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I am experienced roleplayer returning to online roleplay after 10+ year break. I have missed roleplaying and the creative outlet it is for me. I am interested in casual roleplay. I consider myself a decent writer and I will put effort into my writing. I am not into writing a novel for one post though. Descriptive, character building, engaging, yes. I will always write at least 2 paragraphs unless it is a quick fire session revolving around dialogue over private messages. I am a fairly laid back person and don't want to be a grammar nazi. I believe in quality over quantity. Roleplaying is a hobby and a escape from real life pressures.

Genres I am interested in:
Fantasy
Middle Ages
Science Fiction
Vampires
Shapeshifters
Crime Drama

Fandoms I am interested in:
Pokemon
Harry Potter
Anita Blake
Dragonriders of Pern
Star Wars

I don't mind roleplaying romance but I am not looking for smut. It has to make sense for the roleplay. I am okay with a fade to black moment instead of roleplaying it out. For me its about the story and the character. I am open to roleplaying it out.

I am in the Pacific Standard Timezone. I work full time and will be seen in the evenings and weekends online.

Most Recent Posts

The Last Campfire


Samantha Dalton


Chuck Simmons


Samantha was amused as she looked around the campfire. Adam was cooking some kind of hot dogs or brats and Skye was…. Roasting marshmallows? She was putting marshmallows on sticks. Sam wanted one but was barely holding herself upright. She was not sure about leaning forward to roast it. She had snagged one of the only chairs by the fire. Almost everyone else was sitting on logs and stumps. Sam would need the arms of the chair to make it back to her feet. She had literally just left the infirmary like 2 hours ago. She was clean and had a belly full of warm stew. Granted that had been a while ago. A nice roasted marshmallow would be a great dessert. She noticed that Tahlia had Duke and wondered where Chuck was. Sam grinned at Skye before replying.

Sam: “Oh I am surprised Sophie didn’t read you the riot act on how long it was going to take for me to recover and would you please stop bringing personnel back in pieces. You know the usual.” She gave Skye something close to her usual sass and snarky reply. “I spent most of the day in sedation while Sophie worked with all the marvels of modern medicine at her disposal to speed healing. I am still nursing bruised and broken ribs, I have synth flesh nanite patches working on the burns I sustained. I have been told small movements only, no big stretching yet. I still have a ways to go but thanks to you, I will heal.” She gave Skye the medical update that she had probably been avoiding if she knew Skye.

Samantha winked conspiratorially at Skye. “The highlight of my day was feeding myself and getting a shower felt like an accomplishment. That marshmallow looks tempting but I am not sure I can hold it outstretched long enough to roast it.”

Duke wandered over to her and sat next to her and placed his head gently on her uninjured thigh. She smiled and began to scratch him behind the ears. She looked around the fire once more and asked “Where’s Chuck and Freya?” She smiled if she wondered if both of them missing was a sign the lovesick giant had finally gotten up the nerve to ask Freya out. It felt like she had just asked about Chuck when Athena launched into telling them about Chuck’s meeting with Freya’s parents. Samantha managed to keep a smile on her face while Athena regaled the group with the tale. Her own thoughts drifted to her own experience as she hovered between life and death. She had come back like they wanted. She still felt that pain of leaving them all over again. She missed them all so much. She couldn’t help thinking how lucky her friend was to have so many people that cared about her. She was happy for Freya and Chuck was a great guy.

Samantha let the heat from the fire warm her and relax her. Duke was a warm weight on her uninjured leg. He grounded her in a way. A crackle from the fire drew her back to the present and out of her melancholy thoughts. She remembered that bad feeling she had that had persisted. It had lessened some but she still felt like the fight was not over. Not with Rose still out there. But here around the warmth of the fire. She kept those feelings to herself. She looked across the fire to meet Purna’s eyes. She held his eyes for a moment before turning to stare into the fire. She let the camaraderie wash over her as she allowed herself to just be. She was reserved and downright still for her. Typically Samantha struggled to sit still and fidgeted if she was in a meeting. It probably seemed odd to see her so still and quiet.

About that time Chuck appeared at the campfire. He sat down one of the larger logs next to Tahlia. Chuck gave the Kiwi a genuine smile. Chuck: “Good evening Tahlia. Thank you for taking care of Duke for me on short notice. I wasn’t sure I could take him with me.” Duke’s body had been taught with excited energy and his tail was wagging hard enough to create a breeze. He waited sitting next to Samantha until Chuck gave him some hand signal that released the dog. Duke pelted over to Chuck’s side almost knocking him off his log in his exuberance to lick his face and say hello.

Chuck just laughed and began petting and playing with Duke to satisfy his need to reassure himself that Chuck had come to no harm while he was away. Chuck rubbed him vigorously behind the ears. He had been carrying a plastic bag with take out in it with him. He laughed as Duke slobbered all over his chin. He let Duke have his way for a few minutes before he ordered him to sit. He pulled out the take out box and opened it revealing a steak cooked medium rare. He lowered the box to the ground and indicated Duke could have it. He barked happily and began to tear into the steak. Chuck just watched on fondly. He rubbed Duke’s head.

Chuck: “Sorry I had to leave you so abruptly Duke. It was for a good cause though. I hope you were a good boy while I was gone.” He knew Duke wouldn’t get into any serious trouble without good reason. It was just that he was so big and strong that mischief could be very costly.

Chuck looked around at the others with a smile.He started to ask what they were talking about but then he noticed Athena’s wicked grin.

Chuck: “Well I would ask what everyone was talking about but I think I can guess.” He raised an eyebrow at Athena.
DELTΔ HYPER


Monday April 3rd, 2094


Meeting between Han Hyeon-Ae and Paul Mulder





Paul smiled as he showered after his morning workout. He was preparing for his meeting with Hyeon-Ae. He wondered if she had forgiven him yet for teasing her at the BioCHO party and then beating her in the race. He had seen her at the party she had hosted at the nightclub. Nightclubs are notoriously loud though and it is hard to hold a conversation. Not to mention she was busy being a good hostess. She was polite at the party but he didn’t really get to know her any better. He could tell she had her “on face” on. He had one himself. It was that neutral pleasant face he used when he needed to deal with the media or people he didn’t know very well. Everyone has some version of social mask they use when in uncertain social situations. It was hard to tell Hyeon-Ae’s from her normal. He wondered if that was why they gave her so much grief. He grinned as he was determined to make her at least laugh once during the meeting. He wanted to take her somewhere fun and unexpected. He had given it a lot of thought. He had settled on a cat cafe. It sounded innocent enough. It would be interesting to see how Hyeon-Ae dealt with animals. She was always so fussy and formal. He loved seeing her come out of her shell a little. Sanberg had agreed as he had given him the name of the cafe and the address. He was meeting her at a cafe called Cafe Mocha.

Paul finished getting ready. He chose to wear navy blue slacks, and a gray button down. He paired it with a black leather jacket, boots, and a belt. He made sure he had his tablet, phone, and wallet. Then he and his security guard took off for the cafe. He arrived and paid the entry fee for him, his security guard, and Hyeon-Ae. He wanted to arrive first so he could pick out a good table for them. Cat cafes were popular here in Japan. He hoped their timing an hour before the lunch rush would be quieter. He hoped she enjoyed the surprise. He grinned anticipating her arrival. He found a couch towards the back wall with a recliner next to it. There was a tall cat tree next to the couch. There was a low coffee table in front of the couch. This would do nicely. He made sure his guard was happy with the place before he took one side of the couch. He ordered a cappuccino.

Paul looked around the charming cafe that almost felt like a child’s play place but was set up to cater to the cats who lived here. The true stars who made this cafe home. The interior of the cafe was set up as a pretend cat home. There were colorful shelves and cat perches across the walls with paintings surrounding the perches like colorful birds. There was what looked like a large dollhouse but had multiple compartments with cat beds in them. There were cats everywhere you looked, all colors, short hair, no hair, long hair. Paul had always been fascinated with cats but his mother had refused to let him have a pet when he had lived at home. Now he was gone too much. How had he not visited a cat cafe sooner? This was a fabulous decision. He would have to start seeking them out as he traveled with the team. A white haired Persian jumped up into his lap pushing her head under his hand demanding attention. Paul laughed in delight as he began to pet the cat. She collapsed into his lap and purred as she kneaded his leg. Paul found himself talking to the cat.

Paul: “And what is your name, M’Lady?” Paul looked at the name tag on the cat’s collar. He smiled as he laughed a little. “Why of course you would be named something aristocratic. My apologies you grace. I will endeavor to give you a good petting, Duchess.” Paul sat playing and petting Duchess as he waited for Hyeon-Ae to show up.

And show up she did. Fashionably late, approximately the time it would take to arrive exactly when asked and then walk from the car. Entering through the door with an implacable stride that suggested she owned the ground she walked on, Hyeon-Ae made her presence known without speaking a word. Dressed in trendy, fine-cut pants and a matching blazer and expensive-looking, she drew attention simply by looking like she walked out of a fashion magazine. The two broad-shouldered people in dark suits behind her didn't help - though they kept their distance so long as she stayed in view it seemed. The Korean woman surveyed the café with a searching gaze full of intent. It was only when she spotted Paul that her expression softened, and she made her way over with rapid steps.

”I hope I did not keep you waiting long,” Hyeon-Ae apologized softly as she moved to sit down opposite him, taking off her sunglasses. Her eyes fell to the cat. ”Though perhaps you would have managed without me for a while yet.”

Paul continued to pet Duchess as he smiled at Hyeon-Ae. ”Hello Hyeon-Ae. I haven’t been here long. Thank you for agreeing to meet me here.” He smiled at her witty remark. “How rude of me. Allow me to introduce you to Duchess here.” He held up the fluffy white cat as he continued to scratch behind her ears. He smiled as a playful tiger striped cat jumped up next to Hyeon-Ae. ”It looks like you have your own lap warmer.”

“I see your habit of making unpredictable plays extends beyond the track - most choose a restaurant or a tea parlor.” Hyeon-Ae chided with a mild smile, entirely good-natured as far as anyone could tell. She seemed to mostly ignore the cat cozying close to her for now, which in cat logic only meant that the cat grew more interested in this calm new person. “A lesser woman might think you're making light of her, after this weekend.”

Paul gave Hyeon-Ae a charming smile. “I felt a more relaxed setting might be good for our discussion and you. You don’t mind meeting here do you? They do serve beverages and food. I ordered a cappuccino for myself. What can I get for you?” Paul allowed Duchess to continue her kneading as he chatted with Hyeon-Ae. He shook his head in the negative. “I have always respected your skill on the track. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to win though. I will always fight hard to win a race. I don’t think Tokyo was very good for either of us this weekend.” Paul winced remembering that he did beat her but his teammate had landed in 16th position. Alexander hadn’t said anything to him about the race in Tokyo but he suspected he would be forced to address issues with Dorian. Sometimes it was nice to be the rookie. You can blame it on inexperience. He sighed a little and returned his attention back to Hyeon-Ae. “I tried to say hello at the party but you were surrounded and busy playing hostess. I hope you forgive me for not offering up a dance or two?”

Hyeon-Ae chuckled softly in turn, a placating smile dressed over her expression. ”Perhaps not the optimal environment for the dances I prefer, so it may have been for the best.” she commented conspiratorially as the cat took bolder interest, and she relented, reaching out to pet the striped monster that assailed her. It bonked her arm with its head in an attempt to garner more affection and sidle up against her. But Hyeon-Ae’s attention was on Paul. ”This is a lot calmer, and a lot less stressful, by comparison. Perhaps something to import into the boardrooms in Zygon.”

Paul continued to pet Duchess with one hand as he turned his attention to Hyeon-Ae. He gave her a slow smile as he remarked on her comment. ”What kind of dances do you prefer?” He couldn’t help wanting to know more about her. “I was surprised that you seemed so at home in the nightclub. I admit I was not very good company last night.” He gave her a rueful grin thinking it was probably a good thing for him that he had not found time for a conversation last night. He probably would have said something that pissed her off. He gave her a mischievous grin at her comment. He watched her lips for signs of amusement. “Maybe Zygon would benefit from an introduction of cat culture. Can you picture your team principal petting a cat like Duchess through a board meeting?”

Hyeon-Ae took the time to tap at her chin in theatrical thoughtfulness, indulging and matching Paul's mischief with unbridled emphatic charisma. Her own smile was equally mischievous, even if only to entertain her partner in crime. ”Surprisingly, yes. I think after Cassie Neves, Mr. Jinwoo would be the first to be pleased with such a change. Stroking his chin or a cat in thought - it would be the same to him, I think. The others, perhaps not so much.”

Paul’s smile grew warmer as she shared his thoughts with Hyeon-Ae. “Well I can’t picture Alexander Knight sitting at a meeting petting a cat. I think he would break out in hives. Every time I see him he is moving. I think he is allergic to sitting still.”

She gave the striped monster a good scritch behind the ear as she spoke. ”As for dancing, I am not trained in any specifics, but I always enjoyed the smooth movements of ballet. And some archaic forms of dancing from the west. I've only seen them in netvids, though. Are you an avid dancer, Paul?” Hyeon-Ae smiled and offered back in polite response, shifting briefly as she silenced her phone from buzzing with a fluid motion into her pocket.

He looked thoughtful as he pondered her question about dancing. “My mother didn’t want me to embarrass her at formal events. She attends a lot of them for the foundation and for her interests in the art world. She made me take ballroom dance lessons when I was younger.” He winked at Hyeon-Ae. “I like dancing and it was good exercise for cardio. So I took Salsa and Hip Hop lessons too.” He leaned forward and grabbed his mug while taking a sip. Duchess decided that was not allowed and abandoned him the moment he stopped petting. It amused Paul that she stalked over to his bodyguard and began rubbing against the man’s leg. He smiled in amusement as the man tried to shoo the cat away. He was obviously not a cat lover. Paul set the mug down once more. “Well you have had time to research the Mulder Foundation and me. Not that there is much about me that couldn’t be discovered with an internet search. What are your thoughts about my proposal?”

