[color=gold][center][h1][i][b]DELTΔ HYPER[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Episode Eighteen: Ticking Hourglass[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [hr] Paul had a big smile on his face as he began walking towards the Delta Hyper set. He shook his head laughing as he saw Bea sitting next to their car as he walked up. Obviously the girls had beat them. It had taken Paul a bit to get used to the vehicle's special suspension. Kais was not very helpful with his cryptic comments. Go faster!, didn’t tell him how to accomplish that in this terrain with that vehicle. There were obviously some special skills to navigating and driving in sand. Paul was grateful that he managed not to get stuck in the soft sand. It had come close a few times. He took his loss with grace as he walked towards Bea. She had been sitting in the shade of their car with her feet propped up on her helmet. [quote] [color=#1EFF24]”Good show, you two.”[/color] Bea hollered as Paul and Kais arrived, springing to her feet as the Delta Hyper cameras started rolling and offering a handshake to Paul and Kais before turning to Caroline who had rolled in after them, scribbling something on a blank page of her notes. [color=#1EFF24]”Here, take this. You earned it.”[/color] She ripped the page out and handed it to the Monagesque princess with a perfectly pleasant smile - a page with nothing but a giant letter ‘L’ on it - before pulling Bellatrix into a one-armed hug. [color=#1EFF24]”Great driving, Trix! You should come to Pikes Peak next summer, a great track like that demands equally good competition.”[/color][/quote] Paul gave the ladies a respectful bow. [color=fff200]“I accept my defeat gracefully. I am not sure Kais is going to forgive me for losing though. I am pretty sure he feels we would have won if he drove.”[/color] He tucked his racing helmet under his arm once more. He smiled at Bellatrix. [color=fff200]“Nice driving Princess.”[/color] Paul couldn’t help but hear the invitation given to join Bea at Pikes Peak next summer. Paul was obviously not included in that invitation but he simply smiled. This was the first team he had attempted this kind of off-road racing. It was eye opening. He wouldn’t mind trying it again for fun. He shrugged and admitted to himself that he loved the speed of the wheels on the hardtop. He wanted to try formula one racing. He craved that combination of speed and friction that came from wheels meeting pavement that was missing from formula AG. The racing was more of an experience. You felt the vibration and shifts in weight as the vehicle cornered and went faster. It fed his inner adrenaline junkie in ways that racing Formula AG didn’t. Paul didn’t miss the byplay between Bea and the Countess. He felt better and got that twinkle of mischief in his eye as he turned to Kais. [color=fff200]Paul: “Well we were beat by Bea and Bellatrix but we did beat the Countess and she was in a modern WRC car and is this is preferred racing style. I think that gives some bragging rights. Right Bea?”[/color] He turned and asked Bea with a shit eating grin on his face. He knew rubbing the Countess’ loss in her face this way would anger the woman but he was betting that Bea would enjoy it. [hr] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Delta Hyper Interviews[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] The Delta Hyper interviews after qualifying were taking place in the geodesic domes that had been set up to act as the paddock and hospitality suites for the teams. The set for the interviews was a couch with a clear geodesic wall behind it which captured the setting sun over the dunes behind it. It was a great shot that gave viewers a taste of what the landscape was like that the pilots would be racing over. A piece of vertical mag track over the mesa behind them was centered behind them. Paul smiled into the camera as he greeted Rosie. [color=fff200]“Hello Rosie, Thank you for having me.”[/color] It never hurts to be polite to the people at Delta Hyper. They were an important relationship to develop. They could make or break his career as the inside reporters for the racing league. The press in general was important but Delta Hyper was the one with the contracts with FIAR. They were a critical one to develop and support if you wanted to race Formula AG and land lucrative endorsement deals. Paul was still in his racing suit. He had pulled his helmet off and his hair was damp with sweat and he had loosen the fastenings at the top of his racing suit to let some air in. He was working on downing his third Zap sports drink since exiting his ship after qualifying. He was still sweating as he cooled down after the race. [quote][color=ed1c24]Rosie: "Paul, we knew going into Wadi Rum it would be challenging, but do you think tomorrow you'll be able to jump on opportunities ahead of you, with all the stakes of the title race?"[/color][/quote] Paul had a pleasantly neutral look on his face as he considered the question. He knew this was coming. [color=fff200]“Team Valkyrie knew that we would struggle on the tracks were speed is so important. They have done their best to give me as much speed as we can eke out of the ship. I will do my best to take advantage of any situations I find myself in on the track tomorrow. All I can do is my best. I am hopeful that I will be able to at least gain some points tomorrow. You just never know what is going to happen on the track. All I can do is my best. I will be running a stronger ELS set up to help off set the speed advantage. Hopefully that works out for me.” [/color] [hr] [h2]Pilots’ Group Chat[/h2] [color=fff200][b]Bellatrix[/b][/color] [b]@Bea[/b]. Deal, don't tempt a girl with a good time lol. Ps…also. I got sent a creepy story… im not sure i can even fully type it out… it involved a ship..ship… [color=fff200][b]Bea[/b][/color] So I’m confirmed the asylum warden when it comes to unhinged community. Great… 😀 [color=fff200][b]Max[/b][/color] You can’t open that can of worms and then leave us hanging! [color=fff200][b]Paul[/b][/color] What!? No MAX NO! Do not encourage them! [color=fff200][b]Bea[/b][/color] After my on track and on radio scrap with Jen at Portugal 2091, I got a submission that was an inkpen drawing featuring me, Jenny, ropes and candlewax. [color=fff200][b]Jenny[/b][/color] THE WHAT?! [color=fff200][b]Bea[/b][/color] I swear most of my fans are normal! 😀 [color=fff200][b]Jenny[/b][/color] Burn it. [color=fff200][b]Bellatrix[/b][/color] Ps. Anyone else feeling like Anakin..and sand… [color=fff200][b]Paul[/b][/color] I am thinking more about Lawrence of Arabia. [color=fff200][b]Bea[/b][/color] Don't get eaten by a big worm when driving over the sand. [color=fff200][b]Paul:[/b][/color] Now all I can picture is that big worm from the movie DUNE. [color=fff200][b]Bellatrix[/b].[/color] This is Worm. I eat weird fire hair two leg. Hi speedy snacks. Not nom. Two leg is crunchy… [color=fff200][b]Paul:[/b][/color] Ummm… yeah… like that’s normal! Remind me to stay away from the crazy Princess! [hr] Alexander was a nervous wreck. He had reported everything that he had found out to Royston Pearce and Johanna Lipusv. He had not heard from Johanna at all after he had sent Wulfric to deliver the information and packet of evidence to her. Her reaction left him terrified. The fact he had not heard back from her yet had his stress levels through the roof. He was pretty sure he was on track to develop an ulcer any day now. He also had not heard anything about the situation from FIAR or in the press. He was worried that he had made a mistake leaving it in FIAR’s hands. He was at Jordan but was deliberately keeping a low profile. He was distracted and a wreck. All he was really good for at this race so far was moral support to his team. He couldn’t focus on anything else till he knew how this was going to affect his team when the news broke. [hider= Team Valkyrie Characters] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zrLx5XUgYiVm6KjTpFTWZtJvXc0MX77enkLzINHujKw/edit?gid=0#gid=0 [/hider]