Keko Tribe: Alicia Calaway, Teresa Cooper, Gretchen Cordy, Colby Donaldson, Richard Hatch, Michael Skupin, Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, Ethan Zohn

Ahi Tribe: John Carroll, Frank Garrison, Colleen Haskell, Susan Hawk, Rob Mariano, Vecepia Towery, Lex van den Berghe, Tina Wesson










DAY 1


Richard Hatch didn't want to be the first one voted out of the game. He was very worried about the possibility, despite his confident exterior, and fully expected to be gone early. Richard stared out the window of the helicopter anxiously, watching as the island approached. But as the black Apache helicopter touched down on the black sand beach of Ni'ihau, the contestants were able to release some of their anxieties, and see the paradise in which they would be living for the next 39 days. The two tribes had been flown out separately, never catching a glance of each other. No one know who was on the other team, or what the island would look like. They only knew their own teammates, and had a general idea of where they were headed. But now, they were here.


Ni'ihau is known as the Forbidden Hawaiian Island. It is the westernmost of the major islands, and by far the most mysterious. Privately owned, the 70-square mile island is off limits to tourism and all but the closest friends of the island's owners. Very few visitors are allowed each year, only enough that the land itself can support. It is a place deeply rooted in Hawaiian tradition and customs, and holds the distinction of being the only place on Earth to list "Hawaiian" as its primary language. No development whateosver is allowed, and only those lucky enough to scuba dive there have even seen its lush fauna, ample sea life, and pristine beaches. And what beaches they are! Replete with black sand, crystal clear water, and untapped wilderness for miles, the beaches of Ni'ihau have been virtually untouched by human beings for centuries. Even most native Hawaiians had never visited its shores. But now, the island was host to sixteen newcomers. Sixteen Survivors, who were here to settle the score once and for all: Who was the best of the best?


The helicopter touched down on the western shore of Ni'ihau. The eight members of the Keko tribe emerged, like warriors ready to do battle. First off was Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, the energetic real estate agent from Vermomt. Kathy looked excitedly around at her new home, feeling a rush of energy at once again living in a tropical island setting. Michael Skupin was the next to join her, breathing in the fresh Hawaiian air. No one was more excited to be back than he, and he embraced Kathy in a big hug, the two of them giggling like children. Alicia Calaway joined them on the beach, looking serious, and in tip-top shape as always. She was soon followed by Gretchen Cordy and Teresa Cooper, the two Southern mothers who already seemed to have a lot in common. Colby Donaldson pumped his fist in anticipation as he reached the sand, the omnipresent big smile on his face. Ethan Zohn high-fived Colby as he emerged, and the last to emerge was the big man, Richard Hatch. There were hugs all around, as the Keko tribe embraced their new home. They had reached paradise, and were all determined to enjoy the experience. They located their meager supplies nearby, consisting of no food, of course, and started to follow their map to Keko Beach. The game was on.


As the Keko tribe headed west, through the Hawaiian mountainside, their opponents were just landing. A second Apache helicopter touched down in the clearing, consisting of eight more contestants. This was Ahi, and they were every bit the equals of the Keko tribe. As with the other team, Ahi knew only the 8 members of their own tribe. They had no clue who they were playing against, or what the rules would be this time around. They just knew that they were here to win. Rob Mariano was the first to emerge onto the sand, his baseball cap turned backwards, as always. A sly grin on his face, Rob knew that the game started well before they actually landed here. Frank Garrison soon joined him on the beach, and the two men embraced in excitement. Vecepia Towery followed, saying a short prayer under her breath as she hugged teammate Colleen Haskell. Tina Wesson emerged next, looking tiny, but confident. John Carroll followed, looking cool in a pair of dark glasses, and was hugged by Lex van den Berghe, whose first task was to excitedly point out the large pineapple trees surrounding them. Last to emerge was Susan Hawk, who stepped confidently onto the beach, surveying her new domain. The Ahi tribe engaged in a group hug as the helicopter took off, with Tina and Vee saying a quick prayer for their success. They were just as excited to be here as the Keko tribe, but there seemed to be little more hardness in the attitudes of Ahi. It was clearly evident that the game had begun.


