Name: Beatrix Viola Kendal Ward
Alias: Bea (to most people), MadBea (social media tag)
Team: Carrera Condor
Driver Number: 18
Nationality: British
Gender: Female
Age: 20
SPACER

Backstory:
A child of Frederick Henry Ward, an industrial mogul and owner of Pridwen Solutions, formerly of aerospace and defense fame currently dealing in agricultural machinery and civilian aerospace, and his corporate lawyer Akela Hawthorne-Ward. Beatrix has been racing since she was six, starting with sailing hydrofoils, graduating to hoverkarts at 10, various British regional Rallye Championships at 14, the European Rallye Championship at 16 and finally the Junior Formula Anti-Gravity series at 17. Despite a double win and regular top five finishes in the regionals and finishing P3 overall in the European Rallye and good results in Junior Formula Anti-Gravity, she didn’t make the cut for any of the Formula AG teams that had seats open for the 2093 season while also out of a drive in the Junior series.

Bea instead spent the year racing limited schedule in the European Rallye Championship with the intent to try for Formula AG again next year while her father greased some wheels behind the scenes. Her signing now granting access to select Pridwen Solutions patented technology for the team, Carrera Condor unceremoniously threw one of their current drivers under the proverbial bus mid-season and announced Beatrix would take his seat next year, after which simulators and advertising for the new team as well as getting used to working with her future race engineer, a former Formula AG multiple race winner whose career had been cut short by an injury ensued.

Personality:
Never one for the ‘proper lady’ thing her dear father hoped for, although obliging him on important occasions to make him happy, Bea is an unfiltered adrenaline junkie, having been interested in racing things on land, sea and air since she was five. Racing isn’t just a hobby for her despite what some detractors claim, having poured her heart and soul into it since her Rallye days. Being very passionate about racing, sometimes she can get a little... overenthusiastic in the cockpit, with some choice words she's had for other drivers or the team's own vehicle over the team radio having secured places in the fans' memories and one or two even ascended to memehood. Bea also has an artistic side, doing her own helmet designs among other things.

Bea sees people who aren’t smiling as a problem that needs to be fixed immediately. An outgoing social creature, she’s made use of her personality and interests to promote civilian and agricultural products of Pridwen Solutions in the past and has been using social media for the past few months to give her audience an entertaining and informative look under the team’s hood, though carefully scrubbed of anything they want to keep under wraps. An excitable ball of inexhaustible energy, getting her to sit still for a 10 minute interview is a feat worthy of legends and no one has yet managed to get her to take one completely seriously.

Racing DNA


Controversy : Despite some success in the Junior Formula AG series as well as other racing ventures, many see her as a nepo baby corpo princess whose daddy bought her "a pony" in the form of a race seat and expensive augs and gear.
Some people also take issue with the fact that her family's fortune came from the defense sector, Pridwen Solutions only having pivoted to agricultural machinery and renewable energy when the defense market was about to stall.
But the number one group of people cursing Bea's name and lineage are the fans of Joaquin Ibanez, the driver she replaced at Carrera Condor for the 2094 season, essentially pissing off a sizable chunk of Argentinian racing fans simply by existing.

MISC
Theme Song
Likes: Adrenaline highs, large dogs, singing, sweets.
Dislikes: Dirty racing, two-facedness, liquid breathing.
Other Information:

• Her father is and always will be her number one fan, although her mother is not at all pleased by her choice of career or Frederick's support of such a dangerous endeavor. Bea’s older sister, Evangeline, considers her to be mind-numbingly irresponsible and utterly insane, but that doesn’t get in the way of a good sibling relationship.
• She’s fairly outspoken about her support of employee protections and anti-trust laws, though she can’t resist pointing out Pridwen Solutions workplace safety measures and employee benefits as positive examples which sometimes gets her written off as dressing up advertising for her father’s company as activism.

Name: Ulrich Falkner
Alias: The Panzer
Nationality: German
Team: Miller Motor Racing
Gender: Male
Age: 23

Personality: When it comes to off the track, Ulrich is a generally jovial and cheerful fellow to be around. He believes that anything that needs to be said can be said when it's time to race and once it's done there's no need to harbour ill feelings to one another, sometimes much to the chagrin of the trash talkers in the sport. He's always happy to chat to fans or provide interviews, sometimes having to remind himself of his busy schedule that the racers must keep to. Some may perceive this as a rather laid back attitude when it comes to trying to reach the pinnacle of Formula AG but that could be further from the truth.

During training and meetings, Ulrich is all business and will put 100% of himself into all endeavours to become better, faster and stronger. He believes that all the modifications in the world are for nought if your body can't handle it so he respects this doctrine to the letter, even abstaining from drugs or alcohol even while he's partying it up in clubs when it's time to relax. With this tenet and the general standing of Miller Motor, he does not envy those with more mods and implants than him though he recognises their importance.

On the track, Ulrich's attitude somehow gets even more serious. Though his chatter tends to take up most of the team radio, often audibly speaking his mind aloud through each and every manoeuvre and talking to himself or comments about or towards other racers especially when locked in an ELS battles. This usually puts his radio in quite a few highlight reels and online compilations, and he'll allow himself shouts of elation or disappointment once he's crossed the line... Afterall, gotta find someway to vent all that adrenaline. His emotions, though displayed, do not betray his driving sense and his patience upon playing defence before seizing the moment to surge forward is what has earned him the nickname "The Panzer." Insults, energy leeches, criticisms, they all bounce off of the hull of Ulrich's spirit.

Backstory: Born as the eldest of three children to his father (a Civic Engineer) and mother (a Professor in renewable energy solutions), Ulrich has had the incredible fortune of being brought up by a loving, close knit family. His brother and sister (aged 17 and 14 respectively) grew up as close to Ulrich as he had done with their parents. During his childhood, Ulrich's love for racing and all things fast blossomed as his father had recently re-found his tapes from the 274th German Mosel Rally. From the first roars of the engines of old, young Ulrich was hooked. As soon as the first tape ended, Ulrich proudly proclaimed that was what he wanted to do and begged his father to put on the next one.

Thus began a lifelong obsession that Ulrich pursued with every step. Schooling and education was focused towards AG engineering and an understanding of ship technology as well as pursuits in physical athletics that could've afforded him a scholarship to the University of Stuttgart. And somehow, with the financial backing of his family, Ulrich got his chance to join the Junior AG program in Europe after a short stint in Junior Rally. His talents defensively and a mind to jump through the narrow windows quickly afforded him the opportunity to rise up through the Junior ranks.

Though it would've made sense to join European based teams, Ulrich made a surprising move to Miller Motor. He's cited in an article about being "very excited about the potential of the Miller Motor Company and their willingness to invest in not just young talent such as Max Wedgewood and himself, but the future as well." Unbeknownst to him, his father would later come to him revealing his secret. The fortune required to give Ulrich his kickstart into the world of racing was afforded by huge gambling debts which was now being called upon... Now Ulrich has a whole new reason to race, and his positive attitude is now at risk of becoming a charade.

Racing DNA



Controversy: While secret for now, his father's debt is becoming a heavy weight upon his shoulders and despite not enjoying a lavish lifestyle outside of the Formula AG events there are questions being raised as to where exactly his money could be going.

MISC
Theme Song: Groove District
Likes: Racing, ELS battles, fan meets, hugs.
Dislikes: Snarky comments, veiled insults, and currently his father.
Other Information: Ulrich has a Pudelpointer dog called Hugo, who accompanies him on tour and acts as an unofficial mascot of his pit crew.

His racing suit sports the same colours as Miller Motor, accompanied with all of the sponsors as well as a German flag sewn in as a badge.

Name: Han Hyeon-Ae
Alias: Renaissance Han, Joseon Han (political ads), HHA:Zygon (social media handle)
Team: Zygon
Gender: Female
Age: 23



Personality:
Hyeon-Ae is better than you, and she is happy to make sure you know it. She exudes a refined air of deliberate confidence that oftens borders on arrogance, but still carefully measures who is watching and listening before committing to any faux pas. More likely, she will use her extensive knowledge and etiquette to undermine her peers, either trying to ‘humbly’ outshine them, or embarass them by highlighting their flaws.

She is incredibly calculating and thoughtful, and her hard training and the capabilities instilled in her has left her with a hunger for power, wealth and attention, even if she does not recklessly pursue these at the cost of her image. Not unlike many others with the same prideful ambition for the top, she is often petty and unpleasant to those who slight her, or those she views as inferior by some internal metric. She will definitely put long schemes into play to get revenge on someone for things others would consider childish. A slight on her is a slight on her prestige, her family, and Zygon, after all, and she defends her territory like a snake.

That aside, her time in the political spotlight gave her a genuine affection for women's rights (and wrongs), and she is outspoken on many civil issues with a matter-of-factly tone backed by intense societal knowledge, making her both a sometimes problematic corporate investment, and a beacon for the masses.

Backstory:
When Hyeon-Ae was five, she already knew she wanted to be a race-pilot. What could her loving uncle do but spend his wealth and influence to make his beloved niece's dream a reality?

At least, that's the official story. Almost everything about Han Hyeon-Ae has been manufactured for maximum appeal. In truth, she was drafted for her genetic markers by corporate agents, and a sob story about her lost parents and her loving uncle and his family was put in place.

She is, in truth, a cog in a push to create a revived eastern cultural powerhouse, coached since birth in her future as a cultural icon, scion of the humanities, and entertainment star. Somewhere along the line, due to the meddling of some dynasty goon, that career was turned towards AG racing. This all included a lot of hush-hush projects and supplemental operations and bio-patches during her growth.

She featured early in developmental training in all stages, and continually blazed a path that earned her some measure of recognition in her youth.

Around and following her 17th birthday she participated heavily in the Renaissance Women of Korea movement, a gender progressivism movement that pushed for women to take the role of cultural rulers, and encourage women to take up academics following a few decades of unstable hiring practices. Her bioengineering and breadth of academic knowledge made her a powerhouse for the movement, and though the ‘renaissance’ refers to the Joseon dynasty, she garnered international acclaim as a woman of the future due to connections with the European terminology.

Following the movement, her corporate overlords have leaned into her image to push sponsorships and public political lobbying that benefits Zygon.

Racing DNA

Overview: Hyeon-Ae is first and foremost a calculated pilot. She does not take risks if the gain is not sufficiently high, and does not necessarily push herself to the limit in every race in the hopes of eking out a win. She is extremely consistent however, and favors beating her opposition as they pile up mistakes or correction errors, while her flawless safer driving makes steady but slow gains.

Skills: Han Hyeon-Ae is well-read in academics, both the natural sciences and liberal arts, and uses this knowledge to browbeat others on the political stage. She is able to lecture economic analysts on the flaws in their presumptions. Given a career other than racing, one imagines she'd be a dangerous political opponent.

Special Trait: Hyeon-Ae is The Woman Of The Future™. She has been bioengineered to outclass the typical person not only in racing, but on most every level. All these sleek, non-technical upgrades integrated into her being has made her an imposing opponent, particularly mentally - both in thought and reaction time.

Controversy : Hyeon-Ae’s past is a scandal waiting to happen. Anyone who looks close enough can tell that facts don't particularly add up, or that government papers don't look like they've been filed properly. Just how much of a fake she is already hotly debated online, but her skills on the field and her unerring confidence in producing results both on and off the field keep the rumors in the shadows; it would be obvious if she was just a dumb idol plant, after all.

Other participants in the Renaissance Movement have previously spoken out about her nasty behavior behind the scenes, and add to the ghost stories about teams of suits following her wherever she went, even at such a young age. It's surprisingly hard to find such people for a confirmation quote after the fact, though.

MISC
Theme Song: Here.
Likes:
Being praised
Sociological theory
Competition
Dislikes:
Unintelligent people
Poor performance / negligence
Her Uncle
Other Information: Does she even like racing? The answer probably depends on who is listening.

---

---

Name: Kais Zenix
Alias: Al-Shihab (The Meteor), @ASZenix (media handle), ZNX-5-01 (wartime serial code)
Team: Al-Saqr Racing - Arabic Union
Gender: Male
Age: 36

Personality: Kais is one of the most grating personalities in the AG racing sphere. His supersoldier genetics and paramilitary past has left him with a more than healthy sprinkling of assertiveness, an unhealthy sprinkling of wartime baggage, and a lack of tolerance for bullshit, specifically yours. Though he has a stoic exterior, he is quick to push back against people whom he feels behave with conceit and hostility, and dislikes a soft touch, preferring to attack problems directly and decisively. It is an open secret that his social media handle is handled by an assistant for damage control, as his guest appearances and fan interactions can sometimes end in interesting exchanges. That said, when you find yourself on his good side (which, disclaimer: isn't the easiest thing to do), he'll go through literal hellfire and back for you.

