Enzayne

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

A Couch in the Sky

---

"That sounds like a certain shout out! How have you found settling into Zygon, Han- your branding has come everywhere with the team, so what's it like with the fame and visibility you're getting?"

Hyeon-Ae had been doing a bang-up job so far of ignoring the shenanigans that may or may not have been going on in the background, either out of sheer obliviousness of the spectators, or simply playing into her straight-shooter phenotype with full passion. She instead smiled warmly at the question. ”Well! I am happy to connect with all of you from outside of Korea, yes? In Korea, it is almost reverse, sometime, you know? I am a little known for what I did before, and now I have an opportunity to meet and share my passion with more people. I love meeting people and learning about how different everyone is, and still love the same sport.”

---

--Children of the New World--
--2081--
--Pyongyang--

“Maybe a psychopath?” the mildly corpulent man asked thoughtlessly, dabbing at his forehead with a synthetic napkin before stuffing it back into the chest pocket of his off-white orderly uniform. On the other side of the one-way glass, a set of children played with toys of various quality, engaging each other. Most were Korean, Japanese, or Chinese, but a few were of nationalities exotic to Greater Korea. In the corner sat a solitary dark-haired girl, not quite glowering at the others, but seemingly watching them without moving a muscle.

“Nope. Genetic markers and private emotional reactions don´t support it.” the mustachioed man beside him replied, lifting a mug to sip at his coffee-like drink.

“Indeed,” the woman next to the two men chimed in, pushing up her glasses briefly. “The test screening for these kids weeds out anything substandard. Genetic social deficiencies were ruled substandard after the Hongkong gene-edit debacle. Anything that slips through the cracks or develops is caught by the daycare folks, or by our machines.”

“Then, she's just creepy?” The overweight man asked with a little less guile, frowning to himself. “The other kids are doing just fine.” His comment earned him a snicker from the other man, and the woman exhaled a little sharply that may have been something reminiscent of amusement. The jab at the girl´s expense was shortlived, when a fourth, older voice piped up from the back.

“Not quite. That is what high compatibility looks like, my good friend.” his crotchety voice resounded in the enclosed lab space, turning heads immediately.

“Director! Welcome, I didn´t hear you enter-..” the woman shot back as she turned, clearing her throat quickly and once more adjusting her glasses, this time with nervous energy.

The old man, a balding man with sinewy, mottled skin that made him look at least one-hundred and fifty, raised his hand as he steadied the other on his cane. Despite bulky, primitive cybernetics owing to a different decade, and a metric ton of anti-aging measurements owing to the rumors around the lab - the director still looked like he had one foot in the grave. According to some, that's how he'd looked for the best part of thirty years. Hard to know if he was getting older, or just refusing to die. He lifted a crooked hand to gesture towards the glass, and the three gave the room another glance. “They are children, of course, and children will play. It is in their nature to be selfish and pursue levity,” he crooned with an unstable voice. “But she is different. Why not ask her?”

The chubbier man glanced between the group of children on the other side of the glass, happily indulging in flying toy rocket ships and outfitting dolls, testing puzzle pieces, or wearing buckets as hats, save for the lonely girl in the corner. He glanced back to his immediate superior, and the mustachioed man gave him a light shrug and gestured for the console. Frowning, confused, the man leaned forwards to push the loudspeaker button. “Nine-Four-Alpha. Why do you not play? This is reward time.”

There was a brief pause in the room, briefly highlighting the collective creepiness as they observed every child turning still and listening, some staring straight at the mirror-glass as though they could actually see them on the other side. The obese man shuddered involuntarily and let go of the button for the intercom, reminded briefly of whatever hackles he´d had to throw away when he took this employment. The moment subsided as swiftly as it had come - as soon as the children identified that the question was not for them, they returned to what they were doing, as eager to ignore adults as any other child. The girl in the corner looked up and at the glass still. “I’m resting so I can do better on the next evaluation. Thank you for taking an interest in me, sir.” she responded in perfect nouveau-Korean.

The mustachioed man sighed to himself and had another sip of his drink. “Creepy, like you said.” he intoned in full earshot of the director. The woman in the room in turn scoffed a little, looking both dumbstruck and proud at the same time. The larger man still looked confused, and lifted his napkin to dab at his forehead again before he got a scolding for looking sweaty. The old man just chuckled raspily, moving towards one of the few seats in the room, upon which the mustache-bearing foreman hurried to help him sit down.

“Perhaps little Hyeon-Ae is to you and to me, Mr Laoxing. Creepy,” the old man grumbled jovially as he spoke to and at the man helping him sit, before facing the room properly. “But she is better than both of us. She has recognized the futility of this, this-...” he continued, waving his hand in the air as he trailed off, trying to find a word.

“...Frivolity, sir?” The woman cut in.

“Frivolity, yes, frivolity. Good. This group is a little younger. They still need external motivation to perform above average. But that one there - she has recognized reward time for what it is.” The old man continued, gesturing towards the girl on the other side of the glass. “What did we tell them about the other children?”

“They are competing…?” the larger man replied a little uncertainly, only bolstered when the old man craned his neck in what could only be called a nod to someone who was blind.

“Yes, quite right.” he crowed back imperiously. “And they are being taught managerial skills, and resource logistics. I assume she has figured out that they are rivals in more ways than one, and there are more important things than having fun.”

“But, she´s a kid.” the portly man shot back a little incredulously.

“Is she? Developmentally, yes. But every child in there is already meeting-... urhh… Laoxing, where are they in metrics now?”

The mustachioed man stepped in with a quick clearing of his throat. “They´re performing to averages of the human population at age 16 physically. Age 13 mentally, on average. Seven-Eight-Beta, and Nine-Four-Alpha are performing higher due to increased editing procedures.”

“Mmh,” the old man crooned thoughtfully. “Not bad for nine-year olds, wouldn´t you say, old boy?” He chuckled, apparently talking to either himself or one of the two other men in the room. As none of the others knew which of it it was, they shared in the chuckle with a short, unsteady snicker. “When the exodus is ready, they will reliably outperform the average citizen on every level. A whole new class of people, not just in mind and body - but in soul.” He nodded to himself, and the woman nodded with him, clearly inspired. “They will be like our distant ancestors, unconcerned with the lackadaisy and debauchery of modernity, only interested in looking forward. To a utopia that we cannot imagine.”

The mustachioed foreman smiled faintly and sipped from his mug, looking mostly like he'd heard the speech a million times. The woman, ever the researcher, managed to look pleased with herself. The overweight orderly, in turn, scratched the back of his head, trying to wrap his head around the concept. He looked over at the playing children before looking back. “...If we cannot imagine it, how will they?”

As if expected such a question, the old man launched into a cackle that his throat could not support. “They are children of the new world, my good man. Predators among prey. A step toward divinity.” The mustache-man helped his elder superior back up at his nonverbal demand, and the crotchety old man wandered towards. No more questions were allowed - the spectre of infirmity loomed over the old director as he limped out through the door, followed closely by the foreman. The overweight man scratched at his neck, struggling with both the conversation and the implications.

He was jolted out of it by the sudden intake of breath and silent cursing from the woman beside her. Turning, he was presented with the same scene beyond the glass - two nine-year olds pushing and mumbling, hair being pulled, shirts being tugged. Fighting brewing. Before he could react, they were shouting, and the other kids were cheering and shouting and pushing in equal measure. Chaos, as kids are wont to engage in. The lady scientist beside him threw herself on the intercom to bark orders. But not to the fighters. “Hyeon-Ae, Leighton, Seo-Yeon! Break them up!”

Three children - the blond American boy, the dark haired girl from the corner - ‘Nine-Four-Alpha’ - and another Korean girl jumped in immediately. In seconds they'd separated the two kids who had been waving in the air towards each other with ineffective violence. They got them kneeling, and before long the two girls were more or less interrogating the two troublemakers on who started, what happened, and why, while the boy stood guard and defused others, who seemed to still the moment control was being asserted.

“They get punished as a group if they act out,” the woman explained beside him as she noted his staring at the situation. “Bit different from whatever rehabilitation division you came down from, huh?”

“Is this… okay? I mean… They're just kids.” He muttered uncertainly, wiping at his neck with his open hand. In the little playroom, things were returning to normal. The two kids had been separated, and the toys they had fought over had been distributed to other children. They were otherwise not being punished, it seemed; one of them talking to the two girls who broke up the fight, and the other already deep in a card game with the American boy. The situation may as well have never happened.

“We're building a better people.” She replied confidently, no small amount of pride bristling beneath the surface. We'll work for them soon, if we're lucky. Don't worry, Sanbeng. I'll put in a good word for you with our new masters.”

The portly Sanbeng smiled a little uncertainly as she laughed, unable to tell if she was serious or not.

---

Round 4 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Saturday 15th April, 2094
Qualifying
Italian AGP

Strada Alpina
Marmolada, Dolomiti, Italia
1100 CET

“Sanbeng. You know I hate it when you stare into space like that. You look like a fool.” Hyeon-Ae barked curtly, stood as she was with her arms out in the paddock, two fussy Zygon engineering interns slowly but surely undoing the bulky exterior of her racing kit to free her of the last of her Qualifier run.

The overweight aide jolted out of whatever distant memory had him frozen, and he smiled apologetically at the racing pilot. “My bad, Hyeon-Ae nim. Great driving today!” He offered back in a manner most would classify as sycophantic. The praise earned him a glower and a murmur of consternation from the Korean pilot. “Right. So,” he rapidly continued. “You have a meeting with Marketing Manager Baek this afternoon. They took a chunk out of simulation time.”

“...Baek? I don't want to talk to him. I work better with Nayeun.” Han offered with a sharp frown.

“I know that-” Sanbeng offered with half-worried, half-explanatory tone, cut off abruptly as Hyeon-Ae started walking away the moment she was out of the racing suit, moving to take something to drink and say something to a passing engineer. Undeterred, Sanbeng followed and continued as if nothing had changed. “...but Manager Baek is here in Italy, and is planning a photographic campaign with the sights and such. It's greenlit already.”

“Ugh,” Hyeon-Ae responded firmly, sending him a halfward glance of dismissive disgust.

The aide briefly withered under her look before steeling himself to proceed. “While you're meeting the manager, I suggest bringing up the launch idea we discussed Wednesday… even if he is not your preferred partner, it is better if marketing gets on it straight away.”

“Mmh,” Han gave non-committally back. She was listening, of course, just considering other things at the same time. Mainly moving over to the big screens to see more closely how her time matched up with others.

“And after-” Sanbeng started, but paused when she glared at him.

“Are you going to be present?”

“Of course.” He nodded firmly in response.

