[b][centre][h1] Bellatrix Olympus. Nordic. Road to Australia. & Australia Practice. 05-10-2094 to 20-10-2094[/h1][/centre][/b] [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]Nordic Call Factory[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Terrace Meeting. 05-10-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] It was not raining for once and what the locals considered a good day as they headed out onto a sheltered but open terrace to have an informal meeting about how everyone's weeks were going so far. Of course, the fresh air here was FRESH. aka. Cold by her mind. Bellatrix was not used to the cold and it showed as she was hugging a warm cup of tea, blanket over her legs and close to the fire outside as the team enjoyed the outdoor meeting on a terrace for the fresh air. Even the warm coat and insulated leggings had not adapted her to go from a UK weather to a Nordic weather where snow practically needed a bulldozer in winter. [color=ec008c]“Headaches, weird, my balance is off and my Augments need to balance with the new neural stuff, updated driver links, that stuff but I'll be race ready come Australia.”[/color] A mechadrie snaked out her back and adjusted her blanket but it was not as controlled as before. She was recovering from the AI in her spine adapting, the neural updates and so for the more advanced control set up and feedback systems of the top level AG racer were not gonna run properly off Junior AG tech. Oh. They had been gentle and safe as they could but Bellatrix had needed a fairly serious upgrade to meet the new standards, it was not as bad when she got her first major racing mods though, and nothing like her own augments she had growing up. She could push through as long as it was not too demanding. “A week at most, and you'll be meshed, it's only been 2 days. You're doing fine Bellatrix, you power through like Astrid.” The team Doctor said giving the update and responding, it was not detailed but this was just a general update meeting, he had been pressed, rushed but now it was mostly monitoring and such from his team. The ship engineers were not having such easy days. “It's on schedule. Not perfect, but it will race. We made the custom pilot controls, pod and added tungsten mass to make it balanced and race legal.” The woman said with no preamble who was representing the engineers as most work. “Marketing, how are socials looking? Same with merchandise, what we got for Australia?” The Team Principal who was hosting the meeting asked, he did not care if more senior people were busy, this was just to keep his finger on the pulse of the team. Someone dropped another log on the fire for their resident British woman, it was not even true winter yet. She would have an experience. The meeting carried on. … [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]Nordic Call Factory[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Cardio Room. 12-10-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] Her legs burned but Bellatrix did not quit as the rolling hills of Sweden lush in thick dark evergreens in sunshine and a nice pine smell hit her nose. It was certainly nicer than going out into the wet, cold and rather grey outside…but was that not the Welsh Borders year round! The trees smelt more air freshener but it was nice in its own joys. Her ability to marvel at this simulated landscape was limited by the level she needed to push and the big target level / average power levels constantly telling her when she slacked off or her rhythm was interrupted by the virtual terrain changes. Astrid was hard to read and rarely gave away much, quite reserved and very much engaged with Bellatrix on her own terms but it worked and had adapted to calling her Trixie which at least seemed a positive step rather than just Bellatrix. She stretched her out getting off the bike, feeling comfortable enough to also drop the active systems that blended in her arm and leaving metal visible to her shoulder under her work out gear from her left arm and lower leg ultra lightweight metal plating. The spine could never be hidden. [color=ec008c]“Hey, nice ride Astrid.”[/color] She said feeling the burn but also the euphoria of hard exercise. 5 foot nothing yes, Bellatrix had to be in good shape as a Junior driver. Astrid cut straight to it and honestly while jarring she could get used to the peculiar nature of her co-pilot, she meant well even if they were very much different people and how they expressed it. [color=ec008c]“I'll mention it when I have my next appointment. Thank you.” [/color]Bellatrix said as Astrid was practically already turning away as the British woman finished. She had tried to invite her to join her for an afternoon tea lunch before the Finn was...the Finn... Someone explained Astrid just was like that. Astrid was Astrid. She never let anyone change her. Bellatrix respected that. She spent a few minutes sitting down and let her AI run diagnostics and poke at her limbs' data ports till they bleeped cheerfully reporting green and a 97.8% response rate vs prior averages. Not bad, she would be race fit come time. Now she really did need a shower probably at temperatures her ex would have considered a lava bath. The metallic tentacles that had snaked around her wrist as they worked began to retract away again, for anyone else they would freak out likely. She had them for years, an extra limb that felt entirely natural. [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]Nordic Call Factory[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Sim City Racing. Long days. Fast racing. 