As Ahi begun their trek to their campsite, the players engaged in small talk, trying to disguise the fact that they were already analyzing each other. Frank was the only one who remained silent, preferring to concentrate on the carrying of the items to camp. He would later tell a cameraman that he felt a strong work ethic would be the key to success in this game, as there were no real weak links in an All-Star contest. Lex chatted up all his teammates on the walk to camp, and it was clear he was already trying to figure out the dynamics of his new tribe. His mind was always at work, although he would later admit to being dismayed that there was no obvious choice for a first bootee. Colleen walked alongside the more talkative players, speaking only when spoken to, and keeping her eyes wide open, noticing everything. As with always, she was a little intimidated by the more outspoken members of her team, but she was constantly paying attention. She didn't miss a thing. Susan carried the heavy cooking pot, and chatted alongside Tina and Vecepia, always gravitating towards the women. She was still quite bitter about her experience on Pulau Tiga, and her sharp eyes were already peeled, looking for potential weaknesses. No, nobody was going to make a fool of Susan Hawk again.

-KEKO-

Keko was the first to arrive at their camp. After two hours of marching along the beach, sometimes over wet, slippery rocks in sweltering heat, Michael Skupin first saw the green Keko flag. He grinned like a little kid, and along with the rest of the tribe, picked up the pace. They were eager to see their new home. Keko had arrived. Their beach was part of a cove at the base of the hills behind them. Surrounded by large trees and covered with very fine black sand, it was a place unlike any they had ever seen before. Keko set their load down, and immediately started the discussion of shelter and fire. It was quite evident that this was a hard-working group, as they scattered to the winds, gathering what they would need. Teresa Cooper volunteered to collect firewood and get started with sparking a flame, and Kathy quickly agreed to help. Colby, Mike, and Gretchen got to work collecting wood for the shelter, while Alicia, Rich, and Ethan started working on odd jobs, like collecting and weaving palm leaves for the roof. All were eager to contribute, and the mood in the camp seemed pleasant enough. Keko, which is a Hawaiian word meaning "monkey," proved to be an apt name for the group, as the eight newcomers were hard at work within fifteen minutes, scattering across the beach in all directions.


As they started to build their new home, bits of conversation and strategy began to show up. It was inevitable, of course, with the sheer number of strategists that were playing the game. No one shared their thoughts with others, but the players were eager to pull aside the cameramen, to share their strategies going into this game. Ethan was the very first, as he mentioned his immediate distrust of Colby and Rich. He had never been comfortable around players stronger than himself, and he already had his eyes alert for any potential alliances to head off the threat. Alicia was quite confident early in the game, as she already considered herself to have a bond with teammates Mike and Colby. She knew what to expect from them, and already considered Mike a potential ally. She was ebullient over the work ethic in her camp, particularly with the women. She had never had teammates like Gretchen, Teresa and Kathy, and she was in awe of the work ethic of the older women. She went on and on about how FAST things were being built. In his only interview of the day, Colby just chuckled at the dynamics of his new tribe. He thought it was comical how this time around, everyone was thinking strategy and alliances right from the start, but no one would dare admit it. Always a man of few words, Colby wanted to adopt a wait-and-see attitude, and just let the game come to him. "Oh they'll come, all right," he added, before going back to gathering wood.


Sure enough, Richard Hatch was not shy about discussing his strategy. He had been thinking about this game for two years now, and knew the game as well as anyone. And he was definitely aware of the numbers. He knew that he would be a fool to attempt to create an alliance right off the bat. What had worked with the naïve castaways of Pulau Tiga would never fly with his seven Keko teammates. What Rich needed was a new approach; he needed to let the alliance come to him. More importantly, he needed someone who would take the fall at the first vote. He was deathly afraid of that first vote, despite all his bluster and confidence. He had the most to lose of anybody here, and he had a lot of pride in his performance. If he couldn't ensure someone else's boot at the first vote, Rich knew that the target on his forehead would be a giant bullseye. He was going to lay low, keep his mouth shut, and try to find his fall guy. It would be an uphill battle, but he still intended to win this game.