He himself is plagued by his past and attitude as much as others are, even though he’ll never admit it even to himself. Kais is a man lost in this world at peace, a world of excess, of profilicity and emblazoned vulnerability. It is likely he turned to racing for exactly this reason: to reconnect with those primal parts of him that drive for competence and strength, to find an outlet for those things he buries and hides behind an emotional shield-wall, and to dance with death once more, and this time, to win.

Backstory: Kais Zenix (original serial name classified and unknown to the public) is one of the artificially fast-grown genetically augmented soldiers (colloquially: 'supersoldier') by a mysterious paramilitary group for use by the Masdar al-Nuba, a rebel cell operating in Egypt against the Arabic Union in its formative years. Framed as a conflict over water rights and influence in the region, not much is publicly known about them or their deeper motives to this day, and there wasn’t much post-war interest either, as their fate was the same of most fractured rebel factions in the region at the time: they were defeated and relegated to the ash heap of history, the region unified into the Union, end of story. Until a short time ago, that is, when one of their former supersoldiers entered the Union’s AG racing team of Al-Saqr.

After his time in the rebellion and their defeat, he has been through a thorough incarceration, examination, and rehabilitation regimen, which continues to this day through personal debriefings and psych evals. These included experimental neural stimulation techniques similar to those used in AG simulation training. That said, his training doesn't always take hold as much as his managers would like. Indeed, his nickname 'The Meteor' comes from one of his first races, in which he pushed his ship so far it burst into flames. But is burning out in a short blaze of glory all that is to him?

Racing DNA





Controversy: His mysterious and warlike past often raise questions, both from outside of the team and within, about his morality and the lengths to which he might go to attain victory, as well as the reason for the board to have accepted him in the team to begin with, some of which speculations include blackmail, infiltration and conspiracy. Whatever might be the case, it is undeniable his appearances draw viewers and social media engagement for the team, though not always in the most positive light.

MISC
Speech Color: orange, f7941d
Theme Song: Bayek of Siwa, Assassin's Creed Origins OST - Sarah Schachner
Likes: trivia about the countries he visits, animals, worthy opponents, getting apologies, arguing.
Dislikes: inauthenticity, monotonicity, arrogance.
Other Information: he likes collecting old-world items, usually somewhat obscure or otherwise unremarkable to anyone but him, and he owns a modest collection of experimental and upcycled motorcycles. His signature move in Al-Saqr's junior league has become known as the 'meteor strike'. He still has his old serial name marked on the nape of his neck, a constant reminder of his origin and purpose, even to people who might not otherwise recognize him.

---

Al Saqr Racing Team:

• Layla "Yalla" Al-Nadir: Main racer of Al Saqr. Optimistic and energetic. Transhuman activist, very highly augmented (eyes, limbs, metabolism, neural overclocking). Has worked on the Moon, and is low-key (read: very high-key) in love with it for its (trans)human technical challenge and what it symbolizes. (see also the original post by FourtyTwo in OOC: The Teams > Al-Saqr Racing)
• Nadia Yassine: Electric Engineering Intern. Somewhat timid. Studies at the Paris University, France (with friends Sophie and Alyx). Works with the neural engineering dept for improving Kais' neural interface. Lives with her parents at Abu Dhabi. Father has leg prosthetics from the war.
• Omar Hayawi: Team Principal. To the point, rarely smiles. Shaven head, glasses, rather large beard. Started off as a financial controller at Al-Saqr.
• Hamid Atlassi: Moroccan junior AG racer and loyal Arabic Union test pilot for Al-Saqr.
• Juan Diaz: Head mechanic of electrical engineering, specialized in the AG racers' Energy Systems.
• Remi Tewe: Lead neural engineer.
• Yasif Al-Maadi: Head simulation engineer. Has little to no verbal filter. Likes computationally modeling (and theorizing about) other racers for their simulations. Organizes mezze-and-fun nights with the rest of the sim engineers.
• Dalia Mansour: Head of the propulsion unit developers at Al-Saqr.
• Farouk Al-Najjar: Mechanic and pit crew assigned to Kais' racer. Is learning to play chess. (Not so) Secretly a Bea fan.
• Zeina Salim: Kais' race engineer, providing support and information over the comms during a race.
• Marko Livakovic: Layla's race engineer.
• Salma Nasri: Chief Medical Officer. Very concerned with safety.

Masdar al-Nuba rebels:

• Rami: young rebel (in flashbacks), fiercely disillusioned with the Arabic Union.
• Khaled: older, more experienced rebel (in flashbacks), gruff but cautious.
• Inan (ION-2-02): ex-supersoldier and old teammate of Kais.

Misc.:

• Amina and Mohammad Al-Nadir: Layla's adoptive parents.
• Jackals & Co.: very on-the-nose edgy clothing brand (sponsors Kais).
• Nomad Nutrition: company with the mission to end world hunger, produces long-shelflife foodstuffs like nutri-pastes (sponsors Kais).
• Durrat Glider Celestial: ultra-luxury hover-yacht and cruise company (sponsors Al Saqr in general).
• Silver Line Cybernetics: personalized cybernetics brand with designs that are jewellery as much as functional (sponsors Layla).
• Cryo-Digital: company doing R&D on the digitization of memories, and the creation of 'neuro-vids' (sponsors Layla).
• Lunaspace Engineering Company: lunar mining and extra-planetary colonization corporation (Layla's previous employer).

Kais Zenix is a genetically modified ex-soldier born and bred for a war he lost. Now, decades later, he races for the Arabic League -his former enemy- in the team of Al-Saqr, together with trans-humanist cyborg Layla Al-Nadir, where they are pushed to their mental and technological limits. Kais is motivated by a desire to try and 'make something else of himself', but is still haunted by and struggles with his past, both in terms of trauma and lingering aggressive instincts, and because there seems to be more going on behind the scenes in the Delta Hyper racing tournament - something which seems to connect many of the racers in some strange way.


Episode 1: Finding Their Feet
Race: Auckland, New Zealand
Qualified: 11th
Finished: 9th (2 points)
Summary: Kais Zenix appears as an abrasive personality during his introduction into the Delta Hyper Anti-Gravity Racing Championship. Off-track, a rival racer, Ava Villarosa, approaches him due to their similar military background (her having been a military pilot, and Kais being a lab-bred ex-supersoldier of a defeated rebel faction who fought against the Arabic Union, whom he now, ironically, races for in the Al Saqr Racing Team) and cautions him to 'stay in the light' as there are those who may be interested in 'making a better weapon out of him'. Kais is initially dismissive, and bites back telling her 'they better make him better', because he wants to be 'the light everybody stands in'. After the race, back at Al Saqr's HQ in Abu Dhabi, Kais and Nadia (the electrical engineering intern assigned to him and his craft) push for an unsanctioned upgrade to the 'neural dampeners' to allow for more input/output possibilities on the pilot-ship neural interface, despite the fact that this could trigger unwanted psychological states like seizures due to over-stimulation. Nadia is cautioned by her war-traumatized father about Kais and his past.
Posts: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

Episode 2: Chasing Apex
Race: Cape Town, South Africa
Qualified: 4th
Finished: 7th (6 points)
Summary: Kais prepares for the race, and remembers a military operation against the Arabic Union during the Middle Eastern Water Wars. During the race, Kais is involved in an entanglement between Silver Apex' Jamie Hart (going for a bad overtake, causing a crash), Carrera Condor's Beatrix Ward (whose craft is wrecked during the crash), and himself (whose craft is only slightly damaged). He manages to claw back some positions, but lost his opportunity to push into the top 3 on a track that otherwise favored his craft. In the post-race press conference Kais manages to push Al Saqr's message of disapproval towards Jamie's bad overtake and their view that racing as a sport should not be too regulated but be a venue for humans to push themselves. He is skeptical towards Han Hyeon-Ae's motivations in her offer to throw a party post-Tokyo race, and gets blind-sided by a question on the racers' past backgrounds, refusing to answer. After the race, back in Al Saqr's HQ in Abu Dhabi, Kais and Layla Al-Nadir (Kais' teammate and Al Saqr's primary racer) simulator-practice the upcoming Tokyo track, and during a teambuilding potluck, Kais flashes back to one of the decisive defeats during his past military career. He opens up to Layla about his motivation: he has gone into racing to try to escape his past and his reputation as an ex-rebel supersoldier, to make something else of himself, and seems resigned and willing to being experimented on by Al Saqr to attain that. Layla opens up to him on her own motivations and her optimistic and hopeful views about the future of (trans-)humanity, and their role in it.
Posts: [1], [2], [3], [collab], [4]

Episode 3: The Neon Bath
Race: Tokyo, Japan
Qualified: 2nd
Finished: 1st (25 points)
Summary: During a sponsorship event, Kais approaches Villarosa again to ask for her thoughts on the Jamie affair during the previous race, and to continue their previous conversation in light of it. Ava thinks Jamie feels immense pressure from racing in the same team as the reigning champion Amy Stirling, and made a bad move because of it. She further says she noticed a link between a lot of racers, being from rough, augmented and defence backgrounds, and speculates there are as-of-yet unknown but very interested parties window-shopping how they develop throughout their careers for motives known only to themselves. In Kais' case specifically, to potentially 'make a better version of him, a better weapon'. She then offers him a data card containing captured data on his creation and birth, which Kais looks into and is angered and saddened by. Kais qualifies 2nd for the race, and eventually wins! He is the first to bump Amy off of 1st place this season. And yet he has mixed feelings about it. He is certainly happy, and feels it could mark a new beginning for him, but he also knows the fight has only just begun, that he will now be a target in more ways than one, and what about those migraines from the neural interface upgrade... the upgrade that Amy seems to know about? Then, at Hyeon-Ae's post-race party, he bonds with Valkyrie's Paul Mulder and MMR's Max Wedgewood, but cuts it off before it gets too deep as he feels it 'never ends well', and leaves.
Posts: [1], [2], [3], [collab]

Episode 4: Azzuro Alpina
Race: Marmolada, Italy
Qualified: 2nd
Finished: 3rd (15 points)
Summary: As Layla and the team prepare the simulator and ships for training-and-testing for the upcoming Luna race, Layla reflects on her time at the moon and her motivation for going trans-human, while Kais visits Khaled, an old rebel comrade in Egypt. Kais tells him he has found important information about the war, and asks who of their old supersoldiers have come to visit him (as he had marked Khaled as trustworthy). After the Luna training sessions, during the Italian AGP race, the problems with the neural dampener's dynamic modulator becomes evident as Kais experiences a past memory bleeding into the present. He finishes 3rd, behind Harrison and Nora Kelly, and before the podium ceremony, he emphasizes they finally bumped reigning champion Amy Sterling off the podium, content, yet wary of what it might hold for them.
Posts: [1], [2]

Episode 5: Trading Paint
Race: Portimão, Portugal
Qualified: 8th
Finished: 8th (4 points)
Summary: Hamid, junior AG league racer and test pilot of Al-Saqr tests their in-development drive setup with success. Kais and Layla keep practicing with the neural modulator but start to feel the squeeze: Layla frequently overheats, and Kais keeps getting memory bleeds. During Al-Saqr's review meeting, Omar is determined to push the limits, now that they're only 9 points behind Silver Apex, but Salma Nasri MD states the current developments are dangerous to the pilots, especially Layla. Layla is determined to keep going, however, as they are very close to breakthrough. Kais secretly rebels against Al-Saqr's plan and sets some guardrails on Layla's setup with Nadia. Layla finds out during practice, however, and the two fight: Layla stating she doesn't want her goals of working towards a trans-human future to be held back by other peoples' fears, and Kais stating he doesn't want to see another squadmate go down, but that he will stand down if she chooses to go through with it. After a disappointing qualification, Layla reverts her setup back to her original, with all the dangers it entails. During the race, Amy's ship stalls during takeoff, Ava's ship burns-out, and Kais is stuck behind Han as he tries to gain way, but is constantly thwarted by her. After the race Layla seems out-of-it, having been plagued by massive headaches, and retreats to rest. Kais and Nadia go over telemetry to figure out what happened. They find out Layla had indeed disabled their guardrails, which allowed a massive spike in Layla's subconscious mind to influence her ship's A.I. systems in such a way where it reached out through the race's digital network, and caused Amy's ship to stall.
Posts: [collab], [1], [2]

