Life At The Top (A KSP Racing Novel) (Chapter 42)

[Mukita12]

I think we Need some Picture for ilustration like the Sport intro and The Race Start Opening logo like f1 and yes some logo

[DarkOwl57]

On 12/9/2017 at 12:00 AM, Mukita12 said:

I think we Need some Picture for ilustration like the Sport intro and The Race Start Opening logo like f1 and yes some logo

I'm working on some certain things (Cars, team members, certain vehicles), and I think that over Christmas will be the first instance of picture chapters in LATT.

Anyways, now Chapter 8. Wanna guess how long this chapter is? Wanna guess? 3,696 words. Three-Thousand, Six-Hundred, Ninety Six words. That's how you know if you've got way too much free time on your hands. *sigh* Anyways, let's begin. Oh god this chapter is going to be horrible to format Enjoy!!!

 

 

Chapter 8: Wild Weather and Wild(er) Teams

2 Weeks Later. Round 2 of 8: Port Vargo, Tekkia

    “What’s going to happen with the weather?” A reporter asked me. I gritted my teeth and resisted saying “Oh, gee, get your phone out and CHECK!”, thinking that would put a slight damper on my reputation of being an open, reporter-friendly guy to be around. “We don’t really know,” I replied, telling the truth. “If our reports are correct, the rain could hit anywhere from 20 minutes ago to next week. The RADAR's not really telling the guys back in River City what’s happening, so we really can’t get accurate readings. My personal guess would be anywhere from the 25% mark all the way out to after the race. All depends on the wind, though.” The reporter thanked me, and I went on my way.
    Port Vargo, Tekkia is pretty close to the equator. It’s normally pretty warm, but the coastal winds tended to dial down the heat factor a tad. The nice, salty fresh spray getting blown in tended to make things bearable, as opposed to say…. The Temple, where it felt like your face was melting. Today though, the weather was freakishly cold.
    The wind was still here, but dark grey clouds had rolled in before Practice 1 started, and they’d stayed. They completely blanked out the sun, and it was so dark that the officials were considering turning on the lights for the second half of the race. I looked out at the ocean, which was looking choppier by the minute. In the skies, it was clouds as far as the eye could see. I saw some rain bands way off in the distance, where the clouds were even darker. Through the clouds, I saw some flashes of lightning waaaaaaaaaaaaay off.
    “Might want to get ready,” Andy put his hand on my shoulder as he walked up, scaring the living daylights out of me. I stifled a yelp, and turned to him. “Yeah.. Yeah, I guess.” I started walking, and I heard some thunder way off. Uh oh…

———

    I hit the gas again and felt the rears skitter a bit as I launched out of Turn 14 on the formation lap. The clouds looked more and more dicy as the time went on, and I knew everyone else was equally nervous. Before I’d set off, I had seen at least 5 drivers and a massive amount of crew members staring up into the clouds. The crowd cheered me on, and I responded by wiggling the rear for them. Then, we went down the backstraight.
    I went into the final corner, and I saw a bright flashing off in the distance. Was it getting closer? The final cars slotted into the grid space, and I got ready.
    One Light turned on. No pressure.
    Two. Just a normal day at the office.
    Three. It’s just a bit cold, that’s all.
    Four. Why are you worrying about this?
    Five. OH CRAP! THE RACE!!!
    I had forgotten to get Rich revs ready, and as soon as the lights went out I was a sitting duck on the grid. Max, Sammy, Lolli, and Nico all blasted past me on the grid before I had gotten up to speed. I had gone from 1st to 5th in the space of 100 feet! I shook my head and beard down, preparing to enter the corners. I went into Turn 1, and slid past Nico, who had to brake from Lolli slamming on the brakes ahead.
    Then into Turn 2, I had caught up to the tail end of Lolli, but she was just able to keep me from slipping around on the outside. The cars snaked through Turns 3 and 4, but now we were onto the backstraight. I blasted past Lolli with ease, and Nico followed me past. Into the 6/7 chicane, I held back and a large chunk of debris flew across the track. I shot down to the inside of the track to avoid it, but I heard a loud crack as the right side of my wing clouted the thing. In 8, Sammy went way wide, and I took the advantage- slipping up the inside to P2. Max was already way ahead, and by Turn 9 he was almost a full second ahead.
    “Come on….” I weaved the car through the City Section, and through 14, disaster struck Max. When I went through the turn, I saw a huge streak of smoke, dirt and grass flying across the track. Max had spun out and had clear cut the track, and he was facing backwards in Turn 15. From my angle, I saw chunks of rubber strewn across the outside portion of the braking zone, and Max’s right rear tire was in pieces. I easily went past, and as I clipped the apex for 14 I got rewarded with a mud clod to the face visor. Still turning at about 70 miles an hour, I ripped the tear-off from the visor and threw it out the side area of the cockpit.
    Now, I was clear ahead with nothing to stop me from taking this easy win. Onto Lap 5, I saw a droplet smash into my visor. Wtheck? I went through the city section, and there it was again- another splash. Then another. “It’s sprinkling in Sector 2,” I radioed in, letting the team know. Entering Turn 16, it happened again! By the time I was out of Turn 19, it was a steady rain. Still not bad enough for any stoppage, though. “Is the grip bad?” Andy asked. “It’s fine for now, but the slicks are going to go off in a bit. When do you think we should get the wets?”
    “I’d say in about 2, maybe 3 laps. I don’t think it’s wet enough for the full wets though- maybe Inters?” As soon as he said that, I had a heart-attack moment out of Turn 3. The car lost all grip through the corner, and I sawed the wheel to regain control. I managed to hold onto it, thou only just.
    “Boxing this lap,” I said quickly. As soon as I turned in for 4, the car again lost it, but this time I couldn’t save it. The car spun around once, twice, and then a third time, before it half-spun into the runoff road’s grass patch. The car rumbled over the grass with a monstrously loud BUMPBUMPBUMPBUMP, before it slid to a stop on the actual access road. Even though I was running slick tires, water splashed up into the cockpit. GOOD GRAVY THAT’S COLD! My leg shouted at me as I got back onto the track. That lap was utter torture, and I had only completed 4 corners. I got back onto the racing line, and in my mirror I saw a flash of orange. Nico had done the same thing I had- backing into the Turn 4 runoff road at huge speed. I tried not to laugh, realizing that I too had looked that stupid about 10 seconds ago. I cautiously turned into Turn 5- going about 20 miles per hour slower than I would have, when my steering wheel lights turned scarlet red. Well then…
    “Alright Jeb, Red Flag. Field is frozen; come into the pits. Please don’t tear up the car on the way in.” I pulled off to the right side of the road and turned off Rich Revs; instead opting for Ultra-Lean, a mixture which used about 1/8th of the torque of Standard Revs. Nico was right behind me, and his car looked muddier than a pig exiting 5. 
    After much cursing, sliding, and going around the track at almost 25 miles per hour, I finally slid my way into the pit lane. The team had an umbrella set up for me, and I got out as they lifted the car up onto a jack. I hopped off of the car, took the umbrella, and walked back along the lane to talk with Nico.
    “4’s a right B Wort, eh?” Nico asked as he too got out. “Yeah, I-“ I tried to reply, before I busted out laughing. “Was?” Nico asked, before I pointed at his car’s rear. “Look at your car!” He went to the back and shouted, “WAS IN DER WELT GESCHIEHT ZU MEINEM AUTO?!?!?!?!?!?!” And he put his hands on his head in shock. His once bright-orange, juice-sponsored Flavormobile (As we all joked with him about) was covered in a hideous brown smear covering the bottom half of the car. I was bent over laughing, trying to catch my breath. Then, he pointed at my car, and started laughing. 
    I turned and saw my once beautiful matte-finished Blue and White speed demon was covered in ugly dark brown streaks all over the rear, front, and sides of the entire surface. “What the cr-“ I was interrupted by a slow noise coming over the intercom. It sounded a bit too quiet to be the intercom though.. I turned around and saw Max holding one of those portable speakers, which he set on the ground. “Come on, Jeb!” He challenged me. “Dance-off!” By now all the crews were out in the pit lane, and were watching. I popped my collar out and walked over, making the OTech crew guys cheer for me.
    Immediately I twisted down and planted my hand and spun around on it. I stayed like that for a while- transferring the weight between my left and right hand. Finally, I pushed off my hands and braced my feet below. I leaped up, and the team cheered me on.
    Max was about to go, but then Lolli put her hand on Max’s chest and nodded, as if to say “Hang on- I got this.” She took Max’s phone and played some different music. The music felt really happy- I’d guess Kirish, maybe Keltic. We all clapped in time to the beat, and then she smiled. Lolli clapped twice, in time to the music, and she began hopping around. I looked down at her feet, and they were a bouncing flurry of clicks and clacks. She went on for a couple minutes, before finally stopping. She was panting for air, and gave a curtsy. We all cheered and clapped, and she gave one final bow before joining everyone else on the side. Max shook his head, and stepped out of the ring. Everyone cheered, and I held Lolli’s fist up- like those wrestlers on TV.
    “The Winner!” I shouted, and the entire Redwind Team clapped and applauded. Max fiddled with his phone, and played some slow music. “Pick a partner!” He shouted. Suddenly, I swear to you, Alexis just materialized right next to me. She tapped my shoulder, and I smiled. “May I have this dance?” I asked. Alexis extended her hand. “Of course,” She said. I took her hand and we led ourselves to the center. It was a nice slow dance- a waltz by the sound of it. We spun and danced around, and the other crews were also dancing around. Finally, the song ended, and my face was literally like an inch from Alexis’s. Some rain hit down on us, but I didn’t notice it. I felt an electric feeling in the air, and a huge, crackling boom, and a brilliant flash of light blinded me for a brief second. The boom almost deafened me as it crackled and rumbled. As soon as the light stopped, a huge crack split the air, and everyone dove to the ground. Just about 500 feet in front of me, a lightning rod sparked, and a couple bricks fell off of the roof of an apartment building across the road.
    “Whooooaaahhhohoho!!!!” I said, staring at the building. We split apart in surprise, and a couple people slowly got up. “That was close!” Max shouted as we started running to cover. “Too close,” Alexis agreed. “Who’s up for a round of Kadden?” I asked. Immediately, at least 15 hands shot up. At least we’d have something to do.

2 Hours into the Rain Delay

    “Third down and a mile,” The commentator said. “Fans” cheered through the speakers, and I looked up. They were jumping and waving their arms in a looped animation. “Defense looking for one last stop here.” I selected the play. “Looking to avoid a 4th down after that incomplete pass.” The offense lined up. “No chance,” Andy smirked from behind me. “It’s all over,” Alexis agreed. “Might as well throw the game.” I was down by 4 points with 40 seconds left on the clock. I was 43 yard line, and I had made a couple stupid mistakes. Now it was all or nothing.
    “READY!” The quarterback- Dak Kerman shouted. “BLUE! BLUE 43, BLUE 43! SEEEEETT… HIKE!” The ball was snapped, and Dak caught it. He looked. Throw Fake. Then, I saw a wide-open hole on the left- right between the tackle and guard. I jammed Right Trigger, and Dak sprinted through the pocket. First down was at the 26. He sprinted through, and went straight along the right sideline. “No!” Max shouted, switching characters to get Dak. He kept on running. A Corner was coming up on me. I waited until the last moment, and juked left, sending Max’s character shooting past me. I grinned. 20! 15! 10! 5! TOUCH-
    A linebacker flew out of nowhere and slammed into Dak at maximum velocity, and he went flying out of bounds. “GAH DANGIT!” I shouted, throwing the controller down on the couch. I called a timeout with 1 second left on the game clock. “Haha!!” Max cheered. “1st and Goal from the 1!” I shook my head and gritted my teeth. I selected the play- a pass fake. “1st down and goal, one play left in this drive,” The commentator said as the team lined up.
    “RED 29! RED 29! SET.. HUT! HIKE!” The ball was snapped and the receivers scrambled. My running back went out wide and I tossed it to him. “Come on…” He faced one defender, and lined up. The corner was short, and I jumped right over him, right into the endzone. “TOUCHDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWNNNNN!!!!!” I shouted, leaping up and dancing around. “Cowkerbs 29, Eagles 27!!!” I got the snap and expertly put the kick through the uprights, and the game ended; Cowkerbs 30, Eagles 27.
    “Good game,” Max said, getting up as I celebrated. “Ah, yeah, good game man,” I said as rain continued to fall on the home. I looked outside and saw the rain slightly slowing down. Maybe we’d get to race soon.

3 Hours into the Rain Delay

    “Attention,” An announcement said over the PA system as we did Kerbal Bowling. “The race will be resumed in 30 minutes. The race will be resumed in 30 minutes.” Everyone cheered, and got back into formation. “Ready?” I asked the 10 kerbals about 50 feet away from me. “Ready!” Another shouted. I curled up into a ball and Max ran up behind me. He made a motion like he was rolling a bowling ball, and I began rolling forward. I went straight to the middle of the group of 10, and they all fell to the ground, acting like bowling pins.
    “Heeeeey!” Max cheered as he ran over to congratulate me. “The bowling king!” I gave Max a high five and slapped him on the back. “Now let’s go finish this race.”