As the day progressed, Keko had their shelter up and sturdy within a matter of hours. Gretchen and Mike proved to be a formidable team, as they worked well in tandem. They butted heads on a few issues, but their skill as builders was evident to all. Gretchen had the perfect area scouted, the perfect palm leaves selected, and was immediately loved by the rest of the tribe. How could you not like her? And she, in return, was equally happy with her new team. "It's great," she would later tell Kathy, "I'm actually stranded with a bunch of grownups this time." She was a little wary of Rich, but he proved to be a hard worker, and carried more rocks and bamboo than anybody. She was never much interested in the strategy of the game, but as far as she could tell, they were all hard workers. And that's all she really cared about this early. Rich had always treated her with respect in the past, and she genuinely liked the guy. But he was still dangerous.


As the shelter was built, Kathy and Teresa together started the first Keko fire. With the magnifying glass provided them, the fierce Hawaiian sun was easy to harness, and the ladies had fire within an hour. Kathy and Teresa bonded instantly, as the two mothers had a great deal in common. As with Alicia, they were both impressed by the women of Keko, and the amazing work ethic shown by all. This was no Samburu, this was a tribe that could get things DONE. As the fire was built, Rich. Mike and Ethan went off to find some food, coming back with a pineapple and some berries. They had fire, they had shelter, and they had nourishment. The happy little Keko family was ready to start their new life.


-AHI-



John Carroll stared at Lex van den Berghe, watching as Lex dominated the conversation. It was apparent to Ahi that Lex was the leader within about ten minutes of the hike. A natural, charismatic speaker, people were drawn to Lex, and John watched, trying to size the man up. John preferred to listen, carefully maintaining the balance between verbose and mute, but he was soon laughing and joking along with Lex. It was too easy to get along with the guy. And the two of them led Ahi on their trek, until they all seemed to see the flag at the same instant. Rob and Sue cried out in triumph as the small glint of orange caught their eye from down the beach. It was the orange Ahi flag, with a sun emblazoned upon it. A fitting name, Ahi, meaning sun, was situated on the hottest shore of the island. There were very few trees around, and a large sand dune blocked the path to the north. A large volcano crested to hills to the east, and the beach was covered with the finest black sand you could hope to see. It was gorgeous. Ahi marched into camp in a jovial manner, as all were eager to see this game play out. Sue and Frank took it upon themselves to start the shelter, while Colleen, Rob and John went off to gather wood and palm leaves. Vecepia and Tina joined Lex in gathering food, and the strategies began to form within minutes. This was a far different tribe than Keko, as suspicion and strategy ruled the day here. And none were more suspicious than Susan Hawk.


Sue did not like Lex from the moment they stepped on the island. For whatever reason, she just could not stand the guy. "The guy's a creep," she would often refrain to the camera, "He talks out of his ass." Not only was he a threat, but she just plain didn't like him. She fully intended to put together an alliance and oust him, the quicker the better. She had seen Rich do it, hated the guy for it, but saw how it could be done. She fully felt that she or Lex would take control of Ahi, and soon, and wanted to beat him to the punch. The only problem was that she didn't trust anybody else on Ahi! She felt they were all a bunch of "shifty-eyed asses," and wasn't quite ready to put her trust in anyone. Yet. But it would come.


As for Lex, his natural role as the central figure was solidified early. He was behind or involved in almost all conversations, and was a hard, productive worker as camp was set up. For the most part, people seemed to like him, and he felt that he had attained an early solid position within the tribe. But he was not above planning a strategy as well, and he eagerly discussed potential alliances and partners with the producers. He was always big on loyalty, and was very confident about the potential of aligning with John and Frank, both of whom he felt to be extremely honest and straightforward. He was leery of Rob, and wanted to get to know Tina better. He felt very secure for now, after all, he was the leader.


