[color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Desert Pickup[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] In the dark night of the Jordanian desert, Amy stumbled about as a set of lights cleared a dune, Amy putting her hand over her face, watching as it came to a halt with a squeak of brakes and a lurch of soft suspension. And recognised her. Beatrix Ward. Well, that was nice of her. Rather than being left to die in the Jordanian desert, this was a win. "Holy shit. You came for me. Thank you." She could barely make the words, looking around. "Bea, I.....take me back to your place first. I need a moment before I talk with them. Has everything gone to shit?" Amy asked, hoping Bea wouldn't give a bad answer, the platinum-haired blonde's prosthetics back up and running, but a shadow of themselves, she felt like she was running on safeties, let alone her real self. Even so, thinking on just the situation she was in as she was looking around, she chuckled, staring back at the short Carrera pilot she'd made friends with in Auckland. She hadn't known of course, about everything that went down. The silence since Belgium. Like an empty void, suddenly come alive. Like the last memory was leaving off there. And the next, like waking up from sleep. "I'm glad I have a friend like you. Whatever happened, can I still take on Nora? Can I still take her on?" Amy asked, despite everything, still interested. Wondering what the future held. And having no idea of what had happened. [hr] The black canvas, lit up by light with the scene coming back into the Delta Hyper trailer, sofa there as usual. And on it, sat Helena Starcross, a rather strange figure to have. "I remember a story when I was young, maybe Amy's age. The first time I was told I couldn't go for voluntary heart replacement. And I remember what it was like finding someone who would allow it. Finding that extra something. It was....questionable at the time." She cleared her throat, the cardigan wearing octogenarian still having some sense of fashion by 2094 standards. Footage flashed back. Diagnostics. Helena, barely a few years older than Bea, Paul and Bellatrix, thumbs up, in an advanced hospital bed for the time, and her by her Red Bull, smiling, back in it again, back to it all. "But it was what felt right. It felt like losing a part of me....but gaining it so I could be more for racing, my true love. Back then, people with modifications were set back, treated as....others. Especially with what was going on in the world back then. A lot of fear, concern, worry about being different. But voluntarily going through it made me change perspective." She paused, thinking about it all. And how it was relevant to now. "And I realised why it mattered so much. The hurt, the hate. And I spoke out. I spoke up for people who weren't all flesh and blood. Bionic, fused to synthetic parts, clankers, whatever people called it....we're people. And now, we barely look at it. It's commonplace." She put her hand to hear heart, the old lady still remarkably capable given her age. Both physically and mentally it seemed, she looked barely past 60, but that was the joy of anti-ageing technology, and synthetic hearts being easier to buy than alcohol in some jurisdictions. This felt personal to her though, because even if that heart wasn't real, the message was. "It never changes, even if an arm, a limb, a neural connect changes. Your pilots are your heroes. They still risk everything. Chase any opportunity to give you the greatest show on earth. The show will go on." [hr] There was no commentary, but those in the know wouldn't have perhaps agreed with Helena's last thoughts. For all it was known, at least to everyone in the chat, Silver Apex had broken the rules, and the void of media would fill that void soon enough, at least, until Istanbul. Rumours, uncertainty, sightings of Amy, changes at Silver Apex, a storm so massive it basically dwarfed any prep for Istanbul. It would be an uncomfortable period for all the pilots, as they no doubt had to live out the aftermath, but that soon would emerge with a return to the Middle East. [hr] [color=gold][center][h1][i][b] URBAN /// SPEED /// BOSPORUS [/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color] The tunnels. The neon-white light, as the camera panned through it, a ship roaring past, the rainbow-like tinge of a Carrera hustling, a render so close to reality you could touch it. "It's a circuit that's at a cutting edge." Cutting up to white light, through concrete, soil, water, and out, and up. And revealing Istanbul, the sunset on view, ships roaring out of the tunnel of the Bosphorus, revealing the European side of the city that spanned two continents. The Hagia Sofia raising out of ground, the Maiden's Tower, stadiums, skyscrapers, as if the city itself was being animated to life, dust crawling off, the sheen of plastic and polymer blowing in the breeze, revealing one city, two ends of continents. "And yet old as the city streets." The French-accented voice could only be one. Roaring ships, cutting from the view of spectators, the circuit much, much longer, like an Auckland in terms of how it snaked and rattled its way through one of the largest metropolises in the world. The eternal city, well, perhaps not as eternal as Rome, but it had survived so many civilizations, gone through so much, and still found a way to live beyond the