Hyeon-Ae turned back to the screen, lifting a hand to touch her nail with her lips. Cassie beat her time. Handily too. Where did she go wrong? Why now? Another vector to worry about. And Baek, she needed a new attack vector for that smug snake. Not to mention whatever management was cooking up for this engineering meet she'd been alerted to right before the qualifier. So many variables. “Then just come get me when it's time, and brief me when it's relevant. I need to focus on this.”

Wordlessly, her rotund aide bowed his head and dipped away, both undeterred by her demeanour and knowing not to fight such a battle. Hyeon-Ae remained in front of the board. She turned to the nearest technician instead; ”When do we get Valkyrie’s data?”

“I believe they're on right after us.”

Frowning to herself, the Korean pilot slipped away further towards the lodges in search of Cassie. Time to have a small watch party, and a strategy talk.

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

Wednesday April 7th, 2094
Zygon HQ
11:58 Local Time

Hyeon-Ae breezed through the office landscape with an air of untouchable superiority, clearing out suits and menial workers from her path by her indomitable stride. A more self-conscious or guilty pilot might have been inundated under the nosy gazes of countless murmuring middle-managers, but Hyeon-Ae returned to headquarters with her chin held high. Her armor was an unbreakable - recharged - confidence, and an air of contempt that made her hard to challenge unless you were ready to lose something in return. She dominated the halls of Zygon by sheer presence, and beelined for the boardroom to which she had been summoned with a soundless fury - or at least that's what her expression suggested. In truth, Hyeon-Ae was calm as ever, but recognized the importance of shielding her emotional state, or sparking rumors by appearing relaxed after Tokyo´s defeat. No doubt upper management would find idle acceptance just as aggravating as failure.

She paused outside the occluded glass of the boardroom, and checked the time on her smart-watch. Two minutes early. Too eager? No, it was within parameters. Steeling herself with a subtle shrug of her shoulders, she swiped her hand in front of the door and it swished open elegantly. As soon as the tempered glass parted, the voices inside grew audible, notifying her that Jinwoo and Yijin were already present. Arguing. Fortunate for them that the glass panes were built to contain this noise, or the culture here would eat them up for this. Cassie had declined to be present yesterday by sending Han a response to her invitation with a silly cat picture that said

´Nyo thanks, purrtner´

.

Whatever senseless argument the lead engineer and team principal Jinwoo had had ended when Hyeon-Ae made her presence known by entering. Jinwoo immediately put on a brisk, forced smile. The clumsiness of his attempt to pretend like everything was fine was irritating at best. “Hyeon-Ae ssi! You made it. We were worried you´d be stuck in the simulator and medical adjustment until this afternoon.” He gave quickly, an offering to appease her feigned fury. Zhou Yijin merely looked her way before going back to the tech-pad in his hands. Hyeon-Ae gave a brief, thin smile in recognition of her alleged boss´ greeting, and moved to sit down with the same imperious force as she´d used to travel to the meeting. Her interruption was enough to leave Jinwoo bemused, and neither of the two other present parties saw fit to restart whatever they'd been discussing.

It took only a few minutes for the last involved parties to arrive. Sanbeng, ever stressed, ever sweating, hurried inside and sat down beside Hyeon-Ae after loudly greeting everyone and apologizing for his (thirty second) tardiness. He exchanged a glance with Hyeon-Ae as he sat down, and that seemed to be enough for him to register what mood and combativeness the two should have today. Having been with her for this long, one thing he was good at was understanding her cues, after all. About two minutes later, the doors swished open again, giving way to the aides that had flanked Park Iseul last time, though the princess heir herself had apparently decided not to make an appearance - presumably either finding one visit enough to make her presence known, or suitably pleased with last time´s meeting to have gotten what information she needed. Now they were back to getting their marching orders from above from this snooty and haughty man, who wasted no time in smiling obsequiously at everyone as he entered and sat down. Flanked by a mousy notary who didn't dare look at anyone, everyone was finally assembled and sitting.

“Thank you all for coming today,” the aide began, thoroughly undercutting the Team Principal by taking charge of the meeting.

The early assault did not go unnoticed. Jinwoo smiled hurriedly and swiveled in his seat. “Yes, thank you for attending. Since we are all fighting with tight scheduling this week, how about we hear from Lead Engineer Zhou regarding last meetings´ discussion?”

The engineer glanced up from his techpad, frowning as he swiftly realized he´d have to go first. “Yes, well. We´ve been getting the datasets and initial integration specs for the upgrades to the engine. Hanwha has been sending over geeks to make sure we sift the data properly. It's looking real good. CTO gave the go-ahead Monday, and we´re due final integration with time for proper tests before Italy. No issues so far. Whatever you guys cooked up with their dealmakers, Hanwha is really keen on helping get the engine in tip-top shape.”

“That is wonderful to hear,” Jinwoo offered as if to install a cushion for whatever would follow in this conversation. Zhou nodded in turn and turned back to his techpad.

The aide, however, did not match their eagerness to be pleased. The smile he exhibited was more like that of a hyena circling prey. “Ah, yes. We should be thankful to Ms. Park and her father for managing to put together such a brilliant deal on such short notice. Now, I believe that Ms. Park signaled clearly last time that these upgrades were contingent on the certainty of a positive result in Tokyo.”

“Now hold on-” Jinwoo attempted, but was immediately cut off by the confident aide continuing on without pause.

“In their wisdom the Parks have seen fit to go ahead with the deal with Hanwha now that other alternatives are delayed beyond possibility. However, everyone in this room seemed to appeal to Ms. Park that the initially proposed alterations would not be necessary - that Tokyo was doable without them. Believing this conviction in the team appears to have been a miscalculation on our part.” He spoke with practiced venom, staring down Jinwoo, and briefly scanning over Hyeon-Ae as well. Hyeon-Ae knew this would happen. Tokyo was a defeat in more ways than one. She had exerted authority and the powers that be were not impressed.
Jinwoo was stopping short of wringing the documents in his hands into a fine paste, doing his best to keep his old face neutral and appearing humble in the face of criticism. It wasn´t going well. “We are working with what we have,” he explained with contained fury. “Given the high variance in results in that race, and the dueling that took place on the track, it´s a small wonder we got points at all.”

“Oh, are you saying you do not have confidence in our machine and pilots?” the aide retorted smugly, pushing up his glasses where they rested on his nose. The high-powered lights in the room shone ominously in the lenses.

“I do not think it´s a secret that there are clear issues to work on with the craft. That´s why we are here, no?” Jinwoo blustered with growing anger. Hyeon-Ae sighed ever so slightly, drawing Sanbeng´s attention beside her as the only one who heard it. It was a little frustrating to watch her Team Principal walk so clearly into every landmine.

“Well then, since you are certain of what our issues are going forward, I yield the floor to you for proposals, Jinwoo nim.” the aide proffered politely.

The words caught Jinwoo a little off-guard, and he cleared his throat and began rustling through his papers to look for his notes. “Well-... I´ve been studying our performance both in Tokyo and long-term, and handling for the craft remains one of the chief concerns. Given that, I forwarded a proposal on Sunday for a solution that would definitely improve handling for our pilots. Given the time to alter the machine, I think it would be much more responsive to the pilots.”

Eyes turned to Lead Engineer Zhou, and from Zhou´s expression alone it rapidly became clear to Hyeon-Ae that this proposal must have been what they were animatedly talking about when she entered previously. “The proposal itself will do what the Team Principal says,” Zhou admitted with curt tone. “The issue is that the Team Principal came up with this solution by tinkering with datapoints on machine performance. He did not consider the stresses it would put on the already frail joints, nor the sheer amount of work it would take to strip two separate polarity casings and tinker with the solder-work on the drive-system. We´re looking at sometime in June, at best, unless we want to send them out on the track with risks of not starting, or coming apart at the seams.”

Brutal. The silence that followed said it all. By the aides´ expression, he knew all this already. And Zhou had been trying to talk Jinwoo out of even suggesting it. That was the conclusion Hyeon-Ae drew from the faces of all assembled.

“...Perhaps another way has a more positive roadmap for development?” Sanbeng piped up, no doubt just uncomfortable sitting in this room of stuffy, prideful people staring at eachother. Jinwoo looked furious, defeated, and sad, all in one.

“Naturally,” the aide cut in sharply, as if he had just been waiting for someone to raise that very question. “Please take a look at this-” he offered with a theatrically magnanimous tone as his assistant hurried to deliver a binder to each person assembled around the table. Even giving one to Sanbeng, she ended up with several binders left. Seems they didn´t tell her the attendance numbers. “As you can see, summarized on page four, analysis shows that the downward trend in Tokyo began in earnest after the german´s -... what was his name…” he trailed off, until his assistant hurried back to whisper something. “Ulrich Faulkner, until he outcompeted both pilots in a straight energy exchange battle. The outcome of this event is deplorable when you delve into the statistics. As such, we´re putting a plan forward to boost this area of the machine´s capability - an innovative calibration of current energy output by adding a redundancy system to ensure minimal waste power.”

Everyone was busy flipping through papers while the aide sat satisfied. Hyeon-Ae barely looked at the binder - paper meant they couldn´t see engineering-flagged notes in real-time, nor any projections they elected not to show. Deciding on a suggestion presented like this was like shaking hands with her uncle - only do it if you have no other options. Speaking up for the first time, Hyeon-Ae offered a simple; “Yijin nim?”

The engineer took a few moments of thoughtful reading, flipping through the bound document with more respect than Hyeon-Ae felt they deserved. Not looking up, he eventually spoke. “...Yeah. I'm seeing the viability at the base of the suggestion. Would have liked not being blindsided with it during the meeting. Anyway, it's got some of the same issues as the Team Principal’s proposal. Without the actual data and test runs, I'm not one hundred this will even run on our configuration. If it does, it's a clear upgrade. Ultimately, I can't support it.”

The last statement seemed to catch the bespectacled aide off-guard, and it was his turn to offendedly harrumph in response. “And why is that?”

Hyeon-Ae tensed up ever so slightly, restraining herself from smiling. She wasn't expecting this today, but just like with Cassie, a pressure had been building. It seems another cork was popping. Zhou Yijin closed the binder and sighed. “Because, all due respect, neither of you are actually thinking with your heads. Dropping dossiers with ramshackle changes without warning, putting together proposals based on solitary performance metrics without even looking at the whole machine as a whole. Not to mention this constant nit-picking is crushing us down in the pits. My guys and gals are terrified of doing maintenance half the week, worried that you folks are gonna come up with a new brilliant idea and we have to tear out half the machinery and start over.” Zhou took a breath, frowning. “Not to mention you're overcrowding us with low-skill interns while hammering my full-timers with minutiae and analytics crap that any third-rate data entry tech could do. With all respect, just let us do the damn work. Sirs. May as well fire me and put in your nephews if we’re gonna keep up this short-term, directionless nitpicking.”

