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Chapter 14 - Race to Earn Respect

Chapter 14 – Race to Earn Respect

Combat arena, Vertigo Town
Arlington County, VA
Thursday, April 30, 2076
06:43 EST GMT-5

The sun had just come up, at the crack of dawn. And here we were preparing to take part in the big race. It was no sooner that I arrived at the combat arena, where I saw it had turned into a racing stadium, with a large racetrack, full of ramps and bottomless pits. I then saw our racing vehicles, which were one-seated motorcycle-like pods, hovering above the ground.

"Wow!" exclaimed me.

"You like the new rides? I see!" said Ferreira. "These babies go up to a good two hundred miles per hour, but only on auto-drive. You'll be driving up to only one hundred and ten, but you'll need that speed, essentially to beat us. Here's the rules. Take whatever turbo boost you can, pulling off stunts in the air, also can give turbo. Hit the trigger to blaze past your opposing racers. Stay clear of the bottomless pits. Three laps, you must win first place. Not only will you earn a gold trophy, but you'll earn our respect and a new car, for me. Oh, and don't worry about the bottomless pits. If you fall off, you will teleport and reappear behind the other racers."

"I'm ready!" said myself, in joy and energy.

"Alright then, go take your position." Ferreira instructed.

"You can do it, Austin!" shouted Aurora.

"Of course, my lovely cheerleader." I said to myself.

It is a fact that she was a cheerleader in high school. How did we meet? Well, I enlisted in 2028, as soon as I finished two years of college. I then met her upon graduating with my degree. We met at the U.S. Space Force recruiting center, and turns out I was working there, when she filled an application to enlist. I also was going through rigorous training to become a commissioned officer.

"Alright, racers!" said the announcer on the speaker. "Winner takes home the trophy, and everyone's respect. It is also worth mentioning, if the winner completes the race in less than five minutes, they also receive a cash prize of five thousand foxcoins."

I then got my engines ready, and boosters online. I was placed last behind five other racers.

"On your marks! Get set! DRIVE!" shouted the announcer.

Then I accelerated. Wow, this thing was going super-fast. I kept driving, pulling off stunts in the air when I could, saw my turbo levels going up, as well as collecting the holographic turbo tokens. The race was on in full swing. I kept at my best to dodge any other racers, or any bottomless pits. Even if it didn't kill us, but we'd respawn to last place, making it only difficult to reach back to first place.

"FINAL LAP!" I heard the announcer calling for each racer.

I was already moved up into second place, and then finally I pulled off some rolls and flips in the air. My turbo meter maxed out, and then finally I saw it, about half a mile ahead. The green checkpoint hologram changed into a checked flag hologram, signifying the finish line. I then saw him, the racer ahead of me. It was Ferreira. I took no chance, nor did I stop to think. I hit the buttons, and the pod began to fly like a rocket towards the end. I saw the speed exceeding one hundred and thirty miles per hour. As soon as I saw the finish line in front of me, I eased off on the boosters and then heard the victory horns. I did it, in the first place!

"And the winner of this division is Aaron 'Ace' Moore!" shouted the announcer on the speaker.

Everyone in the audience applauded. Then I saw the podium hovering in the stadium, with Sheriff Ross and Wheeler, along with Shelley. Apparently, she was also invited to view the race by the mayor himself.

"You've made it this far! Congratulations." Wheeler said.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"These bikers who were at Shelley's Bar, were none other than my hired actors." Wheeler said, "This was another test. To trust those willing to help. And you passed!"

"He did a good job, Dad!" said Shelley.

"Dad?" I was confused.

"Yes, Mayor Wheeler is my father." Shelley confirmed this. "Ever since my mother died, he's been the only one for me."

"You've done a good job, Ace!" said Wheeler. "Stop by at my office, later at noon. I have another job for you!"