[color=gold][center][h1][i][b]Valkyrie AGR Training Facility[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Friday March 10th, 2094[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [b]Soundtrack: [url= https://youtu.be/NG2zyeVRcbs?feature=shared] The Climb - Miley Cyrus[/url][/b] [hr] Paul felt like he had been in a holding pattern after the Auckland race. He had flown home to spend some time with his mother before he had to be back at headquarters for the press conference. It had been a surprisingly pleasant visit. They discussed racing and the usual tension between them was not there. His mother listened to his experiences and asked questions that showed she had watched the race. In the past his mother would have arranged a party or an outing of some kind. This time it was just the two of them. It was the most relaxed he had been with his mother since he had started racing. He could tell that it still bothered her that he was racing but she was no longer actively standing in his way. Her support had changed the dynamic in their relationship. They had a long serious conversation about her worries and he had been honest with her. He had a much better understanding of his mother than he ever had before. She had explained what she knew about his father’s death. She also explained to him what Knight had told her about that night all those years ago. She had sworn him to secrecy about it. She told him that he could trust Alexander Knight. Paul had told her that he would try but they were still getting to know one another. The information she had shared also made him angry. All these years he had thought his father’s death had been a tragic accident. Now he thought there might have been more sinister influences involved. He might never know but he would be careful and project himself. Paul had decided he wanted to drive back to headquarters from his mother's home. He had wanted to feel the vehicle underneath him. It made him feel closer to his father who had raced formula one before antigravity. He had developed a love of classic cars and had inherited his father’s collection. He had chosen to drive his father’s classic 2020 Bugatti. He had it converted to use biofuel so he could continue to drive it. Feeling the rush of speed that came from the power of its racing engine and the friction of the tires on the pavement. It just did something that made him feel connected to his past and his father. The rest of the world seemed to fade away as it was just him and the open road. He always felt as if his father's was riding with him in the passenger seat. It always relaxed him to drive. He thought the press conference had gone well. Paul was still playing neutral but he was warming up to Alexander Knight. He had gotten to know Dorian better as well. They were getting along okay. Dorian had seemed to relax finally and showed he had a sense of humor occasionally. He wasn’t surprised to be asked to stick around headquarters and to work out of the training facility. He had an apartment on campus so he could do so. He had been surprised to get an email notifying him that he was needed for a team meeting in the training facility on Friday. He had gotten Alexander’s video message like the rest of the employees. He was grateful that Alexander finally shared his plan to make changes. Not knowing had left him feeling unsettled. He had just stepped into the pro league and was left feeling like he didn’t know what was expected of him. He knew what Dominic Ricci had wanted from him and what methods he was willing to go through to get it. Paul would at least admit to himself that Ricci’s methods made him a little nervous. He wanted to win and be competitive but he felt that Ricci’s methods were an impairment to his skills, not a support. The drugs he wanted him to use made him feel jittery and out of focus. Knight still needed to fill Paul and Dorian in on the details. Paul had shown up for the meeting and was surprised to see the entire medical and training teams waiting. He had been a good sport when the training team shoved a frankensteined practice suit into his arms and told him to go change. It was similar to his standard suit but it had obviously had some additional sensors and circuitry added to it. Paul had noticed the new simulator as well. It looked very different to the previous version. He was curious about how it worked and what the changes would be. After he came out of the dressing room, he joined Dorian. The support personnel gathered around them. It was the first time that Paul had seen them so excited as a group. Normally he saw one or two of them. This was the first time he had seen the entire group together. It was obvious they were excited about the changes. Their excitement was contagious as their warm chatter surrounded them. Paul exchanged amused glances with Dorian. Then Alexander had arrived and the excitement level in the training room went up. Paul smiled as he was carried along with the crowd. Paul listened carefully as Alexander finally began to share the details that he had been hoping for. He looked confused. [color=fff200][i]He was already training in the simulator. They were already on a strict diet. Free diving techniques? How was that supposed to help him as an antigravity racer?