The Absconsion

The Shark Attack

The curtain slowly raised up like that in a movie theatre revealing the screen. Out of curiosity, some players were bending to see what lied behind, but in vain. When the curtain finally raised to the top, they could see 52 partitions, one for each team. The players were then instructed to move forward. As they moved, they noticed that, inside every partition, there were five square-shaped tiles on which the numbers from one to five were written. The tiles were opaque and white in color. The players stepped onto their respective tiles. They could notice that there were small gaps between every tile as if the tiles were not connected unlike the ones in our homes. They looked like they were movable and independent from one another. After each player had taken their position, shirts pinned to a hook descended above their heads. The players collected their shirts and wore them. The hooks immediately went up and soon disappeared.

' I hope you all love your new shirts. The excitement about what would be behind the curtain was really high among the players when the curtain was closed. I can notice that most of you are disappointed by what you got to see. But, I would like to say that, this is just the beginning of what you are about to see. And before I would present you with the next reveal, I would like to say that the floor on which you are standing is soundproof, which means the sound coming from beneath it is currently blocked and the tiles are actually transparent. In further revelation, you will get to see what lies beneath. '

One of the players asked what is below these tiles, but the organizer ignored him and continued with what he was saying.

' The round which we are about to play is called "Shark Attack." '

Most of the players gasped and a few gulped in fear. H8(Zain), who knew that the puppy was mechanical, suspected that even the sharks might not be real.

' Currently, you all are standing above an altitude of 70 feet. I know this does not feel like it, as you are not able to see what is beneath you. '

The path that players took to come here did not include any stairs, so they were not able to believe when the organizer said that they were standing above an elevation of 70 feet.

Just after that, the tiles abruptly became transparent, and every one of them jumped in fright. Players started yelling and tried to run out of the arrangement, but it was already closed, so they could not get out. Players closed their eyes and were now scared to their death to even look down. The noise which was earlier suppressed is now audible and they could hear the waves crashing. As the organizer said, they were really standing at an altitude, and below them was water which was light-blue in color, but not entirely transparent. What horrified them more was there were some organisms swimming inside the water below and when they looked closely, they realized that they were sharks. 

The players who were excited about the round before were now scared and wanted to get out of there right then. They were behaving in the exact same way as in the first round. E7's team was surprisingly calm except for P9 and I1. The rest already knew in their heart that the next round would also involve a life and death kind of scenario, so they were calm. Of course, they were startled at the sight of sharks, but they were able to control their emotions as they knew that panic does not make things better.

H8's(Zain) team was also pretty shaken except for him.

H8: Do not worry. We will make it out of this round alive. I want everyone's mind in the game. Just breathe frequently, focus on the game, and do not look down. I repeat, do not look down. When our focus is on the objective, in this case winning the round, then the obstacles does not matter, which are sharks.

H8 attempted to increase his team's morale as he needed them to perform well in that game and the quote that he used seemed to have worked quite well.

' The very reactions that I am witnessing currently, ' continued the organizer, ' was the reason why we had not revealed both the name and setup of this current round. I know that it would create chaos and violence was the last thing that we would like to choose to stop you. I apologize for this delay, but it was to maintain order. So, without any further ado, I would start explaining the rules of the game.

Every player, who wore the shirt with number 1 on it, has a pocket, inside which there is a buzzer. Now, the team must discuss among themselves and elect a leader who will hold the buzzer. In this round, I will be asking questions, and the team which knows the answer for the posed question may press the buzzer. The buzzers are connected to each other in such a way that, when a team presses the buzzer, the other teams cannot use it for that round. This means, for every question, the buzzer works only once and the team that uses it first will have the opportunity to answer the question. Now, you all might wonder that the one who can press the buzzer faster has an upper hand in the game, but make no mistake, there are also consequences if the team that presses the buzzer cannot answer the question. So, listen to the questions carefully and press only if you know the answer. I will now give each time some time to decide who gets to hold the buzzer. I suggest to elect a player who does not stress easily as stress will indirectly a team's performance. '

The organizer then gave the teams five minutes to discuss who about who gets to hold the buzzer.

