• "Alright, Jess, time to meet the team," said Ace as he took Jessica to the Vipers' garage. The building looked rather small in comparison to others in the city, causing Jessica to wonder just how small the racing vehicles were. She was in for a surprise when they entered the building.
    "Holy…"
    "Yeah, I know. I really love my sports."
    The garage that looked small on the surface was actually just the entrance the a large underground warehouse. The racers were suspended at different levels, each vehicle getting half a floor of space. Three floors, six vehicles. Each was a two-seater and sleeker than a normal hover. There was at least forty people milling about on the floor below.
    "Hey, what are they all doing down there? And why six hovers?" Ace grinned at the question.
    "The reason that the Vipers are such a well-known team is that we're also an experimental team. Racing tech is always improving, and we use new designs of our own creation in three of the hovers. The others are backups using our last working configuration. You know, just in case."
    "Oy, Ace, you're here early! No worries, we got everything runnin' fine," said a slightly pudgy man with a thick moustache. Jessica recognized him immediately.
    "Marco? The cabdriver?"
    "Oh, hey, you're the twice-in-a-row girl! You're the new mechanic?"
    Ace raised an eyebrow.
    "So you two have met? Yes, Marco, she's the new mechanic. Jessica, this is Marco Benson, the Vipers' lead driver." Marco grinned at her.
    "See, I wasn't lying when I said I was the fastest wheel in the city!"
    "Right you are, Marco! Oh, wait, just a moment." Ace pulled out his phone and listened for a minute before continuing, "Oh, yes, I'll be right there. Say, Marco, you wouldn't mind introducing Jessica to everyone else, would you? I've got to get back, apparently."
    "Sure thing, Mr. Jones. Here, follow me and I'll show ya around." Marco and Jessica headed down the stairs to the top deck as Ace left.
    "Okay, Jess, on the right we have Dunkirk's hovers…and actually, he's right over there. Oy, Kirk!" A tall, thin man with a light tan stood and glanced over at Marco and Jessica. Marco waved him over. It wasn't until he got closer that Jessica noticed he had black eyes and fangs.
    "What'cha need, Co?"
    "Introducing you to our new teammate. Jess, this is Dunkirk. Kirk, this is Jessica."
    "Pleased to meet you." Dunkirk smiled and stuck out his hand.
    "Same." Jessica shook it and he grinned.
    "You have a strong grip, Jessica. From your stance, I also presume you to be in your element. I am glad to know you aren't some wannabe wrench jockey. Welcome to the team." And with that, he walked back to his hover.
    "What the…?"
    "Yeah, you get used to that. He's supposed to be beastly good at reading people's comfort in different situations. Used to be a cop."
    "Is he…you know…"
    "A vampire? Yeah, he is. No worries, though, he doesn't bite without permission."
    "But we're in a desert. Don't they burn in the sun or something?"
    "Sunburn. You should'a seen him when he first came here. Five minutes and he's goin' red. Took a few years, but he's good in it now. Moving right along, on the left we have the loading docks and break room. Couple a' people actually stay here the last two weeks, so we got some cots set up, too." Sure enough, a few people were napping, one actually still in his coveralls. They headed down another set of stairs to the mid deck.
    "Okay, here on the right we got Jo Delek's ride-"
    "Delek? I think I know his cousin."
    "Who, Si? Geez, he's here one week and EVERYBODY knows him. Guy's got a personality, all right. Anyway, he's not bad, but his co-pilot's the worst."
    "Well that sucks. Can't you guys find a new one?"
    "No, not really. Not many people volunteer to be shot at. Anyway, on the left we have the 'toolbox'. Basically if you can use it to build, you'll probably find it in there." One last flight of stairs took them down to the lower deck.
    "And there on your right is my racer."
    "Is that an old Cirrus?" Jessica approached the vehicle and looked it over. "Yeah, it's been stripped of extra weight, but it is. A friend of mine's dad used to drive one of these. Good muscle." Marco's eyebrows were raised when she looked back at him.
