The days turned into weeks, and the household continued to run in the same orderly fashion as Alena had set up. The children ate regular meals, they visited with Tana while Amanda went to the market for fresh groceries, and Bryon went to work in the morning and came home in time for dinner.
Eventually, the children stopped asking every morning when their momma was coming home and, for some reason, this broke Amanda’s heart. She loved the little children, but felt they deserved to have their mother home with them. Amanda wondered if she were becoming more sentimental now because she was starting to feel her own baby stir inside of her womb. She wished she could talk to Alena about it, but she was on her own.
Amanda became proficient in the kitchen; which was a good thing since her own appetite had grown enormously as well as her waistline. She started having the most unusual cravings and bought new and interesting food items at the market. Bryon had commented more than once about some of the selections Amanda presented at dinner; although Amanda noted, he always ate it without any trouble.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was now four and a half mesans since Alena had left and Amanda was definitely feeling the weight of her daughter in her belly. She was also concerned about how big she was getting. Is it normal to be as big as a cow at eight months? she asked herself more than once. The baby constantly moved in her abdomen now, and she spent more time in the bathroom than she cared to talk about. She could swear her bladder had shrunk to the size of a pebble with all of her intense urges to urinate.
Amanda was also worried over Alena not being home in time for herself to travel back to Earth before the baby was born. Since she had not heard anything about Neal or The Golden Jesisca to give her any hope, she had become discouraged. She began to think about raising her child without Neal. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe it’s for the best since Neal never did want to have children.
Bryon noticed how quiet and withdrawn Amanda had become, and he did not think it was healthy for the baby for her to be so sad. He tried to think of something which they could do to take her mind off of her problems, for even a few hours so she could relax.
The perfect idea came to him one afternoon when he was at work; the telepod races were going to be near town the following weekend. Amanda seemed so interested in telepods, he thought she might enjoy watching the races in person. He decided to make arrangements with Tana to watch the kids while he took her out for the day. When he got home for dinner, he asked, “Amanda, how would you like to go to the telepod races this next weekend?”
“They have races?”
“Yes, they do,” he replied again wondering how she would not know such a thing.
“What about Petre?”
“I received a report about him being busy in Cerid on race day!”
“What about the children?”
“We can have Tana watch them. I think you need a day off from these monsters!” He smiled at the kids as they each began to protest their new title.
“It sounds as though you’ve thought of everything! Okay, then. It sounds like fun.” Inside she was bubbling with excitement for a change of scenery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the market, Amanda noticed a difference in the conversations taking place around her. She kept hearing about someone named Riccan who was coming to race. Everyone commented on how he put on a good show and how excited they were to watch his performance.
Amanda had learned through discreet questioning of various people that his racing pod was unique because he never used elemy enhancements—whatever that meant—to make him go faster and he almost always won. When Amanda heard his pod also stood out because of its blazing red color and innovative design, she felt a connection with him because of The Golden Jesisca also standing out against the Tualan water crafts. Now Amanda was even more eager to go and the days seemed to drag slower.
Finally, the day came, and she had slept poorly, both because of her bulky belly and her excitement. Amanda did not really know what to expect of the races but decided the diversion would be good for her. Everyone, both young and old, seemed to agree the races were very entertaining and when Riccan was racing it was definitely an event worth seeing.
She finally picked an appropriate outfit to wear, tucked Barla’s letter in her pocket and met Bryon in the living room. Amanda’s anticipation for her first telepod ride was bubbling from her as she asked, “Are we all set to go?”
He held out his arm and said, “This way, my lady, your telepod awaits.”
She giggled and took his arm. They left the house, and he helped her up the ramp into the telepod. Not quite certain what she should do she looked around the small area.
Bryon stepped in behind her and shut the door. “You can sit right here,” he said as he gently guided her by the elbow to the seat on the right at the front of the cabin. “It’ll only be a short ride, but in your condition, it’d be wise to wear the safety belt.”
She nodded and pretended to look around while she covertly watched him fasten his so she could see how it was done. Once she was belted in and ready, she sat excitedly not knowing what to expect.
Bryon looked over to her and imagined he could actually see her glowing with anticipation. He smiled, inwardly pleased about giving her some amount of pleasure in her sad, lonely life. “Let me concentrate on the coordinates and we’ll be there in about three heartbeats,” he said as he closed his eyes.
She watched eagerly as Bryon toggled a switch which lit up several green lights on the panel in front of them. He used a manual lever which lifted the telepod easily from the ground and then she was engulfed in darkness. She counted her rapid heartbeats; grateful because Bryon had given her the hint and wondered if he had done it on purpose. Because of her nerves, it was not until the tenth beat when light poured through the window, and the scenery was nothing similar to their home neighborhood.
Bryon set the telepod down in a huge field which was obviously being used as a landing lot. “We’re a bit early,” Bryon told her, “I wanted to get here before the crowds so we could be assured of a decent seat.” Bryon did not mention this luxury cost a bit more, but he knew it would be worth it.