E3: I am not going to hold it, I might press it unnecessarily in excitement or anxiety.

P9: I will not take the responsibility too. But according to me, the person who believes that they have knowledge about a wide range of topics should operate the buzzer as it would be easy for them to activate it if they know the answer to the question.

I1 remained silent and was staring at the player who was currently talking, which made it pretty clear that he does not want it too. Now, it was down to either P4 or E7 and both of them had not given their opinion till then.

P4: I have no problem using the buzzer, but if E7 wants to do it, I would like a convincing explanation about why should I give it up. I do not want to be rude, but after seeing sharks, I suspect that our lives are in line. Hence, the buzzer should be in the hands of the best.

E7: That is a fair point. I believe that I should use the buzzer because I have studied so many subjects throughout my life and as a result I know about many things. But this is not the reason for which I feel like I need to take responsibility. The reason is, I am really fast. And I work well under pressure, so there is no chance that I would mistakenly press the buzzer. P4, if you are okay with the statement that I presented, I would like to discuss some points about how we should play the game.

P4: Ability to work well under the pressure is what we require now. Alright, you take the buzzer.

I1 handed over the buzzer to E7. It was a small black-colored device, which only had a single red-colored button on it and a small screen at the bottom. E7 held it in his right hand and then turned to look at his team.

E7: So, we now know that the game is going to be a quiz and the team that uses the buzzer first will get the chance to answer the question. So, when the organizer starts to ask the question, all of us should put our complete focus on the question and at the end of the question, if anyone believes that they know the correct answer, say yes. When I say believe, I mean that you know the answer for certain. As soon as I hear the word, yes, I will activate the buzzer. If you are not sure, discuss it with us and then we make a collective decision about whether the buzzer should be used or not. 

E3: Guys, but make sure that we do not act in haste. Of course, the game requires us to be fast, but we need to think it through. We still do not what happens if we give a wrong answer, so I suggest giving your answer a thorough thought before saying yes.

P4: Even the constitution requires amendments. After the organizer instructs about the game completely, we will revise these points and make some necessary changes if required.

E7: Alright, then. We are now ready. Keep the same spirit till the end of the game.

                                                                                                                    ----*----

H8: I think I should hold the buzzer because I do not mean to brag but I have more knowledge than all of you combined.

N19: I thought we are supposed to be a team. Since when is undermining the teammates normalized? It does not feel like democracy, but feels like a dictatorship.

H8: I am sorry if I had hurt any of you, but I know I am good at stuff like this, and trust me, with all of your help, I will get us all through this round. I have no problem if any one of you wants to handle the buzzer, but I feel that it would be easy for me to quickly press the buzzer when I know the answer. It is faster than letting the one with the buzzer know and then he activates the buzzer. I only wanted to convey my belief positively and I swear there was no other intention behind it. I am sorry if that was conveyed in the wrong way. The only goal of everyone right now is to be alive, so I proposed it instantly. I have shared my opinion, the rest is up to you guys. A collective decision would decide who gets to use the buzzer.

A15: Yes, that was definitely conveyed wrong, H8. Being assertive is not wrong, but being offensive and that too with teammates is definitely not acceptable. We may not be as smart as you, but we do have knowledge. The words you just said made us feel inferior. All the team members are supposed to be treated as equal despite their contribution. A team must have peer-peer relation not a manger-worker one. You talk about team morale and efficiency, but then you do this. Which version of yourself is true and how can we trust someone who appears two-faced?

H8: I want our team to thrive. Based on that I want you to assume which version of mine was true. I have already apologized for what I have said, and I am ready to do it again and again till I am forgiven, but I am afraid we do not have time for that.

D18: He is both wrong and right. His speech even though hurt us, now is not the time to discuss it. And he is right, he might be smarter than us, so if anyone has objection with him being the one who gets to hold the buzzer, say it now and also present with a reason why you think you are more capable than him.

