Player Appreciation Week 2024

Question for a nerd

3rd Personn POV

"And welcome everyone to another episode of question for a nerd..." Zack shouted into the HQ lounge before getting a pat on the back of the head from his sister. "Ivy... You can't prove me wrong. On my right, we have the world's most elusive thief. Hunted both by her father's murderer with her team of idiots but also by her former parents who have taken the piss for losing the only person remotely qualified. While underneath her tough-as-nails exterior, she's still a little girl terrified of disappointing her adoptive father."

"Easy Zack..." Carmen murmurs.

"And on the other side, we have Player. Such a gifted hacker whose only equivalent is his agoraphobia. All bets are still on the day he'll finally come out of his cave."

"Zack !" Player shouts towards the young man, who only smiles back.

"The two best friends are going head to head today to see who knows the most about geography. The winner will have the privilege of deciding on an all-important subject. First question : What is the largest island in the world by area ?"

Carmen pressed the buzzer quickly before answering with a smile, "Greenland."

"And that's a good answer for the scarlet thief to open the ball. Second question : what is the most populous country in South America ?"

Carmen was about to buzz but Player beat her to it by half a second. "Brazil."

"That's a good answer. What is the longest river in Europe and how long is it ?"

Player seemed to think for a moment as Carment buzzed after a second's thought. "Volga with a length of about 3,530 kilometres."

"That's a good answer. Falling into it in the middle of winter instead of catching Tigress at least served a purpose Carm." Shadowsan scowls at the boy's light-hearted state of mind before retreating to his room. "Next question : what is the largest desert in the world, and in what region is it mainly found ?"

"Antarctica, in the region of the same name." Carmen beat Player to the punch again.

"And Carmen continues her winning streak. 3 to 1 for her. What is the lowest point on Earth, and where is it ?"

"Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean."

"Good answer from Player. What is the largest freshwater lake in the world in terms of surface area ?"

"The Caspian Sea." Carmen answers but Zack imitates an error sound.

"Wrong. The Caspian Sea is salty. The largest freshwater lake is Michigan-Huron Lake between the United States and Canada." Player says to Carmen with a small smirk.

"Correct. And Player goes up 3-3. We'll be back shortly dear viewer after this commercial page."

"This isn't TV, Zack. Get on with it, I'm hungry." Player and Carmen giggle at Ivy's remark.

"You're no fun Ivy. And we're back to question for a nerd. Our two contestants are tied. And there are only 4 questions left. What is the most sept... no septenna... well the most northerly point of continental Europe ?"

"Septentrional Zack. And it's the North Cape in Norway."

"Good answer for Carmen. What is the highest capital in the world, and in which country is it ?"

"La Paz in Bolivia." Carmen answers just before Player and he gives her a dark look. Carmen starts to feel bad. Every time she won, Player had to feel bad that he was always second.

"5 to 3 for Carmen. One more good answer from the scarlet thief and we'll have our winner. What is the largest archipelago in the world, and in which region is it mostly located ?"

Player buzzed as Carmen seemed to ponder. "Indonesia in South East Asia."

"Player goes back up scoring a fourth point. Last question : what is the highest point in Africa and where is it ?"

Player buzza quickly before saying hastily. "Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania."

"And it's a perfect tie between our two competitors. It looks like we're going to have to break the tie in one last question. I'll pick one of the questions from our box. I expect you to give me a full answer. Attention... In Argentina, what is the geographical particularity of the province of Mendoza and how does its environment influence viticulture in the region, making Mendoza a world-renowned wine-growing area?"

Carmen was about to buzz off when she met Player's gaze. He knew she would answer before he did and Carmen felt her heart clench. She buzzed.

"I... Its tropical climate makes the cultivation of cotton and tobacco particularly flourishing."

"Wrong ! The word is to Player."

The boy had looked wide-eyed at Carmen, stunned at her mistake.

"Er... Its semi-arid environment combined with irrigation from the melting snow of the Andes creates ideal conditions for growing quality grapes, making Mendoza one of the world's leading wine regions."

"Correct ! For the first time on our show, the great Carmen Sandiego has just been beaten in geography. It's a day to mark with a red cross on a calendar."

"Zip it Zack. I'm hungry so come on Player, where do we order from today ?" Ivy turns to the youngest member of their team but he's no longer in the room. "'Kay, where is he ?"

"I'll look for him." Carmen runs upstairs to the trapdoor that leads to the roof. There she finds the youngest member of the squad.

Player is sitting on the edge, his legs in the air. He doesn't turn round when Carmen calls him and doesn't react when she sits down beside him. A moment passes with neither of them speaking. Finally, he speaks.

"Why ?"

"Why what ?"

"Why did you deliberately lose ? I know you had the answer to the last one about Argentina. And Indonesia and Tanzania."

"I don't know what you're talking about Player..." Carmen replies but he cuts her off.

"You can't lie to me, Red. I know you better than anyone."

"You really wanted to win and I know I usually always win. I know it can be annoying so I wanted to make you happy."

"Yes, I want to win against you. But not if you lose on purpose. Under those conditions, I don't win by skill, and I don't like that."

"Okay Player."

"Promise me."

She looks at him before nodding. "I promise, Player. Next time we'll just have to team up."

"You really want them to hate you..." The teenager laughs.

The two friends exchange a smile before watching the sun set in the distance.

"We should be going. I think Ivy's hungry..."

"No, you think ?" Player laughs. "Shall we order Japanese ? I think we owe Zack one for our presentations earlier."

Carmen smiles mischievously before pulling out her phone. As they head back downstairs, Carmen fetches Shadowsan from his room before joining the others in the kitchen to chat while they wait for their orders.

Shadowsan eventually collects the order before unpacking it, handing each person their dish. Player and Carmen exchange glances as Zack takes a bite. He turns green with disgust before running to the toilet.

"From the terrified little girl."

"And compliments of the agoraphobic."

A/N : Okay, let's just say I've never forgot to post the day 4, okay ?