[center][h1][b] Round 5 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing Sunday 7th May, 2094 Portuguese AGP [/b][/h1][/center] [hr] [h2] Morning of the Race[/h2] Paul had slept well. He was feeling rested and ready. He had gone over the telemetry from qualifying the day before. He reviewed his decisions and had gone over strategy with Carmella and Alexander the evening before. Alexander had been helping him with his skills against more experienced drivers. Paul had good instincts but knowing how to overtake and defend against that was something that experience could be helpful. Paul already felt more confident in his ELS skills. He had been working on them since Tokyo. He felt like his neural training was beginning to pay off as well. He was able to comprehend and use the flood of ship data more coherently. This gave him more options during the race. Paul was a little worried that his progress in this area would slide. He had been working with Dr. Ainsworth’s the team's Cognitive Neural Specialist and the team’s Neural Interface Specialist, Christoph Ziegler. Ziegler left with Burkhardt. He had managed to continue the training with Dr. Ainsworth but he felt that having a specialist in the ship’s neural interface systems should be involved in the training as well. He knew Alexander was working on hiring engineers to replace the specialists they had lost and that he was moving as fast as he could but good engineers were hard to find. Paul chose to embrace the positives. He was feeling good and confident. He knew he was doing better. He called his mom and chatted with her this morning. She wished him luck and asked him to be careful as always. Paul smiled as he remembered the kart race. That had been fun and had taken him right back to his roots. It reminded him of why he had begun racing. He might be chasing his father’s ghost but he also loved the thrill of speed and adrenaline he got from racing. He had spent some time in the fan zone yesterday after qualifying. It was always nice to feel like he was doing his part. His favorite interaction had been from a young boy. He couldn’t have been more than 8 years old. He had been so excited to meet Paul. He had brought Paul a hand drawn picture of his ship. Paul could tell that it was a special trip for the boy. The father had described their tickets as the nosebleed section but they were happy to be here in person. He had given the boy his own baseball cap after signing it. The father had been embarrassed when he admitted that he couldn’t afford any of the gear for his son. He had been hoping to get Paul’s autograph on the picture he had drawn. Paul asked if he could trade the picture for his hat. The young boy’s excitement and smile made that worth it. He had tacked the picture up in the pilot’s trailer. It would be a good reminder that while they might race for their own personal reasons, the fans made this possible. Paul had been focusing on what he needed to do. Dorian was warm and cold to him. They got along just fine but Dorian seemed to be focused on his own stuff here lately. He knew he had been spending time with his boyfriend lately. The only time they really ran across each other these days was when their training times overlapped. Even then one of them was usually going while the other was coming. Paul had seen Dorian struggling and noticed that he was pulling back how much he interacted with him. Paul wanted to be a good mentor and decided to start with Scarlett. He spent some time with her after their interview. He answered questions for her and hung out with her in the fan zone. Paul had informed her it was never too soon to begin building her fanbase. They took pictures together with fans for a bit. He talked to her about their responsibilities to their sponsors. They talked about racing and techniques and some of the training that Alexander’s changes had prompted. He shared some of his results with her and encouraged her to try some of it. Paul felt he had started off good with trying to be a mentor to Scarlett. What surprised him was that he had enjoyed it so much. [hr] [h2] Portugal AG Race [/h2] [b]Soundtrack: [url=https://youtu.be/pTdihu-mp90?feature=shared] I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown[/url][/b] [hr] Paul was plugged in and strapped into the cockpit of his ship. He had just finished going through the pre-race checklist with Carmella. Paul glanced over the holographic dashboard display that was integrated with his helmet. His HUD set up as he preferred. The most important data from the ship on the dashboard. He could access all the data via his neural link but he had learned that being able to use all that data took some training. Paul’s neural reflexes were getting faster with the cognitive neural training that the team had devised. He flexed his hands and massaged his driving gloves along his fingers making sure they were flexible and comfortable. He gripped the control yoke of his ship as anticipation of the start came. [color=f7976a]Carmella: “All systems check on our side.” [/color] [color=fff200]Paul: “All systems