Some tentative alliances were born that first afternoon at Ahi, well before any formed at Keko. Rob immediately poured the charm on Colleen, looking to gain her favor. She enjoyed the attention, as she tended to be the outsider in any large tribe, and the two of them hit it off, as most young people will do. She found him to be charming but, she would be quick to add, "He thinks he's such a sweetie, but I see right through it. I mean, who couldn't?" Rob, for his part, cozied up to Lex as well, hoping to gain favor from the man in charge. Another tentative bond was formed between Tina and Vecepia, as the two Christian women often found themselves alone, picking berries, talking about their lives. It was obvious they were both a little wary of one another, but they had the start of something. Maybe something permanent. Tina, for her part, was also enamored of Frank Garrison, finding him to be a "big ol' teddy bear." She loved his work ethic and his attitude, and he, in turn, found her to be delightfully cheerful and optimistic. The two of them were tight from the get-go. The only one in Ahi who didn't seem to want to discuss strategy was John Carroll, who found himself doing a lot of observing, and waiting. He could wait forever, but he knew that Lex would approach him eventually. Lex was a lot of things, but he wasn't subtle. John knew he was Lex's kind of ally.

-CAMPFIRE-


As day turned to night, both tribes gathered around their fires, for the inaugural campfire. Keko sang songs, talked about their lives, and congratulated each other on getting invited into the All-Star edition of the game. They feasted on pineapple, and talked of the upcoming challenge, and the beautiful shore they were marooned on. Kathy shared with them the hilarious story of urinating on John in the Marquesas, and they headed off to bed.

Ahi finished their first campfire, as Tina said a short prayer for the success of the tribe, and they finished with a group hug. They all headed off to sleep, excited for the first challenge. All was silent, until a small microphone picked up Sue's voice whispering to someone late, late at night: "I think we need to get rid of Lex..."




DAY 2



Alicia had seen this challenge before. It was called "Eternal Flame," and was also the first challenge used in the Australian Outback. Both teams were to cross three sections of the Pikake River, carrying one torch to the end. First they had to navigate over a section of a plank puzzle, then cross on a raft via rope line, and finally paddle over to field of sugarcane. In the sugarcane field was a large wooden tower, and the first team to light their wooden tower would win immunity. Not only would they win immunity, but with it would come a large box of waterproof matches. The matches were nice, but what both teams wanted was the safety from tomorrow's vote. They were here for the kill.


Alicia immediately recognized the challenge from the treemail that Keko received, and mentioned to Colby and Mike that this was one they had done before. Mike groaned, remembering the shattering defeat that Ogakor had inflicted upon so early in the game. And with that, the three of them led Keko into the first head-to-head challenge. They were quite anxious to see who their opponents were, and felt that the physical strength in Keko would be hard to beat. They had Colby, Mike, Ethan and the big man, Richard, not to mention four perfectly capable females. Hopefully that would be enough to intimidate any team. And as Keko finally crested the hill leading to challenge beach, they got their first glimpse of the waiting Ahi tribe.


"Richard Hatch," exclaimed Tina, "I knew they had Richard!" Sue's eyes gleamed as she saw the former champion, the ultimate prize, the one she wanted so badly to defeat. In fact all of Ahi was fixated on the sight of the big man walking towards them, a big grin on his face. Lex and John immediately conferred, to talk about the abundance of male strength on the Keko tribe. Lex was a little worried. Yet the two tribes met, and embraced, with some old friendships coming out, and some people meeting for the first time. Tina and Colby were excited to see one another, as were Teresa and Frank, and Lex and Ethan. Kathy and Vecepia exchanged a cool handshake, it was evident that Kathy was still a little angry with Vee. But the time for pleasantries had passed. Jeff Probst told the two teams to take their places at the starting gate, and explained the rules. Both teams would carry one torch from start to finish. If the flame were ever extinguished, that team would be disqualified. First one to light the tower at the end would win immunity.


Keko was as confident as Lex was nervous. They knew that their strength appeared to be superior to the smaller Ahi tribe, and Alicia psyched them up with a furious pep talk prior to the race. But as Jeff said "Go," it was clear that Ahi was not to be underestimated. Keko was frustrated early by the plank puzzle that they had to figure out, while Lex and John had it solved within an instant for Ahi. As Ahi gained a sizeable lead, it was Lex, John and Rob who navigated their raft over a rope line, the three men working brilliantly together. Ahi emerged from the second section of river well ahead of Keko, although Richard and Colby put in a valiant effort to pull their raft along. As Ahi reached their final raft, they rowed towards the final sugarcane field, jubilant in their cheers. Vecepia and Rob held their fists in the air as Ahi crested the final beach, just as Keko entered the river behind them. Colleen reached the beach, climbed the tower, and lit the final torch for Ahi, as they erupted in cheers. The orange-buffed Ahi tribe celebrated and embraced, joyous in their victory over the hated Kekos. John flashed Lex a quick thumbs up, yes, this was a team that was built for the long haul.


