“They probably thought they’d be going to some beach or something, not in the middle of China, in the mountains of Tibet. I can’t believe how beautiful it is here, like some kind of primitive paradise.” She said, looking around her once more. It was, simply put, breathtaking. There were so many greens, she had no idea that the color green had so many shades to it. There was a mist that hovered above the gorge.
“It is beautiful. It seems so untouched, like we are the first people to set foot here. I wonder if the explorers of old, felt this way, when they came across some place so beautiful.” He said, his eyes gliding around them.
“They had to, even back then, you can’t deny that this is one of the most beautiful places on earth.” She sighed dreamily and grinned.
Both fell silent, she just didn’t look forward to going across that damned cable. She wasn’t afraid of heights, just that thin cable. She saw the cage coming in toward them and it swung heavily. The winch was powered by a solar power grid, connected to it. There was also a generator, not a very stable looking one, that could also be used to move the cage along. She wondered idlily if both were to stop working, and if someone was in the middle of the crossing, what the hell would they do? She shivered and put that thought out of her mind.
“I really don’t think they will last the week out here, let alone sixty days. We only get this first day’s meals provided for use, tomorrow, we are on our own.” Aiden said, his voice almost speculative.
“They are so thin now, it won’t take much for them to lose calories. I packed on fifteen pounds when I found out I got chosen.” She said and smacked her rump, grinning. Aiden looked and laughed, waggling his eyebrows.
“I think you should have put on more, at least you have a head start. I added twenty pounds, ate banana splits and pizza for three weeks, along with all kinds of fast food.”
Sarah laughed and nudged him in a friendly manor, she’d been trying to become a survivalist, and had been learning about native plants, edible plants and medicinal plants in her home in Prentiss, Maine, but she didn’t know much about the plants here. She worked on her computers, graphic design, from home.
It afforded her the ability to scour the internet for information about survival and the old methods of keeping food. She’d gotten into canning the last year and a half, she’d grown her garden and had processed the vegetables she’d harvested. If she’d known where they were eventually going, she could have looked up the plants of China or Tibet.
They’d not been told the location of the shooting until they’d arrived at the airport in San Francisco, ready to take off for China. If she’d known, she would have studied up on the plants. She was hoping that the region had similar plants, that would help her and Aiden survive better. Aiden’s background in the SEALs helped with finding things to eat, making fires and such. She could do those things, but again, she’d just started within the last year and a half. She wasn’t proficient at it.
She could fish, but she couldn’t hunt. They’d each been able to bring one item with them, she’d chosen to bring a metal pot. Aiden had brought a lethal looking machete, and she was sure he could cut down wood and whatnot to burn for fires or clear an area, and she could cook and make drinkable water with her pot. She guessed the producers wanted them to struggle and drama was always good for TV.
Because they were going to be there sixty days, they were also allowed to bring two changes of clothing. Since she’d not known their eventual location, she’d opted to bring one pair of lightweight shorts, short sleeve cotton shirt and what she was wearing, which were jeans and a cotton shirt, long sleeve, and the waterproof windbreaker.
She’d rolled up the sleeves, since the weather was mild and not hot at all. They had all been briefed once they got to the airport in California, their cellphones, laptops and tablets had all been confiscated, so no one was allowed to call out and disclose any information about the show’s location. They had also been told to leave a very small footprint while they were there.
Because this area was off limits to most foreigners, it was a big deal to the network that everyone complied with all the rules. No one was allowed to leave any garbage what so ever. Any refuse was to be taken out once a week, when the food deliveries were made for the crew.
Christian, the host, normally would not have stayed the whole time at a location, but because this shoot location was such an arduous trek to reach the area, everyone in the filming crew had been forced to stay the entire time. Sarah had smiled, it would seem the camera men weren’t happy about Christian’s continual presence. It was interesting to see the dynamics of the filming crew.
While at the staging area at the gorge, Sarah had smelled alcohol on Christian and had wondered about it. Perhaps he wasn’t happy about the extended stay. Food for the camera crew, host and producer would arrive every week and be transported to the main camp. It had taken ten porters to carry the equipment and food in. Only the producer, Marla Eastan, had a satellite phone, and only she was authorized to make calls out. It was tight security for the show. This