[/i][/color] Paul shared his confusion as the team explained the plan in more detail and answered his questions. He was willing to put in the time and train harder. He was willing to put in the work to get better. Paul was getting excited about the new simulator. He couldn't wait to try it out. He slapped Dorian on the back and told him he would race him to the pool later. He was eager to get into the simulator. He wanted to know how much better it would be than the current simulator. The current simulator was a virtual reality full immersion rig but it lacked something compared to the real experience. Paul listened to Alexander explain what he wanted them to work on and do. He understood the need for the team to do some research with them on the new simulator. He was skeptical about the gains from some of the other things they were going to try but like Dr. Thorkelson said, what could it hurt to try? Paul had been off campus on Tuesday morning when all the drama at headquarters had happened. He had heard about it though from some of the employees. So he could understand why Knight was hammering home the point they were one team. He had met pilots who were primadonnas and thought everyone was there to serve them at their beck and call. Paul respected the team and the hard work they put in to help him. Finally Alexander released them to go back to his office. Paul was eager to try the simulator but they wanted Dorian to go first. He fidgeted as he waited for his turn. He paced around the room as he waited. Finally it was Paul’s turn. He put his helmet on and the technicians moved around him as they connected his suit to the simulator. Paul braced himself as they plugged in his neural port on the side of his skull. There was always a rush as his consciousness seemed to expand. The information that came rushing in with the neural link established was almost overwhelming. Paul had trained to help him adjust and use the information. He took a few moments to breathe deeply and focus on his connection with the craft. Paul could tell the difference between the old simulator and the new one right away. He had no clue what programming, sensors, or voodoo they used but the simulated environment felt more real like when he was connected to the ship. The previous virtual reality simulator didn’t provide as much information as he got from the ship. The input he was receiving from this simulator even though they were being fed in via the computer programming felt like he was getting the same telemetry from the ship. Then the trainer cleared him to start and suddenly he was back in Auckland racing from the back of the pack. He could feel the g forces pulling at his body and slamming him around inside the simulator. His adrenaline spiked just as if he was in the ship on the track. He whooped and laughed as he put the ship through its paces. He could tell it was a simulator though. His ship’s systems were tuned to how he operated. The simulator seemed to be lacking those tweaks that the mechanics made the ship that much better. The simulator was still better than before. Before he knew it, the simulation had ended and the technicians were climbing all around the rig to unhook him. He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply as they unplugged his neural chip. He climbed out of the cockpit and began to give feedback to the team. [color=fff200]Paul: “When do I get to use it again?” [/color] [color=ed1c24]Dr. Ainsworth: “We need to pour over the data from the baseline runs. Then you and Dorian will be given a schedule for training that will include time in the simulator.”[/color] The technicians proceeded to nick pick the details of his experience. It took him almost an hour to satisfy everyone’s questions. Then it was time to get his daily workout done. He loved running and had no issues with the treadmill. He was not fond of circuit training but he knew it was necessary for stamina and strength. To his surprise it was not just Agnes Poulsen, his physical trainer who came to work with him and Dorian. They were joined by Sasha Volkova, the team Physical Therapist, Dr. Ainsworth the team Cognitive Neural Specialists, and Dr. Ishikawa the Augmentation Technician. He was curious what was going to change now. Dr. Ainsworth smiled at Paul and explained what was going to happen now. [color=ed1c24]Dr. Ainsworth: “Alright Paul we are going to try something new with you this morning. We are going to try combining some old fashioned techniques from our various disciplines. In the past physical therapy was used to help heal existing injuries. The exercises in physical therapy were targeted exercises to strengthen the muscles around an injured area to prevent reinjury and regain lost function. There is a branch of physical therapy that was designed to help people recover fine motor skills. They used targeted exercises to strengthen and regain lost dexterity and agility. There are therapies that were developed to help those who had a stroke regain the ability to speak and lost motor function. These therapies could rebuild neural pathways, reconnecting the body to the brain. Cognitive therapies were and are still used to help those suffering from diseases such as Alzheimers and Dementia. Cognitive therapies work to help the elderly and people suffering from these diseases to retain mental awareness and