Hyeon-Ae chuckled softly in turn, hiding her lips behind a smoothly lifted hand. ”I would not trust the internet to deliver anything but the most extreme views. But, neither that nor my independent query brought me any reason to be worried. I hope I did not insult you by prolonging an answer.” The Korean pilot was being beset by a mild assault; two new cats had grown bored in the distance and taken an interest in her by mere happenstance. It didn't seem to vex her much. ”Would you briefly remind me what will be required of me? I'm happy to be of assistance.”

Paul couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head at her dry sincere delivery. “Honestly, I would expect no less from you. You come across as someone very driven, smart, and detail oriented. You seem like the type of person who always does their homework and has it done ahead of time, with citations, correlations, graphs, and charts.” He gave her a wry smile. “I am not insulted that you wanted to check it out first. I understand that our image is just as important as our performance on the track.” He gives her a long searching look. “Can I be honest with you about something?” He pauses waiting for her reaction.

Hyeon-Ae looked momentarily surprised, though it was difficult to tell if that apparent naivete was just a front. She leaned forward as if to touch his arm, but stopped at the mere gesture. ”Of course…” she intoned gently.

Paul waits for her response before continuing. He leans closer to her and lowers his voice so only she can hear him. “I don’t understand why the press seems to pick on you. If anything, you often sound scripted. You never look less than perfect. A little more spontaneity and a little mess might help you seem more friendly and approachable to fans and the media. It is one of the reasons I approached you about this offer. I figured some humanitarian press would benefit your image.” He leaned back just a little and looked her in the eyes. “It also gave me an excuse to talk to you.” He shrugged just a little and gave her a shy smile. “You looked like you could use a friend. I grew up in the shadow of my father in the media’s eye. I know how lonely that can be.”

The Korean pilot looked down at the cats briefly, the small smile going through phases all on their own, a wealth of emotions playing out on her masterfully held expression when studied closer. Eventually she deigned to respond with a simple ”That’s very kind of you, Paul.”, before letting the silence hang for a while between them. For some reason the woman was suddenly more interested in cuddling with the cats.

Paul finally got around to answering her original question. “How would you like to be involved? Bea is designing a t-shirt for the foundation. She is going to get part of the proceeds. She is also painting an original piece that will be auctioned to the highest bidder and she will receive half of the money. The charity auction will take place at a charity gala for the foundation that will be held after the summer break in Brussels where the foundation is headquartered. I assumed that you would want some good publicity out of the event and would like to attend the gala. I was thinking you could donate something for the auction. Maybe a photo collage of you, your ship, and a signed helmet or something like, something Formula AG collectors would bid on. Do you have any hidden talents like Bea? Do you paint or write poetry?”

”Hidden talents… I’m afraid beyond my old activism, and some sporting, I am not much good at anything.” she bowed her head apologetically as if to underscore some professed humility. ”I am happy to offer team- and personal bidding material. I’m happy to reach out to some predecessors as well, if you would like some more Zygon talents to pitch in. I hear we have some aspiring talents in the youth ranks as well.”

Paul’s smile fell and he frowned a little at her wording. He once more kept his voice intentionally low as he knew neither of them really wanted to attract the public’s attention. “That is a very generous offer but Hyeon-Ae, we both know that is not true. You are a very good racer. You have beaten me often enough. There are only a handful of people in the world that rise to our level of competition. I did not tell you that to critique. You simply come across as very formal and stiff. I thought you could use a little fun in your life.” He gave her a wry grin. “That is partially why I chose the cat cafe. I want a pet cat but it would not be fair to the poor thing with how much I am away from home.” He paused and gave her a worried look.

She dipped her head aside briefly and offered an embarrassed smile, brief and flitting. ”I do not wish to brag. Most of my talents are, ah, how do you say it. Personal? I am doing so many hobbies. I like to work out and work on myself. Cassie also asked me to be less stiff. I am offending.” Despite her phrasing, she did not seem that upset, rather a mixture between coy and talkative. ”I am good with, you know, chess, and a little piano, and fencing, but not much to give away. Only my money.”

Paul reached across the table and took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Now that I can believe. I will let you decide what you would like to put up at auction. Would you be willing to attend the Charity Gala to present it to bidders?” He gave her a warm slow smile before letting her have her hand back. “There will be ballroom dancing at the gala. I am hoping the attendance of other racers will draw people in for the gala and sell tickets. I appreciate that thought as well. I could have simply made a donation but there is more for the foundation to gain by me setting it up this way. Exposure and bringing more public awareness to their work. I appreciate your willingness to be a part of it.” Paul sat back and a new cat jumped up next to him. This one was a ginger tabby. He laughed a little and scratched the cat behind the ears. “Well Hello Mr.” He looked at the name tag “Mr. O’Malley.” He continued to scratch the ginger furred cat who had settled into his lap like a warm fur blanket. The cat was large and heavy.

Hyeon-Ae smiled yet again, this time perhaps a more genuine than her past playful smiles. Taking a few moments to consider the situation as Paul busied himself with the new cat-attack. ”I think it is a good thing you are doing. A lot of people simply sit still and hope change will come. I have read that it was even worse in the past. You are doing an admirable thing, and I am happy to be a part of it.” she offered after a while, before her own attention was stolen by indignant meowing from below. ”I will come up with something exciting to add to your auction, and I don't mind making an appearance. I know quite a few activists, perhaps they will be curious as well.”

Paul played with the tangerine colored tabby who while appreciating pets seemed fascinated by the movement of his hand. Paul looked up at Hyeon-Ae with a grateful smile. “Please feel free to give my contact information to anyone you think might be interested. I appreciate your willingness to get involved and Zygon’s. Cassie is welcome to join in as well. I didn’t approach her because I know she left Valkyrie and there are some hard feelings there. I wasn’t sure how comfortable she would be with that. I appreciate all the help you can give me.” Paul tilted his head to one side in contemplation. “Is there anything you need in return? Do you want a portion of the donation in compensation? There will of course be media about the event and Zygon or you personally can be listed as the donor.”

”I'm willing to ask her, Cassie that is, but I am not fully sure about what transpired. She is not too open about that time.” she proffered in turn with a mild sigh, then tapped at her chin. ”Anything I need… Well, Paul, I am happy to know I am helping something good in society.” Hyeon-Ae smiled, fooling no-one. She was looking a little too mischievous to cling to humility. ”But perhaps we do not need to be so material? Just don't hang up next time, when it is me who is pitching an idea, yes?”

Paul smiled at Hyeon-Ae and it grew bigger as she talked. “So does this mean we are texting buddies now? You know I would be happy to be of assistance if I can. I can’t give away team secrets or anything like that. But I have been told I clean up nice if you need an escort to a party. Or we could meet up again so you have an excuse to explore more fun options. We can always just chat and talk.” The mischievous glint in Paul’s eyes back. “We could try skiing in Italy or hot cocoa by a fire.” Paul looked thoughtful for a moment and then excited.”Or we could make plans for Disneyland in Paris?”

Hyeon-Ae chuckled quietly, remaining modestly entertained before the other pilot. Her own mischief was not gone, however, merely hidden beneath a veneer of polite demureness. ”How about a standing challenge, then? The winner between us decides the next activity? Within reason, of course.”

Paul was surprised by Hyeon-Ae’s suggestion. He didn’t mind the bet. He just wondered if he would end up dressed in a banana suit on some crazy Korean game show. Or asked to guest star on a Korean soap opera. He had heard that they take their stories pretty seriously. He was not sure how far he could trust Hyeon-Ae but then nothing ventured, nothing gained. Paul gave her a warm genuine smile. “Okay. I assume when you say winner, you mean who places higher at a race? He paused for a moment and tilted his head to the side. “I guess this means you want to see me again then?”

About that time the ginger tabby playfully attacked his hand. Paul laughed as he protected his hand from the ginger menace. He plucked the tabby up and held it as he began to pet it while the cat purred. Paul continued to pet the ginger cat to keep his hand from being scratched up. He watched Hyeon-Ae for her response.

”Yes, although of course I intend to win the race fully as well. I am not opposed to seeing you more, no. Out of my rivals, you seem very approachable, you know?” she shot back with a mysterious and guarded smile, beset by her own thoughts no doubt. Not to mention the small assault of attentive cats. ”I think I read that you like cars…?”

Paul gave her a guarded smile back. “Yes I love classic cars. I love the speed in antigravity racing but there is something about controlling a machine on wheels. The friction, the hum of the motor, the sound of the wheels on the road. It is just different. I also inherited my father’s collection.” He shrugged and then asked her about hobbies in Korea. The two of them spent time just hanging out. They stayed to chat for the whole hour that Paul had booked at the Cat Cafe before going their separate ways.









DELTΔ HYPER


Friday 14th April, 2094
Rifugio Capanna Piz Fassa di Bernard Guido
Piz Boè, Dolomiti, Italia
1700 CET
A Couch in the Sky


Soundtrack: Sneaky Snitch - Kevin MacLeod




Paul was pleased with how well his prank was going so far. He did offer to share his popcorn and scorecards with the other drivers. Paul’s prank was mostly being used as a way to poke fun at their interviewers who always seemed artificially perky to Paul. What did Aurora do, mainline coffee and hot chocolate?

He had distracted Bea a little in her interview. He had given her a big cheesy smile at the end of her interview. He waited until the cameras had stopped rolling before he clapped and whistled and held up a scorecard with an 8 on it. “Great form and focus from Mad Bea! Excellent work!”

He waited till Hyeon-Ae was finished and held up a scorecard with a 9 on it. Paul: “Solid concentration Hyeon-Ae! Superior Focus.”




Paul’s interview continued. He did a double take as he caught sight of Bea’s shirt. He couldn’t help stopping to laugh and clap delightedly. He turned to Aurora and Rory. “I see Bea has been following my endorsements.” He grinned like a madman before he managed to turn his attention back to the work at hand. Rory and Aurora had asked him a follow up question.

"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?"


Paul’s smile was genuine. “I am very grateful to have the support of the Tofosi! They are an amazing group of fans. The Tofosi reward any driver with enthusiasm and appreciation if they are giving them a good show. It is one of the reasons I love racing in Italy. Dorian has been focused on his own performance but Alexander Knight has made sure I was focused on the training for this course. They are working on some ship upgrades but I know we only got a few of them done in time for this race. I will be utilizing Valkyrie’s superior handling and stability to help get the most speed out of the turns, corners, and chicanes of this track. I am hoping I can make up for the lack of speed on the straights. I have worked hard to improve my ELS strategies. We will have to see if that hard work pays off here in the Dolomites.”




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

Strada Alpina
Marmolada, Dolomiti, Italia
1400 CET


La Forza


Soundtrack: Funk Rock & Roll - Lo Fi Hikari

Paul was sitting in his ship finishing his pre race rituals. Qualifying meant he needed to push hard enough to get a decent starting place in the line up. He didn’t want to push too hard and be out of the race by pushing too hard either. This was his last chance to have the crew change any of the ship’s set up. He needed to nail the corners and curves on this track to have any chance of a decent showing especially with the long straits. He massaged the leather gloves until they were worked all the way down his fingers leaving him with maximum flexibility and sensitivity. He pulled on his fire proof cowl and straightened it out and tucked it into his race suit. He then rezipped his dark gray and gold tone race suit all the way back up. He clipped his safety restraints and tugged them tight. He pulled on the helmet and carefully secured the chin strap. He then plugged in his neural drive to the ship. He pulled the neck and head restraint around his helmet and neck and made sure it was locked into place. It would help protect his neck and head from injury during a crash. He took some deep breaths to build his oxygen up for the race. He took a moment to process all the new input from the ship. He allowed his training with the neural interface to take over. His brain sorted all the new incoming data into what he needed to know. He paid close attention to the temperatures that might change quite rapidly with the setting sun and the altitude. Paul was feeling good. He loved the track, it was challenging and the views were gorgeous. Not that he could enjoy them during the race, since he was moving too fast for that.

Paul had a good start. He nailed that first hard turn. He was off and did well. He was still not happy with the new balance of the ship. He was losing a little time each time the ship left the track. It seemed to bounce a little off line when it came back down and reconnected to the mag track. He managed a respectful finish. He knew he could do better and go faster. He waved to the fans as he slowed his ship and pulled it back into the pit lane so he could return to the paddock. He of course wouldn’t know his final pole position until Qualifying runs were over.

Carmella was there waiting for him as he disconnected from the ship. He unfastened his safety restraints. He popped the canopy and quickly climbed down. He pulled off his helmet and cowl. He shook his head and told her what he needed. “The ship is still acting like the nose cone is light. It is still bouncing slightly off center and race line when it leaves the track. It takes me a few moments to recover the line each time. It's costing me time. See if there is anything else you can do before the ship has to be locked up for tomorrow’s race.” Carmella just nodded and made note of his feedback and they split up. She headed back into the paddock’s mechanical bay. Paul headed for the showers. He had post qualifying interviews to do. Then he was supposed to spend some time in the Valkyrie Fan Zone. Hopefully by then he would know where he stood.






Paul had showered and done his round of post qualifying interviews in the press box at the Valkyrie Paddock. There were always some sponsorship endorsements to do. Delta Hyper interviews were required on top of mainstream media work. He had some of those to do too. Luckily for him Katherine did a great job of weeding out the riff raff media who would skew anything they said for ratings.

Paul had been introduced to a potential new sponsor for Valkyrie, a computer company called Quantinium. They provided quantum computers and Valkyrie was thinking about partnering with the firm on the new ships. The current company being used was being used by other teams and while there were no indicators of impropriety and it was a very common practice, instead of reinventing the wheel, multiple teams used one company. Alexander felt it was safer to use a company that others were not using. Their computers were also due for an upgrade and Quantinium were experimenting with a new crystalline matrix chip that ran cooler and could perform faster. They had a very cool pyramid logo and their representatives here for the Italian race were big fans.

Paul spent some time in the Valkyrie fan zone signing shirts, hats, and pictures. Some of the new fan gear by Enigma Lux was on sale and display in the Valkyrie Fan area. A hot seller was the new leather racing jacket by Artie. Paul had to admit that it was stylish and cool. He would have to buy one. The new t-shirt designs were very popular. He was pleased to note some long sleeved versions for sale here in the winter wonderland that was the Dolomites in Italy. He was grateful for a cup of coffee. Zap always had their banners flying and were attempting to hand out drinks but it was so cold no one wanted the sports drink in this cooler weather. The “I Cant Believe Its Meat” food truck vendor was doing a brisk business. People were appreciating a hot treat.