Episode 6: The Dark Side of the Moon
Race: Mare Australe, Luna
Qualified: 3rd
Finished: 5th (10 points)
Summary: Layla has had a breakthrough. The team has updated her ship's digital neural networks so they explore their own optimal connection to Layla's mind, and what's more: Layla's brain has changed in response - her brain and the ship's A.I. seem to be so in-sync, they are merging into one. Because of this, Kais and Nadia confront Layla with her subconsciously seemingly having caused Amy's glitch last race, since she might now be in control of that, and thus dangerous. Layla recognizes the potential of their new developments to fields like medicine and space colonization, though, and goes into secretive talks with external stakeholders to further fund their research, but gets told she needs to show more results, adding pressure for the upcoming Luna race. Kais trains at Hamad International Spaceport to prepare for the Luna trip's micro-gravity environments, where the heavy spacesuit reminds him of his wartime power-armor, and he decides to set up a meeting with another ex-supersoldier at a memorial site. There he shares the data he received from Ava, asking him to dig into it and keep it safe, in the event something happened to him. Layla and Kais then attend a pre-launch event, and take-off to Luna. There, they qualify 2nd and 3rd, and before the race, Layla and Kais do some sponsorship endorsements involving lunar basketball. During the race, Nora Kelly and Ava Villarosa are injured in a massive crash, and in the aftermath Layla and Kais struggle to cope, with Kais keeping himself extremely detached, while Layla fears it was her fault again (though inspections later don't seem to have found them culpable, or even found their modification to begin with). Kais goes to visit Nora in the medical center, then tells Layla that he thinks Nora will be alright, and shares his view on humanity's resilience.
Posts: [1], [2], [3]

Episode 7: The Roll of the Dice
Race: Circuit de Monaco, Monaco
Qualified: 10th
Finished: 14th (0 points)
Summary: Nadia gets a permanent function at Al Saqr, and is pressured by Omar to push Layla and Kais in the Monaco race to test the pilot-AI-bond to compensate for their subpar ship for the track. Kais and Ava talk at the Casino de Monaco about her crash on Luna. Ava reveals that the data of Kais' origins was discovered in a leftover data cache in the upgrade they got from Apex. Ava speculates that it might have been bait containing a piece of Amy's setup, laced with a cyber-weapon, which they triggered somehow. Kais states that that might have been them accidentally, through their developments in the AI-pilot bond. The two then speculate what might have been the reason for it, and who might have benefitted from this: sabotage from Apex, an intrusive action from Zygon (Amy's previous team), a ship AI malfunction, or perhaps even FIAR to intervene in unsanctioned developments in the neural link. During Amy's yacht party after Qualification, he starts a fight and is joined by Alexander Knight, whom he talks to briefly, warning him about the strange things happening on track out of concern for Paul. During the race, Astrid and Kais crash into each other, and Kais has a bout of anger on camera. He contacts Cassie to talk about Zygon. Layla goes to see her contacts from Lunaspace to create sub-AI copies of some of her neural patterns - the start of her creating a copy of her mind into the machine directly. Kais goes to see Kofi in South Africa to see a Lion's de-extinction programme, asking if he would want to become a contributor.
Posts: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

Episode 8: The Chain
Race: Silverstone, GB
Qualified: 3rd
Finished: 1st (25 points)
Summary: Cassie and Kais sit down to talk about Zygon's earlier experiences with Amy, and Cassie reveals that Kais' own genetic heritage actually comes from a purposeful leak (or trade) from Korean genebank to the Middle Eastern Water War for pressure testing purposes, genetic heritage that now can -likely- be also found also in augmentations of Amy and Han. Kais is shocked by this, and when asked what he actually wants, doesn't answer. On the live stage at Silverstone, Kais breaks Al Saqr's script to emphasize that Al Saqr pushes the limits because that's how they can gain an advantage over those teams that have more funding and corporate polish. And though during Qualification Kais' ship 'kicked like a mule', Kais manages to win the Silverstone race, ending up on the same podium as Amy and Han. There, Amy taunts him through a direct line to his neural link, implying she knows about his past, their present modifications, and what that might mean for the future too, and says he must become 'more than just a fighter' for what's to come. Paul contacts Kais to ask if he wants to attend the Mulder Foundation's fundraiser to help children in need with art supplies, resources and exposure. Kais offers up one of his custom 'Frankenstein' motorcycles for auction which is to be painted by children helped by the foundation.
Posts: [1], [2], [collab], [collab]

Episode 9: The Wall of Champions
Race: Montreal, Canada
Qualified: 8th
Finished: DNF (0 points)
Summary: Kais cooks during the poutine challenge. Kais and Layla decide to go all-in on trying to be an obstacle to Amy during the race. Amy crashes during the race, then later Kais crashes due to a bad overtake by Jamie. Kais scolds Jamie aggressively, accusing him of being Amy's lapdog and to tell Amy she should finish the job herself next time, which earns him penalty points. After the race, Layla's neural link doesn't stabilize and causes a data overload between the link and her brain. This renders her braindead. Al Saqr decides to keep it a secret for now, only issuing PR on health related retirement while they go about troubleshooting.
Posts: [1]

Episode 10: Changing Conditions
Race: Stavelot, Belgium
Qualified: 10th
Finished: 8th (4 points)
Summary: Kais is beset by guilt after Layla's, and thinks back on his defeat during the rebellion at Operation Last Storm. Omar refuses to delete all of Layla's configuration due to Layla's last will. Hamid races his first race but DNF due to an unfortunate crash with Kofi. During the race, Hamid notices strange activity in his (Layla's) racer and Nadia and Kais seem to recognize there might be something going on there. Omar reveals Layla's last testament and will, and based on what's in it, Al Saqr and CryoDigital continue working on Layla's neurals to see if they can salvage anything. Kais says he might know someone from his past that he trusts could help. Kais goes to Paul's charity gala where he sells a motorcycle he spraypainted with some of Mulder Foundation's sponsored children artists.
Posts: [1]

Episode 11: The Green Hell
Race: Nürburg, Germany
Qualified: 10th
Finished: 6th (8 points)
Summary: Kais drives Florence Mason (of the new NOVA team) around the track during the Delta Hyper interview segment. For this race, Nadia pushed for better data gathering, officially to fine-tune their ship to their new speed configuration upgrade for Hawaii, but secretly to see if they can find something about the strange happenings in Layla's old ship. During the actual race, Kais climbed past Hornfleur and eventually past Paul Mulder into P6, a maneuver during which he indeed got a strange, nagging feeling in his mind. Kais goes to ask Doctor Jyoti Parahi for help, the aging professor who led the reprogramming effort of the rebel genomod soldiers of which Kais was a result. They start probing Layla's ship and now-defunct brain to find where in her ship's artificial neural network system the continuity of her mind may be hidden, but the puzzle proves difficult. Hamid and Kais clash over their loyalty to the Arabic Union and Al Saqr's need to create results for the Union. Hamid flies a test-flight that punches into 695 km/h, a new record.
Posts: [1], [2]

Episode 12: Hot Like Lava
Race: Moa Tempesta Facility, Kanaloa Island, Republic of Hawaii
Qualified: 10th
Finished: 6th (8 points)
Summary: In Hawaii, Kais explores the rainforest. Kais realizes that, with him in the lead, the team will be pushed further and further, and wonders if this will be good for Hamid. Aurora and the Delta Hyper crew are shown the Al Saqr island. A confrontation with Layla's parents and the team happens. Kais emphasizes that he will not give up on Layla.
Posts: [1]

Episode 13: Under Spotlights
Race: Marina Bay, Singapore
Qualified: 5th
Finished: 5th (10 points)
Summary: In Singapore, Kais did not answer Amy's question about the neural link acting up, and asks the team to add monitoring function for malicious code fragments.
Posts: [1]

Episode 14: The Tango Swing
Race: Autodromo de Buenos Aires, Argentinaa
Qualified: 12th
Finished: 8th (4 points)
Summary: In Argentina, Kais hypothesizes that he is cold towards Hamid and even pushes him away, to keep him away from Al Saqr's experimental pipeline. Once more he feels like his ship is aiding him.
Posts: [1]

Name: Alexander Knight
Alias: “The Bullet”
Team: Valkyrie
Gender: Male
Age: 48



Personality:
Alexander comes across as a surly grumpy no nonsense man. He has been through a lot of trauma and doesn’t give a shit what others think. He doesn’t take shit from anybody. He has a very strong sense of ethics and what’s right and wrong. He curses like a sailor and will be the first one to tell you, “If you don’t like how I do things. Then don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!” He is a fair man and will give you a chance to state why you think you are right. He will then proceed to tell you why you will do it the way he thinks is best. You can learn alot from him if you can put up with him. His methods might seem harsh and his attitude stark and uncompromising but he is that way because he cares. Alexander likes to win and he wants everyone to come home at the end of the day. Safety is important to him. Alexander pushes everyone around him to rise to the occasion… to strive to be better. Alexander never wanted to accept responsibility for the lives of others again. His traumatic past haunts him and it can be seen in his eyes.

Backstory:
Family:
Father: Vincent Knight Age: 68
Mother: Elena Novak Age: 67
Ex-Wife: Candace Martin Age: 45
Daughter: Arianna Knight Age 24

Alexander has dual citizenship. His father was from the Federated States, formerly the country of the United States, and the city of Brooklyn, New York. His mother was from the European Union, formerly the country of Estonia and the city of Tartu. His parents met when his father was going to the university in Tartu studying engineering. They got married when his mother became pregnant with him at 19 years old. He spent the first 7 years of his childhood growing up in Tartu surrounded by his mother’s family. His parents got divorced by the time he was eight. He had to admit that his parents got along better after they divorced. They didn’t fight nearly as much. They agreed on more things and his life was more peaceful.

The only hard part was being away from one parent so much of the year. He spent more time with his mother than his father. He lived with his mother during the school year and spent his summers in the US with his father. He loved his mother but she simply didn’t understand him. She wanted him to be a man of culture and art. He couldn't care less about modern art which was her passion. She was always taking him to museums and art shows. She wanted him to dress up and wear a coat and tie. He just wanted to get outside and play in the dirt. He cherished the few months every year when he got to spend time with his father. His father made sure that his time with him was quality time and that he never felt like he took second place to his job or hobby. His father was an engineer that designed engines. His father worked for an aeronautics corporation. They often spent their summer outdoors enjoying hiking, camping, and fishing. They also spent their summers on a project such as restoring classic cars or building hot rods. His father helped him build a soap box racer one year. The next year they upgraded to go-kart racing. In his early teen years, he tried his hand at motocross racing as well. He got into dirt track racing and a youth driver's academy for formula one where he competed on the junior circuit for two years before he graduated high school. He had sponsors on the junior circuit but only a few. He was good and he did well but he didn't receive any offers from any teams. He was outshadowed by a few other drivers and the youth academy was full of talented drivers. He and his father both had the speed bug. If they could go faster, they wanted to.

Because of his unique childhood experience he grew up learning Estonian, Russian, German, and English. When he turned 18 he was faced with some unique challenges. Humanity was trying to reverse the damage they had done to the planet and were actually making progress. There was still a lot of upheaval as world governments sought to work together. Terrorist activity was commonplace. Terrorists used violence to try and force their ideals and mold things to their ideology. Sometimes it was about power and sometimes it was about money. To combat widespread terrorism, the governments and countries involved with NATO recruited heavily from their populations to curb the violence. He felt a duty to help protect others from the chaos that was happening. He went off to fight terrorists at 18. He liked the idea that he was protecting innocents from danger.

He was 19 when he met Candace. His team had been sent in to rescue hostages at UCLA. Terrorists had taken the women hostage at a sorority house just off campus. Candace was one of the girls rescued by his team that night. Alexander began dating Candace. After a whirlwind romance and a wild night in Vegas, he had a wife. He was 22 years old when Candace gave birth to their daughter Arianna. Life was good for Alexander. He had a purpose in life, a woman he loved, and a beautiful daughter. Arianna was 2 years old and his term of service was almost up when his life changed forever.

Alexander and his team were sent to stop terrorists in Florida. NATO had received intel that terrorists were planning to hit a large outdoor music festival in Miami. Homegrown terrorists were unhappy that the government had changed the tax structure and was cracking down on mega corporations to ensure they were paying their fair share. The increased tax revenues were paying for environmentally friendly infrastructure and social service programs. The group was made up of die hard extremists that felt that their business rights were being stomped on. That they shouldn’t have to pay to help reverse the environmental damage they helped cause. Their attitude was that the government was overreaching their authority. Alexander and his team were sent in to help provide additional security at the event. Sadly a member of Alexander’s team had sold out for money to the group. They had planted pipe bombs at the venue’s entrances. They were let in through an underground entrance to the venue and fired on the crowd from the lighting rig above the stage. Alexander was trying to guide the crowd out the exit as panicked people were running everywhere when the bomb at the main entrance went off. Alexander was caught in the blast and thrown 25 yards away. His arms were shredded from the blast. He almost didn’t make it due to blood loss. He made it to the hospital and they managed to save his life but they had to amputate his arms.