If it could be even more quiet than painful silence, then that would still not entirely describe the agonizing chill in the room. Both Jinwoo and the two suits looked absolutely stunned, and Sanbeng was watching with a worried stare. Hyeon-Ae enjoyed the silence. Someone other than her was taking the reins, stirring the pot. Zhou Yijin was, as far as she was concerned, impossible to control, but a worthwhile person to have on your side. And he knew what he was talking about more often than not. If this would blow back on him, she’d make sure he knew she was on his side.

Jinwoo was the first to speak. “Well… I won’t argue that there is a certain sense to your words, even if they are deeply problematic.”

“I should say,” the aide cut in, regaining some semblance of his garrulous posturing. “What are you even proposing with such a tirade?”

That question was one the lead engineer seemed ready for at least. “Let us do our work. Give us some space to finish these installations, and then take the actual time to check the metrics properly and innovate. Give us some room to actually make something, rather than forcing us to make reactionary changes based on last week’s boardroom meeting.”

Jinwoo and the aide exchanged a glance, and the Team Principal shrugged his shoulders briefly. For once, they were equals in how dumbstruck by this they were. Hyeon-Ae chose her moment. ”What do we have to lose? We have talented people on the ground, putting their hands in the machine. Let them come up with some real suggestions. If they disappoint on that end, we’ve proven the old method is better.”

Eyes were briefly on her, and she got a mild nod from Jinwoo. He was so easily pushed along. The aide looked frustrated but eventually yielded as he adjusted his glasses. “I’ll… push this up the chain. We’ll table the proposals for now.”

With that, it was done. After some stiff discussions regarding other points, everyone was happy to leave and make themselves scarce. The last person out of them was the mousy assistant, who apologetically collected the binders from Hyeon-Ae and Sanbeng before fleeing the scene. Left alone with her own aide in the meeting room, she breathed out slowly and pondered the last few days. Perhaps it was foolish, but she felt invigorated. Perhaps a hope that someone else than her was also fighting for better results. For real.

“I think that went well.” Sanbeng mumbled from his seat as he collected his things.

Hyeon-Ae just gave him a pointed look, and he smiled back sheepishly.

---

Friday 14th April, 2094
Rifugio Capanna Piz Fassa di Bernard Guido
Piz Boè, Dolomiti, Italia
1700 CET

A Couch in the Sky

Han was up late in the getup, or at least that’s how she felt it. Others seemed to find this entertaining, but she was fully masked today. The polite, infallible racer queen was out in force, politely chuckling and smiling humbly when she felt necessary. But it was just another stunt to survive.

She finally got summoned to the spotlight.

"Han, welcome back to Delta Hyper! How are you finding the circuit today, as a rookie, is there anything you like the most?"

”Thank you very much, you two.” she opened, placing both hands on her chest and smiling as though she was actually touched by being part of this. ”I just love the sights of this whole country. And the track - wow. Spending this short a time here seems so wrong, perhaps I will have to visit more often. As for the track itself, I’m pleased with it after what we’ve been thinking up in our workshop. Watch out, is all I’ll say!” she warned with a soft, inviting chuckle.

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

Hakone Izakaya Bar

“Why Hyeon-Ae, is that a marriage proposal… already? Don’t we have to be married before I can enjoy the honeymoon? I can’t deny that I did enjoy chasing you around the track at Cape Town.”

Hyeon-Ae had been mollified by his retort, her usual high-speed reaction and wit now finding itself tangled and unsuited for combat. Instead she hid behind her glass and a mysterious smile, content - no, desperate - to keep her position with some dignity and not risk a misstep with a comment too many.

And that is how she remained, politely indulging with the other pilots in a more aloof and elegant manner, mainly backing up Cassie with confident remarks or trivia about Japan. She didn't forget however, and through the laughs and the buzz, she gave Paul the occasional glance.

---

Round 3 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Saturday April 1st, 2094
Qualifying Day
Japanese AGP
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

”Seven-four-nine improvement on Cassie's time. Estimating sixth to ninth before final results. Well done.” the radio crackled in her ear as the machine began to power down.

Hyeon-Ae took the moments after the qualifier ended to breathe out, letting adrenaline settled as a combination of autocorrection and mild steering brought the craft back into the pit. A few minutes of breathing and thinking later she was climbing out of the vehicle, detached from her metallic outer shell to rejoin the world of normal human beings.

“Not the first time you push metrics to the brim,” Lead Engineer Zhou remarked as she unclasped her helmet and allowed herself to breathe fresh air again. “Starting to think you don't need us to juice that thing.”

Hyeon-Ae smiled tersely and handed the helmet off before lifting her arms to get help with the suit from two engineering interns. ”Don't be crass, Yijin ssi. You think I'd get that grease, oil and plastic foil all over me? she remarked with a tone that was all venom.

Despite the worried glances of the interns warily handling her return to humanity and overhearing them, Zhou laughed a dry, throaty chuckle. “Too true. Can't have our pretty princess getting dusty.”

”If there's dust in there someone is getting fired.” she snapped back, and the two exchanged glances for a good while as she was freed from the last of the racing gear, and they shared a humoured, minimal smirk. ”Did Cassie ssi already leave?” she asked after the interns began to scurry away in muted panic, and the man shook his head and gestured towards the connected lounge nestled by the Tokyo pit. Hyeon-Ae gave the older engineer a pat on the shoulder as she passed and headed straight for the lounge. So long as none of the remainers pulled a strange time and lodged themselves in between, they had a real opportunity tomorrow.

---

Beyond the high-tech advanced glitz of the immediate paddock, where systems maintenance and repair work required equipment that looked a single step removed from magic to the uninitiated, lay the crew lounge. Prepared presumably to fill building code requirements and decorated with a highly utilitarian mindset, it could have passed for the stage of net office drama in comparison to the hypermodern garage next door.

The mood was quiet and peaceful, something that changed to mild tension the moment Hyeon-Ae stepped inside. The blue sheen of Neves’ eyes shone up briefly from the couch, before they darted back down to the touchpad in her hands. Hyeon-Ae for her sake made an effort to take her time, stepping over to the drinks machine to order a cold coffee shot. She patiently waited, like a lazy cat pretending to ignore the mouse. In truth, she knew enough about her teammate now to know she would find the silence unnerving. A petty power play, her uncle would have called it.

Eventually - a little earlier than expected - Cassie gave in and broke the silence first. “Beat me by a hair,” she offered with a wry grin, though Hyeon-Ae could read the anxious gaze that followed with it. As soon as they exchanged glances, Hyeon-Ae completed her idle patrol of the room and moved to sit down. “Fair enough, yeah? Things keep on like this, I'm overtaking you by Portugal.”

Hyeon-Ae offered a placid smile to humor the Portuguese pilot. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she measured up her designated ally and rival. ”You think it's the machine?”

The augmented pilot waved her hand dismissively, tapping a few times on the screen before turning it to show Hyeon-Ae; schematics and mathematics in Korean. Terse instructions and scheduling. “Let's call it home field advantage. Can't deny there's a difference in handholding between us.”

”I'm marketable. My ‘bride price’ was high. It makes sense they'll try and get some guarantees for return on their investment,” Hyeon-Ae offered back with practiced, arrogant calmness. ”And, the old roots at the top are probably xenophobes.”

She offered a previously ordered metal can of iced coffee to Cassie, and the more fiery pilot hesitantly leaned forward to accept the gift. “Hoping I'll throw in the towel, then? I'm no coward. Even when the ref is paid off.” Cassie muttered as she cracked open the recycled metal canister.

”No. I like to win-”

“No kidding…”

”But…” Hyeon-Ae continued a little louder, otherwise not rising to the taunt. ”I also hate losing. That includes my team and my people. I prefer you winning over the others. So, my wish is for us both to come together and show them the power of Zygon's women.”

A few moments of silence, before Cassie sipped at the iced coffee. “That's so fucking cheesy.”

The two women chuckled together, and for a while there was a little less tension.

---

Post-Qualifying Interview

"Han, you seem to be impressing the pundits and spectators, pushing that Zygon craft higher than perhaps some are saying it should have been from the data says. Yourself and Cassie are stacked together in 7th and 8th. Do you think you can keep the pace up in the race?”

”Well, it is important to me. This race, I mean. Tokyo is such a beautiful city and means much both to me and my fans around the mainland.” Hyeon-Ae offered with an elegant smile. She took a few moments to straighten her posture and smooth out an imagined crease on her pants. ”Racing alongside Cassie will bring out the full potential of the team. Tomorrow we are a force to be reckoned with.”

---

Han Hyeon-Ae @HHA:Zygon:
Seems you'll be chasing me again. Enjoy, @ValkyriePaul.

Han Hyeon-Ae @HHA:Zygon:
City lights bloom bright,
Garden of color and hope,
City's vernal glow.

Attached Image: Cam7920-01042094.avif

---

Round 3 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Sunday April 2nd, 2094
Racing Day
Japanese AGP
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.

The zoom of engines and the high-pitched whine of anti-gravity adjusters overwhelmed her senses as vehicles went from zero to ludicrous speed in seconds. She´d ran the track in her head countless times, even more in simulations, and had a strategy talk with Cassie. Going into the race, she was confident. Owing to her latest performances, it was fair to say that she was better than the machine allowed. She was compensating for hardware, rather than the other way around. The first and last sections were the hardest on the Zygon machine, and the straights were simply a fact of blocking to keep others tightly stuck behind her and Neves. A fair few of them would crush them in a straight duel of speed, so playing offensive on defense, as it were, was the prime strategy.

The meld of machine and human felt almost natural for once; Han sped along the track with a flighty sensation like that of a bird soaring over the ground. She felt like she was entering a trance, where she was less picking up incoming turns, areas to push the machine, encroaching drivers, more merely being aware of it all and making adjustments as necessary. A spider playing puppet master from the center of its net, knowing all around her without much effort. That feeling was not to last more than the first handful of laps however - like a carefully stacked house of cards, it only took the singular push of a well-meaning observer to throw her out of her zone.

”Ulrich´s making a push on Cassie. She´s dwindling.” her radio crackled, pulling her attention back to reality for the first time proper. Her body tensed and the craft responded, pulling her out of her solo-game of energy compensation optimization to pay attention to what happened behind her.

”Ulrich and Paul behind you.” her radio engineer warned not long after. Hyeon-Ae´s knuckles whitened as they gripped the joystick. Not enough that Cassie had nipped at her position earlier in the race, now she let the dogs into their walled garden.