About 40 minutes later…

    The water splashed up from the Safety Car’s rear wheels as we went through Turn 17. The car felt confident on the Full Wet tires, and I weaved through the city streets as I warmed up for the restart. By now the storm had kind of stopped. Rain still fell down onto the track and wind still blew through the canyons of skyscrapers, but it wasn’t bad enough to warrant a red flag. The car’s shadow repeated over and over again as it went past the spotlights- the sky so dark we couldn’t see anything without them. I slowed the pack down and watched the car retreat off down the long Turn 18-19 stretch, and it turned right off the track about 10 seconds later. The engine quietly hummed, waiting to be unleashed. I warmed it up, and looked at the light boards next to the track. A green light flashed, telling me it was okay to go. I held back just a bit, and kept the field backed up. Then, on exit of Turn 19, I unleashed. Full throttle, Rich Revs, EPB- all going as I shot out of the corner. I flung forward and left everyone else struggling through the corner- trying to figure out how to get up to speed. I slowed easy into Turn 20, and then blasted through the 21/22 chicane.
    On lap 18, I pulled into the pits. The rain reflected the bright lights, and I watched as the car got partially refueled. The jack dropped and I powered out of the pit stall with ease. Re-entering the track was… weird. Port Vargo’s got an interesting pit lane, where you make a 90 degree turn into the pit lane, and go around a building. Then, you exit out of that area, and make another 90 degree turn. It’s all really confusing, but with practice I was able to make it work kind of okay. Now, I had a smooth open gap to extend. The rain had all-but stopped now, and the “Rooster Tail” formed by the tires and the aerodynamics was slowly going away. However, the car still had a lot of grip. On lap 23 the car had it’s first little oversteer moment- the rear slipping just a bit when I tried to flat-line Turn 20. It didn’t matter though, and I muscled my way out of it. And, because I'm feeling generous, I’m going to give you a track lap, describing what a lap around Port Vargo, Tekkia looks like.
    It’s a really short front straight- about 5 or 6 hundred meters. The actual finish line is halfway between the chicane, but we still call it Turn 22. Into Turn 1, brake nice and late into the corner. You’ve got to be really confident going in, because the corner tightens up immensely through the braking zone. Turn 1 itself is wide. It’s a long, sweeping turn that has a lot of grip. On the exit, hold as right as possible. Of course you want to carry over the momentum from mid-corner, but you’ve got to set yourself up for Turn 2. Turn 2 is tighter than 1. Grass on the inside and the outside mean that you’ve got to slow down for the corner. If you are unfortunate enough to hit the grass or curbing, you could end up spinning off into the wall or the outside grass. Turn 3 is a lot like Turn 1. Make sure not to get too greedy with the curbing, though, as clipping just a bit too much could snap off your Right Front. 4 is eerily similar to 2. Ultra tight entry and exit are compounded by a simple grassy runoff (The same place I spun out earlier). Then you head down a moderately long straight, which is surrounded by buildings that echo the car noises around. Then, you head into Turn 5. A scarily tight corner, 5 is a straight 90. Run too far inside and you’ll hit a building. Run too far outside and you’ll get eaten by a sand trap, which is naturally formed by the desert. The second-longest straight on the track is between 5 and 6. It’s fairly open, but the desert's sand trap can cause troubles if you spin.
    Now the 6/7 Chicane. Try to be moderate with the curbing- too much and you’ll either spin or at least get up on 2 wheels. Next you head through Turn 8. A 90 degree right-hander takes you around the “Frying Pan” of the track. Then you’re into 9, which is just like 8- a tight 90 degree righty.
    10 and 11 is a double-apex turn that starts the City Section. The corner drastically tightens up through Turn 11, and has little room for a runoff. Turn 12 is the start of the “Official” City Section, which is almost a carbon-copy of the KSC’s R&D section. A short straight takes you under a bridge, and then it’s onto 13 and 14. 13 starts out ultra wide, but drastically closes up in 14- a left-handed hairpin. 15 is right after 14, and you should try to straight-line the two corners as best you can. 15 is another tight turn, and then you head into the almost straight Turn 16.
    Turn 17 starts the Uber-fast final few turns. 17 is a tight right-hander, with a slight grass runoff to the side. Then you go onto another medium-length straight, and go into 18. Turn 18 is a hard left-hander that will absolutely eat your lunch if you aren’t careful. You go down the longest straight on the circuit. The straight is surrounded by buildings on either side, and the noise is incredible. Turn 19 is a massive long sweeper, which you can try to take flat-out if you’re feeling like it. Next is Turn 20. The straight for Turn 20 is really thin, so you’re going from almost 75 meters per second down to almost 35. Then it’s the Chicane. The two are incredibly fast, and it’s pretty normal to see drivers take it flat-out.
    I blasted out of 22 and punched my fist up into the air. “WOOOHHHOOOOOOOO!!!” I shouted as I passed the flag stand. Some flares popped up into the air, and I weaved down the straight as the team cheered me on. “Get in!!” Andy exclaimed. “Excellent job, mate- absolute masterclass.” I went into Turn 2 and did some celebratory doughnuts on the outside portion of the track. Definitely an improvement over last year.

[DarkOwl57]

[I dun goofed] Enjoy Chapter 9 (And 9.5)!

 

Chapter 9: Going Up

2 Weeks Later. Round 3 of 8: JSP, Grestin (New Grestin States)

    “Yeah!” I shouted as I ran up onto the podium. It was my third win on the season, and I had won it in dominant fashion- leading to the tune of almost 30 seconds. Max and Nico joined me up on the podium, and the crew clapped below me. The Owlian National Anthem (Hail to Owlia- a really happy and inspiring piece. Except for that little bit where it says people are going to die for their country) played over the speakers, and I sang along to it. When it ended, I grabbed the champagne at my feet and popped the cork open.
    Bubbly liquid sprayed out of the bottle, and confetti fell down. I aimed at Max, and he caught it right in the ear. Responding like any normal kerbal would to getting shot in the ear with a cold liquid substance, and he bent his neck to cover the ear before turning and aiming it at me. I laughed as the champagne slowly trickled out of the bottle, and decided to do what I’d never really done before.
    “Bottoms up!” I said as I tilted the really over-sized bottle up. I gagged as the remaining bit of the drink flooded into my mouth, and took a breather. It stung my tongue a bit, and almost instantly I felt a little woozy. “Ghack!” I coughed, sitting back down on the podium. “It gets better,” Max said as he downed the rest of his bottle. “Yeah, it’s kind of an acquired taste,” Nico agreed. Then, he had a kind of Ah ha! Moment, and got a bottle of water. “Drink up,” He said, tossing me the bottle. “Why?” I asked, nervously taking it. “It’ll really reduce the headache on the flight back,” Max said. I shrugged and got the bottle, drinking it dry. However, for some reason my mouth was insanely dry. I took my champagne bottle and drank some more. Kind of better, now, I thought to myself as the trophies were handed out to us. Still makes me feel awful… Right then, I felt like puking. The post-race interviews flew by, and after what felt like just a couple seconds, I was already in the car, heading to the airport. And that’s when, in all my glory, I passed out right there in the back seat.

—————

    “Holy krap,” I groaned as the plane flew thousands of feet above the ground. My vision was all swimmy, my head felt like someone was shoving a railroad spike into it, and it sounded like the plane was getting echoed through a PA system that was shoved up against my ears. So this is a hangover, I thought as I lifted off a cool wet rag from my forehead. Note to self: No celebrations. 
    “How long was I out?” The setting sun I supposed looked beautiful, but right now it gave me a splitting headache. “Well, I’d say… about 45 minutes?” Andy said. He looked over at Alexis for conformation, and she nodded. What really caught my eye… Wait.. Was she blushing? “You were out of it from the second we took off. In the car on the way here, though, you were-“ He was interrupted by Alexis, who coughed loudly. “Excuse me,” She said, getting up and walking back to the rear of the plane. Andy smirked. “Well, on the ride over here, you were saying how you were the almighty, unbeatable Jeb, and you could vanquish any creature in the universe.” I leaned my head back and groaned. “So that’s what Alexi-“ I started to ask, before Andy interrupted with “Nonononono. She left because…. uh… weeeeeeeellll…..” He scoffed. “You kissed her. Right there in the car.” I groaned louder and punched the seat. “As in like… On the lips?? Are you kidding me?!” I asked in a half-scream, thoroughly peeving off my headache. “Nope,” Andy smiled. “You actually did kind of good. You seemed to be enjoying it at least.” I made a step towards him menacingly, and he chuckled.
    “You’re a kid,” I muttered, making him chuckle again. He was never going to live this down, was he?”

8:05am, 2 Days Later… OTechGP Headquarters; River City, Owlia

    “Yeah Paddy?” I asked as Alexis, Andy, and I walked in. “Ah, Jeb, please, sit down.” He stood up and gave me a handshake. He looked nervous. “Some Kinness?” He asked, before all 3 of us shouted “NO!” At the same time. He shrugged and sat down at his chair. “So, Jeb, are you happy?” Uh oh… I thought. “Uh.. Yeah. I’ve got a great team behind me, and I feel like I’m really being able to hone my skills. I’ve really had fun with the team so far this season.” He sighed sadly, and I noticed that there was an official-looking paper folder on his desk. “It has been a good half of the season, huh?” He asked solemnly, looking like he was about to cry. Then, he stood up.
    “I think that you’ll have a great second part of the season, Jeb,” He said, looking out the window. “However, the team.. Not so much.” My heart rate jacked up about 5 notches. There’s no way I’m getting fired… I wasn’t going down without a fight. I clenched my fists and my muscles tensed up. I wasn’t getting fired 2 times in 2 years at the age of only 19. No way. “Wh.. What do you mean?” I asked. Paddy sighed and handed me the folder. 
    “You’ve been called back up.” There was stunned silence. No. Way. “What?” I asked. “The call came in yesterday. They want you back in River City, first thing tomorrow.” No. Way. “I- Is this a joke?!” I asked as I flung open the folder. There, I saw the OTech logo. “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” I screamed to no one, leaping up into the air. Alexis and Andy looked at the paper themselves as I jumped around screaming like a lunatic. “Oh my god…” Alexis muttered as she read it. “OHMYGOD, JEB!!” She jumped up and ran over to me, hugging me so tight I couldn’t hardly breathe. Andy ran over and almost tackled us, and we all laughed. Then, I saw Paddy, watching us sadly from his chair. While the other two celebrated, I walked over to him. For some reason, tears welled up as I walked.
    “I’m really going to miss this place,” I said as I gave Paddy a handshake. “Yeah,” He choked, looking like he was about to cry. His accent, which was usually happy as a bird, sounded soft and sad. “So many memories,” I whispered. Paddy stood up and gave me a big hug. “I’m gonna miss you,” Paddy sighed. “Same here buddy,” I said as I took the contract. “Don’t worry, though.” I closed the folder and smiled. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”

Chapter 9.5: Downfall

7:50am; 15 minutes ago. OTech Race Team HQ; River City, Owlia

    “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Ricklen roared with rage as he stood up, knocking over his chair flat onto its back. “THIS IS BULL!” Matty sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Sit down, Ri-“ He was interrupted by a defiant, “NO! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HE-“ Matty inhaled angrily, stormed up to a standing position and towered over the 18-year-old. “SIT DOWN!” He shouted, his eyes blazing with fury and making Ricklen almost trip over himself trying to right the chair and sit back down in it. Matty sighed and sat back down.
    “Now. You’re moving down to Formula. When you came into this program, do you remember what the expectations were?” Matty dug around in his desk as Ricklen answered, “To live up to the OTech name and continue the winning legacy. To do my best both out on the track and out in society.” Matty finally pulled out the paper he was looking for, and emerged with a nasty smirk. “Exactly. Now, let’s look at your form.”
    “Last season, you were projected to finish at least 6th in the drivers standings with over 100 points, and get at least 1 win. You were expected to keep a clean record on track, and to help your teammate both on-track and in the factory. You were expected to do what others have been able to do for their entire lives. Instead..” He looked at the paper. “You finished 9th in the standings, an average finishing position of a dismal 12th, you got only 23 points, and have led a horrible life off the track. You crashed Phil out 3 times last season, and drove OTech to lose the Constructors by 48 points.” Ricklen opened his mouth to protest, but Matty held up a finger for silence. “Then, this season, you’ve had an average finishing position of 17th, you’ve scored 0 points, and you were Black-Flagged in Tekkia!
    “We’ve given you chance after chance, and we’ve given it to you again!” Matty cried out, getting up. He closed his eyes and mentally counted to 10 before sitting back down. “I’m sorry. But we’ve got to let you go.” Ricklen clasped his hands together. “Please. One more chance. I’ll do anything. I promise, I’ll do everything you need me to do. Just one more chance.” Matty sighed and shook his head. “Your history with OTech Race Team is finished.” He sat down sadly. “You have until tomorrow to get all your things packed up.” Matty motioned to Claire. “Could you get him out of here?” He asked. Claire, looking furious, nodded. “PLEASE!!!” Ricklen shouted as he was shoved out through the hall. “I CAN’T BE DEMOTED!!!” The door closed loudly, and Matty sighed. “Oh, but you can…”

—

    “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT,” Ricklen steamed as they walked out of the office. Claire looked at him and tried to keep his temper in check. “Oh?” She asked, balling up her fists as rage built. “Yeah. If you could just get a setup right for once in your life, maybe I’d win a few-“ He was cut off by Claire grabbing his collar and slamming him against a wall. “Meep,” He squeaked as Clair got up in his face.
    “I AM SICK, AND TIRED OF YOUR LITTLE WHINING ATTITUDE! I HAVE DONE EXACTLY WHAT YOU’VE ASKED ME TO DO, I’VE STUCK BY YOU, AND I’VE BEEN THE ONE KEEPING YOU IN A SEAT FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE! I AM TIRED OF YOUR CONSTANT ABUSE NOT JUST TO ME, BUT ALSO TO THE TEAM!” She dropped him and he crumpled to the ground. “I quit.” She started walking off. “Huh. I really need y- I mean, SERVES YA RIGHT!” Immediately, Claire stormed over, got back in Ricklen’s face, and slapped him so hard he spun around a couple of times. Then, she lifted her knee up and it went straight between Ricklen’s legs at terminal velocity. “Ow,” He squeaked in a tone that was about 3 octaves above his normal speaking voice as he fell to the ground.