Amanda stared out the window at the rows upon rows of brightly colored tents beside each pod trailer. Already, crowds were forming around their favorite drivers’ tents where the crews were tuning the crystal drives of various styles of racing pods. They exited the telepod and walked into the racing grounds.
Bryon explained to her how there were three different classes of pod racing, and Riccan’s class was always last because it was the fastest, the most dangerous, as well as the most popular. They stopped at a concession stand and bought two tubes of liquid which easily wrapped around their wrists for walking around.
Amanda sipped her drink while they walked from pit to pit as Bryon explained the differences between the racing classes. Some things were quite apparent such as the size of the pod. The smaller pods were generally slower since their crystal drives were smaller. Some of these racers used expensive technology to enhance the power. This was starting to cause contention and talk about splitting the class to allow similar pods to race against each other. Officials had to keep reminding the people in this class that it was supposed to be for fun and entertainment and not competition. The operators scoffed at the last part of their spiel. It was painfully obvious this statement had been spoken around them since they had started racing.
Bryon whispered to Amanda, “This’s a beginner’s class of racing; it lets them get the feel of real racing. Only the best self-funded operators are approached by the sponsors for what they call Top Sportsman racing which is Riccan’s class.”
Amanda nodded enthusiastically even though she did not understand much of it.
Bryon continued, “The only difference is Riccan’s still self-sponsored, so he doesn’t have to conform to what the sponsors want him to do. It’s what’s made him into what they call the rebel racers class. Everyone loves him for standing al
one and still beating the big dog pods.”
Bryon and Amanda continued through the pit area and came to the mid-class ‘Sportsman’ racers. “Some of these racers have sponsors,” Bryon explained, “while others just have a lot of money to burn.”
Crowds of people were passing them and congregating in front of a huge black trailer. Bryon pointed to it and stated, “There’s Riccan’s trailer. He won’t bring out his pod until the races begin. The crowds are hoping he’ll allow some sneak peeks, but he never does.”
Amanda smiled and nodded even though she was not sure why they would be so anxious to see it just sitting there when the races would start soon, and they would see it then. Her feet were really starting to ache, and she hoped they would find a place to sit pretty quickly. She sighed deeply.
Bryon was abashed because he had not noticed how uncomfortable Amanda was looking. “Are you okay, Amanda?”
She nodded, but her smile was not very convincing.
He took her elbow and guided her through the crowds toward the grandstands. The noises of the people and the pods were quite loud by now, and he had to shout into her ear to be heard, “I’m really sorry, Amanda, I didn’t think about how badly your feet must be feeling. The seats are right over here. Where do you want to sit?”
“Probably close to the bottom since I’ll most likely have to go to the bathroom at least fifteen times while we’re here. Speaking of which, where is the bathroom?”
Bryon changed course midstride, and suddenly the bathrooms were directly in front of them. Bryon waited for her to return and then directed her to the seating stands. They chose seats near the bottom level, but high enough up to see the finish line and reader boards announcing the race times.
The race announcers asked the Stock class to start lining up. The crowds converged over to their seats. Amanda was suddenly completely crowded in on all sides by noisy, but happy, spectators all talking about which racer was going to do what.
Bryon leaned close to Amanda’s ear and explained, “The racers are going to pair up to race. Watch the tree of lights, when it goes green, the pods will go.”
Just then the first two pods revved their crystal drives. The crowds went wild as the sounds roared over the stands. The pods both crept up to the starting line, activated both sets of lights, and then were racing down the track before Amanda could take it all in.
Her heart was racing with adrenaline as she got caught up in the cheering when the finish lights showed who won as well as their finish times. She did not even know if the times were good, she just knew she was having fun.
Subsequent match-ups were the same as Bryon explained the finer points of the sport as the elimination rounds were being run.
Amanda could see why everyone loved this pastime. She started picking who she thought would win based solely on whether or not she liked the paint jobs on the pods. The Sportsman class of racers was called to the staging lanes. The crowds renewed their cheering.
Bryon winked at her and asked, “Do you have to use the restroom?”
Amanda instantly became aware of how badly she had to go and nodded quickly.
“The few moments before the racing class change is the best time for a bathroom break,” he explained when they were finally out of the noise of the stadium.
Because of their bathroom break, they missed the last two racers of the first class. They also missed the huge crowd at the bathroom. Amanda could barely get to the sink to wash because of the crush of women waiting to use the facility. Finally fighting her way out the bathroom door, she met Bryon outside.
“Are you hungry?”
She cocked her head to the side and replied, “What a silly question! When am I ever not hungry these days?” They laughed together as he directed them toward the food vendors.
They stopped at a snack shack and both ordered shredded foxl sandwiches. They ate while they meandered back to the grandstand. Their previous seats were taken, so they sat on the opposite side of the track.
The crowds filed back to the grandstands just as the second class of racers, called the Sportsman’s class, were coming up to the staging line. They, too, revved their crystal drives, generating a rumbling vibration which traveled throughout Amanda’s body.