No one had talked anything which made it pretty clear that no one had any interest in handling the buzzer in the first place and that they were just hurt by the statement H8 made.

A15: See, H8. No one really wanted the buzzer anyway. Even if you had not said anything, you would have been the one. You unnecessarily spoke and made everything worse.

H8: Believe me, I understand it now. Once again, I am truly sorry. Now, coming to the game, if anybody knows the answer to the question, tell it to everyone and if we all feel it to be correct, we then press the buzzer.

All the players nodded and A15 handed over the buzzer to H8.

                                                                                                                ----*----

' The time to elect a leader now ended. I shall proceed with the further instructions. The total number of questions that I would ask is not fixed. The questions would be kept asking till all the teams either complete the game or lose in between. You all might be wondering how to win the game. As you can see there are a total of ten square tiles in every team's path of which five are already being occupied by the team members. When a team presses the buzzer and answers the question correctly, each of the players of that particular team advances to the next step. So generally, a team has to answer 11 questions correctly for all of its members to reach the endpoint and clear the round.

When the player of a team crosses the end line, that means that player alone has entered the safe zone. His number would be carry-forwarded to his teammates behind them. Even though the player is safe, they can still contribute to their team in saving them.

Another interesting point is, whenever a team gets a question right, not only do they get to move a tile further, they can also choose another team to move one step further. It is up to the leader(who holds the buzzer) to select which team gets to move forward.

Now going to the scary part. What happens if the team activates the buzzer but fails to answer the question correctly? Many of you might have already observed that the tiles are not inter-connected and a few might even understand that they are movable. So, when a team gets an answer wrong, the tile on which the player with the number 1 is standing slides and the player falls down. Approximately that player experiences a free fall for 2-3 seconds after which you find yourself beneath the water, and unfortunately gets disqualified from the game. '

The players who chose number 1 instantly regretted their decision and were now sweating, because one wrong answer and they are done. At least, in the earlier round, they got the chance to save themselves when they could control their emotions and remined calm. But now, even one mistake would cost them. 

A15 gave a cold stare to H8 as he was the one who chose the numbers for everyone.

H8: It is going to be okay. Only if we give the wrong answer, we will lose a player, right. We will not activate the buzzer if we are not sure. We will go slow and steady. 

Many players started to remove their shirts and were now begging their teammates to swap places with them. But who in the world would trade places with a stranger who is just one wrong answer away from death. No one wants to walk towards death and swapping with them means, one step closer to death. The players who were standing last sighed as they were five wrong answers away from facing the deadly sharks.

' The numbers were already decided and cannot be changed now. If a player tries to cause chaos regarding the numbers, the tiles will slide off right now. As much as we hate violence, we will be forced to adopt it, if the disorder does not cease. I assume the players who have chosen 4 or 5 might be relieved but make no mistake, you have the same danger that the beginning players have. After I ask ten questions, the tiles of the last row of every team slide and if a player is standing on it, they are disqualified and if the team had already moved on from the last step, then there is no issue. So a wrong answer will cost you and staying silent for too long will also cost you.

Consider a scenario, in which a team presses the buzzer and gives an incorrect answer. Player 1 loses and their number would be assumed by player 2, whose number would be assumed by player 3 and it follows. This means that, for every player lost, that particular team forwards one step. But this is not the case for the last player. At the end of the tenth or multiple of the tenth question, if the player at the end disqualifies, the team remains in their positions and their numbers would remain intact. If in case the buzzer remains in the hands of the player who is about to disqualify, a moment of time would be allotted to hand over the buzzer to the next leader and that decision should be made in an instant. If the player tries to create chaos, then they will face consequences worse than death.

A player should always remain on their tile all the time except when they answer a question correctly or when they lose a player of their team. If a player fails to remain on their tile, they would face consequences such as losing both the game and the money they had won so far.

Every team is separated from each other through a transparent glass, which can also suppress the voice. That means a team can discuss the answer among themselves without the fear of other teams listening to them. After a question is answered, the suppression would be removed. This process continues till the end. 

