Alyx had been a contestant in enough races that she could live a life of some luxury when she wasn’t racing. She had her own room in a spaceship owned by an old friend, of sorts. Her room had a shower, holovision, music system, gaming simulator, bed and kitchen. It was more than the majority could claim to own on this backwater planet. Sadly, the spaceship wasn’t going anywhere in the state it was in. It had crashed a decade ago, any valuable parts had been scavenged and then it bad been transported to the nearest city to be turned into housing.

Sometimes it paid to bet against yourself, and throw races. She hadn’t done that in some years now though. Her get quick rich scheme had begun because she was bored, when no one provided enough of a challenge. It had ended because of one girl who wouldn’t just give up and go home. Admittedly, this backwater planet probably was her home. It’d explain a lot about the girl in question. Alyx had ended up here because she’d thrown races and bet against herself, which some groups didn’t appreciate. They were angered and wanted her head. She needed her head, but they weren’t particularly understanding about it.

Alyx had spent more time on this planet by now than she had planned to. She’d become a different woman, not really personality wise or anything, but she’d enhanced her skills with modifications to her body. It seemed such things were more readily available here, or the merchants for them were at least. She had a connection at the back of her neck that allowed her to jack into her bike, and a number of adrenaline injectors across her body. Her physical strength had been increased artificially too.

There was another race today, in a few hours. Alyx was as ready as ever to win. She did enjoy the challenge she’d encountered here, but she wasn’t going to roll over and if she didn’t she usually won. Usually, but she’d lost a few times lately. Regardless, it wouldn’t happen again. That’s why she’d gotten new modifications to her body. Needle may have said something about how she might end up dead before the race even started if she wasn’t careful with the modifications, but she’d laughed it off. He wasn’t the first one to warn her about how this or that might result in her death. She already knew how she was going to die anyway. She’d seen it in a vision of the future, caused by a drug induced episode. 

Alyx threw the towels she’d wrapped around her body on the bed, and got dressed. Besides, she’d already died, metaphorically and literally, but she’d been revived. One of these days she wouldn’t be so lucky. One of these days she’d end up a smear on the wall, like her idol before her. It happened to the best if they didn’t retire. At the moment though, she was running down a dream. Alyx turned on the music to mentally prepare herself.

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