She was exhilarated, but then puzzled, when she thought she saw one of the two pods disappear for a split second. Confused, she turned to Bryon and raised an eyebrow. “Did I just see the pod disappear?”
“I wondered if you caught it! It’s a trick they are allowed to do, but only in the staging process, not during the race,” he answered with a broad grin on his face.
“I was going to ask you why they raced down the track since they could just teleport instead!”
“Where would the fun be in that?” He turned his attention back to the race in progress.
This class proved to be almost twice as fast as the first class and was thrilling to watch. Amanda was enjoying the different styles of pods and tones of the crystals as they raced. Amanda noticed one racer’s crystal drive, however, sounded odd as he blinked in and out quickly in succession at the staging lane. Glancing over at Bryon to see if he noticed, he just turned and smiled without any note of concern, so she returned her attention to the approaching event.
The race began and, midway down the track, the crystal exploded from the rear of the pod. The mid-track spectators ducked from the crystal shards which managed to infiltrate the active force fields meant to protect the viewers from just such an occurrence.
Amanda continued to watch as the pod dropped down to the ground and skidded from side to side, narrowly missing the other pod in its uncontrolled slide down the track. She gasped and clutched Bryon’s arm in alarm. “Is the driver going to be okay?”
“I don’t know,” he replied and glanced at Amanda. Concerned the stress might be bad for her, he quickly reassured her by saying, “The driver is very protected by shields and padding. He’s more than likely just shaken up.”
Amanda listened to the crowd around her as they speculated on possible injuries or if the body of the racing pod were too damaged to be used again. She was afraid for the driver and whispered a prayer for his deliverance.
A rescue squad teleported to the accident scene where they immediately began to swarm the outside of the pod. They set up additional force fields in the event of further explosions. One rescuer managed to open the side of the pod, allowing the driver to step out, dazed, but alive.
The crowds, who were temporarily silent, let out a cheer at the sight of the driver. Amanda let out a breath in relief since her prayer had been answered.
Subsequent Sportsman races were delayed as the cleanup crew came out and removed every particle of debris from the track. The rescue squad then entered the grandstands to see if any of the spectators had been injured. Amanda could see a couple of people receiving medical attention, but nobody left, so Amanda assumed the injuries were relatively minor.
“The race pod will be impounded and investigated to find out why the scatter shield failed,” Bryon explained as the damaged pod moved on a transport vehicle in front of their seats. “The crystals aren’t supposed to explode onto the track.”
Finally, the racing resumed, and the final four pairs of the Sportsman class were directed to start their crystal drives again. “Top Sportsman racers, please come to the staging lanes,” boomed the voice over the loudspeakers. Another cheer went through the crowd, and Amanda heard people begin to chant “Riccan! Riccan! Riccan!”
People were craning their necks to see what order the Top Sportsman racers were going to race. Speculation was wild whether Riccan would race first or last. He was first.
When he came to the line and revved his crystal drive, his pod blinked in and out of sight at least twenty times with breathtaking speed, causing the crowd to surge to their feet whistling, clapping, and yelling his name. There was pandemonium as every spectator surged toward the sideline of the track to watch the race.
Amanda’s attention was ri
veted to Riccan’s pod; it was the brightest red she had ever seen, and the shape was oddly familiar. She had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind as she watched him stage his pod for the race that she had seen his telepod before. The idea was silly since this was her first show. The lights activated, turned green, and Riccan raced down to victory in an amazing display of noise and speed. He won this round and would be back for the next elimination round.
She and Bryon exchanged grins as she clapped and cheered along with the most seasoned spectators. Bryon gestured for them to go down from the stand and Amanda raised an eyebrow in question. He winked and gestured again.
Amanda shrugged but led the way off the grandstands. Amanda assumed they were going on another bathroom break, but when they got near the building he steered her in the opposite direction. They arrived in short order at Riccan’s tent and trailer.
Riccan’s team had already pulled the pod into the stall and had the shell off to check over the crystal, supply lines, and connections. Riccan was talking with his crew chief and smiling.
Amanda thought he was amazingly handsome with his beautiful brown eyes, his radiant smile, and his booming laugh. She appreciated his lean, muscular build and was glad they had come over. Bryon and Amanda edged closer, so they could get a better view of the racing pod design on the shell when Riccan glanced over at them and smiled at Amanda. She smiled back and blushed prettily.
They did not stay long since the crowd was getting too much for Amanda. She was sorry she could not have met Riccan in person. Was I just flirting? I must be moving on with my life. As if he would be interested in a hugely pregnant woman! She chided herself for even thinking such foolishness.
They visited the restrooms again and finished watching the races. Of course, Riccan was the Top Sportsman winner after five elimination rounds of racing. He gave his victory speech over the intercom. Amanda was strangely pleased because he had won and she had gotten to hear his voice again.
Eventually, the time came to leave, and Amanda was thoroughly exhausted but happy at the same time. They walked slowly through the hordes of people who were also trying to get to the parking grounds. When they finally got to Bryon’s pod Amanda was grateful for the quiet, empty space inside the pod.
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