Ulrich was an opponent that Hyeon-Ae did not relish fighting. Her chipping and feinting seemed to wither under his tireless ELS draining, and whatever mild counters she threw seemed only a third as effective as she´d hoped. The man was a king of wearing opponents down, and Han´s usual game of staying on the razor's edge of what the machine was capable of to eke out her own kind of advantage was critically weak to any excess losses of energy. He forced her to drive conservatively - putting the motor under less strain, putting less energy into trying to speed away. It wasn´t enough. Her flagging speed and the drawn-out energy battle made her craft feel outright sluggish compared to what she was used to. Ulrich sling-shot past her in a maneuver Hyeon-Ae might have appreciated if she wasn't busy being furious. She muted the incoming radio call preemptively, and tried to focus on regaining her position - but Ulrich was already putting enough distance between them to keep her solidly at bay, and Paul was biting at her heels only seconds after Ulrich passed. So she focused on defense yet again.

Paul was a good opponent. The frustration blended with the pure focus of keeping him at bay. She felt the battle was in his favor - the hard turns were brutal on her machine and Paul was keeping speed far better out of every corner. Still, she put all her focus on keeping him back, intentionally slowing down harder to force him to decelerate in corners when he was right behind, and other tricks she could think of in the heat of the moment to eke out whatever advantage she could. The pressure mounted when Cassie failed to keep Ward back as well. In the end, it wasn´t enough. Paul put his superior momentum to good use and literally spun over her with the help of his surroundings. She didn't see it coming, and though she felt the bitter hopelessness of losing a position, inwardly she was impressed with the sheer audacity of the move. The superior handling of his craft meant she had to give up trying to win back her position every time they took a corner. It was brutal - something she´d failed to foresee during the simulations.

A cheeky Brit snuck up right behind her soon after, Bea eager to have her go at the defeated Korean driver. ”No, you ******* don´t!” Hyeon-Ae burst out in sheer frustration, and put the last of her spare energy into recovering her craft´s poise after having been roundly outplayed by Paul. Bea an unpredictable driver - a formidable opponent on its own for someone who puts pressure on weak points like Hyeon-Ae. In her ear, her radio engineer cut in something unnecessary about Jamie and Cassie dueling; Han was entirely focused on not losing another position. Sheer teeth-gritting willpower and focus went into keeping the slower Zygon machine in the lead - body-blocking, whipping sideways, and shield-screeching bumps were overflowing from her arsenal as Hyeon-Ae did all she could to keep Bea from utilizing her Carrera-engine’s speed and acceleration to its full potential, trying to box her into having no good options no matter what she tried. The more unstable Carrera craft worked in Hyeon-Ae´s favor for a long time here; moves that barely bothered Paul and Ulrich threatened to destabilize Bea unless she corrected. It was a vicious back-and-forth battle, one that Hyeon-Ae - who had spent most of the race being frustrated and angry - would probably admit she enjoyed when she calmed down.

Her dreams were crushed late into the race, when an overcorrection to the right after a corner gave Bea the opening she needed, and with an undefended straight ripe for the taking - the British pilot shot past Hyeon-Ae like she was late for dinner.

When Han made it into the finish, the energy was thoroughly drained from both her and the machine. Tenth place was not bad, but it wasn't what anyone had wanted. Not the fans, not the investors, not the board, not her. It felt like defeat. And she had been so confident going in.

---

Like Words in Rain

Hyeon-Ae stood silent as she awaited the incoming question post-race, fighting internally to keep the displeasure and bad taste from the race overtake her expression. Fortunately, she was good at putting on an aloof front. When Bea came to shake her hand, she found herself able to smile rather easily despite it all. Perhaps the British gal´s friendliness was just infectious.

”That was some lovely defense. Had me sweating until the last moment.”

”Lovely driving to you, Ward. Congratulations.” she responded as politely as she could, trying her best not to be salty near the cameras.

The mild elation of being recognized for your efforts didn't last long after Bea left, as Hyeon-Ae awaited the unyielding approach of Aurora - the doom of controlled marketing.

"Han, you bagged a point but it seems like it wasn't the best race for you or your team-mate, even in spite of your ELS knowledge, it looked like you couldn't defend from Beatrix, Ulrich and Paul today. Where do you think yourself and the team could have done better?”

”Firstly it would be important to acknowledge what a race some others on the track had; truly remarkable. For the team, I would say there needs to be a bigger conversion of plans to results - everyone was not on the same page for today, and that came through in our on-track performance.” Hyeon-Ae rattled off with a soft smile, putting on the demure air of dignity that implied she was not truly the one at fault, but took the hit for those-who-shall-remain-unnamed.

---

On a Public Forum Near You…

Exxalibur: Betrayed by her teammate and disappointed by her lacking team
Exxalibur: Don´t worry Hyeon-Ae my queen I still believe you are the best
Exxalibur: [IMAGE UPLOAD BLOCKED; INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT]
[User: Exxalibur has been timed out by auto-moderation.]
Zygonite: bro chill
Zygonite: bit of a shit race honestly
Zygonite: [i]idk wtf cassie was doing[i]
Classie0: hyeonae should be ashamed of her name with that performance
WyteNyte: What does her name mean?
Zygonite: wisdom
WyteNyte: She wisely gave up her position to better racers.
Classie0: lol
Zygonite: lol

---

Sunday April 2nd, 2094
Post-Race
The Promised Party
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

She could have used Zygon´s funds for this - but following the results of the latest race, doing it on her own (her uncle´s) dime turned out to be a maneuver of great prescience. No doubt the accountants back at headquarters would find a way to complain about throwing anything after the race otherwise. They did like to whine over every won. No. Paying for it herself was the correct choice. That meant no Zygon goons stood over her shoulder trying to correct her, no analysis cutting the evening short. She could spend it all destressing.

She had sent a mysterious message in the collective group chat for drivers. Implying that she´d make good on her promise, and an address. The address led here: a local nightclub in the Shibuya district that Hyeon-Ae had leased the entire VIP section of, and paid for a healthy supply of drinks to be brought up to people´s specifications. To a limit, anyway. Further, she´d taken the time to use both her name and Zygon´s to invite a couple handful of celebrities who were all too keen to rub shoulders with drivers in a more informal capacity. A few others as well, friends of friends and people from the club below who looked hot. And Cassie of course, who dusted off her disappointment to live the high-life for an evening.

In truth, Hyeon-Ae had never hosted an event that fell in the afterwork category. Knowing the background of other pilots, she hoped this was enough. For her own sake, she parked herself on a big couch and tried to inspire others to talk. She wasn't much in the mood to celebrate, but people-watching? That was always interesting.

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

DELTΔ HYPER

Episode Three: The Neon Bath

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

”I am happy to see you as always, Aurora.” 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?"

”...Ah, is there any way to get out of this?”

“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?

”Most likely to eat noodles with a fork?" 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. ”I suppose I'd have to say… Kais Zenix. I do not think he would have the patience to learn such a skill.”

Aurora smiled in a way that Hyeon-Ae found off-putting, like she knew something Han didn't. But she could only continue. ”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.”

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. “I'm sure. Every social group has people who do not trust each other.”

“You don't want to know who it was?”

“I wouldn't want to speak ill of someone behind their back.” 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.

”Best Christmas gift giver?" Hyeon-Ae continued with a brief glance at the screen, and paused to consider it a bit longer. A smile touched her expression again. ”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.”

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. ”A vicious accusation… but I suppose I do like to keep track of things.” Hyeon-Ae looked into the nearest camera with a coy smirk. “Watch out for your birthday present, Ms Ward.”

After a moment of snickering between host and guest, Hyeon-Ae refocused for the next question. "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.”

“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. ”Me? Ah, no… Well… I follow a strict diet but… Well… Oh no…”

The realization made somewhat in jest lingered for a while before Hyeon-Ae cleared her throat and looked back down. ”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.”

She paused for a brief moment, pondering the next question to herself before reading it out. ”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.”

”Best drifter?" 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. ”Ah, stalling and oversteering. Ulrich Falkner. He drives beautifully. Such smooth motions suggest a deep control of the machine.”

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. ”Biggest classic car fan? Uhm, perhaps Henry Fitzroy? It seems like a hobby that would take a lot of money and time.”

Aurora smiled and motioned for her to go on. ”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.”

She smirked a little to herself and then sighed as she saw the next question. ”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.”

“One final question now,” Aurora coaxed slyly.

Hyeon-Ae breathed a quick sigh and reconstituted herself with a smile. ”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.”

---

The Liquid Lounge

Friday March, 2094, A bit after nine in the evening
Tokyo, Japan
Hakone Izakaya Bar

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. ”Sirs. Ma’am. Please excuse me. Someone is calling me over. Have a pleasant night.” 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.

”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.”

”I suspect one question was sent in by Mr Hornfleur personally.” 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. ”I heard we're meeting soon again,” 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. ”We have been going easy on you before now. Tokyo is no longer the honeymoon, yes?”

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

Tuesday March 23rd 2094
Zygon HQ, South Korea
14:27 Local Time

The soft buzz of high-power lamps and running machinery added a constant melody to the recurring thuds of feet hitting the treads of the electronic treadmill. Hyeon-Ae ran in place at usual pace, more bothered by the electrodes attached to her body than whatever slight amounts of fatigue she was working up during her training. Medical staff and physicians milled about, staring themselves blind at metrics and quietly chattering amongst each other. These physicals were tiresome; usually they pushed her less than she pushed herself privately - but at least it gave her ample time to think without distractions like phones or corporate gnats. Her mind was still on the confrontation with Cassie in the hall earlier in the day. She'd seen Neves upset a few times, but this time she genuinely looked upset - sad and desperate, like a miserable child quickly running out of hope. She huffed to herself as she considered the verbal exchange, earning her a few glances from the supervising physician.

In truth, she shared much of Neves' opinion. A racing team was no place for committees and rigid three-tiered command structures of middle-men. The chaebol; the Parks, and their immediate inner circle, ran their racing team like they ran all their other businesses. With spreadsheets and cost-benefit calculations. Even her uncle and Ji Motors were better - at least Uncle was greedy and corrupt enough to value rapid action and decisiveness. Team Principal Jinwoo was a joke when compared to figureheads like Valkyrie´s Knight and Carrera´s Alonso; a puppet who rarely dared say much beyond what upper management greenlit. At least he had the softness to be manipulated by whoever was holding the leash at the time; including Hyeon-Ae herself. And he could be worse; Apex´ Thatcher gave her the same feelings of disgust as her uncle. The same slimy, self-serving attitude and mannerisms. Time would tell if the similarities were beyond skin-deep. But it was no wonder Cassie felt like it was talking to a wall. She wasn't brought up forced to analyze facial expressions, wasn´t punished for not being manipulative enough, probably was never ranked on social compatibility. Hyeon-Ae had come to understand that even if her case was not normal, even among people with similar pasts, her upbringing was rare. She wondered how many would feel as at ease among a room full of physicians and researchers as she did.

