[center][h1][b]Tuesday 9th May 2094 Team Valkyrie HQ[/b][/h1][/center] [center] [h2] [color=fff200]Paul Mulder[/color] [/h2] [/center] [hr] Paul had stayed in Portugal an extra day so he could collect on his bet with Hyeon-Ae. He smiled at the memory. He had dragged her out to miniature golf. They had played 18 holes while competing for the best score. He then treated her to lunch. Hyeon-Ae had invited Cassie along. He didn’t mind so much. He had a suspicion that Cassie was on the same mission to loosen the Ice Queen up and see if she knew how to have fun. It had been an enjoyable excursion. He had flown back to Germany late Monday. He knew he needed to train for the Luna race. It was going to be a whole different set of skills. He had never raced on the moon before. He wanted to get as much training in as he could. Taking the extra day in Portugal had been a luxury but there was something to be said for relaxation and stepping away from racing occasionally too. He walked into headquarters early the next morning. He was scheduled to work with the trainers for his 8:00 am morning torture session. He had slugged a protein shake down before his workout. He went from the gym to the simulator. He did an hour in the simulator. The thought process behind it was to help push his racing skills when he was already tired. Then he would be less apt to make a major mistake when it counted. It was another way to find out where his weaknesses were and where and under what conditions his attention might wander. He couldn’t afford that on the moon. The moon was a very hostile and unforgiving environment. He couldn’t afford to make any mistakes on the moon. After climbing out of the simulator, he was once again dripping in sweat. He slugged the Zap electrolyte drink that Agnes, his physical trainer slapped into his hand. He thanked her and sipped at the second one. Agnes seemed pleased with his progress. She left him to shower with orders to get some breakfast. They had tried having him eat breakfast first but he had puked a few times. So they had gone with the electrolyte and protein shake instead. That worked for him. It was almost 10:30am before Paul finally made it to the cafeteria. Most of the employees were already in their offices. The cafeteria was usually almost empty. Paul was surprised to see quite a few people chatting in groups around the cafeteria. Paul had grabbed a plate and helped himself to breakfast following the meal plan the team nutritionist, Dr. Thorkelson had given him. He had a whole wheat breakfast croissant with veggie bacon and sausage. Some fruit and yogurt. He accompanied it with a glass of juice. Paul finished his food quickly and dealt with his tray and plates. He grabbed a glass of water and looked around more carefully. Something was happening. The employees in the cafeteria were tense and nervous. They kept watching the door to the cafeteria. He noticed that the employees in the cafeteria were from the human resources and administration departments. More of them continued to trickle in. Paul’s tablet rang out with a notification indication. He pulled it out and noticed a priority email from Alexander. He opened it and it was a short video from Alexander explaining that the CEO had been arrested on fraud, embezzlement, and harassment charges. Alexander explained that government investigators and agents were combing through headquarters collecting evidence and interviewing employees. He told employees to tell the truth and cooperate with investigators. He said that the charges would be acknowledged publicly and that Brendel had conspired with Maier, the former head of human resources, to defraud the company. Alexander said that both men would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. He apologized to the staff on behalf of the leadership for anyone who had been hurt by the actions of these two former employees. Alexander went on to say that his priority was justice for those injured and preventing this kind of abuse from happening again. Alexander asked for the patience and support of the staff as they figured things out for moving the team forward. He hoped this would be the end of the drama for the team. He ended the video with a reminder that this was an ongoing legal investigation that they needed to cooperate with authorities and were forbidden from talking about it to anyone. This was the last thing Paul wanted to deal with this week. He was leaving in a few days for the Luna race. He had to attend mandatory training at the European Union Space Agency with the rest of the team before they could leave. He was already doing preliminary training here at headquarters. He was scheduled to use the pool for training in a simulated