[center][h2]Saturday August 21st, 2094, 16:20
Moa Tempest, Hawaii[/h2][h3]Qualifying[/h3][/center][color=#129914]”How’s the ship feeling?”[/color] Alistair asked as Bea weaved through the track on her outlap.
[color=#1EFF24]”On rails. I don’t know what the lads did to it, but it has no right to be this good at this track.”[/color] Bea replied, [color=#1EFF24]”Do we feel like a front row start?”[/color] She grinned.
[color=#129914]”Always. Got show them!”[/color]

The ship seemed to drop an anchor as it came into turn one, gradually accelerating through two and three as the handling and pilot compensated for wanting stability they should’ve had by now were it not for some faulty wiring in a place with a lot of powdered metal at the factory. The Tempesta Climb would be a nightmare to defend at, but required the pilot to position the ship right for the exit, which Bea managed with impeccable precision unlikely to be repeated in the race on her fast lap. The Pira and Kapua Complexes were a literal handful given the amount of work both controls had to do, but the delta stayed well North of Jenny’s time, who was the driver to beat at the time. Coming up on the dam, the orange glow of the lava flow, though far from the circuit, illuminated the scene. It would make for a nasty crash, the repulsors in that direction especially shored up, but still Bea subconsciously strayed to the left side of the circuit, as far away from it as she could get.

Bea realized that too late, forcing her to change sides while under braking.

The ship wobbled under the combination of airflow disturbed by the airbrakes, the rapid direction change and a change in altitude as the surface dipped away under it in the descending turn.

The Neural link gave her the same feeling as Cape Town, the ship’s mag packs no longer able to keep it glued to the surface. Free from the downward pull, the ship nosed up due to the pressure differences caused by the airbrakes, the last thing Bea realized before the link disconnected in anticipation of an impact.

The Carrera Condor ship flew into the repulsors standing upright on its engine, losing most forward momentum almost immediately and falling down onto the basalt. Bea had enough presence of mind keep the ship in the upright orientation, meaning that when the inevitable impact came, it felt like getting rear-ended, getting slammed flat into the backrest. The ship immediately closed fuel shutoff valves when the engine took a hit, the AG unit running out its last seconds of power having just enough power to set down the nose somewhat gently as opposed to simply dropping down.

[color=#129914]”You okay?”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”...fuuuck me...”[/color] She groaned, counting her teeth with her tongue, opening the canopy and starting to untangle herself from the crash harness. [color=#1EFF24]”I’m fine. So sorry, lads. That one’s on me.”[/color] She continued in a dejected tone, disconnecting the breathing liquid hoses from the ship and clambering out, trying to find a colder place to await pickup.

[hr][center][h2]Saturday August 21st, 2094, 17:14
Moa Tempest, Hawaii[/h2][h3]New Hilo medical center[/h3][/center][color=#1EFF24]”I’m alright.”[/color] Bea said in lieu of a greeting, preempting the obvious questions as she emerged from the hospital’s doors, Ava waiting outside with her bike and Bea’s longboard to get them back to the hotel.
[color=#7AFFAD]”What happened there? Flight Control issues?”[/color] The Chilean asked.
[color=#1EFF24]”Ran out of talent, that’s what happened.”[/color] Bea shrugged bitterly before a smile reappeared on her face as she slapped Ava’s shoulder, [color=#1EFF24]”Time for you to remind the suits they forgot to renew the other driver.”[/color]
[color=#7AFFAD]“Good. I was ready to remind you I did just fine if you tried to blame the ship.”[/color] Ava chuckled as the got going, [color=#7AFFAD]”In a way I envy you. You get to fight with Flo tomorrow.”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”True. If I can’t get back up into points, something’s seriously wrong with me.”[/color]
They passed a gaggle of people wearing various Formula AG merch, a round of greetings and cheers erupting when they noticed the pair, a “Welcome home, island girl!” clearly heard among the crowd.
[color=#1EFF24]”You’ve got the islands confused!”[/color] Bea called back with as natural a smile as she could force herself into, [color=#1EFF24]”Mine still has temples of my faith!”[/color]
[color=#7AFFAD]”Temples to your faith?”[/color] Ava raised an eyebrow once they passed.
[color=#1EFF24]”Goodwood, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Donington Park…”[/color]
Ava laughed, the chuckles dying out when she saw Bea’s face [color=#7AFFAD]”They are wearing you down. Never thought I’d see the day. I heard how you shut down Aurora.”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”I will start dunking people in the sea if they don’t stop painting me into pictures I don’t belong in…”[/color] The Brit grumbled.
[color=#7AFFAD]”Paint your own tomorrow to shut them up. The race is a blank canvas.”[/color] Ava shrugged.
[color=#1EFF24]”Deep. You’ve been practicing for the interviews, haven’t you?”[/color]
[color=#7AFFAD]”I had to, in case the doctors wanted to keep you.”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”Pffff, please. I’d tie the bedsheets together and check myself out the window before I leave you to Aurora’s mercy.”[/color] Bea laughed, once again genuinely.
[color=#7AFFAD]”There we go, she’s back.”[/color] Ava smiled, [color=#7AFFAD]”Unless, of course, doing well will yield more headlines about your second home crowd spurring you on…”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”That’s it, come here. We’re taking a detour to the beach!”[/color] Bea laughed through faux indignation, pointing toward the ocean to echo her earlier comment, the rest of the way to the hotel spent in discussion as to whether or not Bea could get Ava in the water against the latter’s will.

[hr][color=gold][center][h1][i][b]DELTΔ HYPER[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color][color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Episode 12: Hot Like Lava[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color]
[hr]
[quote]”Bea, that looked like a gutting crash for you! Starting at the back tomorrow, what's your approach to making up?”[/quote]
[color=#1EFF24]”Whatever I did back there?”[/color] Bea pointed behind herself with her thumb, the backdrop being the place of her crash by chance. [color=#1EFF24]”Not that.”[/color] She chuckled. [color=#1EFF24]”And in other shocking news: Fish found in water. I know.”[/color] Actually, in some places that would be shocking news.
[color=#1EFF24]”We had a few races way above our level, smarter people than me say it’s inevitable that the bad ones come here and there. Something about statistics and Bell curves. Still, really gutted for the team, I just shot our chances at beating Zygon in the foot because I’m stupid. We’ll have to push even harder to make it happen now.
As for my plan? Do what I usually do: Claw my way up to where I have no business being and scare half the people I pass on the way there.”[/color] She grinned, [color=#1EFF24]”We have some backmarkers to work through tomorrow. On the plus side, I might get to fight with Flo, that’s something I think all of us have on the wishlist. Like I said in Africa: Think positive.”[/color]

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