No, the real reason what Cassie did was regrettable wasn´t because she voiced her opinion, or was in the wrong, but because of her rash choice of forum. Intruding on her in public like that meant that everyone in her entourage heard it, and probably everyone in the nearby rooms too, if they had their doors open. Hyeon-Ae would have to play the loyal dog and report her misgivings, or people would wonder why they heard it from second- or third-hand accounts. Jinwoo, as expected, had just looked like a slightly disappointed father being told his child scored low on a test, and had promised to look into it. Pathetic. Something would have to change. Whether it was untethering Zygon from the iron grip of Korean business managers, or perverting the organization to value her words above others; Cassie was right. There was a reason Kim Sanyung retired to an advisory position with another team last season. She wagered it was the fate for all future pilots if this giant refused to evolve.

“Hyeon-Ae nim, uhm, the test is over. You can stop now.” the physician mumbled from the sideline.

“I may as well get a proper workout in. You can go.”

---

Wednesday March 24th 2094
Hyeon-Ae’s Penthouse apartment, Seoul
19:42 Local Time

“To our rising star, Hyeon-Ae eonni!”

Wine glasses clinked with a bit more force than any product advisory would ever suggest. The four other women brought them together in a circle of chuckles, while a mollified Hyeon-Ae looked at them from behind her own lifted glass, already taking a sip. Classical music suffused the pleasant atmosphere of the penthouse; the soothing tunes of old-time American legend Billy Joel. For what was otherwise a barren and quiet apartment, it now had flower arrangements, expensive traditional mats, Joseon-era pottery, and whatever else high-society people typically adorned their homes with.

”Eonni? We are the same age, Nayeun.” Hyeon-Ae remarked back with a jokingly offended glower. The marketing manager chuckled warmly and grinning. Without the dress-code and traditional bun expected of most office-staff, she put on a dangerously charming front.

“I did my research, you know. You are two months older than me. That gives me the right to be the junior outside of work.”

“Oh, you work together?” Jinyeon cut in with surprise, starry-eyed and captivated by that lone fact. The shrinking violet from the first meeting was all but gone - Hyeon-Ae had made sure the others treated her warmly and as an equal before she arrived, and they bombarded her with compliments during introductions. As a result, she was adapting to the group like a duck to water, at least according to nature documentaries about the past.

“Yes, Nayeun traded a promising career in fashion for motorsport fluff pieces.” a third woman replied. Hak Chimin, freelance photographer and personal friend of Marketing Manager Lee Nayeun, was a trendily-dressed and modern woman in all regards, being one of the first people Hyeon-Ae knew in Korea to have jumped on the recent trend of tattooing her lower lip in gold. This was technically their first real meeting beyond a brief handshake right after returning from Africa, but Chimin acted like she knew them all already.

“Oh, quiet you. I keep you fed with plenty of fashion models still,” Nayeun growled with a lion´s grin and lightly shoved her friend with her shoulder before taking a drink of her luxurious wine. Her gaze refocused on Jinyeon in her more traditional hanbok. “What do you do, Jinyeon eonni?”

”At least I´m not the only one…” Hyeon-Ae remarked quietly from behind her wine glass, earning her a chuckle from the last of the five women; Kae Sol-Mi. A typically quiet and capable woman concerned more with results and facts than her appearance - somewhat unlike the other three guests. Sol-Mi had been an indispensable resource during her pre-Zygon public appearances, and her sharpness made her approach Hyeon-Ae with an insight many lacked. She was more than a past staffer, more than a secretary and trustee; almost a peer - but had unfortunately refused to tangle herself up in the massive bureaucracy when Ji Motors tangled itself into Zygon and Hyeon-Ae´s ascension was official. In hindsight, perhaps she was more clever than Hyeon-Ae had thought.

“Oh, I-...” Jinyeon began, quickly faltering as she raised a hand to her cheek, struggling to find the words to the question posed at her, no doubt struggling to put herself on a level alongside the others.

Hyeon-Ae finished a sip of her wine and leaned over, slinging an arm over Jinyeon´s shoulder and smiling with practiced smugness. Fortunately arrogance was one of the things that came very easy. ”Listen here, Naeyun. You are in the real inner circle now. Jinyeon ssi is our boss.”

The shock was palpable, and the brief silence left room for Billy Joel to claim he did not start any fires. Naeyun was not handpicked by Hyeon-Ae for nothing, however, and quickly proved her proficiency in reading the room by setting her wine-glass down and bowing down to properly kowtow to Jinyeon. “My apologies, Your Majesty. I have acted reprehensibly.” She exclaimed to the amusement of the others.

“N-No! She´s.. I-.. It's not really, uhm, like that,” Jinyeon offered apologetically. Hyeon-Ae let her go as she tried to explain her way out of this contrived circumstance. “I´m not your boss, I´m no-one, really. What Hyeon-Ae nim means is, uhm. Well. My husband is a board member in, ah, both the Zygon team and several Park affiliates. I´m just, you know, a receptionist and such in our main company. He does all the big things and investment management.”

Hyeon-Ae exchanged a glance with Sol-Mi, who was looking like she was beginning to already turn gears in her head despite not having heard the mission statement yet. Naeyun lifted her head and stared at Jinyeon, who looked embarrassed after her explanation. Chimin was downing her third glass. “Wait. I thought you were like an affiliate director then. But you´re actually loaded? Ohmygod.” Jinyeon eventually burst out, and leaned out to grab the bottle from the table and offer Jinyeon a refill. “Do you have a vacation yacht? I´ve always wanted to go sunning on the open sea ~...”

“Uhm…” Jinyeon hesitated briefly, but seemed to be recovering. “We, ah, we actually do have a yacht, but-”

“OH MY GOD JINYEON! Where have you been all my life? Do you need a mistress? A tennis partner? A confidante in life and luxury?” Naeyun exaggerated with excited breath, grinning wildly at the hesitant older woman.

“...Why was mistress your first choice?” Chimin chimed in with a grimace.

“Money is my fetish.” Naeyun shot back shamelessly.

Laughs were spreading among the gathered, and at the combined joking of the others, Jinyeon seemed to forget all about her imagined inadequacy. As the group loosened up, much thanks to Naeyun´s natural charm and Chimin´s sardonic quips, Hyeon-Ae found that she needed to do less and less coaxing, and could focus on drinking wine and listening, and sharing old stories about her activism. Everyone needs a power base, and this was a good start.

Much wine was consumed.

---

Thursday March 25th, 2094
Zygon HQ Again
11:57 Local Time

Sanbeng fanned at his face with a stack of silicone writing sheets, leaning backwards as much as the swivel office chair would allow and reached for his handkerchief to dab on his forehead again. On the opposite end of the table sat Zygon Principal, worriedly looking at the clock on his phone. He looked up to Sanbeng briefly and offered an awkward smile when their gazes met. Hyeon-Ae had selected an imperious executive chair, pulling it from the executive side of the table to place it beside Sanbeng. Mysteriously, she´d done the same with a second chair, but it was specifically not for him. Now, she was tapping away at her phone, a glib smirk hinted at the corner of her lip. Her plot was petty at best, but the imagined consternation of upper management gave her a weird sense of glee. A few moments later, the door slid apart with a pneumatic whirr, and the plot began to come together as Cassie dropped into the meeting room, dressed in her usual pilot-casual getup. The look of surprise on Jinwoo's face gave Hyeon-Ae a kind of sick satisfaction. Maybe she just enjoyed causing drama after all.

“I'm not late, am I?” Cassie smoothly delivered, and with a gesture from Hyeon-Ae sat down beside her in the equally luxurious swivel chair.

Jinwoo smiled thinly, worry clear in his eyes as the unexpected Portuguese variable sat down. “...No. But-.. You do not need to be here, Ms Neves. We had your efficiency analysis yest-”

”Excuse me, timjangnim. It's my fault, entirely,” Hyeon-Ae cut in with remorseless accuracy, a polite smile of feigned humility plastered on her features. ”As Ms Neves is my seonbae, I asked if she could spare time for this. I had hoped to draw on her expertise. I prefer to have all the perspectives of the matter if I can.”

Jinwoo looked at Hyeon-Ae, mollified and bemused, but eventually relented and bowed his head to the both of them, followed by a brief apology to Cassie. Sanbeng broke the brief tension of silence that followed by leaning forwards past Hyeon-Ae and stretching out his hand for a handshake with the foreign pilot, smiling clumsily. “I´ve always been a fan, Ms Neves. You traded up, heh. Glad to be working with you. I´m Hwang Sanbeng, aide to Ms Han. We met in the hall two days ago. Please, call me Sanbeng.”

“Yeah, uh,” Cassie shot back as she shook his hand. “Good to meet you, Sanbeng.” Sanbeng happily sat back as Cassie gave Hyeon-Ae a glance. Hyeon-Ae just shrugged ever so slightly, smiling her impenetrable smile.

They didn´t get much more time for socializing, as soon after, the door whirred open again, this time giving way to the immaculately dressed Park Iseul, flanked by her thankfully small team of legal aides and handlers. Behind them, head engineer Zhou Yijin mosied on in with a sour expression and bags under his eyes. They all promptly sat down, some unexpectedly left with the lesser chairs due to Hyeon-Ae´s great heist, and Iseul looked down at her watch before looking up at the group. “Well, let's get this underway.” she remarked smoothly.

“Ms Neves, how nice to see you again today.” one of Iseul´s aides perked up. Hyeon-Ae assumed he´d been in charge during the portuguese pilot´s own meeting. Further, she was pretty sure Park Iseul was here because Hyeon-Ae had been causing a stir. Keeping an eye on the assets, as it were.

“Ms Neves is here today in an advisory position,” Jinwoo informed them matter-of-factly, if only to spare them a verbal spar with either of the pilots.

“Lovely…” the man replied, with a tone of voice and dry expression that clearly expressed the opposite. “Let's begin by analysis of the past performance and expected adjustments to the craft and training regimen. If you would turn your eyes to the screens on the table.” He further instructed, a clicked a button by the executive edge of the table, loading the pre-programmed data for follow-along view.

What followed was a summary that was only brief in the sense that a more rigorous corporate buffoon could surely have squeezed out another tangent of inertia dampener aggregation data compared between the two races performed thus far, and expected projections. It was presumably doubly worse for Cassie, who she assumed had sat through most of this once already, even if this was specific for Hyeon-Ae´s craft and performance.