weightless environment that afternoon. They were traveling to the moon with the plan to give the team a week on the moon to work out any kinks. Paul knew that there would be questions from sponsors, fans, and it might impact some of his endorsement deals. Paul rubbed at his face with his hands in frustration. He needed to call his agent Armando Batista. Paul left the cafeteria and went to his apartment on site. He logged into his computer tablet and sent a video call request to his agent. He waited as the arrow circled around as the call connected. Armando was frowning at him as he picked up the call. [color=f7941d]Armando: “Paul what is going on at Valkyrie? I have already received a dozen calls from the press and a few from sponsors. I started letting them all go to voicemail.” [/color] Paul didn’t bother to hide his frustration. Logically he knew this was not Alexander’s fault but he had to admit that it had been one media crisis to the next since he started. Although he would rather the CEO be removed if the charges were true, there had to be something to it. The authorities didn’t issue arrest warrants for men of Brendel’s stature lightly. Regardless of the validity of the case against the CEO there was fallout for Paul. There were those who would say that his taint painted everyone in the organization in a bad light. Paul was stuck with the fallout no matter what he said or did. [color=fff200]Paul: “I need your advice on how to handle this Armando.”[/color] Paul shared what he knew of the situation that was happening at Valkyrie with Armando. He needed to know so that he could help Paul manage the fallout of the situation. He only gave him the broad strokes that were being shared with the media. He didn’t need to be implicated in inappropriate behavior during this investigation. Armando looked stunned and then angry. Then he looked thoughtful. Paul waited for him to process the news. Armando looked as if he had come to a decision. [color=f7941d]Armando: “My first question is what means the most to you? Do you want me to say anything to salvage your endorsements or do you want to support Knight and Valkyrie? You might lose some endorsements in the short term. This will eventually blow over but you could damage your relationship with Valkyrie if you say the wrong thing at the moment. It could hurt your credibility with sponsors later on. It could hurt chances at changing teams later if you appear too eager to jump ship.” [/color] Paul had never even considered that if he looked after his own interest first that the team might take that poorly. He believed Alexander would understand but Paul didn’t race for the money. He had an inheritance from his father and mother. The endorsements were so he could earn his own money. He took pride in leaving his inheritance untouched and earning what he spent. Paul sighed knowing his decision had been made. [color=fff200]Paul: “I am going to back Knight and the team while denying any knowledge of Brendel’s actions. If it costs me endorsements so be it. It is the right thing to do. If you get any more media requests, just let them know that I will be releasing a personal statement shortly. I will be taking no questions regarding this for now. It is a legal matter and I am not at liberty to discuss an ongoing case. Knight made that clear in his video message to the staff. Give the same message to my endorsements and sponsors. If they wish to speak with me directly, ask them for their patience as I am focused on the Luna race. If they still want to talk to me directly, they will have to wait till I am back from the moon.”[/color] Armando winced knowing he had a ton of work ahead of him. Paul was not his only client. He also would lose out on the commission and his cut of any endorsements that fell through due to this situation. [color=f7941d]Armando: “I will take care of it but this is going to eat up my week. I have other clients to take care of as well, Paul.”[/color] Paul gave Armando a cold look. Armando came highly recommended and had done an excellent job until now. He raised an eyebrow at Armando. His voice was cold as he replied. [color=fff200]Paul: “I sure hope you are not implying that you deserve a bonus or extra pay for doing your job. You get paid very well to take care of my interests, Armando. If it is too much work for you, I can hire a new agent. Someone who has the time to take care of my interests.” [/color] Armando began to back pedal with a panicked look. Paul was one of his more lucrative and easy going clients typically. Paul made a note to begin looking for a new agent. He no longer trusted Armando fully. He didn’t have time to deal with it before Luna. He would wait and see how well Armando handled the current crisis before making a solid decision on it. Armando gave Paul a placating look and gesture. [color=f7941d]“Sheesh you are high strung today. I am just being honest with you Paul. I will get it done. Don’t get all bent out of shape.” [/color] Paul shook his head yep. He was going to be looking for a new agent. Paul snapped out. [color=fff200]“Just get it done.”