fear of dogs, Brick.”
“Ah, yes,” he said. “Any idea why you’ve got that?”
Her anxiety ramped up even more. “We think it’s because I was mauled by a dog when I was little.”
“Um hmm. And, how old were you when this happened?”
“Seven,” she said. Her anxiety was augmented by dread at what had to be the next question.
Hazelton nodded. “And, your daughter is how old?”
There it is, she thought. “She just turned seven,” she said, her voice monotone.
“That’s right,” Hazelton said, brightly. He turned to the audience. “Folks, if Petra doesn’t find Abby within 7 days, her daughter will be locked in a pen with Zeus, a 110 lb. Pitbull/Rottweiler mix. Before Zeus joined the Relative Race family, he was a champion fighter. Let’s see him in action!” Petra couldn’t bring herself to look at the screen, but the sounds were awful. It must have been particularly gory because the audience went wild as it played. “What do you think, Petra? Some good motivation?”
“I—I guess,” she stammered. Hazelton’s face was absolutely gleeful at her distress. “I, I don’t really know.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he said, glibly. As if he hadn’t just told her that if she didn’t win, Abby would die in the most horrific way she could imagine. He turned back to the audience. “All right,” he said, gesturing at contestants, “Let’s have one more round of applause and we’ll send these folks on their way!” The audience erupted once more.
Petra looked down at the Primebyte Hurricane they’d given her with disgust. There was a time when she’d have been thrilled to get her hands on one, but that had passed with the release of the Cryptic Microsystems Spider 880, the tablet her competitors had gotten. The difference between 880 and the Hurricane was the difference between an F1 race car and Model T. And now, she was saddled with this ancient tech when her daughter’s life was on the line. That was harsh. Probably because I said no to Brick’s “help”, she thought. He’d been cold ever since, ignoring her and doting on Casey, who looked to be all of nineteen. God only knows what that pervert had made her do. She was brought back to the present by the voice of the production assistant.
“All right, ladies,” he said. “Does everyone understand the assignment?” They all nodded. “Anyone have any questions?” They all shook their heads. “Okay.” He looked at his watch. “Your time starts. . . now!”
Petra watched the other two women fly off as she looked for a quiet corner. She wanted to get a feel for the tablet and look over all the information available to her. She had no intention of giving up any of her days because she was careless. Unfortunately, every time she thought she’d found a suitable spot, someone would shoo her away. After a few minutes, she began to get the idea that she wasn’t supposed to stick around the studio. If that were the case, she thought, why didn’t they just say so? But, they didn’t, and with the message received, she ventured out into the wider world.
She finally settled on a coffee shop a couple of blocks away. She’d passed two other closer ones, but both were too crowded for her tastes. This one, though, was practically empty. She went to the counter and ordered, then found a booth in the back that felt nicely secluded. She was trying to connect to the shop’s wifi when her drink was ready.
“Iced chai latte for Peter,” the barista called. She looked around. It had to be hers, the only other customer in the place was walking out the door. She walked up to the counter.
“Was that for Petra?” she said. The young man looked at the cup again and frowned.
“Jesus, Chloe,” he said to the girl working with him. “Your handwriting is absolute shit.” He handed her the drink. “Sorry about that,” he said.
Petra smiled. “It’s okay,” she said, taking the latte. “‘Peter’ is far from the worst thing I’ve been called.” She walked back to her booth and sat down only to find that the tablet had blocked her attempt to connect, leaving a message in large red letters.
CONNECTION DENIED. YOU MAY NOT CONNECT TO ANY OUTSIDE NETWORK. ATTEMPTS TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A STRIKE. AFTER 3 STRIKES, YOU WILL BE LOCKED OUT OF SYSTEM. (Strike 1 of 3)
That’s strange, she thought. Wonder what it’s about? Then, she realized it probably had to do with surveillance. Looks like they’re going to monitor everything I do. Oh well, it is what it is, she thought as began to explore her new toy.
An hour later, she was on her third chai latte and wracking her brain over her first clue:
In a Big Hole in the ground, your daughter will be found.