“That brings us to point four-nine; expectations from corporate,” he eventually remarked, and you could almost feel the entire room take a breath of relief that the meeting was finally getting somewhere. Well, except for Iseul, perhaps, who seemed more interested in her watch, and whatever was on her personal pad. The man continued. “I believe I don´t need to stress how important a good performance is on the upcoming track. While your performance thus far has been meeting expectations, it is imperative that targets are hit during this upcoming race. Thus, we´ve developed an improvement package suggestion that will aid you as a professional in that undertaking.” With another click, the screen changed again in front of everyone present.

The visuals and his explanation on top as they perused the data package was clear; a set of added pilot modifications to both the craft and to her body for the required integration overhaul, that would tune adrenal reactions in high-pressure environments and give improved control. The projected installs had a list of red notes by the engineering team, things they´d have to work hard to fix before Tokyo. What was worse, was the projected impact of the integration on Hyeon-Ae herself. Bulky. Unseemly. Clumsy. In her mind, she saw herself go down the route of being turned into a fully metallic drone. Giving up her perfect body and natural advantages to become another swiss army knife in the corporate arsenal. People with lesser means and lack of talent might jump at the opportunity, but Hyeon-Ae felt the bile in her throat. One childhood of surgery and vats was enough.

Sanbeng, ever quick to catch on when Hyeon-Ae´s mood was turning foul, was the first to speak up. “Ah-... What an interesting proposal you have put together. So experimental. Very cutting edge,” he smiled wryly, and the corporate suit smiled thinly in return. “However-... I see here that there are some notes from Mr Zhou´s team?” Attention turned to a new victim, eyes were on the tired engineering chief.

“...Yes. We were sent this proposal forty hours ago, and have been looking at integration capability. The greatest risk with this suggestion is that the adrenal adjustment matrices won´t be compatible with prior programming. Won't know until we run the first compensation tests, which gives us four days to complete the proposed changes. Worst case, we´d need a full rewrite. Definitely not Tokyo. Maybe next year´s craft. It does look promising if we can integrate it.”

Team Principal Jinwoo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, frowning to himself. “Forgive me, I know how important Tokyo is, but I believe we had already settled on an action plan to support the crafts´ weaknesses. Ms Neves has been a target of poor fortune, and Ms Han has performed above expectation, is this new proposal not a bit reactionary?”

“Let me address this;” Iseul cut in before her flunkie could speak, putting her touchpad down for the first time of this meeting. “After discussing our future prospects, and given Ms Han's performance thus far, a few spare investment funds have been reshuffled from the home electronics sector affiliates for use in the team’s budgeting. No one doubts your methods, Team Principal, but we're willing to make a bigger push for even better returns.” She spoke with precision, but Hyeon-Ae could see the casual disregard the woman held in her expression as she spoke.

“...I am grateful for your wisdom and generosity. I am just worried that changing course now will take time and energy away from the improvements to the crafts’ handling that were previously greenlit.” Jinwoo sparred back with practiced grace, the old man knowing to fight his corner without being unseemly about it. Much to the lead engineer's consternation, everyone's attention once again turned to him as a result of the discussion.

“Yes, that's correct. Big modifications like this are gonna sideline the planned upgrades due to the workload involved.” Zhou Yijin sighed, trying to keep it simple for the corporate goons and pilots. “If we stay on track as previously discussed, we should be done by rollout for Portugal.”

“That's very late, is there no way to increase the rate of improvement?” One of the previously quiet suits spoke up, and that sole question launched the table into a long back and forth that mainly consisted of the lead engineer fighting to explain why the process of tinkering with the handling of a billion-won vehicle required some care and expertise, and the executives spitballing layman's solutions off-the-cuff, such as “what about installing an automatic coffee machine in the workshop” and “would it help with a motivational retreat for the engineering staff”. Hyeon-Ae exchanged glances with Cassie, and something about the pilot’s resigned shrug soon after told her they'd had a similar debate about increasing efficiency during her last meeting too. Hyeon-Ae smiled back, thoroughly impressed with how Cassie managed to not look completely dead while also seemingly paying attention. Hyeon-Ae for her part made it a point not to listen too closely to all this technical jargon lest she needed to actually start learning it properly, and of course few things the suits said in discussions like this actually mattered.

As if reading the genetically engineered pilot's mind, Park Iseul interrupted the spirited debate with a few taps on the table. “There is another proposition that I've been cleared to put forward. If you stand firm on the position that out pilots and craft can perform in Tokyo without the proposal package, there's another package put together by our investors from Hanwha’s jet engineering team.” Another set of pictures and data flashed on the screen. Most of it was jargon. Changes to the engine. Replacement of small parts that only a true mechanic could identify in a lineup.

“Yijin ssi?”

“Mmh.” the lead engineer murmured. “Haven't looked this one over with the whole team yet - Ms Park sent it to me yesterday. It looks very doable. Nothing jumped out at me. Opening the whole engine up for detailed replacements, metrics, test firings… it would be extremely tight for Tokyo. I'd say it's not possible to get it done.”

“Italy is the big one for pure speed, coming up.” Jinwoo remarked to no-one in particular.

“That'd be much more workable. Room for fine-tuning issues.”

“Well. What do you say, Hyeon-Ae ssi?” Jinwoo passed the ball to her, the alleged star of the meeting. Her contract had clauses for nominally including her after all, on top of typical vetoes about her own body.

”Hmm. I would like to begin to say that I will not agree to the corporation's initial generous proposal. I am concerned both with Yijin nim’s points about the feasibility - and the integration of the modifications on my body. I don't want to be stuck with something that may not even work. I hope you understand.” she offered calmly but firmly, making a point of making consistent eye contact with the man who'd had the honor of presenting the proposal. He didn't last long before looking away. ”Beyond that, I’d like to hear my seonbae’s opinion on all this.”

All attention turned to Cassie, who eventually pieced together that she was the senior in question. “Oh, uh, yeah. I already got briefed on the previous plans that Jinwoo championed.” She adjusted her cap and gestured to the team principal across the table. He nodded sagely as though he contributed. “It's the easy choice, already on track to be done. It'll also make Portugal easier on us, and that one's important to me, so I was a bit partial going in.” She rubbed her eye and sighed before continuing. “That said, we're getting killed on pace out there. Villarosa sailed past Han like nothing. It's not gonna get better going further into the season.” With her input, she leaned back and shrugged ever so slightly.

Hyeon-Ae, in turn, nodded. ”I think it would be a waste to reject management’s generous offer, then. And I agree with you, Cassie ssi, it's quite frustrating to feel as though no amount of personal effort will put you ahead of the opponent. With that in mind, I have to throw my vote behind Ms Park's offer from the Hanwha corporation.”

Jinwoo looked unhappy at this sudden yet inevitable betrayal, but before he could say anything, lead engineer Yijin cut in again. “It has promise. I'll brief the team on it after this, see if any issues slipped through the cracks in the proposal.”

“Sounds like that's decided then, lovely.” Iseul gave in turn, moving hair behind her ear and smiling mirthlessly. “Now, before I adjourn this meeting, does anyone have anything else?”

What followed was barely more than minutiae, and smoothing over bruised egos.

---

KR Industry: Centennial jet manufacturer Hanwha shareholder meeting mentions Zygon; stock rising.

---

(Zygon Characters)

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

Red Flag

Unacceptable travesty, or fact of life?

Hyeon-Ae sat quiet in the open cockpit of her craft as mechanics buzzed all around. However long the red flag lasted, it was a rush to make sure the vehicle could handle the rest. With not much better to do and unwilling to disembark - Hyeon-Ae sat with a portable pad and watched the crash over and over from drone footage. Who did what, how it happened, the aftermath. For her own sake, she'd merely caught the shockwaves of collision and risk of eventual debris. Zenix and Ward played a dangerous game, for certain, but Hart’s maneuver was a step beyond. Careless? Certainly. Reckless? Definitely? Clever? Arguably. What mattered first and foremost was learning to react and defend against similar madness for the future. Hyeon-Ae frowned and scratched her cheek briefly, before speaking into her radio. “How is Ward?”

“Uh… All green, first glance. Medical’s taken her in.” it crackled back as her designated radio engineer paused to answer. Hyeon-Ae nodded to herself. The footage made it pretty clear what happened. Reckless driving, high ambitions, and ruthless choices. The question was how it would play later. She shut down the pad and shifted in her seating for comfort. Dangling the pad out over the edge until someone took it, she replayed the scene in her head. Could be a good opportunity to put some off-track heat on a few people.

…

What felt like an eternity later, the race was back on, one vehicle fewer on the grid. Something didn't sit right; distractions, restlessness, doubts. Whatever it was, Han’s momentum from before was slow in returning. In the back of her head, somewhere between the blend of woman and machine, she wondered if the idea of being torn apart and separated from machine, and helplessly sailing through the air in a steel coffin had tempered her spirit somewhat. Whatever it was, that small feeling of consternation she restarted with was enough to give up chances and optimization she might have taken. She played it safe.

That is at least, until Mulder tried and successfully passed her the third time in a turn. She clicked her tongue - or at least her mental image of herself did - as she yet again boosted past him in the following straight. This frustrating gnat kept gnawing at her position like a dog who saw where she hid the snacks. So she played defense, dueling him around the track tirelessly, easing off in turns and pushing with her spare power when he had to focus on handling. Though she outwardly found the exchange despicable and annoying - she nonetheless accepted it wholeheartedly, fighting back and forth like a spiteful child refusing to give up their seat. It became something of a game within a game. Their exchange became predictable. He challenges. She retakes. He sways inwards. She defends.

Then Paul swerved right in another inwards challenge, leaving a large opening for a surging Villarosa to speed by. Hyeon-Ae faced the choice to swerve hard to defend a surging Villarosa and potentially lose two positions if she screwed up, or crash, or keep her position firmly in place against Paul's challenge. She chose safety, and let an unbidden curse escape her lips. Was it the damn crash? Was she a coward? What the hell was Mulder thinking? She resigned herself to continuing their duel, though after this slip-up their positions seemed to entrench themselves a little more. Hyeon-Ae felt sure now that there would be no more surprises.

“Neves DNF. EM trouble.”

“Oh, for [censored] sake.”

She finished in the same place as she qualified, with Paul Mulder escorting her all the way to the end.

---

Post Race, Interview

"Han, we loved watching your race with Paul, and it looks like you were fighting to get back to catch Villarosa! How was your fight with Paul, and how do you feel to have come out on top?"

Hyeon-Ae offered a somewhat more easy-going smile than her typical humble one. Perhaps a remnant of fatigue and adrenaline, or an effort to seem approachable. “Paul is a very interesting pilot to race against; such a persistent yet capricious driving style,” she offered with a warm smile, fixing Rory with her gaze after a quick glance at the camera. “Really brought me back to the racing in the youth programmes, when everyone was still figuring things out.”