Social Media Post


ValkyriePaul: Racing at the top of the world tomorrow. Look at that view! Hope to see you here!
[Image of Paul in winter gear from the interview platform. The glacier and its epic scenery behind him.]

#DolomiteAG #FormulaAG #TeamValkyrie





TeamValkyrie: The new team Valkyrie fan gear designed exclusively by @EnigmaLux is now available for purchase in the Team Valkyrie online store and in person at races in the Valkyrie Fan Zone. Check out the Team Valkyrie website to get yours today! [link to Team Valkyrie Fan Gear Website]


#DolomiteAGR #ItalyAG #TeamValkyrie #FormulaAG





Collab with Chuck, Freya, Jamie, Victor, and Natalie


Fireteam Poseidon





Chuck had helped pull the SDV up the ramp into the aircraft’s hold. He pulled off what was left of his outer heavy armor. It was trashed. He found it easier to move after. He began to look around at his team. Everyone looked to be functioning although he suspected Ebrima was going to need to be looked over at the base.

Freya had crawled up onto the SDV then crawled up and helped Chuck pull the SDV in. Kept her helmet closed the whole time until they were all loaded in. But once they were and everyone was settled her face plate snapped open and well maybe she hadn’t been sure how much of her pain she allowed to show on her face. She’s usually more composed than that.

His eyes landed on Freya. His heart twisted at the emotional agony on her face. He didn’t know what had happened with Freya on the rig but he could see she was struggling. He struggled for a moment with whether he should give her space or not. He decided to hell with that. He sat on a crate in the back of the aircraft and pulled Freya gently but firmly by the shoulders into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and just held her. He rocked her gently and just tried to be there for her. He knew if she wanted to be alone she would let him know. He also knew he was taking a chance but it was gutting him to see the pain and uncertainty on her face.

He whispered into her ear. “It’s okay. The mission is over. Let it out. I’ve got you.”

So she’s just a touch surprised when Chuck tugs her over.

At first she’s not quite receptive to it. But something about the way he coos to her.

…and she melts into his lap.

But still for a time she just sits there, but that rocking and the care he has slowly chips away at her normally stoic and steel hard shell.

The first sound could be mistaken for a cough, or a choke. Until the tear is noticed, followed by a matching streak on the other cheek. The big mad lass science girl begins to cry just a little.

Then whispers to Chuck, “This may come as a surprise, but I’m not the chaste girl I make out to be. My sister Athena is more wild, but I have my moments.” She chokes a bit on her words as she feels she needs to come clean. She closes her eyes and nuzzles into his shoulder, “Laura and I we..well we’ve been on and off again a lot you see. Work on missions, or projects, and the spark would relight and suddenly we’re back in bed. And it’s all about the gratification right? She’s the source of my pansexual awakening and all…” She gulps unsure of how that highlight will come across.

Chuck knew that Freya was going through something personal that was triggered on the rig. He had been fighting in a different area and did not know what happened in the fight where she was. What he did know was that he liked Freya. She was beautiful, smart, and fun. He had been trying to ask her out for a while now but Raven had been rolling from one crisis to another since he had met her. The team had not really had any downtime.

Chuck smiled a little and gave Freya a lopsided grin as she began to speak. He cupped her face with one hand and ran his thumb over her cheek to wipe away the latest tear. He looked her in the eyes and let the grin slide from his face. He could see she was dealing with a lot. He didn’t want to add to her pain.

“Freya, we all come with history and emotional baggage. Anyone who says they don’t is lying.” He shivers a little as she nuzzles into his shoulder. He revels in the amount of trust he knows she is showing him. “Okay so I am not sure what pansexual means. I get that you were in a relationship with Laura…”

He stutters to a stop as his brain puts two and two together. He continues to hold her tight and squeezes her gently in a hug as he continues. “And you had to fight her and leave her behind on the rig that just exploded.”

He didn’t know what to say. He wouldn’t apologize or tell her he was sorry because it was not his fault Laura had been there or on the wrong side this time. All he could do was support her and help her through whatever emotional crisis she was going through.

“I won’t pretend I know how you feel right now or what you are going through. All I can tell you is that if you want to talk about it, I will listen. I am not here to judge you. What I see right now is someone I am coming to care about a great deal, in pain.” He continued to hold her and stroked her hair soothingly as he waited for her to process what he was saying. He wanted the opportunity to get to know her better but now might not be the best time for bringing that up. He would follow her lead. He also didn’t want any misunderstanding with her family. He still wanted to talk to her brother and father.

Freya sighs, “Think of it…like your first love. Who then betrays you and hurts you. Even a little bit. And you then do something that might have hurt them…I don’t know if she’s alive or not. I didn’t get a finisher. Knowing Laura though she’s nursing something painful.” She huffs and leans her head against him.

Chuck lets her snuggle deeper into his lap. He continued to stroke her hair and hold her close. Just letting her talk as she wanted too. He could be patient. It wasn’t like they would be landing in the next ten minutes.

The big red headed woman takes a second or two, “You know…theme of where have all the good guys gone. I think you might be one of them and if we have a chance…really hope we do, I’m glad I get it.” Yep that’s a dodge of the wanting to talk about it, probably still working things through herself.

After abit though, “You know, my Dad and Brother are going to want to have a long long talk with you. I’m sure they have some inkling, brothers and fathers always do. And my Dad had a traditional upbringing in some ways.” She hums and nuzzles his chin, like a giant cat, no not a house cat it’s like a giant predator cat nuzzling a human. All she needs is the ears, tail, and claws. “Don’t let them scare you okay? When ever Athena brings someone new home they get on them. When ever Jamie finds someone Mom and Dad grill them too. I’m the nice girl though, the one who’s waited. So the first guy I like, yes you, they’re going to want to get at.” She smiles, “Just be nice. And be patient. Wanna keep you for abit.”

Chuck’s body tightened in response to her nuzzling. His heart fluttered at her words as hope filled him. He chuckled as she warned him about her family. He pulled Freya’s chin around so he could look her in the eyes. “I have every intention of speaking to your father and brother.” He paused and gave her a bright smile. “Freya, you need to know I am playing for keeps. I plan to make my intentions known to your folks. I respect you and your family. I don’t want to come between you all. I am very close to my family as well. I understand that bond. Are you okay with me talking to them?” He couldn’t resist brushing a kiss along her lips before pulling back and waiting for her answer.

Freya hums and nods, “Well, that’s good to hear, you’ll get a leg up with that kind of attitude. Just don’t let my Dad get to you, he’s a good guy. But he’s one of the original Super Heavy Juggernauts Chuck, he and my mother literally wrote the book on how we do our business. Everything we learned in our respective training to reach where we are, my parents practically pioneered. So seeing you as a Super Heavy he’s going to be very hard on you.”

Freya gave him a hug and was about to say more but that kiss stops her and she sighs, leaning up and giving him another kiss. What ever else she was going to say forgotten, it’s not so bad to find someone who’s good for you after all.




They had long since made it back to base. Chuck had parted from Freya with mixed feelings. He enjoyed her company but he had things to put in place before he could take the next step. He needed to talk to her father and brother. Chuck needed some food and sleep before taking that on. He wanted to be at the top of his game uncertain how that conversation would go. Chuck had showered and gone to pick up Duke, and they hit the mess hall for some chow. Then he had gone to bed for a good night’s rest after a long battle and then the trip home. He then went to find Freya’s father or at least set up a meeting with him and Jamie. Letting them know he wanted to talk to them in private.

It had taken a short bit. No response had come from Victor Kanatariio, but Jamie had come to Chuck maybe a day after Chuck had sent his request. Jamie Cole Kanatariio in the moment had looked stoic and firm. He’d stood and called to the other giant, “Chuck, if you’d come with me. I’ve been asked to bring you to a meeting.” He’d not waited for Chuck to say much Jamie with a rigid step had led the way out to waiting Blue Sword company helicopter. Jamie jumping in and waiting for Chuck.

Chuck nodded and followed Jamie with Duke at his side. When he saw the waiting helicopter he paused and looked down at Duke. He pulled a leash out of his pocket and clipped it onto Duke’s collar. He handed the leash to one of the guards around the helipad. Chuck looked at the guard and handed him the leash. “This is Duke. I am needed in an urgent meeting. Please take him to Tahlia Harris. Tell her Chuck Simmons has asked that she look after him while I am gone. Thank you.” He bent down and gave Duke a quick scratch behind the ears. “I will be back boy. Be good for Tahlia.” Duke woofed at him and gave a happy tail wag before taking a seat. Chuck just smiled and gave him one more pat before following Jamie onto the helicopter. He had to duck quite a bit to miss the whirling rotors. He buckled in for the ride. Jamie didn’t talk to him so he just shrugged and went with it. Chuck had a suspicion that Jamie had been sent to fetch him for his father.

The heli had taken them south, finally out of the Park and to the small town of Vuontisjärvi. And there landing at a small landing pad meant for medical choppers. And then again a car brought the pair to a diner tucked into the middle of the town. For all that Victor helps command a large military force. There are no guards.

Chuck had watched the scenery pass below them as the helicopter flew them to their destination. He was curious when the copter landed in a small town. Jamie had led him to a waiting car with a driver. He got in without a word curious about where he was going. Chuck was amused when they arrived at a diner. Chuck had been quietly following Jamie. He had been plucked from the base unprepared so he was dressed as he typically would be for the day. He was wearing green camo BDU pants, a black tshirt, and a heavy jacket, with black combat boots. He had a black beanie pulled down over his ears. It was cold at the base with snow on the ground. Chuck followed Jamie into the warm diner. He paused at the door to knock any dirt or snow off his boots before entering the diner. Jamie led the way inside and to the table where his father sat eating a snack.

In fact they find Victor nibbling at some mozza sticks, with a large pitcher of diet soda at hand. He hums and motions his son and Chuck over. He gestures to the two seats at the broad table, “Come on over, the kitchen is taking any orders. Get something to eat and drink and then we talk business, yes?”

Chuck gave Victor a respectful nod. “Thank you sir.” He pulls off his jacket and hangs it on a hook beside the table. He then takes the indicated seat and looks over the menu while Jamie orders.

Chuck looked over the menu with amusement. If this was going to be his last meal, he might as well enjoy it. He respected Victor and Jamie but he also knew that honorable men were protective of the women in their lives. Chuck was super protective of his younger sister Annabelle. It was probably a good thing he was away from home now that she was away at college and dating. He ordered two burgers, fries, onion rings, and a coke. He turned his attention to the other two men.

He sits and waits, Jamie ordering a local meat and potato dish and a whole arse pitcher of diet soda as well. The pair look at Chuck as they wait. Jamie’s gaze curious. Victor, big victor Kanatariio, the big Patriarch of the Family that Chuck has expressed interest in, has a look something in the range of a giant predator cat or a big bird of prey. And he’s looking at Chuck like he’s the prey.

Chuck waited till the waitress left before turning his attention to the Kanatariio men. “Thank you for inviting me.I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me” Chuck turned his head to take in Jamie before turning his head back to Victor. He was following the order of business presented by Victor. He said business would come after the meal. He met Victor’s gaze calmly. He understood that Victor and Jamie both were testing him and trying to determine if he was good enough for the battle goddess. Chuck knew he was sitting in a powder keg situation that could end his life. He was not stupid. He also had confidence in his own skills and worth. He also knew that dating the battle goddess would be worth all this trouble. Chuck waited patiently for the next item of business or food. He was content to wait for the deep fried goodness that he had not indulged in for weeks. Eating game meat could get old after a time. “It will be nice to eat something different.”

The meal is polite, with abit of a side of tension. Jamie and Victor are pretty good conversationalists. With a wide range of topics. From Sports, to politics, global and national. They even get into a wonderfully animated conversation about dogs, and Victor gushes abit when introduced to Duke through a picture. He’d commented at how majestic and powerful Duke looks, and what a great partner he has to be. Jamie is a little more stiff, he knows exactly why they are here after all. But he tries to be a good conversationalist.

Chuck’s meal was great. It had been a while since he had gotten to indulge in deep fried goodness. It wasn’t his mother’s fried chicken but the onion rings and fries were hot and salty and hit that craving for him. He kept up the light talk as dinner progressed. He happily showed off some pictures and videos of Duke that he had on his phone. “Jamie didn’t tell me where we were going. I would have brought him if I had known it was okay to do so. I felt without knowing it was safer for him to leave him at base. He is well trained and the best canine partner I have ever had.” The meal passed pleasantly. Victor was everything that Chuck had thought he would be and more. He respected the hell out of him. He would remember to say a prayer tonight that Freya’s father was a man he could understand and not some stuffed suit in an office that he would have nothing in common with. Chuck braced himself as the plates were cleared away. Now came what he expected would be one of his most uncomfortable conversations ever. Chuck would do it though because that is what he would expect for someone who wanted to date his sister or his daughter someday if he was ever blessed with children.

Finally though dinner is finished. And the three sit about the table. It’s now that Victor, Big Bad Victor looks at Chuck, “Enough with the pleasantries for abit. I’m going to be brutally direct.” He sets the pitcher of his drink down beside him then leans forward, staring at Chuck, “What are your intentions towards my eldest daughter? Now Freya is important to us. She’s smart, wise, and determined. If she sees something in you, that’s a green flag for you, but I still want to make sure you’re going to treat her right. You’re not going to dampen down her love of science, and if you both continue doing the mercenary thing, that you work with her and keep her safe when you can. Understood kiddo?”

Chuck sat with his hands folded comfortably on the table in front of him. Chuck looked Victor into his eyes and gave him a direct response back. “I asked for this meeting so I could declare those intentions to you directly and ask your blessing to date your daughter. I already told Freya that I am playing for keeps. I call Freya the Battle Goddess. It started out as a passing joke in battle one day. I have found her to be kind, fun, intelligent, wise, beautiful, and deadly. To be blunt sir, she is the whole package. I am old enough and wise enough to know when a good thing crosses my path. My plans are to date your daughter and see where things go. If it leads to marriage, I plan to commit.” He paused and waited a moment to allow Jamie to chime in as well. He knew his friend would say something because he was breaking bro code where sisters are off limits.

