Alternate Reality Show

Two weeks earlier...

"Alright y'all, time for the fourth challenge!" Kendra clapped her hands together. "Gonna be a lot simpler, because I've been on a very busy schedule as of late!"

"Wait, yeah, that reminds me, where have you been?" Sara asked, folding her arms. "We've been looking all over to try and find you and we only were able to find you once this entire round."

"That's on a need to know basis," Kendra's eyes narrowed. "Now then, focus up."

She paced slowly in front of the group, heels clicking against the polished floor of the lounge.

“This here’s gonna be a social deduction challenge,” she continued. “Simple concept. Y’all are gonna be split into two groups: Players and Disruptors. The Players are tryin’ to identify who’s sabotagin’ the group. The Disruptors…” she smiled thinly, “…are tryin’ not to get caught.”

Kathryn perked up immediately. “Finally. Something actually strategic.”

Emma shifted where she stood, already looking a little overwhelmed. “Wait, how do we… know anything?”

“Oh, you’ll know enough,” Kendra said. “Each round, y’all will complete a… task together. While you’re doin’ that, the Disruptors will be able to subtly interfere. At the end, you’ll vote on who you think they are.”

“And the twist?” Abby asked. “There’s always a twist.”

Kendra’s smile widened. “Every wrong vote comes with a penalty. And every successful sabotage comes with a reward. Those penalties and rewards? They’re gonna be felt.”

Lauren sighed quietly. “Of course they are.”

“First task’s real easy,” Kendra continued, clapping once more. “Y’all are gonna prepare a ‘group presentation’ about your ideal date with Turner.”

Abby snorted. “Oh, that’s not gonna cause problems at all.”

“Y’all will be connected by these lovely little accessories,” Kendra said, gesturing as Georgia wheeled out a tray of thin, sleek bands. “Wear ‘em on your wrists. They’ll monitor participation… and enforce the penalties.”

Turner, standing off to the side with Becca, frowned slightly.

“Encouraged how?” he pressed.

Kendra’s eyes flicked to him for just a moment. Something unreadable passed through them.

“Don’t worry your pretty lil’ head about it,” she said lightly. “You ain’t playin’ this round.”

Becca crossed her arms beside him. “That doesn’t mean we can’t ask questions.”

“And I answered,” Kendra replied, a hint of edge slipping through. Then, just as quickly, it softened. “Trust me.”

Turner didn’t look convinced.

“Alright!” Kendra clapped again, cutting through the rising chatter. “Let’s get started. Y’all got thirty minutes to prepare your little group presentation. Disruptors already know who they are.”

The bands clicked into place one by one, creating a soft, electrical hum as they activated.

Emma flinched slightly at the sensation. “I… don’t like this.”

“It’s just a monitor,” Lana muttered, adjusting hers. “Especially if we do well. Probably.”

“‘Probably’ is not comforting,” Emma whispered.

“Okay,” Sara said, stepping forward, trying to take initiative. “We should probably just divide this up. Like, someone handles location, someone handles activities, someone handles—”

“Or,” Paige cut in, “we actually try to figure out who’s going to sabotage us before we start handing them responsibilities.”

“That’s not productive,” Sara frowned.

“It’s very productive,” Paige shot back. “Unless you’re one of them.”

Sara’s eyes narrowed. “Wow. We’re starting there already?”

Abby stepped in between them with a grin that didn’t quite hide the tension. “Alright, children, let’s not implode in the first two minutes. We can do both. Assign roles and keep an eye out.”

“That’s what I just said,” Sara muttered.

“No, you said we should trust everyone,” Paige replied.

“I didn’t say that!”

“You implied it.”

“I did not—”

“Hey,” Kathryn called from outside the general din. “You’re arguing about process before you’ve even started. That’s exactly what Disruptors would want.”

“Thank you,” Abby said, glancing back at Paige. “See? She gets it.”

Paige rolled her eyes but didn’t press further, for now.

