WHOSE DEDUCTION SHOW?

6: DEDUCTION SHOWDOWN (SECOND MATCH)

Chapter 6: Deduction Showdown (Second Match)

LORELEI

I WON’T lie. This deduction face-off was thrilling. I didn’t have much expectations at first. But when I saw the other contestants, I knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy win for us.

Before going to a war of wits with the other detective wannabes, we decided to watch the American version of the show. Kailangan naming pag-aralan kung ano-ano ang challenges na haharapin namin. The Philippine version might have new gimmicks for us, but at least we had a clue on what to expect.

I had to force Loki to watch just one episode of Whose Deduction Show. Abot-langit ang confidence niya na hindi na niya kailangang mag-research dahil lalampasuhin daw niya ang mga kalaban. Still, I managed to coerce him—sorry, I meant ‘convince’—to study the show format.

As it appeared, merong two rounds ang deduction show. The first round is elimination. May apat na teams na invited at maglalaban-laban ang tigdadalawang team para malaman kung sino ang aabante sa susunod na round. The category is about cracking codes. The first team who gives the correct answer proceeds to the next one.

Kung sinuman ang mananalo sa unang round, magkakaharap sa next round na crime scene simulation. Magbibigay ng isang hypothetical na crime scene ang game master at kailangang i-solve ng mga detective.

After our meeting, the head producer Mr. Michael Batongbacal texted me and instructed us to go to the BNC-12 Network Studios for the first round of the Whose Deduction Show. Tinanong pa nga niya kung kailangan kaming sunduin, but we declined. Alistair drives his own car kaya wala kaming problema sa transportation. Meron din naman kaming kaagapay na Waze kaya malayong maligaw kami on our way there.

“Welcome to BNC-12!” the executive producer greeted us as soon as we got inside the studio. I could feel how fast-paced the environment was in this workplace. Halos lahat ng mga staff na nakakasalubong namin ay nagmamadaling maglakad. “Kumusta ang biyahe n’yo papunta rito? Ma-traffic ba?”

“Hindi naman ho,” sagot ni Al. “May traffic buildup lang sa may intersection, but it wasn’t that worse.”

“Tara, doon muna kayo sa holding area habang nagfa-final test kami ng mga equipment,” Sir Michael B. said. May sinenyasan siyang ibang staff na nakaabang sa gilid. Lumapit sila sa amin at sinabihan kaming sumunod sa kanila.

This was my first time to be inside a television station. May mga nakakasalubong kaming crew na may bitbit na iba’t ibang equipment. Nakita ko pa nga ang isang reporter na busy na nakikipag-usap sa kanyang team.
Jamie wanted to take a photo with him, but I told her na huwag siyang abalahin. 

The ushers led us to the green room. Pagbukas pa lang ng pinto, bumungad na sa amin ang tensyon. Naroon na pala ang tatlo pang teams. Mukhang excited na silang makipagtagisan ng deductions, ah? Most of them looked at us thinking that we are in their way and that we must be eliminated. But some of them greeted us with a warm smile and hand wave.

“Don’t smile,” Loki instructed, his eyes looking forward. “We are going to slaughter them anyway so there’s no need to be friendly with them.”

He could have chosen a better word than ‘slaughter.’
“It won’t hurt if we try to make friends with them, right?” I asked.

“Tama si Loki dear! Hindi dapat tayo mag-smile. Hindi dapat tayo maging friendly,” gatong ni Jamie.

“Pangiti-ngiti ang ilan sa kanila, pero nag-iisip na sila ng paraan kung paano tayo ipapahiya mamaya. This is a competition and we shouldn’t let our guards down.”