Jamie through all that is nodding in agreement. He then pipes up, “I’ll be upfront, I’ve suplexed more potential suitors that have tried to do wrong by Freya then I can count. Laura is the only one who pulled up her shorts and kept abreast with Frey. I don’t want to have to do it again. You seem like a good guy Chuck, I’ve seen the looks Freya sends your way. Don’t hurt her.”

Chuck turned his attention to Jamie. “Let me be just as direct with you Jamie. I consider you a friend. It is hard to make friends who can keep up with me physically.” He gave a wry smile at that thought. Jamie had grown up in a family of giants. Chuck was the only giant in his family. His father, brother, and grandfather were tall but nowhere near his height. That had given him some unique challenges growing up. “I would never knowingly hurt Freya. I also know she is a smart independent woman and would prefer that we men not make decisions for her. However, I also know how much her family means to her. Which is why I told her I was playing for keeps and planned to talk to you both. I asked her if it was alright with her before I asked you both for a meeting. I would never disrespect her.” Chuck turned from Victor to his son meeting their eyes.

The pair of Kanatariio men look across at Chuck steadily.

Then out of no where Victor continues with, “So what kind of Suitor Price can you bring to the table? I know you have a good job, but what can you offer to show you value and care for Freya?”

Chuck looked surprised by that question. He began to sweat a little bit. This was the first thing that he had not been expecting. He was not sure how to respond. He tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Do you mean a dowry? That’s very old fashioned.” He laughed knowingly and nodded at Victor. “I am pretty sure Freya makes way more money than I do. I have been a military man all my adult life. The pay was better after I moved to Raven but that was a recent development. Uncle Sam doesn’t pay as well but I have retirement and veteran benefits coming to me when I do decide to retire officially.”

He paused thinking about his question. “Well sir, it would need to be something rare and special to be worthy of your daughter. I am not the kind of man who can afford something like that. That means it will need to be something I can do. One of things I can do for you of course is take the odd job here and there for Blue Sword. I am a highly trained and skilled operator. That is not really special enough for Freya’s hand though is it?” He took a drink of his soda as he thought about it.

“I could train you a dog once I have a free stretch of time. I hope to breed Duke in the next year or so and train some of his puppies. Is that something you would like?” He looked up at Victor with a questioning look on his face.

Both Kanatariio men sit there listening and gazing upon Chuck. As he uses the word Dowry Jamie twitches abit but makes no more outward gesture. Victor is straight faced and stoic. The talk of money made Jamie break their silence, “You ought to see her contracts Chuck, there’s more Space and Military dollars coming in to her then we can easily count. In fact I understand my big sister has a new mass driver cannon contract to launch satellites and maybe even space craft into space. My sister is going far.”

After abit though Victor can’t help it he bursts out laughing and Jamie lets out an explosive breath he’s been holding since he talked about some of Freya’s accomplishments and future jobs.

Jamie huffs, ‘That was hard…really hard. I didn’t think I could keep it up. Damn Dad, you’re not going to be like this when Athena and I find SOs are you?” Victor hums and takes a long pull from his drink, “I’ll think about it.” He looks at Chuck and nods, “No. No and no. I was watching, seeing what you’d be willing to do. You don’t need to work for Blue Sword, you don’t need to contribute from your own pocket. Though the Dog idea sounds nice I wouldn’t want to take that time out from you. No boy…no son.” The big in body and big in aura man emphasizes that last part. He nods and Jamie grins. Victor continues, “If you’re really serious, and you can take care of my girl, you got all green lights from me. My wife likes you too and said she’s okay with it as well. Athena, well Athena can talk to you herself. That girl is a force on to her own, all my kids are.” He looks to Jamie.

Chuck couldn’t help the look of relief on his face. “Are you going to tell me what the suitor price is? Please accept my humble apology that I missed some important cultural piece. This is what I would have done for a girl I was serious about in America. I won’t hide my relationships like some American men, only approaching their family later. I respect Freya. Thank you for your blessing sir. I will protect and cherish her.”

Jamie hums and leans forward causing the table to creak under their combined weight, “You treat my sister good, you protect her, your care for her, and I got no problem with you seeking her hand alright? Just make sure I’m one of the best men if it gets that far. And remember in family fights…I’m well obligated to hold you down and shank you, rather than her. Still I’ll stand on the field with you, and make sure my sister’s man can make it back to her.” He gets up then walks over and gives Chuck a paired thump on the shoulder, right and left at the same time, “Don’t rush to tie the knot yeah?”

He turns to Jamie and lifts an eyebrow. “We are going to explore what’s between us at the speed that is right for us. That means Freya.” He liked Jamie but he really didn’t need Freya’s brother telling him to slow down and respect her. From his perspective Freya was jumpy as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. It had taken this long to get a kiss and a promise of a date. He understood her enough to know how important her family is to her. He also knew she came from a different culture to him. He wanted to make sure he honored that. If she wanted to move at a glacier’s pace then he would move at a glacier’s pace. That would depend on her needs and her needs alone.

Victor nods, “So we doing dessert? And anything we can ask the kitchen to cook to take home? Freya likes shrimp by the way Jamie.” He winks, and reaches out to point at the two shrimp dishes on the menu.

“Hmmm do they have apple pie or something equivalent? And can I get a couple of burger patties or a plain steak for Duke. It would make a nice apology for him since I had to leave him behind.” He looked over at Victor with a warm smile. “When Duke has puppies, I will let you know. You can come by and have the pick of the litter. Training always goes better if there is some connection from the very beginning.” Chuck offered Victor his hand to shake. “I respect you in your own right Victor. My prowess as a canine trainer would only be enhanced by gifting you one of Duke’s own.” He gave him a wry smile. “I feel like I should at least send your wife an acknowledgement of some kind. Maybe a card and flowers? Any suggestions here?” He gave Victor a pleading look. He knew it was his grandmother who really ruled the family. He suspected Freya’s mother had more sway then was revealed and he would not knowingly exclude her and piss her off.

Victor leans back and hums, “Natalie…well…hmm how do I…” He blinks then grabs Jamie and ducks under the table, and good timing too as the front door of the diner bursts inwards, almost like it was kicked. And the thick husky and lets face it sexy Russian accent of Natalie Kanatariio nee Denisova booms, “Victor! You left me out of the meeting? I only heard after you left and was not fast enough to catch the plane you took! I am very put out with you! And you! Jamie Cole Kanatariio! You of all people, I thought would let your mother know!” Jamie and Victor can be heard planning how to get out of this. Something about Jamie going left and Victor going right to make it hard to get pelted.

Chuck blinks as chaos seems to center on the diner they are in. Freya’s mother arrived and the atmosphere changed immediately. Victor and Jamie both went scrambling for cover. Chuck couldn’t help but smile a little. He didn’t dare laugh. He had a suspicion but it had just been confirmed. He also knew his balls would be on the chopping block if he didn’t manage a decent deflection and redirection for all of them. Chuck scrambled to his feet which was made more difficult by victor diving under the table. He almost slipped out of his chair. He sat back down again hard before finally managing to free his feet. Victor then comes flying out the side of the table. He takes off running one way and Jamie splits to go the other.

As they are Natalie with great strides makes for the table. As as Jamie goes one way and Victor the other she arrives and just barely misses grabbing Victor, “Ahhh! I’ll get you both later!” She turns and looks at Chuck, “You…you are the one that my Freya emailed us about. I recognize your face from the picture she sent us.”

He just manages to stand and make sure he looks half presentable when Natalie is standing in front of him. He crosses his hands in front of him and straightens his spine as if he was saluting a superior officer. Chuck offers the woman a respectful nod in greeting. “Hello Mrs Natalie Kanatariio nee Denisova. Yes I am Charles Simmons but all my friends and family call me Chuck. It is a pleasure to meet you. I can see where Freya gets her beauty from.”

She’s a tall, powerful looking woman, chiseled face, a figure to die for, but with a clear power to her. She’s wearing BlueSword fatigues with her Colonel's insignia on it. She narrows her eyes, “My fool of a husband and my son have likely given you their blessings. But.” She opens her hand and offers it out palm up, “Hand.” She orders, “Let me look at you.” Her eyes narrowing, “We shall see if you are worthy of our Thrud.”

Chuck obediently offers her his hand. “I want you to know that I did reach out to meet with Victor and Jamie first but my grandmother would have my hide for not seeking your approval as well. As a matter of fact, I had just asked him if bringing you flowers would be appropriate.” Chuck knew he was being judged and felt as if he made the wrong move here would cost him dearly. He had never felt danger more acutely in his life. All his senses and instincts were telling him to run. He cleared his throat and waited patiently for judgment. “I guess all I can do is hope that I pass your judgment then. I respect Freya and would never ever disrespect her or intentionally hurt her. May I say madam that your daughter is one of the most amazing women I have ever met?” He gave her a sincere smile and tried not to quake in his boots like a cadet at boot camp.

Natalie took Chuck’s hand in hers, and held it, her grip starting faint, as she looked at his palm, looking it over. She seemed to be reading his whole being through his hand. Her thumb brushed across his palm, “You are a good man clearly. Strong, powerful, wise.” She hums and takes his hand in a classic hand shake style, “You are kind and caring too.”

She nods slowly again, then begins to squeeze, the grip tightening. Jamie where he’s holding a chair in front of him across the room watches. Swallowing loudly. Victor has edged closer “Lover, my Valkyrie, be gentle, he is a good man. He has the mind and the body and the soul to be good for our daughter.” Natalie turned and glared her husband down “It is my turn my love. You wait. I shall be with you shortly.” She turned back then to Chuck, her grip getting tighter, and watched him as if expecting him to begin to respond, her grip getting stronger and stronger, tighter and tighter. Victor might be a physical powerhouse, but Natalie is that and more, a weight behind her physically and mentally, “My daughter has a future, among a powerful community of governments and agencies. Will you support her? Without feeling lessened? Will you stand by her when she is at her lowest and when she is soaring beyond the clouds and even among the deepest voids of the future? She is not invincible. She is mortal though she is onto a young goddess, she has far to go and has room to grow, she needs a partner who will stand beside her, behind her or in front of her as the need arises.”

If Freya is a giant in intellect, Natalie is a giant in aura and sheer physical presence, like her husband. And like that her test for Chuck is physical more then anything. Where Jamie and Victor had tested him emotionally, Natalie’s test is more physical and mental. She waits and watches, “I want you to know I want only what’s best for my children, when Athena and Jamie are ready I may do a similar test for their partners, but you are first to reach the heart of one of my children, and i want to make sure you are good for her. This is personal and professional. I want to make sure this is right.”

Chuck stood there and watched as Natalie examined his hand. He carefully and gently wrapped his fingers around her hand. He didn’t give in to the need to play who can crush whose hand. He stiffened the muscles of his hand to make it rigid to help prevent her from pushing his bones against one another. That didn’t mean that she couldn’t but it would perhaps minimize the damage she could do. He used his hand to pull her closer before answering. He looked down into her eyes, just like Freya there was not far to go. “With all due respect ma'am, if I was looking for something casual I could have it. I warned Freya that I am playing for keeps. I am looking for a partner to walk through life with. Freya is beautiful, intelligent, independent, and deadly in her own right. I will always do my best to rise to the occasion to be what SHE needs. Freya doesn’t need me to walk beside her at all. She is an amazing woman. I am a man smart enough to see that. If I get to walk beside her, it will be her choice. I would never disrespect her by thinking she needs my protection, help, support, or advice. That doesn’t mean I won’t freely give it and do it anyway even if it annoys her. I will do it because I care about her.” He released her hand allowing her to step back.

Chuck gave her a momentary pause before he bowed respectfully to her. Just like in martial arts though, he kept his eyes on his opponent even as he rose back up from the bow. “I asked to meet with you and your family because I understand how important her family is to Freya. If I truly want to walk beside her, then I need to ensure that my presence is not going to cause issues between her and her family.” Chuck’s eyes softened and he gave Natalie a warm smile as he thought about Natalie meeting the grandmother he was named after. He couldn’t think of Charlie without smiling. He loved his spunky sassy outspoken grandmother. “I understand you want what is best for Freya. My grandmother would have my hide if I didn’t show my respect to Freya by asking for your permission to date your daughter. It is right that her family knows the measure of a man that will be important in her life.” He then continued to smile at her and waited. He was either about to die, be maimed horribly, or be given his marching orders.

Natalie smiles and then gives Chuck’s hand a firm, lively hand shake, “Good you are smart. And can likely keep up with our Thrud. My son and my husband have given you their blessing.” With a wide grin she nods, “I shall give you mine. Pursue my daughter. Make her happy. Help her, love her. And do not rush wooing her. For she will be ready when she chooses.”

She releases Chuck’s hand, spins and grabs Victor’s ear, “You! Come with me!” She points at Jamie who freezes like a prey animal in head lights, “You! You have a job to do here still. Do it.” And again at Chuck, “Well done young man. I hope to learn more of you in the future.” She then frog marches Victor towards the door, “You better have ordered me some steaks! Owner! Bill Blue Sword PMC for any expenses.” And off go the Elder Kanatariio’s out the door, to a waiting vehicle to take them out.

Jamie lets out a huff, “I think we dodged a bullet there Chuck, feel free to put in some orders to go. I think we’re safe now.”

Chuck just smiled back as Freya’s mother gave her blessing to him in one breath and was dragging her husband out the door as she barked orders at Jamie with the next. Chuck just saluted Natalie with a snappy “Yes Ma’am!” Meeting her was like meeting with a force of nature.

He waited till the door had closed behind them before turning to Jamie with an amused expression. “Jamie, remind me to never EVER piss off your mother. I was worried there for a moment.” He wiped away the tension sweat on his forehead. He turned to the amused looking older waitress and placed their orders to go. They left with several to go boxes in plastic bags as the helicopter took off from the small diner. It felt as if he had returned to the base at warp speed when it had taken a bit to get to the diner in the first place.

He had Jamie separated once they made it back to base. He took the bag with the shrimp entree that had been ordered for Freya. He planned to deliver it to her room with a note on top asking her out on a date. The note had his phone number on it.