past, into a brilliant future. Istanbul served as a crossroads of the world, Europe literally on one side, Asia on the other, both melding together, from high-tech glass skyscrapers that caught up to and overtook the Gulf States, yet contrasted to the old, highly dense built up tenements. The four-lane wide highway that flanked the Bosphorus was also similar to Auckland, providing room yet ample opportunities to overtake on such a fast, yet sinewing circuit. Ships rushing past, taking the hairpin at Avarsya Tunnel with the large half-cork like turn out of it, and with the Maiden's Tower in the background, the city lights, the Bosporus Bridge which MAG tracking took the circuit onto, it felt like a circuit that while rewarding speed, rewarded plenty of other aspects of ship performance. "Second to last? Second to none." The voice of Dorian, as an on-board followed a ship, roaring back into the tunnel, darkness emerging as the white light faded, and cut into the Delta Hyper feed, flashing up the frontrunners, Nora Kelly, Beatrix Ward, Paul Mulder sitting on or by their ships in front of a digital display with the Maiden's Tower behind them, drone lighting behind them framing the Istanbul sky. [hr] [color=gold][center][h1][i][b]DELTΔ HYPER[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Episode Nineteen: Turkish Delight[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [hr] [center] [h1][b] Thursday 30th November Grand Bazaar İstanbul, Türkiye 2000 TRT [/b] [/h1] [/center] [img]https://media.cntravellerme.com/photos/6867aeba85cc078a3f1e5ad3/1:1/w_2160,h_2160,c_limit/1480863367[/img] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Bargain Hunt[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] In the markets of Istanbul, Delta Hyper was doing a slightly different approach to things, the light from the tunnel forming up to an LED light strip above the area the pilots who were on the show today would be in, asked to come in disguise. Sunglasses, hats, the most creative would likely win the viewers hearts at home; perhaps even taking things to an extreme if they really had some clever ideas. In spite of previous events, the show had to go on. So Bea, Bellatrix, Paul and Kais, were all out and in the markets, and versus their usual selves, incognito. There was a big fan festival outside of Dolmabahçe Palace and Besiktas's home ground, where no doubt, the rest of the Delta Hyper crew were experiencing a hive like Auckland, even if the enthusiasm wasn't quite the same as that of Istanbul Park. The Istanbul Grand Bazaar was a fever dream. It was full of digital ads, displays, it felt futuristic, in the sense that it felt like the future had been thrown at a wall of hundreds of years of past history. Yet oddly, it would feel cold, so it was coat weather for the first time since Italy. Geoengineering had meant that December in Istanbul was sometimes prone to snow, and a cold front had hit, meaning temperatures were in the single digits for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, something that in the last 30 years, would have been a joke. "So, welcome to Delta Hyper and Istanbul (!)" Rosie whisper-shouted, knowing the cameras would follow the group, likely confused as to where they were. "So you're wondering why we have you out here in the market, and we have returned back to Istanbul, one of the fastest city circuits and a fan favourite." Beyond them was the market, still in full flow, and absolutely heaving with Formula AG tat. In a world of recycling and reuse, there was an infinite pile of utter shit being still made, though some gems could be found. "To that end, we've given you fifty n-Euros. We'd like you to go away and get the best deal on something you think represents your season so far, and bring it back." Rosie set the gauntlet down, knowing this would be a rather fun experience. The pilots would likely be a little confused, but then again, the Bazaar of Istanbul like the city, was eternal. And they had an opportunity, being followed by a cameraman each, to incognito, immerse themselves in a rather different vibe. The night market awaited. "And don't get too distracted by the cats!" Rosie chuckled, as one such ginger cat went between her legs and heaped itself down, the presenter totally out of her bit and stroking the silly little guy over his head, probably being the right shift for the Delta Hyper pilots to go out and get themselves something. "Or do." [hr] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Perspectives[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] Sitting in the Delta Hyper room, the grey-shirted, Wiphala-steak having German would be feeling a certain responsibility to talk, at least, carry the burden now that a Simon Calder sized hole existed in the technical side of the sport. And Amy, and Jenny, who had been silent. Seen, visible, with commentary on their social media suggesting no further talk until the suspension was cleared, or resolved. "So, naturally, we all had to reset our approach to things." Felix spoke, the Carrera Condor shirt wearing engineer thinking back on all of the questions, all of what had happened. A cut to the testing. "The modifications to pilots got thrown totally into disarray. Some teams we really didn't expect seemed to be unaffected. Others, very much so." His voice remained dry, as he sighed. "It feels strange still, you know? It's awful to see