8:30 am- The Next Day. OTech Race Team Headquarters; River City, Owlia

    I whistled as I opened up the door to the main building. It looked just like I remembered it, with pure white marble, blue and white walls, and glass sculptures in the main foyer. “Honey,” I whispered. “I’m home.” We (Me, Alexis, and Andy- the Terrific Trio) went up the elevator to our new offices. We stopped by Andy’s first, and I was shocked. We had our own floor. As in, there was the bottom floor, the middle floor, and the top floor. I had my own floor. Andy’s office was filled with computers, a huge marker board, and a massive bay window that looked out over the North River and the Test Track. “Holy mother…” Andy whispered, setting his bags down in surprise. “Look at this!” He shouted, running around the office like a kid on Khristmas Morning. “All this data.. All this stuff!” He ran around the whole room, desperate to check everything out. “We could get so much data from this! I-…” He turned and looked at Alexis and I, a bit embarrassed. “Could.. Could I have a minute?” He asked quietly. I laughed. “Sure, buddy.” Alexis and I walked out and over to Alexis’s new office.
    Her office was just a little bit larger, and was beautifully lit. Another massive window illuminated everything in the room. There was a nice little sitting area, a tiny counter with a coffee machine, and her desk had a modern phone, the latest computer, and it was all laid out in a perfectly organized system. “Oh. My. God. This is unbelievable!! Look at this space!! And the lounge! Andthedeskandthechairandthewindowandthebalconyandthecoffeemachineand-“ I carefully walked out and quietly closed the door behind myself, walking out to my new office. Down the hall aways, the hallway ended, and there was a single door. A corner office…
    I carefully opened up the door, and peeked in. There was a massive window, which illuminated the entire office regardless of the light switch. Lights ringed the upper outside part of the wall- It’s called trim, my editor tells me- and the floor was a brilliant marble tile. I had a great couch, with a flatscreen that was at least a 50 inch. On my desk, there was a large computer, and next to the computer there was a laptop that glowed blue. I saw the ITech logo on the back, and I smiled. I got my bag (Filled with my 2034 Formula K trophy, all my race winners trophies (Including my seconds and thirds), my helmet, and my lucky gloves), and stepped in. As soon as my right foot entered the room, I saw a kerbal pop up from behind the desk. His hair was a mess, he looked slightly crazy, there were coffee stains on his shirt, and there was a red mark that looked suspiciously like a hand on his left cheek. I tried to keep from laughing as I waved.
    “I can see why you liked it so much,” I said, ignoring the fact that he was probably not all that sane. “Beautiful view.” I could see out at the parking lot and over towards Greater Baskay Bay. If I squinted, I could just barely see the plains of Baskay Island. Some coastal towns below bustled with life. “What are you doing here?” Ricklen asked, sounding both angry and terrified at the same time. “Didn’t they tell you?” I asked, setting my helmet on the stand. “This is my office now!” He made a quiet, squeaking whimper that sounded like a squeaky toy getting run over by a dump truck. “Y-…. You?!” He whispered. I nodded, and extended my hand for a shake.
    “Better kerb won?” I asked, just like he had a year and a half ago. His eyes bugged out to the size of about a dinner plate, and he stormed out of the room. I held my arm out for another second, before running over to the couch and falling down on it. Oh yeah, I thought to myself. This is the life!
 

…

    I laid down on the couch and sighed. Then, a knock sounded at the door. “Anyone in here?” A familiar muffled voice asked from behind the door. “Shoot.” I leaped up and sprinted to my desk, attempting to look like I was doing something. As soon as I sat down, I opened up my laptop and called out, “Come in!” The door opened and I inhaled.
    “Hey, kiddo,” Phil Kerman, 4-time K1 World Champion, #1 OTech Driver, said as he walked in. He was wearing a zip-up jacket and some jeans, boots, and a massive cowboy hat. I was his biggest fan when I was like 13. “Oh…. Uh….. Hi there Mister Ph-“ I started, before he waved his hand. “Just Phil. No ‘Mister’ for me,” He said. “Oh, okay..” There was an awkward silence, before I said, “I’m sorry, but I’m a massive fan.” He smiled.
    “I remember the time I was watching you on TV when I was in like the 7th grade. KSC, 2029. You-“ I stopped as he put a hand over his heart and groaned. “Trying to make me feel old?” He joked. I laughed, and he smiled warmly- like a father. “Just wanted to check in on you,” He said as he left the office. “I know you’re going to do amazing in K1.” He closed the door, and I fell back into my chair.

Edited December 15, 2017 by DarkOwl57
For some reason, I thought Chapter 9 was 10..... *Facepalm*

[DarkOwl57]

I've been kind of pumping out chapters here, huh? Well, Christmas break is coming up soon, so for better or worse, that's gonna slow down a bit I might get some picture chapters in here though! People are going to ask: What race did you use for inspiration? Weeeeeellll... Spain, 2016. The first race of Max Verstappen. Also, try to find the F1 quote in the story. (Bonus points if you know what race the quote is from ) Enjoy!

 

Chapter 10: Top of the World

11:00AM, 3 Weeks Later. Round 4 of 10: Owlian Grand National Raceway (Owlia)

    I watched as 3 KSC F/A-18’s blasted overhead. The fans roared their approval, and some flares shot up into the air. The show in K1 was so much bigger than it was in Formula, and it seemed like you couldn’t move without someone taking your photo. It was the true underdog story: the little 19-year-old kid, demoted to Formula and in to pair the senior driver, a 4-time champion. The reporters were falling over themselves to interview me, and I just kept on giving the answers. Now, I walked to my car. I was lined up 3rd on the grid, behind Phil and Danny. I strapped into the car and felt the wheel. There was a lot more buttons and dials and switches on the wheel, and instead of being behind the wheel, the tach was now on the wheel. The 3F engine was humming behind me, and the top half of the mirrors was obscured by the huge rear wing.
    “Alright Jeb, first race. Remember, don’t be aggressive. We don’t want to wreck out on the opening lap.” I nodded and gave Andy a thumbs-up. The team took the tire blankets off the car, and I felt the car set down. The suspension resisted just a bit, and the fifth red light turned on. Then, the inner two lights switched to green, and we set off on the formation lap.
    I went into the first two corners and weaved around. The sky was perfectly clear, the fans had sold out the grandstands, and I saw at least 4 or 5 fans waving poster boards cheering me on. I went into the S section of Turns 5 and 6, and I felt the car hold the grip perfectly. I rumbled over the curbing and emerged at the top of the hill. I heard a rumbling, and turned the engine down. It was singing.
    I looked out over to the fans, who were waving their hands in time to the music, which was being pumped out through the massive speakers. I smiled and started singing along as I went down the outer straight. “Heeeeey, oh, heyoo. Hooooo, oh ehoooo!” I joined, moving my hand to the music as well. The fans loved it. I think I could get used to this.

—

    One light came on, and the engines fired to life.
    Two. I. Am. Speed.
    Three. You’ve got this.
    Four. The engines screamed.
    Five. Let’s do this!
    The lights went out and I was crushed against my seat by almost 3 G’s of force as the car got off the line. WHOAH! My nerves exclaimed as I accelerated past 60 miles per hour like it was nothing. It was a long run into Turn 1, and I managed to fly past Danny long before the braking boards showed up. I peeked down to the inside, but I went back up, holding position behind Phil through Turns 1 and 2. The engine was so powerful that I was a bit quick in getting back on the gas, and that really messed up my momentum through Turn 2. I jammed the gas out of the exit, but Phil had gotten a good gap out- about half a second.
    Quick word on the cars. They’re super different from the Formulas. Difference One: The engine. In Formula, OTech had a E6-2F engine. 6 Batteries, 2 Engine units that produced around 40 kN of thrust, not including the EPB. In K1, OTech has an E8-3F engine. 8 Batteries, 3 Engine units producing up to 60kN, depending on the altitude of the track (Tracks like Eradica and Halco, which was farther north, would result in less engine power, while tracks like Port Vargo, the KSC, and other low altitude tracks would mean more power). Second is the size. In K1, the cars are much wider. Also, the rear wings are much lower- almost half a meter depending on the team. In Formula, teams ran with the pillars going straight up into the air- vertical. This resulted in a lot less wake coming off the car in front, allowing for better chasing, a bit more grip at the rear, and lower speeds. In K1, the rear wing is drastically lowered, and there are a lot more aero bits on the rear, allowing for more grip. Third is that at the front of the car, K1 cars have 2 front wings. In Formula, you were limited to only the bottom deck wing. In K1, teams ran one front wing on top of the other, which increased grip even more. Fourth, and finally was the wonderful addition of DRS. DRS, the Drag Reduction System (Go back to Chapter 2 to know what I’m talking about), is placed on the longest straights. In practice, you can run DRS wherever you want. In the race, however, you can only use DRS on the longest straights of the track. Most tracks have 2 DRS zones, but some have more. Example: Owlia has 3 zones. The Outer Straight, the Back Straight, and the Front Straight. Anyways, now that I’m done describing K1 cars to you, back to the race.
    I held behind Phil, and looked back in my mirror. Fortunately for me, the huge rear plate created a load of wake, keeping Danny behind me. Unfortunately, Phil also had the rear plate, which was creating bad wake for me. I almost oversteered through Turn 4, and decided to hold myself back through the S. Up out of Turn 6, I felt my stomach bottom out as the car had the least amount of grip. The car was flying up at about a massive 15º, and now it leveled out. My car went back down, but I had felt myself lift up a bit. 24 More times of that, I thought as I went into 7 and 8, a double right-hander. Phil had slowed down a bit for 8, but I kept my foot in it, mounting a curb and gaining a ton of time. Then there was a fast Left-Right-Left twist, and we all slowed down for it. There was another short straight (About 500 meters) before we hit the widest and fastest corner on the track- Turn 12. It was just like OTech’s Turn 5- massive banking, flat-out, and exhilarating. Phil tilted for the banking first, sparks flying off the under tray of his car as it bottomed out. I hit it next and felt the aero come alive, shoving the car down and giving me all the grip I needed. I glanced down at the tach for the first time all race and my eyes bugged out. I was hitting almost 190 miles per hour. I held in the slipstream of Phil, gaining just a little bit. Then we all hit the brakes for the right-handed hairpin, which would lead us onto the backstraight. I was thrown forward against my belts as I went from 198 mph down to about 30. I locked up a bit, but kept myself in check through the corner. I rumbled over the tiny curbing on the inside of the track, and used as much power as I could out of the turn. I had gained time on Phil through the high-speed section, and now it was on to the 1.1 kilometer long back straight. I opened up DRS, and the car rocketed forward with all the drag basically gone. I held just behind Phil for as long as I dared, before cutting to the outside of the straight. The fans roared as I made the overtake. Phil slipped in behind me, trying to get a piece of my slipstream.
    Into the Turn 14 Hairpin, I braked a bit early. Phil followed suit, and we flowed through the corner. The fans cheered as I came through the corner, and crossed the line for another lap. 
    “Alright, good job. Let’s try to get a gap out now,” Andy said from the pit box as I passed. I can do this. I can do this.

