FourtyTwo

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

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

A Couch in the Sky

The interviews got all manner of chuckles from the pilots and the pundits alike, including Paul and Bea's various antics. But, as the main batch finished up with thank yous and goodnights, the next batch came in. The other pilots had been trickling into the rifugio, Max rubbing shoulders with Astrid, Amy with Harrison, and all of them passed by the other pilots. Perhaps they weren't talking to our crew of pilots, the cameras following various conversations and interviews, but, they'd be in direct contact, and would see it, there and then. Cue the hypercut.

"Strada Alpina? Yeah, it's an absolute menace of a circuit. So, so unrelentingly fast. It's a pilot's favourite for a good reason." Harrison replied, a smile on his face, the next interview cutting in from Ava.

"Thoughts on the team's growth? Sure, we have got more to do in the R&D department, we know we haven't got the resources. But like Valkyrie and Zygon are showing this year, sometimes you need small. We're a tight knit bunch, not sure I'd call us a family, much more a bit more a dysfunctional set of siblings but uhh....yes, it works!" Ava replied, a smile forming on her face- perhaps even her iron cold heart warming to Bea's approach of being more open. Like Lando Norris being opened up by Carlos Sainz, she was actually growing even beyond her history.

"For the race? Hmm...I would say we maximise the ship. As Paul says, we have an incredible handling ship, but we need to make the most. People underestimate those hairpins!" Dorian spoke in near perfectly fluent Italian- the European of the grid showing his mastery, no Earworm needed to verbalise what he wanted to say, he just said it in a near impeccable tone.

"Well, Tokyo proves our ship can make it work when we have to. We'll just attack in the race. And I expect if some mistakes happen, we can take advantage." Astrid seemed actually more upbeat than usual. Like for some reason, getting a podium had lit a fire under her normally stoic demeanour, yet she still seemed very matter of fact.

"I mean, we can't say what'll happen. Our ship is a good balance, so here we might not dominate, but, I've done well on the grid and I think I can take us higher. Forza Zygon!" Cassie smirked, candid to camera, her qualy result actually quite positive considering everything.

Kofi seemed to be shivering. "I always get cold here! Why do we come here, I say, it's too snowy and wintery up here! Haha, I joke, but yes, I do have the heater on in the ship, even with all of the systems connected, nothing really prepares you for it!"

Then the American, in his teal blue puffy jacket and his cool blonde hair, manicured like he was out here shooting an advert of his own. And cool as Max would like to be. "Yeah, I guess we were not sure either, I mean our pace in practice so far isn't great but we can make that up in the race. We have some ideas to counter pure speed, and here, it rewards talent a hell of a lot. So better make that work, am I right?"

"It's a lot of nasty rumours, and look, I want to dispel now, we're still hiring, we are still functioning as always, and I wouldn't believe everything you read, Aurora." Henry's reply seemed drilled, and once again, absolutely none of the pilots on the veranda believed it.

"Losing my streak? Nah. I think we just hit upon a bad tune at the end of practice, but that's just from trying to make up positions that would fit us both. We risked and failed. It happens. You only get points on Sunday, and we'll need to qualify well tomorrow. We'll see what happens then." Amy's smile was almost a threat, like a "we are coming", sort of look, one that never faded with how competitive she was.

---

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

Strada Alpina
Marmolada, Dolomiti, Italia
1400 CET

Episode Four: Azzuro Alpina

Max "Wedge" Wedgewood

Soundtrack: EOB- Shangri-La (Spike Stent Edit)

Sitting in his teal-blue suit inside the MMR cabin, Max was going through his telemetry, pouring over data on the lap with Carl, his engineer, sitting inside the start-finish adjacent pit box, parked on top of a mountain. The heating was on full blast, warming up the cabin to a degree that would feel toasty compared to the polar-like cold outside.

"Right, so we haven't got the power here. Or handling. What have we got?" Max asked, Carl nodding, looking at the same glass tablet and wall of AR-enabled data as he was, but seeing something else.

"There's going to be a lot of gain you can make here. Deployment is good here too. And, Sector 3 is where you can make it up. You are posting good times in the glacier section, and overtakes can happen there. So let's target that." Carl added, running the footage back again. He was supportive, that much Max could say about Carl- like an adoptive dad almost, and if Max knew he got any offers from anywhere, he was going to follow him. Carl continued, going through the next bit.
"See, here you can tailor your line in a bit tighter. The ship can give. Think you can do that tomorrow?"

"Sure."

With it, Max once again ran through the numbers, and with it, made his tweaks, using the other pilots data to find their weaknesses, and like a game of chess, unpick them.

Cue the montage, and running it back, and then paired that up with some physio, and some light augment review, MMR's doctor checking his heart, vessels and neural link, all of which were green light and good to go.

It was repetitive, but soon, he had what he wanted. And walking outside, all finished for the day as the sunset came in, he took in the view once more.

Racing was beautiful, but in a place like this, it was cinematic. Stunning, if not even more like a drama than usual, then here, it felt like it. Sometimes, he reminded himself just how lucky he was.

Staring into the horizon, the sight of Dorian coming in between the cabins up to the snowbank caught him by surprise, the esteemed gent of the grid standing by Max's side, wearing the team's grey with yellow, featuring pink-stitches puffy jacket. A whiteout had hit on one side of the mountain, creating an empty void of absolute grey nothing- with features barely visible beyond it.

"Enjoying the view? Or what is left of it?" Dorian asked, Max shirking a smile, shaking his head, seeing Dorian come to join

"Yeah. And with what we did....what do you want me to say. Future isn't now, old man?" Max chuckled, shoving his shoulder gently in response to the qualy results, Dorian shrugging in return.

"Well, I did speak to you and Ulrich a lot back when you were in the Junior AG leagues, so yeah, I knew you guys were coming after my position. Now look at you both. How's he doing?" There was an element there that may not have been as visible, but well, it was clear Dorian at one point had been involved in their development. A mentor of sorts, even if that meant things had changed now, and he couldn't talk direct, he was always interested in them. Now he had to go toe to toe with them.

"Ulrich? Yeah, he's....he's okay. Got a lot of issues with debt. But, he worked out a payment plan. Poor guy told me back in Tokyo, broke down to me completely. Shit, it was bad, Dorian." The American's usually chirpy demeanour seemed to bare all, Dorian shaking his head in response. He knew, deep down, something wasn't right. Even from that first chat in Auckland.

"Dammit. I knew he had something going on. He never told me. Explains a lot, actually. His father was the most stressed looking man I have ever seen." Dorian added, leaning against the cabin, looking across to Max.

"Yeah, well, it's not looking like such a problem now. Ulrich is doing what he has to, he's got enough money in this contract of his to pay it back, but he's crashing in Montreal in a place I helped him find until it tides over, far as the people he owes money know, he's under contract and it's being paid out. You know, doing the right thing and all that, keeps his head down. So, tell me. What's it like being under Alexander? Like, really. Come on. Don't give me a media response." Max's American drawl curled, the Colorado-bound native not really cold up here on top of a mountain in the early spring.

"It is uhh....different. He wants different things. He's read a lot of books on marginal gains, I can tell you that much. Forgets sometimes you know, pilots are still human. And it's weird given we raced together, it's hard to listen to a boss who was on the other side of the grid you know, it's a strange voice and I still can't get used to it. But he is a breath of fresh air. Good even compared to last year's shitshow. Cassie and the Principal made it a mess. No idea how Felix bailed our asses out then." Dorian mused, thinking that year over. It was still a solid constructors finish, but not exactly amazing.

"And Paul? He was a machine in the Junior AG league. Dude was relentless." Max joked, Dorian again, shrugging.

"He's like you. A lot like you. A talent, but, he has a lot to learn. I think you picked it up faster, but we'll see. And between me and Paul, we can wrap up a podium on the constructors for the next few races, and...yeah, we'll make it work." Dorian cooly replied, Max chuckling in reply.

"Yeah, well, this retirement tour you can enjoy old man, but after, we'll be coming after you. MMR has big plans. Serious money being thrown in. And, turns out that engineers are just running from Fitzroy are coming in."

"Really?"

"Yeah, a lot of them are leaving. You heard the rumours, right?"

"I thought their engineering department was terrible?"

"Yes, but not the ones that kept them afloat. I think there's going to be some serious changes in the grid. Lot of people want to go join other teams. And there's gonna be some changes."

"You took to paddock rumours like a duck to water, Max. Careful."

"Well, you gave me some juicy ones on your boss. But I respect you too much to tell anyone else. That stays with us. But...you know. Gossip is fun."

"Always is." Dorian smirked, as Max let there be a break in conversation, before asking what next.

"So, when you retire this season, then what? You aren't exactly going to go have a family. What are you gonna do?" Max asked, Dorian shrugging.

"Not this. I've done this for at least 20 years. It's all I know. Maybe I'll try endurance. Or classics racing. Or something else. Find someone permanent. I mean, there's a guy I'm talking to at the moment. Really cool. Laurent."

"You're actually going to settle down? Woah, Playboy 2080, you're gonna stop?"

"Maybe." Dorian mused, Max shaking his head in return.

"Nah, you're addicted. I bet you'll sign for another team again. Maybe go ask Silver Apex if they want to kick Hart out?" Max replied, the two laughing as Dorian's lips turned to a curling smile.

"Well....who knows really. Or perhaps someone else will. I don't see him staying long." Dorian seemed to speak what every pilot was thinking, as he looked into the horizon. "You know what they do to their pilots. Amy is harder to work with than any pilot I know, and that ship is even more tricky. This time though....maybe they'll rethink their approach. Right now, it's their championship to still win. If they want to take it, Amy alone will not win that for them. Not with the other teams hunting them the way they are. Even if Southern Cross slip, Al-Saqr have their cyberwoman and their supersoldier to keep the heat on them." Dorian added sighing, as he went somewhere with this.

"So you don't know but....Cassie wanted that seat at Silver Apex badly this year. That's why she was so difficult. They picked Jamie over her early in last season, because he was like Bea, a talent that just consistently scored points and followed orders even when Astrid didn't get it quite right. So, Cassie got mad. She was under the belief the team biased the ship to me. They didn't, it just prioritised a high level of grip and corner stability over speed. Cassie is just impatient. Talented, but she wants the top spot now. And no amount of PR hides it." Dorian commented, tapping his feet into the snow, Max looking even shocked to hear that from his mentor.

"Shit. Didn't realise it went that badly between you two. I thought it was all just hype?"

"Nope. She decided she wanted out. Nobody stopped her. And she picked Zygon of all places. Literally the worst call she could have made for who she is as a person. She's not a corpo, she's a free-wheeling environmentalist who'd be out as much as Harrison is. I mean, is she gonna modify herself like Layla is to do what's gonna get her the top spot? She's placed well in that ship in qualifying. But in the race, I know how to pick her lock, she goes for flashy, not for smooth. I think I'm not alone." Dorian was open, almost as if in retirement, he didn't care he was telling a rival this, given that was how deep the rift was between them. Deep like the crevasse in the glacier ahead.

"You two not even going to talk it out? Man, I've never seen you like this. Thought you were Mister Cool, you know." Max commented, Dorian shrugging like he did not care a bit.

"What is there to discuss? She could have made something more of herself at Valkyrie. And instead, she wanted the glory. This is not about just you as the person, Max. Learn that from me. It's about the team you are in, that takes you places. The bigger whole. A lot of people at the factory rely on you to do well not because they want some extra money after their Universal Basics (a modified version of UBI that includes food, water, most housing, as well as a small volume of relevant currency for goods/services based upon small, contract-like piecemeal fixing works now present in most sectors), but because they believe in you, they tell their kids about you, and they want to be part of that story of you taking the top spot. Least you can do is take the big paycheck and make sure their hard hours of paid off, because they are the reason you go anywhere. Even if I don't agree sometimes with how management may do that." Dorian wisely mused, as Max looked into the abyss again, at the closing in whiteout.

"I know. You told me before....yet what's the point if you don't make something of yourself on talent? You don't become champion by being selfless. Not like you know. No offense." Max replied, Dorian shrugging. A lot of P2s would be a stain on his career, but, the sheer amount suggested Dorian was once the very top level, even if a tiny bit shy of it.

"None taken. But you can't become a champion without a team that will make sure your team-mate helps you. Or will give you upgrades, and most of all, believes you will do it and will work 80 hours in a week to rush an upgrade to make you gain half a second in a lap. And belief is more powerful than an engine we can make. You'll find out soon when MMR upgrade. People leave. Things change. And belief, belief that you're not a committee but a cohesive unit of people willing to do what is necessary to win, that changes more than you ever know. I still want Valkyrie to be like that, but, changing all the time is going to stop that. So don't listen what they have to say. Come on, let's get out of this cold. And away, before cameras catch us."

With that, the two headed out of freezing cold whiteout that hit the top of the mountain, and back to their huts, as if the conversation never happened.

---

Round 4 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Sunday 16th April, 2094
Race Day
Italian AGP

Strada Alpina
Marmolada, Dolomiti, Italia
1300 CET

The Overtakes You Don't Make

Astrid Thorsdottir

Soundtrack: Koven- Chase the Sun

"Are we going to try our launch strategy, see if we can run the ELS heavy?" Astrid asked, merely wanting confirmation.

"Go for it, Astrid. Let's snatch some positions, hold to the end. You know what to do. Go get them, Asti." The reply from Magnus Vagurson, her Race Engineer was a definitive one.

Sitting inside the cockpit, the canopy shutting in, Astrid looked across to her side, more regular programming than Tokyo, given that she was 12th on the grid, and behind an ascendant Carrera Condor that now seemed to be hogging the share of points Nordic Call usually took. This far back, she had to take some risks. And as the red came on, the ice queen zoned into what she had as a strategy. Same as what Max did. Push hard in the first lap, and take risks in the glacier section.

The sky was lightly clouded, the tempurature at 3000m was -4, and down in the valley below, a balmy 4C. The ship hummed, and the neural link gently burned into Astrid's mind, her literal psyche as if she was a sprinter in the blocks, about to accelerate like a bullet from a gun. Quite literally, AG ships accelerated close to that.

And the lights in sequence, went out one by one.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Rushing through Sector 1, they were accelerating fast- Dorian and Cassie arguing over position after the latter's poor start letting by Paul and Ava, and the former now tangled up. Astrid took it for all of what it was, flying past the two in the Rifugio Padon section, using a nice ELS leech to latch onto Han who had escaped that, with an even better overtake, nailing down the overtake in Sector 3, almost carting the ship upside down through the most recurved bit of the glacier run, the whine echoing even inside the cabin of the AG ship.

This was some incredible flying from Astrid, but she was flying the ship with an incredibly volatile setup, the usual stability of the ship traded for what looked like a more unstable, shaky setup that was making every corner horrible to run out of and demanding everything of the ship's ELS system. No other pilot was going to bare something like this, but Astrid knew it was her only way of keeping ahead. Another lap passed, and the toll of that was showing, because she had nothing left to steal, and nothing left to defend in Sector Two.

The speed was closing. It was neck and neck. And Han was going to take that position back, dogfighting with the Faroese the entire way through, the two close together in such a way that they were merely feet apart. If Han took it back, the others would stream through, because once that fight was lost, Astrid may as well have not bothered. Astrid put the ship in a place knowing at the best, she could leech Han on the way past, and at the bottom of the jump, slingshot at Rifugio Pordoi. A risky move, but one that had to be made, and she'd have to repeat, a lot, to keep her very inferior ship in position. The ship was not going to go faster than hers, and if she wanted even a vague chance of points, she had to master her ELS here, to the full. And as they crested, and went into the sky, Astrid made her move to leap back forwards from their side by side position, Han on the brink of overtaking before but Astrid in front.

It should have been a nice move, if on landing, the two were split and Astrid would hold the rest of the lap on ELS alone, ready to repeat a difficult move one more time.

But that was not how it played out. It was a bad error, but Han attacked in a way that Astrid wouldn't have expected over the crest. This would be a massive point of contention. Had Han just made a rookie error of overtaking at an exceptionally risky spot, with nowhere to go? Or should Astrid have realised in a slower ship, she was going to get gapped here?

At the jump, the contact with the circuit again had an larger effect towards the ships already just too close to each other and playing too hard, correction just not enough when the two ships hit the MAG tracking, instead actually flinging them into each other given Astrid was looking to shut the door into the long hairpin and force Han on a bad line, not to make her crash, but to at least maximise her own attempts, as any racer might have done- but in this instance, led to them closing on each other. The repulsor field couldn't do anything to stop the two closing speeds from interacting. Astrid's eyes turned to horror, realising what was next.

The impact may not have been like Bea's in Cape Town, but at this speed, nearly flat out completely, shielding wasn't going to do enough but merely act like a magnet getting thrown at another magnet, just slowing it down before the inevitable happened. The repulsors at the side of the track were not in place here given the open layout and the fact the mountainside was just too exposed and was devoid of spectators, so the crash was actually more spread out, paint being rubbed and the impact sandwiching them into each other. That meant that instead, the clatter sent the two ships into each other, and rubbed along off circuit, spraying snow and ice everywhere and beaching the ships as they separated apart from their sandwich like crash.

"Fuck!" Astrid yelped, the nausea building as the AI tried to correct, but the ship feeling weakened, the engines nearly totally dead, as the anti-gravity unit at least held firm, keeping the ship level, but the side of the ship taking a massive gash, ripping out nearly a good chunk of the hull in the process, ripping one of the airbrakes to pieces. Power was dying, fast, and the ship went from top speed to nothing, a crawl, instantly, buffered by the internal safety systems of the ship. The AI disconnected her neural link nearly instantly, but the feeling right in the end, as the ships rubbed was like getting a really bad cut in your finger.

The ship did not have a soul, but the soul inside certainly felt that one.

"Astrid, are you okay?" Comms chatter replied back in turn from Magus, Astrid shaking her head, pulling her ship to the side of the track, the immediate sight of a recovery drone rushing over, alongside a camera.

"Yeah, I'm fine. All power loss, lot of the chassis is broken, so is Hyeon-Ae's. Do we try and make it to the pit and recover power?"

"Negative, stop immediately. Hull integrity is compromised, stop immediately, repeat, stop immediately, ship is not suitable on circuit. That was a big one, thrusters are dead and the AG matrix and power output is in Code 12, backups. Shut it down and let it cool, or else you'll trash the ship."

With it, Astrid sighed, huffing, but realising that it was time to get the hell out. With a pull of the oxygen supply from her throat and a pop of the canopy, she pulled herself out, and threw herself down the steps, the extent of the damage now visible as the ship barely sat a millimetre off deck, the anti-gravity unit in a emergency function, a parked stasis as the heat dissipated and sizzled the snow below it, the energy shielding of the ship's cockpit barely holding the structure together, given how much in the way of Gs had gone through the thing. Unlike Bea's crash, where it took a lot more work to put it together and it had nearly been reduced to a safety cell, this was a chassis that was in damage, but if not for her deactivating it, the ship would have burnt up its composite shell and ruined it to a similar level.

But they were right. Astrid's ship was half ruined. Han's looked even worse, and it had clattered her down the hillside in the snowfield that made up the Rifguio Pordoi sector, barely 20m away from Astrid's. She looked across from her own purple-like aurora ship to Han's, across at the red and blue of Zygon, the cockpit opening at least indicating that Han was mobile, and not injured. Astrid had a certain death stare on her. Like she just couldn't believe Han.

Helmet off, the drone checked on Astrid's state as she walked and confirmed yes, she wasn't concussed or injured, as she walked over towards Han's ship, a scowl on her face, the cold not really stopping her. Seeing she was okay, Astrid didn't stop. She kept going towards Han's ship. Not running. Just a slow, pissed off, angry, walk through the deep snow up to her thighs. She was okay in snow. And she was cleverer than this. Normally the Icewoman did not react to things like this, but that was stupid, and at that speed, even more insanely dumb in her view. Astrid felt she could have easily had a much, much worse accident there if it wasn't for a lot of luck and the ships rubbing off track- and in her view, Han should have been more careful.

It was a rare moment from Astrid, as she saw Han get out, and with no regard, just emptied her adrenaline filled, immediate thoughts, right there and then.

"Next time, are you going to push in the worst part of the track and take us both out again?! Or are you going to fly thinking nobody defends because you're spoilt generally? Unbelievable!" Astrid barked, disdain as she walked back, a recovery ship coming along and offering a lift, with an actual medic riding aboard. She took the ride and stayed silent, and hoped that Han would take hers coming out towards her and go a separate way.

"Astrid, calm down. We need to be careful on optics. Don't do anything too silly like that, keep it to a minimum. Please." Her radio called in her ear, of her race engineer begging for a bit of calm right now. This was not looking good from a PR perspective. Cameras had followed all of it. Astrid was known for not giving a shit, she had a cult following for that after all. And she'd said something aggressive in a presser sure, but like that? That was new.

"When she learns to race properly, we can talk optics because she needs them to see where she is going. Forget it. Get me out of here. This is bullshit." Astrid said, sighing, the truck bringing the ship safely into tow, the energy systems deactivated wholly as it was levitated up onto another lift, making the ship inert and the volatile AG system inside.

With it, Astrid sat inside and waited for the automated truck to leave and take the safety road back down the mountain track and to where it could be hauled back to the pits, knowing that fuck it, all of Korea could be angry right now. She lost points because of Han's stupidity, in her mind. The cameras however, would portray precisely how it happened, for what happened. Penalties? Probably. Astrid would probably regret it later regarding that. But not what she felt right there and then, the metaphorical Faroese's ice snapping like a glacial outburst.

---

Italian AGP

Soundtrack: The Qemists- Crevasse

The race was yellow flagged, given the ships were off the racing line almost 200m in the snowfield, and were recovered fairly quickly- ships ordered to slow to a relative crawl of 80kph over the jump until all the shrapnel, parts and ships were collected, before it went green again, completing a lap under a Virtual Safety Ship as a hologram on their AR displays that quite literally, bunched the field up and vanished the moment the incident had been completed. Astrid and Han's incident had been flagged as a racing incident, albeit Astrid's remarks were under investigation.

And what a shake up it had made, the yellow locking in the advances and losses made.

Max's strategy to push some riskier overtakes early in the race had now paid off, putting him higher in the chain, and his ELS management and talent in the corners meant he could hold off Dorian and Cassie, the latter of whom having an awful start again had absolutely pushed her out of contention. The two rivals nearly looked like they were about to detonate each other on every other corner, but it seemed that rivalry had paid off massively from Ava, Max and Paul- all of whom now were building gaps and out of ELS distance, able to sit comfortably and in a rare moment for an AG race, actually build good lap times on pure pace alone without any hull to hull racing.

