[center][h2]Monday July 26th, 2094, 19:32
Buenos Aires, Argentina[/h2][h3]”The Ranch” (Carrera Condor Formula AG Team headquarters)[/h3][/center]So far her inquiry into the neural link logs yielded no results. Well, it told her that it either wasn’t triggering on its own when it wasn’t supposed to, or it was and wasn’t leaving any trace. Normally she’d go with the former because it was the simpler solution, but she knew for a fact there was no trace of her VR chat with Amy except a text message on her phone, that was the first date and time she checked.

Slowly she was coming to terms with the fact that she’d have to tell Lucho at least something to get his help directly. She’d need an excuse to have him look into anything that might be bypassing the neural blockers without sounding like some kind of conspiracy nut, paranoid schizophrenic or some other kind of nutter, unaware that he’d already been doing so on his own time, spurred by her cryptic visit. And interruptions were not helping her think. She let the phone ring once it told her who was calling, not really caring for what some suit from the board had to say. Call during business hours.

[quote]”Hello Beatrix, Pablo here. Sorry to call you while you're away, but, listen, I wanted to talk a little bit of business through with you. Normally I would have gone to Frederick, or Leon first, but I thought to go to you directly. I believe in our chances this season, and I think you are the key to that. I'll be at Spa. See you there.”[/quote]
Well, that wasn’t ominous at all.

She waited a few minutes before sending a message back so it would look like she was busy as opposed to not paying attention to her phone.
[color=#1EFF24]> We’ll speak after the race, then.[/color]
She didn’t need any more distractions than she already had on her plate. [color=#1EFF24]”Bloody neural mods…”[/color] She cursed to no one in particular as she poured herself another cup of cranberry tea with a horse’s dose of Brandy.

[hr][color=gold][center][h1][i][b]DELTΔ HYPER[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color][color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Episode 10: Changing Conditions[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color]
[hr]
[quote]”Beatrix, Kais, Paul, welcome back to Delta Hyper. How were your Summer Holidays?”[/quote]
Bea let the other two go first - Paul because he was at home here and Kais… Look, you don’t step on someone like that in conversation.
[color=#1EFF24]”It’s great to be back at the track. Did you miss us?”[/color] Bea poked Aurora a bit before answering the question.
[color=#1EFF24]”No wake up alarm.”[/color] She shook her head with a blissful smile, [color=#1EFF24]”For three weeks I didn’t roll out of bed until eleven.”[/color] In fact, she’d messed up her biological clock so much that Bridget had to wake her up by throwing rocks at her window at seven in the morning the first two days of going back to in-season timetables.

[hr][center][h2]Friday July 30th, 2094, 16:12
Stavelot, Belgium[/h2][h3]Post practice[/h3][/center]Practice had been looking promising that weekend. Bea loved Spa on the worst days, but the timing tower might as well have been a wizard’s tower because what was on top of it was conjuring smiles all over the Carrera Condor garage.

[quote]”Bea, no funny business into Turn One, yeah? We have a hell of a ship on our hands...”[/quote]
[color=#1EFF24]”Temper expectations.”[/color] Bea returned the hug a little more coldly than usual. [color=#1EFF24]”The next race will have the next set of problems. Let’s make it count while we know we can. We won’t have it this easy until the home race.”[/color]
[color=#7AFFAD]”Who are you and where is Bea?”[/color] Ava poked, [color=#7AFFAD]”Did Ivan install a sense of self preservation along with your lungs?”[/color]
No, but Amy did remove something during that surgery. [color=#1EFF24]”I always underpromise and overdeliver. I’m not here telling everyone I’ll win the championship in my rookie year, just that I’m here to prove I belong.”[/color] She shrugged, [color=#1EFF24]”But if you want bravado: Rounds 17 through 19 will be knockouts.”[/color] She alluded to the speed-heavy, stability-ignoring circuits.

[hr][center][h2]Saturday July 31st, 2094, 16:32
Stavelot, Belgium[/h2][h3]Qualifying[/h3][/center]Due to what Spa demanded, Carrera Condor might as well have turned up with an actual Antares-B aerospace interceptor as opposed to a racing ship with an engine from that bolted on the back. Careful through La Source, she shot out from it and up the two-Eau Rouge-Radillon combination, the ship dipping so low through two that it kicked up spray with the wake turbulence. Absolutely screaming down Kemmel, braking hard enough for Les Combes that vapor trails started forming around the various air brakes as moisture condensed in the low-pressure air around them.

Then came the masterstroke, drilled strenuously in sims and practiced to perfection on Friday. Tilting the ship in two axes, the air brakes angling to produce lift and pull the ship to the left and the AG unit likewise pulling into the corner, Bea took Pouhon flat with just a lift on entry, engine screaming like a beast possessed the entire way through.