check green. I am ready.” [/color] [color=f7976a]Carmella: “Race starts in t-2 minutes. Good luck Paul.” [/color] Paul waited patiently as the countdown began. [center] [color=red] 1 2 3 4[/color] [color=green]5[/color][/center] Paul hit the throttle and his ship responded, leaping off the starting line. He was quickly in the thick of it as he shot past Amy and was just behind Harrison. Harrison’s ship was faster and he had opened that gap up further before the first turn made him hit his brakes. Paul shot forward trying to catch Harrison. He was making up time in the turns drawing closer to Harrison but then Harrison poured on the speed coming out of the Sagres and pulled away again. Paul was hammering the throttle as he came out of the Sagres when Cassie flew past him her Zygon ship faster than his on the straights. Paul gritted his teeth. He was determined that he would not lose any more places in this race. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. He charged after Cassie now. [color=f7976a]Carmella: “Amy Stirling is 2 seconds behind you. She is looking to overtake. You are going to need to defend.” [/color] Paul didn’t have time to roll his eyes at Carmella stating the bloody obvious. Paul fought hard to maintain his position even as he tried to close the gap between him and Cassie. He would close it and then she would gain it back on the straights. Amy kept biting at his heels. He defended against her feints in the corners as she tried to get around him. She tried to latch onto his ship with her ELS in the straight but he defended against it and shut her down. [color=fff200]Paul: “Stirling is stuck to my damn rear. I can’t seem to shake her. I hope she likes the view since I refuse to give up another damn inch!”[/color] Lap after lap, Paul had to be careful not to give Amy any openings. She took advantage of any little mistake. Paul’s instincts served him well as he once again managed to shut Amy down as she tried to overtake him on the outside after a feint to the inside. He pulled away from her in the tight curves and would get a little breathing space and then she would gain it back on the next straight. Paul would get close to Cassie but then would have to devote his energy to defending against Amy. Then before Paul knew it the race was over as he passed the checkered flag waving. [color=f7976a]Carmella: “Third Paul! Congrats on your first podium!” [/color] The battle for this race had been intense. Paul was exhausted and sweating heavily. The race was physically taxing as it was hot here in Portugal. The heat the ship generated just added to that misery. Then on top of that it had been a mentally taxing race. Paul had to be on his game and remain vigilant to hold Amy at bay. She made him fight hard to keep third. He was so focused on their battle. He was not even sure what position he finished in until Carmella’s voice over the team’s radio had filled him in. He slowed his ship and pulled it into the designated area. Paul smiled as he hit the radio back. [color=fff200]“Thanks Carmella. I couldn’t do it without the team. My thanks to everyone for all the hard work. This win is a testament to all your hard work and dedication.” [/color] [hr] [h2] Cool Down and Trophy Ceremony [/h2] Paul disconnected his neural interface and his racing harness. He popped his cockpit and climbed out. He waved to the crowd before climbing down out of his ship. He followed directions to the cooldown room. He slugged some electrolyte drinks or water waiting there. His race suit was soaked in sweat. His sweaty hair was matted to his head. He used a bottle of water and emptied it over his head. The trick helped him cool down faster. He took an offered towel and quickly rung the excess water out of his hair and wiped off his face and neck. He then pulled on a Team Valkyrie hat. He smiled as Harrison and Cassie were chatting back and forth. [quote] [color=6ecff6]Harrison: "Those moves on Amy were impressive, Paul. She wanted to really get past you, but you gave no quarter....damn, you are going to be sinking in the ice bath after this!"[/color] [/quote] Paul laughed at Harrison. [color=fff200]“Well I won’t deny that I want a cold shower. Thanks Harrison.” [/color] [quote][color=bc8dbf]Cassie: "Not bad at all. Looks like we will be in for some competition later this season. But, welcome to the podium, Paul. Good to have you here. And I think it won't be the last time either. But, save some steps for me."[/color] [/quote] [color=fff79a]Paul: “Thank you Cassie. Congrats to you both as well.” Paul wiggled his eyebrows with a mischievous grin. “Another podium without Amy as well!”