Thread Roulette: Trivia for 200, Alex

[Event !]

Sean Neville, Dr. Finch Gamble, and Julien Duval are participating in a trivia competition. However, before they can get started in town hall, which has allowed itself to be transformed for this game, they have to check in about qualifications.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had volunteered for the trivia contest entirely because the Public Access station had asked for participants, and because they had put no restrictions on who could apply. They had specified only that they wanted adults from the Pilot Ridge area. At fifty-seven, he most certainly qualified as an adult, and he had lived in Pilot Ridge for the past twenty-five years.

He didn’t care about the prize money. He didn’t need it at all, and so he had resolved that, if he won, he would donate the entire pot to the Student Activities Council fund for the 2015-2016 year. That would help cushion them should their annual fundraiser prove less than successful; it could be hit or miss some years.

However, he had just given his name to the registration desk when she told him to wait. A couple of minutes later, one of the associate producers came out with an apologetic look on his face. “Doctor Neville?”

“Yes?”

“You’re Joshua Bernstein’s partner? The one who ran for Town Council?”

“That’s right.”

“We televised a couple of the campaign events if you recall...” The younger man certainly was reticent to reach his point.

“I remember.”

“And it came up that you’re uh...meta. A telepath.”

“And?”

“We can’t let you compete.”

Sean inhaled sharply through his nose, although his expression didn’t change. “There were no restrictions in the application form.”

“We didn’t expect this. But it wouldn’t be fair to the other contestants.”

“I’ve never cheated in a competition in my life.” In a life that had been longer than the producer standing before him.

“It wouldn’t be fair,” the associate producer repeated.