She took a breath, letting her words hang before continuing. “Villarosa really came out of nowhere there, I feel. I paid for underestimating her, but that made me look forward to facing her again.”

---

Social Media

Han Hyeon-Ae @ HHAZygon: My well-wishes to @MadBea tonight. Hopefully some pilots are spending their time reflecting inwards. Unforgivable behavior.

---

Classie0: boo
Classie0: someone sabotaged cassies machine i swear it
Exxalibur: Yes; Cassie Neves. Her undignified European ways are too coarse for the delicate and elegant masterpiece that is Zygon's vehicle
Zygonite: lol she did good til it conked out tbh
Exxalibur: She cannot compare to the queen of AGR… Hyeon-Ae I will always be your biggest fan
WyteNyte: Queen of ninth place.
Exxalibur: [Message removed by content filters.]
Exxalibur: [Message removed by content filters.]
Exxalibur: [Message removed by content filters.]
Zygonite: lmao
Classie0: delicate masterpiece rofl

---

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

Saturday March 18th 2094
Qualifying Day
South African AGP
Cape Town, South Africa
0637 GMT

---

Hyeon-Ae ran her fingers through the stream of water pouring from the faucet and sighed. Ten seconds on the coldest setting and still lukewarm. Was it even possible to live like this? Was she just spoiled? No, she decided, with a mild frown kept to herself, it was them who were content to live in squalor. She wetted the hand towel lightly and used it to dab at her forehead before laying it over her shoulder and turning the faucet off.

Back in her room, she swiped open her touchpad and sat down on the bed as she pressed play on the footage she'd been watching the night before. Old footage from South Africa. She'd practiced on it, ran it in a simulator, and even then there could be something she missed to be gained from simple analysis like this.

She flicked through footage and snapshots of previous years' pilots who were going to face her on this track and had at least last year of prior experience with the layout. Did she gain much from it? She'd already combed over their weaknesses with a fine tooth comb, and looking at highlights of Stirling taking corners wouldn't be of much help since the Zygon machine was hopelessly outclassed. Still, maybe she'd find a kernel of information. What else was there to do but work?

---

Race prep
Several hours later

Hyeon-Ae obsessively checked the clasp on her glove again, staring at the machine in front of her as had become her ritual of choice. All around her, engineers pulled out the final stops for the moment ahead. The strategy team and old man Jinwoo had told her not to put too much of her energy into this one hot-lap, that results would shake out properly during the real thing.

But they were wrong. Broadcasting strength was as important as being strong. Fans, sponsors, the team, her own willpower. Everything was tuned by reactions to the world as they perceived it; a bad result would temper expectations going forward, a good result would lift interest in the team - and more importantly in the brand that was Han Hyeon-Ae.

She stretched out her arms as they contained her in the bulky suit, helmet locking to keep her in with only her own breath and her thoughts.

“It's ready for you, Hyeon-Ae ssi,” one of the engineers cut in from the side after all external checks were done. Hyeon-Ae made her way to the vehicle, climbing into her little metal home and shifting for comfort.

Today set the mood for the future.

---

Radio Highlights

“Overheat warnings.”

“Ye, I'm pushing it.”

…

“Whose idea exactly was it to tune the dorsals to such high resistance? We need to talk about this.”

---

DELTΔ HYPER

Interview

---

Hyeon-Ae, who had been sitting quiet, placidly smiling while Aurora and Cassie spoke, straightened her back as she expected the questions to soon swing her way.

"A shame, but these things can happen. Han, do you look forward to fighting in the mid pack and bringing home the points?”

“I am looking forward to it, of course. Valkyrie are, how do you say, a classic nemesis, but I think we will do well against them.” Han offered with a confident smile, before tilting her head briefly towards Cassie. The camera picks up the brief look that does not look as filled with camaraderie. But you'd have to pause for it. “And Miss Cassie should not be discounted either; she always finds new ways to surprise us with her bold moves.”

---

Post-qualifier
Bathroom

She gripped the porcelain tightly, eyes downcast to stare at the swirling water escaping down the drain. It's not your fault. This isn't you. You did your part. The mantra repeated in her head, over and over, a futile attempt to ward away the self-criticism, the doubt. The memories of punishment and disappointment. Perfection is the only way. The racing team - the sponsors - Cassie - none of them had acted like this was any issue. None of them seemed worried, none of them were unhappy. So why did she feel so nauseous?

“Miss Hyeon-Ae, Marketing Manager Lee wants to speak with you. I have her here on the phone.” Sanbeng spoke through the door.

Hyeon-Ae looked up at the mirror, at the weak, unacceptable loser staring back at her. She lifted her hand to pull a few hairs from her eyes, and relaxed her face slowly. Practiced smiling gently a few times. Drove away the demons with some practiced happiness. With a task to focus on - to talk to someone - the doubts went away on their own. Now it was time to perform again. She left her hiding place to exit back out into reality. Took the phone off of her aide.

“Naeyun nim, what a delight to hear from you so soon~...”

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

Delta Hyper Interview

"So, last question for Auckland. After your first race in the championship, is there anyone you would like to say thanks to?”

Hyeon-Ae smiled warmly at the question. “I want to thank the whole Zygon team for coming together to make this possible; and my uncle for working hard to give me this opportunity!”

---

Monday March 8th, 2094, 09:20 UTC (17:20 local)
Seoul, KR

Hyeon-Ae’s Residence

The airy penthouse suite held little in the way of personal belongings. Fashionable late-century furniture in off-white colours. Paintings of mainly abstract art, famous artists arranged as an afterthought wall decoration around the apartment rather than any real artistic interest or grouping. Fashionable clutter and decorative items straight out of trendy magazines or house advertisements. Everything was tidy and untouched. Even the luxurious serpentine couch was unbothered by creases. Most people would assume it was a showroom for living space advertising, not a home with a resident.

In the middle of the room, steadied with nigh straightened arms on her trendy carpet, Hyeon-Ae leaned into her next push-up. She had lost count a while ago, and just kept at it until she would feel herself working up a real sweat. With a body like hers, it was easier said than done. She estimated it had been a good fifteen minutes at least. Not that it mattered. The eerie quiet of the apartment, with nothing but the sound of her workout clothes’ shuffling fabric, persisted for a long time, until a call from her earpiece broke her focus. Hyeon-Ae lifted a hand to accept the call and resumed her workout. “Go for Han.” She offered curtly.

“Hyeon-Ae,” the voice on the other end began. Zhou Yijin, lead engineer. “Happy back in the civilized world?”

“Of course. So happy.” she replied in a deadpan tone. “How is the shaking fix going?”

“Bad news, I'm afraid. Can't do anything about it, it seems.”

For the first real time since she started, Hyeon-Ae stopped her workout routine, paused midway like a statue. “...What? Why not? Didn't you say you were a miracle worker at the team dinner?”

“Don't quote things I've said while drinking,” Zhou snapped back quickly. “Anyway it's not on us. Suits nixed the upgrades. Improper use of company resources.”

“Using a racing team's resources to increase performance is improper?”

“You know how it is, here. Everything has got to come through the chain. Can't mess with what works.”

Hyeon-Ae scoffed. “Yes… what works. Have you given Neves the good news?”

“I'm about to call her after this. Look-... You have more pull than you think. Maybe you can get your uncle to make a few calls, or something. Getting Ji Motors fully involved and integrated was a massive deal. Other than that, we're dead in the water.”

“Yeah. Thanks for letting me know.” she replied calmly, and hung up after another click on her earpiece. Finally alone with her thoughts, she resumed her workout. She'd sooner die than ask that simple-minded oaf for help. Last time she asked him for anything, he dangled her in front of his perverted civil servant contacts like a piece of meat. No doubt he'd treat her request with the gravity of a niece asking for a toy, and look for a way to get something he wanted out of it. No.

She didn't need help.

---

Monday March 8th, 2094, 11:43 UTC (19:43 local)

Zygon HQ: Garden

“I understand your frustration, Hyeon-Ae ssi, but these things take time for a reason.” Team Principal Jinwoo argued calmly, pushing his glasses up to rest properly on the bridge of his nose. From his seat in the Zygon headquarters garden, he glanced out over the tranquil sight, motioning for Hyeon-Ae to sit down beside him. The pilot remained standing. Jinwoo sighed and looked back at her. “The Hans bring a lot to the table, but that doesn't mean we can upend years of tradition to do as you please.”

“All I wish is for the team to adapt to the challenges ahead. Is that truly unreasonable, in your mind, timjangnim?”

“Of course not. I understand your passion, I am not lost to it. But Zygon is a finely tuned machine of many moving parts; letting each department manager sign off and moving it through the chains of command is how we got this far.”

“I am not asking you to *change*, or Zygon for that matter.” Hyeon-Ae professed with a deep sigh. She took a few seconds to formulate her words, at least for appearances sake. In truth she had already decided what to say before coming here. “I am just worried that what momentum we have is going to waste when everyone seems content to just keep to… business as usual. Drinking their coffee and reading their mail. Sending a request to be looked at in two weeks. Bickering over office status. We have a chance to make something happen, with a willing engineering team and two fresh pilots. Work with me here, Jinwoo timjangnim. I just want us to live up to our potential. We can do better than this. We don't have to sit on our hands and see what happens. We can write the future.”

Long silence. For a moment she considered if she had overdone it, but the easily read conflict on her superior's face made it clear he caught the hook. She resisted the urge to smile.

Team Principal Jinwoo raised a hand to smooth out his hair absentmindedly and then sighed. “You remind me so much of the fire I had when I first started. And I am not blind to what you are saying. Perhaps some things… some departments… could do with a bit of a wake-up call, a mobilization. I'll see what I can do, Hyeon-Ae ssi.”

“If there's anything I can do to help, let me know,” Hyeon-Ae cut in with a practiced warm smile. “I don't think it's fair to ask this of you and then send you into the fire alone, after all. I am happy to shoulder a burden.”

“That's sweet of you, but you should focus on your performance in the next race.” Jinwoo shot back, and Hyeon-Ae looked away briefly to control her disappointment. “You need to keep hitting high targets if this is going to be more than a flash in the pan. You did good, but the department heads are still unconvinced.”

“Of course.” She returned calmly and bowed her head, even as her fist clenched ever so slightly. “I'll be sure to focus on improving as a pilot, timjangnim. Thank you for your time tonight.”

---

Tuesday March 9th, 2094, 04:10 UTC (12:10 local)

Zygon HQ: Marketing Department

“I can see it now; A sleeping dragon wakes! Perhaps an azure tint to hint at Zygon as the reawakened Guardian Dragon of the East.” the young woman pondered aloud from behind her desk, tapping at his chin.