Jenny Lowry had somehow taken the utter trap of a Fitzroy ship through the order into 13th, capitalising on mistakes from Ulrich and Kofi, and Jamie Hart had barely made any progress himself either- he had the pace to just roar past most ships but in a photo for the ages, got stuck behind Jenny who defended like a lion, over 13th. That just about surmised the back half of the grid, and the photo there would probably be iconic for Jamie Hart's career in general at Silver Apex.

The front remained remarkably unchanged. Kais had lost a position to Harrison after a very, very long duel, Harrison finally getting him in the glaciers where the Australian's comfort in flying upside down got him the jump, whilst further down, Amy got Layla back in the lakeside road on Lago Fedaia, pushing a risky overtake of her own, but having the ELS to make Layla almost look like she was going backwards. Nora had pulled away. If anything, it was possibly one of the most uneventful races of Nora's career, apart from the track itself.

In amidst all of this, Bea had somehow actually managed to benefit from Amy fighting Layla, and stayed within a few seconds of Layla, but given the extent of the track, gaps built massively. It was easy for it to become a time attack, and focus was crucial. Nobody wanted to follow Astrid and for that reason, the racing became a bit less overtake driven, a little more simple....safe even. A few changes had happened, of course, like the leap of Ava and Max, Cassie falling out of the points making a bad day for Zygon truly awful after losing her fight with Dorian, and the remainder of the field picking up what they could. The sight of craft pacing through the tunnels, the glacier walls, the tops of the ridges and over the Forcella jump were always a sight to see, and even if it didn't produce the best race, it had produced a really good spectacle.

And in the final lap, the chequered flag dropped down on the racing in Italy, waved by Valentina Amara, five-time Gold medal winning Italian Winter Olympic ski racer.

It was a victory for the pole sitter, Nora Kelly, followed by Harrison and Kais on the podium in 2nd and 3rd. Amy was off it for the first time in two years in 4th, a shock to many, but then again, a bad tune and just the sheer dominance of Al-Saqr and Southern Apex here had set the marker down. Layla in 5th, followed by Beatrix, a record high for her, was followed by Paul Mulder, Ava Villarosa, Max Wedgewood scoring important points for MMR, and lastly in the top ten, Dorian.

The Pilots all had gone through a race that whilst not dramatic, had seen a big order shake in the first few laps, had mostly died down with a couple of overtakes and catch ups in the last sectors. What did they see? That's left to them...

The final results are below:

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qF6cn…

---

Post Race, Italy: Warm Room and Podium

Soundtrack: Linkin Park- Heavy is the Crown

The "Cooldown" room had been replaced with a pop-up ski lodge like room, that was covered in heaters. More like a Warm Room.

Of the three podium finishers, Harrison was happy to keep his streak going.

Two rookies were here, and Harrison, even though he was a little repelled by Kais's rumoured past, not exactly hidden by his sheer capability, was still bubbly as usual, watching back the footage of the crash, and overtakes throughout. He was a bit concerned about some of Kais's flying it looked....well, that must be a hell of a neural connector, because that looked almost too twitchy, even to his trainer eye.

"Ooo, that is a nasty crash for them. Yeah, Han pushed in an area Astrid wasn't looking, but not like Astrid was going to hold her back.....I mean that's a dirty move, but they probably both didn't help each other." Harrison's take was balanced, playing back the rest of the race, smirking at his overtake on Kais, and hoping he didn't get decked for it. Instead, he turned to Nora, happy to be joining her team-mate up here. This was it. They were clear of Silver Apex by 28 points. Championship lead.

"This is your moment, Nora. Enjoy this, you deserved it with that pace. Now you've got your win though, don't forget I'm gonna get you next time, yeah?" Harrison smirked, giving her a gentle bump on the shoulder, looking to Kais, who was probably still stoked for his third place

Stepping outside, the podium looked down on the major grandstand up here at the Strada Alpina, and the swathes of glacier on the mountain beyond, the cheers ringing out for a new race winner, Nora Kelly, flanked by Harrison and Kais. The latter could hold his head high that he'd fought well, and Al-Saqr because of his efforts were clambering up the points leader board against Silver Apex and Southern Cross at a much faster rate than before. They were merely 9 points away from P2. That was one more Jamie Hart level windowlicking incident from dethroning a team most people considered the holy grail of the sport.

Heavy is the Crown? The trophy definitely was for Nora, but for a moment, doubt was put to rest if Nora was streaky in her first two races, here, she'd proven herself in the gauntlet. But Kais on the third step had now stepped very much into the light. If their initial fight in the beginning of the race had anything to say about it, it was that they would be fighting for some time to come.

---

Post Race, Italy: Interviews

Back to the booth. The pilots knew the drill, you knew the drill, but inside the cable car station out of the cold, in the glass-fronted building with the snow behind, an opportunity to interview each pilot came up.

---

@Enzayne

[b]"Han, that must have been a gutting result for Zygon after both you and Cassie qualified so well. How are you feeling after that crash, and anything to salvage from this weekend?"[/]

---

@LadyAmber

"Paul, congratulations today on your result, it seems like another reliable points haul for Valkyrie. Do you think you got lucky with Cassie dropping back and the crash playing into your favour?"

---

@MrSkimobile

"Kais, what a race it was from you and Nora! How did it feel going toe to toe with another rookie?"

---

@Starlance

"Bea, an outstanding result today! It seems like you managed to put down some impressive bankers- and are putting Carrera firmly into the midfield. How do you feel that this projects for the rest of the season?"

---

@Sylvan

"Nora Kelly, what a win! You must be over the moon after so many close attempts, and pundits are now labelling you as a new wonderkid in the sport. Many are talking about this more and more- do think you have what it takes to go all the way and challenge Amy Stirling this season for the title?"

---

The others trickled on through. To say the reactions were mixed would be an understatment, but AG racing never let people down when it came to drama.

Amy was up first.
"No, not happy at all with that. We compromised the ship too heavily and Jamie didn't really make any inroads. Not a great weekend. We move onto Portugal. We have more in the pipeline and I think we'll be back to where we need to be then, because we need to shut down Southern Cross, and Al-Saqr."

Harrison followed.
"Well, Amy seems pissed! Amazing weekend. Genuinely in disbelief about that. We did an amazing job start to finish, and the icing on the....uhh, icing, was overtaking Kais."

Layla had a smile once again, the Jordanian upbeat about the outcome.
"Well, a shame to lose a spot to Amy, but no shock considering her talent. We did well today. We are 9 points off Silver Apex. We are close in their mirrors now!" Layla's response was more chirpy than her usual self would be, actually upbeat rather than gravel. Beating Silver Apex would be satisfying as all hell on that chart.

"Yes, this is a great result. Really, really happy with how far the team has come. When I joined Carrera two years ago, we were still fighting for points, and now we have managed to get into joint P5 this early in the season! I am hoping that we can continue this, but yeah, we'll have to see." Ava seemed chirpy too, a comment not really followed next.

"Seriously awesome, yeah we did amazing- a few mistakes by ships ahead and I just cut through, I love that tunnel and glacier run so much, honestly it's the coolest part of any track....hahah, no pun intended! But yeah, great fun and good to get points on the board." Max's two points may not have been much, but for a team with poor speed, this was a hell of a result.

"I know you are trying to ask that question about us two, but no comment. Cassie and I raced well, absolutely fair, in rules. That is all." Dorian's comment was cryptic- but you could probably read into it and realise he wasn't happy to talk about his dogfight with Cassie, not that it would have any impact on him getting to anyone else, but right now, after the show with Astrid blowing off some steam, it was best to keep shut.

Astrid had vetoed an interview. This was considered, by pretty much everyone, a very smart call. Remember, this bit is televised, so damage limitation was considered best by the Nordic Call, and even FIAR's own brand. Probably best not to have someone who just verbally abused another pilot on.

Cassie was, however on to at least defend Zygon and she was under strict orders to not do anything stupid herself. Controversy made clicks, but controversy also got you cancelled, or your sponsors in an incredibly upset mood. This included the Formula AG sponsors themselves, who did not take kindly to childish behaviour.
"Yeah, really disappointed this weekend. We started off promising in qualy but honestly, it just didn't happen just due to bad luck- my start was compromised and I had nowhere to go, got stuck and that was it, nothing I could do. Did what I could but Dorian got me, and I'm sure I'll get him back for the next. And uhh yeah, really sad to hear about Han, she's alright from what we can tell, no injuries but we'll bounce back for next race. Portugal is home so I know that circuit, and I'm sure we can improve!" Cassie tried to strike a positive tone, but even her usually fiery attitude had a lump in its throat.

Like she was getting taken down a peg by the racing gods, or perhaps, just really, really bad luck.

Jenny was up, instead of Henry for this interview, the now pink pixie-short haired Yorkshire lass having a smile on her face. Quietly, she was impressing even in an utter shitbox that was the Fitzroy ship- she was averaging a slightly higher rating than Henry, and she had only been there for a second year.
"Yeah, nowt wrong with 13th and really happy. Beat a Silver Apex ship too, and yeah, that picture is doing the rounds on social media right now, me mam was over the moon with it!"

Kofi seemed a little more like he wanted to chuckle at the situation, 12th being so close yet so far to points this season. SuperCat were not developing well, but, he never stopped with his optimism.
"Not our day, but we are closer, we are closer. More corners please, that's where we thrive, so we will see you in Portugal. Ciao Regazzie!"

---

Analysis with Rory Andrews

"So, thoughts this far into the season on the teams?"

Rory shook his head, shrugging, looking to Aurora's off camera presence.

"I guess it's the commentator's curse, isn't it? We all expect Amy to just sweep things. Yet something's stalled at Silver Apex. All a lot of talk, but they must have a pipeline of upgrades fit for later in the European leg, because they have been caught up by Al-Saqr, who, let's not forget, have proven an incredibly capable team. And Southern Cross. What a demonstration. We thought they were a one hit wonder, but they have taken P1 in the constructors, and I bet that Silver Apex are feeling that now."

"And what about the other midfield teams? And Zygon's woes at the moment?"

"Zygon are doing terribly this season. Nobody's going to be feeling more bitter today than Jinwoo, he had an opportunity to get the team clear into P4 and both of his drivers have let him down there, Cassie's performance in particular being absolutely shocking. That top midfield fight is incredibly tight, Nordic Call's shock result in Tokyo suddenly puts Valkyrie, Zygon, and even Carrera Condor are in contention at most races and Zygon are hurting because of it. I think Cassie looks unsettled, she was not flying today in a way that showed confidence, Dorian seems to just be hunting her because of it. I think she's just not a fit at that team right now, and Han must feel annoyed not to bring home points today either. Whatever will be said of that crash, I think Han had the opportunity to wait out Astrid because she was eventually going to lose that position, but sometimes, rookies make errors."

"As for Miller Motor and Nordic Call? The former seems to be consistently stealing points, really well run, compared to Nordic Call, who just can't find anything beyond Astrid's seemingly magical ELS capabilities and Bjorn Waldgard is not developing at all. And Carrera? Blimey. That is a success story. Beatrix Ward was not hyped at all in any of our estimations, but, her and Ava seem to be making quite the team, and they are clearly getting the upgrades done after a lackluster season last year, and off-season recently. We knew Ava Villarosa was a late bloomer too, but the two of them seem to be an unlikely partnership that seems to balance risk and reward."

"What about the pilots in general that stand out to you right now?"

"Hmm, that would be harder to say. Some standouts now, like Beatrix Ward, who people are now beginning to notice after her crash and weaker start in Auckland, she seems to be finding her home with the craft and making the most out of it. Nora Kelly seems to have her demons, if you listen to all the paddock gossip there is a lot of baggage with her old self, but she seems to fly faster than anyone right now and act as if it doesn't exist. We've never seen a rookie this good since....maybe Helen Starcross, for sheer impact, she's just racing without any fear, any restrictions, her style is so ragged it's like she's almost drifting the ship in hairpins and that style is immensely fun to watch. And Kais Zenix, from starting the season slow to now doing what he's doing, he has found his feet. He's monstrous when he wants to push on people, just relentless and watching him behind Nora, you can tell he just doesn't let go and with refinement, he'll be an incredible pilot. Paul Mulder too- not a lot of people talk about him outside of his family link, but he is doing a very serviceable job in that Valkyrie ship, very collected, calm, but ultimately, fast. He is contemplative, you can tell, he just seems to have that patience about him his father did. Lastly, Jenny Lowry. She put an incredibly uncompetitive ship into 13th today. Holding back Jamie Hart in his Silver Apex ship, now that takes some doing."

"And the pilots that don't stand out?"

"On the other hand, Cassie Neves is really not proving herself at the moment. And neither is Jamie Hart. What an utterly terrible finish. I can't imagine he lasts till the end of the season like this, watching him fly that ship is utterly difficult, it's like watching a stag on ice. Literally! And of course....Astrid did not do herself any favours. What an opposite race for her, to go from a podium to a FIAR mandated penalty for the next race, due to her behaviour, and they are still reviewing severity. Not the smartest move from a pilot we sometimes think is one of the geniuses of ELS on the grid."

"A broad insight there! What do you think about the next races? Do you think that order will change?"

"I think Amy seemed bitter in her post race interview. She seemed to want to get back at the rookies, and her compromised setup for Jamie did absolutely nothing to help him- I wonder if it was hubris thinking they'd sweep Southern Cross and Al-Saqr here. And whilst she hasn't had the strongest start, Silver Apex must be looking to now target Portugal, Luna and the European leg with upgrades, because they need to win again. Valkyrie look to have made slow progress so far this season, but that ship handled incredibly through Sector 1 and 3- posting some very impressive times. I wouldn't be shocked to see them climb, and given the team's stability, even at tracks that don't suit them, they seem to be consistent, even if it's quiet. Carrera will likely struggle unless they begin targeting those tracks too, and that might take some time- and Southern Cross might need to work out how they keep their momentum going. It's a difficult call- but right now, the Constructors looks fluid among the top three, and I wouldn't be shocked if we see even more movement soon."

Raven Squad: Second Storm (Military/Spy-Fi RP)

Raven's Rock, Camp Hannula, Pöyrisjärvi National Park, Finland

Skye Rosalind Lyons

1730 Hours Local Time

Loading rounds into the magazines, Skye sat there with a meticulous look, the jacket shed and the blue-fleece wearing, blue jeans having Scot contemplative, quiet, on her own and keeping her thoughts internal. Her hair had been tucked into a gentle bun, auburn as ever, a strange choice that her father must have made. He must have known that gene made redheads. He must have. And to pair it with blue eyes? That explained a hell of a lot of weirdness.

Still, there was more to do.

Skye was not one to sit there and be idle. She had another test to run, since the light barely was out, and the hours were still passing by. Dinner had come and gone, a mixed affair given everyone was in and out of Sophie's, but not her. Not even whisky this time around. There was likely to be another job, soon, and she wanted to be ready for it. Even though the events of yesterday morning had hit, and the team had their day off, being seen by medical staff in various phases, now they were back out and on free time. Raph was the only one really back to work, but the others had been pretty drained by even Raven's standards, an operation that had gone all sorts of haywire.

So for Skye, it made sense to keep her knife sharp and her mind following that.

The new exo was back on, without a combat uniform, but it felt even more reactive, even more explosive in pace, like she could break into sprint harder. And with the AR headset on, a new toy, she was able to drill movement with it in the small, tiny little killzone that Camp Hannula had on site. With pre-programmed targets, she was able to use her training rounds loaded into her FNX, the .45 cal spitting pistol with its tactile grip and raised sights to clatter target after targets as part of a room raid. Turning around the corner, she used the overcharge to leap forwards and into a room with a skid, clattering two more with a slide through the floor, her red-hair pouring from her helmet messily given she hadn't bothered to tie it back up. A mag slid into the empty well as fast as it left, as she finished the course with three more targets, walking out, clearing up the mess, and with it, heading back to her next task at hand.

There's this air about Skye, that even though she had been involved in an op that had saved the world, she wasn't celebrating too soon. She had routine. Comfort was found in routine. It ensured you kept being invincible, kept you going. And the way that Skye seemed to be, doing cardio.

She hadn't done her usual mileage, she forgave herself given what had happened yesterday was still just about sinking in, but she was going to get time on the bike today. Set up in the gym of the base, and she was back to it, wearing her usual exercise shirt and tights to follow it, a crank below where she'd like but in line with the routine she wanted to follow. That cardio was interrupted by Athena, who came in, the giantess's more casual approach comprised of a now tight-fitting t-shirt that had clearly been outpaced by her arm days, a leather jacket, jeans that seemed to frankly be screaming at the amount of work they did to keep her back end in check, and her as usual, ridiculously large sneakers. For a girl that seemed to live in fashion, she seemed to be picking as bland as she could get away with.

Sighing, Skye stopped, clambering off, about done, not really intimidated by the sight of Athena, but of course, respecting the fact she was a full foot and a half taller.

"Hey, Skye, uhh....I never meant to say. Thanks." Athena's respect seemed earned, even by her brash standards, she had to give the Scot that.

"For the blimp?" Skye seemed almost a bit pointed, a little rude yes, but direct.

"Well, that and everything else. You're a crazy bitch, you know that?" Athena giggled, her ice breaking getting the same with Skye, as she shrugged.

"Part of the job. You too." Skye smiled, as Athena leaned against a wooden pillar in the wall, physically straining it almost like she was some herculean stress member of the building with her lean now. Skye seemed tight lipped, as she grabbed her t-shirt from earlier, and her jeans to go with, heading to a tap to wash her face, Athena the usual goddess she seemed to be just looking on stone faced.

"So, you always give the silent treatment to your team? Or, am I in the shit? Should I be scared?" Athena could tell Skye was a little in routine, but well, she couldn't help herself talking, the blonde just bored and curious at this point.

"You're seven and a half foot, and could mash me into a pulp. Athena, I guess I'm deep in thought." Skye seemed a little bit on edge, and Athena got that straight away.

"You seem to have been for a while. Look. I don't know you well enough to ask, but you ever thought that after this is done, you could find private work? I promise, the hours are better." Athena seemed to be selling it like a sales pitch. Shirt on, Skye chuckled, shaking her head.

"Honestly, I thought about it. But still no. It's not as simple as that, Athena." Skye replied, Athena shrugging.

"I think it is. We kicked a lot of ass together." The reply was expected, Skye lacing up her shoes on the bench next to her, looking across to the lady expecting response.

"I got into this because it was service. I suppose, to something greater than me. Athena, everyone loves you for who you are. I mean, look at you. Jesus, I'd have a poster of you on my wall if I was younger. Which, I guarantee someone does have somewhere." Skye chuckled, Athena's eyebrows immediately raised.

"But that doesn't mean I would want to be that. What do you add to all of this, exactly? All the attention, everything on you. A bunch of guys who'd drag their balls through a mile of glass to hear your voice through a tannoy. And you can smash, fuck shit up, on another scale, but this isn't just for me. Neither is a price to what I do." Skye didn't particularly care, adding to the list on one hand that might find Athena's presence not so intimidating, even though Athena seemed to be able to take one stride to close the distance, if she would have liked.

"Rude." Athena called back, Skye shrugging.

"You don't often get people telling you that, do you? And the people that do, you can often kick their ass." Skye replied, Athena nodding silently.

"You're pretty fucking cool, Ath. Like, I get it, you can be all of this. You're literally everything your sister said you were, and more. Capable as hell. But, I wouldn't convince you into this. I wouldn't want to. You do you, but that isn't something I can sign up to personally. You know, some people are keen on that. And that's a good thing. All eyes Athena, so none to me." Skye replied, forming a smile back.

"Nah, I get that. You like this life. But keep it in mind. You don't have to be the boss lady just in Raven, you know. Someone like you could point towards something a lot bigger. Just think about it, 'kay?" Athena replied, walking over, head turned as she headed out of the room.

"Oh, and Skye?" Athena caught Skye's look, as she put away the rest of her training gear.

"Yeah?"

"I'd probably say you were everything Freya said you were too. Glad we have you on our side."

"Appreciate that. I'm sure once this is done you'll be on Instagram again." Skye smirked, Athena nodding, breaking back into her energetic self.

"And you know it!"

---

Tahlia looked down at Duke, as the tech passed by with Duke frankly leading the man straight to Tahlia. If ever a dog had a sense of direction, Duke was it, and the Belgian Malinois had spent time on base with the techs, but particularly with Tahlia when not with Duke. And Tahlia had taken a liking to him. He reminded her of her Labrador back in the Otago farm, albeit with a jaw that wasn't made for recovering game, but for just gnawing away at anything it latched onto. A fierce boy, but, no less handsome.

"Hello there Duke!" Tahlia gently brushed him behind the ear, at this point, very accustomed to how he was about his business. He gave a gentle bark back, as the lightly blonde Kiwi gave him some attention, heading over towards where his bowl and his food were, on the hour, at the hour that he needed it.

"Now, I'll be honest." Duke seemed to give an inquisitive look, as the helicopter left, Tahlia looking down to him, talking to him. As if he was a person. Like he'd give a response, after he'd chowed down.

She must have been going crazy here.

"We somehow managed to save the world, and now, your owner, your dad is going to go find out if he can spend time with a very cute looking redhead. And if he can't, he is going to get his dick cut off. Yes, yes he is!" Tahlia added, leading him along with a subtle command, the obedient Belgian Shepherd following, as Tahlia rustled his hair again.

"You know how clever he is, and he won't answer you back."

"Fuck!" Tahlia nearly jumped out of her legs, as Purna chuckled, a wry smirk on the Nepali's face, gently brushing his hand over Duke, as if HE was just as surprised.

"You enjoying this?" Purna said stone faced, as Tahlia shrugged, Duke enquiring about Purna's ability to sneak up on a trained scout sniper, someone who regularly did the creeping more than Purna did. And how had Duke not realised he was coming? Dressed in a plaid shirt and cargo trousers, the pale-faced, shaven Nepali seemed to not really emanate right now some level of Sam Fisheresque stealth, but more some guy who just looked innocent enough.

"Yeah, time with Duke is always fun. Why the hell did you scare me like that?" Tahlia asked, Purna leaning against the wall, shrugging.

"Honestly, I always wanted to see if I could. Dogs are incredibly observant. But, there's things I heard might work on guards in particular. Like, carrying this around. It's a nullifier for scent, or basically, like a cloak for their senses. Outside of course, of noise and vibrations. Anyway, thought to check in on how you were doing. Duke might not listen. But I'm happy to, given this is your first serious operation back." Purna pulled the small brick, an innocent looking shard of grey.

"And me? Jesus Christ, Purna. Yeah. Yeah, all good." Tahlia replied, the two walking through the corridors, and heading outside, finding a bench, Duke in tow.

"I mean, it went alright. The operation happened, we got it done, my legs held out and we completed three serious assaults in the space of three hours. Sounds like a loose end with Skye's uhh.....well, many, many twin sisters. So yeah, we'll be busy."