———

    I pulled into the pit stall, and stopped right on the mark. In an instant, the car had been lifted up, and the tires changed. Fuel was finally added, and now I waited. Finally, the green light came on and I flew out of the spot, tires squealing as I left. A car engine screamed past, and I felt to P4. I was the first car to pit, so of course I would fall down a few places. I got out of the pit lane and rejoined the track, before slowing for Turn 1. I was about 2 seconds behind the nearest car, but now that I had fresh tires I could charge. As the laps dwindled down, everyone hit the pits. 3rd. 2nd. On Lap 19, an astonishingly long first stint ended for Phil as he came into the pit. I slowed for Turn 14 and came out, running as wide as possible on exit. Phil completed the stop, and he popped out of the pit lane almost exactly tied with me. He had the inside for the first turn and got a gap out to me. Gosh dangit. I was a kerbal on a mission, running after Phil as hard as I could.
    I shot past the finish line to start lap 25- the final lap. Phil had fallen back a bit, and now I was within half a second from him. “Come on…” I flew down the straight, and braked hard into Turn 1. “Jeb..” Andy said in a warning tone. “Don’t do anything stupid..” I went into Turn 2 and rumbled over the apex curbing. “Just leave me alone,” I said as I powered out of the turn. “I know what I’m doing.” Into Turn 3, I held my pace with Phil, and slowly gained. Come on baby, don’t fail me now. I hit the brakes for Turn 4 and locked up a tad. The right front spat smoke into my face, but I didn’t care. I turned into the corner and clipped the center beautifully, gaining on Phil just a little bit. Then we came to the S section. For whatever reason, I gained on Phil rapidly through the middle of Turn 5, and now I was right on his tail. I lifted up a ton out of 6, and the car slammed down onto the ground, jarring me and making my teeth slam together.
    Into 7 and 8, I mounted the curbing so hard I almost got up on 2 wheels- desperation building. 9, 10, and 11. My right wheel clipped the grass on the inside at over 140 miles an hour, and I gained like… 5 feet. I am not going to lose this race.
    I activated Rich revs and went through 12. I was again gaining time.. The tach climbed past 170. 180. 185. 190. 195. 198… The speed burst past 200 moments before the braking zone came up. I slammed the brakes and the rear end slammed down as the aero pushed me down, regaining grip. I flew around the outside of Phil and almost missed the corner. Phil went up my inside through the hairpin, but I didn’t see him there. I turned down and felt a huge crash, and in my mirror I saw pieces of my right-side push board fly into the air. I turned the wheel hard left and corrected, but Phil was still up my inside. Now, I used EPB, Rich Revs, DRS, and shoved myself down into the seat in an attempt to pass Phil. I was on the left and Phil was literally inches from me. He was trying to shove me down into the grass, but I kept in it. Rubber marbles shot up into the air and pelted my visor. I saw the boards and the game of chicken began. Who would brake first?
    The 300 board shot past.
    250.
    200.
    150.
    100. At the 50, I slammed the brakes, slowing drastically from 196 mph. Phil flew past me and almost went into the pit lane, and I clipped the apex through the turn. I went out of the turn and Phil was right behind me. I was 300 meters from glory. 250. 200. The team was out on the wall, fist pumping and cheering. 100. The crowd roared as I passed them. 0. The checkered flag swished down above me, and the crowd cheered as fireworks went off above me. “YES!!!” I screamed into the radio. “YESYESYES!!!!! YEEEEAAAAHOOOOOOO!!!!!” I screamed into the radio, weaving down the front straight in celebration. I partially unstrapped my belts and raised myself up to wave to the crowd. Phil lined up next to me and waved. I fiddled with my radio for a brief second and got the channel up. “Great job, kiddo,” He said to me as we rounded Turn 2. Can we just take a moment to thank the person who decided that driver-to-driver radios should be a thing?
    “Th-… Thanks man!” I said, getting a bit choked up. A congratulations from my hero. “Now care to explain what 13 was all about?” He joked, and I laughed, “I didn’t know you were there!” We bantered for a little while, before I heard something. It sounded like… Oh for the love of kerb. “Ah, hang on a second,” I said, pulling off to the side of the road. “Gotta do something real quick.” I got onto a nice wide stretch of pavement well off the racing line. There, I stopped. The crowd was silent, and when I looked back, Phil and the rest of the 22-car grid was waiting, curious. I exhaled. “Please have fuel..” I muttered as I flipped the dials. Finally, it was all done. The crowd remained silent, and I hit the gas. 
    The engine screamed like a tortured animal- it’s F3 engine yowling louder than a fighter jet during takeoff. I twisted the wheel as far left as it would go, and the rears broke traction. I spun a full 180, and momentarily saw only white smoke, before the car lurched forward and began spinning left again. “Yeah!!” I punched my fist up into the air, and the crowd coved it. They started cheering that song again, and I joined in. “HEEEEEEEY OH WAYOH! HAAAAY OH HEYOOO!!!” Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I pulled out of the spin, much to the crowd’s sadness. They gave me now last cheer, and I drove off back to the podium. Gosh K1 was fun..

Edited December 15, 2017 by DarkOwl57
See Chapter 9 for the goof

[DarkOwl57]

Bit shorter this time, but I'm getting ready to go off to Florida for a week or so. Which means, I won't have the writing computer with me, but instead the KSP computer. This means that The Final Stand is going to get a lot of progress, while this won't get any. I've got Chapter 12 typed up (Just a few bugs to work out), but I don't think it'll be done by 5:00 when Dad picks me up and sweeps me off to Houston. Don't worry- if anyone has questions, I'll be around both on my phone and on the other computer to answer questions, and play around. Happy Holidays to everyone (However you celebrate it). See the spoiler to read every language Google Translate has to offer! (Dear god why do I do this to myself)

 

Spoiler

Merry Christmas!

Geseënde Kersfees!

Gëzuar Krishtlindjet!

መልካም ገና!

عيد ميلاد سعيد!

Շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ!

Milad bayramınız mübarək!

Eguberri on!

З Калядамі!

圣诞节快乐！

聖誕節快樂！

Hyvää joulua!

Joyeux Noël!

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Καλά Χριστούγεννα!

Mele kalikimaka!

חג מולד שמח!

Nollaig Shona!

Buon Natale!

メリークリスマス！

메리 크리스마스!

Счастливого Рождества!

That was a pain... Now, onto your favorite part of LATT... Enjoy Chapter 11! (Fairly short- my apologies)

Also, I may or may not have copy/pasted a bit from @CatastrophicFailure's Shadows of the Kraken.

Oh, and thanks to @Just Jim for agreeing to be the "Producer." Thanks man!

 

Chapter 11: Famous

10:35pm, 2 Days Later. OTech Race Team Headquarters; River City, Owlia

    Alexis knocked on my office door as I reviewed the race. Or… “Reviewing.” Really, I was laughing at two marshals who couldn’t seem to put out an oil fire and instead ended up spraying themselves with the fire extinguisher. “Thank you, Sergi for breaking your car,” I sighed as she walked in. “Hm?” Alexis asked, holding a small stack of papers. She was wearing her usual blue dress, but I noticed that she had gotten some blonde streaks in her hair. Wow…
    “Uh.. nothing,” I said, trying to look like I was doing something important and not make an idiot of myself. “Hmm,” She said as she walked up and took a chair. “How do you feel about  your own house?” Whaaa??? “Uh… What?” I asked, dumbfounded. “I’ve been going over your finances, and it would appear you’ve got enough saved up to get a place up in the River Park District.” Holy cow! The River Park district was where all the rich celebrities lived. It was filled with mansions, condos, and a beautiful view of the North River. Only problem was that it was stupid expensive and it was set up on a hill, so it was considered an olympic event if you could run to the top. “R-R-River Park?” I stammered, staring at her like Are you kidding me? Then, I realized something. “Wait, I’m getting paid?!” Alexis rolled her eyes. “Well duh!” She pulled out a paper with a graph on it that I didn’t even try to dissect. “You’re paying about $75,000 in taxes every year. Then, you’re paying certain agents who shall not be named about $50,000 per year- subject to change of course.” She winked and I rolled my eyes. “And the OTech apartment is on the house- so to speak.” She handed me a white paper that looked like a house report. It showed a really pretty main room, and a large balcony/poll area.
    “4000 square feet, 2 floors, a pool, all for only…” She smiled. “950 thousand.” My eyes bugged out to the size of plates. 950?! I read the paper that had my money stats again. I had almost 2.7 million in reserve. “Hoooly PЦTIЙS LЗFT ЭДЯ..” I muttered. “What the heck’s that mean?” Alexis asked, confused. “I dunno. Heard it on TV once.” I kept looking at the paper. “I’ll take it.” Alexis smiled and took the paper. “Great. I’ll speak with the listing agent. Now, onto the second order of business..” She set down the folder and looked at me. 
    “The bosses have decided that it doesn’t look good for their young superstar to be riding a bus to work,” She said. I had to admit, it did draw some curious glances- the rookie phenom taking the 12 to work. “So, they’ve decided to give you this.” She handed me a picture, and I sucked in a breath. 
    There, staring me right in the face, was a 2030 77l LamboX (RM). It’s sharp features hadn’t been dulled with age one bit. It was in a beautiful snow-white paint, but some trim features were accented in a sky-blue paint. It was the M Version too- M for Modified. At the rear, there was a sharp rear spoiler, which looked very similar to the K1 cars. It had a shark fin (Just like the K1 car), and I saw that it was partially opened up at the rear. Another picture was dedicated 100% to the engine. V12, Stage 2 turbocharger, 6.4 Liters, 8-gear transmission, over 15,000 RPM, and over 680 Kermpower. It had been updated from the 2029 engine from 670 to 680, aided by a new carburetor head. It was beautiful…
    “And.. I can keep this?” I asked, my mouth opened in surprise. “Yup. All you’ve got to pay for is the gas.” I smiled. I could definitely get used to this…

10:40am, 4 days later. Blue Heights Studio; New Owlia City, Owlia

    The car screamed into the parking lot as I shifted down a gear- just to hear the engine yelp behind me. Immediately, at least 4 by-standers watching from the curb turned their head, trying to get a peek at the $1.3 million noise-maker. I got into a spot and saw Alexis standing right next to me, looking unamused as she leaned up against her canary-yellow 77l Amsterdam GT. 
    “Really?” She asked as I locked the car door. “What?!” I asked, walking to the door of the studio. “You can’t just pull into every parking lot sounding like a K1 car,” She rolled her eyes before we walked in. I was about to give her a scathing retort, a particularly perky receptionist chirped, “Hi there,” cutting me off. “You’re Jebediah Kerman, right?” She pointed to a door that said “STUDIOS 1A-4C” on the top of the doorsill. “3D- 6th door on the right.” She couldn’t have been more than 17- probably working a summer internship job. “Thanks,” I said, walking to the door.
    I walked into the studio and saw a bunch of workers just… well… Working. A few fiddled with cameras, a couple checked a stand, and some were getting various pieces of costuming and makeup put on their faces. “Jeb!” A kerbal who I recognized from a meeting forever ago said as he walked over. “Glad to see you could make it,” He shook my hand. “You know the script?” I nodded, and said my lines to him. All one of them. “Great!” The guy said, before hitting his head with his hand. “My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself! Jim Kerman, producer for Saga of the Emiko Station.” So that’s where I know him from.. “Huge fan of the show, Sir,” I said, giving Jim a handshake. Then, Alexis came up out of nowhere, startling both Jim and I.
    “Hey there,” She said, wearing a fairly devious smile. “I’ve just got a couple questions involving the wages… Have a minute?” Jim looked a bit taken aback, but nodded. “Sure,” He said. “What do you need to know?” Alexis grinned evilly.

—————

    Alexis smiled warmly as we walked out of the studio a couple hours later. She had been absolutely ruthless in the “Negotiations,” which was basically Alexis making demands while Jim struggled to keep up. “Well that was fun,” I said truthfully as we walked. Not only was I getting paid a really huge amount of money (Not that I really needed it), but I also got to drink soda for like 30 minutes. Pretty cool tradeoff in my opinion. “Definitely,” Alexis agreed as we walked. 
    The sun was in the process of setting, and I could see some orange-yellow sun rays peeking through the mountains far away. Alexis’s hair blew a bit in the breeze, and it caught just right along the sunset. I could see just a bit of the warm glowing sun, and I looked at it. The ball formed a look above Alexis similar to a halo above her head. “Some sunset, huh?” Alexis asked, staring up at the sky. Uuuuuuuuhhhhaskdghfvadjkfdgayuskrhfasdblublbublbuuahfasdfg, my brain said, completely shutting down. “Jeb?” Alexis asked again, turning to luck at me. •• ERROR. ERROR. SYSTEM. MAL..FUNCTION… OPERATING SYSTEMS... REBOOTING....... ... ... •• “Are you okay?” Alexis asked, turning to look at me. Finally, something popped in my head and I quit staring at her like a baboon with a brain disorder. “Uh.. Sorry. Spaced out there a second. You were saying?” Alexis opened her mouth and looked like she was about to repeat herself, but she was interrupted by a happy jingle. She held her finger up and rummaged around in her purse for a brief bit, before pulling out her phone. “Will you go out with me?” No, too up-front. “Do you want to go to dinner with me?” Maybe.. I debated questions in my head as she answered the phone.
    “Hey, hon.. How’s it going?.. Really? That’s.. nice of you..” She clenched her jaw and emergency alarms went off in my head. “Where were you last night?.. Oh really? I thought you said you were working all last night. Yeah, you did.” I took a step back, hoping she wouldn’t notice. “Oh, is that so?! WELL GUESS WHAT?! I’M DONE WITH PUTTING UP WITH YOU AND YOUR USELESS CHEATING TUSH! OKAY?!” She shrieked so loud some pedestrians on the sidewalk turned for a brief second, before wisely walking in the opposite direction. “WE’RE THROUGH! YOU HEAR ME?! THROUGH! I can’t believe I ever went out with you. GOODBYE!” She put as much menace as she could into slamming the “End Call” button, and threw the phone into her purse with a loud Huff!
    “See you tomorrow?” Alexis asked me, before turning around. “Jeb?” She spun around a couple times and finally saw me about 5 feet away. “Oh.. yeah. See you tomorrow!” I half-ran to my car, and hurried out of the parking lot. “Thank you, random dude for calling Alexis at that one moment,” I breathed as the engine roared to a start. For some reason, I felt like getting the heck out of that parking lot. Maybe it was the time bomb in the form of an agent. Yeah… Probably that.