“I'll leave all that to you; mythology is not my strongest suit. I am just happy you like the idea, Nayeun ssi.” Hyeon-Ae professed in turn, a demure smile painted across her features as she sat on the visitor side of the desk in her designer suit.

“Like it? I love it! I've been withering in this office, picking out floral arrangements for publicity stunts.” she murmured to herself, trailing off at the end before refocusing on Hyeon-Ae. “I'm only a little confused why you came to me, and not my boss? It's not that I mind, Hyeon-Ae ssi, but I am just a team leader in the marketing department.”

“Well…” Hyeon-Ae began, leaning forward conspiratorially. “At first it was because I was hoping to build some connections with other people my age in the company. I was hoping to get some good friends in the long run, yes? But admittedly, your colleague, marketing manager Baek, is in charge of the other marketing team, and I am-... Not so fond of her after our dealings.” She chuckled softly, covering her mouth with a hand and averting her hand. “And I felt going directly to Department Manager Park would be a bit arrogant. You know?”

Naeyun smiled faintly, looking distant for a few moments. Thinking, clearly. Possibilities to one-up the rival team, perhaps? That's what Hyeon-Ae imagined, anyway. “Well, that's fine by me. Baek is a bit stuck in the old world; too caught up with prestige and coming off as perfect. People like companies to have a bit of grit these days. Perfect images are what got us in all that mess in the history shows.”

Hyeon-Ae simply provided a genteel nod, folding her fingers together over her knee and smiling.

“I'll work on a spotlight idea and present it to Department Manager Daehyun. I think he'll agree that using our current momentum is a good idea. Right off the bat, I'm thinking maybe you do a joint showcase with Neves. Play up the strength and power aspect to make it invigorating…” Naeyun continued, before shaking her head and waving it off with a brief gesture. “I'll put together something good with my team, you'll definitely hear from me.”

Naeyun rose from her seat and smoothed out her pencil skirt before leaning forwards to offer a handshake. Hyeon-Ae stood in turn and shook her hand with a warm smile, placing a second hand on hers. “I am eagerly looking forward to our future collaborations, Marketing Manager Lee.”

---

---

Thursday March 11th, 2094, 05:20 UTC (13:20 local)

Seoul, Myeondong Shopping Street Café

“That's such a great picture, Jinyeon. You're so pretty in dresses.” Hyeon-Ae's voice held a soft and inviting tone, smiling across the table as the older woman retracted her phone with an embarrassed chuckle.

“Thank you~. It doesn't happen that much. My husband barely goes to any gatherings any more, and no one is throwing wine parties for office drones like me.”

“Then I'll make sure to invite you for the next one I hold, after the next race. No one should be caged like that.”

Jinyeon smiled warmly and tucked her phone away, returning to cradling her tea mug as she looked down. “...No, no. I couldn't ask that of you, Miss Han. You meeting with me and talking, and the autograph, and everything… I know you are just doing it as a favor to my husband because I wouldn't shut up about you working with him, heh.” She brushed her fingers along the sleek porcelain and seemed to lose a little bit of that luster she'd had before. “I admired your journey, that's all. What you did and said, even so young. I could never have done that.”

Hyeon-Ae frowned in turn, watching the older woman talk herself out of any semblance of confidence. With careful grace she made a decisive reach across the table to put her hand over Jinyeon’s. “It's true that I came here because your husband asked me, Jinyeon nim,” she offered calmly. The words made Jinyeon look back up as Hyeon-Ae continued. “But I am still here because I enjoy your company. My favor to your husband ended when we said hello and I gave you my autograph.”

“Oh…” Jinyeon mustered a little sheepishly. “I wouldn't want to be selfish, Miss Han.”

“If you cannot be selfish, Jinyeon, then what did I fight for, back then? It's okay to be selfish. I'll invite you and your husband to my party. If you want it.” she replied crisply and retracted her hand to grasp her own coffee.

“Then, I'd like that… I wouldn't mind being friends with you, Miss Han. I mean, I… I want that very much.” Jinyeon managed after a few moments of internal conflict, allowing herself a bemused smile.

Hyeon-Ae merely nodded, her own smile returning as she lifted the cup to sip at the luxurious brew within. Being friends with the wife of a board member, especially one who wasn't part of the chaebol family at the head of the Zygon conglomerate, would pay off in the long run.

After a bit of shared silence, Hyeon-Ae led the conversation to the dog she'd seen in the latest picture. Building a relationship was easy, but took time.

---

Motorsport Korea: Internal revisions in Zygon, sources say.

Futurism International: Zygon board member says “[Zygon] will rise like a phoenix,” sparks division.

KR Industry: Zygon Heiress Park Iseul confirms “restructuring” on the cards.

EASIAN: Korean racing & automotive giant seeking talent beyond borders, according to insiders.

AGRPLUS: Changes at Zygon start of revival, or death throes?

---

(Zygon Characters)

DELTΔ HYPER (An F1 Drive to Survive inspired Anti-Gravity, Slice of Life, Cyberpunkish/Solarpunkish RP)

Delta Hyper

Aurora broke into a pause between Han’s sentences. "Well, we will need to cut you off there I'm afraid Hyeon-Ae, but it sounds like you have kept extremely busy over the off-season. A woman of many talents, and no doubt AG racing will be one we'll be keeping our eye keenly on!”

Hyeon-Ae smiled politely in return, bowing her head both to Aurora and to the camera. “Please cheer for me, if it would not trouble you too much.” She offered softly towards the cameras as Aurora finished speaking. Practiced and elegant, the image of what a refined Korean woman should be like. It was easy to latch onto; she seemed almost like she was a character out of a net-drama, rather than a person with flaws. Just smiling her polite, soft smile that gave no actual insight into her as a person, yet still welcomed onlookers.

She remained sitting until the cameras were off.

---

Sunday March 5th, 2094
Auckland, New Zealand_-_Aotearoa
Race Day
1700 NZST

Eyes closed, Hyeon-Ae stood on the small stepping stool clad in her entire gear sans helmet, merely taking in the din and chaos of final prep as people milled around the vehicle and got everything in order. Chattering in English, shouting in Korean. The engineering team was a more well-oiled machine than the ship itself, and working with them in preparation for today had slowly opened her eyes to how they lived and breathed on the performance of this rocket with gravity manipulation. Not every mechanic was like the soulless salary-thieves at Ji Motors, doing the bare minimum as long as someone was looking over their shoulder. No, they moved like a family - or a colony of ants, and they treated her like a part of the whole rather than an annoying boss. It was a strange, but pleasant sensation. People who didn't look at you like a celebrity or a meal ticket.

A mild frown knitted on her features, she climbed into the machine and gave the mechanics a last glance before putting on the wired earset, and then lowering the pressure-lock helmet to let the clamps initiate. “Comms check.” She mouthed while waiting for everything to come online.

“Test the stick so you’re unhappy now rather than during the race.” The radio crackles back; Zhou Yijin, a Chinese national who clawed his way through Zygon on merit to snatch a lead role in the engineering team. Also one of the few on the team so far who didn't walk on eggshells around her.

Her scoff came through on the radio, then silence while she tested it. “It's much better. You spoil me, seonbae.”

“You're going to have to compensate for the shaking in the chicanes.” Zhou shot back, though a bit more friendly in tone.

“Sorry to break in,” the Team Principal cut in. “Get ready for synchronization, Hyeon-Ae ssi. Remember that Wedgewood and Hornfleur will try to challenge you on corners.”

Hyeon-Ae relaxed as much as was possible and exhaled in her little metal pod. Bleak and featureless beyond panels, cables, safety features. She felt the cabling at the back of her neck spool up, then came the slight whirr as it connected her to a new universe of metal and speed.

It was freeing in a way - a feeling of being bigger than yourself, connected to the world. Understanding your surroundings faster than any human should ever be able to. But it was also unpleasant. The artificial extension of her body, the cold and alien tingle through her spine when it completed that first setup; it brought back dark memories of people in lab coats, painful tests strapped to a table, being trapped in a vat with a tube down her throat. But it was worth it for the freedom that followed.

“Connection confirmed,” Zhou sounded off. “Good luck out there.”

Hyeon-Ae didn't respond. She was running the track through her mind. Preparing for the countdown. The others didn't matter until they were off the starting grid. What mattered was getting the optimal start.

Countdown.

Start.

---

The Renaissance

“Hart trading with Hornfleur. Point two behind.” the radio crackles, public communication for real-time watchers.

“He’s trying to earn his salary. I'm running a seven point surplus. I can hold.” Hyeon-Ae responded with a confident tone. The soft woman from interviews and TV spots had been abandoned in the paddock.

The whipping zooms of engines running hard and shooting past Auckland’s features at breakneck speed brought out the real woman. The confident hyena; the sardonic thinker. The gleaming colors of Zygon's livery twisting, turning and rolling to keep three veterans at bay. There was a twisted delight there, deep in the connection of the neural interface, where woman and machine intermingled. A desire of machine to outperform other machines, or the delight of a competitive addict being challenged and winning.

Whether it was Hart, Hornfleur, or Wedgewood, Hyeon-Ae stood her ground, spinning and boosting around the track like an implacable machine, eking out a performance from the ship that left her just above an energy surplus or just below a deficit - razor-thin margins and few big risks, instead keeping solid boosts to gain whenever possible. Makara and especially Al-Nadir were out of range - the one shot at fourth she almost had she never really pushed for, choosing instead to solidify her hold over infuriating Hart behind her.

Hornfleur overtook her in a corner and immediately lost the position in a straight following her minimal leeching and subsequent boost. Wedgewood rubbed shields and traded back and forth for a whole lap. The entire race was a battle, but the ship didn't waver. Quick, confident decisions. Emotionless. Unfazed. Inhuman.

She shot across the finish line with a near second lead over Hart, using up the last stores of energy allotted without having ran a real deficit for prolonged times during the race.

---

Post Race, Interview

"Amazing result Han, 5th Place in your first race! How did it feel to hold off the veteran ships behind you?" Aurora beamed at her. Hyeon-Ae had somehow been forced to shuffle to the front of the line, and was still coming off of the high of adrenaline from the race. Even so, she spoke with a giddy confidence that blended humility and media training.

“Thank you! And yes, it was exciting. Dorian is a very skilled driver, I look forward to meeting on the track again. I only wish to keep this momentum; to show the fans that Zygon is ready to rise.”

---

Han Hyeon-Ae @HHA:Zygon: Korea on the rise! What was your favorite moment from today's race? Tag your answer with #ZygonPower to enter the meet-up raffle!

Pokemon: Starlight Dreams

I'm sorry everyone, but I'm going to have to put my involvement on hold. Got some health stuff that's going critical, and life isn't really slowing down. Do whatever you want with Alex.