Survival Of The Fittest

[Topic is open to anyone who would like their character to appear on the show. Feel free to write your own interview segment or just summarize it. Timeline-wise, the show takes place a couple weeks after everyone was returned home, but before the winner was revealed.]

[Also just throwing up a introductory shortpost here.]

At his age, Larry King rarely got excited about his guests, and tonight was no different. Not to say that he wasn't looking forward to tonight's show of course. Snagging the first interviews in a story like this was always a coup, and if nothing else the SOTF rescue had offered a reprieve from the endless election coverage that dominated the airwaves every four years. Larry King was sick of elections. Exclusive interviews like these didn't come along very often, and when they did, you had to make the most of it.

And that all relied on prodding the students just gently enough that they would do most of the talking. CNN had the requisite "expert" guests just in case the kids wouldn't open up, but it would be disappointing if he ended up relying on them because none of the students would open up. Larry King's patented softball questions would be in full effect tonight.

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Tonight, Survival of the Fittest. For the fourth time, an American high school class fell victim to this act of terrorism. But for the first time, more than one safely returned home. Tonight on a very special Larry King, we take a closer look at this mysterious and extraordinary rescue, and for the first time, we will speak with several of the rescued students, and hear their incredible story. Don't miss this groundbreaking episode of Larry King Live!

Preconditions are for ...

Cowards, for weasels, for Jeremy. Who's the bravest man in the room, biggest gun in his hand, threatening I'll walk, shouting I'm a coward in the loudest way of all? Nothing louder, nothing bolder, than that moment where you get up, stand tall, and run. Nothing more commanding than hearing yourself say We agreed that that wouldn't be discussed in this interview. You already had an audience, just this great big mass of people to watch you prove what a little shit you were. And you just decided that audience wasn't big enough. More people had to see.

But no one's gonna see.

Cause when's the last time Larry fucking King held someone's feet to the fire? Flimsy dude, grandpa voice, pants hiked up to his nipples. Striking fear in none. Which is why, which is exactly why, Jeremy had to take a stand. Had to say loud and clear to the CNN people that he would not be fielding any questions about that one incident with the hat. And they said of course, of course, they shook his hand and promised it'd be okay. And sometime that night they- maybe just maybe- thought to themselves Well if he's not gonna talk about the hat, what the fuck did we bring him on for? I mean, is he gonna talk about-

Oh, fuck, HER?

Yup.

It's where all his bravery went.

[Stay tuned for the thrilling interview. There is a very good chance that Jeremy will make a cock of himself.]

(Andrea Raymer continued from Crash and Burn and Never Learn)

"I'm here, Larry."

"Andrea, it's very good to talk to you. Now, Andrea couldn't make it here live because she suffered a gunshot wound during the rescue, so first off Andrea, how are you doing?"

"Well, I'm doing pretty good, I mean-- they still don't know how severe the uh, the long term effects are going to be, but I am out of the hospital and starting physical therapy so..."

"It's a good prognosis, then?"

"Ah, yes, yeah I can hopefully make a full recovery."

"That's great to hear Andrea, congratulations. Do you remember anything about the rescue?"

So Andrea talked about what she remembered and filled in the gaps as best she could, and if all those gaps weren't totally 100% accurate, then so what? Someone had to take the fall for the rest of the Bayview kids and actually talk about what happened, didn't they?

She took up as much time as she could and eventually of course Larry King ended the conversation and moved on, but not before she'd promised to make a live appearance just as soon as she was cleared to fly. By the time she updated her blog the next day, traffic was already on its way up.

Not long after, Andrea finally turned 18, and sweet independence was (technically) hers. Not to mention her father's inheritance.

Time Magazine had contacted her, and one of the first in-depth interviews with a SOTF survivor was published shortly thereafter. It sold well. The story was still hot, after all.

By the end of the summer Andrea was cleared to travel. Her bags to L.A. were already packed.

(Andrea Raymer concluded in Land of Hope and Dreams)