[/color] He cut the call. He then dialed his mother’s number. He waited for the call to connect. Alicia picked almost immediately with a concerned look on her face. [color=f49ac2]Alicia: “Paul what’s wrong?” [/color] Paul quickly laid out what was happening at the company. He once more kept it to what was being shared with the public. So the broad strokes of what was happening. He explained how his interests were caught in the middle. He explained how his conversation with Armando had gone. [color=fff200]Paul: “Mom I no longer trust him. I need to find a new agent. I need someone I can trust. I need someone who is only handling my interests I think. If you think of anyone can you let me know. I wanted you to know what was going on since I believe the press will contact you about it. I wanted you to hear it from me. I am going to back the team and Knight. I am going to release my own statement here shortly. I didn’t want you to get caught by surprise.” [/color] [color=f49ac2]Alicia: “Thank you for calling me Paul.”[/color] She paused examining Paul’s face. [color=f49ac2]“Are you alright darling?” [/color] Paul sighed and let his frustration show. [color=fff200]“Yes I am just frustrated. Every time it seems the drama has been left behind and things start to go well another issue is dropped. I am beginning to think either I am cursed or Knight is!” [/color] Alicia laughed and gave Paul a sympathetic look. [color=f49ac2]“Well it sounds like there were forces behind the scenes working against Knight. If there are any more, hopefully this will drive them back into the shadows. Knight seems to do a good job of rooting them out. I for one am very happy about that.”[/color] Alicia gave Paul a loving smile with a hard glint in her eye that hinted at the momma bear she was. Paul was a little surprised at his mother’s take on things. He sighed as he realized she was right of course. If there were elements trying to profit off the team, who knows what kind of damage or sabotage they might have opened the team up to? Better to root it out. That didn’t mean that in the short term Paul wouldn’t suffer some fall out as well. Paul gave a sigh doing his best to let the tension go. He gave his mother a big smile. [color=fff200]Paul: “I am glad I had the chance to talk to you before I go to the moon. Will you root for me?” [/color] Alicia gave him an exasperated smile. [color=f49ac2]“Of course I will. Right after I attend mass and pray for your safe return.”[/color] Paul’s expression softened. He knew she worried about him because she cared. [color=f49ac2]“I love you mama.” [/color] Alicia's smile grew and anyone could see the beauty that had attracted Audrick Mulder in that smile. [color=f49ac2]“I love you too. I wish you a good race my son.” [/color] Paul smiled and nodded. [color=fff200]“I will come for dinner when I get back.” [/color] Alicia smiled and nodded. [color=f49ac2]“I look forward to it. I have to go. Travel safely.” [/color] Paul nodded as he told her. [color=fff200]“I will.”[/color] The screen disconnected. [hr] Paul spent some time writing what he wanted to say down. He tweaked it and edited it a few times before he decided to record it. He was careful to avoid any slanderous language. He made sure he used alleged charges. He was careful to be supportive of Knight and the team. He wanted to make his stance clear to all his fans and sponsors. He didn’t want to leave any speculation out there that he was looking for a new ride. Paul was quite happy at Valkyrie. If they could just put all this drama and upheaval behind them, he believed that they could accomplish anything. When you think about all that they had already overcome so far this season, Knight was not doing too badly. Things would hopefully get better. He truly did trust Knight to get them out of this if he could just weather the media storm. Paul posted the statement shortly after noon. He wasn’t feeling very hungry but forced a high protein snack down before heading off to his afternoon training session for Luna. [hr] Paul posted his statement a little after noon. He had spent some time returning emails. He had some endorsement deals that had been pending with an athletic shoe company and a sunglass company. They had both withdrawn their endorsement offers due to the bad press Valkyrie was receiving. Paul gave them a polite understanding email