————

    “And this,” I said, waving my phone out at the largest skyline in Owlia. “Is the view.” I could almost hear Max’s jaw slam the ground. “What. The. Fish..” He breathed, trying to absorb the sight. “Is-.. IS THAT THE OCEAN?!?!” He exclaimed. I laughed and looked out at the blue tinted horizon. If you squinted just right, you could see a tiny little green bulge in the form of Baskay Island. I’d heard there was an old race track there like forever ago. I think some cars still ran on it.
    “That’s so awesome!!” Max said as I sat down on the balcony. “Get up in K1- I’m sure Monster would love to sign you on,” I joked. “Can I let you in on a little secret?” Max smiled. “I’m hearing word that David might retire at the end of the year. And that’ll mean an open seat for the senior team.” I leaned back. “Noo, not David!” I groaned. He was a really funny trickster, and almost everyone on the grid liked to hear his stories. “Yup. And now that you’re not curb-stomping all of us down here in Formula, maybe I’ll have a chance to impress some heads in Monster.” I smiled. “The Dynamic Duo is finally coming alive,” I said, giving Max a virtual high-five. Just then, a deep roaring sounded from the front of the house. Then, 2 short beeps sounded.
    “Got to go- Heading out to a photo op. Talk to you later?” I asked as I got up. And promptly ran into the glass window outside my house. “Ow,” I said, rubbing my head as Max fell on the floor laughing. “Hah- hahaha- HAHAHAHAHA.. HA! Yeah, you- hahahahahaahaha- you go do that.” I gave him a sour expression and ended the call. Ow… That really smarted!

Edited December 25, 2017 by DarkOwl57

[MiffedStarfish]

11 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

What. The. Fish

I’m going to start saying that.

[qzgy]

This is coming along very well. I need to check on this more often.....

[KSK]

This is great! Wasn't really too sure about a Kerbal racing story before I started but now? I'm sold.

I don't know much about motor racing so I can't speak to the accuracy of the technical stuff but the quantity is spot on and I like the way you work it into the story. And the racing - woahhh that's vivid! Jeb's first race with Phil? Those Gs hurt, man.

Looking forward to the next chapter!

 

[DarkOwl57]

8 minutes ago, KSK said:

This is great! Wasn't really too sure about a Kerbal racing story before I started but now? I'm sold.

I don't know much about motor racing so I can't speak to the accuracy of the technical stuff but the quantity is spot on and I like the way you work it into the story. And the racing - woahhh that's vivid! Jeb's first race with Phil? Those Gs hurt, man.

Looking forward to the next chapter!

 

Wow... Thanks! I hope to deliver some more chapters soon

[KSK]

17 hours ago, DarkOwl57 said:

Wow... Thanks! I hope to deliver some more chapters soon

You're very welcome! And I did enjoy the bits of Jeb's character you wrote into the last chapter - especially the part about him coming to work on the bus.  

[DarkOwl57]

NOTICE 

 

I have just received word that I may be delayed in my typing. See, while I was gone, it iced like crazy over in West Texas. It hasn't stopped. Now, I'm hearing that the roads are so bad that mom might not be able to pick me up tomorrow. This means that I will be without my trusted Mac, which I use for typing up the stories. So... Kinda iffy

4 hours ago, KSK said:

You're very welcome! And I did enjoy the bits of Jeb's character you wrote into the last chapter - especially the part about him coming to work on the bus.  

Haha. Got that from a YouTube video I saw where Max Verstappen took the bus in Mexico. Actually a really funny video 

[DarkOwl57]

Alright, so Chapter 12. Sorry that I haven't uploaded in a while- life and all. I hope everyone enjoys it!

 

Chapter 12: Lights, Camera, Action

3:00pm, 1 Week Later. Round 5 of 10: New Baskay City, NMC

Welcome everyone, to the New Baskay Grand Prix! The city, home of the rich, famous, and royal, is frequented by the greatest celebrities. Rich cars, rich homes, and rich kerbals all are seen frequently on the streets and sidewalks of this glamorous coastal city.
Even at night, the city seems to never sleep, with a rich night-life filled with celebrity parties, and the ever-popular Bay, where the most expensive yachts and ships are found.
The glitz and glamor of the New Baskay streets highlight a stunning racetrack, and as day turns to dusk, the stars of K1 come out to play. Tight turns, fast changes, and the night lights all shine down upon the stunning Baskay City.
This. Is New Baskay.

………

    A 77l LamboMI drove past, it’s engine yelping as it went past. That was probably the most common sight (and following sound) that I’d seen throughout the weekend. Some warm coastal air blew some costal breeze towards me, and I closed my eyes to let it cool off my face. New Baskay. What a place. I swear I’d seen at least 5 or 6 movie stars, around 10 producers for said movies, and an uncountable amount of million and billionaires.
    Reporters, of course, were all over. Right now, I was sitting down on a chair on the illustrious Santa Kermonica beachfront pier, watching surfers either wipe out or try out for pro competition. And of course there were always average beach-goers to watch. I mean most of the time, they just ignored me, but occasionally they recognized me, and said “Dude! You’re Jeb Kerman!” And walked away with a “Gnarly, bro..” Before disappearing into the crowd. They always left me a bit confused.
    “Jeb!” A wall of reporters flooded me in an instant, anxious to see me just relaxing. Don’t they have anything better to do? I thought before smiling and addressing the reporters. “Hey,” I said nonchalantly, acting like I was just hanging out. I swear to you I saw someone swoon. No joke. Look on KTube- you’ll see it. No, I'm not lying, go on your computer and look it up.
    …
    …
    Seen it? Good. Back to the story.
    “What’s it like for you, first race on the most challenging street course in K1?” One reporter asked me. Oh yeah, I haven’t been asked that a billion times this weekend, I thought sourly, keeping my smile plastered on. “It’s really challenging, but also super exciting to be on. The biggest struggle for me I think is going to be the first couple of laps. Cold tires, new day- it’ll definitely be kind of tip-toeing around those first 5 or 6 laps.” Thankfully, Alexis came over out of nowhere like a superhero, and got between me and the reporters. “Jeb’s really tired, and would prefer to save questions until after the race, thanks.” The reporters grumbled and dispersed. “Thanks,” I sighed as we walked out to the suite.
    “No problem..” She said, looking a bit tired. “You okay?” I asked. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. Just..” She gritted her teeth. “Fine.” I inadvertently stepped backwards, gaining some distance. We walked in silence for a moment. “You were going to ask me something? After that commercial shoot last week?” Mulch.
    “Ah, it was nothing. I figured it out that night- no biggie.” Yes, play it off. Act cool. You’re a cucumber. A freezing, cold, cu- Goshdarnit now I’m cold. “Oh.. Okay. See you in a bit!” She sounded… disappointed? Or was my mind playing tricks on me? “See ya!” I walked into the door and closed it. Close call.

6:00pm; Race Start

    “Alright, all systems looking good. Good luck out there.” The crowd cheered as we set off on the formation lap. “Grip feels amazing,” I reported as we entered Turn 1. “Really good mechanical through the corners.” I weaved down the straight, warming the tires up. On request from Andy, I checked all 8 gears, and primed the Electrics. I swear, getting these cars ready was like warming up a rocket ship. We entered the little mini-canyon area, which was in between two buildings. The sunset was blocked out, and it took only a second or two for my eyes to adjust. It didn’t take long, though. Thankfully, the NMC Grand Prix was held in the sunset-night time transition, similar to Tekkia.
    “Everything’s fine on the telemetry. How’s everything feeling?” I jammed the gas and smiled as I heard the rears skid a bit on the pavement. “Perfect, Andy. Absolutely perfect.” Into the hairpin, I went down into a stupidly slow 25 miles per hour, and the tightest corner in K1. Then it was down a short hill, and into the tunnel. After we ran through the straight, I went into the bus stop section- commonly named the Swimming Pool Section (Because there’s a pool there). “Alright, get ready. Mode 5, Transmission up to 80%. Good luck.” I pulled around the final two corners, and now it was time to get this thing started. I got into the spot and got the engine ready for launch. Everyone filed into the spot. I was starting out on pole, and behind me were the two Monster cars of Jordan and Kyle, then Phil, and somehow, miraculously, against all odds, a LakeFront car.
    In the backfield, a green flag waved. Let’s go…
    One light came on, and I went to Rich Revs.
    Two now. I pressed down on the gas. 
    Three. The engine rose from a hum to a yell.
    Four. Clutch in. 
    Five. The engine was at it’s peak volume, and I felt it rumbling behind me. It’s go time!!
    The light went out and I leaped out of the grid spot with ease. EPB, Traction Assist, and the powerful OTech engine grabbed traction, and I stormed off the grid. Jordan had gotten a great start, and was determined to hold up my inside through 1. We went into the turn side-by-side, and out of 1 we were still right there together. I pushed the car as hard as I could, and gained a couple inches on him. Thankfully, I had the inside for 3. Into the canyon, I passed clean up the inside. “Nice overtake there. Let’s stretch our legs a bit here- get a gap.” Beneath my helmet, I grinned. Gladly.
    I crossed the line to end Lap 1, and looked in the mirror. Phil had passed the two Monster cars, but he was well back- around 1 and a half, maybe 2 seconds. I got out of Rich, and slowed myself down. No sense wrecking out on lap 1 of 40 after all. On lap 5, my wheel lit up in a flurry of red, yellow and black. Ugh goshdangit what happened? “Safety Car’s out, Safety Car. Slow on down to the delta, please.” I hit the brakes and the red turned to green. “So what happened?” I asked Andy as I rolled through the Casino Square. “Not quite sure. From what we’re seeing on the TV feed, it’s looking like someone dropped a fairly substantial amount of debris heading into the Swimming Pool section. Be careful through there.” I slowed into the hairpin, and clipped the curbing nicely. Then, I slammed the brake, halting the car. “I found the problem,” I said, looking in front of me. “It’s definitely not the Swimming Pool Section, either.” 
    Stuck just a few feet in front of me was the biggest traffic jam I’d seen in recent memory. 3 cars, all carrying some form of damage, were blocking the entire track, which wasn’t that much of an accomplishment considering the fact the track was only about 2 cars wide. They were trying to get back going, and finally, after much reversing and engine yowling, they did. As soon as I hit the gas, however, I heard a huge THUD come from the rear of the car, and I jolted forward about an inch. I. Swear. To. God. REALLY?! I looked back in my mirror and saw none other than Phil, who was right on me. He’d rammed me from behind. Great… I better not have had damage, or I’d find him and sock him in the face. After the race of course.

———

    “Green flag! Gogogo!!!” I hit the gas hard as I got out of the final turn, releasing as much power as I could to try to get away from the rest of the pack. It turns out I hadn’t gotten any damage from Phil deciding to ram me, so I was on a mission. On Lap 15 (The restart lap), I threw the car into Turn 1 and felt the grip literally flow through the car. You know that feeling when you do something so perfect that you can feel it in your bones? Like when you throw a football with just that right spin, or shoot a 3 that as soon as you release, you know it’s a swish? Yeah. That’s the feeling I got from that turn alone. Almost like a golden fountain just trickled over m- wait, this isn’t a poetry book! Gah, curse me getting sidetracked. Anyways.
    I went down the straight and looked left. I saw a SAFR barrier (Steel And Foam Retaining barrier), and my shadow was going over it repeatedly. I didn’t dare look left, because otherwise I would have been blinded by the spotlights on course. I went into 2, bumping over a lump in the road before heading into the long left-hander of Turn 3, and into the Casino Square. The sunset had all-but vanished, but if you looked just right you could still see hints of tiger orange on the horizon. Out of 4, I again felt that beautiful moment of grip as the car seemed to come alive. Did Phil fix the car?! I thought incredulously as I went into Turn 5. Did he knock the diffuser around? I thought. Maybe changed a wing angle or two?? Either way, the car felt as happy as I had ever felt it. If of course cars can feel happy. I really loved this!
    On Lap 25, I pulled into the pits for my second stop of the race. I could have stayed out, but we had decided to go for no fuel or tires on the stop during the Safety Car period. Instead, it was just a damage checkup. I wheeled into the stall and stopped right on the mark. The team responded right on cue, and I felt myself lift up as they went to work. 4 tires off, 4 on. Fuel in. I looked back in the mirror and saw the fuel flowing down the tube. I hit the Balance switch on a little board next to my leg, and all the fuel balanced itself out as it entered the car. A bit to the front aux tank, a bit to the rear mains… The tube popped out and the jack dipped as I stormed out of the stall.
    “Come on…” I heard Phil heading down the little straight. He could not pass me, or else I’d be finished. See, in the New Baskay race, overtaking is nigh on impossible. You need either a stellar qualifying, or the best strategy ever to pull out a win. I knew that if Phil got the lead, he wouldn’t dare to let me past, making that car as wide as possible. I hit the gas as soon as I left the pit lane, and I saw Phil gaining in my mirrors. “Come on!!!” I dove into Turn 1 and kept it within the lines, and flew out of the exit lane at max speed. I ended up about half a second ahead of Phil. “Yes!” Andy shouted, unaware that he was supposed to remain unbiased to me or Phil at any given time. “Er.. Good job there. Let’s go get that win!” I cycled into Rich Revs and began pulling away. Go time!

————

    “YEAH!!!” I jumped out of the car and ran over to the team, who were giving me huge hugs from over the temporary steel barriers. “You did it!” Andy shouted over the crowd, slapping me on the back of the helmet and jumping up and down. “Only 19 and already achieved what most won’t do in a lifetime!!” The weight of the achievement hit me like a brick. “Jeb!!” Alexis ran up to me and hugged me through the barrier as well, cutting through the crowd surprisingly well. “You did amazing!!” I grinned. Then, she looked up at me and grinned mischievously. “Oh, I can’t wait to call the sponsors tomorrow. I’m thinking big, big stuff. Commercial deals galore! You’re going to be a superstar!” I rolled my eyes. Forget deals! I thought. Let’s party! 

