FourtyTwo

DELTΔ HYPER (Anti-Gravity Racing, Cyberpunk/Solarpunk RP)

Thank you! Stay tuned- PM me if you fancy a role in the RP and we can review this, but otherwise, we are in progress :)

DELTΔ HYPER (Anti-Gravity Racing, Cyberpunk/Solarpunk RP)

Glitch

Amy Stirling

Soundtrack: Hybrid- All Torque (Raffertie Remix)

Leaping onto the concrete floor of the Silver Apex pit garage, Amy paced across the short distance and immediately confronted Keira, the tech coming off the pit wall to see the scowl a mile wide on Amy's face.
"What the fuck was that?" The half British, half Korean pilot asked, as Keira shrugged.

"Looks like a software glitch. We don't have all the telemetry but...."

"Keira, the bloody thing disconnected me for a split second. I don't do that. That isn't my mind playing tricks, I know I'm solvent. Much as it might seem that way. Also, that Valkyrie pilot got in the way and acted dangerously on my moves. Are we not talking about that?" Amy huffed, as Jamie looked across, the look from Amy sending daggers, Peter walking over.

"Amy. Come on. Leave it for now, we'll sort it later." Peter responded, Amy shrugging, a deep sigh audible from her voice.

Amy nodded, taking back a bit of sense, knowing probably best not to make a scene. The kind of thing she warned against.

The scene cut to the studio.

Sitting in the room, Keira sat on the sofa, a little more analysis poured in.

"Amy is hyper-competitive. She was on pole....and losing that felt like a blow especially she knows there was nothing she could do. Software almost never crashes like this. So we have to fix it, and just move onto the next." Keira sighed, the now silver-haired, silver-shirt wearing engineer showing rather passive body language.

"Do you think Amy's feeling the heat this season, and it's adding to the frustration?" Aurora's disembodied voice behind the camera asked, as Keira shook her head.

"Our pre-season was incredible. Amy came out of it on some of the best form I've ever seen her in within our four year relationship. She's ice cold.....but, the other teams have accelerated fast out of the gate to get their ELS systems up and running. I think Amy wants to win. But that's going to be harder than she expected. Amy knows that. Her pullback shows she has the pace. She just needs better luck, and us to pull some late night finding out quite how her neural link disconnected under load."

---

Climbing

Max "Wedge" Wedgewood

"P9 baby, hell yeah!" Max yelled out into his comms, Carl wooping in response too.

"Nice work Max, bring it on in. That's valuable points, let's keep chasing Carrera and Nordic. Get in there." Carl responded, the tanned American whooping back, a smile on his face visible in the pit wall, as he high-fived the analyst next to him in only a way a points finish could make him do.

Carl sat in the sofa on Delta Hyper's couch, addressing the unspoken question.

"It is safe to say the investment we thought was coming......well, it isn't being felt yet, if you read me. So, Max is on top of the world to perform that well in a ship that we're still learning this season. He's piloting that thing like he stole it, so he shows we're performing well. And that is all we can do for now."

"With so much chaos on the grid, do you think there's a difficulty to keep him if the ship can't keep up? Silver Apex and Valkyrie are rumoured to be eyeing him up for next season, how do you respond to that?" Aurora asked, the rumours of course, absolutely the kind of gossip that happens on the paddock. What happens when you put two and two together and make 12, because Dorian retiring left a pilot-sized hole at a team supposedly near the top four.

"Not something I can answer, but.....well, okay. It hasn't even crossed our mind, but we know it's hard to ignore. Max is committed from everything we talk about right now. This team is everything the project he has been looking for, and it would take a lot to change that for him. It's a slow burner here. But I think we'll be coming for the others soon."

---

Analysis with Rory Andrews

The gilet-wearing, commentator extraordinaire was cut into scene next, Rory's stubbled face recognisable to the audience in response to the two scenes before, as well as those at Al-Saqr, Carrera and Valkyrie.

"So, where do we start. Amy's stall. An uncharacteristic mistake from Silver Apex, up until now, who have been dominant, just baffles me. I imagine someone will be in deep trouble over that, because it cost her that victory. Amy did not respond well after that, but I can't blame her. Her crash rate and attrition rate is amongst the lowest in Formula AG. So she can't be pleased to lose points at a circuit critical to them." Rory began, honest in his analysis of the start of the race.