back. He received a personal email from Artie at Enigma Lux who informed Paul that he was not pulling his endorsement contract. He was going to continue to support Team Valkyrie. Paul wondered how this might impact the fundraiser he had been planning for the foundation. He would have to wait and see. Some of his other contracts for endorsements had expressed concerns or pulled ads but because the work had already been completed for the advertising and paid. It really didn’t impact Paul as much. It just meant less publicity for a while. Paul left for his afternoon simulation training feeling frustrated and anxious. At least he would be physically active. He hoped that helped with the anxiety he was feeling. He wondered how Dorian was faring. He was supposed to be at the pool for simulation training as well. He hoped he had an opportunity to check in with him. [hr] [center] [h2]Social Media[/h2] [/center] [hr] [center] [b]Paul Mulder @valkyriepaul [/b] [color=fff200]This is a special press release by Paul Mulder of Team Valkyrie AGR Sport. [/color][/center] [It is a video of Paul wearing a team polo shirt. He looks classically handsome as always with a serious expression on his face.] [color=fff200]“Hello Formula AG Fans. This is Paul Mulder of Team Valkyrie AGR Sport. I am releasing this statement because I have had an overwhelming number of people contacting the team, my agent, and myself, asking questions. This is the only statement I will give regarding the current investigation into the former CEO of the Team, Peter Brendel.” [/color] Paul paused and looked directly into the camera. He hoped it felt like he was meeting the eyes of the person watching. He wanted to come across as sincere and earnest. [color=fff200]“First this is an active and ongoing legal investigation. I am not at liberty to discuss this case or disclose any information about the investigation at all. So please do not ask me to give you any information because I can’t and I won’t.” [/color] He paused and hoped he came across as emphatic and shut down that line of questioning. [color=fff200]“I have been asked for my response to these allegations and the ongoing investigation. I can only give you my personal opinion and my personal feelings on this matter. This is my own opinion and has in no way been solicited or even suggested by team leadership. My response is the same I am sure many others have. Disbelief that someone in a position of such sacred trust would abuse it so vilely. I stand firmly with the Valkyrie Crew Chief, Alexander Knight. I believe he has the best interests of the team at heart. I believe it is his integrity and diligence that has brought so much corruption to light from within the team. I trust in his decision to bring this matter out into the open. I find it comforting that not even the CEO of the company is above the law and that there are employees here at Team Valkyrie willing to see that justice is done for those who have been wronged. I believe that the alleged actions of Peter Brendel and Bernard Maier were in no way sanctioned by the leadership of Team Valkyrie AGR Sport. I trust Alexander Knight and Leopold Koch to guide the team through this crisis. I have found Alexander Knight to be a man of great personal integrity and honor. It is unfortunate that his good name has been tied to so much controversy here at Team Valkyrie. I have found Mr. Knight to be a man of high moral character and strong convictions. I am comforted to know that I have Mr. Knight watching out for me.” [/color] He paused and looked into the camera once more with a sad but serious smile on his face. [color=fff200]“To all the Team Valkyrie fans, I hope you will support the team during this trying time. I know it can be hard to trust a team when you see something like this happen. I hope you put your faith in the fact that the Team is being as transparent and as honest as they can be with you, the public, to heart. I hope I can count on your continued support. I will need it. The team is headed for the moon, for the Luna race. It will be my first time racing on the moon. I am training hard but there is a lot to learn. The moon is a very different environment and race altogether. The arrest of Peter Brendel is a distraction none of need at this critical time. I hope to do well at Luna. I hope Team Valkyrie will rise once more and be deserving of your trust and support. I am not going anywhere. I hope I have answered your question. Next stop… The Moon!” [/color] He gave a more confident look and a thumbs up before ending the video. [hr] [color=fff200]OfficeDrone#12:[/color]Paul is a standup guy. [color=fff200]SuperfanAGR54:[/color] Well Paul made his stance very clear. [color=fff200]DantheMan:[/color]I