Alexander’s recovery was long and painful. His wife was unable to bear looking at his scars and told him she had not signed up to take care of an invalid. She took their daughter and left and filed for divorce. Alexander didn’t blame her. He sunk into depression and his will to fight and carry on left with her. Alexander needed help so he moved in with his father.

His father felt there should be an engineering solution to his issue. Cybernetics was a young science and experimental but they had made strides in prosthetics for people with issues such as Alexander’s. Alexander’s father reached out to a close friend of his that worked in Biotech. Alexander was a good candidate for their new technology. Within a week Alexander was prepped for surgery and received state of the art neural linked controlled cybernetic arms. The cybernetic arms were grafted onto what was left of his organic arms and the nerves integrated with the cybernetic wiring to work with his nervous system. Alexander went to see Candace after he had healed. The arms were covered in a synthetic flesh that matched his natural skin tone but there was no hiding the wide band of ugly scarring where the arms were attached. He had fine motor skills and his reflexes were faster than ever. Candace crushed his heart with a second rejection. She told him that she felt like it would feel like being held by a robot. That she couldn’t do it. He wondered if she had ever loved him at all. Alexander was numb and full of pain as their divorce was finalized. At least she was amicable about his visiting rights. He would not let his daughter grow up thinking he didn’t want a relationship with her. Alexander once more sunk into depression uncertain what to do next.

Once again his father pulled him out of his funk. His father took him to a racetrack and paid for a VIP experience so he could get behind the wheel on a real track in a formula one racer. Alexander came alive as the engine’s roar vibrated as he sped down the track. G forces slammed him from one side of the car to the other as he cornered around the track. Luck was with Alexander that day as a billionaire racing mogul happened to be at the track that day. He had paid for time to test his latest personal car. Alexander had just broken the track record in an old car. The mogul offered him a chance at a driving position. He said he would sponsor him for a year in the Junior Formula League with training and mentorship. Alexander took it since he felt alive again. He did well and placed in the top 5 drivers that season. The next year he stepped up in main league as a driver for the guy and did really well.

So began his career in professional racing. He earned the nickname Bullet on the circuit. He spent a few years visiting his daughter between races. Occasionally Candace would bring her to a race to watch him race. Racing began to shift to a new style, anti-gravity racing, and he was offered a spot on the new team. He was now 26. He was no longer the only enhanced driver on the track. He was still performing well with the occasional win and was in the top ten drivers in the league. His best friend was a driver from Belgium named Audrick Mulder. They met at a race and bonded over beers after the race. Audrick was a charismatic, happy guy who liked to have a good time. The media loved him which helped him gain sponsors. He was handsome and a media favorite. He was also some of his biggest competition on the track. They had a friendly rivalry and were often seen pranking one another in the winner’s circle. Audrick once squirted him with a champagne bottle full of glitter. He was washing glitter out of his hair weeks later. He had slapped a sign on his buddy’s back that read “The beer is on me.” Alexander had found where he fit in the world again. He was regaining his stride.

The team he was driving for was Audrick’s team’s biggest competition. The team had hired a new crew chief and a new engineer. The owner was hungry to win the season. They kept trying to get him to drive more aggressively and use shady tactics on the track. Alexander was not happy about it and told them he wouldn’t do it. They were going into the race of the season. He had gone to visit Audrick to wish him luck the night before the race. He was surprised to see one of their team mechanics leaving Audrick’s team garage. The next day during what should have been the biggest race of his career. He was on track to win the season. Audrick’s vehicle jerked hard to the right and lifted off the track. The crash was horrific and his car exploded as it bounced down the track. Audrick didn’t survive the crash. At first Alexander was shocked, then he thought back to what he had seen the night before. He confronted the team owner about what he had seen demanding the mechanic be questioned. In a fit of rage and heightened emotions, he was fired and he knew deep in his soul that his team had been behind whatever the mechanical failure was that caused the crash. Alexander left racing at the ripe age of 28. The owner sued him for breach of contract even though he was fired. He left racing with little to his name.

He went back to college and became an engineer like his father. He went to work at his father’s company and helped develop new technology to help the world. He worked in energy systems and drive systems. He and his father made a killer team. The most positive thing to happen from this is that he got to spend more time with his daughter. He got her over the summer and she spent the school year with her mother. They always spent time together doing things she liked and they went to a race or two with her grandfather. It was a tradition they upheld every year. Alexander didn’t let many people into his life. He had been hurt so badly that he didn’t really trust many people any more. He had not had a serious relationship since Candace. He had a few drinking buddies but no one that he really let in.

Fast forward and now his daughter was going off to college. She had chosen to stay close to her mother and was attending UCLA. Alexander didn’t care since UCLA was a decent school. What mattered most to him was that she was healthy and happy. He got a phone call that no parent wants to get. His daughter had been on her way to class when she had been hit by a drunk driver. He had flown to LA. She was in ICU and it was touch and go for about 2 weeks. She had been in a coma. She had experienced extreme trauma. When she woke up, the doctor’s confirmed their fears that she was going to be paralyzed from the neck down. There were implants that could help but most of the cybernetics available could only help those paralyzed from the waist down. They still couldn’t do much to help quadriplegics. There was a whole lot more damage and information to help with. There were new experimental options but they were not covered by insurance and they were costly. He didn’t have that kind of money. For the first time in years, he had cried and prayed for a solution.

He was in his hotel room that night on the phone with his father when he got a phone call from someone he hadn’t heard from in years. Audrick’s wife Alicia Mulder was calling him. He told his father he would call him back. Alicia was sobbing and begging for his help. She told him that Paul, Audrick’s son, had just been hired to be the rookie driver for team Valkyrie. She was terrified that what happened to Audrick would happen to him. She had called in some favors and she wanted him to be his crew chief and the team lead. He explained why he couldn’t leave and take the job that his daughter needed him. She was in the hospital. She made a deal with him to get Arianna into an experimental cybernetic program for her condition and pay all expenses if he would take the job. Alexander was poleaxed. He had sworn he would never go back to racing and that den of cutthroat thieves. He couldn’t believe she was asking him to do this for her. As a parent and someone who had lived that life, he understood her fears. He sighed and accepted her proposal. It was Arianna’s best chance for a better quality of life. He agreed to take the job but he refused to leave until Arianna had come through her surgery. Now he had to face his future. He walked to the corner store that night and bought a bottle of the best whiskey they had. He proceeded to get plastered and passed out wondering what the hell he had just agreed too.

Racing DNA

Overview:
Alexander always preferred a balanced approach. He felt too many augments could be as big an issue as none at all. He also preferred to start with natural talent and skills and build up. He didn’t believe that more augmentation was necessarily the best for the pilot. He had his own issues and trauma over implants as a guide. The strategy used would depend on the technology and team you had to back that technology up. If you had a top of the line energy system but didn’t have the right person to tune it and help you use it, then it was worthless. He liked reviewing all his options and doing the best with what he had available while looking for better. He believed in getting down to the details, training for all team members, and consistency in performance. The more they all trained on possible scenarios the safer the whole team was. He was a fanatic about safety.

Skills:
Alexander is a motor head and an engineer. He has experience as a pilot. He has skills as a pilot. He understands what it takes to win. He has lines he won’t cross though to make that happen.

Special Trait:
Alexander has a unique point of view because he has been in the driver’s seat and understands the skill, drive, and psychology necessary to win. He also has an engineering background and can understand the technology and explanations and how to implement that tech and tune to help the team push forward. He has experience on both sides of the equation.

Controversy :
Alexander’s exit from racing was controversial. He was sued by the team owner and lost almost everything. His name had been drug through the mud by his former team and the media. He had been so angry at the time, he didn’t try to refute or change public opinion. He had not seen the need to. He had never planned to be back in the limelight again. He was not the most marketable crew chief in the game. He was going to mouth off and say the wrong things in front of the camera at some point. The marketing team has their work cut out for them!He is also fanatical about safety because of his past. He comes across as over the top about it. Others think he takes it too far. In his eyes, he can’t stress it enough.

MISC
Theme Song: Highway to Hell by AC/DC

Likes: Beer, whiskey, racing, speed, classic cars, outdoors, space, swearing,coffee, and dogs
Dislikes: Liars, cheating, hates the spotlight, paparazzi, interviews, being forced into emotional vulnerability, sharing feelings, perky people
Other Information:
Don’t speak to him before he has had his coffee! While he believes in getting an early start, he absolutely can’t be civil before coffee.

Anti-gravity racing is a billion dollar industry not just a sport. Money has a power all its own and many. Power, money, and corruption hide in the shadows of the sport. Alexander has taken over as the Team Principal for Valkyrie AGR Sport. His arrival at Headquarters was dramatic. His first day was particularly trying as he uncovered serious issues that were undermining the Team’s morale and were just plain illegal. Alexander wasted no time in correcting the most egregious wrongdoings happening. He upset a lot of powerful people when he did it. While Alexander’s goals are more altruistic, those who lost minions and power inside the powerful organization that is Valkyrie AGR were not happy to lose some of their control and power. This earned him some enemies while he managed to remove the more obvious ones. There are still those working in the shadows to reduce his influence and remove him so that they can continue enjoying the power he removed from them.

Alexander has reviewed what’s happening with the Team. He has restructured the team which previously had been very siloed into their specialties. The Engineers and Mechanics were merged into one team The Engineering Team is now Co-led by Felix and Helga. The head of the Medical Team was fired and brought up on charges Dr. Zimmerman. Dr. Montgomery has been selected to take over the Medical Team. The head of the Human Resources department was fired and is being investigated for Corporate Espionage and embezzlement. The training personnel and everyone else who works for the racing giant have been moved to a Support Personnel category. Alexander has brought his executive assistant from his previous engineering job to Valkyrie with him. Mabel Brown is now Alexander’s executive assistant. Her appointment has caused some waves at Valkyrie since she had been hired from outside the company jumping over personnel who were already there. Forces inside the team tried to oppose and stop Mabel’s hiring.

Alexander went so far as to make physical interior changes to bring the mechanical and engineering departments together, consolidating resources, tools, materials, and personnel. They now have one larger space where they work collaboratively. This move has already shown benefits in advances and smoother communication between mechanics and engineers. The Engineering team has now bonded together into a new whole. A local bar created a drink and named it after them after a team night out. The results were ideas for a new ship design. The new design focuses on supporting the pilot with faster, more energy efficient engines and new cockpit design to reduce the physical stresses on the pilot.

Alexander restructured how the Medical department worked. They now worked under an elected head who guides and reports back to Alexander. They now have a more open and collaborative work structure. They are also now making use of their talented interns which were being ignored by the previous team lead. The new direction for the Medical department has led to some new ideas in Pilot training and a focus on natural pilot performance enhancement protocols. Only time will show if they are working.

Alexander called in a favor from the European Union Space Agency and has built a new simulator that not only puts his pilots into a race virtually but also simulates the actual g forces and inertia that their bodies experience in a cockpit. This allows them to use the simulator to measure how the physical stresses that the pilots are going through in a more solid and meaningful way. It also allows them to train experiencing those physical forces and how that will impair their performance.



Alexander has the pilots focused on training for each race. The engineering team is making and tweaking the ships as best they can to get the most out of them for each race. They used strategy to finally get some points. They are hoping to do better in Tokyo which is a race their craft should do well on.

Alexander joined the team and came back to racing for his daughter’s sake. Alexander has very mixed feelings about it. He had loved racing but he sure didn’t miss the politics. Alexander is tormented by a crash that killed his best friend. His experience with being pushed into more dangerous and questionable tactics on the racetrack. His belief that his best friend’s death was not accidental and that he somehow was responsible for it haunted his dreams. He had sworn he would never return to racing. Arianna, his daughter, was hit by a car and almost died. She came out of the accident paralyzed from the neck down. Alexander was offered an opportunity to get her experimental state of the art prosthetics that would allow her to have a better quality of life. Standard prosthetics would have allowed her to regain mobility but she would have had to give up being able to feel sensations or have all her limbs amputated replaced by cybernetic ones. This option allowed her to have the option of being able to move her organic body. Rebuilding her nervous system replacing her organic one. Alicia Mulder, Paul Mulder’s mother, agreed to procure and pay for Arianna’s treatment and cybernetics if Alexander would return to racing to mentor and safeguard her son. Alexander agreed as it was the best option for Arianna.