He knocked on the door and waited for it to open. He handed her the box with a smile. “I talked to your family, my dear Freya. We have their blessing. Let me know where you would like to go on our first date.” He handed the meal over planning to just turn on his heel and leave. He would wait for her to contact him. He also needed a breather after the ferocious love of the Kanatariio family and he owed his dog some attention.

Freya had not been quite prepared to open her door, see her brother race by behind Chuck making for his room down the hall away from the two. She stared at Chuck and the shrimp dish then blushed, “Oh no what’d they do? Wait did they…they gave you, oh those…” Chuck pauses as she tugged on his jacket before he could step away. She takes a deep breath and grabs him by the collar before he can get far, placing a kiss on his cheek, “I’ll get in touch with you later. Go rest up, my parents really did a number didn’t they? I’ll get Jamie for this later. Go sweetie. We’ll talk later.”

Chuck smiled down at Freya and gave her a quick hug and a warm smile. "Darling we both know that the scariest member of your family is not your brother or father. It's your mother." He placed a quick kiss on her forehead. "I will be fine but I owe Duke some attention. I look forward to our talk. Enjoy your shrimp." He then walked off to find Tahlia and his dog.

She sighs and only after Chuck has left does she close her door and do a little happy giggle dance behind it. No chance anyone will see the big Battle Goddess do that in public.
The Daxini Conclave

Planet Dax
Clan Council Chambers

1 year after the armistice was signed









The Daxini Chieftain - Kwaria


Kwaria sat at the head of the council chamber. She had called in the heads of their military to discuss a series of troubling intelligence that had come in from their Eye Corps. The Eye Corps were literally the eyes of the Daxini Nation. They are the ones who went out masquerading as traders and such to spy on the other nation states and to hear what was happening. The rumors were coming in from various streams that another reclamation war was brewing. That Tar Yrra had been found. It had been a year since the armistice that had ended the fighting between the Lokoids and the Agustans. The freighter captains had been reporting rumors were coming in that there were pockets of Daxini stranded along the Scorched Line. They had seen groups of refugee ships stopping in their territory seeking supplies before heading out into space unknown with rumors that interstellar conflict is coming. If you put all these rumors together, something was stirring in the aether of the region. There was some truth and movement happening in the depths of space. The Daxini relied on knowing what was happening around them so that they could be prepared. They preferred neutrality, peace agreements, and treaties when they could get them. They interacted with others in the galaxy because they learned the hard way that knowledge is power. They also couldn’t not trust other nations with the lost technology of the Yrrani homeworld.

Kwaria nodded her head as she looked around the council chamber. She looked to make sure no one was missing. The other clan leaders were present. The Kronar Clan Leader had chosen to appear on the holographic interface designed for that purpose. Her three dimensional holographic avatar showed an image from the surface of the chair as if she was sitting in it. She had chosen to show herself a beautiful white and blue energy version of a Xidonae clan member. The heads of the four military branches were present as well. They needed to develop a plan of action.

Kwaria: “Thank you for all coming on such short notice. I know all of you are busy. I want to turn this part of the briefing over to the Eagle Eye.”

Eagle Eye quickly ran the Daxini leaders and military heads through the intelligence they had. The rumors that the Yrrani homeworld had been found again was the most urgent news.

Kwaria: “I believe that we cannot in good conscience leave the technology of the Yrrani Homeworld just out there for anyone to find. We all know how much damage the reclamation wars had on some of the other interstellar nations out there. We were lucky enough to be far enough away from the warfront to avoid damage to our worlds during the last one. We managed to remain somewhat neutral and gained some good trading partners at the time. I feel that we should warn the OSRF about the homeworld. They took the fight to the Yrrani and helped our nation maintain our freedom during the last reclamation war. What are your thoughts on this?”

Ivali the War Chieftain spoke up. Her white fur rippled and stood on end in agitation.

Ivali: “If rumors have reached us that the homeworld has been found. You can bet the word has reached other nations. I think teaming up with the OSRF would be worthwhile. I would say send the information and let them know we will be in the area if they want to pool resources or need backup. Normally i would say that we should send a stealth ship crew but there is a very real possibility that heavy fighting will break out around the homeworld. I would recommend sending a battle fleet with a contingent of stealth ships and operators as well. They can investigate and we can keep the battlegroup close by to provide backup and support.”

Ivali’s ideas were refined by the other heads of the military. The mission was set to launch in 24 hours. Soldiers would be issued orders and a battle group would be readied for deployment. It would take that long to move all the personnel around and get all the food and supplies together for the mission. They would start by investigating the Scorched Line for their people.

A communique was sent through diplomatic channels to the OSRF. The communique was encrypted and could only be read with the encryption key that the OSRF had for official communications from the Daxini Conclave. The information had the coordinates and area they planned to start their search in and the offer of mutual support to prevent dangerous technology from falling into the hands of those who would happily use it against them.

The council meeting broke up as the leaders all went to do their own work. Kwaria couldn’t help feeling that the clock had been started and the race was on. How long would it be before the galaxy was at war once more? Even in defeat the Yrrani continue to spread violence and death across the galaxy. She couldn’t help the cold feeling that ruffled her feathers that her people were in for a period of violence and unrest at best and would be facing annihilation once more at worst. She stared out the window of her office at the tree branches swaying in the wind. It soothed her but that cold feeling deep in her gut didn’t go away.


The Promised Party, Part Two

A collab between @LadyAmber, @FourtyTwo and @MrSkimobile


Kais sipped his drink. The fizzy bitter-sweet always did him good. He turned back towards the scene and decided he was lucky he hadn’t worn anything fancy this time. Just the good-old biker jacket, no team logo or anything resembling his usual track-suit. That meant minimal attention from the unknowns in this place, and more attention for the more well-knowns, he supposed. And of those, both of those, there were surprisingly many. In a way it didn’t surprise him that Hyeon-Ae would decide to show off even for a cooling down party. Seated herself in the center of the room, even. Perfect stakeout spot for sure, though he was still not entirely sure what her game was here. It gave him a weird, uncanny feeling. No matter when he saw her, his senses went on high alert. He sighed. Why had he decided to come, again? And why had he decided to come without a plus-one, again?

Luckily, that’s when Paul Mulder came walking up to the bar. Even despite the bodyguard, Paul had to wrestle past some celebrities, actresses and models to get there, but he managed, And then, a goblet of reddish brown beer in hand smelling of caramel and a not-insignificant alcohol percentage, he turned to Kais.

“Hello Kais. Congratulations again on your win. What are you drinking to celebrate?”


“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Popular.” Kais said as he returned a smile. “Thanks again.” As for what he had in his glass, he answered the question with the barest of shrugs. “Tonic, the usual.”

Paul enjoyed the spicy fruity beer. He chuckled a little at Kais’ answer even as he looked a little embarrassed. He was starting to get a complex with the number of teen girls and young women he had for fans. He should be grateful, fans are what sponsors were looking for. He sighed and gave Kais a rueful shrug. “I can’t help it that I am popular.” He winced a little as he said it. “How about I trade you some of those streaming girls for the macho guys who follow you?” Paul gave Kais a mischievous grin and a wink as he replied. “I am pretty sure your own popularity is about to take off after that win.” He looked at Kais’ glass suspiciously but sighed and gave him a pitying look. “Well I can respect that. I didn’t want to drink before the race either. Tonight I will indulge a little. Really just tonic water? Don’t you want to relax a little?”

Kais smiled at his proposal for an audience swap. It would definitely be interesting to see how Paul’d handle it. Maybe at a future fan event he’d set something up. One thing he did know: such a shift in Kais’ fan demographics would make his PR strategy meetings more nightmarish than they already were, though he supposed he could let Layla and Nadia handle that side of the aisle. “We'll see about that, we'll see about that… Never had much success there, I’m afraid. Let me know when you figure out your secret.” Then, after Paul had asked him about relaxing. “This isn’t my kind of winding down. I like my motorbike: drive off to where no one else is around, enjoy the stillness.” He took another sip. “And no, I don't drink. I don’t have much trust in it. Let’s just say, last time I got roped into drinking, years ago, I wasn't the only one who woke up with a headache, if you get me.” He left it open how many others were involved in his little U-day altercation close to a decade ago now, though to be fair, he couldn’t quite remember it himself, blurry vision and all. “More importantly,” he continued in a hushed tone of voice, almost as if talking to himself, “I don't trust them with it very much either.” Ava’s words still haunted his mind. The grid isn’t all clean. Then, in almost a whisper, he added. “I’d urge you to have caution, Paul.” He left it open who he was talking about there as well, but the idea was hopefully clear: relaxing in the dragon’s den may not be the smartest thing to do.

Walking across, Max caught sight of the two, a whiskey in hand, the American perhaps a little more low-fi than usual. He’d been the light of other parties, but not this one, chatting to Jenny, the pale-skinned, almost androgynous black-haired, blue eyed pilot over at Fitzroy. But here he was, perhaps a little out of his depth, and chatting to Kais, and Paul, who had come over.

Max: “Mind if I join you?” His American drawl carried, but it was yet a refined one, the blonde haired American of course cutting through the more European or Latin taste of the grid, even now, showing Americans were slower to AG than perhaps other countries had been.

Hailing from Breckenridge, Colorado, where his father had been a ski and then mountain biking resort magnate, his mother a lawyer that had fallen for him, Max had been lucky to avoid the chaos of 20 years prior, and the absolute anarchy that had seemed to rain down around in the United States and Mexico. Food shortages, water stress, population movement and the near collapse of the American economy. It still held up as the world standard, but barely as a shadow of itself, and well, faced its road to recovery. Of course, producing automobiles, and now hyper fast racing craft was an art it was slowly learning, like a craft brewery, it was learning to perfect and get it right back to the world. Here though, on the far side of the Pacific from home, he hadn’t exactly performed. There was more to come, yet for now, he had the night to enjoy.

Paul had just responded to Kais’ questions when Max joined them. “Hello Max. How are you tonight?”

“Living the dream!” Max smiled, sitting across from Paul, clinking his whisky glass against his beer hearing the commentary about the entourage. He’d had that. Outside of Bea, and maybe Max now, or the legacy fans around Amy, Dorian and Kofi, he had his own little following. Less from streaming, but he had an extensive social media presence. Mostly in the mountains, but then again, racing anything that moved was the prodigy’s way.

Paul laughed at Max who claimed he was living his dream. Hell what did he know? He might very well be living his dream. It was not his place to question the dreams of others. “I hear that.” He clinked his glass with Max’s in a toast and took another sip of his beer.

“You seem to be taking to fame well? Hell yeah, brother.” With a wiry grin, he sipped down a bit more whisky, clearing his throat, looking over to the Belgian.

Paul almost choked as Max told him was taking to fame well already. He laughed and wiped his mouth on a bar napkin before replying. “I have had to deal with some fame all my life. People approach me because of who my parents are. It is a little weird to get approached for who I am. I am dealing with alright.”

“Gotta say it Paul, I heard the various rumors. You told Amy back in Cape Town. Lotta nerve on ya, but….man if I gotta say we enjoyed it! Her crown’s gonna be for the taking!” Max commented, knowing Paul would probably put two and two together that well, nothing in the paddock stayed secret for long.

Then Max mentioned rumors about him telling Amy in Cape Town. Cape Town had been tense because of the crash that Jamie Hart had caused. Paul had just told Amy that he wasn’t going to sugarcoat his opinion for the press for Apex. Paul looked confused about what Max was talking about. Were there other rumors out there? Was that Max alluding to? “I don’t understand what rumors are you talking about? I agree that I was happy to see Amy knocked off her win pedestal but there is no denying that she is a talented racer.”

“Good to hear that.” Max replied to his first comment, sipping down a little, hearing his comment about which comment Paul had made.

“You know, the one about…..ah, it was better third hand I guess. Well, fame is a thing. And here we are, mingling with the elite. I still pinch myself sometimes!” Max chuckled, the Colorado native still high on this, the second season having pilot knowing that whilst Paul was a rival, well, he could at least be half amicable.

On the circuit, that would change quick.

Kais sat back and smirked a little as Max and Paul back-and-forthed. Conversations like these always did feel a bit foreign to him. Paul had been born into this world of fame, Max seemed to be lavishing in it, and then there was him, wrestling with it all. He may have gotten a win in, with no intention of stopping, but even amidst roaring crowds, there was no telling what the noise and the fallout of it was going to be, and he could already imagine the headlines focusing on exactly those things he didn't want them to. He glanced around the room, musing they all surely struggled with it in their own way: people thinking they know you, when they don't, not truly… Still, one could dream. “Then, here’s to living the dream,” Kais offered as a toast.

Still, there was something about Paul’s answer that Kais was struck by. “So how do you deal with it, Paul? Being known for… who you are not?”

Paul took another sip of his beer with a sigh. There was something about Max’s answers that rubbed Paul the wrong way. Theoretically you would think he and Max had a lot in common. They were both some of the younger pilots on the circuit. He seemed to be reveling in the attention he was receiving as a Formula AG pilot. Paul really thought about how to answer Kais’ question about how he dealt with the fame.

“Fame is a mixed bag of treats. There will be some things in the mix you like and others you detest. It does go with the job though. I don’t race for the money or fame. For me it is more personal than that.” He paused and looked from Kais to Max. “When I was growing up, it wasn’t too bad. Kids at school would hear my name and inevitably ask about my father. My mother is a famous photographer so anyone familiar with the art scene recognizes her name. When I was growing up it was all about the money. I grew up in wealth and privilege. I attended private boarding schools and traveled with my mother in the summers. I always had those people who wanted to befriend me because of what they thought I could give them. It was never about me but what they perceived that they could get from being associated with me.” He paused and looked thoughtful as he pondered the rich color of his beer as if it would offer up the answers he seeks. “Making real friends was always hard.” Paul smiled and his face softened as he thought about his mother. “However, I had a great mother who understood what I was going through. I had public relations training from a very early age. She taught me to appreciate what I had but also to remember that my money and things had nothing to do with the type of person I wanted to be. She always grounded me with the reality that money shouldn’t define my character or be a factor in those I sought to surround myself with.”