    "Well I'm impressed. Yeah, good brand. Anyway, through the door over there is the shooting range. Practice for the copilots." Almost on cue, the door banged open as a young man dressed a bit like a biker kicked it open.
    "Hey, Ananth, get me another gun! This one's ******** broken!"
    Marco rolled his eyes as he turned to Jessica and said, "Well, there's Jo's copilot. As you can see, poor aim is never his fault."
    "How did he become a gunner if he has bad aim?"
    "He didn't always. Refuses to wear glasses now, though. Says it 'ruins his look'. Tends to be a d**k to anyone who says otherwise. We're trying to replace him." Jessica raised an eyebrow and walked towards the door as the 'punk' snatched the new gun from Ananth and threw the other one at him. Jessica grabbed the old gun and followed him trough the door. She watched as he fired once, twice, four times. He had one hit.
    "Dammit, this one, too?!"
    "It's not the gun. You're not aiming." He turned and glared at Jessica.
    "You do it then." She shrugged, crouched, and raised the gun. Three shots, three hits.
    "How did you…?"
    "Used to work in an arena. You were holding the gun crooked. You have to remember to line up the scope lenses before firing. I would suggest you wear your glasses, though." And with that she handed him the gun and left, his jaw still slack.
    Marco was waiting outside with a raised eyebrow.
    "What was that about?"
    "Helping teach him to shoot again. He seems like he's always pissed off, and that makes him prone to easily overlooked errors."
    Marco nodded. "Yup, that sounds about right. Anyway, one last floor. See how the floor here is armored?" Jessica nodded. "Well, that door on the ground leads to the experimentation deck below. We've had two or three explosions over the years, hence the armored layer. Anyway, that's the garage. You've got three weeks to get acquainted with everyone before the first race."
    Three weeks passed blindingly fast. The day of the race looming before them, the team shot through last minute checks.
    "Jess! Oy, Jess!" It was Marco.
    "Marco, what's wrong?"
    "Remember Jo's copilot? David? Can't find him."
    "You're kidding me."
    "'Fraid not. We got one hour to find him, too."
    Almost on cue, a member of the team showed up holding a note.
    "Message from David." Marco took and read it, beginning to frown.
    "What is it?"
    "He says he quits. And he wants you to replace him, Jess. Says, 'Let's see the hotshot screw up on TV.'"
    "So what would I have to do?"
    "What? You can't be-"
    "Look, I can shoot. Pretty damn well. Is there anything else I'd need to do?"
    "Well, you'd normally act as a navigator, but I can handle my own on our home track. You'll be my copilot. Oy, Frank! You're with Jo today!" Frank nodded and headed for the higher decks. "Alright, 'Hotshot', let's get suited up."
    Half an hour later the Sangretto team headed for the track. Most of the other teams were there, two more showing up with the Vipers. Ace was waiting in the Vipers' pit.
    "Just where the hell have you been? We're the home team! We have to set an example here!"
    "Sorry, Ace, had a bit of a setback."
    "Setback? What sort of setback? We can still run today, right?" Jessica rolled her eyes and patted Ace on the back.
    "Uncle Ace, stop freaking out. We're gonna do fine."
    "Yeah, I know you wi- Why are you in racing gear?"
    "That was the setback. David split."
    "And you're taking his place because…?"
    "I'm a good shot and we didn't have time for tryouts. Don't worry, I'm with Marco." Ace approached Marco.
    "You watch out for her, alright? And watch out in the canyon, the Derenians have a dirty-looking pilot."
    "We'll be fine, boss. She's tough, too. Just stop worrying about everything and enjoy the race, right?"
    "Oh, alright…See you at the finish line, then." And Ace marched off. Marco turned to Jessica, pointing to the different guns that were being placed in the vehicles.
    "Alright, that big one? It fires little claws that shoot electric shocks into a racer to shut down its engine. The one with the nozzle fires 'goop'. It'll cover an opponent's windshield. That one's a flamethrower. Won't do much at high speed, but it'll blind an opponent and force them out of the stream. The button in the racer there fires off the EMP. Got all that?"