Alexander is divorced. His ex-wife left him because she told him that she couldn’t handle him losing his arms. That his prosthetic arms were like being touched by a robot. Alexander had co-parented his daughter but had no further dealings with his ex-wife. Alexander had always kept this from his daughter. He had not wanted his daughter to resent her mother. Arianna’s mother has shown her true nature. Arianna overheard her mother’s comments to doctors and on the phone. Arianna overhead her mother saying she should have died if she couldn't take care of herself. Her mother was only bringing her home to recover because it would make her look bad since her story had been in the media because of her father. Arianna had asked Alexander to bring her home with him.

Alexander made the arrangements even though it will make him look bad and push back his long term plans for the team by at least 6 months. Alexander has the finished ship design proposals and costs for building them. The Board of Directors have given their okay to move forward but it takes time to build new ship designs. Prototypes had to be built and tested. Designs had to be filed with the Racing Commission. The new ships had to be approved by the league and meet their rules. Not to mention any government regulations as well. Alexander has started sourcing material and is gearing up to recruit the personnel he needs. He has also been making a push for endorsements to bring in the money necessary to pay for new designs. He needs to keep Valkyrie in a positive relationship with the media. Alexander’s decision to bring his daughter back with him and utilize team resources to help her is jeopardizing his reputation.



Alexander confronted Dorian about his lack of performance and poor attitude in Tokyo. He hoped they were both on the same page now. He had completed the contract work necessary to get the endorsement money for the contract so he could begin to hire more engineers. Alexander is grateful to have an influx of capital to work with but he is also dealing with his own emotional turmoil after being in the public's eye again. He has sifted through applications and dossiers and done initial interviews with Dakota Ellis a jet engineer with Pratt & Whitney, Bastijin Velnaar, a Dutch electrical engineer that worked for one of the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers, and Stephanie Mitsuyo a third generation Japanese American college graduate student who is studying electrical engineering with a specialty in super conductors. Alexander had a visit from Johanna Lipusz, the EU Special Representative for Anti-Gravity Research. She pretty much demanded progress in the form of podiums and wins or else. He was very worried about the or else. He found out that she had the power to threaten Leopold, even he answered to her. They are bringing the top three engineering candidates to Valkyrie Headquarters for a practical skills demonstration. Alexander is hoping that they will find some magic to help them do better in Italy.



After the Italian GP, Alexander heard a rumor that his head engineer Felix Burkhardt was planning on leaving Valkyrie after Luna. Alexander straight up confronted him about it. Felix confirmed it and Alexander let him go. He even wrote him a letter of recognition. He made the decision not to keep him until after later because he felt that was the best tactical decision. He liked Felix and had trusted him. He trusted Felix's integrity but not enough to keep him knowing he was planning to leave. That left Alexander scrambling for a new head engineer. He would have promoted from in house but he didn't have anyone with the right experience to lead that could step up. He had reviewed dossiers on his top three choices and decided to offer the head engineer's position to Cavan Mitchell from England. Cavan started with Silver Apex and had just resigned as the head engineer for Fitzroy. Arianna ran into an issue where she was cornered by press at the Italian GP and was saved by Harrison. Alexander began wooing a new sponsor Quantinium Computers.



Alexander covered the role of head engineer at the Portugal Race. Cavan was in the process of moving his family to Germany. His first official day will be the Monday after the Portugal race. That Monday Alexander is informed that Wulfric's investigation into the CEO has uncovered yet more corporate corruption, embezzlement, fraud, and harassment from the very top. There is a hint that there are ties between the CEO and the former board president but no proof. There is definitive proof that the CEO and Maier were working together to defraud the team. Alexander makes the decision to bring the corruption into the light. Unfortunately it means yet more corruption and chaos for the team. There is a sting set up with authorities to arrest the CEO Peter Brendel. Alexander releases a video to the public asking for their patience and forgiveness. He feels strongly that those injured by the two men deserve some kind of justice even though he knows he is going to face all kinds of backlash from the board of directors, sponsors, and the public. He feels strongly that coming clean now will prevent greater scandal if it were to come out later as the press gets ahold of the court proceedings. He is hoping that the team will weather this latest trauma. He was worried that Cavan would quit over the issue. After expressing his displeasure about being left out of the loop on it, and a strong right hook, he got on with the work of taking over the engineering department. Alexander is slated to go to the moon with the team and will be leaving for training for the journey. Leopold is not happy with some board members. He sent full video of the last board meeting to higher powers wanting them to understand the constraints the team is working under.



Alexander received a very private encrypted message from Johanna Lipusv, the European Space Agency's Special Rep for Anti-Gravity Technology. Johanna has informed Alexander that the team would be facing not just the German Government's investigation into the CEO's crimes, but an international. Because some of the money that was stolen included public funds invested by several different countries. So when those bonuses and sponsorship money was appropriated, the former CEO broke international laws. This opened the team up to much harsher scrutiny. They are facing a forced and very thorough forensic audit of all Team Valkyrie records. Johanna also insisted that he send Arianna away. She didn't want Arianna's treatment to be a bone of contention and trouble for Alexander. Alexander had been as open and honest and above board as he could with that issue, however he agreed with Johanna. He didn't want Arianna in the middle of the media and investigative shit storm he was going to have to deal with. So he sent Arianna back to UCLA to finish her education. Arianna is currently living in the dorms at UCLA. Onsite investigators would be disruptive to the team. Alexander had no choice but to trust his team as he was needed on the trip to the moon for the Lunar Race. The team needed some positive press badly. However the team was plagued with equipment issues on the moon. Paul placed decently since it was his first time racing on the moon. Dorian's performance was shockingly bad. Alexander understood it was not all his fault. The team had been plagued with clogging thrusters making handling difficult on the moon. Paul had seemed to adjust better to the issues than Dorian. Alexander was facing a shit storm when he got back to the office. On the way back from the moon, Paul requested to use his father's livery at the Monaco race. Alexander enjoyed speaking to Paul about memories he had of his father. Alexander had already ordered Cavan to take the ships back to the chassis and rebuild them from the ground up testing every component. He had already filed the change in livery for Paul with FIAR. He would get his wish to race in his father's colors.



Alexander had the ships rebuilt from the ground up and all systems double checked and verified before Monaco. He had Cavan focus on a build specifically for Monaco. The trial against Brendel and Maier was ongoing. The fact that they had broken international laws as well had drawn the trial out. It was taking some time even though the court had taken an almost unprecedented step of trying them before an international tribunal in order to save them all time and money. Otherwise the trials could be dragged out as they were tried in each country's jurisdiction. Brendel and Maier were being tried together and had hired some very expensive and good criminal lawyers to defend them. The rhetoric they were using in the press was that they had been framed by Alexander. Both men were considered flight risks and had their passports and funds taken and frozen pending the outcome of the trial. Alexander's decision to rebuild the ships had been a good one. Cavan had led a collaborative engineering team to an impressive build that helped Valkyrie dominate at Monaco. Dorian had taken first with Paul taken P3. Alexander had launched a positive PR campaign highlighting Dorian's career and the past of Team Valkyrie and the strength of their Junior AG team. He was using it as a testing ground to see how Scarlett held up to the public scrutiny. He had Katherine give the young pilot some advanced media training since she was going to be the boots on the ground celebrity at the in-person events. There was also a VR Tour accessible from anywhere in the world. He hoped to connect with new and old fans of the team during the positive press. He wanted to keep positive headlines about the team in the news. He wanted to capitalize on a feeling and excitement about a positive future. Alexander had checked in with the sponsors. Most of them were happy with the win at Monaco and were optimistic that once the trial was over that things would improve. The wins had reassured those that were considering pulling their contracts with the Team. They had lost some potential endorsement deals due to all the bad press around the indictment of the former CEO. Alexander was grateful that he had Lipusv on his side.



Alexander was working the media for all the positive press he could as the trial continued but was getting close to ending. Sponsors were rebounding after the team's win. Support and trust for the team was rebounding. The team were part of the Formula 1 exhibition at Silverstone which had made Paul happy. The team struggled at Silverstone. Paul crashed after obtaining a P7 in qualifying and totaling his ship. Dorian rallied and managed to get the team some points but it was a disappointing set back for them. Paul sustained minor injuries and was recovering. Alexander moved forward with long term plans for designing new ships for next season. He had begun talks with Banshee Microsystems and Shinichi Bionics about research and development collaboration contracts. Alexander was feeling out the interests and viability of these two companies as partners. Once he had determined the preliminary interests he would take this opportunity to Leopold and Lipusv. Alexander had ordered Cavan to rebuild Paul's ship to keep the handling and stability and try to eke out a little more speed. They might as well tweak since they had to rebuild the ship anyway. Alexander had accepted that his love life was media fodder as Katherine sent out a formal announcement of his dating status announcing Lena and him in a confirmed relationship.



Alexander had a busy two weeks in between the Silverstone and Montreal races. He ensured that Paul didn't rush his recovery and had the time off he needed to heal and recover. Paul and Dorian went through a battery of medical and neural interface testing to set a baseline before they both underwent surgeries to upgrade their neural interface to Shinichi Bionics new bio-cybernetic technology that used nanites and the body's own processes to interlink biological and technological systems together. The technology was state of the art and ground breaking. It had reached human trial stages and was the technology that had given his own daughter Arianna the ability to walk and move again. Shinichi Bionics had entered into a research and development agreement with Team Valkyrie sponsored by one of their owners the European Union Space Agency who had hopes of applying the technology to humans living and working in space. The technology had been proven for basic cybernetic needs but now the testing began to see how far they could push the limits and what kind of rigors it could withstand. After a short period of healing, integration, and calibration of the new systems both pilots were showing increased neural interface speeds and activity. It would take some time for the initial programming to complete. The system was well on its way to synching into their biological neural networks. The research and development contract with Banshee Microsystems was with the legal department for review. Banshee Microsystems would develop and implement a new team wide computer systems replacing the current systems at the team. Alexander didn't trust the current systems since they had discovered the backdoors into the system and the hidden server used by the former CEO Peter Brendel. The owner and developer of Banshee Microsystems was in the process of testing a new quantum crystalline matrix central processing chip and unit. She wants to test it against the most rigorous conditions possible. Her target market was manufacturing and government that worked with space mining and space ship building. It was her dream to see her computer systems installed on the new colonial ships being developed. She had to prove that her systems were better and could withstand the extremes brought about in those conditions. Alexander had made Jenny Lowry an offer and brought her to headquarters and showed her around. He knew that his offer was a good one but he didn't believe it would compete with Silver Apex's offer. He was hoping familiar friendly faces, good food, and nice facilities would weigh into her consideration. Paul had to be a better teammate than Amy. Alexander had begun laying the groundwork for his long term plans. He had reviewed his plans to overhaul Team Valkyrie's Junior League and Academy. He had already approached existing sponsors to seek their investment in the academy and junior league team. He was trying to get them to invest in the long term growth of the team with the idea they were playing a role in developing champions of the future. Those early connections even if the pilots didn't come to Team Valkyrie would benefit them no matter where their future pilots went. Paul won the Montreal Grand Prix pressuring Amy Stirling to make a rare mistake. Dorian didn't finish and struggled at Montreal after hitting another ship.



Alexander rolled out a new endorsement and sponsorship package targeting smaller businesses. Katherine and her team were a huge help in solidifying the idea and making it work. Alexander began implementing some of his more long term changes to the team as he overhauled the Junior Academy and hired Sami Lipponen to head up the Junior Academy and mentor their Junior League pilots. He also hired Tocho Lister away from MMR to help mentor and train the junior team. Tocho would be based at headquarters and work closely with the research and development team on a new ship design for next year. Tocho would mentor the younger pilots and help train them in his remaining time. He hired another physical trainer that would work in partnership with Agnes Poulsen to ensure the Junior Team maintained proper physical fitness when away from campus. He promoted someone from within Valkyrie to take over the new position of Executive Assistant to help Sami Lipponen out with administration tasks. Valkyrie interns were being pulled into active roles with the changes being overseen by Valkyrie personnel. Alexander put a call out to Max Wedgewood to come in for an interview and tour of the campus. After interviewing Max Wedgewood Alexander offered him a contract. They were in negotiations with Max. He had offered a job to Dorian for when he retired. He didn't know if the pilot was interested at all but he wanted to make the offer. He had gone to Los Angeles to see his daughter who had interrogated him about his relationship with Lena. Alexander felt the revised bootcamp was a success.