Paul took another sip of his drink. He probably should have kept his answer lighter but it was something he was struggling with. He had a feeling that it was something Kais was new to. He was struggling with all the attention he was receiving from teen girls. It bothered him that so many threw themselves at him. It was not that he was not flattered by the attention but more uncomfortable that they would show any man that kind of attention before getting to know him. None of them really knew him. Some of them acted entitled to his time and attention simply because they were fans and he was a public figure. That bothered Paul.

Kais let out a breath, long and controlled. Here he was, surrounded by the kinds of people he had been taught to fight against in his old life. And yet, in that almost understated manner, Paul had somehow managed to tread it all in ways Kais hadn't expected. The recognition that his value didn’t necessarily lay in his wealth and fame. His mother's grounding. Kais had no anchor like that. He was bred, trained, given purpose through orders, missions, winning. Emotions, attachments? They almost vexed him in a way. And yet… “Your mother sounds like a great woman. You should be very proud of her.” Kais said, and nodded as if to let the moment settle and conclude. He felt the atmosphere had become heavier, and there was something in Paul’s face to suggest he had intended his night to have gone somewhat differently, but Kais had to know. And now he knew…

Kais quickly pivoted to Max. Better to lighten the mood a bit, this was a party, after all. “By the way, I was wondering, Max…” Kais said to the blond American. “You into vintage cars by any chance?”

Kais was nothing short of intimidating to Max, but well, he could only face up to the supersoldier turned racer that was Kais Zenix, one time race winner, all time dry rival.

“Recently acquired a vintage. 2023 Corvette Stingray, barely 40,000 miles on it. Or what is you guys say, “Hey, what the fuck is a kilometer!”, am I right?” Max jived, sipping more whisky down, wondering where Kais’s question had come from.

“Well, I know Paul’s got a collection. And would tell us all day. And how about you, Kais? I know what it used to be like, everyone in the Emirates must have something mouth watering, am I right?” Max chuckled, the happy go lucky nature of him more youthful than that of Harrison, who just seemed to have matured yet kept that positive vibe about him- Max looked more like he was hunting now, trying to make his fit, one season after the newcomers had.

"Oh, nah.” Kais waved away Max’ speculation on his garage size. “Just checking up on some quiz question Aurora hit us with.” The Emirates may have been shielded from most of the Middle Eastern Water Wars due to its central power and importance to the budding Union, but the majority of people that ended up there still came there as refugees more than anything. The extreme power base would definitely have had possessions Kais didn’t even want to guess at for the risk of still being a factor of a thousand off -some things never did change- but no, definitely not all of them had. “Just some motorbikes for me.” Kais said as the smells of the mechanical repair shop came back to him, way back when he was deployed to aid the Union’s rebuilding effort after his rehabilitation. Where he stayed to tinker at the old machines under the flickering lights of midnight for reasons he didn’t quite understand back then, but did now a bit better, perhaps. “Got a BMW, early 50s. Magnetic suspension, hubless wheels, like what some of the old racers had for a while too, before they went full-antigrav. Fixed it up in the shop myself. Nothing too special, beat up little thing. But she’s special to me…”

Paul laughed and his eyes lit up with a genuine smile. “I can talk about vintage cars all day. I inherited my father’s cars. My favorite is a 2024 Bugatti. The rarest one in my collection is a 1958 Porsche 356 Speedstar. I had my favorites converted over to run on biofuels so I can still drive them. Finding tires for them and a knowledgeable mechanic is harder though.” Paul continued to sip at the beer. He was in no hurry to get drunk. He was taking his time to enjoy the fruity spicy beer.

And so it went. And after a while, after the boys had talked about their toys and other such things, Kais felt his attention loosen into a sense of camaraderie that -as it suddenly hit him- he hadn't let himself give into for a long time. And that's when the pangs of guilt and the panic started again. And he realized he shouldn't have. This never did end well.

Kais excused himself, then went up to Hyeon-Ae, thanked her for the party with what courtesy he could muster, bade the Zygon duo a good prep for Italy, and left. Then, led out by one of the venue's door crew, trying to minimize any attention in the rainy outsides, he quickly stepped into the automated car that had pulled up. There he asked his VI assistant to plan a route to someone he hadn't spoken to in a long, long time, and was off. Yes… He had a plane to catch.
On the Team Valkyrie Plane


Friday 14th April, 2094


Alexander was frustrated that there had been very little time to work on the updates that the new engineers identified. They managed to get the engine modifications done and implement some of the material changes that Stephanie had identified. The new Fibonacci collectors they wanted to try to implement on the nose cone of the ship were still in development. The initial tests in the wind tunnel were promising but they had to manage to balance what it brought to the table and meet the guidelines for the formula AG craft as set by the racing commission. He was working with the team’s legal beagles to determine if they needed to disclose the devices ahead of time and get prior approval if the devices met the current guidelines and they could show up with them installed. Until he had all the answers, they would have to stay in development. They simply had run out of time. Some of the engineers would continue to work on the Fibonacci collectors at headquarters while others went with the ships to Italy with their mechanics.

He had both Dorian and Paul in the simulator working with the changes to the ELS system. The training could only help them on when to deploy defense and when to use the systems after their not so stellar showing in Tokyo. The sponsorship stuff had gone well but it had taken up a great deal of his time. He felt like he was rushing the ship upgrades but he didn’t want the team to face sanctions so they had to slow down and handle them correctly. He had also sent the results to Leopold seeking the board’s approval to begin hiring the engineers they needed for the new ships and to replace ones that had left. Alexander should be more worried about losing engineers but he honestly felt some new people would bring with them new ideas and new energy. He felt it would be good for the team. He was worried morale was slipping after their poor showing in Tokyo. He had double checked with Felix and Helga both. He really liked Felix and he was not someone he wanted to try and replace.

Alexander had to admit he was a little nervous about Italy. Even though the race was in Italy it was considered a home circuit race for Valkyrie. Italian Formula AG fans were some of the most passionate and they expected a good showing from their team. He had to admit that he was nervous to have Arianna along as well. She was walking unaided now. She continued to improve though, her balance was improving and her movements were becoming more natural. They were not as jerky or mechanical looking anymore. She still struggled a little with stairs and needed to hold the handrail for stability but her progress was encouraging. Shinichi Bionics were coming with them to Italy but it was only a small team, Yuhara Shinichi and a technician. Alexander knew the doctors and Shinichi had cleared Arianna to travel. He was not as nervous about her traveling but coming with the team. He was sure the press would find her and hound her. She said she didn’t care and wanted to be there to support the team. She had also never been to Italy. Mabel was going to stay at headquarters to keep an eye on everything there.

Alexander and Arianna had flown with the team to Italy. There had been plenty of room on the Team Valkyrie plane. He had carried her luggage aboard for her and stowed it in the storage compartment for her. He watched from the back of plane. She was already settled in a seat by one of the windows with her seat belt buckled. She looked happy and excited. Many of the team filed past him on their way to the staircase that led to the upper deck. He was a little surprised by how warmly the team greeted Arianna. She must have greeted most of them by name. Evidently staying with him at headquarters had allowed them to get to know her and them her. He was so relieved to see her looking normal. It was more than just regaining her physical independence. There had been an undisguisable air of pain and sadness in her eyes since she had overheard the hateful words of her mother. He was starting to see it less and less.

He had caved on her joining him because she had been so excited about it. She could travel with the team. He would pay for her hotel room. It wouldn’t cost him that much to let her accompany him. The flight from Germany to Italy was a really short one. They left Germany at 9:00 am and they would be landing in Italy a mere 30 minutes later. They could have driven to Italy but they had the plane and it was faster to fly. It was also more efficient. Team Valkyrie had all their personnel and gear in one place. If they had driven it would have taken multiple vehicles to get all their gear and people here. The team’s plane made traveling this way more efficient and cheaper for the team. It also gave them options as they had enough space to bring extra people and gear.

Alexander made his way forward and took the seat next to Arianna. Her smile couldn’t be brighter as she turned it on him. He smiled automatically in response. It felt so good to see her happy. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before taking a sip of the water he had brought on board with him.

Alexander: “I can see you are excited. I won’t have a lot of free time but you could explore a little while I am busy if you want to?”

Arianna was almost vibrating with excitement. “I have always wanted to see Italy. I can’t believe I am going to get to see the Marmolada Glacier and the alpine forests. Did you know that it is considered one of the most beautiful natural areas on the planet? The area was one of those that was restored by the carbon dioxide extractors and geoengineering.”

Alexander just laughed and shook his head. “You know most young women would be excited about going to Italy for the food or fashion. Many young women think Italian men are passionate. Are you hoping to meet a young man on this trip?” Alexander couldn’t help teasing his daughter about something normal in their relationship for once that had nothing to do with her mother. “No, my daughter wants to go see the trees of the region.”

Arianna tried to look disgruntled with her father’s teasing but couldn’t hold the fake frown for long. She crossed her arms and her voice sounded disgruntled as she let out an exasperated, “Dad!”

Alexander just chuckled. “So other than visiting the glacier and forest, is there anything else you want to do? Dare I recommend a more normal activity, like dinner with me for some authentic Italian food?”

Arianna smiled at her father with a nod. “I would love to have dinner with you. I would like to explore the area as well. I understand this region of Italy has a bunch of smaller villages and towns in the area versus one large city. It helps to spread tourism out so people can enjoy the beauty of the area without killing it. I would love to book one of the nature tours that includes the cable cars to the peak.”

Alexander paused knowing that she was more mobile but not up to any rugged terrain. “I will concede to the tourist cable car trip. That should be doable for you.” He couldn’t help but feel like her champion and hero as she turned a huge grin his way. “I only ask that you be careful and you need to take a security guard with you. I know you say you are fine with the press and you haven’t been bothered much since we did the press conference. However, this is still the first time you have really been out in public since we did it. If you don’t get approached, great! Nothing would make me happier. But I expect at least one or two journalists and a few fans may approach you.”

Arianna rolled her eyes at her father. “Yes dad. We have had this conversation already. Didn’t Damian come with us on this trip to play babysitter for me?”

Alexander frowned at how comfortable she was with the guard. He looked at her suspiciously but he sighed. He knew she was around the staff as much if not more than he was. She had more free time and spent a lot of time in the gym, training, and medical areas.

Damian had just stowed his luggage and took a seat on the other side of Arianna. He gave Arianna a wink before buckling his seatbelt. “I just heard my name. What’s up boss?”

Alexander looked over at the guard and sighed. “We were just discussing what Arianna might do while I was busy in Italy. She wants to go explore the area. While she is doing much better she is still not up to really rugged terrain. She wants to go on one of those cable car tours. I don’t mind her exploring the area but she needs to have a guard with her. This is the first time she has really been out in public since her accident and I joined the team. I don’t expect her to get hounded too much by reporters but I still expect she will draw some attention.” Alexander grinned at Damian who was now looking a little uncomfortable at the grin on Arianna’s face. “Arianna recommended that she take you since you are along on this trip.”

Arianna gave Damian a bright grin. “I can’t think of anyone better to spend time exploring the area with. Do you have any issues with that Damian?”

Damian swallowed hard as he could see that his personal plans for this trip might need to change. He couldn’t deny that he was excited to be traveling with the team. He had been looking forward to helping with onsite security for the team paddock. He didn’t realize that he was going to be pulling personal guard detail for Arianna. Damian thought she was a lovely young woman. He might even be tempted to date her if he was not so intimidated by her father who happened to be his ultimate boss. Damian didn’t have a lot of personal guard detail experience and he was nervous about what guarding Arianna might entail. He certainly didn’t want Alexander to get that idea in his head. Damian decided to speak frankly. “Well Mr. Knight, I don’t mind the duty. Arianna is a lovely person to spend time with. I worry that I don’t have the right kind of experience. My experience is more on site security not personal guard duty. There is a different skill set at play. Especially when trying to guard someone in public spaces. I think one of the more experienced guards might be a better fit for the job.”

Damian glanced over and noticed the carefully schooled neutral expression on Arianna’s face. Damian began to sweat a little. That look told him that she had been hoping to spend time with him and he was so screwed. He could not date the boss’ daughter no matter how beautiful she was and how nice. He swallowed hard and looked over at Alexander who looked thoughtful. Damian couldn’t help feeling like he dodged a bullet. He carefully avoided meeting Arianna’s eyes.

Alexander pondered what Damian had told him and nodded appreciating his willingness to be frank and honest about what he saw as challenges to him performing guard duty for Arianna. “I appreciate your honesty Damian. This is your first time traveling with the team isn’t it?”

Damian nodded and kept his answer short. “Yes sir. I was told I am being paired with experienced travel guards to learn how things differ when the team is traveling.”

Alexander nodded and gave Damian a wry smile. “I don’t want Wulfric to yell at me for messing up his guard schedules. I will check in with the duty captain and find out who is available. Thank you Damian.”

Damian gave him a nod and a tentative smile before giving them both a half bow in farewell. “Thank you sir, Arianna.” He then rose and headed quickly for the staircase that would take him upstairs to the upper deck.

Alexander watched him go with an amused look. Arianna watched him go with a contemplative look.




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





The team had landed at the closest airport that could handle their ship and then loaded up into the antigravity trucks that pulled the trailers and ships to the paddock. The rest of the crew had loaded up into an anti-gravity bus that would take them to the hotel where the team had rented a block of rooms to accommodate the staff. Alexander had Mabel book Arianna’s room with the staff but had her deduct the cost of her room to return to the team. The room keys were handed out by Otto Eberhardt who handled all of Team Valkyrie’s logistics. Otto checked in the team and everyone got their keys and room assignment from him. The security with the team split up with some going with the trucks to the paddock to set up security there, Paul and Dorian had their personal teams. There was another set of security that was working with the hotel security to ensure their staff and pilots were safe. The team might have landed in Italy around 9:30 am but they still had a little bit of a drive to get to the remote area of Italy where the race was held. The hotel was closer to the airport than the paddock and grandstand site. The team worked well together and things went smoothly but it still took them till almost noon before they had the paddock set up and the ships offloaded and ready for their test runs.

Paul was ready to give the track a test run. He knew the engineers had been working hard to try and get some of the improvements done by this race. He tugged on his restraint straps one more time. He made sure his helmet was on.