14-10-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] The Simulated car was not real. Everything felt real including the pressure, the pain, G force and the thump in her back when the grav motors hit full force acceleration down the straight. This was another session on the simulation as she practiced for harsh weather and heavy rain lashed the track, winds tried to push you and you had to dodge waves and time maneuvers perfectly. The exercise was a race but a race under the worst conditions they could make up. Motors had failed before, bad grid starts, penalty's and more had been thrown in to give the new pilot a trial by fire before she faced the real thing. She was an experienced Junior pilot but they made her earn her way up from the start. That was honestly for the best and Bellatrix felt better as she beat each challenge or least got better, faster and her lap times were improving even under duress. Darting through a gap she made an aggressive attempt to exploit the gap she had been working down the last two laps and spun out badly. She already knew what the debriefing would be, good run, smooth handling but too hard on the controls, she had over compensated and pushed the ship beyond its limits. But this was why she was doing this. Again. And again. And again. Every mistake in practice, every mistake and error on sims was a lesson learned for the real thing when she could not make mistakes. “Reset. We're gonna do a false start drill again.” Bellatrix just nodded and closed her eyes, the sim Reset and did a mind bending and eye searing fuzzy change. The second time she learned to close her eyes. “Ready. 30 seconds Bellatrix.” The voice said again as the sim paused and loaded the new scenario. … “Reset. Night race.” “Reset. Low visibility” “Reset. Defend the place from simulated Amy.” “Reset. Keep in points.” “Reset. Keep power below 80%. Manage engine temperature.” “Reset. Manual mode. Ship to pilot link failure “ “Reset. I want a safe inter team challenge. We got Astrid for this one.” “Reset. The test driver is P8. I want you to take them in 3 laps. Second half. Time your speed.” “Close down. We were done for the day. Great work, we go over all this in the morning. Prepare to disengage from simulation.” One of the people had to help her out and give her a hand before she found her feet properly again. She had been in sim racing for over twice a normal race, testing skills, endurance and her ability to keep coming back despite the knock backs, challenges and keep processing instructions. She had managed it but her mind and body needed an early night's sleep to recover before they did the detailed post debrief with the race engineers, planners and others. Training had been tough for Junior, but this was a whole new level. However, Bellatrix was not a racing pilot because she quit when she felt tired or a muscle hurt. She kept going. Pain, stress and pressure was fuel. So Bellatrix would be back bright… early…maybe not so bright needing a strong coffee. But be back on it tomorrow. She needed to be ready to give Australia her all and prove she had what it took. Back right at the bottom of the pile. She needed to earn her place back up the hard way. On the track at 500kph and threading needles of timing like a shark hunting its prey remorselessly and exploiting their mistakes the moment they made them. [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]Nordic Call Factory[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Upgrades & Updates. 15-10-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] “Hey boss, right over here, you sure about this speed package, seems pretty aggressive, but check her out. She is the best we can do and have her race ready.” The senior engineer hunched inside the car and she slinked out the seat, the men could not so easily work on this part of the ship now they had fitted everything and installed the custom seat etc. “Thats what Bellatrix chose, I agreed and we need to shake up the pack. Damn that's a tight fit, my teenage daughter would not be comfortable.” The team principal said as he put his head into the driver's pod now fitted with a custom seat, control set ups and various systems which made the small space even smaller. The head up display was active and he tried to view it but looked fuzzy. “Her ship, but I'm for stability. You have not seen the custom seat spacer bolts, weights and custom padding.” The engineer said humorously and helped her boss not fall over getting his head out. It could be disorienting working on these things. “All control inputs custom, based on Astrid's design and scaled down, got the legal bits fitted and gotta get her synced with it tomorrow morning.” The engineer finished. The team boss chuckled when the engineer said they had built a race booster seat for the new pilot. The craft was a reserve that had belonged to Bjorn but now was entirely rebuilt, the paint now said “B.Olympus. NC.3. 