by T. A. White
Sadly, for her, there was no light beyond what her hoverboard provided. It made navigating the tunnel a tad more difficult than most riders would be comfortable with. It'd force them to slow down for fear of running headfirst into the tunnel walls.
Kira didn't have that option, relying instead on instinct and skill to find her way through.
She broke out of the tunnel in the next second.
None of her movements were particularly flashy, but an onlooker would be able to tell she knew what she was doing. There was no gesture wasted as she zipped through the various ramps and the harsh twists and turns, picking up speed rather than shedding it.
"The front of the pack has begun their ascent of the tower," Jin warned.
Kira crouched lower as she fought for every bit of speed. The last half of the course before the tower passed in a blur.
"Starting my ascent," Kira informed them as she reached the base of the vertical obstacle not-so-fondly called the tower.
The obstacle didn't look like much, but it was more challenging than it appeared at first glance. Considered one of the most dangerous pieces of the course, it required a pilot to be absolutely perfect in every aspect. From the angle of ascent, to the speed of approach, to the positioning of your body.
Get any of it wrong and you courted death.
Most racers would tell you the tower was the obstacle they feared the most as it had claimed more than one victim over the years. Not Kira. It had always been her favorite. It was like a roller coaster ride. Slowly approaching the ascent, only to race breakneck for the ground once more.
"Remember that all the other racers need to be finished with their descent before you start yours," Jin advised.
"From the way you're nagging me, you'd think this was my first time," Kira said as she picked up speed.
She fixed her eyes on the red dot high above, the buoy that signaled the turnaround point.
That was her goal. Nothing was going to keep it from her. Not even gravity.
"Perhaps that's because you have a tendency to discard perfectly good plans at a whim."
"Hello, pot; meet kettle," Odin said dryly.
Kira grinned as gravity started to push on her chest.
"Who asked you? If not for your meddling, we wouldn't need to go to these lengths," Jin grumbled.
The sky spread in a wide expanse, its fluffy white clouds seeming to beckon her until it was all she could see. Kira kept her gaze trained forward. Racers, even experienced ones, occasionally experienced vertigo on this type of ascent. It was easy to get disorientated, the ground so far below and only a thin scrap of metal equipped with what amounted to little more than an antigrav engine between you and it.
Honestly, Kira considered people who did this a little crazy. That went for herself as well.
"How was I supposed to know you wouldn't check the board's maintenance log before you started tinkering?" Odin shot back.
"Of course, I didn't. I'm the only one with permission to touch that board. Even Kira knows better," Jin cried.
Kira ignored the two as she flew ever higher. She felt like Icarus as he flew too close to the sun—only her wings weren't the type to melt so easily.
"Heart rate and blood pressure still look good," Jin announced.
"I'm not reading any issues in the board's feedback either," Odin added.
The sensation of pressure on Kira grew, until it felt like external forces would try to rip her from the board.
Kira ignored the discomfort as the red of the buoy grew until it seemed to eclipse the sky. The buoy that had seemed so small when seen from the ground was suddenly as big as her ship.
"The last of the racers cleared the bottom. You're good to go whenever you're ready," Jin announced.
"You always know the way to my heart," Kira teased.
The sound of retching came. "Please. I've held ownership of that decayed muscle since the day we first met."
Kira grinned as her engines shut off to conserve power as she bypassed the blimp, climbing up and up until gradually her pace slowed, and she felt gravity calling her back to land.
"You ready for this?" Jin asked.
"When have I not been?"
Jin chortled. "All right, prepare for ignition."
Kira let gravity drag her down, twisting to point the nose of her board toward the ground far below. She crouched, reaching for the handle affectionately called the "oh shit bar" by waverunners.
"Three. Two. One. Systems are go and waiting on you. Fly fast; fly far, Firebird."
"Roger that. Prepare the home fires."
Wind whipped past Kira as she let go of the handle and straightened her legs. She fell, her stomach climbing into her throat. Right about now should do it.
Head pointed toward the planet and her feet at the sky above, Kira punched it, opening the engine and accessing eighty percent of the board's power.
"Here. We. Go." Jin chanted.
"Commencing burn."
For a split second nothing happened. The world froze. Time had no meaning.
A dull trembling started in the board, shaking her bones. Anticipation filled her. This was going to be so much fun.
Dangerous fun—but that was the best kind.
There was a dull thump that Kira felt in her chest. Her board jolted forward, catapulting her toward the ground in a move that would have been suicide for anyone without Kira's experience.
"Trajectory and speed look good. A little feedback from removing the limiter but nothing outside our projections," Jin said with calm detachment.
In her interface, a blue dotted line appeared outlining the optimal flight path. All she needed to do was follow it.
Below her, the ground grew at an alarming rate. The journey up that had seemed to last forever went by in a blink of an eye on the return trip.
"All right Kira, we’re good. You should pull up now," Jin advised.
Not yet.
The wind whipped past her as she crouched a little lower, reaching for more speed.
Just a little bit more.