Paul: “Radio check. Ship looks green to me. Am I cleared to go?”

Carmella: “Everything is green and looking good here. Remember this is just a practice run. Get used to the track. Let us know how those changes feel as you go.”

Paul: “Got it.”

Sector One
Paul waited for the lights that gave him the okay to start his practice round. After the five second countdown he was off. He was off the starting line at the top of the glacier and already going at incredible speed even as the track turned to the left in a long loop. The scenery outside was a blur and Paul found the lack of contrasting color almost tricking his eyes. He was grateful for the HUD overlay he had that overlaid what he could visually see with what the ship’s sensors were sending to him. There was a wireframe view of the track showing him where the track was with a blue and white shaded background. Anyone watching would see the snow blown away from the track by the passing wave of air produced by the ship. He was suddenly into the hairpin turn by the second cable car stop. The g forces throw him against the restraints in the turn even as the track dove towards the valley floor. Paul poured on the speed through the long curve. He pushed the ship to see how much speed he could get out of it. He wanted to see how much speed he could hold in these curves. He didn’t have time to enjoy the scenery as the background changed from white and blue to green. He was focused on the ship and every little nuance he could get out of it. He kept the speed as the ship began to climb again. He left off the throttle some as he entered another series of hairpin turns challenging the craft to take them faster than others. There was no denying physics though and he still had to slow down through that section of turns. The ship was handling well as he poured on the speed once more as the ship began to climb out of the mountain pass. His ship shot over the top of the pass and caught air before being reclaimed by the magnetic section of track.

Paul’s ship was now in the ridgeline section with Piz Boe to his right. Paul poured on the speed. He focused on his ship’s neural interface to make the minute adjustments to handling and steering that would help him get through this section of track. It was full of small curves, kinks and undulating shifts up and down. Paul whooped as the ship hugged the track and was right with him the ship’s handling and stability shining through as Paul poured as much speed as he could and kept an optimal racing line. He aimed for all the ELS catch points he could in the track to boost his speed higher. This is where his ship’s handling shined and would help him. The ship fought him a little bit and shuddered some and Paul frowned.

Paul: “I have some shuddering and vibrations through the undulating sections here. Maybe the new materials are not playing well with the elevation and temperature changes at the track.”

Carmella: “I have marked the telemetry for review. Continue.”

Paul entered the right turn past Rifugio Sass Bece and a hard turn down a groomed ski slope, followed by another mountain road, all covered in snow. He had to slow some for the corners and then more for the hard 90 degree turn that basically went straight up to Rifugio Forcella Pordoi. Paul nailed the corner and the ship’s nose bounced up causing the front of the ship to move off the line a little as the ship began the vertical ascent. The G forces from the turn fading as the ship climbed the section quickly his craft once more showing off it’s superior handling as the road snaked up the mountain the ship hugging the road Paul poured on the throttle and went full speed through the saddle his ship flying through the air over the top before once again being snatched from the air by the magnet track. The track slinked through a valley covered in snow. The inertial dampeners in his ship whined as the massive g forces strained the ship and him as he entered Sector two.

Sector Two
Paul nailed the landing as the magnetic tracking shot him forward once more. The ship stuck to the track as Paul poured as much speed as he felt possible into that long hairpin curve. The ship’s nose pitching down as he came out of the hairpin to the valley floor. He picked up some speed again as the track wound through a dense forest before nailing another hard turn as the track once more became road. The ship once more turned like it was on rails as the road had a couple of switchbacks followed by another groomed slope that began to climb up again. The track section had been placed under and between cable cars and was a long straight section. Paul poured on the speed as the ship climbed; he slowed enough to nail the sharp 90 degree turn at a ridgeline. The ship wove back down the slope and Paul was going full throttle again. Paul was forced to slow the ship down once he made it into the dense forest as the track thinned to one car width with tight chicane-like bends. Paul added some speed as the track became road once more and hit two switchbacks; he floored it as the ship began to climb up Passo Fedia as he entered sector three.

Sector Three
Paul poured on the power as he shot through the tunnel like alpine road. The sound of the ship roared and reverberated up and down the tunnel as the ship screamed down the tunnel. Paul's ship shot out of the tunnel onto a frozen lake. Paul had to slow down for a few corners but poured as much speed on the straight sections as he could eke out of the ship. The glacier was off to his right as a hard right took the track over a long dam leading to another ice lake. The track had another hard right at the end of the lake that led into another long section of curves left and right that wove through snow, rock, forest, and glaciers. Then the track delved into the side of the glacier and it was like being in a half pipe tunnel of icy blue. Paul poured on the speed enjoying the curved walls even as the Mag tracking took his ship up the walls of ice before shooting it out of a crevasse and back onto the surface of the glacier. Paul poured on the power in the straight across the glacier. Paul had to slow a bit to make the off-camber hairpin turn which curved into a long left handed turn that dropped back down over a crevassed section of glacier along the ridgeline. Paul poured on the speed as the track climbed again at the ridgeline, his ship speeding by the Terrazza Marmolada, the track widened here to allow for overtakes. Paul kept his speed all the way through the finish line.

Paul slowed the ship down and took a deep breath as he used the loop to take him into the paddock. He pulled the ship to a stop in their garage. He killed the engine. He popped the release on his harness and then his cockpit. He nimbly climbed out of the ship and jumped to the ground next to the ship. He pulled off his helmet and the fireproof cowl that went on underneath it. It might be cold here but he was dripping with sweat. The heat from the engines, not to mention the stress on his body and the full body workout that came with piloting one of these ships at this speed. He was grateful that Zap had sent some sports drink to the team even though most of the team is probably drinking hot coffee or tea to stay warm. He slugged down the red drink Carmella had just handed him. She stood waiting patiently with the other engineers to get his feedback. Paul had his breathing back under control and he had his helmet tucked under one arm.

Paul: “The nose is loose when I come down over those upper sections onto the mag track. When the ship catches air, the front end is not sticking to the landing as well. There were some vibrations and shaking at the higher speeds in the turns that I think is new. I am not sure what changed but it almost feels like the nose cone is lighter? It's making the ship feel a little off balance compared to the past. Its still good but it could be better.”

Camella looked around at the engineers and they were all nodding. “We will look into it. Give us some time to make changes before we send you back on another practice run.”

Paul just nodded. “You know where to find me.” He headed to the pilot’s trailer where he could relax while the engineers and mechanics did their tweaking.




A Couch in the Sky





Paul had taken some inspiration from his father’s journal. He had been reading about a prank Alexander and Audrick shared in a group interview once. He thought it was fairly harmless and grinned. He wanted to have a little fun and was feeling mischievous. Paul had the Valkyrie staff make him a big bag of popcorn. He had a large travel mug full of coffee. He grinned as he carried his supplies in a bag with him.

Paul settled into a seat where he could see the interview couch. That unfortunately meant that he was seated outside in the area behind the reporters on the patio. Thank god those outdoor heaters were all over the patio. Paul was dressed in thermal gear to keep warm. He had on thick water resistant slacks like you would use for skiing and snow boots. He had a dark gray sweater under a leather Team Valkyrie Racing jacket. He had a team beanie on and pulled down to keep his poor ears warm. He pulled off his heavy winter gloves as the heaters were keeping the area warm enough. He tucked them into the bag he had brought with him. He had snagged a bench seat with a small end table next to it. He sat his drink and bag of popcorn on the end table. He smiled as he pulled out some archaic looking cardstock score cards with wooden handles that ranged from 0 to 10. He settled down to watch the proceedings. He munched on his popcorn as the interviews got started. First up was Bea.

Aurora: "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."

Rory: "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...."

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

Aurora: "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?"

Paul picked through his score cards and held up a 5 for Aurora and Rory’s promo entrance. He threw a handful of popcorn into his mouth and munched as he winked at Bea as she was lobbed her question.




[b]@LadyAmber

Paul didn’t bother to hide his smile. He had been having a blast so far in Italy. He was ushered from his seat behind the hosts to the couch on the platform. He took his seat and smiled at the camera.

Paul: Thank you Aurora and Rory. It is always a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.”

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

Paul: “I am so excited to be here in Italy. Italy as you know is another country that has a rich history with racing. Italian Formula AG fans are just amazing. They just bring something special to the races with them. An excitement and pleasure about watching good racing and they cheer for all the racers if they are giving them a good show. Well I will do my best to make sure they are cheering for me! This is an amazing track. I have already had a blast racing on it during practice. I hope I make the home crowd fans proud.”

(To be continued)
Raven's Rock, Camp Hannula, Pöyrisjärvi National Park, Finland


Samantha “Chaos” Dalton


Soundtrack: Everybody Hurts Sometimes - R.E.M.




Samantha had been rushed back to base with Skye for medical treatment. Athena, Purna, and Oliver had handled the blimp while Skye had monitored her to make sure she didn’t go back into cardiac arrest. It felt like hours before she was back in Sophie’s tender care. Samantha had been barely functional and that was with help. She might have walked off the airplane but she didn’t make it very far before Sophie had ordered her onto a gurney before she passed out. Sophie was right to be concerned as she had collapsed exhausted onto the gurney. Trying to function through the pain had taken all her focus and energy and she was out after the battle. She had sat on the gurney and just kind of fell over onto her side. Sophie had cursed at her in a language she didn’t know as she passed out.

Sophie had rushed her to the base’s medical facilities where she had been faced with her first challenge. Trying to remove her armor. Some of her armor had sealed itself to her skin. It was taking her skin with the armor as they tried to remove it. Sophie ended up having to remove her armor in pieces. She saved as much of Sam’s skin as she could but she still lost a few large patches on her leg, one arm, and her chest. Sam was grateful that Sophie had knocked her out for that part of the procedure. Sophie had to move slowly while saturating the dehydrated and damaged skin gently pulling it away from the armor. Sophie kept her in a chemically induced coma for pain while she worked. She treated her burns, debriding the wounds to remove any dirt or detritus stuck in them. She had been put on a heart monitor and had a iv drip with pain meds and medications to keep her heart in normal sinus rhythm. Sophie was monitoring her heart closely. Sophie had used skin grafts with medical nanites to speed up the healing process on the worst burns. There was not much Sophie could do about the bruised chest and broken ribs from CPR. She kept Sam knocked out through the night on IV antibiotics, fluids, and nutrients. Sophie finally let her wake up late the following afternoon. She had wrapped her upper torso for extra support to help those fractured ribs heal faster. It would help the pain by preventing them from moving much.

Samantha woke up feeling groggy. It was like a wet blanket was wrapped around her brain. She woke up confused and not knowing where she was. Samantha laid there feeling lethargic and tired even though she had just slept through the night.She felt weak. She tried to move and stretch and she could feel the binding across her ribcage. The movement pulled at her ribcage and the bruises there. She let out a soft whimper “ow”. Sophie’s face came into focus as she stood next to the bed in her lab coat holding a tablet.

Sophie: “Welcome back to the land of the living, Samantha. You need to move slowly while you are healing and move carefully. The skin grafts are holding for now but you can’t stress them while they are bonding. You also have bruising and cracked ribs from CPR. The good news is you will make a full recovery with a little time.”

Samantha blinked in surprise at Sophie. She knew that was a very common turn of phrase but it now held more meaning for her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to get out what she needed to ask. “Did I die?”

Sophie was watching her carefully and simply nodded and spoke matter of factly about what happened. “Yes, the electrical shock you took stopped your heart. Lucky for you Skye noticed and got to you in time.”

Samantha lapsed into silence as she thought about what she had experienced. She sighed when those thoughts were interrupted once more by Sophie. Sophie was giving her a stern and exasperated look.

Sophie: “Yes Samantha, you died this time. So please don’t argue with me this time as I advocate for taking it easy for now. I have used medical nanites to speed up healing the fractured ribs and helping the damaged areas of skin regrow and the grafts to bond but even they need a few days to work. In the meantime, please be careful. Move slowly and don’t overstretch those skin grafts or ribs. Return to the infirmary if the pain becomes unbearable, headaches, or if you experience any strange heart palpitations or chest pain.” Sophie gave her a smile as she squeezed her shoulder gently. “I am glad you are still with us. Now get out of the infirmary. You can go laze about in your room or elsewhere.”

Samantha nodded and gave Sophie a genuine smile. “Alright doc.” She moved slowly as she pulled her feet off the bed and set them on the floor. Sophie helped her sit upright on the side of the bed. She helped her pull on some sweatpants and a button up flannel shirt. All Sophie had managed to find for her feet was some socks. It would do for now.

Campfire at Raven's Rock


Samantha had managed to make it to the mess hall for some food. She had chosen to go for some hearty stew. She didn’t feel up to anything difficult to eat. She then made it back to her room albeit with cold and wet feet. She laid down and rested for a while after pulling off the cold wet socks. She then called Kameko and told her all about the message from her husband and her adopted grandfather. She had looked both sad and grateful at the same time. She was grateful that Kameko took what she had to say at face value. She didn’t question it like some would have from a Western culture. She just nodded like it was everyday that you got a message from the dearly departed. She told Kameko how much she missed her and that she would be home to visit soon.

Samantha hung up and pondered the experience some more. She had a bad feeling. She knew Rose had escaped. The world was not safe yet. She felt a tear track down her cheek. She had missed them so much. It would have been so easy to stay with them. She managed to find some clean clothes and shower. She had to call Sophie for help with the Torso wrap, who then proceeded to put a waterproof dressing over the burns and skin grafts. She felt better after a shower though. She put the flannel shirt back on with some clean leggings. She managed to bend enough to pull on her boots. She pulled on the heavy winter coat that she had been given. She went in search of Skye. She found her sitting in front of a large campfire roasting marshmallows with Adam, Athena, Purna, and Tahlia.

Samantha smiled to see Skye in what was for her a very domestic scene. It was so at odds with the fiery redhead. She held her ribs tenderly as she moved slowly towards the campfire. She carefully slid down in one of the sturdy wooden chairs next to the fire.

Samantha: “Good evening. What did I miss?”