—

    Water splashed down onto my head as I did a backflip into the pool, holding the trophy in my hand. Jackson cannonballed into the pool right next to me, grinning like a maniac and popping up out of the water. I grinned and whipped my head around, spraying water all over the crew and everyone who was within 5 feet. Then, Phil came in and did the same thing I had- backflipping into the pool. “Welcome to K1 kid!” He laughed as the rest of the crew jumped in- a sea of pool water, jet black, emerald green, snow white, and navy blue. Occasionally our trophies glinted under water, shimmering like jewels. 
    “Hey, you’re going to pop out the diamonds!” Phil said, putting the trophy on the edge of the pool. I realized that those were real diamonds. As in.. the stuff that’s made of shiny carbon. Cautiously, I set it out on the side of the pool, and decided to do a front flip into the pool. I could get used to this!

[KSK]

Ahhh - they've made it to Monako I see.  And a small but random thing that jumped out at me - 'tiger orange'. Lovely bit of description right there.

 

[DarkOwl57]

16 minutes ago, KSK said:

Ahhh - they've made it to Monako I see.  And a small but random thing that jumped out at me - 'tiger orange'. Lovely bit of description right there.

 

Thanks! I actually typed this up well before the break, and I had to look back to try to find the "Tiger orange" line  

[DarkOwl57]

Alright, number 13! So I'm not going to lie here, I had little (If no) inspiration or motivation for this chapter. I felt tired when typing this up, and I just felt... bored. I hope you'll forgive me for this short and not very well written chapter, but I promise, I've made up for it with a 5,123-word monster, which, I think, will make Chapter 14 the longest chapter ever on the forums! Largest I've written anyways. Could I get confirmation from @Just Jim on this? @adsii1970?

Anyways, this is not Chapter 14, and instead 13. And, for now, I hope Y'all enjoy!

 

(Oh, also, a quick notice: I'm using this new thing for editing- a website called Grammarly. Hopefully, that'll help out my writing style and (maybe) make this a bit easier to read.)

 

Chapter 13: Operation Domination

9:00 am, 1 Week later. OTech Race Team Headquarters, River City, Owlia

    Even though the rest of K1 was relaxing for the month-long summer break, there was no rest for the teams and drivers. Constantly, we went to test out new iterations of the car, and see what worked and what didn’t. Right now, I was testing the 3rd prototype of a new rear wing concept, which eliminated the shark fin.
    “Really twitchy through the first few corners. 1 and two especially.” The team decided to pull me into the pits, and I stepped out as they placed on a new bit that was supposed to be much lighter. While I was waiting, I saw Andy having a pretty animated conversation with someone that felt familiar, but I couldn’t quite place her. Do you get that feeling? I hate it so much. Since I had nothing better to do for 5 minutes, I decided to walk on over. “What’s up?” I asked. Their conversation stopped, and the lady turned. “Oh, Claire! You were Ricklen’s engineer, right?” She nodded. “I was hoping maybe you guys had an open spot? Maybe in strategy, planning- something like that?” I noticed her voice had a slight accent; she seemed to lift up the end of her sentences, and the vowels were a bit more drawn out.
    “What do you think?” Andy asked. “I don’t really care where she goes, as long as we keep winning.” Andy nodded and extended his hand for a shake. “Welcome aboard!”

12:30 pm, 3 Weeks later. Round 6 of 10. Eradica Grand Prix Circuit, Eradica

    As seven fighter jets blasted overhead, I shivered a bit in the cold air. Even though the circuit itself was farther south than Halco or Baskay, the air in Eradica felt extremely chilly. “20 laps bud, 20 laps. Just do what you know what to do, and we’ll come out with this thing, understand?” I rolled my eyes as Andy and I walked to the car. “We’ve been over this like 50 times! Don’t worry; I won’t forget.” Andy sighed. “I know, I know.” We got to the car, and I started strapping up. “Then why are you so nervous?”
    “You know exactly why I’m nervous. Now remember, if a Safety Car comes out-“ I interrupted. “‘Stay out and keep to the strategy,’ I know!” I knew why Andy was so nervous. Firstly, it was Claire’s first race back on the pit box since Grestin, where her team had finished 17th, so nerves were high on the pit box. Second, though, was making everyone in OTech stressed out. The OTech company, the Board of Directors, the team heads- everyone down from the highest CEO to the lowest janitor- were all stressed out. If both me and Phil finished in the top 5 or one of us won the race with the other coming in the Top 10, we’d win the 2035 K1 constructors championship, and making history as the only team in K1 history to win five constructors titles back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back. This, however, was a big moment for me. If I won this race, I would knock out Danny from the drivers fight, and make it between Phil and I. If Phil won, he’d extend his points gap from 78 to at least 103, and make it mathematically impossible to catch him on points for the title, meaning he would win the Drivers championship. So… no pressure or anything.

…

    I fired up the new engine and grinned as we set off on the formation lap. The team knew this was a big race. I knew this was a big race. The fans knew this was a big race. Long story short, this was a pretty darn important event. I flowed through the fast and long 90º Turn 1, before braking for the tight hairpin complex of 2, 3, and 4. “Everything feeling good?” Claire asked over the radio. It jolted me up a bit; I hadn’t expected her to be actually over the radio. “Uh.. yeah, yeah, everything’s good.” I’ve got to find that darn accent.
    Down the back straight, I got into my favorite section on the circuit- the Tricky Esses. The section started out as a tight chicane, but it transitioned to a complex S section, with long, sweeping lefts and rights, which made up 6 of the 17 turns on the track. “Engine to Mode 5, Transmission to L. Make sure the brake balance is fine.” I flipped the correct levers and dials, setting the car up for the start. I slipped into my starting spot and waited for the rest of the field to make their way onto the straight. I was starting on pole, with Phil in second, Jackson in third, Danny in fourth, and David in fifth. A flag waved in the back. Here we go…
    One Light.
    Two.
    Three. The engines rose, and the car vibrated, begging to be released.
    Four. Electrics primed.
    Five. Away… We…
    Go! I was caught a bit off guard, and Phil rocketed past me, leaping straight into the lead. Thankfully, I had gotten a better start than the rest of the grid, and both me and Phil were alone at the front of the pack. Entering Turn 1, I felt Phil’s dirty air wash over the front of my car, and I had to slow a bit to keep from getting thrown into the gravel trap on the outside of the corner before we both broke into the corner. I ended up braking much later than Phil, and I ended up flying up his inside. I missed the apex and ended up going wide, and Phil went back up the inside on exit. Then it was a double apex of Turns 3 and 4, which rocketed us onto the back straight. Fans cheered as we blasted past at almost 170 miles an hour before I slammed the brakes into 5. It was a tight 90º turn right before another 90º left. A tiny kink at Turn 7 led us into the Esses. I grimaced as I was slammed, left, riiiiiight, leftrightleft, right, and then hit the brakes again for the final four turns, a tricky chicane followed by a long loop back around to the front straight.
    “Something’s way off with the car guys,” I said as we went down the straight again. “It’s really plowing int the corners, especially the fast ones.” Of course, as soon as I said that, I made a massive move up the inside of Turn 1, sliding right up the track and into first place. “Never mind, just going crazy,” I said as I slowed down for 2. Through that corner, Phil did the exact same thing as I did on Lap 1, and plowed into 2. I let him go and perfectly performed the switchback. Onto the back straight I gained enormously as Phil had to go over the runoff rumble strips, limiting his speed to keep from damaging the car too much. “Only if Phil gets close,” I heard Andy say from far away. “Claire, you left your mic open,” I said as I broke for Turns 5 and 6. “Sorry about that,” She said before the background noise cut off. “Hey, great overtaking there Jeb. Let’s pull out a gap here. 19 to go.” I shook my head and bared down. What is the team playing at here…?

————

    “Tires have fallen off the cliff,” I radioed in on Lap 12. I was understeering like crazy on the entry, and fishtailing on exit. “Phil’s got to pit first; he’s heading in now.” Andy’s statement hit me full-on, and fury washed over me as I tried to catch another almost spin. “Are you kidding?!” I shouted. “I wanted to pit first, and I was ahead when I asked! This is-“ I caught myself before I dug myself into a hole. “Sorry. Can I pit next lap?” I waited, still heading down the back straight.
    “You can box now- Phil has just stopped. Box this lap.” I shook my head and flew through the Esses, weaving the car around the track as fast as I dared. Then, it was into the pit lane. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1.” I broke right on the spot and felt myself lift up. 4 tires on, 4 off. There was a quick rear wing adjustment, and I was set down as the light turned. I heard an engine, quiet at first, but rising up fast. Come on..! I exited the pit lane, and got out at max speed, sprinting down the Pit Exit road. I hit the brakes for the re-entry, and I hit the apex perfect. I jammed the gas and pulled out as hard as I could. It was enough. I had enough of a gap pre-stop to Phil that I managed to keep him behind me- albeit losing about 5 seconds due to wrangling the car around for an extra lap.
    I went down the back straight, forcing as much speed out of the car as I could. It was the fight I couldn’t afford to lose. Lose this race, and I lose the championship. Now, there were only eight laps to decide the end. I can do this.

…

    “YES! YES GUYS! What a car!!” Fireworks went off above me as I crossed the line well ahead of Phil, and after the stop, there was nothing anyone could have done to stop me. “Car felt amazing guys, couldn’t be happier with it. Awesome job up there on the box, Claire! Pass on my thanks to the crew- couldn’t have won it without them.” The crowd cheered me on as Phil hit the finish line, sending up a second display of pyrotechnics. I now had a chance at victory, now that the points gap was down to 73. All I could do was hope. And win.

[adsii1970]

@DarkOwl57: I cannot speak for @Just Jim, but merely for myself. There are chapters that I've written where I've had hardly any inspiration or even what I wanted to do. I simply knew I had to put out a chapter and so I did. But here's the thing, those chapters actually do bring things to your story. This chapter isn't that bad and actually has created a few areas where you can seriously tinker with your story line and even add some subplots. Here's a couple of examples I've pulled:

4 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

She nodded. “I was hoping maybe you guys had an open spot? Maybe in strategy, planning- something like that?” I noticed her voice had a slight accent; she seemed to lift up the end of her sentences, and the vowels were a bit more drawn out.

A new character can always add something that's missing to the story. That's why I added Triy - as a stowaway! You've already given her a unique accent from your other characters and this is a good start. Have fun with her back story. Make her your not-so-typical female Kerbal!

8 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

 I fired up the new engine and grinned as we set off on the formation lap. The team knew this was a big race.

Ok, what makes that particular race so big? What's at stake?

So... don't worry about this chapter. Use it to build your story.

[Just Jim]

12 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

Could I get confirmation from @Just Jim on this? @adsii1970?

Great chapter! But I'm sorry to say, not the longest on the forum. Not that I'm trying to compete, but my last one was an insane 8,600... which very well may be my longest.

But again, that was a fun chapter!!!  Weird as it sounds, I think you got a little bit of Speed Racer going here... in a good way. 

[DarkOwl57]

6 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

Ok, what makes that particular race so big? What's at stake?

 

15 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

Second, though, was makingeveryone in OTech stressed out. The OTech company, the Board of Directors, the team heads- everyone down from the highest CEO to the lowest janitor- were all stressed out. If both me and Phil finished in the top 5 or one of us won the race with the other coming in the Top 10, we’d win the 2035 K1 constructors championship, and making history as the only team in K1 history to win five constructors titles back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back. This, however, was a big moment for me. If I won this race, I would knock out Danny from the drivers fight, and make it between Phil and I. If Phil won, he’d extend his points gap from 78 to at least 103, and make it mathematically impossible to catch him on points for the title, meaning he would win the Drivers championship. So… no pressure or anything.

 

 

1 minute ago, Just Jim said:

But I'm sorry to say, not the longest on the forum. Not that I'm trying to compete, but my last one was an insane 8,600... which very well may be my longest.

 

*Kicks a rock disappointedly* Time to add useless fillers  

 

2 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

Great chapter!.

But again, that was a fun chapter!!!  Weird as it sounds, I think you got a little bit of Speed Racer going here... in a good way. 

 

But thanks! I hope to continue pleasing everyone with my writing

[Just Jim]

12 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

*Kicks a rock disappointedly* Time to add useless fillers

No... Write what the chapter demands, be it long or short. The only reason my last one was so long is I couldn't find a good place to split in half, or I probably would have. 

 

[adsii1970]

19 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

But thanks! I hope to continue pleasing everyone with my writing

Big mistake. There's an old song called, "Garden Party" which rings true. You're never going to appease every reader. It just isn't realistically possible. Write your story and reward your loyal readers; don't worry about the complainers.

[DarkOwl57]

19 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

Big mistake. There's an old song called, "Garden Party" which rings true. You're never going to appease every reader. It just isn't realistically possible. Write your story and reward your loyal readers; don't worry about the complainers.

I think I said that wrong.. I meant I hope to do my best and hopefully please as many as I can. Obviously I'm not going to please everyone- that's impossible. But as long as I please the majority, I'm happy  

[KSK]

20 hours ago, DarkOwl57 said:

I think I said that wrong.. I meant I hope to do my best and hopefully please as many as I can. Obviously I'm not going to please everyone- that's impossible. But as long as I please the majority, I'm happy  

I think Andy already said it best. Just keep on doing what you know what to do.  