Almost there.
"Kira, if you break the sound barrier, they're going to know it's us," Jin warned.
There.
Kira relaxed her stance, pulling out of the dive in the next second.
"Good, I'm glad we agree on how stupid that would be," Jin grumbled.
"Personally, I think it would be fun," Odin added.
"Don't encourage her."
Kira ignored the bickering as she shot past the first three obstacles with ease, not losing any of the speed she'd picked up during her dive.
She overtook the rear of the pack, bypassing them in a blink.
"Warning messages are starting to pop up," Odin said, sounding distracted.
"We knew that was likely to happen." Kira arrowed through the course, closing the distance between her and the leaders. She was too fast for the laser fire to present a challenge. By the time the drones registered her presence, she was already long gone.
"Which systems are we having problems with?" Kira asked as her board rotated in a smooth spiral.
"It'd be easier to tell you which systems didn't have error messages."
"You'd better make it worth it," Jin threatened.
"When have I ever let you down?"
"Do you want this week's list or the running tally?"
"Don't be ridiculous. The running tally would take much too long to relate. I'll be long done by the time you finish."
As if to demonstrate that fact, Kira flew past another clump of competitors.
Kira grinned. For all his sarcasm, she knew there was no one more worried about her current predicament than him. He was used to riding with her, ready to troubleshoot any issues she might have.
Unfortunately, the rules didn't allow for AI companions.
It left Jin with the new experience of being sidelined and forced to watch as someone else did all the work.
"How's my fuel looking?" Kira asked.
J
in grunted. "Not good. You're going to be close."
"Let's hope luck is in my favor today."
Kira pointed her board toward a series of obstacles nicknamed the gauntlet. A shorter version of the tunnel from before, this one was ten feet long and had fixed-point drone fire on each side.
Where the tower was an exercise in stamina and precision, the gauntlet was designed to test your maneuverability and luck. It was responsible for knocking out about a third of the riders who made it to this point.
Only four people stood between her and the finish line.
"Approaching the gauntlet now," Kira said.
"Operation Thread the Needle commences in three, two, one. Punch it."
Kira hit the boost on her board, her stance almost lazy as she approached the last stretch that stood between her and a win. Already, the lasers had started firing, creating an almost impossible to navigate screen.
There was really only one way to face the obstacle—to get through it as fast as possible and pray your luck held.
Kira's speed remained unchecked as she dove into the middle. The lasers were an overwhelming din all around her. Kira used the underside of the board to catch the stray lasers she couldn't quite shake.
She came out of the tunnel arrowing for the finish line.
"Yas! Nicely done, Nixxy," Jin crowed. "That's how we do it."
"Don't celebrate yet," Odin cautioned. "The energy drain from the laser fire is causing a chain reaction."
"How long do I have?"
"Three, maybe four minutes."
"Good enough."
Kira rounded the final corner. The racers in the first three positions came into view as Kira barreled down on them.
"Critical failure imminent," Odin warned. "If I were you, I'd consider taking drastic measures. The board is literally about to shake itself apart under you."
As if he'd jinxed her, there was an ominous clanking from her board seconds before a tail piece snapped off.
"Hm. I see what you mean."
"Good. Then do something about it," Jin cried.
Kira snorted. He said that like it would be easy. Did he imagine she could wave her hands and magically fix the problem?
The Tuann from the starting line was in the lead, the Haldeel right behind him, the racer from Zepher bringing up the rear. Only a length of a board separated them, the Haldeel and human almost neck and neck.
Kira swung her board wide, hoping to slip around them.
The human moved to block her.
So that's how he wanted to play it. Very well. The idiot was a few decades too young to truly be a nuisance.
“You’re not going to make it. Your fuel just dipped below the red,” Jin warned.
“I will.”
“You won’t. Even you can’t argue with physics.”
“I have a plan.”
Silence crackled over the comms.
“Wait. Please don’t tell me you mean what I think you mean.”
“Yup.” Kira sounded chipper. “I absolutely mean that.”
Kira surged forward as Jin wailed, straining for the finish line as it came into view. Her focus narrowed to that line and the victory it promised.
“That’s such a bad idea! You know they’ll never consider that a win.”
Kira smiled. “We’ll see.”
“Critical failure imminent,” Odin announced.
The board sputtered.
Eight meters left.
Six.
She edged up beside the Tuann, fighting him for first place.
This time when the board coughed, there were no further sounds. It went silent and still, coasting along at its current speed.
The front of the board started to dip.
"Now, Jin!"
"Why do you always drag me into your crazy schemes?" he snarled as he overrode the safety protocols, causing a chain reaction in the drive chain.
For one endless moment, Kira thought they'd missed their window. Too early and she'd never make the jump. Too soon and she'd face plant directly into the ground, likely breaking her neck and killing her instantly.
There was a whoosh and then a thump as the board exploded. Kira wrapped a ki shield around her feet, using the force to spring forward with one powerful leap.