2094. AG.” on its nose paint and rather standing out for the traditionally more Scandinavian team a Union Jack flag was painted neatly after it. “Sure, spacer bolts. That's what you called them. Good work I know we asked a lot of you, so once we got the sync test and it passed, give the crew a day off, and tell them we pay for a good meal for you in Australia.” The team boss finished as he hummed approvingly even if his eye line did not let him see the holo heads up display in the ship, it was done and the money and energy she had brought allowed them to make a pretty good speed upgrade. He could see the panel was still off and gleaming new parts sat in the anti grav generators pods still exposed with test kits scattered about the bay. “Thanks Boss. They definitely need it. Booster seat, .. we called it a booster seat.” The Engineer laughed lightly and looked thankful but tired. One more morning and they would be done. Australian food and free beer sounded like a fun bonus and a day off to rest, relax and visit friends and family before they left. Really welcome. … [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]Media Headlines[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]New Driver Official photo release. [/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] [hider=My Hider] [img]https://i.postimg.cc/nV1jhkCS/1768143720062.png[/img] [img]https://i.postimg.cc/nV1jhkCk/1768143491095.png[/img] [img]https://i.postimg.cc/v8vgZzcP/1768143387396.png[/img] [img]https://i.postimg.cc/50YNwNkX/1767912837879.png[/img] [/hider] Astrid and Bellatrix, Dream team or drama? Nordic New drivers, exclusive photos. New Driver, new Nordic? Super rookie in the making? New promotional images released. Former Blue Sheep driver seen in first official photos. New Driver, but will the team work? Bellatrix Olympus seen with Astrid, friends or foes? Nordic released the first official team images for the new driver. Nordics last ditch to save season. What's new for Nordic people? Can they save a bad season? Formula Junior joins Nordic. Too late. Bellatrix Olympus. New Nordic pilot. A profile. … [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]A03[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Black Coffee problems. 17-10-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] [b]Racing Hearts. Chapters 1 to 6 now live. A Fanfiction by starship2765.[/b] [i]Rated. Mature. Tags. Astrid/ Bellatrix. Romance. Updating quickly. Romance. Astrid needs a hug. Beelatrix needs a hug. Eventual Smut. More to follow. Astrix ship. Did I say Smut? Yes, wait it's better with build up. [/i] AG racing Gin queen Astrid Thorditter takes a nervous protege under her wing, showing her the frozen face hides a beating heart. Bellatrix wondered if it was rather egotistical to look up your own fan fic but it was curious, thanks to Ren sending her the link and with multiple laugh gifs. OK, it was … scarily well written for the pace of updates. OK, go weird Lesbian fanfic, chapter 1… She broke up with her girlfriend, Astrid was in a cheap hook up, oh this was good? The whole naked sauna room was so cliche she could not break out laughing. She had created an account under an anonymous email and did best to use public information to make sure to be not exposed. She wondered if she should show the Finn, but decided against it. That would be awkward. Keep this little one to herself, oh.. oh. No. That could not be. Astrid brought coffee and fic Bellatrix took it black. No. Just no. Cliche Lesbian scenes were well written, even the tattoo she never had and a dark family secret but take her coffee without sugar…black? He'll not. She had to fix this. This was a crime. [b]Comments. Chapter 6.[/b] [b]Bellblue56.[/b] [i]“Hello. Great writing, really fast updates! I'm pretty sure in an interview in a race magazine, like last year, that Bellatrix only likes her coffee sweet. *link* “ “Black coffee would be a bad ice breaker, even with gin in it. Make it sweet. Kind regards, Bellblue56. “ [/i] [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]Abba International Airport.