“Okay,” Kathryn continued, stepping forward now, taking control almost instinctively. “We assign roles, but we rotate oversight. No one works unchecked.”

“Fine,” Paige said. “I’ll take activities.”

“Of course you will,” Becca muttered under her breath from beside Turner, earning herself a glare from Paige.

“I’ll do location,” Sara said quickly.

“I can help with… visuals?” Emma offered hesitantly.

“Perfect,” Abby nodded. “I’ll handle pacing and flow. Make sure it actually sounds good when we present.”

“A beach bonfire,” Sara suggested. “Something romantic but relaxed.”

“Overdone,” Paige countered. “You want something memorable. High energy. Something he wouldn’t expect.”

“Like what?” Sara shot back.

“Night diving,” Paige said immediately. “Adrenaline. Intimacy. Risk.”

“Or panic attacks,” Emma added quietly.

“Not everyone’s scared of the ocean,” Paige replied, causing Turner to wince on the sidelines.

“Not everyone’s trying to prove something either,” Sara snapped.

The bands on their wrists pulsed faintly, serving as a warning.

“Guys,” Abby said, raising her hands slightly. “Focus. We can combine ideas. Start calm, build into something more exciting...”

“Or,” Paige interrupted again, “we stop pretending compromise is the goal here.”

That did it.

Sara stepped forward. “What is your fucking problem?”

“My 'fucking' problem,” Paige said coolly, “is that someone here is actively trying to make us fail, and you’re all acting like this is a group therapy session.”

“And your solution is to accuse everyone?” Sara shot back.

“My solution is to not be naive.”

Emma gasped softly, her hand gripping her wrist. “Ahn...hah...”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Turner said, pushing off from the wall.

Becca glanced at him. “Turner...”

“No,” he said quietly. “They’re not going to get anywhere like this. That's what production fucking wants, a way to make them all lose points so that the show goes on longer.”

He stepped into the group, causing several heads to turn quizzically. Kendra, sitting up on the sidelines, leaned in, curious to see what was going on.

“Hey,” he said, raising his hands slightly. “Just…take a breath, okay? This is exactly what the challenge wants. You’re turning on each other before anything’s even happened.”

“We’re supposed to,” Paige said.

“No,” Turner shook his head. “You’re supposed to figure it out, not create problems that aren’t there.”

Sara exhaled, tension still tight in her shoulders. “Then what do you suggest?”

“Structure,” he replied. “Kathryn’s right. Assign roles, but don’t assume bad intent right away. If someone messes up, then you question it. Not before.”

Paige crossed her arms. “And if the disruptors just play along perfectly?”

“Then they lose the game,” Turner said. “And the rest of you win together. Not by tearing each other apart from the start.”

“...Fine,” Paige said finally. “We try it your way.”

“Thank you,” Turner nodded.

Abby smirked slightly. “Look at you, playing peacekeeper.”

“Someone has to,” he replied.

Across the room, Kendra watched. Her expression didn’t change, but her fingers tightened slightly against her arm.

After Turner had returned to his spot on the sidelines beside Kendra and Becca, he noticed that the group was working better together. Sure, stepping in and running interference in a challenge was somewhat of a faux pas, and had earned him a warning glare from the host, but he thought it better than the current mess that was unfolding down below.

Then Emma dropped the tablet. It clattered loudly against the table, the screen flickering before going black.

“I...I’m sorry!” Emma said quickly, bending down to grab it, before being interrupted by a pulse on her wristband.

“Ahn—!”

Her breath hitched sharply, body tensing in place as a visible shiver ran through her. Her fingers tightened around the tablet, knuckles whitening.

“Emma?” Abby stepped closer. “Hey, what’s...”

“I didn’t...!” Emma gasped, her voice breaking. “I didn’t mean to...!”

Emma let out a small, involuntary sound, her knees buckling slightly before she caught herself on the edge of the table. The room went quiet; everyone was staring at her now. Paige’s eyes narrowed immediately.

“…That’s a penalty,” she said.