[/color] Paul followed the other two out to the award ceremony. He did his best to savor the moment. This was his first podium in Formula AG. He wanted to remember this moment and how he felt. If anything this has fueled his desire to reach the top. He was more driven than ever to train and push himself to his limits. He had also proved that even without all the extra augmentations and mods as some of the other pilots, he could still beat them. Amy had the better ship and was a champion and he had held her off and beat her. That could only boost his confidence that he could do this. He let the joy of the moment fill him. He let that feeling of satisfaction and reward for his hard work and dedication steel his determination to do it again and again. He wanted to be where Harrison was. He wanted the P1. Baby steps on the way to becoming Formula AG Champion. He hoped his father was looking down at him from heaven and was proud of him. He laughed as he sprayed Cassie and Harrison with his bottle of champagne. He took a drink before turning to spray the crowd as well. He wanted to share the celebration with all of the fans too. [hr] [h2]Post Race Interviews [/h2] Paul had managed to find time for a quick shower before the after race interviews. He was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a Team Valkyrie racing shirt. He had on a Zap Sports Drink hat. He was getting better at the promotional sponsor stuff. Paul had taken a seat on the Delta Hyper couch. He relaxed back into the cushions with one leg propped on his knee and one arm along the back of the couch. Paul looked relaxed and at ease. [quote] [color=ed1c24]Aurora:"Paul, congratulations on your first podium! This is quite a momentous occasion- do you think this silences the rumours that you weren't ready for the step up into the sport?"[/color] [/quote] Paul smiled and waved as the crowd cheered as they heard his name. He waved to the fans who were cheering with a laugh. Their excitement and joy was infectious. He tilted his head to one side as he contemplated Aurora’s question. Paul: [color=fff200]“Well Aurora, I used to think that as I worked my way up through the racing world. If I just win here, they will stop saying I bought my seat with who my father was. I have reached a point where I believe there will always be those negative naysayers who will try to bring me down.”[/color] Paul shrugged nonchalantly. [color=fff200]“I don’t know that I will ever prove to those people that I have the skill, drive, and determination to win. I will simply say, I race for myself for my own reasons. People will believe what they want to believe. What I will say is look at my results.”[/color] He gave Aurora a big smile. [color=fff200]“Today I won my first podium holding off a three time world champion. I didn’t do that with luck. It took skill and the backing of an amazing team! I couldn’t have done it without the support of all the hardworking people at Team Valkyrie. My thanks to the team for their support and hard work.” [/color] [hr] [color=gold][center][h1][i][b]Social Media[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color] [hr] [center][b][color=fff200]Paul Mulder @valkyriepaul [/color][/b][/center] I wanted to give a shout out to Team Valkyrie’s Junior AG racing team who were in Portugal as well. Scarlett Collins you did well! Don’t forget to give them some love too! #JuniorAG #TeamValkyrie [center] [b][color=fff200]Team Valkyrie AGR @TeamValkyrie:[/color][/b] Team Valkyrie AGR Sport wants to congratulate Paul Mulder on his first podium win at Portugal. Dorian Hornfleur finished in P11 after a technical issue with his air brakes. Remember all your Valkyrie fan gear is available at the online store! [link here] [/center] [hr] [color=fff200]OfficeDrone#12:[/color] Yes! That’s more like it! [color=fff200]SuperfanAGR54:[/color] Disappointed that Dorian didn’t do well due to a technical issue. [color=fff200]DantheMan:[/color] Now we need them both on the podium. [color=fff200]BatDave:[/color] I am Batman! [color=fff200]Superfan2075:[/color] Finally a podium. Now we need a P1! [color=fff200]DadBod89:[/color] Shame about Dorian’s ship. This would have been a good race for the team to pick up constructors points. [color=fff200]Hater101:[/color] Why is it one win and one flop? [color=fff200]Papabear34:[/color] #GoMulder [color=fff200]Nana2050:[/color] #ValkyrieFlies [color=fff200]GeorgeFly:[/color] Mulder did good. [color=fff200]ValkyrieFan56:[/color] Looking forward to more from Paul. [color=fff200]Weedhead81:[/color] I am going to smoke a bowl and ride out this feeling. [color=fff200]SexyM@m@5:[/color] @valkyriedorian Call me! [color=fff200]Paulmulder4eva:[/color] Didn’t Paul look great for his interview? [color=fff200]Britball12:[/color] Why can’t we get them both together? One fail and one win. What gives? [color=fff200]!YouSlow!:[/color] Yes we got a win but then Dorian’s ship had a technical fault that led to no points from him. The team has to do better than that. [color=fff200]xImFasterthanUx:[/color] Still questioning some of Knight’s choices. Is the technical fault due to Burkhardt leaving? [color=fff200]AGInthusiast:[/color] Is this technical fault with Dorian’s ship a forecast for the team since Burkhardt left? [color=fff200]micheal650004:[/color] Knight has already hired a new head engineer. Cavan Mitchell has not even started yet. Cut the man a break. [color=fff200]Bertha:[/color]Technical issues should not be happening. Poor management by Knight. 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