You step off the plane and look up at midday sun. As the rays illuminate your skin you take a moment to gather your thoughts. You have finally made it! You have made it onto "Altered Fates"! The top reality TV game show for the last 5 years on your favourite TV network. After many years of trying you have finally been selected from the thousands of applicants.
You take several nervous steps onto the blistering hot sand and look around at your fellow contestants. There are 10 of your altogether, most of which look as nervous as you. After all this is more than your run of the mill reality TV show competition. If you lose, you lose more than your place in the competition...
However that will not happen, you're here to win the the grand prize. Last year it was $1,000,000...Lord knows you could do with the money.
You soon find yourself in a big arena on the edge of the beach. The arena is made up of large rocks and stones set in a circle around a larger boulder. Standing on top of the large boulder in the middle of arena is your idol, the host of "Altered Fates", Ryan Mirage. He is grinning from ear to ear displaying his perfect white teeth. From his lofty position he looks almost like an Adonis, his bulging muscles struggling to be contained under his t-shirt. He is tall...almost too tall...but his height goes perfectly with his chiselled good looks.
"Welcome...welcome" Ryan purrs..."Welcome to Altered Fates...the only game show on TV where you literally put your current appaerance and even your humanity on the line"
Ryan flashes a grin towards the nearest camera and jumps down onto the sand. You tear your eyes away from the dreamy host for one second and spot several cameras around the arena, some even floating above your head courtesy of several camera mounted drones. It's clear that nothing you do on this island will be private.
"That's right!" Ryan continues with glee "Whilst one of you will be leaving here with grand prize of $1,000,000, everyone else will be leaving here a changed person...well maybe 'person' isn't the best word to describe it...let's just say you'll leave here changed." He winks at the camera and runs one of his hands through his short brown hair.
"Each show you will need to survive the many challenges the Island of Altered Fates will throw of you. You will need to survive with your teammates...get to know them...become friends...and then vote them out!" Ryan continued, pausing every so often for dramatic "We will hold a vote-off every three days until we are left with two contestants. The winner will then be decided by a public vote. When you're voted off the public will get to decide what transformation will take place...whichever hashtag gets the most trends after 1 hour of voting will be turned into reality...as presenter and Chief Warlock on this game show I am looking forward to changing most of you into something unrecognisable"
A strange almost sadistic smirk passed across Ryan's lips, only for a moment or so though, then the perfect smile was back. A part of you can't shake the feeling that he's looking you all up and down and is itching to use his powers on you. Over the years you have watched every episode of "Altered Fates" and the transformations have covered all bases from Animal, Age Regression, Age Progression, Body Modification, Inanimate, Size and even Transgender. If you didn't need the money so badly you would almost feel quite happy to lose and be transformed into something new. As you look around at your fellow contestants, you can tell that a lot of them feel the same way. Having said that though, the public do not hold back on their suggestions, often picking ironic and sometimes cruel transformations for eliminated contestants. You remember a time when a young girl could not light the fire back at the camp, so when she was promptly eliminated, the public decided that she would be transformed into a box of matches. In the another season there was a larger man who was eating most of the tribe's food supplies, predictably he was turned into the largest pig you had ever seen.
"But enough of that same old same old introduction nonsense" Ryan declares interrupting you from your thoughts "I bet everyone at home is interested to get to know our new contestants"
You can feel the heat of the cameras turn on you as you and the other contestants form a circle around Ryan and introduce yourselves to the nearest camera. You know that millions of people will be judging you from this moment right until you've either won or been eliminated. Every moment counts, if you come across as unlikable, you know that the public will not be kind in their choice. You take a deep breath, luckily you're the tenth person to introduce yourself, so you have some time think.
(I am deliberately leaving the contestant bios, quite vague, feel free to describe them however you think they would look)
Contestant 1 - Amy, 23. She's currently working as a waitress to pay off her student loans, but wants to win this competition so she never work another day in her life.
Contestant 2 - Trent, 36. He is an office manager, likes to surf in his spare time. Has entered the competition to prove that he can dominate a reality TV show like he dominates the business world.
Contestant 3 - Mario, 18. The youngest contestant on the show. He has started University but couldn't pass up the opportunity to be on Altered Fates. He is a little bit of a computer nerd and shy, but straight away you can tell that he has a good brain on him and will be a strategic thread.
Contestant 4 - Saira, 33. A former child movie star. Now the money has dried up and she's looking to reignite her fame. You can't help noticing the smile on her face that has plastered on her face...there is something menacing about it, she's not here to mess around.
Contestant 5 - Geoffrey, 56. A house-husband. He stays at home and looks after his children, now that his youngest child is getting ready to leave home, he thought it was the right time to challenge himself.
Contestant 6 - Tiffany, 22. A trainee doctor. Very clever but not very modest. She uses her allotted time to boast that she will be a physical and strategic threat. You have to admire her guts, but you certainly would not be so stupid to make yourself a target this early on.
Contestant 7 - Mike, 31. A police officer from a rough neighbourhood. A likeable guy for sure, but doesn't seem to have much of a personality. You're not sure how he could have got past the rigorous selection process...maybe he is holding himself back.
Contestant 8 - Ryan, 40. A sensible guy, says he's a salesman, but you can sense that's not the whole story. Actually during the whole of his speech you can tell that he's not giving up anything that can be used against him. Calculating and smart, he could be some real competition.
Contestant 9 - Ling, 25. A cute and bubbly girl. Says that she is currently unemployed and is still searching for her calling in life. You can tell that she would certainly not be overly upset to be the first person transformed and out of the competition. Just as you think this thought, she catches your eye and winks...maybe your first impression was wrong...?
"Fantastic, fantastic...Thank you Ling!" Ryan laughed "Contestant number 10...last but certainly not least...please introduce yourself"
You gulp loudly and blush as you feel the gaze of all eyes on you as well as the glare of the cameras seemingly burning into your skin. A single bead of sweat rolls down your forehead as you step forward.
"H-hi everyone!" you nervously start "My name is..................................."