"That we will. But, I thought to ask. Why did you come back to service?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. Or some shit like that. Sitting in an office isn't my idea of fun. I mean, killing people is miserable, shitty, horrible work. But...." Tahlia said, Purna recognising that tone.

"You snatch life from a mile away. And are good at it. And you know that. It helps the team, and somehow, you prefer it to being a desk warrior. Not many people like that. But I can tell from a mile away." Purna's response was quick, Tahlia unable to answer, as Purna provided another conversation piece.

Drawing the kukri, Purna swung it in his palm, passing it to Tahlia, and pointing to the hut.
"This is all my life was up till now. In there, there's someone who killed my brothers in arms, and has a knife just like it. These are incredibly ornate...more than that to us. And it was the first time I truly felt something. I felt this strange hate, Tahlia. Yet, a feeling that I respected the man too much to do anything to him. Like a greater good meant it pulled our fibers one way. Not another." Purna said, as Tahlia inspected it over.

"Perhaps he made me realise that the object of that hate, has something that keeps them going. Even when he seemingly doesn't inside. So, as someone good at this, what do you suggest, Tarly?" Purna seemed dethatched, as Tahlia shrugged, thinking about the scale of the question.

"It's hard. My dad was tortured in a Chinese prison when he was working with the CIA, and a few other groups at the time, and he wondered how he'd go back to reality after everything settled down after his work. And he told me, what got him over the line, was to accept it. Understand that we're people who want to affect the world around us normally, and we do through what we do. Yet sometimes, we need to let that part of us run. If the only justice in the world is the kind we make, then sometimes it's better to let it flow. Let him keep that knife, because it'll never bring anything, or anyone back. Or any honour. We've killed far too many people for that to be applicable. And, you're mindful enough to do that, Purna. Calm like a monk." Tahlia was serious and then a little jokey, knowing she'd get through to him. But was still curious why he would ask. "You know this. So why did you ask?"

"Because I suppose it's the first time I've not made that justice myself."

---

Interlude: Last Campfire

2200 Local Time

The arrival of Sam brought a smile to Skye's face, the question amongst the hubub getting caught, and getting a reply.

"Nothing much." Skye called back back, as Adam looked across, poking two sausages over the fire, pulling one off and putting them into a communal plate. The fire was life out here, keeping the cold at bay and crackling as the damp sometimes caught.

"How's your day been, Sam?" Skye asked, curious to hear it, the redhead sitting up and looking over, Adam and Athena making conversation, as they knew the others would soon be making their way across. Athena broke that bit of conversation, bringing in her own bit of gossip.

"Well, my brother, get this...." Athena started, telling the tale of what she'd heard on the grapevine from Jamie....and well, the laughs followed rather quick.

No surprises there, because Mama Kaantario was not a woman to be messed with.

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

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

A Couch in the Sky

---

@LadyAmber

"There are plenty of red Ferrari coats out there on the grandstands even in Practice so I imagine they'll be cheering for you in full force, whatever the weather! How have you found Dorian's support with getting used to the circuit?"

---

@Enzayne

"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?"

---

@Starlance

"Well, it sounds like a dream for an ex-rally driver such as yourself. It seems like Carrera in particular will enjoy this circuit- with the upgrades brought to the ship, it seems like the team seems to be more well oiled this year than in previous years. What do you think has been the main factor?"

---

The interviews played out, the pranks in the background not masked entirely.

And with it, the interviews would be over as soon as they began- the pilots having an opportunity to enjoy the views on the mountaintop, and in the hut. This was a hell of a place to hold it, and whilst a cloud rolled in and killed some of the view, it was gone as soon as it had arrived, revealing the glorious, golden sunset in a white sheet landscape.

Either way, no matter how cold it was here, there was this understated feeling of rivalry kicking in. They may have been joking now, but soon, they'd be going toe to toe, and they'd be putting it on the line on a circuit that rewarded those willing to push a little bit further.

---

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

Strada Alpina
Marmolada, Dolomiti, Italia
1400 CET

La Forza

Soundtrack: UNKLE- Keys to the Kingdom



The spectators had certainly enjoyed the session, the timesheets getting rocked with each pass. The circuit being so long led to some wide degree of variation- and whilst the circuit massively rewarded fast craft, it could be said that due to the tighter corners requiring an almost 180 degree run of the ship without any MAG-backed walls and just snowbanks and grass run-off, as well as pure pilot skill. Like Cape Town, Italy rewarded patience under highly undulating bits of circuit, especially the kinks and high speed turns and carves that were almost mind-bending to most. But, incredibly cool to an ultra-high megapixel camera that could catch the ships in action.

Qualifying Results for Italy:

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qF6cn…

The conclusion was a surprise to many, however. Jamie Hart had crashed in Sector 1, pushing too hard up to Rifugio Padon, unlucky enough to cut the corner and wipe the ship out with a tumble that even the ship's AI couldn't really fix at all. Amy not being able to set a fastest time, surprisingly low in the standings reflected that it might have been a bad setup here for Silver Apex- perhaps the ship being twitchy had finally come back to Amy, but even so, it was a surprise to most to see her get knocked off the top spot.

"And that is qualifying complete, and what a session!"

"Absolutely, and take a look at Kelly and Zenix on the top two spots. Two pilots with something to prove, for two top teams and what a showdown this is looking like. Nora Kelly seems to be an absolute fiend in setting lap times, but Kais Zenix is a hard racer, and the two will be going hull to hull through every Sector if they can't help themselves."

"Well, we will be in for a treat tomorrow, folks. Makara, Al-Nadir, and nobody can write off Stirling, not from any position. This track punishes mistakes, but you need to be so, so confident with the ship at top speed for almost a third of a lap here, even in spite of the corners and massive undulations that seem their best to slow down each ship. Rory, what do you think of the other Silver Apex ship, down in 20th for tomorrow's grid?"

"It seems like the pressure is certainly mounting on Jamie Hart, and whilst nobody wants to say it yet, this performance simply can't be acceptable to the team at Silver Apex. It's hard to know what's going on there, but we'll have to see how things play out."

"Well, from me and the rest of the commentary crew, thank you for joining us today- and we'll see you tomorrow afternoon, for the stunning views and speed of the Italian AGP."

---

The teams had much to address. A lot to prepare, and the day after, with the race, was certainly going to have some tension, prepping the ships, setting up strategy for tomorrow, and more importantly, debriefing it all.

Nora lining next to Kais, two rookies in hyper-fast, hyper sketchy craft on a circuit that required complete bravery rather than tactics.

Beatrix in another top 6 must have felt like a dream, but again, she had Amy Stirling and Cassie Neves wedged between her, and that was going to certainly fuel a little tension on the start.

And well, Paul and Han had each other again to fight, the two craft less suited to the higher speed and this particular circuit, the latter having the slight performance gain.

The tension felt palpable. But, as the sun set on another Dolomites night, the crews, the teams and the pilots had an opportunity to plug in, arrange, rest up, and most importantly, come back tomorrow fighting.

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

Delta Hyper Post Race Interviews: Sponsored by the Anti-Social Social Club

@MrSkimobile

"You're definitely allowed to be over the moon with that, Kais! Amazing work, we'll let you go as it looks like you'll be busy!" Aurora beamed back, fans cheering, the next journalist in line to pick up Kais for a piece.

This must have been hell for him, but then again, Amy Stirling wasn't on the top step, so that meant he was certainly the man of the hour, and if ever there was a moment he was in demand, it would be right here and now.

---

@Sylvan

(TBC)

---

@LadyAmber

"We look forward to seeing your modifications in the next rounds, and it seems like you've picked plenty up from this race. Thank you for your time Paul!"

---

@Enzayne

"Hopefully we start to see that come around, Han, thank you for your time!"

---

@Starlance

"Wow, sounds like an exciting night and we'll let you get on with that- Beatrix Ward everyone!" And with that, the crowd cheered, Aurora returning Bea's smile, moving onto the next.

---

Somewhere in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Fitzroy Orbital AG Racing

Jenny Lowry

"Say what you want, you windowlicking little bastard! Y'know, you don't really give a f*ck, you just sit there and f*cking stare off bored, and wonder why every engineer here fancies f*cking leaving? And f*ck off with your dad, tell him there isn't enough money to look after his bloody son!" With that, Cavan left the room, middle finger raised as he headed through the double doors back at him, the entire floor just in complete, sudden silence, the scene prefacing it probably not worth including.

There wasn't a response really from Henry, an actual grown man staring on, the scene cutting to his team-mate, Jenny, sitting in the Delta Hyper interview room. A pale skinned, black-haired Yorkshire lass, Jenny was actually the local of the team and in her white and red shirt, seemed to be rather chirpy considering the outburst seconds before. Aurora was obviously going to dig.

"So, at this point, it seems like there's a lot of uncertainty in the team. How do you feel about it?" Aurora's query felt like not much to Jenny, given her media training, and well, being told by the team to absolutely, not fuck this response up.

"Well, any project like this has a lot of passion. Y'know, it's not exactly easy but, sometimes people just don't want to fit the project."

"Has this got anything to do with the rumours of acquisition, that Maxwell Fitzroy is looking to sell a majority stake in the team and there's been significant organisational change?"

"Oh no, no. That's a rumour going around a lot but no, I think they're not exactly all founded."

"Right. On another topic- any comment on Beatrix's success? You two seemed to be rivals back in Junior Formula AG, but you seemed to always be on friendly terms."

"Hmm. Frenemies? Hah, yeah, glad to see her doing great." Jenny replied, noting Bea's comment on her climbing, and a little reflection going back.

Their paths really had diverged, hadn't they.

---

Aurora turned up again, back on the sofa, back to the footage playing in the background as she walked through the Delta Hyper set.

"With Kais Zenix's first victory, all eyes are on what he does next, and the title race." Aurora started, cutting to footage of his overtake, and his team going absolutely berserk over that move.

"We're headed to Italy next. While the mountains of the Dolomites may be sub-zero, our new pilots are proving anythng but cold! We'll see you next time on Delta Hyper!" Aurora quipped, her trademark sign-off back, and well, with that, the credits roll. The pilots, the crew, and well, more importantly, the hardest, most slapping soundtrack for somewhere like Tokyo.

Soundtrack: Intial D- Deja Vu

And in amidst overtakes such as Paul carving the tunnel wall, to Bea's push through the grid, Kais taking first past Amy, and the now iconic shot of ships roaring past the Tokyo Tower, and then like a blur, going through the Rainbow Bridge, ships chasing after each other, the neon glow coming out of colour.

---

Strada Alpina
Somewhere on Marmolada Glacier, Dolomiti, Italia

GLACIAL///MIRROR///

A collab with @Starlance

Soundtrack: The Hives- Tick Tick Boom

The bars on the screen widened, gently peeling apart to reveal the scene as the riff slowly dropped in.

The wind howled through the mountains, the camera gently panning up from the white-ice of the icy lake under a perfect blue sky, gently turning up the blue and white mountainside, the gentle kick of The Hives lighting up and slowly phasing in like someone was turning up the volume, the rushing of anti-gravity ships visible within the glacier cracks, and the faint whine of ELS roaring inside the glacier cavity, the camera continuing to pan and keep climbing upwards, all the way up to the top, to where the track was, and two ships roared past within a crevasse, at full 90 degrees to normal. Footage from last year, but it barely seemed to faze or look like that, as it came back to horizon and an endless sea of white that skated the rest of the glacier.

A world apart from Tokyo, the craft fading in sound to a gentle echo, as the camera took its time, building and building, cutting away from the track’s loop across the glacier, and instead coming up to the barren, empty snowfield that made up the remainder and peeling away to reveal the ridgeline of the mountain as the riff kicked in.

And then the camera seemed to pan onto two silhouettes on the horizon, the camera coming around and gently coming to level, capturing the view below from the ridgeline, by the side of the circuit, where Harrison and Bea stood at the precipice.

“Ready?” Harrison’s ever present charisma was always there on command, looking to his partner. And in a sharp green and white jacket and trouser combo, with the same for his Faction-branded skis that seemed to be made of some substance that looked like an exotic carbon fibre blended with classic polycarbonate, his gloves pulling a set of augmented goggles down, and looking down at the vast expanse that was an off-piste snow field below on the glacier.

”Did you even need to ask?” Bea grinned back from behind simpler polymer-and-HUD rainbow-polarized goggles as she snapped her second foot into the bindings of her board, an all-mountain freestyle board with a rising phoenix across it. A paid mountain vacation with the last-minute addition of one of her favorite drivers on the grid? Yes, please! The AG gig was worth it for the sponsor shoots alone so far. ”Age before beauty?” She pointed down the untouched snow with a mirthful jab.
Harrison smirked back, a sly smile back on his face, as he pushed forward and with it, carved a large pile of snow down the mountain, yelling over at Bea.
“Keep up then!” And with that, so the sequence began. The camera followed the sinewing route, Harrison carving ice, the skis relatively old-school versus a more modern gravboard, that could just literally propel itself like a missile with just clips to keep the user on it, but well, it felt cinematic. And it felt nice over bumps, through the ruts and undulation of the glacier bumps, catching air through a couple and grabbing the skis, putting his adrenaline hunting skills to use. It felt right, and well, looking back, the camera followed, and so did Bea.

It peeled back to reveal the wider view from the top, the glacier’s extent, the lake below, the tunnels, the cable car station where the start-finish was. It was impossible to understate the beauty of the location- into the horizon, an almost endless array of snowy mountains, of which hadn’t been like that for a decade before geoengineering and carbon dioxide extractors had worked their magic, returning some vague semblance of reality to a set of glaciers that had shrunken to nearly nothing. It was truly stunning, almost the kind that would take a viewer’s breath away if they were immersed in the AR that Formula AG provided. And with that, the camera immediately rushed back in, following the action immediately.

Although the world changed twice over, chemical rockets giving way to magnetoplasma and tires at times to antigrav repulsors, some things didn’t need to be reinvented even if they did as the pair demonstrated racing down the glacier - the old meeting the new, although the glacier was technically both at the same time - the rally hooligan definitely shining through in Bea’s approach as she went mound to mound like small natural ramps, from simple spins to more complicated cartwheels and flips off the larger mounds and occasional overhang, while sneaking in opportune straight-lines to keep up; any close up shot revealing a big, stupid grin plastered firmly across the visible lower half of her face.

And that cutaway shot, with Harrison giving a solid woop echoed through the mountains, carving over another small feature, sticking high and letting Bea go past, dropping down into the gap with a solid 360 degree turn, planting himself heavy into the powder, and carving back out, back around behind Bea, his own grin revealing it all, as he turned hard again, the camera almost tailing him and his locks as it did so, rushing past and dipping into an area where suddenly, both Bea and Harrison flew over, the camera catching a glimpse of sky and the snowboard, and then the pair of skis with their boarder and skier respectively almost as if they went into oblivion.

And the scene cut, revealing the Southern Cross AG ship coming down over the frankly ridiculous jump at Forcella Pordoi, the ship flying through the air with the MAG tracking snatching the ship back before it carried on into oblivion, Harrison hollering with a hell of a lot of joy from his skiing footage that transposed into this, the long left turn and ridiculously fast sector meaning the ship was flat, snow blasting from the ship’s trace at the edges of the glass and metal track surface, carving back down through Sector 2, the ship forking through the hairpins, tighter bends and then back up the ski slope that even in spite of the snow being clear, still sprayed a ton of it from the engines anyway. He was roaring through and the ship’s speed was almost continuously high, as Harrison spotted something as he crested the next ridiculous drop, past the forest section and onto the bit of road that the tack followed. Ah, yeah this was part of the script. This was very much part of the script. He turned down the throttle to a much more moderate setting, one that seemed like time sitting still to him, and well, after rushing through the forest, heading back onto Passo Pordoi, towards the tunnels, spotted a certain car on the barely cleared road, the tarmac sticking out of the slush and snow, and the tunnels ahead that carved alongside the frozen lake coming up.

Anti-gravity racing ship, hypercar, it didn’t matter. This was one of the greatest driving roads, in the world, fast as hell, with curves that rewarded a car that could keep it together, and well, avalanche covers and tunnels that made the roaring noise about fifty times more insane.

The fighterjet-like howl of the AG ship was replaced with the deep, almost bestial roar of the 2021 Glickenhaus SCG 007 LMH, a venerable antique by comparison. This part took a few takes, as the car was not designed for roads like this one and the driver didn’t feel like selling a kidney and half her liver to cover the cost if she broke it. The two race machines lined up abreast - AG ship not high above idle, hypercar not far off its limiter - holding formation for a few stunning shots of both the machines alone as well as in conjunction with the backdrop before Bea pulled off down a side road while Harrison continued along the circuit, a ‘passing of the torch’ sort of scene.

And what a scene it was, Bea pulling away into a side road and Harrison turning up the speed that bolted the ship forward like it was on fast forward, cackling with laughter, not because of the speed, or the encroaching corner at the dam, but actually, the other AG ship that was now behind him, and gaining quick, the howl of the ship lacking the pure mechanical scream of the Glickenhaus going through gears in the tunnels and instead more like a ethereal, dark-dimensioned whine when it was turned up, as if it was about to make dogs howl if it went into ultrasonics. The race always grew, evolved, and well, even though it may have been freezing outside, quite a bit below zero even down at the base of the mountain, competition was always heated. And two hard turns banked, heading into Sector 3, and the glacier sector ahead. Full throttle, despite a few ups and downs, and all that it came with..
“Keeping up with the times Bea, Let’s have it!” Harrison said the two-way radio link they had, seeing Bea’s connection up on his AR display and the Wipala-flavour craft quite literally visible like he had eyes in the back of his head. This wasn’t a race….but not like he was going to go steady here, was he? And well, the MAG tracking that now headed up the glacier, all 1000m plus of it, and carved through the actual glacier itself through the blue streak, that was something and a half.

Scripted it may have been, but neither could call themselves a racer if they didn’t push just a little. A Pan-South American-British chimera and an Aussie purebred sharing the stage. ”Make way, future coming through.” The Briton replied in likewise good spirit as they climbed fast and high enough to make ears pop despite the helmets, Bea at the last moment not going for a move out of the last corner she would’ve taken in the race, seeing the safety coordinator’s glare in the back of her mind. Save it for Sunday. The sunshine alternated with the blue hue of the ice cave against the ships’ hulls, bits of fluorescent paint applied to both for that extra bit of flair before both ships momentarily blotted out the camera’s sun as they crested the top, Bea’s ‘wobbly’ setup from the last two races letting her catch more air and nearly scrape the ground and throwing up a cloud of powdered snow in her wake on the landing with the backdrop of hearty laugh.



And the camera from earlier in its identical angle captured the two ships jostling, catching that same pan as it caught them on that crest and the snow spraying out, Harrison having the same reaction as that of Bea, just in pure cackling laughter, the viewer realising probably about now what had just happened in terms of how this had been framed.

Because the camera panned up the mountain, as it did before with the punk rock fading, and caught two silhouettes on the horizon……and captured the scene we opened into.

Soundtrack: Ludovico Einaudi- Experience

The bars rolled in on the camera to ultrawide, as it turned around again, and caught Bea and Harrison standing at the edge once more, this time instead refocusing on the circuit below, the carving aspects through the blue-like glacier, and the endless field of mountains, and revealing Strada Alpina for all it was, under a bluebird, cloudless, perfect golden sky. Italy was a special round for many, and while there may not have been as many spectators out here, it was one to savor.

The outro was almost like a CV of the Dolomites, a quickfire show of short clips in no particular order: From tourism and winter sports including the 1956 and 2026 Winter Olympics at Cortina d’Ampezzo and breathtaking views of the jagged earth through the years to a trench buried under the snow of Marmolada itself on the White Friday and the old Dolomites Gold Cup Race, its 304 kilometer lap starting and ending once again in Cortina.

Flickering through skiing getting faster and faster as technology advanced, and the roar of supercars in the valley below, interspersed with the most recent introduction of AG racing through the ridgelines and at the Forcella Pordoi leap, the black bars still in the same place on the screen. The historic racing at Monza and Imola, Ferraris most of all, from Charles Leclerc to Michael Schumacher, to Davide Mazzotta, 2041 champion, and then, the scene cut one last time.



The sky turning to an obsidian purple as Harrison stared into oblivion, sitting atop the nose of his Southern Cross ship on the silhouette of the highest start finish line of the entire year (well, outside of Luna), under a sky plastered in stars, in full race gear looking over his shoulder at Bea on hers, the gentle whine audible alongside the whistling of cold air, and the feeling of being here. This was Italia. And as the violins and music hit crescendo, it revealed just how the snow seemed to reflect, almost blue under the moonlight. The bars closed in and the scene faded to black gently as it peeled away.

---

DELTΔ HYPER

Episode Four: Azzuro Alpina

Round 4 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Friday 14th April, 2094
Post-Practice
Italian AGP

Rifugio Capanna Piz Fassa di Bernard Guido
Piz Boè, Dolomiti, Italia
1700 CET

A Couch in the Sky

The Delta Hyper couch was not where it normally was.

In fact, it was absolutely not in a usual spot at all.

The camera peeled back from the sofa, no pale wall behind but instead, on a metal platform hanging off another wooden platform at a rifugio, or mountain hut, high above Sector 2's Forcella Pordoi section. The bit where ships went flying, and it sat right at the top of a 3000m mountain. It was far from the start finish line even as the crows flew, but, it was certainly one of the most tranquil, spectacular places to put a Delta Hyper interview booth.

It was suspended on a small steel platform that had Marmolada and Passo Pordoi in the background, and whilst precarious, had suitable cabling that wasn't really visible to the camera that prevented anyone from yeeting themselves into oblivion. And at the top of it, a couple of chairs, sticking on the overhang, giving probably one of the most spectacular, if not incredible interview setups of the grid.

The Dolomites AGP was known as the first "Nature" race- one of Formula AG's romps in a spectacular landscape, and a reminder to viewers of perhaps just how incredibly well protected such areas had become, following climate change, and devastation in the decades and decades prior. It was also a thrilling circuit- and from up on the cabin, the Forcella Pordoi jump could be seen below, the track carving around the end of the valley down before it went over quite a literal mountain towards the base of Marmolada Glacier.

"Hello, and welcome all to Italy! And look at that view for a starter, if you weren't so excited by our intro and the practice session just finished, then welcome to the most exciting interview of the year. Joining me is Rory Andrews, and we're here to interview the pilots as they mingle up here, at our special, Delta Hyper-comandeered cabin in the mountains."

Aurora was actually in person this time around, as Rory chuckled, smiling to camera, looking over. If it wasn't for the invisible-to-camera space heater between the sofa and the interviewing chairs at the top of a snowy mountain, even if the sky was gently turning to amber with the setting sun, it would have been freezing cold.