Sara snapped toward her. “No shit, Paige, we can see that...”

“No,” Paige cut in, stepping forward. “That’s not random. That’s triggered.”

Emma shook her head rapidly. “I didn’t do anything! I just dropped it...”

“Exactly,” Paige said. “Sabotage.”

“That’s not sabotage!” Sara fired back.

“It disrupted the task, didn’t it?”

“It was an accident!”

“Or a very convenient mistake.”

“Paige, back off,” Abby warned, her tone losing its playfulness.

But Paige didn’t.

She stepped closer to Emma.

“Tell me,” she said, voice calm but cutting, “was that your job? Subtle interference?”

Emma’s breathing picked up. “N-no! I’m not...I wouldn’t...”

The band pulsed again, causing Emma to whimper.

“Stop it!” Sara snapped, stepping between them.

“Stop what?” Paige challenged.

“This!” Sara gestured wildly. “You’re pushing her!”

“I’m questioning her.”

“You’re accusing her!”

“And you’re defending her pretty hard,” Paige shot back. “Why is that?”

Sara froze. “What?”

“You jumped in real fast,” Paige continued. “Almost like you don’t want anyone looking too closely.”

Sara’s stomach dropped. “No,” she said quickly. “No, that’s not...I’m just...”

She was interrupted by her own wristband pulsing, causing her heart rate to start rising and her cheeks to flush slightly.

“Okay, nope—nope, I don’t like that,” she muttered, her voice starting to shake. “Why is it doing that?”

“Because something’s off,” Paige said coldly.

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Then why are you reacting?”

“I don’t know!”

“That’s not a good answer.”

“I didn’t do anything,” she repeated, but it came out thinner this time. Less certain. “I didn’t—I didn’t—”

“Then calm down,” Paige said flatly.

“Don’t you, of all people, tell me to fucking calm down!” Sara snapped, her voice cracking as she took a step back. “Something’s wrong with this thing!”

Emma, still shaken beside the table, nodded frantically. “It...it hurts when it does that...”

“That’s the point,” Paige replied, rolling her eyes. “It’s a penalty.”

“For dropping a tablet?” Abby shot back. “That’s a bit ****, don’t you think?”

“No,” Paige said. “It’s exactly what we were told. Mistakes have consequences.”

“Not like this,” Sara muttered.

The band pulsed again. Sara gasped sharply, her knees dipping as her balance faltered. Her hand shot out, grabbing the edge of the table.

“Okay...okay, no, something’s actually wrong,” she said quickly, her voice spiraling upward. “It’s not stopping. It’s not stopping. Why isn’t it stopping?”

The others hesitated now. Even Paige’s expression flickered with uncertainty.

Kathryn stepped forward, eyes narrowed, studying the band rather than Sara herself. “It’s not just reacting to mistakes,” she said slowly. “It’s feeding off escalation.”

“What does that mean?” Emma asked, her voice small.

“It means,” Kathryn replied, “the more emotionally unstable the situation becomes, the more it… reinforces it.”

Sara stared at her. “That’s...no, that’s not...why would it do that?”

“To push us,” Kathryn said simply.

“Or break us,” Abby muttered.

Sara choked on a breath, her free hand clutching at her chest now. “I can’t—this isn’t—why is it getting worse?”

“Because you keep reacting,” Paige said, though there was less bite in her voice now. “If you just...”

“I can’t just not react!” Sara shouted.

The band flared brighter.

“Ah~!”

This time, she dropped to one knee. That was it. Turner moved before he even realized he had decided to.

“Okay, no...cut it out,” he said, stepping fully into the group again.

“Turner...” Becca started from the sidelines.

“No,” he said, with an uncharacteristic display of assertiveness. “This isn’t part of the game anymore. That’s not normal.”

Sara looked up at him, wide-eyed, breathing uneven. “Turner...something’s wrong with it...”

“I know,” he said, crouching slightly in front of her. “Hey, look at me. You’re okay. Just breathe.”

