[color=gold][center][h1][i][b]DELTΔ HYPER[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color]

[color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Episode Three: The Neon Bath[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color]

“Welcome back to Delta Hyper, Hyeon-Ae.” 

[color=magenta]”I am happy to see you as always, Aurora.”[/color] Hyeon-Ae returned with a charming smile, sat back on the fancy couch. For this appearance, she was in a sleek black outfit, trendy high corporate fashion.

“We have something a bit different for you today, now we're in Japan! Right in front of you, I've left a tablet." Aurora instructed. The footage followed Hyeon-Ae as she gracefully swept up the tablet and let Aurora continue. "So, on that tablet, there's a few questions. Now you've gotten to know the grid, let's see what you think about them. We have heard you in the press conferences talking about their activities on the track. What do you think about them off it?"

There was a tremble of Hyeon-Ae’s brow, a mild shiver in her expression, when the facade threatened to break, but she maintained her coy smile and flicked the touchscreen briefly with her fingers to steal a glance at the content.

"Any questions?"

[color=magenta]”...Ah, is there any way to get out of this?”[/color]

“Afraid not.” Aurora shot back, unapologetic and all smiles. Han smiled politely in a way that did not reach her eyes, and lifted her shoulders in a mild shrug. When no more surprises came, Aurora let off a sharp start;  "Alright, go!”

Hyeon-Ae smiled a little more nervously and looked down properly at the screen to fiddle with the questions. She supposed the easiest way to get out of this would be to endure it as pleasantly as possible. Who greenlit this dumb idea and didn't warn her?

[color=magenta]”Most likely to eat noodles with a fork?"[/color] Hyeon-Ae read aloud with a soft scoff, looking up at Aurora with mild incredulity. Aurora remained firmly unmoved, expectant of whatever answer she could torture out of the pilot. When no salvation came, Hyeon-Ae wracked her brain for this infantile question to produce some manner of result. [color=magenta]”I suppose I'd have to say… Kais Zenix. I do not think he would have the patience to learn such a skill.”[/color]

Aurora smiled in a way that Hyeon-Ae found off-putting, like she knew something Han didn't. But she could only continue. [color=magenta]”Worst at keeping secrets? Good question. I think I would have to say Kofi Mensah. He is so nice, you know, I think he would feel guilty about keeping secrets from anyone.”[/color]

Again, Aurora looked glib. She was enjoying these answers, and probably knowing what others had said, if anything. Eventually she let slip the source of her pleasure. “Some of the others think it'd be you.”

Hyeon-Ae was quick to smile back, undeterred by the dig. [color=magenta]“I'm sure. Every social group has people who do not trust each other.”[/color]

“You don't want to know who it was?”

[color=magenta]“I wouldn't want to speak ill of someone behind their back.”[/color] she lied with a humble and unyielding smile, refusing to play Aurora's game with cameras pointed on her. When she noted that there were no more attempts to push the issue, she went back to looking at the screen.

[color=magenta]”Best Christmas gift giver?"[/color] Hyeon-Ae continued with a brief glance at the screen, and paused to consider it a bit longer. A smile touched her expression again. [color=magenta]”I’m going to say Paul Mulder. He is such a sweet man, I think he would get something from the heart, no matter his recipient.”[/color]

Aurora leaned forwards just a little. “Bea said it would be you - you'd have it all figured out with charts and planning.”

The sudden assault caught Hyeon-Ae off guard and she found herself chuckling, pushing nervous energy out and buying herself some time. [color=magenta]”A vicious accusation… but I suppose I do like to keep track of things.”[/color] Hyeon-Ae looked into the nearest camera with a coy smirk. [color=magenta]“Watch out for your birthday present, Ms Ward.”[/color]

After a moment of snickering between host and guest, Hyeon-Ae refocused for the next question. [color=magenta]"Most fussy eater? I would have to say Amy Stirling. I don't think you sit at the top for so long without growing accustomed to certain things.”[/color]

“Paul said it would be you.” Aurora declared imperiously, as smug as before. Or Hyeon-Ae was just projecting her internal resentment onto the peppy host. 


Either way, Hyeon-Ae chuckled and feigned hurt with a hand to her heart. [color=magenta]”Me? Ah, no… Well… I follow a strict diet but… Well… Oh no…”[/color] 

The realization made somewhat in jest lingered for a while before Hyeon-Ae cleared her throat and looked back down. [color=magenta]”I'll move on. Most likely to climb Mount Fuji? I think this is Harrison Makara. He has been fairly public about that sort of daredevil naturism, I believe. I would not be surprised if Astrid Thorsdottir is the same, deep down.”[/color]


She paused for a brief moment, pondering the next question to herself before reading it out. [color=magenta]”Most likely to get speeding tickets? I suppose we are implicating criminals now… That said, there is only one answer; Anyone who has seen Nora Kelly on the track knows she has speed in her soul.”[/color]