"Yes, Aurora, we've certainly got an amazing place to be. We'll be seeing the pilots soon and chatting to them about their ambitions at Strada Alpina, one of the most incredible circuits of the year."

"Well, apart from Luna...."

"Right you are Rory, apart from Luna. What a circuit it is. Shall we meet our first guest?"

---

@Starlance

The first one up was Beatrix- and the editing seemed slick enough to make it seem like the whole operation was smoother than it was, going from pilot to pilot.

"Bea, I'd say welcome to the Dolomites but it looks like you introduced us! What was it like filming with Harrison, and how did you find practice today afterwards on the circuit?" Aurora asked, her usual chirp coming in, knowing the beaming smile on the footage was definitely not fake.

---

@LadyAmber

"Paul, welcome to Italy! With the first European race of the season, have you got anything to say to the home fans?"

---

@MrSkimobile

"Kais Zenix, one time race winner, and now here with us on the couch for Delta Hyper! This might be a bit different to Egypt, but do you think with your fast ship you can repeat your achievement in Tokyo on the slopes here in Italy?"

---

@Sylvan

"Nelly, a pleasure for you to join us! Whilst a little different to Tokyo, do you think the pundits have got it right that Southern Apex are the hot favourites for Italy?"

---

@Enzayne

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

---

The various pilots getting interviewed were one up at a time, and this time, could actually see, for real, them getting interviewed on the platform. They would likely be sitting inside, as given how frozen the top of the mountain was, or at least mooching about on the platform below the interview spot before getting back in. Either way, this was a unique situation to be in- and did anyone mention there was a boiling hot pot of fondue inside?

They wouldn't be here long. After all, they had telemetry to go through, practice sessions to review, and then, a Qualifying tomorrow afternoon to complete. And what a shoot-out it would be.

They could mill about in the cabin, but after, they were likely getting whisked away by their teams, and off to go work at the highest pit lane (outside of obviously, the literal moon) in the grid at Marmolada.

Raven Squad: Second Storm (Military/Spy-Fi RP)

Fireteam Viking

Tahlia Harris

"I think we're done here." Javi replied, looking at the bloodied lip of Scion, aware he was holding on the rail, and thus making it a clear run to get out of here. With it, he flipped the craft around, and hit the accelerator, heading straight back the way they came, and out of there. This fight was done and dusted, and there was home to return to. They'd pick up Tahlia, before hitting the ocean once again, headed towards Narsarsuaq Fjord, and the airport that sat within where the A400 could safely head towards.

---

Fireteam Poseidon

Adam Stanislaw Kajtanowicz

With all members of the team dragged aboard, the water lapped at the ramp, the flaming rig lighting up the dawn chorus, as Adam exhaled hard, pulling in Ebrima and Ban, pulling them aboard as the SDV was left behind and once Freya and Chuck had joined in, dragged aboard from the SDV's presence aboard the rear. The submarine that was no longer in the sea made the floor a wet mess, but it mostly poured out of the rear ramp, Adam peeling his helmet away, cuts and bruised, coughing out water, looking to the front.

"We're good, Vincent, get us the fuck out of here!" His bark was all he had left, as he panted, exhaling hard, looking back at the flaming mess, and the group that had survived it. He couldn't get the words quite out of himself, just considering how insane that had gone. He didn't want to know how Freya felt, probably in need of a hug too, but she could tell she needed a moment. Nothing needed to be said, and the team silently knew what had gone on, what had went down, and that they needed to get home. With it, the VTOL peeled away from water and hit throttle.

---

Raven's Rock, Camp Hannula, Pöyrisjärvi National Park, Finland

Skye Rosalind Lyons

1700 Hours Local Time

The team from the former oil rig turned geoengienering platform had turned in first, whilst that was then followed by the crew from Greenland. Athena had disappeared, as had Purna and Oliver to stow the airship, well, somewhere, before they'd get a private flight over to Camp Hannula later in the day- probably dropping it at the Kantaario family ranch in Upstate New York. Skye and Sam, on the other hand, had taken an express from Halifax back over to Finland after getting dropped off, whilst Fireteam Viking, then Fireteam Poseidon, had taken their transports back, the A400 and the V38 respectively making a return after some fuelling.

And returning on to Camp Hannula, the now significantly more casual looking Skye Lyons walked with a certain uncertainty about it all. The armoury was abuzz, as she dragged herself in with her almost comically sized black duffel, containing all of her gear, throwing it down by her station, unloading the various bits, from rifle, to fatigues. By her exo, where her rifle now was positioned, as well as her other gear, the wingpack taken on a separate collection.

The mood should have been cheery, and most people were, crews upbeat about the fact that their families were safe, and Armageddon had been prevented. Who knew how much untold violence Sol Hestia could have caused- it would have certainly got a few billion in one fell swoop, and that would be more than enough anarchy for Rose's liking. A revenge prevented, and while she had escaped, and that was knowledge only locked down to the immediate team and any support staff that needed to know, the remainder was at least positive. Artemis had been disarmed significantly, and the options for Rose were looking like dilemmas, not so clear cut anymore.

She looked around, the team quiet, almost as if nothing more had to be said. It was over. The spring had rolled into the green of northern Finland, the end of the world prevented and instead filled with greenery and more importantly, people that now owed a hell of a lot to the team. It was a quiet respect, a certain kind of untold thanks, because the situation was still volatile. Tahlia looked to Skye, almost as if to still be in shock of her own. But even they were quiet. There was an unsaid positivity about what they'd done, an achievement, yet a certain feeling that they were all processing it, absorbing it beyond simple interactions, a Hello and such.

They all felt vacant, and were still unpacking a hell of a lot of emotions. And there was this feeling that despite it all, this wasn't over yet.

The sight of the older Punjabi officer, dressed in full MTP uniform, Oracle himself, Imran, the CO to Skye and Adam, changed that a little.

"Major Lyons? Need you with me for a moment. Alone."

With it, Skye's face seemed dejected, almost completely uncertain. A rare thing indeed. She looked over at Sam, and then at Freya, Ebrima, and lastly, Adam. No matter what any of them wanted to do, this was not a moment that could be interrupted. Skye was going willingly, and even though Adam was wondering why he wasn't getting a call, he knew it was because of well, the situation that was now established.

Imran headed up, the stairs, the Scot following, breaking the ice, probably audible from behind.

"So that's it? I expected no parade, but a quiet chat, no, "Oh, you saved the world?" I mean, even in our line of work, come on." Skye seemed a little childish, but she had to poke back at Imran, knowing full well what had just gone down.

"Our best assets are searching for her. You know this isn't over. You did a good thing, but we can't let up."

"Yeah, well, she's gone to ground. What I did to you, she'll do back to us." Skye barbed back, with an honesty that would have gotten most commanders reprimanded, but well, she was honest, if anything. They entered the office, Adam's technically, but appropriated by Imran whilst here, the door now shut.

---

"Then what do you think she's up to?" Imran returned the favour.

"Going to somewhere we won't go. Rather than can't. A blimp in the sky we can hit. But somewhere we're not allowed, then I'd have to go outside of the usual rules." Skye's thoughts were rather simple too. She didn't like where this was going. It felt...just a bit too simple.

"Why do you think that?"

Skye looked vacant for a second, shrugging her shoulders as if to say, it was rather obvious.

"It is literally what I'd do. And I imagine you've got me here to tell me that. Or something worse."

"On a tangent, Skye, but do you understand why I chose you for Raven?" Imran's question was a pointed one, one he knew an answer to already.

"Because I did the things that others weren't willing to. Torture, kill, then lead people to do the same. I got the job done. And despite all of that, still believe.....believed, in a greater good. Kept my head when others lost theirs. Are you now going to use that against me?" Skye uttered, Imran nodding.

"All noble things. But the reality is, it's because deep down, you can't ever stop. And you won't, no matter what I tell you. I wasn't sure what I would do to you when you got back because of it. There's no end of three letter agencies who would want your skin up on a wall so they can make another one of you, and we are ever so lucky Sam wiped all the servers and any possibility of it. I am getting told by certain people I deserve to get crucified for that, and they want to do that to Sam. And Ebrima, two for one deal. Off the books though, thank fuck Sam did that, because it means the bodies, the servers and everything with it, is nearly of no use to anyone anymore. That, and your legend seems to scare anyone off from doing anything too stupid. For now." Imran started, looking over the Scot, the blue merino wool fleece wearing operative leaning against a wall, smirking with response.

"We weren't on the record to begin with. You can't just put black marker over the black marker. That's now how that works. Not with the situation at hand." Skye reminded him, Imran scowling in response.

"Well, you wrote on it in pink highlighter with your specific existence, I'm afraid. And now, anything, all of this, is fucked." Imran was perhaps more blunt in response.

"So...what else changed your mind? Spare me the monologue. You have me here because you want me for something insane and you know nobody else will take you up on your offer. Because you think I have nothing to live for apart from solving this." Skye added, looking over as Imran headed to the desk, pulling the folder open. And with it, he pushed a picture across the desk.

The one of Skye's father, Henry, and now the figure that was shaded out, rendered back in.
"You didn't see this, I showed it to Adam, but not you. That is Henry Simmonds, the scientist that the team captured in Marrakesh, and was part of the team involved in...creating you. Henry filled in the blanks on the rest of the programme. Movers, shakers. That sort of thing. And namely, who else was involved. So imagine my shock when I found this person to the left of him, next to the man who raised you." Imran began, Skye eying up the picture. Imran described it as a reminder.

"And this is General George Zhao, formerly a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army, our man in Hong Kong before it was handed back to China, and a rat bastard that defected to the People's Liberation Army five years afterward. He was the military liaison for the project that spawned you. Your third father. And someone who was far too beyond our approach to ever eliminate. And now, he's in Artemis. Not that even Rose would have known the link, after all, we scrubbed George's name from everything we had, damage limitation. She would have been the perfect double agent, if the circumstances were right, yet herself, of her own volition, did what she did because a lot of people that are now dead hurt her beyond a measure any of us can believe. Broke her mind, and well, she just decided we all had to die for it. All of this also means you, Major, were a product of Artemis to begin with if we draw some lines together. Another mark against you those three letter agencies have. Who knows, maybe Ian was too." Imran walked around, looking direct to Skye.

"Fuck. Then Zhao got what he wanted if that's Rose, not me. Maybe my old man too." Skye replied, unable at all to make out of it was her, or her quite literal evil clone sister. Which still felt cartoonish.

"Rose was the fulfilment of all of their dreams and hopes. You, on the other hand, thankfully, weren't. Or else we'd all be dead right now." Imran said, Skye looking in a certain amusement that well, the well just kept going deeper.

"Well, not much shocks me anymore, I'll be honest, at this point you may as well tell me I'm made of wee fucking Tunnocks. And you have Henry? And thought it might not be an idea to introduce me, by the way?" Skye had known rumours. But now, those were true, and well, she had something of a thread on a past before that was tangible.

"Henry's not part of the conversation. Unlike me or you, he has a family he can go back to, so he's left. And no more operational intel for us. We blasted any relevant stuff out of him with a significant amount of MK Ultra derived drugs that we sent him home with. Our standard procedure. Hardly like you have any blood from him anyway."

"Fine."

"Back to Zhao. He's the last piece of the puzzle, and one I put together whilst you were away with Henry. Far as we can tell, he's the only remaining, and operable high level Artemis member still in play. He is the only place that Rose can go to. Yet, we have no idea where he is. Officially, we cannot strike him, hit him in any capacity, at all. I mean that, even in spite of the fact China provided operatives to us before. There is so much tension between America and China right now that any escalation, like killing one of their Generals, might lead to mistakes. All out war. Forget Spectre, or Christian Moller. He's just a broker. We'll get him again, but Zhao, he's the one that counts. Get him, we get Rose." Imran seemed confident, as Skye already could tell where this was going.

"So unofficially, you want us to find him, eliminate him, and torture the hell out of him to find out where Rose is, and then kill her to put an end to this, in the usual geopolitical shitshow we work in?"

"When we have intel, we'll task you up. I expect it to be a hell of a fight. And this time around, there may not be the support you received in your previous missions, given how sensitive this is. This might be off the books. And require you to do something extraordinary."

Skye looked back at him with a cold stare, leaning back against the doorframe, sighing.

"And why do you expect me to work for you, considering that after this is done, there may not be a tomorrow for me? You said it yourself. A lifetime of looking over my shoulder because of what's inside of me. Ian felt that way, I wonder. Maybe that's why he was killed. More I stew on it, more I think that."

"And yet he believed in what you were. While going through the bottom of the draw with Henry, we found this. I think you should have a look at it."

Skye took it in hand, pulling it out. And there it was. a picture of Skye with her father in her youth, she remembered that picture, being held up and smiling on his shoulder. Must have been maybe when she was about eight? Her golden-red hair, curly at that time for some reason. Turning the Polaroid over, she gently brushed the dust off the marking. It was almost as if a snapshot of her past flashed in her eyes, as she read it back.

'My sweet, I'll be back soon.'

Skye looked up to Imran, a certain realisation hitting them both. The text had been faded, the print that it had been inscribed in fading back into colour once the masking on it had given out.

"You don't think he's dead either, do you? You don't have any cracks in your skin. Yet I think looking into your literal self, you wish you could ask that question more." Imran asked an open question, that Skye gave a very closed response to.

"I spent ten years quietly looking in the shadows. And found nothing."

"Then is it worth having a tomorrow for to go find him in?" Imran asked, Skye rolling her shoulders.

"I know what you want. And what you're doing." Skye retorted, as she walked over to Imran, looking outside, at the trees, and spring bloom in the endless conifers.

"Suppose I have nothing to lose. This is all I know, Imran. You got the weapon you wanted. But so long as the team go home after, I don't care."

---

Interlude: Last Campfire

The Next Day
2200 Local Time

Violin

Sitting there alone, it was something that Skye had packed that she'd wanted to get back to, and before the others came along, she just felt like was the right place for it. The right time, at least. The redhead sat with a puffy jacket and trousers, a scarf wrapped around her neck in the cold Spring night, her red hair beginning to resemble something more than what a tomboy might have. And as she peeled it out of the case, well, it was as if for a brief, if not uninterruptable second, the fiddle reminded her of something else. But instead of playing something old, she played something new. A smirk came across her face. A rare crack, a rare brief glimmer.

It was like some part of her stopped playing old Highland ditties and felt a melody that felt a little more ironic to the situation, a film she'd watched a while ago, that the melody just hadn't left from. A little more of a poking of fun she was getting to learn. That she had picked up from Sam, or was it more Freya? Either way, she played it along. And smirked.

The sound of the fire crackling could be heard, Athena and Purna joining the rest of the crew, wrapped up warm. Antti diligently stoking up more of it, and the small logs and stumps providing seating, under a tree, a little bit away from the main part of the base itself. The orange glow was feint, but growing, bit by bit.

The sky was full of stars, almost reminding Skye of Chile in how beautiful, and endless it was. The crew had gotten up to a variety of tasks throughout yesterday and today, from fixing armour, catching up, to generally keeping busy. Skye finished with the fiddle, seeing Adam come in, the Pole in his usual green wooly sweater and trousers.

"Hey up." Skye added, Adam moving his hands away from the fire, grabbing a seat.

"Hey." Adam replied in a quiet turn, little to response.

"Where's Freya and Chuck?" Skye asked, with almost so much as a glimmer in her eye.

"They uhhh....well, when a man loves a woman very much..."

"Fuck right off, Adam." A cackle of laughter joined, Athena walking over.

"I heard. And I'm not getting in the way of my big sis. Her choice. But, he breaks her heart, I break him into two. And I mean that." Athena giggled, overhearing as she sat down, on a significantly larger log than most, the bubbly, cheery merc living down the fact she'd stolen a blimp yesterday, saved the world too, then got to come back to here.

Purna almost seemed like he disappeared behind her, but then again considering Athena's....well, overbearing nature, and his quiet attitude, that sort of went hand in hand. He took a seat as well, the Nepali wrapped up in a traditional tan-coloured coat, his hair allowed to grow a little back out.

"We did a good job. More to come. But, that feels like half an ending." Purna commented, the wisdom not masking complacency, but at least, not sugar coating what they'd achieved.

"We did. World's not over." Skye smiled back, her words short, perhaps still processing, still taking it all in. There was a lot more in the archive she'd found that Imran had left her. A lot more on the project. A lot of it that needed to be burnt.

"Nope. And because of that, I finally found a use for these." Tahlia added, coming across, lobbing a large packet over towards Skye, the Scot catching it with her spare hand, keeping the violin in one. Putting it down, she chuckled, smiling at what she saw.

"You got the good shit. And this is a reason to stay in that world. No marshmallows in a world where every particle's got some biochemical toxin attached to it." Skye smirked, chuckling as she saw the others come in, one by one, slowly but surely.

Going one by one, Skye unloaded the packet of marshmellows, the one request she had managed to snag since getting here. Adam prepared a few sticks, and with it, Skye, Adam, and quickly gathered the small bundle of sticks.

The others would be joining, and no doubt coming along for a last campfire. A last chance to enjoy this, because Skye knew that whatever was coming next, it might be an even heavier op, requiring all of them, and she had no idea what entirely to expect.

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

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

The Promised Party, A collab with @Enzayne

Soundtrack: Jasper Tygner - Deny It

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 manoeuvre 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.

And with a bit of nightlife, Cassie had dragged herself on, in spite of the fact. Celebrities, from the snowboarding, two-time X-Games winning champion that was Merlin Potter, to other J-Pop and K-Pop celebrities were in attendance, the vibes absolutely living it down. And well, it was nice to mingle, holding a glass of champagne, in the midst of it, Max, Ulrich, Harrison, Vlad, Jenny and perhaps a few others were about here too. A place to be, but the noise was just one that felt like an echo of earlier that evening. Debriefs had gone on for a while. Analysis. And so going out felt more like a marketing chore, than it did a release.

Cassie came across to Hyeon-Ae, seeing her out of the way, people watching, that was, watching people rather than herself being watched. The vibe was of course, succinct, and Cassie was enjoying this whole thing, but still, had to admit, it was strange to have a party after not performing so well.

Crashing down on the sofa next to her, Cassie looked over to her Korean team-mate, a certain thought in her mind that was pointed, not open.
“Do you ever switch off?”

Hyeon-Ae popped open a small drink bottle - non-alcoholic for the sharp-eyed. Perhaps she didn't enjoy the buzz. She looked Cassie's way, lifting the bottle to her lips with a pause that was half drinking in the vibe, half power move. ”I don't follow,” she lied with a placid smirk. ”Isn't this…” ”…‘off’ already?”

Cassie laughed, shaking her head, looking into the crowd, sighing with that, looking back.
“Well, you seem like you want to always assess….always take in the situation. Who’s here, who is doing what. Relax. And while booze isn’t your thing, it’s not like there’s shareholders in that crowd. Just all of Hyeon-Ae Han, you, the individual, get to show off. Maybe a little bit of Zygon, but all you, Han..” Cassie remarked back, sipping down more champagne, the inverse perhaps of Friday night’s little sponsor event for her, but well, no less a charm. Wearing a pair of jogging bottoms and a stylish crimson red Zygon shirt that went with her hair, it seemed like more casual, rather than formal appearance at to the party, as she brushed it aside, sitting up.

“Thank you for standing up for me in that meeting before the race. I know what they’ll say, and they’ll try and give you serious shite for it after today. But, it’s the right thing. It’ll come good. Maybe not here, but it will. Glad you trust me.” Cassie added, smiling, sipping a bit more in.

To say Hyeon-Ae was caught off-guard by Cassie's comments would be off-base, but she still lost a little gleam in her previously self-serving expression of elegant arrogance. That too was a shield after all, and whether it was the appeal to the individual or the open gratitude, the Korean pilot set her little bottle down and followed it up by rubbing at the back of her neck. ”Well. Like I said. I don't like to lose. You didn't get here by being bad at what you do. And I agreed with you, for what it's worth. I've just-... I play their game, yes? The master never blames the dog who is obedient when he's looking.” Hyeon-Ae shrugged lightly. Her gaze briefly darted away to pay attention to Ulrich and Max learning extremely basic moves from a K-pop C-lister. ”I don't think relaxing is something I've ever done.” she murmured, barely above the din in the club.

Cassie paid her mind, seeing her being a little uncertain, though asking away, perhaps her political reflection going at it as Cassie had seen before. Maybe others saw it, they mostly didn’t, but Cassie was close to Han, and as a team-mate, was directly compared. She wasn’t entirely sure of course, about if Han would be in the seat before the season- she was of course, promised one kind of project after Valkyrie, and her falling out with Dorian and her want to take a lead in a team meant here she was. And whilst there were some regrets, there was no doubt if this team got their shit together, they’d be serious. That Cassie understood, but shit, Han was the only way she was getting there.

And yet Han was almost like an android, almost more so than some Koreans she’d worked with. Manicured, perfect, quite literally, as if someone had taken a mould of plastic and carved it with Michalengelo’s fine pick, and she seemed to know how to play it. Yet there was this lack of something inside. Even Cassie could see it, the fiery, Portuguese hearted, Scottish minded pilot brushing her curly hair aside, reflecting on her last words.

“I recommend it. You’re far too serious, Han. Like….I get it. You have to play politics. But you don’t have to, Han. I’m pissed off, to no end. I wish I had words to describe how I felt. It’s disgraceful. And here we are. Partying. It leaves a hollow inside of you, that feeling. Making mistakes. Or that you aren’t where you want to be.” Cassie said, sighing, sipping more down, showing off a different side. A side in reflection. A side that almost seemed unsure about what entirely to say, by intent.

“Yet it’s human, I suppose. I just….I don’t know how you do it sometimes, even if you don’t like the feeling. But that’s why we race, I suppose. It’s human to feel fear, anger, emotions. A machine feels nothing. But that’s what makes us who we are. Good or bad.” Cassie remarked and started, perhaps deeper than she’d usually be, but still reflecting it back with a sip interrupting it.
“So just don’t forget that humanity in you. I heard some stories, but I don’t care for it that much. The bosses at the team want marketing, they want perfection, and you are that. And if it makes you feel withdrawn, then so be it. But don’t forget you’re free to make your own choices, too. You don’t have to worry about who’s going to stab you in the back when you just get out there and make a name they can’t forget. I suppose that maybe works for some better than others!” She joked, although half serious in her approach.

Hyeon-Ae had been listening, an idle fidget as Cassie launched further into her spiel about being herself. She looked unsettled, or perhaps anxious, although she painted it over pretty well for someone apparently deep in thought. Her full attention was on Cassie by the time the mixed-nationality pilot finished.