Alexander saw a lot of his work finally paying off as things began to come together. The Junior Team Bootcamp was a smashing success. The inside look of Team Valkyrie from the documentary helped heal and resolve a lot of the distrust and bad feelings from all the scandal earlier in the season. It gave fans a new insight into the scenes behind racing. Fans had loved the Delta Hyper Special and were already calling for next year's special. The pilots that joined them from other teams had mixed reviews of their experiences but it had been beneficial to Alexander and the team. Scarlett and Anna got to know their competitors better and learn more about their racing style. They got some practice against them as well. The Junior Team sponsors were very happy with the exposure from the Delta Hyper special. Then Paul went and had an epic racing battle with Beatrix Ward placing in second at Spa after overtaking Amy Stirling again. Their fight for the podium had been epic and would become a classic race to view in no time. The Board of Directors were happy, their sponsors were happy, Lipsuv was happy. Things were looking up for the team. They had been swamped with calls for interviews for Paul and Dorian. Alexander expected the press wanted to ask Dorian why he wasn't doing as well as his teammate. Dorian had some idea about altering the air brake system for more speed for the German Grand Prix. He was working on it with Paul and Cavan. Cavan was not convinced it was worth it but Paul had backed Dorian's play when he made it back to headquarters after the fundraiser. Cavan had done his best to support their idea. They would know if they were successful after the German Grand Prix.



The German Grand Prix had not been good for the main Formula AG team. The Junior Team did well and sponsors and fans alike were giving them more attention. The Drunken Dragon was a hit in the Valkyrie Fan Zone. Alexander locked in three new sponsorships (Radian Security Systems, Wizard Technologies, and Immersia Entertainment) and one new research and development contract with Meridian Aerospace to help them design new ship engines. Radian Security Systems was going to consult with their security department and upgrade their security systems and cybersecurity. Banshee Microsystems would be updated and installing all new computer systems at headquarters the weekend after the German race. Alexander was promised some engineers from the Lipusv from the European Space Agency on antigravity systems. Alexander was in the process of interviewing 4 engineers to join the team as engine specialists and general ship system specialists. Dorian's race engineer Remy Deschamps would be taking a promotion and joining the development team when Dorian retired. He would work with the team in his spare time as they got closer to finishing the design. Carl Mathews was Max's engineer had been offered an interview with no guarantees. Alexander was willing to bring him on board pending his background check and fit for the team.



Alexander had signed a research and development contract with Meridian Aerospace. They were partnering with the company to help build a new engine design for the next year and to improve their current ship engine. They had been loaned some engineers from the European Union Space Agency. This gave Alexander time to hire more permanent engineers to support the team. Alexander had two new engineers joining the team. He had approved moving Remy Deschamps to the HQ engineering team after Dorian retired. Carl Mathews would be joining the team and coming with Max Wedgewood at the beginning of the year. Team Valkyrie Headquarters and ship systems were getting completely new computer systems and upgrades. The team was also undergoing security upgrades by a new sponsor, Radian Security Systems. Alexander called Paul out on his poor performance in Hawaii and reminded him that others would be happy to take his seat.



Alexander had ordered Paul into therapy and hired Dr. Ingold a Sports Psychologist to help him work out his issues. Paul seemed to settle down and was finally taking feedback as it was intended constructive criticism. Dorian had signed a contract with Delta Hyper to be a consultant and talking head for them after he retired. Dorian was moving forward into a longer term relationship with his partner as well. Paul had been withdrawn and had been isolating himself since Hawaii. Dr. Ingold was giving him regular progress updates without compromising Paul's privacy. Alexander wrapped up a lot of sponsorship work. The security updates and new computer systems were in the final stages of installation and being wrapped. The construction happening at headquarters was wrapping up as well. Alexander had been informed that his staff needed to release some stress and anxiety and he needed to bring the new folks in and introduce them to new staff so they felt welcome. He ordered nap pods to be installed throughout headquarters. Mabel sent out a company wide survey asking them what changes they would like to see at headquarters. The survey included Alexander's company picnic proposal at the Zoo with the team staff and family. Mabel had also been asked to find Alexander some prospective neural circuitry specialists to add to the team roster.



There was trouble in the Fan Zone. Security had to shut it down after violence among fans spread into their fan zone from Carrera Condor's fan zone. Expecting further security issues with the atmosphere at the track, Wulfric sends additional security from HQ and comes with them. The atmosphere at the track is intense after both Carrera Condor ships crash and DNF angering fans. Paul manages to take P2 behind Jenny Lowry. Riots break out after the race. Alexander makes the risky decision to evacuate all his personnel and to team up with some of the other teams, pooling their resources to get their equipment out. Alexander knew it was going to be a risk but he felt sheltering in place held more risk. In the end the risk only partially paid off. They got most of their personnel out safely but their ships took damage from rioters on the way to the airport and 4 security guards were injured getting the equipment through the violent streets.



Brazil was nerve wracking. The mechanics and engineers worked around the clock with the pilots to repair what damage they could in the field. In the end Dorian had to leave the race early but Paul managed to take P2. Alexander spent his time helping out and providing what resources he could to help his team perform the best they could. He ordered Paul to protect his position rather than push it and risk his ship failing.



Alexander had a talk with Paul about how tense he had been since the riots in Argentina. He had been working on improving the team's security when they were traveling. The strategy for Australia worked out somewhat. Paul managed to stay in the top 5 but Dorian had engine trouble and had to retire early. Alexander was angry about Dorian's ship having engine failure. He would be investigating exactly what happened.



Alexander was pleased at how things went in Bonneville. George Haffner from Transolar Industries was pleased with what he saw. The two teams of lawyers were hammering out the details but it was looking like Transolar Industries would be the team’s next large sponsor. His relationship with Lena was getting more serious. The team was definitely a contender for top three in the constructors and Paul had managed to move into contention for third in the pilot’s championship. Katherine and her team were working on a new local small business sponsorship package for races. Sami was looking to expand the Junior Academy lessons for paying students to a select number to attend along with the team selected talented.

Name: Paul Mulder
Alias: “Legacy”
Team: Valkyrie
Gender: Male
Age: 20

Appearance:
Height: 6’
Weight: 185 pounds
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Languages: English, Dutch, French, and German

Paul is handsome with blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a fit toned physique with long lean muscles and a 6 pack. He is classically handsome. He is just as comfortable in jeans as he is in a designer suit.

Personality:
Paul is an easy going charming fellow. He can fit in anywhere and becomes the life of the party. He oozed charm and charisma. He has the ability to blend in and be a social chameleon. He is just as comfortable sipping champagne in a designer suit and talking about politics as he is in a dance club, or at the gym. He is just as comfortable drinking a beer in a pub with friends and hanging out as one of the guys and always up for a pick me up game of soccer or pool. Paul is competitive and has drive and energy. This part of his personality typically shows itself on the racetrack and in practice.

Backstory:
Family:
Father: Audrick Mulder Deceased
Mother: Alicia (Lhonneux) Mulder Age: 46

Paul Mulder was only 2 years old when his father, famous pioneering Anti-gravity racer Audrick Mulder died in a fiery crash during the second AGA Racing Season Finale. His father was a happy and laid man who oozed charm and charisma. Everyone wanted to hang out with him. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to date him. His father had started his career in racing as a dirt track racer who qualified for Ferrari's Youth Academy. He spent his teen years racing on the junior circuit and building his reputation and presence. His father was chosen over other racers because he was so marketable and likable and had the skills and reflexes to win on the track. His father had been the whole package. His mother Alicia said he had met her at a dance club. He had been out celebrating a win. According to his mother, his father had charmed her out of a dance and kissed her goodnight declaring that he was going to marry her someday. They celebrated him finishing in the top 5 at Le Mans that year with a wedding.

His mother had been pregnant with him when his father began racing anti gravity racers. His father had been in the top 5 racers and in the competition to win it all when he lost control of his ship in a race. His ship hit the wall head on at over 400kph and exploded in a fiery crash. He grew up with the ghost of his father haunting his life. His mother never remarried or even dated. It was like her life stopped that fateful day. His mother poured all her energy and time into him. He never wanted for anything and grew up in a protected world attending private schools. His mother loved art and was a photographer. She didn’t have to work but photography was her passion. He traveled with her during the summer while she took assignments all over the world. He was well educated and spoke 4 languages. His mother's passion project was to create the Mulder Foundation. It was a charitable organization to honor his father's memory. They had two missions to provide low income children and people with the equipment and training so that they can become professional athletes and they provide art supplies and teachers to children's arts programs across Europe.

He loved his mother but she never understood his need to follow in his father’s footsteps. He grew up idolizing a father he never really got to know. He got to know his father through his mother’s stories, home videos, pictures, old news reels and interviews for the media, and stories from his friends. His mother mentioned that he had been friends with a racer named Alexander Knight. She refused to tell him much about the man. He learned more of the story as he got older and could find the information for himself. He could tell his mother still had resentment and anger towards Alexander. He didn’t know what her issue was with the man. Maybe she resented that he lived that day while his father had died.

He was 13 when he found his father’s journal. He read it and felt like he was getting to know his father all over again. He felt connected to his father. He began racing go-karts. His mother was completely against him trying any racing sport. He could understand her fear but how did he help her understand his need to do it? He felt that his father would understand his need to prove that he could handle the speed and endurance of racing. He loved the thrill and adrenaline that came from focusing his attention on getting the most he could out of any vehicle he drove. He felt as if his father was in the vehicle next to him as he poured on the speed. Those feelings and focus brought him comfort and helped him feel even closer to his father.

He and his mother began to argue about his choice. He insisted his future was in AG Racing. When he was old enough, he began to apply for youth training academies around Germany and Belgium. He was 16 when his father’s name got him an entrance trial. His mother was against his choice but he snuck off to the test anyway. He had all the same natural charm and skill his father had. He didn’t have any augmentations yet but he was still able to perform at the top level on raw talent. Team Valkyrie AGR Sport took a chance that he would become a top level competitor like his father. His mother almost blocked his way and they had a massive fight about it. Her stipulation was he had to finish high school first. His mother gave him his father's journals on his 16th birthday. He never revealed to her that he had already read them.

He was 18 and free to follow his own path now. He was back at Valkyrie in the youth academy. He had spent the last 2 years honing his talent in the Junior league. He had received his first set of augments which was a neural link to improve his reflexes and response times on the track. The neural link allowed him to connect with the vehicle and make minute changes at lightning speed. His neural link also supported and augmented his lungs and heart which allowed him to increase his heart rate and blood flow and lung capacity which helped regulate his blood pressure and breathing during a race. Now was his chance to shine. They had tapped him for the Rookie driver for this year’s season.

Racing DNA

Overview:
Paul never raced his competitors. For him it was about him, the vehicle, and chasing that feeling of connection to his father. The faster he went the more dialed in and focused he got. For him it was about seeking that perfect line when everything was instinctual and just felt right and the rest of the world faded away. It was like a light switch flicking and it was effortless when it was all working as planned. Paul was extraordinary when everything was clicking and going his way. He could be a bit of a wild card because he was either on his game or off. When he was off, he over compensated and tended to get into his own way.

Skills:
Paul was a natural raw talent gifted with great hand and eye coordination and reflexes. He had the ability to dial in and hyperfocus. He had a neural link that allowed him to connect with the vehicle and make minute changes at lightning speed. His neural link also supported and augmented his lungs and heart which allowed him to increase his heart rate and blood flow and lung capacity which helped regulate his blood pressure and breathing during a race. His augmentations allowed his body to handle the physical requirements for racing at this level and the g forces and strain his body would endure.

Special Trait:
Paul’s special trait is that he is handsome and naturally gifted with charm and charisma like his father. He handles the media with charm and a youthful enthusiasm that fans and media alike adore. He has the natural raw talent, skill, and potential to go with it making him a sponsor’s dream driver.

Controversy :
Paul is always being compared to the racing legend of his father. There was always speculation happening if he would live up to the legacy of his father. Comparisons between them were constant. When he didn’t perform well, the criticism could be brutal. Many speculate if he had not earned his spot was given his spot in honor of his father. Some media had even theorized that Valkyrie was banking on the nostalgia of die hard AG Race Fans to bring in sponsors and sell tickets. That he was there for his name not his skills. Paul was under tremendous pressure to measure up.

MISC
Theme Song: Who I am by Ben Fuller

Likes: Women, having a good time, dancing, wine, cats, and running.
Dislikes: Beer, lying, fake and superficial people, and he hates marshmallows. He is scared of dogs but doesn’t hate them.
Other Information:
He both loves and hates being compared to his father. He loves the idea that he is making his father proud. He hates being compared to his father in a negative way. He would hope he is becoming the man his father wanted him to be. He resents when people act like he has not put in the time and sweat to earn his spot.