Ava, Bea, all the pilots have to go through it. But, neural links are safe. That we have always been adamant about. The ships and the pilots need that link to be safe, and there are very clear bounds. It's why it was found with Amy so quickly. It broke the only rule we thought could not be broken. Half of us still think it's in the realms of impossibility. It's simply not possible to even replicate. But such are engineers. Always trying." Felix added, sighing, as he took a sip of water. "Do you think Amy and Jenny are coming back before the end of the season?" Aurora asked, as Felix shrugged, leaning backwards, "I suppose. We found out that they made up. Peter Thatcher is under.....gardening leave, and so is Simon. Much as I didn't agree with the man's methods....this was something else. But....it feels bittersweet, you know?" Felix seemed to struggle, as he leaned forwards. "The pilot is central to everything we design. What works for Ava may not for Bea, and vice-versa. From the neural link to the method they pilot, the amount of aggression they put into parts, to their aerodynamic preferences, oversteer, understeer, deployment, all of it. We draw, design, but ultimately, it's them at the middle, and even I can't look inside their brain. How they react, how they process what the ship does with what it has to keep them going faster and faster. I know it feels like the ship breathes, lives, but it is just the natural extension, like a limb, nothing more. It's closer to them than any relation, it knows their ticks, but.....I never believed someone would take that literally." Felix seemed to pour his heart out, this bit of technical nerdery spiralling. "We struggled pretty badly to react to it. So yeah. Let's see if those two come back." == The scene cut to Harrison, sitting in that chair, breathing in a deep sigh. "I don't know what you want me to say. I mean, Amy is good. But collectively we're shocked." "Do you think any other pilots knew?" Harrison had to pretend. Knowing what was in the group chat. "Maybe. But even if they did, what would they do? It's a big allegation to make without data. Amy is just that good. Why she needed it seems....strange." "And would anyone else do it?" Aurora asked, as Harrison shrugged. "We're all looking for an edge. I just don't understand what's so interesting about the ship's life that would be worth risking....but I guess you do as you're told. Up to a limit. I dunno." Harrison seemed unsure of any reasonable reply. [hr] [center] [h1][b] Friday 1st November Cafe Tangier, Galati, İstanbul, Türkiye 0900 TRT [/b] [/h1] [/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Coffee Morning[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] Florence would find herself in that quiet cafe, sunglasses on, sipping down a caramel-flavoured black coffee, an odd taste, but past having her little one, caramel was never far from her coffee cup. Sitting there rather incognito was hard, but she knew the place from the last time she'd been here, as an opportunity to get away from crowds. "Ah, good to see you, Trix. Thanks for coming along on short notice. You holding up okay after everything that happened?" Florence asked, glad that her dad was looking after her little one. Being a mother had changed her. It was odd sitting across from Bellatrix. The woman was much, much younger, that much was for sure, and she must have hurt after that crash, as well as the tests. Bellatrix was one of the young guns, happily embracing the tech she had. A spine that had tentacles was new, that was odd, for sure, she seemed to be more inside-out in her preference for letting the implants do their work, the Edinburgh-arising Brit noticed. She thought to get to business sooner than later. "How are you finding things? I saw you were out in the Bazaar last night...don't know how you keep the energy up for it!" Florence joked, as she sipped down coffee, the waiter walking on over, ready to take Trix's order when ready. [hr] [center] [h1][b] Round 19 of Formula AG Practice Day Friday 1st of December Somewhere outside of the Delta Hyper Fan Zone, İstanbul, Türkiye 1800 TRT [/b] [/h1] [/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Delta Hyper Interviews[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] Sitting in the Delta Hyper booth, the little rooftop was outside of the main fan zone, with a view onto the night sky of Istanbul, Hagia Sofia visible just about in the background. One by one, the pilots would come in, Friday practice complete in the afternoon sunshine, very quickly replaced by the rather early dusk in mid-November. "Bellatrix, a good session in practice today. It seems like you've overcome the nerves of the fire! While it's early to say, what do you feel like your aims are next season?" Aurora asked, the question open, and probably one of the more gentle ones out there. "Bea, they say Istanbul has the speed and not far from here, you scored one of your biggest victories in Junior AG! Since the last race, it seemed you were down on time in a few sectors, it seems like the ship seems to be fighting you a bit more. Felix seemed a bit down about all the changes to the neural links in the interviews, how are you feeling out there?" "Paul, you seem to be settled today in the ship, and seem to be set to lead the team next year as Max Wedgewood joins. What would you say to him as the end of the season comes closer?"