”Don’t misunderstand, Cassie ssi. I'm upset about today. Of course I am. But I promised in public to host something in Tokyo, so I'm living up to those expectations. I was… raised to care about my image. Would I rather be on a plane home? Yes. But this is for me, not for Zygon. Or my image at least.” she remarked back with a little bit of tension in her voice. Then she frowned briefly as she added. ”...and I just remembered I am meeting Paul tomorrow, so I couldn't leave if I wanted. I am not doing so great on your list of relaxing, hm?” Hyeon-Ae commented with a brief chuckle and reached back for her bottle.
Cassie giggled, shrugging her shoulders, looking into the club, then back to Han, watching her sip away, and remind herself of her busy schedule.
“Well, we all have our brands. Don’t blame you. But yeah. You could do better to chill. But….why do you think I’m relaxing here, eh?” Cassie retorted, sipping away, a smirk forming, masking the sigh that she wanted to make. She was not happy. After all, she had nothing to show for the race, apart from take it on the chin, and move on.
“Not like the flight from here is crazy after anyway, I suppose. And his will be. Jeez, Paul is gonna be in for a lot more mileage….” Cassie chuckled, sitting up in the sofa, finishing her glass, knowing Han was doing a good job of masking, but well, it was that image. That version of self. She knew it all too well. Perhaps here, in this very moment, she was seeing her own, albeit then the mirror to that as well. Reaching across the table, Cassie took the bottle of champagne that sat on the collective table, and poured another glass, then with the spare glass adjacent to Han, poured a little in.

“So….yeah, today was shit. Not exactly like we went forward. Bad setup, the ship should have at least gotten halfway. Question is, now what do we do? I mean, all the facilities….and it just feels like what I was sold to me, totally honest with you now Han, it didn’t work. I just don’t know what to think. The team’s not receptive, and especially when I was brought in as a bit of disruption. It should be way better than it is.” Cassie was more blunt, passing the newly poured glass of Dom Perignon across to Han, with an unspoken tone.

It took a few moments, with a bit of a suspect peer at Cassie, before Hyeon-Ae deigned to accept the glass. But she took it. ”Yes,” she responded mirthlessly, offering neither rebuke nor a way to soften the truth. A few moments of hesitation followed, the Korean woman looking down into the glass of wine and swirling it around a little with a tilt of her hand. In the end, she appeared to open a chink in her armour by offering up something from her world. ”I’ve been picking out people that I can rely on in the company - and the team. I've been playing cards to nudge them, but I'm starting to worry it's not enough. And Jinwoo …” she drew in a breath long and slow, leaving the sigh that followed merely implied. ”It’s not how I imagined it would be. But I did not sign on to be happy with mediocrity.”

The truth melting out brought a smirk to Cassie’s face, as she sipped away, listening, within herself feeling the melt come to Han’s ice slowly but surely. She was happy to see her on the same side, worried beforehand that Han was just an extension of them, well, the collective corp that seemed to make up all of Zygon. She was analytical, but of some sort of principle, at least, which made it easy to be honest.
“Neither did I. Worsens whatever stock we have here, or anywhere else. I mean, word to the wise, teams aren’t for life. What Zygon gives you today, it may not tomorrow. Much as you may be their poster girl right now, look at Amy. She was once….then again, that’s life.” The comment felt like it was spicy, but well, a stark, if not barbed point at a certain someone else rather than Han, something she quickly chased before giving the wrong opinion.

“You seem better at it than I am. For what it’s worth, I’ll give them analytics, but all I know is with these facilities, with this setup, it should be more. Perhaps there’s no breakthrough, but….if they get it together. I don’t know. I’ll just race and try not to piss anyone off. I don’t get how you do it, Han. Korea’s just this….collective, homogenous thing. You don’t get to show off individualism. Punk. That…I don’t know.” Perhaps Cassie was inviting something towards herself with that comment, realizing that she probably wasn’t painting the best image she had. But then again, being fiery, and in some ways, that friendship with Harrison revealed that side to her. She was unafraid of saying what she thought, and backing it up on the track, often.
“I know what they probably said in the media about me and Dorian, and you probably heard about it too. I mean, I thought about it looks. But look at him now with Paul. He wants to win, and he just didn’t mesh with my ideas, . They’ll say it’s the same here and I don’t want that to be the story….but, what choice do I have. You want to step up to be like Harrison, Amy, Nora, Kais now, I guess it takes something extra. Going against mould.” Cassie replied, looking to Han, reaching her glass across, ready to clink.
“Cheers to that?”

Hyeon-Ae listened with earnest interest, offering a small smirk of her own as Cassie took a turn from opening up and inviting condescension - which Hyeon-Ae did not take - and move onwards to speculate on the nature of ambition. Or that is how she interpreted it at the very least; that was interesting to her. She clinked glasses with Cassie without hesitation. ”You should meet my friends back in Korea.” she shot back imperiously. The relaxing navelgazing was over - something Cassie said had started wheels turning in the Korean's head.

“It’d be a pleasure.” Cassie smiled back, sipping back, looking to the club, the crowds filling, and the sight of pilots in the midst, as well as celebrities out and about.
“It’s been a shit day. But, may as well make the most of this. If you promised them something, time we go and make the most of it rather than staring. You in?” Cassie was pushing Han now, a glimmer in her synthetic eyes, her prosthetic as if bringing a hand out to her.

Hyeon-Ae gave her a good-natured look of consternation, eyeing the crowd milling about. With a sharp breath she drained the glass and set it down. ”I paid for it, I suppose it's only right I participate.” she declared with feigned resignation, moving to stand at Cassie's insistence. ”Let's do it.”

Soundtrack: Plan B- Stay Too Long (Pendulum Remix)

---

Valkyrie AGR Sport Headquarters

De Konstruct, Collab with @LadyAmber

Monday April 8, 2024
Aachen, Germany
Valkyrie Sport AG Racing

Aachen's streets grew greener and greener as the late winter rolled out into spring. Beerhalls actually opened up with benches outside. And not serving craft or strange beer- but actual, genuine German larger, wheat beer and the kind that felt like bread made into liquid form. And of course, Valkyrie's own, from a local brewery that had now taken on not just Valkyrie's brew, but another they'd devised. Mulder Witbier was a popular seller, a Belgian-like beer that had an aroma of orange and juniper, making it stick out from most. After all, Aachen sat at the apex of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, sitting at Charlemagne's corner of western Europe.

The beer was overshadowed however, in Valkyrie's high tech facilities, by the presence of one Johanna Lipusz. The EU Special Representative for Anti-Gravity Research, a non-elected, high up civil servant within the European Union's mechanism. A former MEP, and former engineer, now she was in a very, very high up position, and getting her facility tour in. After all, when the European Union pumped public money into companies, and then special purpose ventures like Valkyrie, that were amalgamations of previous firms, they needed their accountability. Their leash, and while Leopold did that day to day, sometimes, she needed to come by. The blonde-haired, 50-something, gray suited bureaucrat was not perhaps built like a pilot, but she seemed to have that aura behind her of experience.

Johanna looked around through the facility window, seeing Alexander come by.
"Alexander. A pleasure. I'm Johanna Lipusz, Leopold's report. I don't think we have been introduced yet." Johanna's voice carried an almost regal weight to it, making introductions and small talk. Johanna was a bit of a kingmaker, after all. A coffee, some biscuits and light chat, and with that, the start of a more formal tour, as they walked through the non-sterile bits of the factory, Johanna taking on overalls as would anyone going into the sensitive areas. Why was it sterile? Well, working with incredibly sensitive, high margin equipment meant a high degree of security to ensure that no chemicals or contamination affected their surfaces, so tight were the tolerances. That, and the robots really didn't like dirt or dust when working on precision applications, the some bipedal Boston Robotics great-great grandson like carriers that did bolts and tooling, some quadped wheeled units that carried tools that were lovingly referred to as "Pups", quite literally didn't like that dust either.

Alexander shook the woman’s hand as he joined her on her tour of the factory. He decided to remain silent and be pleasant and listen. She would reveal what she wanted too without any prompting from him. He had a feeling her visit had a purpose to it. He had been expecting something after their poor showing in Tokyo. He also wondered if it had anything to do with a few of the engineers leaving after the Tokyo race. He knew Felix was concerned and just as frustrated as he was that their team was not performing better.

Johanna made conversation with him, but at the crux of it, came to her thoughts.
"I do not know how to run a race-team. So I won’t pretend I know better. But, I heard good things about you from Leopold, beyond the results, you two work well together. Which means you must know what you're doing. He's a good operator. But, I like to get hands on sometimes myself too, so hence why I thought to visit. Get rid of the interference like you do, just to verify certain things for myself, and also, make sure I could introduce myself." Johanna commented, looking across, into the glass window that peered into the next lab-like environment where the chassis of the ship was.

"I will tell you now, however, there are requirements that are expected of the team, considering the investment. You have executive control over what this team does. But ultimately, this entire endeavor is not a participation trophy." She looked over, looking at the ship itself, then looking back to Alexander.

"The ship's data, and what you've been working on so far suggests the ship should be optimized from Monaco onwards, and you will be able to get podiums, and wins. No arguments. Your predecessor did not succeed because he did not work with the staff, the pilots, and worse, he did not work with Leopold. But if he doubled down on a handling focussed design, then we have to finish what was started, and the rest will follow after once you have your own ambitions. But our trust in you is that you'll put us back on the top step when that matters. Back to winning ways." Johanna added, walking over to the other window, looking into another section of the factory.

Alexander had not necessarily been expecting Miss Lipusz but he was not surprised completely. He had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. He tried hard not to show how frustrated he felt. He felt like he had swallowed a bug. He hoped he managed to keep the sour look off his face. He did his best to carefully school his face and voice to neutral.

Alexander: “Miss Lipusz I do understand your message. Winning is our goal. Please understand that I inherited what was already a craft set up for mediocrity. That is why I am pushing for a new design and working hard to get the funds to make that happen. Our strategy in the meantime has been to optimize the craft for each race. Our focus has been on improving speed and ELS which is where our craft is weak. We have not been successful yet in finding the winning combination but we are hopeful to see results soon.”

"I understand. And I understand you have more work to do here. You know, they say innovation comes the most during warfare. With no war, racing is the closest we have to fighting. And this whole enterprise, it represents the interest, the passion of an entire continent of people. Every boy, girl, dreams of being in there, and specifically," She said, pointing at the suit and helmet on the wall.
"They dream of being dressed in one of those. We are not just in the business of developing ships. We are in the business of making sure dreamers see a reality in front of them. And our own teams need a reason to be convinced, the people that live in our countries. Leopold I think, forgets to mention that because he's so focussed on business. I don't forget we are more than numbers. Money invested is money put into dreams, but to do that, we need to prove they’re real.” Johanna's statement felt bold, and for a politician, she seemed almost tangibly able to steer past all the noise and just give a firm signal.

Alexander nodded to where she was pointing. “Well my work with the sponsors and being in the media can only help raise awareness for those who aspire to be here. Right?” Alexander was hoping to garner any goodwill he can from this ambush by the prickly woman. He could feel the cold sweat running down his back. He didn’t like threats. He hated that he felt threatened by the woman but he was not stupid enough to believe that she didn’t have the power to threaten him in a more immediate way. Alexander understood that he was being told that winning was expected and being demanded of him. As if he was not doing his best to make that happen already. He was not willing to push unwanted or untested augmentations on the pilots. He didn’t see how augmentations could help since the ship was the issue. He knew he needed to get more speed out of the existing ships and better ELS. He sighed in frustration. He needed to keep his temper.

“Taking time for pilots to show off luxury goods is one thing. The numbers look good, and you’ll still need to keep working with a few more sponsors, as we really lost out there last year. But, I’m not talking about that. When it all comes down to it, people talk of winners, and losers. We have targets for a reason. As I am very sure you understand. This isn’t me going around Leopold either, he can tell you all of this. I think it’s just sometimes important to just remember what our mission is..” Johanna’s response cut fine back, not interested perhaps in a threat, but more as if she could

Turning around before finishing the visit, out of the overalls now after going through a decontamination chamber and a clean changing room on the other side, Johanna left with a final parting comment.
"Oh, and Alexander? Your marketing efforts are good. But be careful with your daughter. You did what any mother would do to help her out. But my thoughts are, do not let her get consumed by this mess of media. I deal with enough politicians day to day. Once her treatment is complete, you can let her have some normalcy. EU law is very particular about a right to be forgotten. And our privacy too. Not that the Federated Union knows much on that matter....but if you want her to keep out of affairs, that is an option. Our solicitors will arrange that. But just thought of mentioning it." Johanna added, as they headed towards the exit. Putting a hand out, Johanna looked up to the Estonian, a little more confident after their visit. But no less expectant.

“Bring us home some results, Mr Knight. Thank you for the tour. I’ll see you when you’re in Monaco.”

Alexander was left confused, frustrated, and feeling decidedly uneasy. Why did she bring up his daughter? It was not his decision to put her in the media spotlight to begin with. He had only held the press conferences to reduce the amount of media attention she had been receiving. Was the offer of help a veiled demand that Arianna should be kept out of the media altogether or silenced? Or was it a genuine offer to help her regain her anonymity and life? Alexander snapped himself out of his spiraling thoughts as she offered her hand for him to shake. He took her hand and shook it gently, giving a bow over her hand. He took a deep breath and gave her what he hoped was a confident look.

Alexander: “I am glad you enjoyed the tour. I hope you saw what you expected to see. We have made some necessary changes but I feel they have been beneficial. I have nothing to hide from you. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lipusz. I will do my best to meet your expectations. I will be there.”

“Things work better when we’re all honest. And I expect you will meet them. You have the ship and engineers to do it, after all.. All the best to you, Alexander.” Johanna replied, a smile cracking in return, as with it, she left the building via the security cordon, and with it, was scooped away from a waiting anti-gravity craft outside.

Alexander watched Miss Lipusz leave the building. He immediately dialed Leopold to see if he was available. He wanted to know if Leopold had been aware of the woman’s visit. Alexander had been notified by security. He knew from her title and position that she was important. He was surprised that the European Union didn’t use one of the board members instead for their intervention talk. He guess having someone outside the board that he was accountable to was the point. It was not like he could change the facts for them. She had wanted him to focus on handling. Their craft was already good at handling. If they wanted to win more races they needed to improve the areas they were deficient in without decreasing the effectiveness of other areas. Alexander waited as the call tried to connect.

The call connected and Leopold looked slightly annoyed as he answered.

Leopold: “Alexander? What new challenge do you have for me today?

Alexander: “Well I was just visited by one Johanna Lipusz, the EU Special Representative for Anti-Gravity Research. Did you know she was dropping in for a surprise factory tour and visit?

Leopold looked worried and startled by the name and title. Which told Alexander that Leopold had not known about the woman’s visit.
Leopold: “No. I am assuming that you accommodated her. What did she want?”

Alexander gave Leopold a frustrated look.

Alexander: “What do you think she wanted Leopold? She is demanding wins. She hinted heavily that I should follow in Rossi's footsteps and focus on handling. You also know I firmly disagree and feel like that will not be as big a help as we would like it to be. I still firmly believe that we need to improve the ship's speed and ELS if we want to be competitive. I couldn’t help but notice the timing of her visit as well. We just lost another mechanic. We did poorly in Tokyo. I want you to support my efforts to fast track hiring some new engineers. I think we need new ideas if we want to make any headway for Monaco.”

Leopold looked like he had been hit between the eyes. He sighed, shaking his head.

Leopold: “She as much as gave you orders for a win. She has the power to make life difficult for us both Alexander. Do you really believe new engineers will help the situation?”

Alexander: “Yeah I do. I think we need fresh ideas and perspective on the issue. That means new people. Our current engineers are great, but they have been staring at the same ship and data for over a season. I think fresh eyes will help. Besides, we need more engineers to begin working on development for the new craft as well. I am hoping I can get my top three candidates to at least do a consultation visit with Felix tomorrow if I can swing it. What do you think?” Can I put out the offer?”

Leopold looked thoughtful and then nodded. “Instead of offering them the jobs, ask them to come to headquarters for a skills demonstration. Tell them we will pay all the expenses for the trip. Let them know they are auditioning for the jobs. Let’s see what they come up with. I think a practical demonstration of skills in this instance is a great idea.”

Alexander nodded and smiled. “I like it. I will make the calls. Thanks Leopold.” Alexander hung up, not giving Leopold time to say anything more. He ran back to his office calling for Mabel as he headed straight for his desk. He explained the plan to Mabel and together they made plans to see about getting their candidates in as soon as possible for their demonstrations. After making the calls, it was arranged to bring them all in the following morning. He left Mabel to arrange for fast shuttle flights for everyone. Then he went to fill in Felix and Helga. Alexander felt excited and hopeful again. Miss Lipusz had left him with a dreadful feeling. Having a path forward had helped to dispel that.

---

The Designer Republic

Silverstone, United Kingdom
Silver Apex HQ

Simon Calder

Simon sat up in the chair, Delta Hyper's camera here to interview him with Aurora on the other side of the interview.

What was weird about Simon was, that if you looked at Silver Apex with a lot of dislike, there was one strange thing you'd still like about the pensive, middle aged man, with dark hair that was well kept, and a look of almost consideration on him. Simon was an incredibly, if not exceptionally clever engineer- if Felix reflected a wisdom of designing ships like an art form, then Simon was the other side- industrial, clean design that was all function, not form. A legend in the game, and someone that was integral to Silver Apex's success.

"Hello, I'm Simon Calder, with Silver Apex. Chief Designer and author of "The Art of AG Design". Yes, the label of the e-book is designed with a little ferrofluid so quite literally, you cannot put the book down!" Simon joked, adjusting his seating position a little, a smile on his face, the classic marketing. He'd gone from glasses to none thanks to some new eyes, the small implants on him visible, subtle yet a trickle down from the Silver Apex team that he was within.

"What's your proudest achievement? Outside of that clever label?"

"Wow....that is a hard one. I mean, my two children, I think above all else. But, creating six years of winning cars, that's nearly like the Kastrup Installation, in the mid-Atlantic, that works to keep the Gulf Stream going! It's really, really hard! Or, that's definitely competing with the work we did to build anti-grav rovers on Europa..."

"What was it like, working with the ESA and Al-Maktoum Orbital on that one?"

"Honestly, incredible. I could go on about it, how we had to get creatively design ships and orbital platforms to get astronauts across a frozen ocean....anyway, yeah, I've had a really diverse career."

"And what is it about designing ships you enjoy?"

"It's about finding marginal gains. Ships are ultimately, understood, and AI, CFD and our wind tunnels have done most of it. So, you have to think through from a different perspective. Your competition will always gain on you, so the question is, what do your pilots want that'll make them take the last tenth of a second? Take Amy, for example. She loves a really sharp, planted front end, twitchy to some, but, it means she's a menace on corner entry and exit and it makes the ship handle a little better than Valkyrie's in the right hands."

"Is that sometimes to the detriment of the other pilot, do you think?"

"I wouldn't think so. It's a hard design to adapt to, but if it's proven to work, then maybe it's the other way around. I'll design something the best can tame, and the pilots will find once they get it, it's unbeatable. Of course, I listen to what they say, adjust it, but at the end of the day, one is a multi-year winning champion, the other is still learning. I leave the rest to Peter to make that happen. I just make really good ships. And my design consultancy does plenty more."

"What else do you think Anti-Gravity racing could benefit from?"

"Well....weapons systems are definitely something future rulesets are looking at, and well, I'd have a lot of ideas for that. But I think more races on other bodies in our Solar System, that would be incredible. We know Earth's gravity. And we were all shocked by learning Luna's three years ago. But there's infinite potential for a Martian race, or a race on Titan. Perhaps even an asteroid? Who knows."

"Something rather ambitious, don't you think?"

"We've solved a lot of problems. Why not do something even more ambitious?"

---

The Ecstasy of Gold

Christchurch, New Zealand,
Southern Cross HQ

Soundtrack: Metrik and Grafix- Parallel (VIP)

Harrison sat inside the simulator, already running through Italy. The circuit was an incredible one, even in the sim. It felt like a road racing circuit, the tarmac covered in snow, with MAG tracking peeling the ship up impossibly steep mountains, literally up the walls in some cases. It was just insane how much work had gone into the circuit, vast stretches of straight broken up with tiny bends and enormous amounts of undulation. The sensors on the ship were critical to keeping pace with the hybrid of MAG-enabled tracking that stopped the ship flying into oblivion, apart from one section at Forcella Pordoi, and the tunnel section on Passo Fedaia, along with the genuinely breathtaking approach up Marmolada glacier made the circuit even more spectacular.

Endless white snow, the frozen lake at Lago Fedaia, the ridge-run with the towering mountains all around, the ridiculously quick uphill and downhill sector through Forcella Pordoi, that then frankly fell off a cliff with a sheer drop that then went back up, and there was zero stopping, aside from the tight hairpins that were on Passo Fedaia's approaches, or the sector north of Canazei west of Passo Pordoi. That was what made it one of the best circuits of the year. It was like someone went on Google Maps, went and drew out a circuit hitting the most major mountains and ridges in the central Dolomites, and had sown them together.

It meant the track had to climb almost thousands of meters per lap, and descend the same, with the width changeable, and the snow underlaying the circuit and the icy frost contrasted with the only meadow green sector at the base of Marmolada proper. The circuit wasn't just flat out all the time- it felt like it was high speed almost all of the time though, and mistakes were incredibly punishing when at that limit. Not like it was just a long straight, but sometimes, as if you had to be hyper-reactive on a road that was barely one AG craft wide, that widened out on climbs and specially enlarged sections. Then the tunnel. Holy shit. The ships frankly roared through those, and emerged into bright white snow, and it was incredible. A nearly 45km circuit, but, given most of it was flat out at 500kph plus, it became like running a fighter jet through it. The hairpins and tricky bends could catch pilots out easy, and required one that was not just a speed demon, but actually able to make the most out of the corners.

They called it the Italian AGP round, but really, everyone knew it as "Strada Alpina". The Alpine Road.

Sector One.

Starting another lap, the ship twitched nicely, the reduced resolution not reflecting actual conditions around the circuit but increasing the latency to the ship's speed and feel, something that was nearly impossible to compute perfectly, but visually, came to almost an identical feel. The WW1 trenches built into the mountain outside the 2nd cable car stop were a blur with the hairpin, that then followed into a long curving turn that frankly dived directly towards ground at a straight cliff, following a narrow ridge over snowy, MAG-strip covered sectors, before coming out to a long left hander that just was full throttle, all of the way down to the valley floor, a green alpine meadow that was glorious, but the only part of the circuit in greenery. That was, until the first climb section. A left, right, and a ridiculous number of hairpins that reduced the ship to a crawl with full tilt levels of turning, no banking put in deliberately to slow ships down, and to add some technical variety, the ship roaring through the sector, climbing up the mountain pass, before entirely giving up and at a cable car stop, switching to a massively steep MAG section that was full flat. And Harrison's favourite sector was coming up now.