What has Paul been up to so far:



Paul's ship wouldn't start during his first qualifying race leaving in last position. He managed to move up the pack to 13 place but he didn't earn any points. Paul's team has a new team principal, Alexander Knight. He was not sure about the change at first. He knew what to expect under the old team principal Dominic Rossi. Paul hadn't like Rossi very much but if he wanted to be a professional in this very competitive sport, you had to put up with all kinds of personalities. Paul had an easy going relationship with his teammate Dorian. Paul's mother came clean about what she knew about Alexander Knight when he went home to visit here after the Auckland race. He know knew for sure he could trust Alexander Knight. His mother was supporting his decision to race. He understood her fears better now after learning the suspicions that his father's accident wasn't an accident. He may never know the truth but he would certainly be careful.



Paul had relaxed and supported the changes that Knight was making to their training regime. Paul had to admit that the strategy Knight had discussed with Dorian and Knight had worked. They did better at Cape Town that expected. Paul was grateful for his mother and felt closer to her than ever. He had decided he wanted to do something to show her how much he cared about her. He decided to plan a fundraiser for his father's foundation as a surprise for her. He has started approaching his fellow pilots to contribute to raise awareness and money for the foundation. So far Paul had only approached Beatrix Ward, but it was successful she agreed to be a part of it. They had a side bet going whoever lost had to make a social media wearing the other person's team shirt admitting they lost the bet.



Paul was now training for Tokyo. He was focusing his efforts on energy system deployments and utilizing Valkyrie's superior ship handling to take advantage of chicanes and cornering. Paul knew that Valkyrie should do well in Tokyo.

Paul did alright in Tokyo but not as good as he had hoped. He learned that he needed to spend more time training on ELS systems. He was well paid for the work he did with Enigma Lux but it was not as enjoyable as he had hoped it would be. He had been quite social in Tokyo with three parties and the Enigma Lux party at the fashion show. Paul won his bet with Beatrix Ward and she held up her end of the deal. So he made a post in solidarity wearing the shirt she had sent him. He was feeling a little isolated being such a busy athlete at his age. It was hard to find a group of people who understood the lifestyles and pressures of an AG Pilot. He was hoping to make friends with some of the other pilots. He knew they were competitors but that didn't mean they couldn't be friendly competitors. He was still working on planning the charity gala for his mother's foundation. He met with Hyeon-Ae while he was in Japan. She agreed to be a part of the event.



The Italian GP was a fun race for Paul. He loved the beautiful scenery. There had been another crash this time between Astrid and Han. Astrid was penalized for poor sportsmanship. Paul spent his spare time trying to ingratiate himself with his fellow rookies. Paul was beginning to reap the benefits from the sponsorship money he had earned from the Enigma Lux fashion house. He put most of the profits into savings and invested some.



Paul took part in the rookie go kart race in Portugal. He enjoyed some fun banter with Bea and Hyeon-Ae. He won his first Podium in Portugal taking third place in the race. Now he is training hard for the Luna race.



Just before the Lunar Race, the CEO of Team Valkyrie was arrested for fraud. The upheaval at headquarters was staggering. Paul couldn't move without someone asking for his opinion and reaction to the news. Paul had decided he trusted Alexander Knight. The more he worked with him the more he saw why his father had developed a close friendship with the man. Paul made a statement in support of Knight to the media. Then he refused to engage with the media or social media until after the Lunar Race. Paul trained hard for the race on the moon. He found he was going to need a whole new set of skills for racing on the moon. Alexander kept making adjustments and trying to solve issues as they came up, but the team was plagued by technical and mechanical issues on the moon. Paul's dream of doing well there went right out the window. His performance fell back to the middle of pack. It was a disappointment but he owned his performance. Paul didn't even get to finish the race as two major crashes happened at the same time. One of them saw one of his fellow rookies, Nora Kelly, almost die. She would have died if the other pilot in the crash hadn't come to her rescue. Nora survived but had to replace an arm and a leg. It was harsh reminder that while the sport had become safer, it was still dangerous. Paul's experiences on the moon left him bitter. His first trip to the moon soured his outlook on coming back to race on the moon again. He knew before he did, there would have to be a lot more training and a much better ship. A ship designed to race in zero gravity, and deal with the lunar environment. Paul tried to put the moon behind him. He was looking forward to racing at Monaco. The Monaco race was important to him. He wanted to race in his father's footsteps in the best ship he could. He wanted to win at Monaco. His father had won at Monaco. It was another link to his deceased father. It was the perfect way to honor him. He also worried that controversy happening with the team would affect the fundraiser he was planning for his mother's foundation. Paul was finding little to be excited and happy about it. Staying motivated was a challenge. The lure of walking in his father's footsteps at Monaco was pushing him forward. The media had gotten ahold of photos and video of Paul spending time with Hyeon-Ae in public. They had begun to spread rumors that the two were seeing were each other. Paul had reached out to apologize to her. He was not sure how he was going to handle the press.



Paul had put any reservations or worries he had about racing to rest at Monaco. He didn't win the race which would have been the ultimate high but he did podium with Dorian taking the top spot. Amy had taken second. It had been an experience that he would always cherish. He could almost feel his father in the cockpit with him. He could imagine the joy he felt at taking the optimum racing line and holding off more experienced and reckless racers. Considering the number of wrecks that happened in the midfield at that race, Paul had done a great job to come out clean. He had been unable to catch Amy but Dorian had held her off for the win. The points and positive press had been great for the team. Paul was a little worried since he had not heard from Han in a while. He had sent Nora and Ava both wishes for a speedy recovery. He was pleased to see them both racing at Monaco. Nora had charged right back into the field. She had done as well as she probably could have on a different track. The tight track at Monaco called for skill and precision handling and stability. Southern Cross ships were built for speed. Paul had been proud of himself for holding off Astrid and then Harrison. His skills had been truly tested at Monaco. He could see why it had been his father's favorite track. Alexander had leaned into his request to honor his father by using his livery at Monaco. They had used it to garner some more positive press with AG fans. Paul had gained some new fans from the older crowd. He had received fan mail from some of them that had reminisced watching his father race. The fan mail had made Paul smile. He felt more connected to his father than ever. Now he was excited about racing again. The mess with the CEO had faded somewhat with the positive press from the wins. Paul was still worried on how it might impact the fundraiser he was working on but everything seemed to be moving forward for now. He was training hard for the next race at Silverstone. He was so excited that he was going to get to drive Lauda's Ferrari. He could hardly wait. Even if he didn't win, driving Lauda's Ferrari was a once in a lifetime experience that he planned to relish and savor for years to come.



Paul had pushed too hard to overtake Cassie and ended up colliding with her ship in a corner as she aggressively defended. They shared responsibility for the crash not that Cassie was owning up to her part in it. Paul didn't have any bad feelings towards Cassie about it. He chalked it up to one of those things that happens when you pit highly competitive people against one another in super fast ships. Paul flew home to visit his mother when he left Silverstone. He had decided to rest and recuperate at home. He wanted to spend some time with her and reassure her that he was alright and fully healed before he dove back into training for Canada. The team needed time to rebuild his ship anyway. He had been checking in with Dr. Montgomery the team's restorative medicine and Medical Team Lead, the physical therapist, and his trainer. He had suffered a concussion, severe bruising, and some pulled muscles and tendons in his shoulders, neck, and back. He had been checked out at the emergency room and released after a few hours of treatment and monitoring. He was working his way back into mobility and flexibility with light stretching, yoga, and exercises dictated by the team. He had taken the time to work on the fundraiser for the Mulder Foundation while he was unable to train in the simulator or ship. He had been overjoyed and pleased that Kais had responded and was joining the efforts to help out with the fundraiser. Kais had suggested that Nora would be interested in helping out. He had sent her a message and was waiting to hear back about it. In the meantime, Paul was looking for a new agent. He had fired his old one. It was getting harder for him to find someone he trusted.

---

Paul was pleased to see the advertising for the fundraiser was up and was already doing well. While Paul had been out recovering from the accident, he and Dorian had received the neural interfaces and their first injection of nanites. The speed, clarity, and ease of use for the new neural interface was light years ahead of his old one. It made his old neural interface feel like he had been using an Atari while his new one was the latest Xbox. The new neural interface was more institutive and when coupled with the team's cognitive training that he had been doing, gave him a big advantage. He was able to cope with more data from the ship faster than ever before and the ship was responding to input faster as well. Paul saw a significant improvement in the ship handling especially for tight quick maneuvers such as those needed in tight corners. The advantage, his ship, focus, and skill brought him his first win. Paul had been pleased to share the podium with Jen Lowry and Nora Kelly. He had given her a hug and congratulated her. Paul was still processing that he had beat Amy Stirling. He knew he had nothing really do with it. That whatever had happened to Amy was her own fault. Paul had simply run his race.



Paul spent his two week vacation at home visiting his mother. He kept up his physical training enjoying runs through the gardens. He hired a new agent, Chelsey Vandecasteele. Chelsey is a childhood friend who has a degree in public relations and marketing. She had not really done much agent work except for artists but Paul trusted that she would have his interests at heart. Paul did some advertising on local television and radio networks about the upcoming fundraising gala for the Mulder Foundation. He also did some personal endorsement work which landed him a hotel to host the pilots' dinner party for Spa. Instead of a paycheck, Paul rented the hotel out for the Spa race and invited the other pilots to stay. He hired a world renown chef to come in and cook for them. Staff had been vetted by security and the property is surrounded by a wall making it easier for the security staff. Paul endured the pilot upgrade to his skeletal system and dialing in improvements on the ship before the race at Spa.



Paul had hosted the pilots dinner in a hotel he had done some endorsement work for. He had arranged the hotel to house Team Valkyrie and his guests during the days surrounding the Spa race. He brought in a chef to cook for everyone as a thank you to the team for all their hard work. The pilot dinner was more intimate than the party at the club in Tokyo or the Yacht in Monaco. He had enjoyed not having the press and public watching them interact. Their had been a lot more laughter over shared stories and beer. It had been more friendly competitor talk. He had enjoyed it more. He had been surprised when his mother had come to watch him race at Spa. He had raced at Spa before and she had not come. It was the race where he had lost his father. Maybe it was because it was his first Formula AG race at Spa since the junior league. She had been worried but supportive. Something changed for Paul at Spa. He had really wanted the win. He had given everything he had but Bea was just little bit faster. He knew she was talented but he refused to believe that she was more talented than him. He did believe she had a faster ship. Their race had made him feel alive in a way he had never experienced before. She had pushed him and he had pushed back. He couldn't wait to do it again. She had sent him a lovely painting of his ship with his father's smiling face in the clouds above it. It now hung over his sofa in his apartment at headquarters. He absolutely loved the painting. He had taken a picture of it and sent it to his mother. She had cried when she saw it. She had loved it too. She had already asked for Bea's information since she wanted to commission a piece from her. Paul smiled at that. He knew that Bea's art career was about to get a boost in Europe. Paul had wrapped up the fundraiser which had been a huge success. They had raised millions for the foundation. The press was still talking about the event. The Mulder Foundation was still getting donations from celebrities that had attended the event as well. Paul turned his attention now to the German Grand Prix. He had been working with Dorian to dial in some modifications that they hoped would give them that little edge they needed for speed. Only time would tell.



Paul had been talked into trying a setup for Germany that changed up the airbrake system for speed. It was an utter disaster for Paul. He fought the ship the whole race. He ended up in P8 with Dorian loosing 3 places to finish in P7. They did pick up some points for the team but it was a hard lesson for Paul. He would not sacrifice his chances at a good race to support Dorian again. He probably would have excused it if Dorian had finished well but he hadn't lived up to the promises he made. Paul apologized to his fans. In the Pilot Group Chat Bea had sent a picture of a burned out lap asking if he or Cassie was responsible. Paul was a little annoyed and angry to be accused. He wanted to beat Bea but he wanted to do it fair and square. When he beat her, he didn't want any excuses as to why. He had apologized to his fans and took responsibility for his decision with the setup. He was already looking forward to Hawaii.



Moa Tempesta Circuit. Paul participated in the Fan Zone for Hawaiian race which was very different due to the conditions from the local. He enjoyed learning to surf which was part of a Delta Hyper challenge. Paul struggled in qualifying and the race. He should have done much better than he did. He fell out of points contention while Dorian took the podium win. Paul was frustrated and angry. He had no idea why he did so poorly. He had poured over the data available and simply didn't understand the issue. Alexander caught him after the race and called him out on his behavior. Alexander shared some hard truths with Paul that left him in an even greater sense of confusion and frustration.