If you look above, every team can see a number above their heads and this number is your team number.

I hope the rules are clear. After ten questions, the players can ask if they have any doubts. If there are any modifications done to the game, they will be communicated during this time. The round will commence in two minutes. Stay sharp. '

                                                                                                                ----*----

I1: Ah, I think we need to rethink about the strategy we formulated. We cannot press the buzzer if someone says yes. If they are wrong, then I would be the first one to go down. I do not want to die.

E7: You are right. A wrong answer would cost us a life. So, a discussion before we press the buzzer before every round would be good.

P4: Yes. If all the teammates feel that the one who knows the answer is confident about it, only then do we go for the buzzer.

P9: Ah, don't you guys think that would create a problem for me? If we take too long to press the buzzer, some other team might take that opportunity and if it continues for ten questions then since I am the last person standing, I would become food for those hungry sharks as we had not answered any questions till then. 

E3: We also have an alternative, remember? If any other team helps us forward one step, then we are safe from the first elimination. I think it is now about socializing with other teams beforehand. The team which can create a big successful network would definitely win this round. 

E7: Yes, the network is important, but we can not commit to any team right now. Let the game begin and when we get an answer right, we would then discuss which team should we select. The team that we help should also be in a position to help us back.

                                                                                                                ----*----

A15: I am going to die.

D18: Do not think like that, A15. We cleared the round 1 and we will make it out of round two too.

H8: The rules are kind of difficult here. We should answer at least one question correctly to save our last teammate. But if we do not know the answer to any question, then the last player dies. If we attempt a question and say it wrong, we lose our first one. 

D18: You are not supposed to talk like that since you are the smartest person here.

H8: I am just saying the worst possibilities.

C15: Luckily, you chose a safe number, H8. You are at no risk right now.

H8: I might be in a safe position, but it is temporary. Two wrong answers and it is my turn. No one is safe until we cross the end line. Also, A15 gets to enter the safe zone first. You do not see me pointing my fingers at him, right? Whether we like it or not, we are all a team and it is time, we act like it rather than playing the blame game.

A15: Since it is my life on the line. I would like to request everyone to please use hundred percent of your brain and discuss the answer with the team and if all agree, only then shall we proceed with the buzzer.

H8: Even though using a hundred percent of the brain is not possible, I get what you mean by that point. What A15 has shared is the only and the best way to approach the task. I will only press the buzzer if everyone agrees. 

H8 felt like all his teammates were turning on him, so he was trying to involve his team by appreciating the input they were giving. At least this way, they might feel like they are contributing to the group and would not develop any kind of hatred towards him.

The two minutes ended and the round finally began.

' I hope all the players are ready as we will now begin round 2 "The Shark Attack." Every question has a five-minute window during which any one of the team must come up with an answer, or else, the question will be skipped and we shall move on to the next one. The difficulty of the questions would increase if the questions are answered or else the difficulty is maintained at the same level. Similarly, the questions, in the beginning, are generalized which becomes specific as the questions progress. Keep your fingers ready on the buzzers as I am about to ask the first question.

The first question is, " A boy and a doctor were fishing. The boy is the doctor's son, but the doctor isn't the boy's father. Who is the doctor? I repeat, a boy and a doctor were fishing. The boy is the doctor's son, but the doctor isn't the boy's father. Who is the doctor? '

All the team players turned towards each other and started to discuss.

N19: Maybe, the doctor is the neighbor who had an illicit affair with the boy's mother. So, the real dad knows about this thing and the child does not. Therefore the neighbor knows that he is the father of the boy, but the child does not know that he is the father. What do you guys think?

A15: Oh, no. I am definitely not going to agree with this answer. It is bullshit.

N19: Hey, at least I thought of something.

H8: Calm down, both of you. That is not the right answer anyway. The answer that you thought of is purely based on assumptions, which makes it a possibility, not reality. Also, the answer is too specific. Generally, these questions come under logical reasoning, the answers of which are pretty basic and generalized.

                                                                                                        ----*----

I1: He might be stepdad?