That was it. Just a single cryptic line of some really bad poetry. What the hell could it mean? She looked over the line again and noticed that “big” and “hole” were capitalized. That probably means something. She opened Google (god, what she wouldn’t give for DuckDuckGo right now) and typed “big hole us” into the search bar. The top result was for the Big Hole National Battlefield in Montana. Is that what they meant? This needed more research.
30 minutes later, she still didn’t know any more than when she started. What if she just booked a ticket? Would that be a guess? What if it was and she guessed wrong? She couldn’t take that chance. When would she see another clue? She pulled up the “Clue Clock”, a countdown of when the next one would be revealed. It read 48 hours. Too long. Maybe she could rent a car and start heading in that general direction. She entered “Big Hole Battlefield” into Google Maps after checking a few other places, hoping that would keep her decision from looking like a guess. The fastest route was just over 16 hours from her present location in Television City but it had private roads. There were two alternate routes, one taking 17 hours, and the other 18. That was it. She was heading north.
She walked out of the rental car center and over to a Chevy Lightning. The name was a bit grandiose for a car one step above entry-level, she thought, but it did have its perks. It had the best range of any car available at the rental agency and it had GM’s newest, most advanced Super Cruise system, making it totally hands-off on the freeway. It also monitored the battery level and took charging locations into account when plotting a route. This would allow her to keep working on that stupid clue. You were supposed to keep your eyes on the road since autopilot technology still wasn’t perfect, but that was a luxury she didn’t have. As she settled in, her tablet dinged and a new notification popped up:
You have entered a 2035 Chevrolet Lightning. Would you like to connect to the system?
She wasn’t thrilled about it, but she was pretty sure that connecting it was the only way it would allow her to use the Super Cruise feature. “Yes, go ahead and connect.” After a moment, it dinged again.
Connected. Would you like to enter a destination?
“Yes,” she said. “Anniversary Inn, 1575 S. Lusk Place, Boise.” She immediately heard a different chime, one she’d heard before.
Incorrect answer of Clue 1. Incorrect answers result in a strike. (Strike 2 of 3)
“What???” she screamed. “That wasn’t a guess. I was just trying to get close!” Before she could continue her rant, the tablet chimed again.
You may alleviate your strikes by competing against another competitor in a side quest. Are you interested?
“A side quest? What, are playing D&D or something?” She thought for a moment, then tapped the icon for voice mode. “What kind of side quest?” She hit enter and it dinged again.
You may alleviate your strikes by competing against another competitor in a side quest. Are you interested?
She’d tried her query again but got the same answer. “Fuck,” she said. “I wish I had more info but I’ve got to get rid of these strikes.” She entered voice mode again. “Yes.” Another chime.
Excellent! Buckle your seat belt, please.
Before she could do anything else, the car backed out of the parking space and accelerated off into the night.
Almost 8 hours later, she found herself on a dusty road just outside Beaver, Utah. Around midnight, the car pulled into a rough lot and parked. The infotainment system chimed and Hazelton’s face popped up on the screen.
“Greetings, Petra,” he said in a manner that was all too cheerful for her taste. “We’ve been waiting for you.” She opened her mouth to answer, but he continued. “Both you and Regina have picked up two strikes pretty early and both of you being eliminated this soon just won’t do. So, we’ve cooked up a little game for you guys. Join us.” Her door popped open.
As she got out of the car, she noticed a pathway marked with luminous paint that led to a cleft in a large formation of rocks. She had seen a faint glow in that direction as she came and wondered what it was. The only way to find out, she thought, was to follow this stupid path.
She made her through the opening in the rocks and she stepped out into a wide, flat plain. Everything was lit up so brightly it made her squint. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw that part of the area was illuminated by klieg lights. There was a trailer nearby with cables running to it and a large screen attached facing out on the plain. She also noticed someone standing off to the side. It was Regina, the other contestant. She was an older woman, but Petra couldn’t say how much. She also had a couple of inches and several pounds on Petra, who wasn’t large but she was bigger than the waif-like Casey. Petra hoped the “side quest” wasn’t a fight or a wrestling match, because she wasn’t sure she could win. As she stood there, taking it all in, the screen came to life and Hazelton appeared once more.