At the top of a near 1000m climb, a long left hander which then hit a ridgeline, and to the left, the Marmolada glacier, and mountain, and the most surreal mountain view ever contrasted with Piz Boe to the right, on a ridgeline only a track wide, with small curves, kinks and approaches just making it the most unreal fast section, and one that rewarded ships for speed, and a little of their aero and ability to keep full throttle no matter what, the ship bouncing off an internal limiter to stop it accelerating through the sound barrier which, well, would have easily been done. A right turn past Rifugio Sass Bece and a hard turn down a groomed ski slope, followed with another mountain road, all covered in snow, medium speed corners giving way to slower, then the hard 90 degree that basically, went straight up to Rifugio Forcella Pordoi, the verticality not stopping how fast the ship was going, the Gs that were induced by literally feeling like you were climbing a mountain in a ship, rather than a road- going from 24000m to nearly 3000m in nearly thirty seconds. It was mind-bending, and without MAG tracking, it would be tricky, but the ships glued their way up, before the saddle arrived, and the ships could go full throttle over it, racing past a beautiful mountain hotel, before coming IMMEDIATELY down Even with MAG tracking, ships were often being thrown a good 50 to 100 feet skybound, literally into abyss with the greatest ramp conceived by humanity made out of literal mountain.

If you were a photographer, this would be the place you'd want to be. Nothing beat what looked like a ship literally flying into a massive valley, covered in snow, and then coming back down, hitting the circuit's MAG tracking and in turn, requiring a special damping for the pilots.

Sector Two.

Pitching, and knowing how to direct the ship to land back on MAG tracking then the usual glass and steel was critical here, given there was a long, long hairpin, with no banking, yet still completely flat and a long decent, back down that then came to a medium-speed section, through a dense forest and river with big banking literally turning the circuit sideways through there, before rejoining a road, a couple of switchbacks then following up by a sector on another groomed slope, outside of the main circuit, but this time, going upwards. It was under and between cable cars, and a very long straight, before a sharp 90 degree turn at a ridgeline brought pilost back to reality, and a long turn then wove back down a slope, all flat again, heading towards another dense forest section. Once again, the track thinned and here the pace slowed, made up through tight chicane-like bends, before getting back on road, hitting two more switchbacks climbing up to Passo Fedia.

Sector Three.

And what a sector. Passo Fedaia was a perfect, perfect alpine road, but avalanche protection that covered the roof then gave way to a long tunnel, where the AG craft roared, the acoustics not like Japan, more like a megaphone for the scream of the ships, before emerging out to the frozen lake, staying on the road, the speed relentless with a few corners to brake for, but almost all flat out. And the glacier to the right. That was until a hard right, that took the track over a large dam at the end of the large artificial lake, all covered in ice, and a hard right then leading to a long section of lefts, rights, and weaving up from just snow and forest to rock and glacier, the course actually carving through a broken section of the glacier, physically inside.

A section that revealed gigantic walls of blue ice, with MAG tracking physically sticking the ships to the walls, and peeling the ships upward through the crevasse, and then up onto the surface, through a massive straight that lead to an off-camber hairpin on MAG banking, before leading to another enormous long left hander that went back down, and over the glacier's crevassed surfaces, pulling onto a ridgeline. And roaring past Terazza Marmolada, the very roof of the Dolomites, on track that was laid specially and bolted to the mountainside, physically looking impossible, yet the very top revealing a beautiful section for overtakes, right as the start finish were visible.

Hard exhale.

Harrison let the ship slow, and with it, took a moment to take it in.

Pulling out of it, Harrison grabbed his reusable cup, filling it with water from a nearby tap, looking across to Nora, also sharing a break.
"You feeling good for this? It's a difficult circuit to learn, no amount of neural training will truly prepare you, but, trust me. I adore it. Genuinely the most amount of fun you're ever gonna have in an AG ship." Harrison seemed pensive, but well, he had to be. There was a lot on the line. P1. And they were going to have to take it. He knew Nora was perhaps not as used to long, long tracks like these with this much undulation, but, if she could fly fast and handle well, she'd hold her own.

"I gotta admit though, I hope we break the duck here. Silver Apex feels so close in reach. And we should dominate this. But, I gotta say. We have a lot to prove."

---

Body and Mind

Buenos Aires, Argentina
El Rancho del Sud, Carrera Condor HQ

Ava Villarosa

Soundtrack: Artemas- i like the way you kiss me

Ava was herself, pushing on the bike, running through Chile, home. Bio Bio, to be specific. The rainforest like mountains, and the environment was exactly as she remembered it to be. Not what it was now.

Pulling herself away from the sim, she exhaled hard, clambering away, sweeping her leg over, the sight of Rey coming through, working with the Physio team on numbers.

"VO2 numbers are still impressive, Ava. For your age, you are doing well." Rey's commentary was from the glass tablet he held, Ava cracking a rare smile, make a brutal comeback with.

"Rude. But thank you anyway. Fuck you being nice." Ava said, as barbed and with as husky a voice as she could, before she cracked into laughter and he returned the favour realising she wasn't taking it too personally, a smile forming, knowing she just got Rey with that, as she walked towards the window looking out on the Pampas, walking outside into the overcast afternoon.

"Another great afternoon. Sigh. Where's Bea?" Ava asked, with Rey shrugging his shoulder, as they walked through the hyper-modern walkway, heading away from the older historic buildings towards the modern core, including the medical area.

"We're just trying to figure that out. Ready for your appointment?" Rey asked, as Ava turned the corner, the two aware of the next visit to make. Some adjustments for Italy meant a few changes to her augments and her implants, and well, that was like any other visit to any other doctor ever felt like in history.

"I love having someone poke around in my head. Sure." Ava never enjoyed it, but still, it was another happy necessity that followed up.

And that session with Ivan quickly followed, with her neurally plugged in, and on a masseurs-like table, lying face down, staring into a couple of lights below the padded halo for her face, like she was about to get a massage. It wasn't so much programming, as it was just updates to the link that her, and her ship had.

Given how close it was, for Ava, almost closer than some relationships she'd had, small tweaks and changes to the surfaces reflected in the ship, such as the handling and ELS upgrade, were now going to affect how it felt. That then affected the pilot mods, and well, whilst not a major overhaul, such as an entirely new prosthetic, neural mod or another mod to her insides, it was strange. With every poke, Ivan asked for a response, checking her eyes were still doing what they should, and that nothing untoward was happening. A reset point always existed to pull her out, but right now, Ivan was quite literally running new software into her brain, and overlaying what had happened before.

It was a slow, gentle process, and checking her hands, her toes, her prosthetics and her internals was key to making it not fuck something else up. Like patching a computer, except, it seemed to meld her closer to her ship, and the handling upgrade, as did the ELS upgrade, needed her to be with it too.

Sometimes it felt like someone had shoved a needle in her subconscious, and then, it phased out. Gently, the anaesthetic began to kick in, for the next phase, Ivan clipping it into her wrist, and almost like that, Ava was out. The last part required her to be unconscious. And even Ava succumbed fast enough.

Raven Squad: Second Storm (Military/Spy-Fi RP)

Skybound!

Fireteam Icarus

35,000 Feet over Dildo, Newfoundland, Canada
0645 Hours Local Time

Skye Rosalind Lyons

Athena Anna Kanataario

Purna Chai Gurung

Samantha Dalton AKA Chaos

@LadyAmber

Samantha was alive but unconscious and in a lot of pain. Her heartbeat was steady.

Skye saw her choke awake, her eyes shut, as she looked her over, checking her pulse, feeling it beat, but Sam still out. She was likely suffering with shock, as Skye looked her up and down, checking her vitals, dragging her over into a recovery position, her hand below her head, resting up, her pulse steady, and gentle. What she had of her medical kit was now back away, as she breathed a hard sigh of relief, fully aware of how much worse that could have been.

“That’s better….fuck, you had me proper scared there.” The Scot exhaled, brushing her hair, gently pulling a few strands back looking into Sam's eye. She adjusted her comm line, seeing that their resident medic, thankfully, was online. Whilst she was experienced in field first aid, this was going to be a nastier one.

“Soph, you on this line? Chaos is unconscious but heart is good, big electrical shock to her system.” Skye called into the comms, the Swiss Doctor replying in turn. She had access to Sam’s diagnostics, via a parsed link that Skye allowed her to see.

“Loud and clear. Is she stable?” Sophie’s voice was a beacon of calm, given she wasn’t the one getting shot at, and had done this, many, many, many times. Didn’t make it easier.

“Affirmative. Unconscious, but breathing, heartbeat is back, rate is panicking but okay.” Skye replied, as Sophie knew immediately, almost as if by her own instinct, immediately what she was seeing.

“Okay, antiarrhythmic drugs will be needed after an electrical shock like that. It’ll stabilize her heart. She’ll take a minute or two to wake up, if all is well. Stay with her, and keep an eye on her vitals. She’ll be feeling it.” Skye heard, the Scot already looking for them in her extensive first aid kit, pulling the small vial out and gently hooking it into a pocket IV line, pricking Sam’s exposed hand, pulling out some of the damaged armour out of the way where it had arced off her and back to ground, and sticking it in.

“Got it. All set up.” Skye replied, as Sophie’s voice reassured.
“Okay, all good. Now just wait with her. You’re still alive, which tells me things went well? What happened to her?” Skye heard, as the Scot nodded to nobody in particular.
“Yeah, mostly. Ship is clear. And she hit a trap.”
“Is Lynx...dead for good?”

“Sort of. Looks like we killed her network. But one of her bodies got away. She’s in the wild now.”

Skye replied, Sophie’s voice certainly not hiding the worry.

“Understood. Shit, Skye. I really hope this time we can put it to an end. Glad you all saved the world, though.”

Sophie’s dry Swiss accent made Skye giggle, even in a time like this.
“Such optimism. Keep on the line, Soph.”

Skye replied, looking over to Sam, hoping she could hear.

“Come on, Sam. Come back to us. Come on…..you’ve done far sillier things.”

She cracked a smile, even though deep inside, a lot of her was broken right now, and fuelled by the last trickles of adrenaline she seemed to have left deep inside her.

Athena somehow, was keeping actually quiet, as Purna and Oliver came back, with nothing to report of value, checking corners, and any more hidden aspects. It was clean. For that part. Athena took that lead from Skye with the Scottish team lead giving the nod, as Athena called it in.

“Oracle, Queen’s recovering the casualty, ship is clear, we lost Lynx, but her system is dead. We haven’t got any further updates….we think she stole a wingpack and escaped. But the rest of her online presence is out. No more servers left online, or bodies to get to.”

“Shit. Understood. We need to find her, immediately, and put an end to this. Get the airship grounded, and return to base, check your casualty and then get out.”

“Affirmative. Valkyrie out.” Athena looked to Skye, and watched on at the scene below her seven and a half foot frame.

Samantha struggled to wake up. Her eyes twitched. As she became more aware, her whole body was twitching minutely. She was in a lot of pain. Her nerves still felt like they were on fire. There were parts of her body that felt like they had been burned. It was really hard to push through that pain. She became aware that she was on her side. Someone was holding her head. She tried moving her head experimentally. She took a deep breath as the pain had her taking shallow breaths. Her chest felt tight. Samantha’s voice came out very weak and soft as her eyes fluttered open.

Samantha: “Oww… it hurts.”

Skye didn’t hug, but her eyes wanted to, and just stayed close, albeit not too in Sam’s face. Coming back from that was going to be surreal, after all.

“Okay, steady, steady now, Sam. I can’t give you any big painkillers yet, your heart is just recovering. Nice, easy breaths. We can do this, Sam.”

Skye gently spoke, her Scots accent like buttered gold, gentle and nothing too much to bear now. Not in this moment.

Samantha’s body was on autopilot as she recognized Skye’s voice. Her body began taking deeper breaths subconsciously following Skye’s. Samantha was more aware and feeling stronger. She tried to sit up and almost made it before her arm trembled. Her mind finally started working again.

Samantha: “What about Rose?”

It was an effort but she managed to sit up. It was easier to breathe. She felt dizzy and wobbled for a moment. She put her hands down beside her to support her body.

Samantha: “Did we find her?”

Skye shrugged, looking over, getting behind and helping her up, keeping an eye on her lungs, and her breathing.

“Careful now Sam. We lost her. Took a wingpack it looks like and left. We took her main system down. You did.” Skye smiled, coming around.

“We’ll get her. All of us. She’s a cornered rat without her bodies. Guess it means she’ll get to feel what it’s like to be mortal now. But, you live twice too, Sam. Not bad.”

Skye quipped, letting her take breaths in, Athena heading towards the pilot’s cabin to secure that, and start to bring it down. Piloting an airship may have not been something that came easily, but between the two of them, they’d be resourceful enough- the latter could fly aircraft, so no doubt from there something would come.

Skye turned back to Sam, knowing she was slowly, but surely coming back.

“Other team’s going to be finishing up around now. We did a really good thing. She tried to bite back at us, but you’re still here. Thank God….”

Skye smiled, a crack revealing itself in her demeanor. She was often heartless, relentless, unstoppable. Yet here she was shown nearly losing someone she’d mentored, shown a lot of rope to. Seen change from someone broken, to someone carrying. And Sam had carried plenty. One mistake was all it took, Skye knew that much, but to have her back was a relief. Even if they’d succeeded, it would have still had a bitter taste to lose someone over that.

Samantha listened while focusing hard on getting her body to cooperate with her. She wanted to curse Rose’s resourcefulness but she didn’t have any energy left to spare for that. With Skye’s help she had managed to stand up. She swayed a little unsteady on her feet. Her muscles were still twitching like her nerves were misfiring. She automatically reached out a hand to steady herself. She closed her eyes for a moment and she heard a haunting echo. Did she really hear it or was it because she wanted to believe it so badly?

Jake Dalton: “We will always be near you Sam. Go save the world.”

Samantha winced in emotional pain. But she shook her head and put as much steel into her spine as she could. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes. She turned to Skye.

Samantha: “Where do you need me? I am not up for much though.”

Skye helped her up, knowing she was struggling. Yet still wanting more. Still wanting to do something. And she wasn’t in any fit shape.

“I’d say take a rest, Sam. We’re going to go to land. Then home.”

The Scot replied, as she came back to Sam’s side, Athena clambering out, Skye realizing…ah, that might be easier.

[color=Goldenrod]“Yeah, I thought I might be able to help. Where’d you need her?”

Athena smiled, adjusting the headset on her head before coming over, and like that, the giantess scooped up Sam into her hands, passed from Skye, the Scot pointing it out.

“Couch.”

And that was where Sam went, with Athena gently laying her against it, with the view of the sky outside the lounge that made up Rose’s penthouse in the sky, the pink sunrise turning to gold, a bright one that burned through into the interior.

Soundtrack: Parra for Cuva- Manila Palm

“Had me worried a lot there too, Sam. Good to have you back!”

Athena hugging tight, albeit careful considering that well, she could have easily squished her. And probably that was not the best considering her ribs were probably weak from Skye pushing against them momentarily. Skye followed in, sitting by Sam, laying her M31 on the couch, looking out at that sunrise, and holding Sam, shoulder to shoulder.

Samantha was surprised when Athena showed up and picked her up. She felt somewhat like a ragdoll. She was put on the couch and Athena sat down next to her with her arm around her shoulders.

“I didn’t check this sofa for explosives. But I guess we’re about even. You saved me. And I saved you. Not bad for this game.”

Skye giggled, knowing Sam wouldn’t fully appreciate it now, but with it, Skye rested her hand in Sam’s burnt one, the first aid kit not too far from where she’d zipped it up and brought it onto the thing. Pulling the IV out, Skye ran fluid through and then replaced it with some light painkillers, a very, very dilute morphine drip, gently pulling it in.

Samantha squeezed Skye’s hand weakly but enough to let her know she appreciated the gesture. Samantha’s consciousness was fuzzy. She was trying hard to focus on the here and now but it felt like that focus kept slipping away.

“That might help with the pain. For now though, chill.” Her tone was motherly, almost as if for a moment, Skye felt like she was looking after kin. More than Rose ever was, anyway.

“Signs are looking good. Nice work, all of you.” Sophie’s voice was reassuring, as Skye smiled.

“Yeah. Not bad at all either. We have it from here. We’ll see you back home.”

“See you.”

Skye sighed, exhaling. Thinking. Reflecting on it all. And no doubt appreciative of the person she had an arm around.

Samantha looked out at the sunrise and thought well at least the world saw another sunrise. She turned to Athena.

[center][h1]Samantha: “Well we already had that situation happen at Kaitaki. I hope there aren't any explosives in this one. Boomer is not available this time.”

Skye added an IV drip to the port in her hand. She let her body relax. The painkillers at least took the edge of that burning pain she was feeling.

“That is what teammates do Athena. We take care of each other.”

She nodded to Skye and let the others do the work around her as she watched the sunrise and thought about that voice she heard.

---

The airship began to drop down to a lower level, and Skye had taken her oxygen mask off completely now, the dawn growing more and more in light, the redhead's hair almost pixie-like, brushing out a little but with strands poking all over the place from having it shaven barely a few days before. She had left the M31 by side and with the help of Athena, dragged the rest of the wingpacks up into the main cargo area, past the useless servers, and at least pulled the bodies into one place to be recovered for later. Going through them, the mercs were incredibly diverse- Artemis's inner circle, and clearly here to guard what was a last resort for Rose in terms of defences. If an infiltrator came here alone, they'd have been cut apart, and that was fully the intent. Perhaps they'd underestimated just how good Purna was with the outside, and well, Skye, Athena, Sam and Oliver as a fireteam. Bringing minimal gear, and cutting through maximum carnage.

It was a strange thought to consider, as Skye put ear to hand, hearing the static kick in.
"Rig is down, repeat, rig is down." The voice was a crackly one from Oracle, as Skye looked out into the sky, a smile forming.
"Thank fuck for that. Looks like we did what we had to. Just have some girl that looks like me on the loose, Oracle." Skye replied, Oracle.
"We'll hunt her down. Newfoundland is a small island, she can't go far."
"You always underestimate the pair of us. You're going to be very busy. She's a hurt animal. She'll make a mistake. But let's not make one ourselves."

---

Somewhere

The frail redhead hobbled down the coastline, the parachute and wingpack left behind on the beach, the cold wrapping against her, the loose fitting clothing soaked from the cloud, and from the spray that was now across the dawn rise of the Newfoundland coast.

Pulling herself through, she came across the car park at the small lookout point, the crashing of waves audible. With a spluttering cough, she pulled out the nearby binbag and wrapped it around her hand, and with it, smashed the F150's cab, the alarm blasting, but cut away quick enough as she clambered in, and ripped out the console under the dash, quickly bringing two wires into place, and overriding the old truck's security mechanism. And with another two wires, the engine purred into life, the diesel engine coming alive.

She sighed. A deep, hard exhale. It felt strange, like there wasn't anything more running through her head, like there wasn't this constant rush, or any link at all. Like it felt like a part of her was severed, a part she had never felt before. With the gear in reverse, she pulled back out, and cranked the heater up. And flicked on the radio, the static cutting in.

Soundtrack: The Man Who Sold The World - Nirvana

Rose smirked, shaking her head, looking up into the sky, and then back across. Eyes on road. And she had no exact idea of where she was, but she had some.

She'd been so close, so unbelievably near to it.

---

The phone rang, and the Danish banker sighed as he picked it up. The phone only one person would ever call on. Or know how to get to. Sitting in a bunker, he was just as dejected as Rose was, but angry to hear her voice at all. Spectre, or Christian, had many a reason to be pissed.

"Hey." Rose's voice seemed a little more timid than usual.

"You have some gall to call me now. Your whole plan. All of what we worked for. We are done. Are you calling to say you've come to your senses? Maybe you rushed a little?"

"No."

"And you have nothing to offer, Rose Lyons. You must be delusional. You and your plans, kidnapping me, putting me at risk for some folly, then pulled me out to undo all we worked for, for decades. Decades! This wasn't meant to be like this....you went too fast. Not some slow change, you did this, like some rush. And now what?"

"Actually, I beg to differ." Rose replied, adjusting the handset.

"There's a contingency. I guess you wondered if I was willing to die for what I believe in." Rose looked into the horizon.

"I suppose I'll have to now. Can't talk over the phone. I guess in other ways, we're bound now. I suppose I underestimated them. No matter. I always have a backup." Rose's thoughts seemed to drift to that thought in particular.

"And what's that?" Spectre's voice was inquisitive, genuinely so.

"It's a messier option. You still got your friend in the People's Liberation Army?"

"Just about."

"Time to call in a last favour. Not that I ever wanted to go back to it."

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

Off Camber

Jamie Hart

Soundtrack: PINES - Lost

Jamie sat at the terminal, running the sims, running it all again.

A terrible result in qualy, and the pressure was mounting. Auckland was below par. South Africa had an incident that internally, had been under review, and was sketchy. And now, a terrible qualifying session, not even making the top ten.

But one he was going to figure out, one way or another, as he seemed pensive, plugged in, quite literally, running the lap back, again and again.

"You alright?" Callum Wallace, his Lancashire-accented Race Engineer said, looking over, the vacant look in the Canadian's face revealing it all, for a moment out of the system.

The blonde haired, slim Canadian seemed to be a little withdrawn, even though he knew that in his heart, he had to stay upbeat. In his third year, after two at Nordic Call as the cream of their most recent crop, competing with Astrid, he had to admit, he wasn't here. Competing with Amy was scary. Having a lot of new augs, from his synthetic eyes to the new heart, it felt like something inside of him was lost, yet...somewhat not entirely replaced by what had gone in.

"The lap wasn't good enough. I get it, Amy ain't on pole, but...that wasn't there. And I don't understand how. It's like nothing I can do works. And I'm on her setup." Jamie said, frustrated, the young Canadian's pale face clashing with his short blonde hair, a pair of clean augmented legs and hands clashing against the tight silvery-white of his race suit, adorned with Silver Apex's litany of sponsors, and clean, smooth industrial design.

"Well, look at where you lost time. Jamie, you're overdriving the ship. Copying her setups won't work. You nearly binned it in Sector 3 on that hairpin, that flutter cost you seconds, and making it up elsewhere isn't going to work. Take a moment, mate, run it back again, smooth and to your setting." Callum had clearly said this before, but well, it had to be repeated.

