Alex sat in his economy seat, going through his files, preparing to take to the sky. All twelve contestants were on-board the plane, getting to know one another face to face. They would arrive in the morning and then things would really get exciting.
About an hour before arrival in Dublin, each team was given their very first clue. The airplane had limited internet access available to passengers, this allowed each team to do some research to figure out where they would need to go upon arrival.
Each team examined the clue.
Clue #1
Welcome to this incredible race!
Internationally known as the first professor of medical oncology, his life ended accidentally. His remains rest in peace under a prestigious dome. It is here in this hall where you can find the clue for where you need next roam.
While each team was comprised of educated folks, they were all stumped by the clue. Of course, their fingers flew as they hit the search engines! Typing ferociously trying to get any insight as to who was being spoken about and where they might be.
They broke the clue down into pieces. All three teams figured out that it was a man they were looking for and he was most likely buried in a church. Well, with several thousands of churches in Europe, that didn't narrow it down too much for any of them!
The Railroad Warriors brainstormed, they had several infamous churches written down, now they just needed a link from them to a famous professor. They continued their research and brainstorming, hoping to figure the clue out before arrival in Dublin.
Meanwhile, the car team, Drive to Survive, was busy figuring out the route. They decided that the next clue must be in Italy somewhere, as there are many prestigious domes there. They split up into two's. Two team members continued to research the "who" aspect of the clue, while the others were trying to get destination guides, mileage between cities, anything they could find to get the shortest route with least amount of driving.
Wings to Win was being very secretive about their discussions. They were pretty sure they knew where they would be going and didn't want to share their information with their competitors.
Alex observed each team from his seat, he was pleased to see how well they all appeared to be working together. He was anxious to see which team would figure the clue out first, as well as who would get there first! On his walk to the restroom, he could overhear some of the speculation and brainstorming going on, he hadn't heard the correct destination just yet, but he was sure that each team would figure it out soon.
Returning to his seat, Alex had a quick conversation with his colleagues. They discussed a few details for the race, then the focus seemed to shift to their personal life stories. Stories of children, pets, vacation plans and all sorts of things like that. They had several hours to pass by, so they decided to take advantage of the time and used it to catch up with each other!
The plane landed in Dublin and the race was on! The teams went through passport control and met in groups, getting their plans in order. All three teams had chosen a different destination to start. The air team would be able to board another flight, however car and rail would need to take ferry transportation to get where they wanted to go.
The three teams wished each other "good luck" and were on their way. Wings to Win was headed to France, Drive to Survive was headed to Italy and the Railroad Warriors set off for England.
A WALK camera man was assigned to each team to film their progress. The entire race would be aired at a later date on the WALK network.
With excitement levels as high as they could possibly go, the teams were ready to reach clue #2. Alex wished them all well and they took off.
|