“All right,” he said, “Are you gals ready to find what we’ve got in store for you?” Before either of them could answer, he went on. “Well, turn around and check it out!” Petra heard loud clicks as more lights turned on. “As you can see, there is a series of obstacles for you to negotiate. Let’s take a look at what’s in store.” As he spoke, she heard a whirring sound as a group of drones lifted off the roof of the trailer and flew out to the course. They hovered above it and a wide-angle view appeared on the screen. “As you can see, we’ve got two lanes of identical obstacles for you ladies to navigate,” he said.
“Oh fun,” Regina said, softly. They’d all figured out early on that they were always being listened to. “Just what my fat, old ass needs.” Petra held back a laugh but it wasn’t easy.
“First up, we have something we like to call, “Step Into It.” A drone dropped down and flew the length of the obstacle. “Notice the poles set into the ground?” They both nodded. “You’ll step up on the first one and then leap from one to another until you’re across. But, I’ll warn you,” he cautioned. “They’re arranged in such a way that there’s only one way across. Choose the wrong route and you’ll have to start over. But, don’t touch the ground,” he chirped. “That’ll get you a penalty.”
“Wonder what the penalties are,” Petra said. Surprisingly, Hazelton answered.
“Excellent question, Petra,” he said. “The penalties will vary with each obstacle. On this one, each time a body part contacts the ground, you’ll have five seconds added to your overall time.” Well, she thought, they’re definitely listening, even out here in Bumfuck, Utah. Hazelton continued. “Next is The Weave.” Another drone flitted down and circled, showing the obstacle from all angles. “This one is a series of timbers set on posts, each one a couple of feet apart and set a little higher.” That looks tough, she thought. “You’ll weave through them over and under on your back. Again, don’t touch the ground or you’ll pick up a five-second penalty.”
“Imagine that,” Regina snarked. Petra stifled a laugh and thought, in another situation, we’d probably be friends.
“After that,” Hazelton continued, “There’s Swing Time.” A drone circled the structure. “This one’s a rope swing over a six-foot wide trench filled with water. Be careful that you don’t fall in, those sides are steep, and getting out again will be a problem. And, of course, there will be a five-second penalty.”
“Oh, wow,” Petra said, barely above a whisper. “Didn’t see that coming.” Regina smirked. Yeah, they would’ve been pals.
“Okay, on to Stairway to Heaven,” Hazelton said. The drones, working together, flashed an image on the screen of a large vertical structure with boards across it. “It’s not really a stairway, more of a ladder. But, Ladder to Heaven doesn’t sound all that great, does it?” He chuckled at his attempt to be funny. “It’s 30 feet tall and you’ve got to climb it in less than a minute. Any longer, and—”
“You’ll get a penalty,” both women said simultaneously.
“Exactly,” he said. “I’m glad you guys are getting into the spirit of this. It’s going to be so much fun!” He was almost giddy as he said that. “Now for the penultimate obstacle: Hop, Skip, and a Jump.” The drones focused on a series of platforms just beyond the ladder. “You’re going to jump from one platform to another, making your way back down to the ground where you’ll come to the final trial, The Mad Dash.” A drone dropped down on each side of the course. “It’s a 100-meter run back to the start line.” As he said this, both machines sped up the track. “And, that’s it. Whoever finishes with the fastest time wins.” He paused for dramatic effect. “The winner’s strikes will be wiped clean while the loser will be eliminated from the game. Are you up for the challenge?”
Petra stood on the starting line, waiting for the gun. She was nervous but also confident. Confident because she’d done obstacles in the past—before she had Abby, she loved doing the Tough Mudder races—and nervous because so much was riding on this. Plus, she was at least 20 years younger than Regina and looked to be in better shape. She could tell because the show had them change into some pretty revealing outfits for this event. The skimpy sports bras and yoga shorts they wore, emblazoned with the show’s logo, left little to the imagination. While Petra, who had just turned 30, was as slim as she’d been in high school, Regina had the extra girth that comes with age. And, she was busty enough that Petra wondered how her “sports bra” was going to cope. She had similar questions about her own and she was far from what you’d call “buxom”. All right, she thought, enough that. Concentrate on the task at hand. She heard Hazelton’s voice over the sound system again.