[DarkOwl57]

The big one....... This is it.... 5,592 words. This all took me about a week (I think) and it's been..... a monster to say the least. This easily surpasses the old record word count (for me) of a massive 3,696 (Also from this story), which in itself was a massive pain. A 1,896-word difference. So far (Including Chapter 15 and about 50% of Chapter 16), I have typed up an insane 42,501 words. This almost surpasses World War K (WWK had 43,046), but I've only written 15 (.5) chapters, compared to WWK's 30. Anyways, I'm done rattling off stats, and I'm sure y'all are ready to get started! I hope y'all enjoy this record-breaking (And exhausting) Chapter 14.

 

 

Chapter 14: The Final Battle

2:00pm, 3 Weeks, 5 Days later. Round 10 of 10: The KSC Grand Prix (Practice 1). The KSC

    I walked into the garage, and saw the team all watching the monitors as a dark black and green car raced around the circuit. I looked at the car, blasting through the corners, seemingly able to hit every corner as if on a rail. “Holy cow,” I breathed as the driver went through Velocidad. Monster’s car had one heck of a setup..
    “Who’s driving?” Alexis smiled as the driver went into Turn 15 and 16. Within the space of about 20 seconds, I heard the car yowl past, deafening the paddock. I smiled when I saw the driver’s name leap to the top of the timing charts. “#33; Max Kerman. MonsterGP.”

——

    I drove out of the pit stall, and got out into the pit lane. I took off the pit limiter and sucked in a breath as I took my first tender steps out onto the track with the new car. The car gripped beautifully, as if it was made for the KSC circuit. I went into Turns 1 & 2, feeling the car tear into the circuit like it was glued to the ground. I decided to hold back, and I kept myself from going too hard. “Look what the cat dragged in,” a familiar voice chimed over the radio, making me smile.
    “I could say the same about you,” I said as I went into the R&D section. Again, let’s give a high-five to the guy who thought Driver-to-Driver radios were a good idea. “What are you doing here?” Max laughed, and I heard the car in the background. “The team let me log a couple laps before next season. Getting me prepared for ’36 I guess.” I set off, going for max pace. Max’s contract had been announced about a week ago, along with the retirement of David. I saw the grass infields and walls lined with “Goodbye, David,” all over. I want to have that kind of farewell, I thought as I exited the R&D. Max appeared in my mirrors, and I kicked up the speed. “Want to have a quick little race?”
    “Oh, you’re on!” I blasted into Velocidad, and felt the car bite the apexes with perfection. Max still seemed unconfident with the Monster car, and I took advantage, taking everything the car wanted to give. “Welcome to K1!”

5:00pm, 1 Day Later. Round 10 of 10: The KSC Grand Prix. The KSC

 

“Welcome everyone, to the final race of this historic 2035 K1 Season. Its’ been a season of massive highs, and crushing lows. And look at this- the 18-year-old rookie, who looked like he wouldn’t have a drive in Formula K 2 seasons ago, and he’s now in contention with his teammate to win the season championship against his senior teammate. With the sun setting on this season, a champion will rise. Will this be the perfect Swan Song for a legend? Or the under dog story to make history? No matter what, this season has been exciting down to the very end. And now, it’s time to begin the final race.
“This. Is the KSC Grand Prix.”
…

    It was a 2 way fight for the title. Me vs Phil. It was the biggest battle of the season, and millions were tuning in on the TV, and thousands were here at the track itself. I was chilling out in the hospitality suite, listening to the crowd noise building as the race drew closer and closer. Then, I was interrupted by some loud music going through the walls. It had a deep country twang, and I sighed. As much as I like country, it was really distracting. Then, I realized it was on purpose. He was trying to psych me out. I smiled and turned on my stereo. Loud, deep, inner-city type rap music began pounding out of the speakers. I had the psychology advantage, after wining the last 3 races. He had crashed out of the Temple, retired in Halco, and had a dismal race in Basil with a 9th place finish. I had cut the gap down to 0 points. Basically, whoever beat who would win. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and Phil texted me an emoji of a thumbs up, and the words “Nice job.” I heard the country click off, and I turned down the music. A knock on the door told me that Andy was here for the pre-race briefing. “It’s open,” I shouted, laying down on the couch. Instead of Andy, Alexis was the one who walked in the doorway. “It’s time,” She said, waving as she walked in. I got up and went to the door. A barrage of camera flashes almost blinded me, but I kept a smile on my face.
    “Jeb! Chances of winning today?”
    “Jeb! Look here!"

   “Jeb, are you confident in the team?”
    “Can you win the championship?”
    I put on some sunglasses and covered my ears with headphones, canceling out the noise immediately. I could still hear the reporters, but they sounded far off, which helped me to concentrate. I kept on walking to the garage, keeping focused on the task at hand- winning. I got into the garage and closed the door, cutting out most of the sound from the reporters. I slipped off the headphones and all the noise rushed at me. The crowd was rumbling, like a stadium pre-match. Helicopter blades sounded hundreds of feet above as they got beauty shots of the track with the setting sun, and I could hear thousands of drills, saws, and hammers going to work on various cars. 
    In front of me, the crew was tinkering with some bits on the wheel wells, and I saw Andy with Claire pointing at some graphs and numbers as they came in from the car. In a corner, Tim, our tire expert, was checking pressures and markings on the numerous sets of tires, attempting to check wear on old sets to get a handle on the strategy. Andy spotted me and walked over, while Claire continued looking at the graphs.
    “Hey man,” I gave him a high five as I walked over to him. “You feeling ready?” I nodded and picked my helmet up off the table. “I’m feeling good.. A bit jittery, but alright.” A propeller plane buzzed overhead as part of an air-show, sending up a cheer from the fans. “To be expected, of course,” Andy said, and I nodded. Right then, Phil walked in to my right side, and to the other half of the garage. Reporter’s cameras flashed, and cries of “Phil!” filtered through the open doorway. It shut, and Phil sighed, and shook his head. Then, he walked over to me. “Mind if Jeb and I have a talk, real quick?” He asked Andy. Andy looked a bit taken aback, and I mentally felt the team tense up, almost like they were readying for a fight, like This is our driver. “Uh.. sure,” Andy said, stepping back to Claire and looking over the graphs.
    “Are you okay?” Phil asked quietly, trying not to be heard. “Yeah..” I replied in a whisper for whatever reason. “I’m going to go straight to the point. You’re good. Really good. And to be honest, I really hope you win. But you’ve got to relax. Do you know the number one key to speed?” I shook my head. “Be confident. Know your abilities, and stick to your guns. Don’t try to be someone or something you’re not. Got it?” I nodded, and Phil smiled warmly. “Great. Now, best of luck,” He extended his hand. “And may the best driver win.” I smirked, and shook his hand. “Same to you,” I called after him, waving as Phil walked over to his car. He turned, and he gave me a tip of an imaginary cowkerb hat.

…

    The sky above was clear as could be. Only a couple clouds, far off in the distance out to the Sea of Kerbin, and to the west, the mountains seemed to sparkle in the yellowing sunset. A cool, slightly wet ocean breeze blew in from the east, and even though I couldn’t feel the wetness, I could definitely feel the cooler air as the day turned to night. 
    A set of 9 jets (An F/A-18, 4 Owlian F-14’s, 2 F-22’s, and 2 SF-29’s) blasted overhead- their engines shrieking and echoing off the numerous walls of the KSC. White smoke trailed out of each of the plane’s tails, and as soon as they got past us they shot straight up into the air, going vertical and looping around for the fans. Fans cheered and I waved to the plane’s retreating smoke trail. Then, on the front-straight, fireworks went off, sending up balls of fire and trails of smoke- it’s loud booming echoing around the track. Phil nodded at me, and I nodded back, as if to say Let’s go. Hundreds of reporters lined the front-straight, but even though there were 20 drivers in the grid, all but a few cared only about 2 drivers. I walked to the car, and as I went I heard nothing but chatter about Phil and I.
    “Rookie on Pole, Vet in P2.”
    “Two championship rivals-“
    “Fight of a century-“
    “Young Gun-“
    “Rookie of the Year-“
    “One final race.” That final sentence echoed in my head, and I finally got to the car. Then, the voices returned.
    “Greatest driver in K1 history-“
    “Undefeated-“
    “Champion decided-“
    “Race of the year-“
    “Can he do it?”
    “Too much pressure?”
    “Just a kid-“
    “No experience-“ I put my helmet on, and there was silence. Breathe. Breathe. In.. Out. Focus. Just tune out the noise. I strapped up, and sat down. “You ready?” Andy mouthed at me as the team strapped me in. I nodded. My heart rate was spiking through the roof, and I could feel it pounding in my ears. My breath echoed, and I felt like a kerbonaut on EVA. “Good luck.” I gave Andy a thumbs-up and a high-five, before Andy hit the top of my helmet. The team lined up, forming a channel for me to go through. Now, the engine roared to life, and I experimentally blipped the gas. The engine quickly yelped, and I grinned, feeling the car pop forward a bit. I went forward and gave high-fives to the entire crew as I passed. Then, I set off on the formation lap.
    I wiggled the car through Turn 1, and looked in my mirror, seeing Phil behind. “Just stay quiet for the first couple laps,” I told Andy as I slowed for Turn 2. “I’ll let you know when I’m okay.” I hit the gas and the rears bit into the pavement of Turn 3. Into a tiny, bumpy straight, I broke for the Tunnel Turns- 4 and 5. Out of 4 and through 5, 6, and 7, I saw tinges of orange on the horizon, as the sun began to set. That’s beautiful, I thought, thinking of Baskay. Gah, FOCUS! Lights came on through 6, and I could feel the fans cheering as I passed. Then I dove into Turns 7 and 8; Phil right behind me. 35 Laps. I went into Turns 9 and 10, another kink-hairpin complex. A short straight passed me by a legion of fans, all cheering and screaming. Some waved country flags, some waved flags with driver numbers on them, and others just flat-out screamed for attention. I resisted the urge to wave as I passed. In Tempesta (Turns 11 and 12), I clipped the curbing crisply- feeling the suspension bounce as I went over the rumble strips. Then I headed down the backstraight- hundreds, if not thousands more fans cheering us on. On the ground, passing beneath the car, I could see the circular marks of a car doing doughnuts from long ago, and I smiled, remembering last year. I went through Velocidad and sucked in a breath. 
    On the wall of the hangar, my picture was hanging from the roof- 50 feet tall. On the right, Phil’s picture was there. And between us sat a massive trophy. Next to Phil, there showed 4 pictures of him in his car, representing 4 championship titles. The top left showed him doing burnouts on the main straight of Basil. Top right showed him sticking his arms up out of the car as he crossed the line- his finger pointed to the sky. Bottom left showed him out of the car and jumping with the crew here at the KSC, 3 years ago. And the bottom right showed Phil holding a trophy the size of his head- lifting it up over his head with an eternal triumphant scream planted on his face- confetti floating back down from the sky and champagne flying into the air behind him.
    Around my picture were 4 photos as well. My first race, with me celebrating with the team in Owlia. My second win, in Baskay- me permanently frozen mid-back-flip, and a massive smile on my face. Then below it was my first race in Formula- Me blasting through qualifying at the KSC. And then, it was me, kissing the Formula K Championship Trophy, already 1 year ago now. Amazing how much can happen in one year..
    Then, into Turn 15 I took the hard 90º turn. To think, this all started just 2 years ago… I went into the small straight and the fan section dedicated to Phil seemed to shoot negative vibes at me. Like no joke- if you were there, you could feel the evil just flowing out of those stands. Then it was another 90-ish degree left-hander for 17a and 17b- technically a double apex turn, but the speeds and the fact it was really easy to overshoot the turns meant that it was a single apex on the track.
    “Launch mode on. Electrics primed. All’s looking good up here in the box. Best of luck, mate.” I shifted down to first gear and my heart pounded as adrenaline ramped up. I went into Turn 18, 19, 20, and looped around the final turn of 21. This was it. Phil lined up to my right and behind me. The engine behind me hummed and rattled- its 900+ horses chomping at the bit. The rest of the grid filed into line, and I twisted some knobs to set the pre-launch systems (Again- getting these things ready is like warming up a fighter jet, or a rocket ship).
    A green flag waved in the distance, and I heard clapping from the crowd. I looked in my mirror and saw Phil’s helmet- spotlights glinting off the tinted visor. Behind me, I heard engines yelping as drivers popped the gas, testing the engine before go-time. Inhale… exhale… I remembered Phil’s advice. Be confident, know your limits. His voice echoed in my ears. A single light went on above me- it’s amber glow washing over me. I heard the engines revving up- screaming and howling as the RPMs climbed.
    Two lights came on. Rich Revs, clutch in.
    Three. I hit the gas pedal- my car vibrating as the engine shook- ready to begin.
    Four. I put my thumb over the EPB button. My breaths echoed, momentarily cutting out all sound.
    Five. I tensed up, waiting to release the clutch- my eyes locked on the lights above me. My heart was pounding fast and hard, like I had just run a race.
    The light went out and I “dumped” the clutch. The rear wheels bit into the tarmac, and I was slammed back against my seat as the wheels grabbed traction. I pressed down the EPB button and the added boost allowed me to get up to speed. It was a fast run into Turn 1, but because of the immense speed of the car I was already up to around 70 miles per hour. Through the corner I held the inside of Phil, who had slotted in behind me by the end of the turn. It was single-file for the Top 5 or 6 through the first couple of corners, but further back I saw a cloud of smoke and the crowd roared. Small lights on my steering wheel screen lit up in yellow. I slowed down for Turn 2, and as I touched the apex, the marshals around the track began waving yellow flags around the track. I could see past the stands, and on the big screen in front of the backstraight fans I saw the board flashing the words “SAFETY CAR” in big yellow block letters- 2 little flashing lights above the words. I clipped Turn 3’s apex and went to Lean engine mode to preserve fuel.
    “Someone screwed up?” I asked as I wheeled under the tunnel, using the EEP and AEP to go instead of wasting precious, precious fuel. See, in K1, you can refuel the car. And normally, fuel is the number one determination for when to make the pit stop. Tires are important (duh), but not as important as fuel. If you can stretch out that load, you can keep from having to make an early stop and blowing the entire load early in the race. Basically, early fuel burning = early stop, early stop = older tires at the end of the race, older tires at the end of the race = slow, and finally, (I bet you could guess this one) Slow = Bad.
    “Yeah, an AKR car pile drove the rear out of a SM car. I think they also collected a RWR.” I felt bad for the RedWing Racing cars. They were generally towards the back of the field and lately they just couldn’t get any luck with anything. “Got it. How’s the car looking from all 3 seconds of full-pace running?” The only thing I hated about Safety Cars (Besides the fact that there was just a crash where someone could have been hurt) was the fact that they were so boring! Honestly, it’s so awful- traveling along at a snails pace, weaving the car around for tire heat in some vain attempt to entertain oneself for 5 or 10 minutes. During some of the exceptionally long Safety Car periods, Andy and I liked to play I Spy to pass the time (In case you were wondering, I win almost every time).
    “Everything’s good on our end,” Andy replied as I went through the R&D section. “Tire temps are good, engine’s good, transmission’s good, electrics are good, brakes are-“ I decided to jam the brakes, and Andy gave me a sigh. “Brakes about 300 degrees above what they should be going 70 miles an hour, on the coast, at night, under Safety Car, and in clear air.” I chuckled as I steered through Turn 8, before speeding back up to about 75% racing speed in an attempt to both warm the tires and catch up to the Safety Car. “Sorry,” I said, still chuckling as the car responded with all the grip in the world through 9.
    3 laps later (Lap 4 for those who don’t want to math), the green flag waved, and the sound of 17 E8-3F engines roared to life as we restarted the race. I hit the gas hard and got off to a good gap early, leading by a good second or so as I crossed the line. I threw the car into Turn 1 and felt the car grip perfectly as I went through. The tires were still a bit cold (Comparatively speaking, for tires at least), and through 2 the rear end skidded a bit- the left rear just barely touching the dirt on exit. Phil capitalized on that one simple mistake and caught right up to my rear diffuser, and I could see the open mouth of that K1 car almost sneering, like a predator looking at its prey. We both dove down into Turn 3, the two of us just inches from each other.
    I went down the short straight and hit the brakes- the car decelerating like it had just opened up a parachute. Over the rumble strips, I shot into Turn 4, and took up as much of the course as I could. I weaved up the track to get the Turn 5 entrance perfect, and Phil followed suit- our two cars dancing through the course in perfect tune. In Turn 6, Phil dropped back, and so I guessed the car was doing its job of creating dirty air. Once again, the brakes got a huge workout into 7 and the hairpin of 8- the front left momentarily sending up a puff of white smoke as it locked up briefly. I used as much speed as I possibly could, pushing the car to the max. Throughout the course of the next couple of laps, I continued to extend my gap out on Phil, until on Lap 12, the call was made.
    “Pit this lap, Jeb, pit this lap.” We had decided on a 2-stop strategy, and we decided to pit right on the 1/3 mark. I activated Rich Revs and the car accelerated up- it’s 3rd engine activated to push more fuel into the thirsty engine. In 19 and 20, I shut off the fuel drive and activated the Pit Limiter, using EDS (The Electric Drive System) to take me down the pit lane. I went into Lane 2 (The KSC has one pit lane- one on top of the other) and got straight into the stall perfect. The jack lifted me up, and I waited for fuel to fill in. I waited as it came on, and watched the fluid motion of the crew at work. 4 on… 4 off… Static adjustment.. The green light came on above me and I squealed out of the stall- florescent spotlights illuminating the white smoke of the rears wheel-spinning out of the stall. In the mirror I saw the crew high-fiving each other as I left, congratulating themselves on a perfect stop.
    “Push, push!” Phil had driven clear past me during the stop, and I had to push as hard as I could to perfect the undercut. I was a speed demon throughout the lap. Fresh tires, full load of fuel- I pushed as hard as I could on the entire lap, and ended up keeping an advantage over Phil. On Lap 23, the process was repeated, with me remaining on top at the end of the lap. I was on top of my game, through the entire race. On Lap 30, I was getting ready for victory. My first title, in my first season. A record achievement. I was going to win!! And then, the Safety Car came out.
    …
    …
    …
    “You’re freaking kidding me…” I slowed the car down, allowing the Safety Car to pass me on the Outside to pick up the rest of the pack. Why… This was cruel. Horrible. A 15-second gap erased in a matter of seconds. “We can do this, Jeb,” Andy said as I weaved around. “We can do this.”

