American Hero - George R. R. Martin Page 0,27
crew of the show ran around and caught a bunch of me, and tied me together with some of that colored duct tape they use to mark our places when we’re filming, until I could absorb all the little versions.
So the Diamonds lost again, and had to discard somebody. I was sure it would be me, but the girls picked on Raj. I think some of it was his attitude. He can have all the servants he wants, but he never really offers to have them help out other people. I just think it never occurs to him. He’s the Maharajah, so he gets all the attention. I mean the Diamonds headquarters is a mess. Tiffani is a total slob. Raj could have had his servants pick up after her so we didn’t have to live in a sty, but all he did was have them bring him drinks and hold his books and turn the pages while he read, and even use the remote for the TV. I mean the remote—how hard is it to push a button?
But he’s gone now, and we’re down to just Jetman, Bubbles, Tiffani, and me. If we don’t win the next challenge I’m afraid I’ll be the one who gets dumped. I’ve got to figure out how to keep control of the doubling.
This is really hard for me. It’s my da who entered me in the tryouts. We own a bakery in Brighton Beach. My da’s dream is to open a chain of stores and call them A la Russe, and sort of hark back to Imperial Russia. So, he was hoping I’d win and we’d get the million dollars. If I get discarded I’m going to kill his dream. That’s a very lowering thought, and not just for him. If I win he’d have his stores and I could do what I want to do.
I really want to found a Russian chorus. I come from a long line of survivors. Grandfathers and great-grandfathers who sang in the Soviet Army Chorus and Band. Because of their voices they were kept away from the snows of Stalingrad. I sing in my church choir, and I’m really good.
I don’t want to be a baker. I don’t want to be a businessman. I don’t even want to be an ace. I’d like my own dream.
Week 5: How the Cards Fall
Week Five Recap: Attack of the Killer Robots
The teams have three challenges behind them now and are hitting their stride, learning the tricks, and proving themselves worthy of the title. But nine competitors have fallen by the wayside, and more will join them. The stakes are increasing, and so is the difficulty of the challenges, promising more excitement than ever before. What did this week bring our teams? An onslaught of mechanical monsters!
The American Hero special effects wizards outdid themselves in devising an army of robotic and remote-control vehicles capable of launching paint gun projectiles, tear gas bombs, traps, nets, and snares:
the Eradicator, armed with high-pressure water nozzles and a high-speed turbo engine for greater maneuverability;
the Hatchet, a veritable tank with spinning death in the form of buzz saws on extended, movable arms—simulated, of course;
the Killer Bees, remote-controlled minicopters armed with paintballs and tear gas; and finally,
the Exterminator, the most fearsome opponent of all. Rather than being automated or remote-controlled, this Exterminator had a human operator housed in an armored cockpit.
All this, to overwhelm the American Hero teams in an endless attack.
Each team entered an empty warehouse, where they did battle with this mechanized army until all their opponents were destroyed—or until all the members of their team were taken out of combat.
Disorganized and unable to utilize their powers effectively this go-around, Team Clubs limped through their hour of battle. Brave Hawk took to the air, hoping to do combat with the Killer Bees. He destroyed several and sent them plummeting, but was soon brought down by another of the aerial assailants, struck in the back by a paintball missile. Stuntman couldn’t be defeated, but after an hour of getting pounded by paintballs, even he was hurting, and he couldn’t do much to slow down their foes. Holy Roller did better, crushing the Eradicator and the Hatchet, but was eventually brought down by tear gas. The judges took the team to task for failing to protect each other, and for not finding creative ways to use their powers against their attackers.
On Team Spades, the Candle was able to shield his teammates with a wall of fire while