"I know, I know. It feels like the ship's built around her, you know. How do I put it.....the ship is ridiculously twitchy. It's like it wants to handle like a needle, the ELS shoots hard rather than smoothly ramps, and the cornering is just lucid. The sims I can keep up, but in reality, it's like there's something missing, that no neural link setting I have will ever do properly. Like I can't find that last bit to tame the ship." Jamie's words felt concise, yet Callum knew the deep root of him.

"Well, it is. But you need to adjust. This isn't a Nordic Call ship, this is a thoroughbred, race-winning ship, and Amy's got it to such a fine tolerance, you'll need to get close to that to make the most of it, or else you'll never push it. That's what your augments are for, and we knew a few races would be ropey. Chin up. You need to focus on that, just get comfortable. Overdriving isn't going to help." Callum said, as Jamie nodded.

"Yeah. Got it, Cal. I'll go back in." Jamie replied, as he sighed, instead of that, taking a look at his glass phone. Half redundant with a neural link as powerful as Silver Apex's spec, but well, able to link together. Sitting up, he looked into the abyss, outside the window of the trailer, watching on at the rain come back. He brought up links of the commentary going on, and immediately turned it off, not wanting to hear it.

His phone on that note, buzzed, the text coming up. With a sigh, he replied. Dad. Back home in Saskatoon. He was just as curious on how things were going, and with a message back, he put his phone back, and plugged back into the sim.

And again. And again. Each corner. Each little bit the ship he tried to bring in, and it was a fight, not a sail.

He wondered if Astrid was right. This was a big step. A big move. And he felt alone, even in spite of that text. He had so much more to do, and even if there was time on his side, he knew how they were here. There had to be something he could do.

---

Round 3 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Sunday April 2nd, 2094
Race Day
Japanese AGP
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
2000 JST

Midnight Club

Amy Stirling

Soundtrack: Art of Rally OST: Race

The commentators were in position, Rory and Rosie providing the feed to the audience at home.

Not that it mattered, the Delta Hyper camera following Amy on this one, the view from behind her helmet transposing into her first person view.

The rain was fully in force, and even with a neural link, the pilots could hear it clattering against the windowed cockpits. Of course, with an in-built repulsor for cockpit safety, it intermittently activated and sometimes spat the water away when a collision was possible or close in a manner that was akin to a windscreen wiper on steroids, but more rainy water replaced it fast enough, draining across the nanite-reinforced polyglass on the ship tiself. No spray emitted from the rear of the ships, but with the night sky in Shibuya's neon glow, it meant that the amount of rain meant you relied more upon neural aspects than you would your eyesight. Looking through rain meant a reliance on the ship's various systems, and something of pilot skill. An equaliser, that somewhat negated the ships themselves, and rewarded pilots who were both brave, and consistent.

And for Amy, it felt like another night to set things straight. The half British, half Korean pilot exhaled, hearing the murmur in her ears, the ship rolling on the start line, her breaths almost in tandem with the ship's gentle hum.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

As the lights went out, Amy shot off the line, using her pole position advantage to maintain the lead. Kais, though, was right on her tail, refusing to let her build a gap. Harrison and Astrid slotted in behind, the top four already beginning to separate from the chasing pack.

However, it didn’t take long before Kais made his intentions clear. In a daring move, he swooped past, rushing by with a well-timed ELS move in the tunnel section, in even way she wouldn't have seen coming. It was an audacious overtake, and whatever Kais was doing, it seemed like he was on the ragged edge of the ship. Not clean with the ELS, more as if he was just finding tenths that just couldn't be found by anyone else in Sector 2 and 3, and in the section around Shibuya, even in spite of the ship's lesser handling capabilities.

Behind them, chaos ensued. In the midfield, Jamie immediately began climbing through the grid, making swift work of Ava and Dorian. Bea made impressive progress, clawing her way up from 13th to break into the top 10 early on, remarkably, not through the use of ELS but pure pace on the straights of the Shuto expressways and Sector 2, which rewarded the Carrera Condor's pace. It was like watching someone with a mission charge, still giving it everything with a ship that certainly felt on edge. Not much strategy, just attack, all the way. But whatever the crew at Carrera Condor had done, they'd gotten the strategy right for Bea, and she'd delivered.

As the race reached its midpoint, tension was palpable. The tight corners and technical sections of the Tokyo circuit demanded precision, and a single mistake could prove costly. For the front-runners, the battle for the podium intensified. Amy was zoned in, yet she now found herself under immense pressure from Harrison and Astrid, who were fighting, the latter in particular using her ELS in a way that almost seemed incredible, her poor ship speed made up for by the electrical whine that screamed, a slow burn that on its current setting, offset the speed loss with how well she was stealing it from Harrison and Amy. Harrison made an aggressive move in the sector by Tokyo Tower, squeezing past Amy to take second place, yet Astrid capitalised on the moment of the two bickering. She surprised everyone by darting through an opening and sliding past on a full dump of the electrical power, rocketing her Nordic Call ship into second place with a bold double-overtake that had the crowd on their feet. And she held it. Astrid did not relent in letting Amy past, defending from each ELS surge, using her energy to sap out Amy's, whilst defending from Amy's efforts to take it back by knowing when to push forwards, and when to hold up traffic. It was the only way to win- the speed differential was significant, even if the rest of the ship was giving Astrid what she wanted.

Further back, Layla found herself in a fierce scrap with Nora. The two had been battling since the start, and by Lap 10, they were dogfighting over fifth place. Nora eventually managed to edge ahead, but not without several close calls that had both crafts brushing the barriers. Layla may have been better on ELS, but Nora kept up through pure pace alone, making her ship count where it had to.

Paul also put in a commendable performance, finishing 8th after a quiet but solid race. Meanwhile, Ulrich from MMR achieved a respectable 7th place, his best finish this season, as he capitalized on being a master of ELS and using it to pick the lock of Cassie, Han and Paul. The setup of Zygon in Japan was not living up to at all what the ship should have, or could have done- whatever it was, the pilots just didn't have the right edge here, and neither did Valkyrie, with Dorian making no ground at all, if anything, dropping back after getting rinsed on the straights and never making it up in ELS. The same was true of Bjorn Waldgard, whose lack of ELS experience meant he couldn't put the Nordic Call ship to use, and Ava had felt the same, just unable to make the most of Carrera Condor's ELS to push through, especially since Jamie Hart had been forcing overtakes in a ship that felt like it was being driven by someone after a few too many Canadian Clubs. Cassie should have done better too, given her experience, but it hadn't come to avail. Max Wedgewood, considering his team-mate's performance wasn't giving it much either.

The results were perhaps not a shocker, but some pilots had clearly gained massively, some had lost, and nobody had crashed, even if a few had perhaps not made the most of the rain and not kept up their pace. But nobody perhaps was more enthralled than Kais, who Amy could see in front, her disappointment visible on her face, inside the cockpit. She sighed out hard, listening into the click of her comms bring her race engineer into audio.

"P2, Amy. Not much more you could have done there. Bring it back to pit." Amy heard from her race engineer, Keira's voice reassuring, even though she knew Amy wouldn't react in turn.

"Yeah....good for him. Taking it back in now." Amy seemed a little disillusioned, but still, didn't want to come across sore. And P2 was good. Brilliant. But no undefeated season for her this time around, it seemed. She hoped she'd get one someday, but well, this ship wasn't going to do that. And she was going to need to defend.

Race Results for Tokyo

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qF6cn…

---

Cooldown: Tokyo

Soundtrack: Art of Rally OST: Kanagawa

The feeling felt almost cobalt, given Amy wasn't on top. Astrid had actually broken, she was actually smiling, actual, genuine emotion was on her face, given this was just beyond her wildest dreams. And Kais? Well, he was...well, we'll leave that to him.

Astrid watched on, looking at the overtakes, giddy even.
"Told you I'd be back. Right track, right time." Astrid said to nobody in particular, watching her overtake Amy, then Harrison as they tangled over 3rd, and her finding it easy as ever to just dump the entire ELS store in one straight, capitalising on the ship's ability to accelerate on boost rather than outright speed. An impressive overtake, many, many laps in the making and well thought out strategy-wise.

Compared to Kais, who looked like he was very much skating on ice at places, but something he was doing, well, it was clear he was benefitting from what Al-Saqr had done to the ship. It was more stable, and cornering even tighter than before, but that speed was what defined it, the look of the white and green ship roaring on the highways an iconic sight, bursting in and out of tunnels, and leaving a trail of disturbed water behind it, almost like a wave chasing his ship with the amount of rain, and the suction of the aero and the pulverising effect of the pulse engines.

Amy shrugged, brushing her platinum-blonde hair, with a green fleck in it from her stylist's personal recommendation over her shoulder, looking over to the Egyptian supersoldier.
"Not bad at all. Kais, fair play to you though. Pushing on like that.....I wonder if you were flying through your neural dampers or something, pushing that glass cannon that hard!" Amy half knew something was a little fishy with Al-Saqr's neural dampers. Did she know all of it? It was impossible to tell, as a steward came through, Amy nodding in response, and the group moving through. She wasn't afraid of Kais. Supersoldier or not, she'd be able to handle them.

Walking through the small tunnel, the three headed out onto the podium, non-alcoholic champagne at the very top step for Kais. What triumph must have felt like in that moment, for the most unexpected P1, was well, something that must have felt like a childhood dream. Like a lifetime of impossiblity had come to a reason here. The drones took camera shots, and the crowd upon his announcement went wild, even more so than Amy's. It was like someone had broken the deadlock for this season, proven she wasn't invincible, and his talk had been justified. The Meteor had crashed the party.

If there was talk that Kais was perhaps the weaker of the new rookies, right now, he'd smashed every expectation. Set things on fire, metaphorically speaking, and this moment was his, and Astrid was just as over the moon, hugging him after the champagne was popped, so much was her extraversion out after this. A complete 180 from what sometimes was seen, but then again, from poor results to this, well, that was the other story below that of Kais's victory.

---

Analysis with Rosie Appleyard

Rosie sat up in the chair, this time her position in the analysis box brought in to think over the race. Her pale skin, and pink hair clashed against her press vest, looking on at Aurora, and coming back at her question.

"Kais Zenix. Now that was not a name I expected to hear of the rookies winning first. After a bit inconsistency, what he's doing in that ship is incredible, especially on a circuit maybe that wouldn't have suited him. It may be unstable, but he seemed to push lap after lap, finding a flow that certainly will raise other title contenders hairs."

"Then, I guess there's Astrid. Nordic are a midfield to backmarker team this season from their outline results, and whatever they did, they found a setup that she just nailed, and Astrid's ELS talents coupled to that ship were always going to be a threat here. They found what they needed to do, and everyone knows just how that Nordic Call ship has been built to her spec. Is it weakness in Amy to let up to those two? Or, just perhaps she's been unable to fight against that many people who are coming for her crown, yet holding a podium in spite of the fact so many teams were coming close, seems remarkable. Not being able to hold pole after the start perhaps shows the ELS on that Silver Apex ship isn't as good as we thought, but, never rule her out for future races. Then Nora. It's hard to say how she couldn't make more out of her ship, but still an admirable performance. And after that, Bea coming back from 15th to 9th, is just proof she's also got talent. Shame about Valkyrie and Zygon, I think a lot of people expected more, and no doubt their Team Principals are scratching their heads over getting dented by some smaller players."

"Any favourites for Italy?"

"Speed, and handling on a circuit that feels more like a road course than a proper circuit. I'd say Nora, Kais and Bea are in for a rematch. But not if Amy has anything to say about it."

---

Delta Hyper Post Race Interviews: Sponsored by the Anti-Social Social Club

@MrSkimobile

Aurora had Kais first to interview, the actual, in person, real life Aurora, rather than some hologram out here under a rainy parasol in the paddock, beneath the glowing lights of Shibuya Central.

"Kais, what a race! Your very first P1 and what a way to lay down a marker, it looks like you came within a tenth of a second of the circuit record on Lap 5! How are you feeling after that incredible effort and your first win?"

---

@Sylvan

"Nelly, you and Layla were fighting the entire way, it looks like you certainly have your way with ! Even though you didn't have your ELS down, how did you feel about keeping Layla behind you and taking the P5?

---

@LadyAmber

"Paul, a respectable result, up from P9 to P8. Valkyrie however doesn't look like it performed as well as it could have this weekend, any lessons learned from this weekend?"

---

@Enzayne

"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?"

---

@Starlance

"Bea, what a race that was! We thought your ELS pace wasn't enough, but it looks like you managed to make the best of the woes of the racers in front of you and make it on pure pace. Looks like Ava's advice has come through for you, how do you feel getting your first points in Formula AG?"

---

The other pilots had also shuffled in.

Astrid was of course, her typical self. But a little bit more buzzing.
"Yes, what an incredible night! The team did an amazing job on my ship, and our strategy and our ELS deployment metrics couldn't have been better. We earned our party tonight! Woo!" Astrid yelped, out of the frame as soon as she was in it.

Amy was a little down, but well, had to put her hand up to Kais on that one. First Nora, now him. This new group were pushing her, that was for sure.
"Kais did an amazing job, I mean where did that come from? But seriously, we have more to work on, and one slip up when he was on form like that, and I paid the price. But we'll get him back. I won't take comment on Jamie, those affairs are his.

Jamie was in next, and sighed, looking even more so dejected.
"Yeah, real shame not to get more out today, but traffic is hard to navigate here, and I'm still bedding into the ELS systems of the new ship. Real shame but we'll take it and move onto the next."

Harrison was losing position from qualifying once more, but holding up a half decent race when it was clear that Astrid and Amy had tangled up.
"It's a tricky one, and I ended up losing that ELS fight. Still happy with our pace, and in Italy, I think we've got one hell of a package right now with the ship. We're only three points behind Silver Apex in the constructors, so we have a lot to look forward to. We're keeping the pressure up and we are consistent, which is great, so good takeaway and we'll be smashing it in the races to come!"

Max wasn't that happy either, perhaps the wonderkid's season taking a tail off given how results in the last two had gone.
"Yeah, not the best result for us there, Ulrich's ELS knowledge was incredible, but I just couldn't get past the traffic on track, and couldn't make the most. Glad to overtake Dorian, but we weren't getting much more out of it today."

Cassie was similar, feeling disappointed in the craft, but mostly herself. Even she had to reflect on that.
"Genuinely? We should have done better. We had the pace, but just the wrong fights, and some pilots deciding they'd turn it up to 11 got us. Me and Han have work to do."

A common theme seemed to be felt by Dorian, hands on hip, shrugging in frustration.
"I had no response there sadly. Just got left for dead by a lot of pilots, Jamie, Beatrix, even Max were gunning today and I ran out of steam on ELS more occasions than I should have. A shame, but Paul is doing well and he got some valuable points back for us."

Ava was, however, somewhat more upbeat.
"I did what I could, but nothing to hold Jamie back was going to work. Well done to Bea though, she's got a couple of points for the team with an incredible drive, a lot of overtakes and a lot of making her way through a lot of experienced pilots. An incredible drive, so kudos to her today, looks like she picked up my ELS knowledge!"

Henry hadn't turned up for his interview, given he was inside with the team. But Kofi had, the big man also following in a shrug.
"It is what it is. We have a lot of work to do, our ship needs a lot more but we're still a young team, so development will take time. We'll be better soon."

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

---

Hakone Izakaya Bar
2100 Hours

With conversation flowing all around, the night continued on, pilots chatting to one another, sponsors, and the atmosphere certainly one that felt like it was corporate meets a party. No doubt, the minders for each team would begin to start wrapping things up shortly, and they'd be finishing for the night.

After all, jet lag could be cured with some concoctions, as could blood alcohol level, but a late night was already getting later by the minute, and there was qualifying to get into tomorrow. Some teams had advertising gigs to get into during the day (or already had), but one thing was clear.

One of the most slick, scenic street circuits was coming up tomorrow night, and experiencing it for the new pilots would be one hell of a vision.

---

Round 3 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Saturday April 1st, 2094
Qualifying Day
Japanese AGP
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
1800 JST

(April) Fool's Gold

Amy Stirling

Soundtrack: Bicep- Vale

The rain had somehow, stopped. The grey clouds had lifted for a brief part of the dusk with the sky at a pink, deep, dark navy, as per forecast, but that made the neon, LED and holographic jungle of Japan's biggest city, one of the major metropolises of the world in that weird and wonderful, still no less dramatic. For anyone else, it was a total, complete sensory overload, but for the pilots, it was a sideshow to the most of the time three-lane highway that defined the majority of the circuit, a historic legacy given the skyways of glass and flying AVs that now filled the sky of the city. A circuit that was relatively long for a street circuit, yet indulged in some incredible highways of Tokyo, and saw most of the major sights.

From on board with Amy, you could take it in from a ship's point of view from her first person camera on her helmet- not quite as fast as Cape Town given a lot of the straights were broken up, but still, ridiculously close in with barriers and skyscrapers all near. The tarmac of the Shuto had been replaced in parts by MAG tracking, giving a secondary benefit to ships that benefitted from great energy systems. This meant the hairpins were very much on the limit of each ship, requiring really good high-speed cornering skills, more than craft handling and where the stability element of this track came in. However, from stop start sections with big turns, as well as the layout of the circuit's MAG traps meant that energy systems were definitively the most important factor, reflected in the laps being put down.

And she went through each corner with that in mind, the forces wanting to tear her apart, yet her suit, modified physiology and anti-gravity core doing the work to keep her on track. The ship whined, almost as if it was reacting to that very drive, pulled through her very psyche itself into the way it twitched through Turn 1, at the world-famous Shibuya Crossing.

The circuit was a long one, with the start on the iconic Shibuya Scramble Crossing, surrounded by towering, dizzying amounts of light and holographic displays, probably the tightest section of the circuit in terms of turns. From there, the circuit headed to Route 246, into a hard right-left section that then headed onto Route 3 and the Takagicho Shuto highway, an elevated expressway that flanked skyscrapers, seamlessly narrowing into a hard junction that went onto Highway C1 at the Suntory Tower, flying past the Tokyo Tower and down to the Tokyo Bay all on elevated expressways, about two to three storeys above the main roadway below. Which in itself, revealed just how insanely visual this track was- if it wasn't the neon, it was the sheer views themselves, exposing a megalopolis when it opened up on that section towards the harbour itself, the sea all visible in the moonlight and neon.

An exceptionally long right-hander that was a 270 degree turn, with limited MAG tracking sent ships up onto the Rainbow Bridge over the Tokyo Harbour, ships through here almost "drifting" from the right drone shot, given just how fast they were and almost no brakes were required, the G-Forces here like being subject to a simulator given it lasted about five seconds of continuous lateral right turning. Over the bridge, and joining another junction with a long 90 degree right hander, past a corner most knew as "Robot Corner" for the gigantic GUNDAM-styled robot that was once there, and now actually worked on the harbourside in the docks, brought the ship through another tunnel, and a long straight with a curve.

After bursting through that, a sharp long right hand hairpin took them back into a long tunnel complex on Highway C2, snaking under Shinbamba in a tunnel section that echoed with the roar of the ship's engines, before joining Route 2 via a near inverted banking onto the elevated expressway again at Gotanda, flanking more and more skyscrapers as well as a park, before turning off via a ridiculously tight hairpin using extensive mag tracking and an almost half-pipe like banking to drop down onto a smaller road, Route 305, weaving through urban streets at ground level before winding back to Shibuya, with a tight 90 left, right and right hander finishing the lap.

Overtaking was strange- you couldn't really pull past on the junctions given it went about two ships wide, if that, but energy systems could spit you out of them even faster, and you could roll on past, where the lanes gave a bit more room. Almost all of the circuit, including the tunnels, overpasses and tight Shibuya section became an overtaking zone, and it made for incredibly aesthetic racing to watch, because it was always a fight during raceday, but during qualifying, more of a test of a pilot's resilience to make the most out of each corner and slow-down.

Amy was on pole again, but not by much, as she realised she'd only just, and barely gone past Kais.

"Top lap, Amy! You always pull it out of the bag, tonight is no exception, top job, top job!" The response from her Welsh engineer, Keira Adams, called into her ear, as she breathed out, exhaling, winding the ship down, finding her exit route after Corner 3, pulling down into the pit. Even she was a bit lost for words.

"Holy crap. That was something..." Amy smiled, as she felt the ship was definitely on tenterhooks on some of the MAG strips, but well, it had held on. With the ship pulled into the Silver Apex garage, she popped the canopy and clambered out, a big grin on her face as she put her hand into the air, hearing comms from Keira on her end.

"Yeah, you did well there, Ames. Shame about Jamie. Could have done better if he hadn't have binned it on Corner 2. But we move." Keira called into the comms, disappointed, yet not really focussed on that at all. She had to recover her own self for now.

"We do indeed. Kais is gonna be hunting us tomorrow. But I'll outplay him." She grinned under the visor, the response not very private, but well, a shot fired back.

And on that note, she took her helmet off, clambering down the steps of the ship, her crew coming in and cheering, an actual bit of success after Jamie had performed absolutely poorly. He'd done nothing right on that lap, and Amy was not at all happy with him. Sure, it made her look even more incredible, that was always fun, but the team was going to suffer again. And it was another day of pulling a rabbit out of a hat when it came to an ELS fight. The fact the grid was fragmented between teams helped her, given they might not help each other as much, but even so, Amy knew that Kais would be a fierce competitor, and given how much ELS was needed to get a lap right here, meant a ton of micro-management.

That meant racers that were typically just fast on circuits like these were managing a lot more, and not knowing how to manage that system would be a disadvantage, outside of just the craft's general characteristics itself. Nora as a result hadn't performed perhaps as well as some might expect someone who was used to the underground to perform- same with Bea, who while having a fast ship, didn't have the energy system to back up her ship's capability. As for Nordic Call, having Astrid in 4th was pure insanity- she had pulled an exceptional lap out, and whilst she may have joked around, her ELS system had been tuned by the team exceptionally well, whilst her team-mate had flagged and not made the most. Al-Saqr's new upgrades had clearly hit their marks, and whilst sub-par in ELS to some other frontrunners, made up for it in everything else, as well as Kais just managing to attack his lap and Layla doing the same.

Qualifying Results for Tokyo

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qF6cn…

---

Post Qualifying Interviews

After the qualifying session, the pilots were back again at the Delta Hyper booth within the paddock after various interviews and catch-ups with their teams, Rory back in presence, full body rather than just a head in the distance. The British commentator kept his mic set, catching each of the pilots as they came in.

--
@Sylvan

"Nora, a shame about not making podium today, but it seems you're still getting to grips with the Formula AG energy system after making the switch from the Interior Circuit. How does Tokyo stack up as a street circuit for a former underground racer?"

--

@Enzayne

"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?"