am surprised by Paul’s choice. [color=fff200]BatDave:[/color] Respect for Paul [color=fff200]Superfan2075:[/color]#respect [color=fff200]DadBod89:[/color]It says something that Paul is backing Knight so solidly. [color=fff200]Hater101:[/color]Yeah right! Valkyrie’s press secretary probably wrote and edited that for him. I don’t believe it. [color=fff200]Papabear34:[/color]I don’t know what to think. [color=fff200]Nana2050:[/color] Again we see respect for Knight. [color=fff200]GeorgeFly:[/color]Respect Paul for standing by his team. [color=fff200]ValkyrieFan56:[/color]We support you Paul! [color=fff200]Weedhead81:[/color] #Respect [color=fff200]SexyM@m@5:[/color] I wonder if Dorian will release a statement too? [color=fff200]Paulmulder4eva:[/color] I support you Paul! I [heart emoji] You! [color=fff200]Britball12:[/color] Yeah I believe Paul is just spouting the team line there. [color=fff200]!YouSlow!:[/color]It should never have come to this. This should have been dealt with internally long before this point. It will be interesting when we get full details of the investigation. [color=fff200]xImFasterthanUx:[/color]I respect Paul for standing by his team. Not sure I believe they didn’t ask him to make a statement in support though. [color=fff200]AGInthusiast:[/color]What timing! The Luna Race is arguably one of the most popular races of the year. [color=fff200]micheal650004:[/color] Respect for Paul and Valkyrie for how they are handling this difficult situation. [color=fff200]Bertha:[/color]I agree with YouSlow. Things should never have gotten this bad at Valkyrie. Where was the oversight from the Board of Directors? [color=fff200]Nobody404:[/color]Paul makes it clear that it is his opinion and feelings. He states it plainly. Whether you believe him or not. The controversy should be against the former CEO Peter Brendel. Why are we crucifying those that were victims? There should be no victim blaming here! [hr] [center][h1][b][color=fff200]Thursday 10th May 2094 European Union Space Agency[/color][/b][/h1][/center] Paul was with the rest of the team as they completed their training for the moon at the European Union Space Agency’s training center which was located adjacent to the spaceport in French Guiana. Paul had avoided any media at all so he could focus on the upcoming race. He had set up an away message for his email. He had avoided any social media and avoided the television. He had simply stayed offline. He had read or played video games if he needed entertainment. He avoided the public and stayed on campus so he could stay focused. He didn’t need any more distractions. He was taking the Luna race very seriously. He had been training hard in the simulator but there was only so much it could teach him. He needed to get in the ship and feel how it responded in the Lunar gravity for himself. He had to go through a bunch of safety training though just to get to the moon. He was determined to do well at Luna. He wanted to prove that his podium in Portugal was not a fluke but skill and a get ship. He felt the pressure to perform now more than ever before. Alexander had done his best to give him as much training as close as possible to Luna conditions as he could. There were still probably going to be necessary tweaks here and there after they started troubleshooting on the moon. Paul was grateful that Alexander was coming to the moon. He liked Cavan Mitchell but he didn’t know him very well yet. He had just started. Paul was grateful when the day’s training was over. It was not just physically exhausting but mentally exhausting. There were so many things that had to be done just so. It was so easy to make a mistake that could be life threatening. It was just as exhausting to work in simulated zero gravity as it was to work in gravity. The focus required was absolute. He felt like he had put in a twelve hour training day instead of 8. He was grateful that they were all going to get a good night’s sleep on terra firma before blasting off for the moon the next morning. Paul once more withdrew to his room. He sought solitude. He didn’t want to gossip or speculate about the pending investigation or talk about it. He just wanted to block it out and focus on what he needed to learn and do to do well on the moon. Paul put on some music and did some yoga to stretch out his tired muscles. He kept his evening light and went to bed early. He was really excited about traveling to the moon. He was looking forward to seeing Earth from space. That was an experience that even if he lost, no one could take away from him. He would have to remember to take a picture for his mother. He wanted to be able to share the experience with her. [hr] The journey to the moon was