Back at camp Keko, the mood was understandably different. Sure, they proved they could build a shelter, and it was no difficulty to find food here in Hawaii, but these were all seasoned game players. And now, the vote was about to be forced upon them. Kathy, for one, felt extremely vulnerable. She knew she was the oldest female in the tribe, and might have to take the blame for the defeat. Despite the fact that she had been the one to finally figure out the wood puzzle, she knew that the game favored the young. She had learned a lot in the Marquesas, and self-preservation was among the most valuable lesson. She took it upon herself to find out how the vote was going to unfold. She approached Gretchen, trusted Gretchen, and wanted to know how the vote would go. Gretchen, for her part, always hated this part, and didn't want to talk about it. She NEVER wanted to talk about it. Her strategy was always to remove those who didn't contribute to camp, who didn't pull their weight. But she agonized over the fact that NOBODY slacked in the Keko camp. She didn't want to vote anybody off. She had absolutely no intention of voting for Kathy, as Kathy was out gathering food all day. Gretchen would never vote out someone who had such a wonderful work ethic. Similarly, she felt very strongly about protecting Richard Hatch. Both Ethan and Teresa had inquired about getting rid of Rich, but Gretchen knew a valuable source of strength when she saw one. She was practical above all else, and Rich was somebody they needed. For now, anyway.


Kathy went from person to person, trying to figure out what would go down. She ultimately ended up gathering shells with Richard Hatch, and the big man knew an opportunity when he saw it. "What about Teresa," he asked her, "She will probably pick up a few votes." Kathy mulled over this opportunity, although it was a hard decision. She and Teresa had hit it off right away, and were quite good friends already. Sure, they didn't want to vote for each other, but this was for survival. She owed nothing to anyone but herself. But still, to align with Richard Hatch? Was she nuts?


Colby and Ethan discussed voting out Richard. The two of them secretly wanted nothing to do with one another, as they were both fond of voting out competition. But for now, they could get along. After all, the goal was to stay strong, until the merge anyway. Both of them saw the other as their key competition in the game, and both had the poker face to come off as each other's "best buddy." And both of them agreed that Rich needed to be out of the way. Ethan was insistent on it, he was very fond of the women of Keko.


As the second night on Ni'ihau ended, Frank came back to the Ahi camp with a freshly killed quail. He joked about the ease with which he found the bird. In this untamed land, it was if the animals had no fear of human beings. He laughed and ate silently, watching as his bird helped feed his hungry tribemates. Yes, if catching animals was that simple, he would be very secure here. He had already been approached by Tina, Vecepia, John and Lex, about a possible alliance. He could very well have the pick of the litter. He remained silent, watching the fire, as the rest of the tribe talked about their glorious victory.







DAY 3



Teresa Cooper didn't like the answers she was hearing. Michael was very elusive in who he was voting for, and Alicia said she would be getting rid of "weakness." Was Teresa the weakness? She didn't know, but she KNEW that she was not the weak member of Keko. Teresa had proven through her life, and her past history in the game, that she was as tough as anyone out here. She was not old, she was not weak, and she was not small. She could stand with anyone in the challenges. But she worried about perception. Did they think she was weak? Why not Kathy? Or Gretchen? She approached Kathy, wanting to see who the two of them should vote for. Kathy liked Teresa, but was always wary of the wily T-Bird. She tipped Teresa off that Colby and Ethan would probably vote for Richard, and that she would likely do the same. Teresa felt that Kathy would be the likely target, not Richard, and set about finding a way to get Kathy off the island. She had the same self-preservation instincts as Kathy, and was not planning to go home anytime soon. She approached Richard, wanting to see if she could make some sort of deal...