Paul had been embarrassed over his meltdown in Hawaii. He had avoided going out in public and the press. Alexander had rightly called him out over his behavior and forced him to work with a Sports Psychologist, Dr. Ingold. Paul had resented it at first but he had to admit it was helping. He had been learning a great deal about himself that he had didn't know. He had been repressing emotion and trying to live up to all these expectations everyone else had for him instead of accepting and putting his needs first. He had discovered that yes he had gone into racing to feel closer to his father but also because he had felt he needed to somehow take his father's place in his mother's life. Dr. Ingold had been helpful in bringing his relationship to his mother to a better place. Paul was now trying to learn what his racing style was. He had listened to Alexander's advice and it had helped him in Singapore. Now he was focused on getting ready for Argentina.

Name: Nora Kelly
Alias: Nelly, Sandstorm (Interior Handle), @NitroNora
Team: Southern Cross
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Languages: English, Mandarin, Arabic

Appearance: Nora Kelly stands 5'8" and is fit but not built. Her white hair and odd eyes are the result of cosmetic augs that she got to differentiate herself, her eyes being styled to look like a jet engine cutting through a blue sky. She has a series of tattoos along her back and arms that show off her love of racing, from early AGs to a full back piece that shows an AG streaking into the sky at a near-ninety degree angle. More recently, Nora has gained a series of plugs and induction pads along her body to more fully integrate her with her ship and its systems. She wears revealing, punk-style clothes when not directed otherwise by the team, seeing her body and ink as art to be shown off, not hidden away in shame.

Personality: Nora Kelly is an ambitious woman whos in-your-face attitude and irreverence for the established way of doing things lead to her label as an underdog and black sheep. This reputation only served to strengthen her convictions, however, and is backed by a fierce intelligence and a stubborn nature. These traits allowed her to flourish in the Interior Circuit after being thrown out of the AG Rookie League, with her stubborn pride and adrenaline thrills seeing her meteoric rise through the scene.

Noras pride won't let her settle for second best, and that includes the quality of her opponents. She sees herself as the one who can push the sport to its peak, but at the end of the day what she truly craves is competition. In this pursuit she is always looking to push her competitors and teammates as far as they can go, and to put on a good show to the media while doing so as she plays up her punk nature and pushes an antagonistic vibe against the established norms of the sport.

On the track, Nora is all guts and glory, taking joy in the raw speed and feeding that back into her team, her near-maniacal laughter when overtaking filled with an infectious energy.

Backstory: Nora Kellys racing career started in an AG Rookie program, and everyone thought it would end there when she was thrown out halfway through her first season for overly dangerous racing and disorderly conduct both on and off the track. After being thrown out of the program she still felt the itch to go fast, eventually leading her to Australia's underground racing scene, known locally as the Interior Circuit and filled with a heady mixture of jetbikes, early AGs, and final-gen F1 cars tackling a wide variety of tracks and challenges, all run by the local crime syndicates. To survive in this scene without owing all but your soul in debt and favors you had to be the best of the best, and that's what Nora was; She piloted a wicked fast first-gen experimental AG unaugment against racers tweaked up with black markets Augs and performance enhancers and winning more often than not... even when she was pressured to lose. Nora spent about five years running the Interior Circuit before pressure from the Crew, her sponsor and one of the crime families that ran the interior circuit, eventually lead to her looking for an out. And what an out she found, one that sought her out in the most unexpected of places.

When Nora saw her Uncle walk into the dive bar she'd been sent to by her engineer for a meeting with a mysterious friend, doubly so when her uncle, looking as surprised as she was, told her that the job he'd always been cagey about at family dinners was a talent scout for the Southern Cross AG team. He'd heard of a racer from a friend of a friend, one who went by the nickname Sandstorm after the storm kicked up by her ships unstable AG generators in the desert sands. Imagine his surprise when Sandstorm turned out to be his niece who'd disappeared after being thrown out of Rookie AG. Nora could ill afford to turn down her uncles offer, not when she was facing pressure from the Crew, pressure that others before her had disappeared from. Later that night, Noras life had turned upside down again and she was stepping up to a new stage, one that would lift her higher than ever before.

Racing DNA



Controversy: Noras brief stint in the Rookie league and her years racing the underground Interior Circuit both do little to waylay her image as a loose cannon and dangerous racer. She was also signed on by her uncle, a talent scout for Southern Cross, under mysterious circumstances and a recommendation from a sketchy source. These connections and Southern Cross signing her apparently out of the blue have also raised questions about the teams standards, and about their connections and financing.

MISC
Theme Song: Kickstart My Heart - Mötley Crüe
Likes: Speed, Competition, Heavy Music, Directness
Dislikes: Dirty Racing, Cowards, talking behind someone's back
Other Information: Despite her reputation, connections, and past, the worst vice Nora has ever engaged in is alcohol.

Name: Bellatrix Olympus - Romus - Draken. (Romus on the roster.)
Alias: Trixie shortened, Lady Atalanta on social media and her helmet art. (Named after an Ancient Greek figure linked to racing)
Team: Nordic
Gender: Female
Age: 24

:

5 '0, shorter but she claims it helps her at high G, she takes after her family with bright gold eyes like one of her ancestors, shorter height and is athletic but not entirely slender. Red hair cut shorter to be practical for racing. She has visible signs of the trauma and efforts to allow her to live a normal life with major investment and protection from her family.

While her family name is Olympus she is Caucasian and from England, the family name was changed long before she was born by an ancestor obsessed with classical Greece and they just roll with it to date.

Her spine, shoulders, left arm, left ribs, part of hip and lower left leg are cybernetic augments, so she was grafted and updated as a very young child she had organically become totally natural to point people assume she is organic unless you see the metal down her back or she is without the advanced synthetic layers than conceal most of them.

She simply has never known being without them.

This was extreme, but her parents' hands were forced when a then young child Bellatix was diagnosed with a rare infection and severe complications happened. To save her quality of life a lot of replacements were made.

A fine mecadrote set hides in her spine, to help her when she was young and remained and improved as they kept innovating. It has an almost personality of its own at times, playful. These take the form of self supporting slender mechanical tentacles and capable of extremely fine motor functions and also contain a highly compacted maintenance and diagnostic programming for her augments.

The cutting edge technology is very effective, but it comes with multiple downsides in needing regular adjustment and self care.

She combined an idea based on an old pre century media, … Lady Croft mixed with Greek myth, and that's where she got her social media handles and brand.

Her personal style is usually casual, comfortable at home or in private settings, and letting the imitation camouflage that covers her limb augments rest and systems to diagnose and run maintenance. She is not afraid to show her augments in these settings, especially as they saved her life.

On the Grid and in public she plays up and acts the part to bolster her image and the approachable ease with her fans report. She is a driver in one of most elite sports but still remained casual, softer and tried to remain well put together but more like her fans, comfy boots, hoodys, leggings and such they wear. It helps to keep her grounded and fans relate.

Not to say she cannot dress up and her creepy holo DM hall of fame attest, the paparazzi holiday snaps added a few dozen more.

Separate to her racing persona once in full suit, helmet and the like when she becomes cold, calculating and a remorseless persistence hunter watching until its prey gives an opening.

Personality:

She is a quietly confident person and has taken a few knocks in life and spent far too long in rehabilitation or surgery as she grew older. Those knocks did not stop her and she was always a speed person, be it a bike, electric bike and training partly as a pilot before she found her true joy of racing. It took trying quite a few things and so to really find what suited me though.

Confident in many ways, but her art? Nope, never, totally remarried or scared about negative comments.

While ruthless on the racing track, able to charm social media like she was born to it and socially comfortable to turn even the worst situations around… Bellatrix still gets utterly scared when thrown off by a curve ball, still second guessing everything but manages to turn that fear into fuel, not a crippling collapse.

Part of making her a natural in racing anything, fear is always there, life and death run on a knife edge. But that fear to Bellatix is fuel.

Her social media presence is fairly new, small by some standards but steady and she has a regular fanbase that's loyal and regularly when able to holo streams everything from games to random chats as cooking, updates or as she takes runs etc. As a new reserve and fill in driver she never got the big slots or media opportunities. She does best to remember her most active fans by name and some detail. She almost wants to remain able to do so and not become huge on social media. Faceless.

Backstory: Her family is a sizable presence in the United Kingdom and Europe in their field. They currently produce high end metalo ceramic alloys, advanced fusions of metals and ceramic used in various purposes from extreme durable wedding rings to use by everyone from military contractors, automotive particularly racing hyper bearings, mono ceramic reinforced materials and parts and several of their unique products are rather rare and hard to manufacture.

They have changed and evolved, generations have passed, they have moved several times with the global economic and technological shifts. The company has managed to chart a very tricky course in rapidly changing and dangerous times, they are still here even if they did not always win.

Born into a family with resources did help but that does not guarantee your luck and your health. Both of those hit Bellatrix but her family never gave up on her and pulled their resources to aid them. These included cutting edge medical technology and augment neural linkage tech that had barely left the testing systems of military industry companies yet alone commercial use.

She grew up on the Welsh borders but her family was English from the south, the estate had fallen into their hands just prior to the dangerous era and the former castle site was rapidly transformed into a castle of the modern era. Its natural defences and fact it was so far out of the way allowed it to go for the most part entirely unnoticed. Its true shield from the dangers of the time.

The area was not always kind, cold, wet, but it was safe and quiet.

Racing was in her blood from an early age starting young on a human powered cycle to help her train balance and help her master body. Bellatrix soon rapidly graduated into motor powered racing starting with more basic forms, archaic but rapidly moved up into the higher and higher levels of racing.

She won 2 Under 16 championships, several awards including best new starter, top scoring first year, and one for a 100% clean season. She had talent but it was the challenge to find a team at all willing to give her a shot at moving up from wheeled to more advanced racing.

That break came with Blue sheep racing team's foundation level team, which was her first time in a higher level of racing. She won championship her second season at blue sheep and in her 3rd came in an entirely respectable 3rd after she missed 4 races due to an accident where her car suffered a major malfunction mid race and crashed hard.

Choosing not to go into the family business Bellatix took after several ancestors who all had a thing for racing, speed and pushing the limits. The family has dabbled into racing for over a century, flying, and other pursuits.

The changes in teams and end of the season gave them a chance to throw in a new driver and see what they could do. A few races was a far lower risk than the starting season. So Bellatrix managed to convince them to take the chance.

Family

Mother, Maria. 48. Currently the head of the company legal department.

Father. John. 57. An ex fighter pilot with Royal Air force before becoming a private executive pilot where he met his wife.

Brother. Danny. 26. Currently undergoing his doctorate in geological studies. Quieter and less comfortable in the spotlight than his sister.

Grandfather and grandmother. Alessandro and Malia. 75 and 78. Retired.

Racing DNA



MISC
Theme Song:youtu.be/DC9Ar8gYNa4?si=iygZeBtLeVZECPgT

Likes: overly sweet coffee, night owl, getting out and about in race locations and seeing local cultures, local food.
Dislikes: Being put on the spotlight without warning, morning people, early starts and long meetings.
Other Information: Misses her cat greatly but cannot take him on tour. Mono, an orange cat with exactly 4 brain cells, 2 of those focused on getting belly rubs.

Collects “Lego” very much and has a whole wall dedicated to vintage and older sets that pre date her parents.

NPC.

Personal staff:

Butler.
Arthur Pennyworth
51

The family Butler who has been with the family for over 20 years. Has a soft spot for the family but retains his traditional bearing.also manager of the house and keeper of family schedules, notifications and travel arrangements. An unwise enemy to make. Has advanced neural upgrades. Gamer. Bad knee.

Wears classic black suit. Lives in Wales mostly.

Personal pit crew manager / representative.
Jakub Dispski “jake”
42

Her personal support between pit crew, admin and driver, he represents her and the team and bridges gaps. Experienced AG pit repair crew prior to working for Bellatrix full time.

Taller 6 foot ish, Russian born. Beard. Metalic Bionic eye and exposed arm.has a bit of a belly but it is almost all muscle.

Social media manager.
Florence Dubois “Ren” to her team.
26

Born in France, social media manager, black and pink hair, runs the social media branding etc. Limited augments to neural, 5’8. She remains mostly human physically.

Very French. Consider cigarettes and coffee for breakfast.. Coffee snob. Almost always in high heals of some kind.

Nordic Call:
Team day to day manager.
Ragnar bjornson
45

A tall man, blonde with short hair, multiple older neural plugs and augments. War Orphan, former Rally Driver before switching into AG racing.

Fair minded if a bit judge of the upper class and those he thinks had it easy.

Australia.

Bellatrix joined the season late in Australia replacing Bjorn at the last leg of races and was coming in from the Junior league competing for title and returning after a bad crash.

She qualified strongly even ahead of her experienced team mate and due to an engine failure, events conspired and the pack tightened up into a aggressive and tight racing with 4 pilots and under 1 second between them. She in the racing eventually managed to come in 10th, earning points in first race.