“All right, ladies, take your marks,” he said. They both stepped up to the start line. “Get ready, get set—” The “go” was drowned out by the starting gun and they both took off. Petra had taken some time before the start to get a close-up look at the course. Almost immediately, she had picked out the pattern in Step Into It and nimbly danced over the posts. Regina must have had some trouble because she couldn’t see her anymore. As she approached The Weave, she heard her, though.
“Shit, shit, shit!”
She risked a look back over her shoulder and saw the older woman backtracking. Good, she thought and immediately felt bad for it. No, she couldn’t think that way. Just like her, Regina signed up for this with full knowledge of the stakes. She climbed onto The Weave and began working her way through it.
“Oh! That’s a penalty for Regina.” Hazelton’s blared across the course. “It was quick, but she put a foot down. So, five seconds will be added to her time.”
Petra kept moving through the timbers but it was tough. Once, she slipped and almost fell but caught herself at the last minute. I’ve gotta be flawless through this whole fucking nightmare, she thought. Much quicker than it felt like, she reached the top tier and dropped down onto the other side.
“Petra is moving on to Swing Time. That may be the fastest time we’ve seen on that obstacle yet,” Hazelton said. “Meanwhile, Regina is just starting The Weave.” He chuckled. “Youth and beauty seem to have the edge in this contest.”
Don’t listen to him, she told herself. Keep your mind in the game and execute, damn it. She grabbed the rope and stepped back. Then, she took a couple of quick steps and launched herself across. She had misjudged her hand placement on the rope and was a little lower than she meant to be. Pulling her feet up, she felt the toe of her left foot skim across the water. Then, she was at the other side. She threw her legs up and over the edge, letting the momentum of the swing carry her body the rest of the way. She teetered on the bank for a couple of seconds before finding her balance. Then, she was off to the next challenge.
“Another perfect performance from Petra!” Hazelton trumpeted. “Regina’s having troubles with The Weave. But, she’s through and heading for Swing Time as Petra moves on to Stairway to Heaven, widening her lead.”
This is going to be trickier than it looks, she thought as began climbing. The boards that served as rungs were just far enough apart that she had to stretch to reach them. At the halfway point, her arms and legs were screaming from the exertion. She kept climbing. “Don’t stop,” she said through gritted teeth. “Do it for Abby.” As she neared the top, she heard Hazelton again.
“Oh! Regina is in the water! That’s another penalty for her.” He sounded giddy recounting the woman’s struggles. “And, now she’s having trouble getting out of the water. This could be it for her.”
Don’t listen to him, Petra told herself. Focus on you. She pulled herself onto the first platform of Hop, Skip, and a Jump, taking a second to catch her breath and find the best path down. Once she had mapped out her route, she leaped to the next landing. It was lower than expected and she landed hard. Okay, these things are deceptive, she thought. Got it. She jumped again. And, again. Finally, she found herself on the ground. She took an immediate right and sprinted as hard as she could. After all the exertion of the course, it wasn’t her fastest, and felt like she was running through mud. As she crossed the finish line, confetti cannons and fireworks went off.
“Petra takes the win!” Hazelton’s voice boomed over the sound system. The drones came down and hovered around her, getting close-ups of her sweat-soaked face. She looked around for Regina. Hoping she wasn’t still stuck in the water, Petra started to see if she could help but a drone blocked her and she heard Hazelton’s voice again. “Well, Petra, your strikes are gone giving you a clean slate.” The door to her dressing room in the trailer popped open. “You better get moving. You’ve lost almost a full day already.” As she hustled over to get changed, she couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Regina. Not my problem, she thought. We all knew what we signed up for. She knew there was a shower in her room but she doubted there would be enough water for her to feel clean again.