She barreled headfirst over the finish line, milliseconds before the Tuann.
Kira barely had time to feel victorious before gravity reclaimed her. She plummeted. She had just enough time to think this was going to hurt before she hit, her right shoulder first.
She was right. It did.
Kira rolled and then kept rolling for several seconds before coming to a stop. She lay there, taking stock of her injuries.
If one discounted the ache in ninety percent of her body, she was in surprisingly good shape. No broken bones. No internal injuries.
Score one victory to the Tuann.
"This stuff is even better than we thought." Kira slid up the sleeve of her hoodie, exposing the undershirt she'd worn. The dark gleam of Tuann fabric greeted her. It was a present House Roake had given her when she'd completed her uhva na. It was the only thing she'd managed to bring. She'd been wearing it when Odin and Elena commandeered her ship.
Kira had to admit. She was more than a little impressed with the shirt.
If she'd had this during the war, her life would have been so much more comfortable. Human armor couldn't compete. To replicate the same effects, she'd have needed a full battle suit. It would have been the only thing strong enough to protect her from a crash like this.
"Very nice," Jin quipped. "But I suggest you get moving. That little stunt hasn't gone unnoticed. The mountain and his smaller mountain friends have guessed it’s you and are now on their way. It's time to pop smoke and make yourself scarce."
Kira glanced into the stands.
Graydon caught and held her gaze, a slow smile spreading on his face.
"That's not good," she observed.
As if hearing her, his smile widened.
"No, it's not, and oh look, that's not all. The race officials are also on their way. Probably to disqualify you. Congratulations, the prize for most attention-grabbing landing goes to you."
Kira stood and swept a cocky bow in Jin's direction. "Thank you. I'd like to thank my partner in crime, Jin, for this honor. Without him, none of this would be possible."
Kira could almost feel Jin rolling his metaphorical eyes.
"You deal with the officials," he instructed. "Odin and I will work on delaying your mountain."
"How? And he's not my mountain."
"Pretty sure he wants to be," Jin shot back. "And we'll think of something."
Kira ignored the quagmire in Jin's first statement. The draw between her and Graydon was something she tried very hard not to think about. He was a black hole of magnetism that she could very easily get lost in.
Instead, she faced the sidelines where the rest of the top four racers had already congregated.
Her gaze lifted to the board where the winners were typically announced, only to find it blank.
Jin was right. Kira needed to fix this.
She knocked the dirt off her clothes as she considered her options. Graydon and company would need at least three minutes to free themselves from the chaotic mess the stands had turned into upon Kira's win.
She had the time but barely.
Kira sauntered in the direction of the race officials, ignoring the small stabs of pain as her body protested.
"That racer should be disqualified for reckless endangerment," the man from Zepher was saying as Kira walked up.
"That seems a little extreme," Kira responded.
His expression turned nasty. "You could have killed yourself or us."
"But I didn't."
Nor was anyone except Kira in any real danger.
Ignoring her, he faced the officials again. "This sets a bad precedent for the future. What kind of stunts do you think other racers will try if you let her get away with this?"
<
br /> "The same kind of stunts they always do?" Kira guessed.
"You can't allow someone to break the rules in this way," he said in a carefully controlled voice that didn't quite hide the fact Kira was getting to him.
His hands had curled into fists and she sensed he was about one snarky retort away from attacking her.
Kira checked on Graydon's progress, noting how he and the others were almost out of the swarm of people. If she'd had time, she might have humored the man. As it was, she needed this done—and fast.
If she left without her win having been declared, chances were she'd be disqualified—if only because there was no one to argue her case.
She didn't do all that to lose in the final hour.
"Technically, she broke no rules," Skye observed.
"Of course you would think that, squid," the man said snidely.
Skye's eyes flickered but otherwise she didn't react. Beside her, the Tuann's expression went cold.
"She broke the rules; she's disqualified," the Zepher representative said again.
"Check again," Kira invited. "There's nothing that says the racer needs to be touching their board when they pass the finish line."
Kira would know. She and Jin had helped Bayside and Courtland draft the original set of rules, and they hadn't changed much over the years. She'd read them over before they reached the planet just in case.
While her interpretation allowed her to win on a technicality, it still very much counted—especially on Jettie, a Haldeel world where they were sticklers for the letter of the law, and there was nothing they enjoyed more than seeing someone wiggle through a loophole.
A small glimpse of amusement appeared on Skye's face. The Tuann looked at Kira with something resembling respect.
"I'm not sure," the male official told his companion.
The woman looked calculating as she considered.
Kira tensed, sensing she was about to lose control of the situation. It was her win. She could force the issue, but it would take time. There was no way Graydon wouldn't stake out the race headquarters. He'd lock that place down until not even an ant could go in or out without being noticed.
A Haldeel with black markings approached with a neutral expression. The wide robes he wore fluttered around his quick-moving appendages. "What is the problem? Why haven't the winners been announced?"
"Apologies, Za. We were debating the merits of the lady's win," the woman said with a small nod.