The band pulsed again. Her body tensed due to his close presence, but his voice cut through it just enough to anchor her.

“In...out,” he guided. “Focus on me, not that thing.”

As Kathryn looked at Turner crouched beside Sara, her eyes sharpened. She saw it immediately.

“…It’s tied to stress,” she murmured. “And he’s lowering it.”

Paige’s gaze flicked between them. “So he’s interfering.”

“Or helping,” Abby shot back.

“Same thing in this game,” Paige replied.

Sara’s breathing began to level out slightly, though her hand still trembled around the band.

“It’s still there,” she whispered. “It’s still… watching or something. I don’t like it.”

“Then we take it off,” Turner simply said.

That got everyone’s attention.

“You can’t do that,” Lana whispered immediately. “It’s part of the challenge.”

“I don’t care,” Turner replied. “It’s hurting her.”

“It’s a penalty,” Paige insisted. “If she’s a disruptor...”

“I’m not!” Sara snapped, though it came out weaker now.

“Then prove it by playing the game,” Paige said.

“Or,” Turner cut in, his voice hardening, “we stop pretending this is reasonable.”

From the sidelines, Kendra stood.

“Turner.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried. “You need to step back."

“She’s not okay,” he replied, not moving from Sara's side.

Kendra’s eyes flicked briefly to Sara, then back to him. “I am aware,” she said. “But you are not a participant in this challenge.”

“So what?” he shot back. “I’m just supposed to stand there while this happens?”

“That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do,” she said, more firmly now.

Sara’s band pulsed again, lighter this time, but enough to make her flinch against Turner's hand on her back

“No,” he said, reaching for the band.

That’s when the doors opened, revealing several people who dressed too clean, too neutral, too out-of-place for the island.

"Production," Kathryn whispered, almost imperceptably.

One of them spoke. “Participant interference detected.”

“She’s in pain," Turner simply said, not even looking up at them.

“That is within expected parameters,” the voice replied.

That made him finally look up. “What?”

Kendra didn’t say anything, but she didn’t interrupt them either.

“Step away from the participant,” another voice added.

Turner slowly stood.

“No,” he said again.

Becca took a step forward from the sidelines now, all too familiar with production. “Okay, now hold on, this is getting out of hand...”

“Secondary interference will not be tolerated,” the first voice said, not even looking at her.

Sara grabbed onto Turner’s arm weakly. “Don’t...don’t let them...this isn’t right...”

Turner had never seen Sara so worked up, and at that moment, her shaky grip on his arm and tear-streaked eyes did it. He didn’t think, didn't calculate, didn't weigh consequences, just acted.

He grabbed the band and pulled as hard as he could. It didn't come off, no matter how hard he pulled. He tried to slip it over her hand, and that was when a sharp pain hit his fingers, pushing him back, away from Sara.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Kendra finally said, stepping forward quickly. “We’re stoppin’ this right here.”

Turner froze, sitting a few feet away from Sara on the wooden planks of the beach as the host approached him.

“…Why did you do that?” Kendra whispered.

He blinked. “What?”

“If it just makes it worse…” she said, her voice small, fractured, “why would you try to fix it?”

“We’ll take it from here.”

Kendra whirled around, seeing one of the members of production standing directly behind the two of them, towering over them.

“…No,” she weakly said. "You can't..."

"You, Turner?" another member of production turned to him, still sitting near Sara. "That emotional attachment of yours seems to be the problem. I believe we have a...solution."

A third executive summoned a screen, similar to the transformation holograph that Kendra had summoned back when they demanded Becca be brought back to her normal self. Except this time, the face sitting in the center was Turner's.

Just Play the Game, Son: Turner feels less emotional pain the longer the game continues; however, he also feels less emotional attachment. As the game goes on, Turner's connections to the girls will transform slowly from an emotional one to strictly physical. (Harem Master)

"That transformation should...help clear things up," the first executive said, before turning back to the host. "Kendra? Come with me. This challenge is put on pause for now."