[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]First Class Poster 18-10-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] Bellatrix had her hood up as she passed the now approved wall sized poster off her leaving security zone to get her first class flight to Australia. The image had been created by a fan girl and boy working together to make a fan art that had been posted on Nordics social media. Everyone had jumped on it and official channels were now distributing alongside their own photos. The fans had been sent some signed merch Nordic and personal by Bellatrix and given this and next season's premium Hyper Digital Definition access each. Between Nordic and Ren, she was pushed into a corner and just did it. It was easier and saved millions of lives. The skin tight race suit with added panels was clothing and could be considered vaguely decent but it was very form fitting to extreme, futuristic and reinforced with panels in areas to accentuate her figure. Red hair was loose in the wind and her helmet was under her arm. They even remembered her eyes were gold and not just yellowish brown… Truth be told they had done a great job but she just wanted to get to Australia and kept her hood up, ear buds on playing a pod cast and dressed comfortably as bright pink trainer heels flashed while she walked through to the first class lounge. “Your ticket please” The slightly snooty yet well dressed gentleman said as he stood by the door in a smart suit with an air line lanyard on. [color=ec008c]“Sure, God Morgan.”[/color] she had picked up a little Swedish over her time exposed to the language and people. He checked the passport and ticket seeing her name and blinked at the woman with red hair in a hoody, leggings, trainers and carrying a well travelled carry on bag. The same woman who was on a large poster with a backdrop of a Nordic forest and a large team logo. The other poster set was far more … shapely. “God Morgan Miss Olympus, the Coffee is on your left as you enter, the breakfast is still being served for next 15 minutes and your complementary bag is near the barista.” He said politely and opened the door for her. He was used to rich people and made it comfortable for her. First class had its perks. [b] Poster in question.[/b] [Centre][img]https://i.postimg.cc/WbbDFkZV/1767913154219.png [/img][/centre] … [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]Australia[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Great Barrier Reef reborn. 19-10-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] Bellatrix was in a place she never thought she would be as her momentum pulled her backwards off the boat and sank into the water. Her augments made her balance in the water a little weird and took a minute to fully achieve balance before she kicked off into what was once a myth. A sea of coral, bright colours and even brighter fish that swam between them. The entire place was alive in a way that was entirely alien and yet also represented one of the largest projects to help restore the world's natural wonders. The wet suit and rebreather were not claustrophobic to the pilot used to such things now especially after Lunar, that had been a real mind fuck the first time, low gravity, masks and gear that was more space than racing equipment. Drifting slowly she took some pictures to post on a waterproof camera as well as an underwater selfie. [color=ec008c]“Can you get a picture of me please?”[/color] She asked after a quiet 30 minutes just taking in the natural wonders and moving to get a nice spot. Her social media manager would slowly kill her with a blunt spoon if she failed to get anything back for Ren to use. … Delta Hyper where drama Queens Bellatrix thought as she surfaced and pulled off her rebreather mask. This Sofa…Sofas? Had appeared on the moon, under water before, in deserts and attic blizzards yet the damn things looked camera perfect every single damn time. What did they do with the sofas… She let some others go first rather than remembering her unofficial promo art and wondering what her in a wet suit would do to those fans… She would never see the end of it probably. When her turn arrived she had managed to get her hair to look better and had got a comfortable spot on the island. [color=ec008c]“You sure have a thing for that sofa, it has more air miles than we do.”[/color] She said to break the tension before her real answer came. [color=ec008c]“This is a place I never thought I would ever see like this. Last time I was here we went on a boat tour. It's amazing and a wonder that we barely managed to save it from utter extinction. And yet. I'm swimming through it, in it, seeing it with my own eyes.[/color] [color=ec008c]Thank you for letting us visit this place and it's been a day I'll never forget. Hopefully Nordics Call race weekend goes as well as this place is restoring itself. We have a new beginning now. For both.”