———

    “Green!” I was already on top of the gas, attempting to gap Phil. He was also on top of it. My heart was racing almost as fast as the cars, and I knew it was all or nothing. 1 Laps to go. Just. 1. I went into Turn 1 with every last milliliter of confidence I had in my body, sticking the car to the apex as if it was glued to the course. Phil was hanging right behind, looking desperately for a hole- a gap- a whiff or a whisper of weakness on my part; anything that could let him past. I remembered Phil’s advice. Be confident. Know your abilities. I blazed into 4 and felt the rear give up a sliver of grip- the left rear sparking off the outside wall and sending up a bright flash of yellow-orange light. I dove to the right to cut Phil off, but he held it to the left- trying to go up the inside. I went as wide as possible on entrance, and mid-corner, something amazing happened.
    I heard a huge thud and crash from the inside, followed by the squealing of tires. A chunk of metal flew over the nose of my car, and in my mirror I saw Phil, facing backwards on the track. “Ohmy-“ I was cut off when a bright, neon Canary yellow car slammed into Phil, making Phil spin around hard and lifting the yellow cars nose up into the air, before it pounded the outside wall a second later. The wheel went yellow immediately, and fortunately, Phil had spun out of the way. Before he disappeared behind a wall, I saw him moving his arms around inside the car. “Holy crap, that was massive,” I muttered, before I was assaulted by a massive, piercing shriek that almost damaged my hearing.
    “YOU DID IT!!! OHMYGOD YES!!!!!” Obviously Alexis was happy. “Safety Car is out! Race frozen on the spot.. Jebediah Kerman, you are the WORLD CHAMPION! You’re the best in the world! Congratulations mate, you’ve earned it! 2035 K1 World Champion!!!” I went through the corners at a slow pace, with the crowd cheering my name. I was silent as I went around the course at 70 miles per hour. Out of the final corner, the checkered flag was waving. To my right, the crew was leaning out of the pit wall- pumping their fists and cheering me onward. 100 feet. I felt some tears welling up in my eyes. 75. The crowd was silent, waiting for me to finish. 50. I could feel the joy from everyone on the box- mom, Alexis, Andy. 25. Tears began streaming down my eyes, and I kept going straight down the road- no weaving, no celebration. 0. The explosion of noise was as loud as a bomb going off, and fireworks flew up into the sky. I just cried. No celebration, no cheering.
    “This….. This is the greatest moment of my life..” I tried to form the words through the tears. “Thank you…… so much.” I just pulled off to the side of Turn 1, and tried to collect myself. Drivers came up to the side of my car and waved- congratulating me.

    Jebediah Kerman, your 2035 K1 World Champion. Taking a moment to collect himself… A well deserved season title, and a wonderful start to his career. 

    I finally got going, but it was still really hard to see. “Thank you, to all the fans.. Amazing. Thank you all so much.” I waved to the crowd and they cheered. “This is the greatest moment of my life… Oh my god…” I opened up the visor and wiped some tears off my face, trying to get myself together. I got back going, and because the air, which was cool, made me feel like my face was going to freeze off. I went under the tunnel and I saw Phil, standing off on the side of the track. His car was resting off to the outside of the track- the rear and demolished. The front had a massive hole in it, and I could see there was some kind of coolant fluid leaking out of the sides. I turned to the outside and stopped right next to him. I undid my belts and opened up my visor. Sound assaulted my ears, and a blast of cool air hit my face. I went over to Phil, who was looking up at the sky and pacing- his eyes looking watery. Phil saw me, and wrapped me in a massive hug. “You did good, kid,” He shouted, trying to be heard over the crowd. “I’m sorry,” I cried as the other cars went past. Phil looked me in the eye, and shook his head. “You earned it,” He said.
    I nodded and hopped in the car. Phil, deciding to capitalize on a ride back to the pits, hopped on the side of the car and sat down right next to the right wing mirror, situating himself between the mirror and the top of the sidepod. I started going, and he grabbed onto the side of the cockpit pod for grip. We were both waving to the fans, and when we got to Tempesta, Phil did something I’ll never forget. 
    I was about to turn right to go into the Victory Circle, but Phil grabbed the wheel and turned me dead left. I looked at him and he shook his head. We went down the straight to the cheers of thousands of fans- camera flashes mixing with the lights. I was still crying a bit, but fortunately it had slowed down a bit. We got onto the Hangar Straight, and Phil motioned for me to stop. I complied, and he hopped off. I looked at him, and he pointed up to the sky, before waving his arm around in a circular motion. Celebrate, he mouthed at me, smiling. I twisted the dials and locked the wheel. Then, I pointed to the sky and stood on the gas.
    The engine wailed and the tires started smoking as they lost traction. The camera flashes intensified- journalists and fans alike trying to snap the most iconic photo. Phil grinned as I spun around and around. Smoke obscured my vision and the engine drowned out everything. 
    “Congratulations, kiddo. I knew you could do it.” My face brightened up when I recognized the voice. “Granddad! What’re you doing here?!” Last I had heard, Granddad was back in Owlia. “I couldn’t miss my grandsons big race! What kind of grandparent would I be if I did that?” I smiled. “I’m really glad you made it.” Granddad was one of the most famous racers in the early 1990’s, and was around for some of the first K1 races. It felt amazing that he had seen me win the title he had won twice.
    I stopped doing the burnouts, and picked Phil up, on the way to the podium.

———

    Tears fell down my face as I got out of the car. Emotion hit me like a garbage truck. I’d been dreaming about this moment my entire life, and now it was finally coming true. The crew congratulated me as I got out, and the other drivers- Jackson and David- were helping me up. “Great job, kid!” David was saying as we went up to the podium. We got up onto the trophy and I tried to sue it in as the anthem played. I couldn’t help but laugh as the race trophies were handed out, and the champagne handed to me. Then, out came the big trophy.
    Fireworks and confetti flew up into the air as I picked up the trophy. I held the massive trophy in my hand. It was like a large vase, just with handles near the top to hold onto it. On the base, my name was stamped onto it- forever etched into history. Around the entire surface of the cup, there were shiny jewels and elaborate engravings, with a large, loopy K1 logo on the face. I was about to kiss it, but I was interrupted by the other podium finishers and my team spraying champagne straight into the side of my face. I grinned and aimed my bottle at them, shooting them back. I took the Owlian flag sitting on the podium next to me, and I put it behind me head, acting as a kind of shield.
    Photographers went wild as the champagne hit- my face opened wide in a triumphant yell. I had finally done it. I was a World Champion. And I was ready to go at it again.
    “Jeb!” I turned and saw reporters coming up to me, and I stepped down off the podium.  I tried to wipe the wetness off my face, but the smile was going to stay for the next week or two. Maybe three. “Here I am with Jebediah Kerman, your 2035 World Champion! Jeb! You’ve won, how awesome is that?!” I laughed and held the baseball cap over my head, which said, very inconspicuously, “2035 WORLD CHAMPION” on the top.
    “Ah, it’s freaking amazing. We worked so hard all season long, never giving up.. Somehow, even with all our work, we had to get some luck and that’s just what we had today. I mean I couldn’t do it without the team. They’re probably the best group of guys a driver could ask for, and.. They’re the real champions here.” The reporter nodded and took the mic back. “How much emotion was going through your mind as you crossed that line on the last lap?” I sighed.
    “A lot,” I laughed, my eyes watering up for no reason. “I mean… I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was like Five, and now, to come out here and actually win the title with my hero.. It’s awesome.” My voice broke a bit and I chuckled. “Sorry for looking like such a crybaby holy cow.” I wiped my eyes and the reporter laughed. “We’ll let you get back with your team now. Enjoy the offseason, and good luck for 2036!” I smiled, nodded. World Champion… Has a nice ring to it.

Edited January 26, 2018 by DarkOwl57
Added some stuff, changed some wording, etc.

[qzgy]

I hope we see Phil again. I like Phil.

[DarkOwl57]

10 hours ago, qzgy said:

I hope we see Phil again. I like Phil.

Oh don't worry, you will... I'm toying with........ something. Could go over good... Could make people want to kill me. 

Just remember, though, that Phil hasn't retired or quit. He's still got some fight left in him