Zygon Post Race Party


Shibuya District in Tokyo, Japan


Sunday April 2, 2094


Soundtrack: You Got A Friend In Me - Randy Newman



Paul had been looking forward to this party but was strangely feeling a little weird about attending the party tonight. He was proud of how he had done in the race even though he only took 8th place. He had to fight hard for that. He was a little worried about Dorian. He had disappeared after post race interviews with a scowl on his face and his body posture tense. Paul was a little amused at Hyeon-Ae’s cryptic instructions. It had taken him some time to get out of the paddock after the race. He had post race interviews with the press. He had obligations in the fan zone. Dorian had shown up in the fan zone but he didn’t stay long. Just long enough to say he had done his contractual obligations. Paul felt bad for the Valkyrie Fans and had put some extra effort into being available for autographs and photos. It was apparent to Paul that Dorian was having a tough day. He knew he couldn’t be happy about his performance in the race. He didn’t expect Dorian to come to this driver promoted party since Zygon was the host and Cassie would most likely be here too. He wondered what had happened between them. Paul suspected there were hard feelings between them but had no clue why. Dorian was his teammate but ignored him most of the time and let him do his thing.

Paul had called and chatted with his mother for a bit. He felt better afterward. He ordered room service and helped himself to a nice meal. If he was going to be paying for extra calories tomorrow then Paul might as well enjoy his evening. He showered before getting ready. He got dressed in one of the new suits from Enigma to wear to the party. It was a charcoal gray suit with a silver metallic pinstripe in it. The cuffed trousers had a sharp line pressed into them and were tailored to perfection. The jacket hung open and he had on a crisp white linen shirt with that peacock blue vest as a pop of color. He had chosen to pair it with black ankle dress boots. He had shaved and dabbed on just a touch of one of his favorite colognes. He turned and checked his appearance in the mirror. He looked good. With a nod to himself in the mirror, he grabbed his wallet, room key, and his bodyguard. Alexander was a stickler about security. He was worse than his mother on stuff like that.

Paul arrived at the nightclub and was a little surprised. He had expected Hyeon-Ae to throw something like a dinner party. He had expected something formal and stuffy. Maybe there was hope for her yet. Paul identified himself to the club’s security that was keeping uninvited guests out of the VIP area. Paul and his bodyguard were let through. Paul looked around and saw Hyeon-Ae deep in conversation with Cassie. He also noted that there were alot of other celebrities and pretty people in the VIP area. He looked around and spotted the bar in the VIP area with Kais standing there. He decided he had the right idea. Drink first.

He was stopped several times on his way to the bar. A few actresses and he thought a model had stopped him. A few actors and other male celebrities who were AG racing fans also stopped him for a short chat, obviously excited to meet some of the pilots of Formula AG. Paul smiled and was gracious as charming as ever. He was a bit disappointed to see that other celebrities had been invited. Paul had been hoping for a venue that would allow him to get to know his competition better. Paul was grateful to drive professionally but his popularity had also climbed more than ever. He was starting to feel a little isolated because of his fame and wealth. He had always been wealthy thanks to his parents but it was getting harder and harder to find people he trusted. Other trust fund kids like those he went to school with, understood about the wealth. Most of them didn’t have to contend with his level of fame. It was tiring to be ON all the time. He needed some friends that he could talk to and just hang out and watch a movie. He was beginning to feel that pressure. He was feeling lonely and isolated. It was not as bad in Germany at Headquarters because the team staff saw him all the time. Even if they were fans they usually got over the starstruck thing pretty quick. He felt like he had to come but was didn’t really want to mingle with the sycophants tonight.

He leaned against the bar and waved to the bartender to get his attention. He took a spot at the bar but gave Kais some space. Paul smiled at the bartender as he asked him what he would like “Beer, Belgian if you have it?” The bartender grinned and handed him a beer list. He looked it over and handed it back to him “Chimay Blue 9”. The bartender gave him a smile and nodded “Excellent choice sir.” He then got busy fetching the beer from a chilled case beneath the bar. He pulled a globed glass out of a chiller and expertly poured the dark red beer with a nice head of foam. Paul smiled and saluted the bartender with the glass before taking a nice long sip. The spicy beer was a nice touch of home in Tokyo. He drank in silence for a few moments enjoying the flavor of his beer. He then turned to Kais with a smile.

“Hello Kais. Congratulations again on your win.” He gave Kais a smile. “What are you drinking to celebrate?”

He caught Hyeon-Ae looking in his direction and saluted her with his beer. He wanted to acknowledge that he was here and thank her for hosting. He could see she was quite popular this evening and it was her party. He pulled his attention back to Kais, curious about the man.

Valkyrie AGR Headquarters


Engineering Department


Tuesday April 9, 2094


Soundtrack: Move By Yourself - Donavon Frankenreiter




Alexander had been worried after Miss Lipusz visit but he would follow his instincts about what he felt was right for the team. He knew from experience the more balanced the vehicle had the better it would perform. It had to be kept at a competitive level and that was where the current ships failed. They needed stronger ELS and speed. Alexander was hoping that his hopes would not be dashed by the three engineering prospects coming in today to meet with the engineering team. When he had explained Leopold’s idea of a practical try out, Felix was excited by the prospect and excited. Mabel had made all the travel arrangements for their guests. Team Valkyrie had the large plane that carried the team and its gear to races but they also had a small fleet of fast space capable private shuttles. They sometimes had endorsement work that took their staff all over the world and occasionally to the moon. The 5 smaller shuttles flew more often than the large team plane. They were being flown in on smaller fast shuttlesThey would be staying overnight here at headquarters. They would be put up in the apartments on campus. Alexander had gotten up early and worked out in the gym to help with his anxiety.

He had breakfast with Arianna before starting work. Alexander had to admit that he was enjoying having her around even as she challenged him on his own baggage. He was ready for the day in his favorite jeans, work boots, and his button down team shirt. Alexander knew the clock was ticking. They needed to show more than progress; they needed a win. Realistically he didn’t think they could make that happen in Italy. He might buy more time though if he could show they were making significant progress. Today had to go well. He left Arianna with a smile. She was making excellent progress. She would be able to return to her classes the following semester. She would be able to travel for the race in Italy. He was planning to surprise her by joining him for the race. She had been in touch with her professors and they had been very accommodating and have been working with her over video and internet. She was more passionate than ever about taking on environmental restoration work. He was so proud of her for pushing through and chasing what she wanted to do. He enjoyed the walk across the campus to the main administration building. He had already double checked with Wulfric about security. He didn’t want them to experience the same reception that Mabel had received.




Alexander was waiting in the lobby at the security checkpoint. He was barely able to stop himself from pacing as he anxiously awaited his trio of engineers. They had been told to come dressed to work as Alexander had explained the practical skills part of the interview. He smiled as saw three company cars pull up to the front of the building. The first one to climb out of the back of the vehicle was Dakota Ellis. Her hair was thick and raven black, it was shaved on one side and left long and thick on the other. There were purple streaks in her hair. She was wearing steel toe work boots and a clean mechanics coverall in blue, and a light jacket on for warmth. A tall man climbed out of the back seat of the second car, he recognized Bastijin Velnaar from his video call. The man was bigger in person at 6’2”. He had ash blonde hair cut short and was clean shaven. He was wearing dark dress slacks, loafers, a white shirt, and a navy blazer. Last to step out of their car was Stephanie Mitsuyo. Stephanie was fairly short at 5’4” and had dark brown hair and light green eyes. She had mixed ancestry but her Japanese ancestry showed in her eye shape and nose. Stephanie was wearing dress flats, black dress pants, and a soft floral blouse with ruffles, and a soft cardigan on top. The three of them converged and walked into the building together.

Alexander stepped forward and gave them all a warm smile. “Hello! Welcome to Valkyrie AGR Sport headquarters. I am Alexander Knight, Crew Chief and Team Principal here. It is a pleasure to meet you all. These are your visitor badges for the day. They must be worn at all times. They will give you access to the spaces you will be working in today. Don’t worry about your luggage, the drivers will have it delivered to your rooms. How about we start with a tour?” Alexander was pleased with the bright smiles and nods all around. After a brief tour, he led the three of them into a conference room where Felix was waiting. Alexander shut the door behind them and moved further into the room.

Alexander: “I want to introduce you to Felix Burkhart, he is our Chief Engineer. Felix oversees our team of engineers here at Valkyrie which includes our mechanics who are led by Helga Stumpf. Valkyrie employs engineers from several specialties. I want to be clear that while you three are all here competing for a new position at Valkyrie it is not for the same position. We work as a team around here. This is a way for us to see how well you fit into the team.”

Felix was nodding and smiling before he took over the meeting. “Exactly! Thank you Alexander. Teamwork is essential to what we do. Today is about assessing your skill set and seeing if you have what we are looking for. Valkyrie is in need of more engineers. Do any of you follow Formula AG?”

Bastijin was nodding with a crazy large grin on his face, Dakota simply nodded, and Stephanie shook her head in the negative and then waffled a hand indicating so-so.

Bastijin’s excitement was emphatic “Yes I have been a Formula AG fan all my life. I have been a Valkyrie fan for as long as I can remember. My father would not have it any other way.”

Dakota had just given a simple nod and a smile. “I watch all the races. I am interested in the engines being used for the sport. I don’t really have a team favorite. If I was going to be a fan and root for a team it would probably be MMR since they are from the States. As an engineer, I can’t in good conscience cheer for such poor engineering.” She shrugged.

Stephanie looked a little uncomfortable put on the spot. There was some color in her cheeks as she answered. “I have caught a race here or there on television. My father and brother are huge fans. It is not something that I have had time for since I have been in college. American Football is more my speed.” She blushed with that admission.

Felix was a little surprised by Stephanie’s answer but he gave her a reassuring smile. “That is okay Stephanie. You are here because of your expertise. We are hoping it can help us with some of the problems we have been having.”

The door to the conference room opened as Mabel stepped in closing it behind her. She had three tablets in her hands. Alexander smiled warmly at Mabel. “Right on time as usual Mabel.” Alexander took a moment to wonder how Mabel always appeared just when he was about to call her. He moved on to introduce her. “This is Mabel Brown, my assistant. If you need anything while you are here, she would be the person to ask. Now before we can move forward with the day, Mabel has some documents for you to sign.”

Mabel set a tablet in front of each of them. “If you would like to continue the interview process, you will need to sign Team Valkyrie’s non-disclosure agreement and a document that states that you understand that your participation in this practical skills test is not an offer of employment even if it may lead to one. Furthermore, you will not be compensated other than travel expenses for your participation today. The intellectual rights to any ideas or concepts you develop or share today will belong to Team Valkyrie.” Mabel gave them all a smile. “Sorry to put the legalese damper on your enthusiasm. We have to do this to protect the team. You can’t participate if you don’t sign them. They will require a thumbprint biosignature.”

The three engineers looked like someone had stolen their candy and the wind from their sails. Their faces had fallen from smiles to serious expressions. They were all now reading the documents they had been asked to sign. Mabel waited patiently for them to finish. No one seemed to have any questions and after several minutes they all handed the tablets back to Mabel signed. Mabel smiled at them all. She sent her contact information to each of them. “If you need anything or have any questions while you are here, please feel free to contact me.” She gave them a head nod and left the room.

Alexander and Felix had waited patiently while Mabel took care of the legal aspects required for this idea.

Felix clapped his hands together and rubbed them together like an excited kid at Christmas. “Well you all three know that Valkyrie AGR Sport is a Formula AG team. We are an anti-gravity racing team. We need engineers to help us build and maintain the anti-gravity ships that we race.” Felix looked at all three of them making sure they were tracking. He moved on, assured he saw comprehension in all three faces. “Well we have approached the three of you to help us overcome some challenges we are having as a team. Our ships have excellent handling and stability. They are lacking in Speed and ELS.”

Stephanie frowned and held up her hand. “Excuse me, I don't understand that term. What does ELS stand for?”

Stephanie blushed and everyone turned to look at her.

Felix just gave her an encouraging smile. He pulled up a schematic of one of the “ELS Stands for Energy Leeching Systems, which is a complicated energy system baked into each craft. Supercapacitors deploy energy when the pilot wants a boost, and are charged via rapid induction over passthroughs on the circuit, often at a time loss to the pilot through a sub-optimal line. This can generate boosts that can send craft to over 600 kph. This module at the front of the craft is an energy leeching system- and it can wirelessly steal, and taper energy from craft in front, or behind. That is a field generator, which generates a field of energy that repels inertia and energy. Pilots can avoid getting leeched through its use at a lower energy cost.”

Felix paused and looked at all three of them. “Our challenge for you today is to look over our ships and see if you can identify ways we can improve the speed and ELS systems. Any questions?”

Dakota instantly through her hand up into the air. “Will we only get schematics or will we get to work on the craft themselves?”

Felix looked surprised by the question. “I was thinking we start with the schematics and then move into the clean rooms to see them in person. Any other questions?”

The three of them shook their heads. Alexander and Felix called the ship schematics up on the wall sized screens at one end of the conference room. “Please feel free to get up and interact with this screen or we can get you individual tablets.” Almost moving as one the three of them rose and approached the wall size screen. Stephanie had drug the ELS module off the front of the ship and was pouring over its design while Dakota had pulled the engine out and was looking at it in an exploded view. Bastijin was digging through the files looking for the aerodynamics report on the ship. Felix watched them and answered the occasional question. Once they all seemed to have satisfied their initial curiosity they demanded to see the ships. Felix was amused and escorted them to engineering. They made a stop outside engineering where everyone was asked to put on the white coverall suits and shoe protectors that kept the work room a clean environment.




Bastijin was the one to come up with the most radical idea. He proposed putting miniature Fibonacci blade styled wind turbines on the front of the ships. The speed would turn the blades generating electric current that could be stored in the ELS capacitors for boost. The blades would change the aerodynamics by causing a cone-like effect breaking the friction of the air before the ship passed through a pocket of quieter air. Which would speed up the ship slightly. They were not sure if it would meet the Formula for the ship’s craft but they were intrigued by the idea. They were going to try a new nose cone design to try it in the wind tunnel. Dakota had identified some ways to alter the fuel injection system that might give the craft some more speed. Stephanie had been surprisingly the most useful as she identified ways to make the craft more energy efficient by changing some of the materials used for components out. She had also identified some materials that would increase the amount of energy stolen by the craft. Felix had been impressed with all three of them. The engineering team had invited them all out for drinks that night.





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