--

@LadyAmber

"Paul, maybe this isn't Valkyrie's circuit given your ship characteristics, but a good effort nonetheless. How do you feel about the surprise from Astrid coming in 4th today, and her thoughts on competing with Valkyrie in Tokyo?"

---

@Starlance

"A qualifying to forget Bea, it looks like the ship has the speed but the energy system just wasn't there for you and Ava. Do you feel you can pull more out of it in the race, and do you think you and Ava will work together to climb up the grid?"

---

@MrSkimobile

"Wow, what a lap that was, Kais! You and Layla must be on top of the world- you both seem to be in a position to put some pressure on Amy?"

---

One by one, the other pilots trickled in, of course, starting with Amy.

"Yeah, that was a special lap for me. Really, really had to push, through the tunnel section it felt like I was really on the edge of what we could do, but I always had it. Super happy with that!"

Harrison seemed to shrug, happy yet wanting a lot more.
"Yeah, not sure about the qualy, just the ELS trigger there didn't get it right and Kais was on fire with his deployment, so kudos to him. We'll make it up tomorrow and keep them on their toes!"

Astrid was bouncing. As you'd expect, given a team that so far had underperformed drastically was now launching back at the rest of the grid.
"Amazing! Just amazing! 4th is really good, and that lap felt so easy to weave. The craft is so easy to launch out of the corners and the team must have gotten my setup perfect, I think I set a purple sector at Sector 2? I love that bit so much, so yeah, let's keep going tomorrow!"

Layla too, seemed upbeat, cheerier than Cape Town, albeit annoyed that Astrid had beaten her. A team that was normally not so great, had turned up with their fancy ELS and absolutely gone to town with Astrid's setup to get points.
"Yeah, just cannot believe the lap that Astrid put down. But, we'll get her back tomorrow. ELS or not, I'll be coming and Kais just set a great marker too!"

Dorian was a little annoyed, but Japan wasn't their strong suit either. Handling was more their game, so here, they had to make do.
"Yeah, it's a bit annoying, but we'll try tomorrow and make it up on track. The ELS is tricky to master and our system is good, so we'll roll the dice tomorrow and get some points."

Cassie was certainly smiling again.
"Oh we are definitely keeping our places tomorrow, me and Han have got that locked in! The ship's really fun, and everyone seems to be really going toe to toe. Anything can happen so stick about!"

Ava was a little more pensive, albeit honest, knowing that even with her extensive ELS knowledge, Nordic Call, Valkyrie, and Zygon had certainly pulled it back with their systems here.
"Not much more I could have done, in the race I can reel them in, but on pure pace, we just don't have the same ELS and stability some other teams do. We'll be back though, Bea is next to me on the grid and we'll work together."

Max seemed a little annoyed, similar to Ava, pensive.
"So uh yeah, we aren't where we want, but kudos to Ulrich. Knew his ELS knowledge would come in handy! As for me, I'll make it up, and fight back to points. Japan is such a good circuit to get in the groove, I love it here and honestly, I wanna make it one to remember!"

And Kofi was a little similar, disapointed to not have more, but then again, the upgrades just hadn't hit this weekend. It was a salvage operation, and even he had not much to add.
"It is what it is, we have more to be competitive, but we'll try and fight in the backmarkers and set some respectable times. We'll do what we can."

And Henry? Well, the talk was a little different.
"Yeah, not amazing really. The team back at home are doing well, there are a lot of rumours at the moment, but that isn't holding us back and we're still working on getting ourselves up the grid, and that will happen."

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

The Kofi Corner

Kofi Mensah

Signing hats, t-shirts, merch, the crowd was still going crazy for Kofi. The Delta Hyper crew followed, watching on as Kofi interacted. People yelling out, and well, Kofi more than happy to indulge. Cut back to the sofa.

"Why do you think you have such a big following, even in a country that isn't where you're originally from?"

"I've been in the sport for a while, and I suppose, people follow an African because they love the culture. They want to follow their neighbour. We are all like that. For reasons you can imagine at home. So throughout my career, I have done my best. Gone toe to toe with Dorian, Henry, Harrison, Alexander and had a lot to show."

"Do you think you could have done more?"

"That's a very leading question. But I gave it all I could. And I hope I inspired another generation. This is my last season. And with an African team, I'm very happy."

"You talk a lot about Africa, and what it means to you." Aurora asked, cutting to footage of Kofi's name being chanted, as he put his hand on the SuperCat logo, smiling back at the crowd, happy to just be doing fan service, even after over a decade in this game.

"What do you think it means to them?" Kofi replied, his white teeth parting his lips with a big wide grin.

---

The teams had plenty going on at the factory. Filming behind the scenes, catching none of the conversations, none that the teams would allow to be broadcastble, but anything else that was of note, was getting caught. And it displayed the varying fortunes, but no less, the drama, the trials, the tribulations of getting to the top. And the teams wanted to be at that top.

---

Talking Ships with Felix Burkhart

Felix sat down, on the sofa as an interlude to that section, of the various teams and their inner workings, from meetings to sim sessions, and well, everything else.

He brought up the teeny holographic model in front of him, gently pulling it into hand, and peeling it apart, the holographic display revealing the makeup of an anti-gravity racing ship. Much like Aurora had already done, following the first bit of the script and looking to the camera, adjusting his glasses, past his fading blonde hair.

"Hello. My name is Felix Burkhart. Chief Engineer and Principal Ship Designer at Valkyrie AGR Sport."

"For those at home who don't know what you do, how would you explain your role?" Aurora asked, the German's response one that seemed very....un-German.

"I fulfilled my childhood dream.....I get to design, then build anti-gravity racing ships." A smile cracked across the German's face, with a cackle of laughter, perhaps media not being a usual for him, but well, he was given an opportunity by Valkyrie, and putting it into terms put him out there. Perhaps put his point across to any engineers watching out there.

"Sounds exciting! So, take us through that process. How do you do it?" Aurora asked with her usual enthusiasm, as Felix shrugged, never one for a camera, but then again, making it what he could.

"Well, if you speak to Simon Calder, there's one way to do this. But I focus on another. The craft is a beautiful, if not fragile thing considering it fights gravity. Finding the perfect ratio, of instability to speed, mechanical grip to aerodynamic performance. Every stroke means upgrades, changes, modifications. We never stop but we push the design to its limits. You may have heard lots about Valkyrie. But rest assured. We know what we are doing." Felix added, pulling it in.

"We start with the basics. Strip back the ship completely." Felix added, peeling apart the bottom of it, where the anti-gravity generator sat,.

"This, this is what you define first. A strong, or a weak rake on your generator? Do you want an aggressive ship that barely bounces on the generator, or one that flows to the ground when it goes through undulation? Then, you decide on how to build your ship around it. Your engine unit needs placement, and the thrusters, or what power it, structured around. That affects weight, position, which in turn, reflects on stability. Your drivetrain must be efficient, but also, cooled. You cannot strap a rocket to zis, because you need to turn, and for that, you need every trick of minimising drag when you don't want it, while making it all in the right places when you do." Felix said, pulling over to the wings.

"You find a way to fight gravity with its own forces. And with no ground friction, find your way to make the ship slide through air like a knife. And within the rules, of course. But, you also have the opportunity to find ways to brake faster. Turn faster. Gain, and lose energy quicker. You find ways to make forces work for you, rather than against. And that is where a designer finds pleasure." Felix smiled, knowing this was layman terms, but of course, quantum physics meets engineering was never an easy sell.

"Is that something Valkyrie is working on?" Aurora teased, Felix shrugging. For a German, he seemed cool as hell.

"Well, that would be telling. Trade secret." Felix tapped his nose, and gave a hearty laugh, knowing well, Aurora got plenty from her. She changed the topic, knowing it wouldn't get much more than that. And, well, the episode needed a closer.

"Well. It was a good race, wasn't it? From a designer perspective, anything to add?"

"Very good race. We have more work to do to keep up. But as a fan of the sport....pretty good." The understatement was dry, but man, was it followed by a smirk from the German.

The highlight reel begins to play. The crash, the overturn. And most of all, the fans, all of whom were over the moon, carrying digital placards for their favourite drivers, from the #rallybrave for Bea to the #NitroNora crowd that went from a dozen to hundreds, and to the others that were watching at home. The podium, and the credits rolling, of the short, small production crew.

"Thanks for joining us on Delta Hyper. We're off to the Land of the Rising Sun in two weeks time. Don't miss it, our pilots are keen. Till then, I've been Aurora Baxter, and see you next time!"

The reel continues, cutting to Nora's excitement on the podium, Ava's concern, Kais's pure frustration, and Dorian's cheering, his smile back even in spite of the worries beforehand, the footage cutting on that.

---

DELTΔ HYPER

Episode Three: The Neon Bath

---

FUTURE?

Soundtrack: Hans Zimmer- Lost but Won

Rain, pouring, pouring, pouring away. It seems to not stop.

The camera peels away from the dark, blue-illuminated window gently, to what looks like an artefact of a VHS player being revealed to shot, and a cassette being pushed in. The fuzzy picture renders, as the VHS starts to play, the tape actually still working. An old Toshiba video recorder, hooked into a gigantic holographic display, via some absolute black-magic fuckery that made a SCART somehow work in a wireless display.

1976.

The scream of a McLaren through Fuji, pouring rain, and a puncture. And a poor repair job, but enough for what was needed. Enough to win, against the odds, the bloodied hand of James Hunt up in the air, given the gearknob came out of the shifter, and he was cutting his hand open every time he changed gear, let alone the fact he was sodden wet, on a circuit that was just simply undrivable to anyone with any sense of sanity, or security. But it was victory. Champion of the World, and a bloom of the moment James Hunt beat Niki Lauda, in a rivalry that echoed, shattered through the ages.

And the screen interfered.

1989.

youtu.be/WBForKcFWoA?t=65

It's a strange thing. On one side, a white and red car, in Marlboro colours, a McLaren, and on the right, another one, in the same colours, roaring through the Esses of Suzuka, a creation of an F1 circuit that may as well have been passed down by the Gods. Yet history seemed to also be written by them.

What happens is nothing short of bonkers.

Murray Walker commentating, and the shock all around. Prost, Senna, and two people that are going toe to toe, screaming engines deafening, before an almighty crash, Senna pulling away as Prost climbs out and the two team-mates clatter, and then, controversy. Senna having his win taken away from him, cruelly giving the title to Prost, for right or wrong.

Rivalry wasn't always about defiance. It was just pure anger. And Prost and Senna were that.

1990.

The same Grand Prix, refusing to give his line up and creating an almighty crash, to secure his title this time round. Senna takes it. To cement a legacy of a Brazilian F1 driver that seems to echo through the halls of racing history, and a quote that goes with it that narrates that end.

"If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver."

And the screen seems to interfere, fuzzing, again.

2011.

Suzuka, again, in the pouring rain. And Jules Bianchi's Marussia against a telehandler truck. A moment almost of harrowing reminder, of the dangers, the risks, the by then standards of racing in 2094, the almost gladiator-like hazard that came with it.

A moment nearly as dark as the clouds, and a reminder, a brutal one, that motorsport was highly, highly dangerous. A reality that anyone in F1 would understand, and feel, and believe. Triumph didn't always come, sometimes, it was very much the opposite.

2048.

The view of Suzuka comes back with the rain back again, the sight of Helena Starcross, the highly advanced F1 car screaming through the start finish, the crowd screaming, watching what shouldn't have happened, happen, a teal blue and orange coloured McLaren wrapped in an iconic Gulf livery, the kind that was timeless once and timeless again. A comeback from 18th, in the pouring rain, the track so damp it may as well resemble a floodzone, but spray soaring into the heavens, and Helen barely grabbing first, through what some might have said was an all time classic drive, leaving Casper Lindstrom in bits, broken, almost in awe yet of what had happened as the camera brought into view on him.

The first female to take a third title, and cement her name in history. But in a way that more than luck, represented a driver that seemed to be on the edge in every corner, skidding, nearly drifting, almost completely in a flow state. There are moments you watch the footage back and cannot believe how sketchy the car is, but Helen seemed to make it work. "It's a bit rainy out!" And the Manchester-born voice underplaying the entire situation, as rather daftly as you could. Clambering out and passing out immediately after putting her fist in the air, and it turning out she had a heart rate of about 200bpm, and the car itself barely having any tread left at all on the tyres.

And the flicker continuing, revealing last year. Neon glowing, crowds screaming, and the gentle, hum of the streets. And then, the roar of AG craft roaring through, in an upside down section, before flipping back through the Shuto, and Shibuya streets, and five years ago, in the daylight, at Fuji Speedway once again, roaring past the snow-capped stratovolcano.

It cuts again, weirdly.

1999.

Soundtrack: Ridge Racer Type 04 OST- Naked Glow

And instead, we have a Nissan R33, and a Toyota Supra charging down the Shuto Expressway under Tokyo Bay, inbetween cars, in what looks like VHS quality tape, then out on the highways above the city, bombing through empty roads. The soundtrack feels wrong. The dramatic one stops and instead something different is on.

The cars peel through, the camera panning back, revealing Japan in 1999, the neon light. It's practically like a video game, and that's because the next scene is. Gran Turismo comes into view. And Ridge Racer. This is weird. Why are we looking at this? And then a cut out of that. The car scene, the crazy culture of Japanese modifications, and well, bit by bit, as the years go by, it getting even wilder, and weirder, and more than anything, keeping the love. The passion. The joy of it all. And the unbridled, unmatched, rivalry, as various scenes come through. Of racing, the Tokyo skyline, and well, Anti-Gravity racing in both suddenly emerging.

The tech got here slower than it should have, starting in Korea and Europe first, but, when it got here, people went crazy like they did with cars. And well, anti-gravity racing still has that debt to tuners, many of whom worked at Southern Cross, MMR, SuperCat and Nordic Call now.

And the screen flickers. And reveals now.

2094.

The city seemed as if it was on another planet, Japan of course always being about 10 years ahead of the rest of the world, sometimes maybe 40 years, even if they had only just gotten to terms with credit cards over cash now. The advertising was almost all 3D and holographic, the night sky blanked by light pollution, beaming towers of ads, and absolute excess. The roads all magnetic, and virtually the entire place like something out of Blade Runner. There's no tarmac on the Shuto, it's all magnetic track, given nearly everything is anti-gravity here now, but that means it's even faster, and even more effective to use ELS. The track is practically electrified on the raised elements, while the roads through Shibuya are still tarmac, and plated in supplementary magnetism.

And it is raining in the night sky outside.

Konbanwa, Japan.

---

The Others?

Back to the format again.

Questions, and the sofa. This time, the pilots were alone, not with their team-mates, and not without their aides to help. And the format once again, was a little the same, but with a teeny difference.

---

"Welcome back Bea. So, we have something a bit different for you today, now we're in Japan! Right in front of you, I've left a tablet." The glass panelled device sat on the table in front of each of the pilots, that were rotating about the sofa at their various points of filming. Imagine a supercut, where one pilot is there, then the next. You're almost seeing it from the show version, but of course, the pilots are seeing it through their eyes.

The scene cut to Hyeon-Ae. They were all being asked the same question, and the pilot changed, even though Aurora's point was the same. Each and every one was getting this same set.

"So, on that tablet, there's a few questions."

Kais came into view, no doubt confused.

"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?"

Lastly, Nora came into view, no doubt getting her confusion on.

"Any questions?"

There were questions. Aurora would let them ask away. But, they'd be ready to go.

"Alright, go!"

The questions popped up.

"Most likely to eat noodles with a fork?"
"Worst at keeping secrets?"
"Best Christmas gift giver?"
"Most fussy eater?"
"Most likely to climb Mount Fuji?"
"Most likely to get speeding tickets?"
"Best drifter?"
"Biggest classic car fan?"
"First to die in a horror film?"
"Most romantic of the pilots on the grid?"
"Which pilot would you most want to be stuck on a desert island with?"

Once they all completed, with no doubt some grimaces given this format, and some quips back, Aurora smiled as they put the tablet back down, likely wondering what the meaning of all of this was.

"Well. We'll show the audience at home and the other pilots what you said."

You, the viewer, were getting a look at that. Without them realising until most likely, it went to air.

The other pilots hadn't done that. Why? They were getting interviewed...and you could probably guess their question.

---

"Hmm....Japan.....well, I guess the sushi here. I mean the real stuff. Oh my word, it's unbeatable." Amy seemed human as ever on the interviews, with a beaming look, one that seemed so well rehearsed, it almost bled out of natural.

"Best thing....I mean, Yotei and Hokkaido are beautiful. And in winter. The shredding potential. Yeah, I love that." Harrison replied with the cool as you like, snowsports angle that was always going to come from someone like him.

"Okay, so.....probably the comics here. Seriously. Robot mecha? That got me started into being such a science fiction lover!" Layla chirped, perhaps to the surprise of a few, who probably were now about to start connecting the dots.

"Ooo.....probably just the racing history. Fuji, Suzuka, I always go and visit. So many memories there of legends, Hunt, Prost, Hamilton, Verstappen, Alonso, Starcross..." Dorian replied, with a certain love of his history, even for the gentleman of the grid.

"Hmm, probably won't be liked by the team for this, but the ramen. Japanese Ramen is so, so good. Cured a lot of hangovers...." Cassie laughed, giggling a little in response, knowing yeah, she was getting chewed out.

"Uh, probably the food. Gotta be the food." Max kept it short and sweet, and had no qualms there going to point.

"Food. Katsu curry is incredible. And my wife, she makes an incredible one!" Kofi replied, a hearty response, and as if it was heaping on board. The food and drink were all bundled, so next up....

"Sake. Final answer." Astrid giggled, to the surprise of literally nobody. And a sigh from Aurora.

"The cherry blossom is very beautiful here. I like that a lot." Ava replied with a cold, yet considered thought, knowing questions like these were scraping the bottom here, but it was to the point.

"Hmmm....has anyone said sushi yet?" Henry asked, as Aurora nodded. "Okay, damn, but I had to!" Henry replied, with laughs coming back.

---

Round 3 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Friday March 31st, 2094
Post-Practice
Japanese AGP
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
2100 JST

Hakone Izakaya Bar

The Liquid Lounge

Cassie Neves.....and others

Soundtrack: KiloWatts- Last Hoorah

The music was decidedly something that wouldn't have been out of place from a 2000s Japanese video game, and partly, because it was.

But at the top of the skyscraper, about 90 storeys up above yet in a nest of concrete and glass among other buildings, here it was. The cocktail bar at the top of the drizzly Tokyo sky, the flying craft, AG ships weaving on glass and concrete paths below, hiding the Shuto right at the bottom, now in full flow. The skyline was a neon glow, lit up and making the rain coming in seem even more dramatic.

The bar itself was lit up with green and white, the tell-tell colours of BioCHO, their logo almost like graffiti, but then again, algal-grown biofuel that produced about ten times the potency of unleaded gasoline was a hell of a thing that needed punks to make. You wouldn't know they were funded by what was once Saudi Aramco....

It was a sponsor event, and Cassie was here, as were a fair majority of the pilots. After food before, mostly a mix of Western options, sushi and real wagyu, they had the rooftop bar to themselves, and of course, photographers were out in force, grabbing pictures via drones. The waiters were all wheeled robots in a cute Japanese attempt to imitate a French waiting team, whilst the cocktail bar actually did have a mixologist behind, with her blue and red hair indicating some individuality even at the very top level of her game.

So that meant each team had at least one person, but most had two. Luckily for us, viewers, that meant the entire crew were out.

The cameras followed on Cassie, walking under the field-generated protection that kept the rain out and meant no umbrellas were even needed, rain harmlessly pattering off the bubble-like roof.

"Welcome to the glitz of Formula AG. More parties. More blood transfusions. Though seriously. Sake cocktails do rock." Cassie giggled, as she headed over towards Han, waving her hand to say "come join me", then walking over to where she saw more of them gathered. Harrison and Nora were there, in pairs as per usual.

"So, you finally got a match?" Cassie teased, Harrison at first having it go over his head.

"Oh, you mean like for dating, racing?" Harrison replied, Cassie spitting the remainder of her drink.

"I meant you're actually up against someone!" She giggled, as Harrison sighed, knowing to be better and make introductions.

"You two haven't spoken. Cassie, this is Nora, Nora, Cass. She's a friend of mine."

"Friend? We're on different teams. I'm just here to kick his wee arse sometimes. But yeah, we're good." Cassie added, putting a hand out to Nora.

"What do you drink by the way? I know they're free, but I'm gonna make a run to the bar!"

Astrid popped her head around, as did Bea, Ava and Paul from an earlier conversation, naturally drawn in given their previous video call.

"Ooooo drinks run, get me one too!" Astrid said, Ava giggling, passing her glass of champagne over, Cassie bitter, but taking the extra glass. The robotic waiters were very, very busy, and it was easier to put glasses back, than it was to bother calling at this point. Tech may have been incredible, but it was clear everyone and their plus ones were here, so the pilots were just going to have to push to a human and get their priority.

Cassie went off with that little mission, as Harrison and Ava looked across to Bea.
"I don't think we've met yet. You did well in Cape Town. Till uhh...yeah." Harrison remarked, with a small chuckle, but shaking his head, indicating he knew just how big that hit was.

"I really liked your art. Got outbid one that Highland Cow though...damn, whoever got that got a good deal!" Astrid smirked, looking over, Cassie hoping Han had taken the hint and came over.

Dorian had joined, looking over, raising his glass of white wine.
"That's because I bought it." Dorian smirked, walking across, looking to the small gathering, taking them in.
"It cost lots of N-Euros. But even if I'm funding another team, I simply couldn't resist." Dorian charmingly adressed, as Cassie put hands on hips as she brought back a tray of drinks for everyone as a top-up of what they had before, using the smart-label on each of the glasses to identify what they needed.

"Never took you for an art collector, Dorian?" Cassie replied, looking to her old team-mate, the wound healing a little, but there still being a little separation between the two.

"Sometimes you need your whitewashed walls to be covered in something. It's pride of place." Dorian replied, as Cassie guffawed at it.

"I bet you're a real wine snob too. But that's okay. Family's originally from Douaro so I could tell you about reds, forever....not this cocktail stuff." She shook it about, as Astrid grabbed a glass, from Cassie's tray, looking to the others.

"Well, cheers to alcohol." Astrid chuckled, looking to the others, actually socialising. She was never as active as this, so she was probably three deep by now?

"And having it pumped out of your blood?" Harrison added, Ava shrugging.

"Something like that."

In the interim, Layla stuck with Kais, on non-alcholics, whilst Amy chatted away to Max and Henry in another part, a few other media personalities, celebrities, and sponsor officials milling around.

You really could do whatever you liked here. Talk to any pilot, catch up with anyone in particular. A rooftop bar was a hell of a place to be, especially looking out over the cyberpunk-like towering skyline that made up central Tokyo....