The ship was like nailed down through the MAG section, only coming close to struggling through the Neuville chicane before getting spat out between the grandstands in front of turn 16. The ships couldn’t break the sound barrier, but the fans almost made up for the sonic boom as she kept it pinned through 16 and Blanchimont, all the way until the bus stop. She ran out of courage there, braking a bit too early and losing a tenth of a second in that one corner alone.

[color=#129914]”THAT’S PROVISIONAL POLE BEA! GUARANTEED P2!”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”YEEEEES!”[/color] She whooped so loud the mics actually picked up the sound of the breathing liquid rushing through her throat, [color=#1EFF24]”That was almost good.”[/color] She laughed.
[color=#129914]”Oh, get out of here! I haven’t seen Alonso smile this much since Burkhart said ‘yes’.”[/color] Alistair laughed with her, [color=#129914]”Even Asturia is smiling, actually. It’s a bit unnerving.”[/color]

[center][h3]Little bit later…[/h3][/center]
[color=#1EFF24]”FUCK! How many times have I been through that chicane?”[/color] She punched the canopy frame, untangling herself from the crash harness [color=#1EFF24]”Everything came together and then I brake like I’m in a kart for the first bloody time!”[/color]
[color=#129914]”It’s P2 to Ava’s P4. You have 45 minutes to make up one position tomorrow. It’s halfway in the bag already.”[/color] Alistair rallied pretty quick in the face of the unexpected outburst, race engineers being many things including part-time psychologists.
[color=#1EFF24]”I know, but that could have been pole, damn it.”[/color] She lamented her error, [color=#1EFF24]”It’s a great result, but it stings. Such a dumb mistake at one of my favorite tracks…”[/color]
[color=#129914]”Don’t let it get to you. No-”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”No heroics into T1, I know.”[/color] She cut him off, [color=#1EFF24]”Sell La Source, lock in through two through four and then we get her with the slipstream down Kemmel.”[/color] She shrugged, rattling off pretty much the exact words Alistair was about to say.
[color=#129914]”If that fails, stay on her through the MAG section and you’ll have the speed advantage past Blanchimont.”[/color] He nodded.
[color=#1EFF24]”As long as I hit the braking point for the Bus Stop.”[/color]
[color=#129914]”Unless she gets you on brakes, that will also compromise her and you’ll once again have the advantage accelerating on corner exit.”[/color]

[hr][color=gold][center][h1][i][b]DELTΔ HYPER[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color][color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Episode 10: Changing Conditions[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color]
[hr]
Back to the interview couch, under a gazebo to keep the rain away, still with her racing limbs on except with Sarif Industries, PolarVault and other sponsor logos 3D printed and attached to the circular openings with snap-fits.

[quote]“Beatrix, the upgrades look incredibly impressive. Take us through what you're feeling, with a podium position today in qualifying? Do you think you have what it takes to win?”[/quote]
[color=#1EFF24]”What I’m feeling… What I said in the garage right after the qualy lap is unpublishable I guess, so… ”[/color] Bea chuckled. [color=#1EFF24]”A stupid mistake on my part. Still, an absolutely amazing result despite that, one we didn’t even dare dream of two months ago. I’m completely blown away by the work Felix and the whole engineering team have done over the summer. She’s even faster than before, like glued to the road at high speeds and even more responsive to inputs now.
Do I think we can win?“[/color] She let the question hang in the air for a second, [color=#1EFF24]”Of course I think we can. All racing drivers do, otherwise we wouldn’t be here, would we?”[/color] She asked like it was an obvious thing.

[quote]“What would you say to your past self about the journey you've been on?”[/quote]
She thought about it briefly. Jamie’s stunt in Cape Town. Astrid’s bullshit penalty in the wake of Italy. Layla laying in that recovery room, lights on but no one home. Amy’s desperate plea and the server rack now in her garage.
[color=#1EFF24]”That’s for my past self to hear.”[/color] She smiled with a shrug.

[hr][h2]Pilots’ Group Chat[/h2][quote][color=fff200][b]Paul[/b][/color] Since we are going to be close to my hometown, I will be hosting the dinner party for the pilot group on Thursday before the race at Spa at Villa De Fleurs. I have rented out the entire hotel. Come stay for the race and join me for dinner on Thursday. World Renown Chef Greyson Angelotti will be cooking just for our group.[/quote]
[color=fff200][b]Bea[/b][/color] I’m there.

[color=fff200][b]Ava[/b][/color] Likewise.

[hr]
[center][url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TrLdbYUu7LJQf9_6F1zblN3WfwvCU8R3W8Xskd8b3vI/edit?usp=sharing]Carrera Condor NPCs[/url][/center]