[/color] She finished, she had to sell her team's now rebirth of a sort, a fresh start, break the bed press and the bad run. Give them new energy. … [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]Pilots Group Chat[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] She had replied to pilots' chat a little but been so busy, then the mods and neural mods, plus cardio, health and more. She only really had time to glance at it rather than reply. She doubted the poster would ever go unnoticed though. [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Approx 10-10-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] [b][color=fff200]Bella[/color].[/b] Thanks, it's gonna be tough, but I'll be ready for Australia. I. Not sure what I meant to say. Hi. Bye. Gotta see doc again. [b][color=fff200]Astrid.[/color][/b] Trixie is new. Needed New ideas. The end. [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Approx 20-10-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] [b][color=fff200]Astrid.[/color][/b] *uploads an image of Bellatix trying to avoid being noticed next to her artistic fan poster headed through the airport.* Her fans are too cheerful. And loud. [b][color=fff200]Bella.[/color][/b] At least I have clothes. I'm happy to see them. The kid gave me a bracelet. [b][color=fff200]Astrid.[/color][/b] loud. But fast in sims. *Bella adds a heart emoji* [b][color=fff200]Bella.[/color][/b] I'll take it.. [b][color=fff200]Astrid.[/color][/b] Check Callender. Meeting. Main Pit. *Bella adds a thumbs up* …. Astrid closed her phone and carried on to her hotel room they had booked into, the track side hotel was far quieter as this track had no huge fan stands too. Bellatrix was loud, a total clash to Astrid, but fast, new and hungry to prove herself. It could work. If loud got upgrades and results. That was acceptable. [b][h2][centre][color=fff200]Delta Hyper[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Pilots interview. 20-10-2094. 11AM.[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] Beatrix went first as the others waited all fully suited up in race kit minus helmets and other smaller items. They had their full fire proof suits, G protection, built in bracing and whatever else people had chosen to have included. The suit was custom fit and it was snug but comfortable with her protective under layer though she did not need the back bracing that some pilots had. That came naturally. Boats, that naturally perfect drama Queens of a sofa is ever present and Aurora was perfect as ever, the media had done their magic. The media did their build up but of course there was a bait and switch. From the grand track to the small boats and seemingly wasn't a little scene. To the pilots and all manner of strange questions asked. Then. The message in a bottle.., Bellatrix found the other questions easy over the last few weeks, bar the ones someone had asked about explaining why her relationship had ended. That was hard to answer without breaking her word to keep quiet… damn it. They must have followed her closely on social media to have worked that out and they way they achieved it. But future advice? She tried to inspire her Saplings, future racers, boaters, bikers and riders, but advice? What did she know? Belltatrix was only previously a young junior and hardly a wise old woman with an arm chair and a cup of tea waiting. She wrote carefully, neatly in a flowing hand she tended to reserve for signing paintings that the confident racers one weakness. The ones she was too scared to show. Then the crash, she had been sent flying off the track, but fear had not won. She had got back into the ship even when she felt scared and when others would have quit. [color=ec008c]“Acorns grow into Oaks, Saplings will grow, but you cannot give up. Things get better. Even when they seem darkest. We seen huge but we started small. B. Olympus. X.”[/color] She wrote and put into the bottle and popped the cork but let the cameras see. She knew the game, and knew when to play to their advantages. [color=ec008c]"Will be fined for throwing these in the water, they protect this place better than Amy holds a first place. Not that i blame them, id be extremely proud of this place too."[/color] Bellatix said as she worked her bottle sealed and gave it a kiss to play for the cameras. They wanted their drama and their pound of flesh. That was the price you paid for being an elite pilot. [color=ec008c]"Or Amy, but we all want the podium top spot. Sorry, not Sorry. We came here to win, and to the best pilot it will go."[/color] Bellatix said with a little effort to soften things, she had serious mods and major metal work running through her body from hip to shoulders and more. Sometimes she had to reinforce, she was not some scare super soldier prototype and was a human being, who happened to be very good at AG racing and also... lucky. Skilled as every pilot was. They needed a little luck too. Belltrix did not want her fans afraid of her. Especially the younger ones. They would be the next generation of AG pilots or whatever else they chose to race.