Twelve ordinary Americans. One isolated Caribbean island. Half a million dollars in gold. The contestants for the new historical-themed reality game show _Pirate Adventure think they know what they're getting themselves into. The show's creator and the production team are confident that they have everything under control. Sure, there have been a few problems. Equipment glitches. Accidents. Injuries. Illness. Routine setbacks, that's all. A run of bad luck. Certainly nothing more. Not, for instance, a curse. Not, for instance, the spirit of Captain Smythe, reaching out from beyond the grave to punish those who've invaded his resting place. Not, for instance, the vengeful wrath of his spectral crew, seeking to protect their long-buried treasure. It couldn't be anything like that. Or so the living keep telling themselves. Even after the disappearances . and the murders . When a worsening world situation traps them on the island, the cast and crew will learn the hard way that challenges won't help, alliances don't matter, the votes mean nothing, and survival is very much at stake.