As Keko silently planned to eliminate one of their own, Sue was developing her plan to get rid of Lex. She found an unlikely ally in Rob Mariano, although she personally thought Rob was a "doof." Rob's aspirations for the leadership of Ahi were not very well hidden, and Sue knew Rob would jump at the chance to take out the head man. Rob agreed that he could get Colleen to vote along with him, and the two of them searched for a potential fourth vote.


Vecepia Towery was always a risky alliance partner. She jumped ship so many times, no one knew where her loyalties might lie. But Rob approached her as she harvested shells, asking if she wanted in. Vee was never one to turn down a deal, and immediately said yes, knowing it was better to come off as a willing partner in any such partnership. Rob informed her of the plan and she filed away the knowledge, carefully mulling it over in her head. She would use it at her own discretion. She knew as well as anyone that knowledge in this game equalled power. Some people would pay very handsomely for such knowledge.


Keko finished the feast that Mike and Kathy had provided them. It was their last meal together as an complete tribe, and they wanted to talk about the experience thus far. They went around the campfire, sharing their stories, and their expectations. Richard talked of the great time he had, just listening to them all, and their wonderful stories. He was trying very hard to come off as the "big brother" type, and
hadn't even attempted to take a leadership role thus far. Gretchen went on about the great work ethic displayed here, and how proud she was of the camp they had built. Mike said his entire mission here was to enjoy the experience, to live it fully. They all nodded their heads, in appreciation of Mike's enjoyment for being back. It was going to be hard to vote him out. Teresa expressed her love for them all, and for the great time they were having. For the most part, it was a group of middle aged people, very secure in their positions in life, and in their place in the game. One who wasn't secure was Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, who felt surrounded by enemies once again. She had flashbacks to her awful start on Rotu, and worried about coming off as the weak link. She had never handled pressure in this game well, and it was already eating at her. Another who felt a bit out of place was Ethan Zohn. The sensitive introvert tried his best, but was a little different than the rest of his tribe. He didn't have the middle aged wisdom most of them possessed, and wasn't as fiercely gung-ho as his fellow young tribemates Colby and Alicia. He felt like a bit of a lone sheep, and was a little worried about the first vote.


After dinner, the Keko tribe hiked to their first Tribal Council. Held in a mango grove at the base of a volcano, the Tribal Council set was intricately crafted in the old Hawaiian style. It was very ornate, and the fire in the middle seemed to pour from a small black volcano. The eight members of Keko sat down, as Jeff asked his first questions of the new game. Was anyone surprised at the style of play? Yes, said Alicia, it was a lot nicer and more civilized than she expected. Did anyone feel like they were in danger? Yes, said all eight people. It was clear that a lack of humility would not be a trait shared in Keko. How are you voting tonight? Strategy, said Teresa and Kathy and Richard. To keep the team strong, said Mike and Ethan and Gretchen and Alicia. Colby refused to answer, never dropping his game face for a moment. And then it was time to vote.


As expected, Colby and Ethan voted for Richard, not wanting the big threat around one day longer. Gretchen didn't want to vote for anyone, but threw a vote at Ethan, just because he was a bit of a loner, and she was not going to vote for Rich this early. Teresa cast her vote for Kathy, hoping beyond hope that she had been able to sway some votes against the older and weaker female in the tribe. But alas, it was Teresa who took the fall for the first vote. Rich and Kathy both voted against the T-Bird, with Rich calling it "my best chance to be here three more days." Mike voted for Teresa, simply saying, "No one deserves to go, but I just feel she is the least valuable in the strength challenges." And Alicia also voted for Teresa, saying that "Teresa, you know I love you, but it's gonna be you or Kathy tonight, and I had to pick one of you."


It was a very solemn moment as Teresa heard the fourth vote read. She dropped her head, shook it, and looked up with her trademark frustrated smirk. "Oh well," she muttered, obviously disappointed in the result. Gretchen was the first to hug her, and then Kathy, and they all soon followed. Everyone hoped the first vote would be easy, but it was not. Even Richard was a little shaken up by seeing Teresa leave, although he would later explain it to be relief, not sadness. Teresa had her flame extinguished, and she walked away, with a quick "Good luck, guys." Gretchen hated this part of the game. She hated to see a hard worker go, and hated even more to see a woman be voted out first. She dropped her head and a tear trickled down her cheek. She was not the only member of Keko to cry.