    "Why's there an EMP in this thing? It'll shut us down every time we use it."
    "You'll see if we have to use it."
    "This is the experimental racer, isn't it."
    "Yup."
    Soon the cars were all ready, the race soon to begin. Some drivers were talking to the media, some 'getting in the zone', and others trying to intimidate others. The Vipers, however, were forming a plan.
    "Drivers, to your cars!" cried the announcer. And then began the countdown. Jessica intently watched the glowing orb slowly descend. Just as it hit the bottom, the Vipers all turned off their racers as the copilot hit the EMPs. The other teams were shut down as the Vipers quickly restarted and shot off.
    "Well, that worked beautifully, no?" crackled Dunkirk's voice over the radio.
    "Yeah," replied Jo, "Pity we probably got the cameras, too. That would've been some good television."
    "No time for joy, boys," called Dunkirk's copilot, "Looks like they restarted faster than we expected."
    Jessica looked back and saw that three other teams were chasing after them. There was a clunking sound and Marco began t slow down. The other two vipers quickly followed.
    "Marco, what's going on?"
    "Remember the gun that fires those electric claws? We've been hit."
    "What do I do?"
    "Should be a glove in the back. Put it on and yank it out."
    Jessica did as Marco instructed, but by the time the Vipers were up to speed again the other teams had caught up. Even over the roaring wind she could hear the laughter of the Deren team.
    "Catch you at the finish line!" their leader called out, barely audible. His copilot turned and stood, aiming another shot at Marco and Jessica. Marco pushed a button on the dashboard just as the Derenian fired, causing Jessica to yell as the racer shot into the sky.
    "Hang on, Jess!" The racer plummeted out of the air, stopping itself before it hit the sand. Jessica pulled herself up just in time to see a look of surprise on the face of the Derenian who had fired.
    "So that's one of the new gadgets on this?"
    "Yup. Behind us." Jessica turned and saw two drivers trying to pass them. She grabbed the goop gun and fired, covering the windshields just like Marco had told her. The two slowed down as they cleaned their windows.
    "Jess, hang on!" Marco swerved to the right just as a racer tumbled past them in the sand.
    "Who was that?"
    "Jo!"
    "Who took him out?"
    "I don't know!"
    Dunkirk drove up next to Marco and Jessica. A moment later his copilots head exploded.
    "Holy s**t!" Jessica screamed, slightly splattered by blood. Dunkirk shot to the side and the racer that had been behind him exploded.
    "Marco!" he yelled, "Get to the canyon!" Marco nodded, leading the rest of the racers into the canyon. Two more vehicles vanished into fireballs on their way. With speed Jessica had not thought possible, Dunkirk leapt from his vehicle as it, too, exploded. He landed in the back seat of the last remaining Viper racer just as they entered the canyon. Marco stopped the vehicle and turned around.
    "Kirk, what the hell is going on?!"
    "HTBS sniper fire. Only thing I can think of that can drop a racer in one shot without being seen but for a moment."
    "s**t, has to be the Empire. Call Ace, tell him to activate Crimson."
    "Right."
    Jessica looked from one to the other as they sped through the canyon.
    "Are either of you going to tell me what the hell is going on here?!" Marco looked at her for a moment, then concentrated on driving again.
    "Empire's been trying to take Sangretto for about two months. They can't get past the city's defender, though. That's who Crimson is."
    "And they held the race still?"
    "It usually takes about two or three days of travel trough the desert to get here on foot, and we have good air defenses, and they have no navy. We also have sensors at the desert border. Somehow they got past those. Crimson'll take them down, though. They've yet to even hit him."