P4: That makes him his stepson, not his son. The question clearly mentioned that he is the doctor's son.

E7: Why did you say, " his stepson?" Why did you assume that the doctor is a male? They did not mention that in the question.

E3: Guys, I think that is the answer itself, the doctor might be his mother, so that is the reason, she cannot be his father.

Just as E3 came to a deduction and shared it with the group, one of the teams pressed the buzzer.

Organizer: Team 49 has activated the buzzer. After I repeat my question, please state your answer. The boy is the doctor's son, but the doctor isn't the boy's father. Who is the doctor?

Team 49: The doctor is the boy's mother, so she cannot be his father.

Organizer: That is correct. Congratulations, Team 49, you can now move one step ahead.

The team members happily moved ahead. The other 51 teams had a long face.

Organizer: You now have the power to help a team to progress one step ahead. Choose wisely.

Just as the organizer said to choose a team, all the other teams were yelling and some of them were threatening Team 49 to choose them. All the noise again created chaos which made it difficult for Team 49 to pick one team.

A loud banging sound played in the background which silenced everyone.

Organizer: I have already anticipated this situation, so I would like to communicate a point which I had not said earlier. The buzzer that each team is holding also consists of a microphone and a speaker. There is also a small screen at the bottom which will only be activated for the winning team. The winning team can enter the number of the team with whom they want to communicate. During the call, the noise blockers are activated to avoid any disturbance.

So, Team 49, you can talk to any team before you decide about which team you would like to assist. But remember, you only have 3 minutes to make the decision or else your team will be forced to move a step backward. You can see the countdown on the screen above your head. After you decide which team you are going to help, you need to tell it out aloud. The instructions are now complete, and your time starts now.   

Now, Team 49 did not even know which team to call. The only teams that they could see were Team 48 and 50. The members of Team 48 were banging on the transparent glass, so they decided to give them a call.

' Please, help us. If we answer a question, we would definitely help you back. Please. '

' You have to be on your word, okay? '

' I swear, I will choose you. See I am the one holding the buzzer. I will choose you no matter what. '

Team 49 disconnected the call and since they did not have any commitments to other teams, they announced, ' We would like to assist Team 48. '

The organizer then said, ' Team 48 can now move one step ahead. '

' The second question is, " Rearrange the following letters of NEW DOOR so as to form one word. " I repeat, Rearrange the following letters of NEW DOOR so as to form one word. '

A15: Come on, H8. You said you will take care of this round. So far, I am not seeing your brilliance. Was that even true or did you just make that up to join our team?

H8: We are still on the second question, alright. Be cool. Anyways, English is not my strong suit, not that this question requires an extensive grasp of vocabulary. Just give it time, the logical part of your brain would soon adapt to the questions and we will definitely answer.

                                                                                     ----*----

E7: Any ideas?

P9: Wendoor? It might be similar to vendor?

P4: There is no such thing as Wendoor.

P9: Well, how do you know?

P4: I have studied English literature. I have never come across any word like that. Even if I may not know the meaning, if a word exists, then I would definitely know it.

E7: Anyways, I do not think it is related to English literature. It is supposed to be logical, not intellectual.

E3: I heard about a logical question that they usually ask in the interviews. It goes like, the interviewer asks the interviewee to write something on the board. Many candidates write whatever they want but only one of them writes "something" and guess what, he lands the job.

E7: Then we need to make it the ONE WORD, not a one word.

P4: If we rearrange..

Before P4 could even complete the sentence, another team presses the buzzer.

' Team 4 had activated the buzzer. After I repeat my question, please state your answer. Rearrange the following letters of NEW DOOR so as to form one word. '

Team 4: We can rearrange the letters of New Door and make it One Word.

' That is correct. Congratulations, Team 4, you can now move one step ahead. You now have the power to help a team to progress one step ahead. Choose wisely. '   

All the other teams were now eagerly waiting and hoping that Team 4 selects them to move forward. The game was just like a normal quiz, but the difference is, one wrong answer would end your life.