gratefully drama free. It went exactly as planned. Paul had discussed strategy and ship set up with Alexander and Helga. He was grateful that Alexander didn’t feel the need to talk about what was happening at headquarters. He stuck to what the team needed to do to get the ship prepped for the upcoming race. They had started the conversion at headquarters of course but there were always things you find out after you get there. They had already added additional directional thrusters around the ship to help it steer and maneuver in the moon’s lighter gravity. They had ensured the pulse engines had the right fuel mixture to propel the ship forward in the lack of atmosphere on the moon. The lack of oxygen makes traditional combustion engines obsolete unless you brought your own oxygen of course. They made sure the ship’s hull would provide protection against solar radiation. Paul had a spacesuit in team colors that had additional protection from radiation built into it. The suit was sleek and stylish but made for movement and to hold pressure. The suit had an external oxygen tank and built in carbon dioxide scrubbers. It also had a port that allowed Paul to plug the suit into the onboard oxygen supply. The helmet mimicked his racing helmet with an integrated holographic heads up display. The glass of the helmet could be adjusted to prevent the sun from blinding him. Paul’s first lap in the ship was a revelation in how much he needed this time to adjust what he needed to do in the ship. Where he had used his airbrake in the past, he was now using his throttle. He could drift through corners by easing up on the throttle to slow down. He could fire thrusters in a reverse thrust but it was not as smooth. It caused a jerky response that cost him more time. The covering on the ship’s hull took a beating from the regolith. They had needed to reapply it and change its structure a bit to make it harder for the regolith to tear up. Paul had to get used to steering by way of the additional thrusters. Once he got the hang of it, the ship was handling well and still maintained its stability. It was faster on the moon without wind holding it back. The team had updated the efficiency of the energy system as best they could. They had to add some additional filtering support to keep the abrasive dust out of the intakes for the engine. Knight had used an old school but effective method to ensure that the intakes remained unclogged. Paul felt as if they were as prepared as they could be. He would go out and give it his best. He got faster every time he went out. He managed to take the turns just a bit better. He managed to find a racing line that seemed to work for him. The question was would it work when they were all on the track together? Only time would tell. [hr] [center] [h2] [color=fff200]Delta Hyper Sofa on the Moon[/color][/h2][/center] Paul was in one of the new spacesuits that had been designed for this race. He had two in case one was damaged. It was in the Valkyrie’s gold tone with grey piping and blocking evoking wings. The sunglass tint on the visor in a metallic gold. Paul was here for his Delta Hyper interview so the visor was transparent so his face could be seen. He made his way out of the airlock to the Delta Hyper “couch” with the Earth in the background. He took his seat as gracefully as he could in the unwieldy spacesuit. It was sleeker than older models but still not as easy to move in as regular clothes. [quote][color=ed1c24]"Paul, welcome to Mare Austral! With all the talk of the controversy behind the scenes of Valkyrie at the moment, would you say the team is ready for the race to come?"[/color][/quote] Paul sighed and internally wished he could just walk off. He had already said all he really wanted to say about the situation with the former CEO. He didn’t smile this time. He kept a serious look as he answered honestly. [color=fff200]“I believe Team Valkyrie is as ready as we can be. I have been training for this race for weeks. Of course there is only so much preparation and training you can do on Earth in gravity. We have been here for a week. I have needed that week to acclimate to the moon. This is my first time on the moon. There is very little gravity and no real atmosphere to speak of which makes the ship behave and react very differently. Alexander Knight and the team have been tweaking and making changes to accommodate Luna since we got here. I am comfortable with my current setup. I am getting decent times in practice. We will just have to run our best race and hope we did enough.” [/color] [hr] [hider= Team Valkyrie Characters] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zrLx5XUgYiVm6KjTpFTWZtJvXc0MX77enkLzINHujKw/edit?gid=0#gid=0 [/hider]