    The racer in front of them suddenly exploded from a round that had gone through the canyon wall. The wall began to collapse, large chunks of stone landing in the sand around them. One landed on the hood of the racer, slamming it into the ground. Dunkirk went flying, slamming into a rock wall and slumping to the ground. Jessica, too, went flying, but she landed relatively safely in the sand. Marco was strapped in. Two other vehicles went down, but the rest of the racers sped by, ignoring their cries for aid.
    "Damn. Alright, everyone who can stand grab a gun." Marco grabbed a flamethrower out of the sand, Jessica picking up a claw gun. Three of the others were alright, one pilot dead from when a boulder landed on her.
    "Jessica, go check on Dunkirk."
    "He's alive, but he's out. Probably some broken bones."
    "He's a vampire, he'll be fine. I'll get him. Everyone, let's keep moving!" Marco lifted Dunkirk's limp body onto his shoulder and continued through the canyon, followed by the other racers.
    "Marco, how far away from the city are we?!"
    "Should only be a couple of minutes!"
    "Maybe a bit longer than that." the third speaker was not one of them. They turned to see a large man in a loose outfit bound with belts pointing a sword at them, grinning.
    "He's a Sentinel! Open fire!" Two of the racers opened fire with flamethrowers, engulfing the Sentinel. When the flames stopped, the Sentinel was still standing there, grinning at them.
    "You singed my cape. Not very nice." He made a small motion with his free hand and the two that had fired at him were slammed into the canyon walls by a pillar of sand. Jessica lifted her gun and fired. The claw shot towards the Sentinel, who stood there, grinning. His grin immediately stopped when the claw slammed into his chest plate, causing cracks to spider web across it. He stomped his foot and a rock spear shot from the ground and impaled her gun. The Sentinel sank into the ground, then reappeared in front of Jessica with his hand around her throat.
    "How did you do that, little girl?" Marco stepped forward, but his legs sank into the ground and cracked loudly. His screams echoed though the canyon.
    "Now answer me, little one."
    [Let her go.] The Sentinel turned to see what looked like a red robot floating in the air. He grinned.
    "Crimson. You have no power to stop us anymore."
    [We'll see about that.] Crimson punched the Sentinel in the face, sending him flying ten feet back. When he stood there were cracks across his face.
    "Hex, he's here," the Sentinel said into a radio as Crimson shot towards him. The Sentinel motioned upwards with his fingers and sand flew into the air, obscuring Jessica's vision of the fight. When the dust cleared the Sentinel was gone. Crimson shot towards her.
    [Jessica, are you okay?]
    "You know me?" He never answered. Crimson suddenly shot into the air, contorting wildly. He then slammed into the canyon walls repeatedly, then crumpled to the ground, his armor covered in dents.
    "Crimson, what-"
    "Oh, he didn't do that to himself. I did." A group of people walked into the canyon from the side farther from the city. The man at the head of the group had blood red hair pulled back in a low ponytail and a long coat. A small shotgun was attached to his leg. He gestured towards Crimson's crumpled form, which rose into the air and sped towards him. "Now let's see who you are." He removed Crimson's helmet, revealing a aged face with a bristly moustache.
    "Uncle Ace?" The Sentinel leader glanced in Jessica's direction when she spoke.
    "Huh. Forgot she was there." The Sentinel with the cracked face tapped the leader on the shoulder.
    "Lord Hex, if I may. She damaged my armor." Hex raised an eyebrow.
    "Damaged you, Gabriel? Her? Maranda, scan her." Another Sentinel raised a hand to her temple.
    "She's a booster, sir. Likely to become a good one. May I suggest recruiting? Sangretto poses no real threat or tactical position." Hex nodded.
    "Alright, little booster girl. Here's a deal for you. You come with us or we kill your uncle here. And then the city."
    "Jessica, don't do it!" Marco had propped himself up, still tearing and gritting his teeth. "They're just going to use you until you break!"
    "Maranda, shut him up. Non-lethally." She nodded and looked at Marco. He collapsed. "Now, booster girl, what's your answer?" Jessica looked at the unconscious forms of Ace, Marco, Dunkirk, and the others.
    "I'll do it."