[color=magenta]”Best drifter?"[/color] Hyeon-Ae remarked soon after, looking up at Aurora with questions in her eyes. Aurora briefly explained the etymology of the word to the confused Korean. [color=magenta]”Ah, stalling and oversteering. Ulrich Falkner. He drives beautifully. Such smooth motions suggest a deep control of the machine.”[/color]

She looked a little lost for a moment. Reminiscing about something? Drooling over a rival's driving style? Either way she shook out of it to continue. [color=magenta]”Biggest classic car fan? Uhm, perhaps Henry Fitzroy? It seems like a hobby that would take a lot of money and time.”[/color]

Aurora smiled and motioned for her to go on. [color=magenta]”First to die in a horror film? Hm, difficult. It's been a long time since I watched a horror movie - but if I remember, there's usually a person set up as the hero who is killed to set up how dangerous it is. So I would say Amy, the ‘hero’ of the grid.”[/color]

She smirked a little to herself and then sighed as she saw the next question. [color=magenta]”Did Mr Hornfleur pay you to put this question on here? ‘Most romantic of the pilots on the grid’. I'm going to skip past the obvious typical answer and say that between his sweet manners and his teammate, I have high hopes for Paul.”[/color]

“One final question now,” Aurora coaxed slyly.

Hyeon-Ae breathed a quick sigh and reconstituted herself with a smile. [color=magenta]”Which pilot would you most want to be stuck on a desert island with? That's a good question actually. Layla Al-Nadir is my immediate answer. She has a broad and skilled background and the personality not to fall apart. I think her teammate might be a dependable choice as well. And… Astrid, for the same reasons.”[/color]


[hr]


[color=gold][center][h2][i][b]The Liquid Lounge[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color]

[center][h3][i][b]Friday March, 2094, A bit after nine in the evening
Tokyo, Japan
Hakone Izakaya Bar[/b][/i][/H3][/center]

The rhythmic thuds woven into the music in the bar’s ambience mingled with the buzz of conversation to provide a dizzying cacophony of sound. Though a mere sponsor event, it turned out that several executives and philanthropic businesspeople present had a liking to the palatable and marketable eastern star. 

Thus, while Cassie mingled with others freely and danced from group to group without a care in the world except the alcohol level in her glass, Hyeon-Ae had been smiling politely and laughing at dry old-world jokes for a good while now. Every time she made an effort to leave, one of these old moneyed fools asked her a question or brought up something vaguely related to racing or her past, and she was forced to remain as a trophy statue in the company of others. A calming element and a sign of nearing Zygon, perhaps. Even as someone with a talent for piecing together something from scraps of information like her, she would probably end up killing someone soon if she had to hear another story about how one of these old folks managed to sweep their rival on the Osaka preserve golf course, or similar lame exploits. 

Then she caught Cassie waving her over towards a more palatable group, pilots who had been spared her fate for a time, and clustered together not unlike animals grouping together to avoid the buzzing haze around them. Hyeon-Ae smiled to herself, allowing herself that beacon of mercy, and began to bow her head. But the vice grip of business interest was not so easy to escape when the word from above was basically to be a compliant doll for investors to gawk and poke at during this event. She had not even begun to speak when the next question came.

“Ms Han, you are part of your uncle’s company are you not? What do you think about the future of biomechanical integration in personal cars?” One of the old men dropped, forcing her to remain and answer. Before she could excuse herself after that, one of them called over her son, and introduced him. It was like trying to escape a swamp made entirely out of glue.

Eventually she caught sight of Paul, smiling over at her and joining in Cassie’s previous attempts to call her over. How long has it been since the last attempt to extricate herself? She leapt at the chance to escape. [color=magenta]”Sirs. Ma’am. Please excuse me. Someone is calling me over. Have a pleasant night.”[/color] she uttered and swiftly bowed out of the conversation before anyone could think to stop her.

She arrived at the tail end of some discussion among the pilots, catching a few jeers back and forth. She entered behind Paul as Beatrix was taking center stage in the ‘little’ group. 

[Quote]”They most likely have interns scour fan sites. It tracks with the style, especially of younger fans, the secrets and drifting for example. Oh, and regarding that: You’re on. Manager at the Brooklands Mercedes World in London owes me a favor, I could get us a few hours on the attached test track.”[/quote]

[color=magenta]”I suspect one question was sent in by Mr Hornfleur personally.”[/color] cut in smoothly before the conversation wandered too far off track. She placed a hand on Paul's shoulder as she stepped past him to face the others more properly, glancing at him briefly. [color=magenta]”I heard we're meeting soon again,”[/color] she gave to him conspiratorially, smiling a little more coyly than usual. 

Her dignified mystery didn't last long as Cassie drove by to put a drink in her hand. Repeating her maneuver from early marketing - signaling both teamwork and dominance, she lifted an arm to sling over Cassie's shoulder as she addressed the group. [color=magenta]”We have been going easy on you before now. Tokyo is no longer the honeymoon, yes?”[/color]