flexibility. It helps them maintain decision making and function. We will be combining these techniques with the hopes of training your body and mind to build and strengthen new neural pathways between your body and your neural chip while improving your speed and reflexes. We are also hoping to help you improve your reaction times and reflexes by building muscle memory and faster cognitive response times. For the first part of this session, you will be running on the treadmill and playing a video game at the same time. We are also going to plug your neural chip into the game. The object is to keep running while you play the game using your neural chip. As you get used to it, then we will increase the complexity. Then you will move into circuit training and will be adding the new exercises from Sasha to help build twitch muscle response. While you are working out today, we will be asking you math questions and the like to engage your brain along with your body. Agnes will be putting you through your normal workout and be in charge of ensuring proper form. Ready to try it?”[/color] Paul was intrigued as he listened to their explanation. Hell, if it worked for people who were suffering from a stroke, it had to do something for him. It couldn’t hurt. He was amused to think that therapies used to treat such debilitating illnesses would be used to help athletes win. [color=fff200]Paul just smiled and nodded. Paul: “It sounds interesting. Let’s try it.”[/color] [hr] It was over an hour later and Paul was sweating profusely and trying to suck air into his lungs. He was slamming down water as fast as he could drink it. That was the hardest workout he had ever endured. He was both physically and mentally exhausted. It was a lot more difficult for him than he had thought it would be. It is one to focus on your form while you are running and letting your mind wander where it will or thinking over a problem. It is another to keep running while trying to solve complex problems quickly. He had stumbled and almost fallen at times. His neural chip was feeding him biofeedback information such as his blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels. After a quick shower, Paul had been in the pool. Agnes had him doing some special deep breathing exercises before retrieving colored weights from the bottom of the pool. After another shower, to get the chlorine off. Paul was put into the hyperbaric chamber for his first oxygenation session. He had some time to reflect about the day and on the changes. Paul could definitely see how this training would benefit him in the long run. He had thought he was already in top condition and had everything dialed in. This was taking what he thought was possible to new heights. Paul was determined to work harder than ever before. [hr] [color=gold][center][h1][i][b]Social Media[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color] [hr] [b][color=fff200]Victory Laps Racing News: The Valkyrie AGR Sport Engineering Division was seen at The Drunken Dragon. Head Engineer, Felix Burkhart and Head Mechanic, Helga Stumpf were identified, out celebrating with the team at a local bar. (Below the post is a picture of all of Valkyrie’s engineers and mechanics shooting beer and shots together. Felix, Helga, Inga, and Anton all had drinks in their hands, shooting shots at the same time. Others were seen playing darts and pool in the background with half empty beer mugs around them. The only two identified in the picture by the agency are Felix and Helga. Those who work at Valkyrie will spot the whole team in the picture.)[/color] [/b] [color=fff200]OfficeDrone#12:[/color] I wonder what they were celebrating? [color=fff200]SuperfanAGR54:[/color] This must mean good news for us fans. What are they celebrating? [color=fff200]DantheMan:[/color] Well the engineers seem okay. They like beer. [color=fff200]Superfan2075:[/color] I am excited. I want to know why they are celebrating. [color=fff200]DadBod89:[/color] I might be able to forgive monkey suits. At least someone there drinks beer! [color=fff200]Hater101:[/color] How is this news? [color=fff200]Papabear34:[/color] I am good with this. Plus BEER! The question is was it good beer? [color=fff200]Nana2050:[/color] Well the team certainly looks happy. That’s good. [color=fff200]GeorgeFly:[/color] I can get behind a team who likes their beer. [color=fff200]ValkyrieFan56:[/color] Oh, nice. I wonder if they hang out there a lot? [color=fff200]Weedhead81:[/color] Well at least his crew knows how to let their hair down. [color=fff200]SexyM@m@5:[/color] Does Dorian go out with the team? [color=fff200]Paulmulder4eva:[/color] Can you tell us if Paul ever goes out with the team? Where is the Drunken Dragon? [color=fff200]Britball12:[/color] Okay at least this makes sense. Beer + Racing = Normal [color=fff200]BatDave:[/color] I am Batman and Batman likes beer. [color=fff200]!YouSlow!:[/color] The Drunken Dragon? What kind of racing team hangs out at a local pub called the Drunken Dragon? What are they, a Dungeons and Dragons playing group? Are they going to break out the dice next? [color=fff200]xImFasterthanUx:[/color] Well if the engineers are celebrating, the next race is one to watch. [color=fff200]AGInthusiast:[/color] Well Knight is doing something right if his team is out celebrating together.