"As for the rest, Paul Mulder, Cassie Neves, take a bow. The former defended like a lion, holding back a rampaging Stirling with good positioning and fair racing, and the latter? She was frankly powered on fan-boost, charging through Kelly and Mulder on the aggressive, attacking driving we enjoy watching her do. She has been incredibly underwhelming so far for the high hopes many had of her at Zygon, but I think she's silenced me this race, among others! More like this, and I think we'll see the Cassie Neves we were hoping to see at Zygon." Rory commented, sighing, looking across at the telemetry, and the gigantic projected constructors championship.

"Jamie Hart I think is still a problem many aren't talking about enough. And he is getting a ton of coverage, so make of that what you will. It's still too early to tell, but surely, something must change at Silver Apex, or else Southern Cross will run away with this title. They must be stressing over there. Zenix, Kelly put a solid shift in, as did Mulder. Wedgewood managed to put that ship higher than it ever deserved to be, and I think some are going to be thinking about him as a serious option for Apex next year- but same time, he has been outspoken about MMR's future plans" Rory commented, shifting the topic towards that midfield.

"And as for the other midfield teams, Nordic Call is being let down by Waldgard too. From the recent race form he seems to have, and just doesn't have the measure of Astrid this season. It's hard to see Fitzroy or even SuperCat being able to scrape points this season, given they still seem to be in transition, and one must think that Fitzroy is a miracle at the moment considering all the news." Rory finalised on them, sitting up.

"Then for principals? I suppose everyone is asking if Alexander Knight is performing to internal standards. But it seems like scandal after scandal comes out of Valkyrie. I think he must be doing something right in spite of losing his Chief Engineer, but the wider team seems in disarray. He will have a hell of a job on his hands, and I think no Team Principal would ever want to deal with his situation, let alone an experienced one such as Peter or Owen."

---

Two States

Johanna checked the phone, her digits trying to parse together the right message to Alexander. She wasn't neurally linked in, not for this. Not for an quantum encrypted message that needed to be sent. She had another Committee to go, being the Special Rep for Anti-Gravity Technology putting her in the firing line of all of this. Valkyrie's stakeholders had started all screaming, and they did not go to Alexander. They went to her. So her response had to be to calm him down, and well, point the ship.

"Alexander,

Can't talk much now, but I'm fighting the fire you found. This is quantum encrypted so keep this to yourself, as this is not on any EU-network, and are my thoughts are being shared privately because you won't know how to deal with this.

Privately, I am impressed with what you have done so far within the team despite some shaky results, and are unlucky to be here whilst this is happening. You put your head on the line, but the people investigating this won't mess around. So I will help because you did the right thing, but I will be honest, you won't like what I have to say.

This is going to be worse. Your search warrants are from the German state and you did the right thing there, but the entire brunt of the European Union's Department for Economic and Financial Affairs is about to bear down on you, so expect things to get hot. They aren't like normal police. They will audit you to an inch of your life.

Brendel and Zimmerman's slush funds are going to be recovered but it is possible they will try and hit back against you and make this a mess. To that end, a full financial audit will be performed of Valkyrie, which will mean full intrusion of the HQ for the next three weeks to make sure you are clean, so this will cause disruption. You need to find a way to make sure the team do not get affected- the ESA have a pool of engineers you can second and I recommend you bring in as many as you can to minimise disruption, as they aren't involved in any of this mess. That will help ease the pressure on the team, but you need to manage that.

FIAR will be interested in the same audit, because they technically stole the championship's money via a non-authorised outlet, and thus, now put them into disrepute and commercial contracts could be at risk. That could lead to disqualification from this season for the constructor race if they think it's necessary. Hopefully they don't. This is not your fault. But this is how it works.

Abuse allegations are small fry and can be dealt at a Public Inquiry in Strasbourg which is for politicians, but the siphoning of public money means member states are going to rampage until they get an answer so it likely means extended court cases. This will be messy.

I'll deal with the politics. I've been here six months so no way of knowing how far this goes, outside of Leopold's instincts and your information. The investigators will likely find the rest.

You focus on running this show, reassure anyone in the team and sponsors, and get the results. We need positive stories, and zero comment on the background. I will appoint replacement board members after Monaco and sort them out personally with Leopold, given the last thing the SPV partners (Renault, Ferrari etc.) want is the same audit we are receiving. If you deliver, the questions stop at Leopold and me, but I need no engineers, pilots, or anyone getting angry to create any more drama or things get really bad.

This is far above yours and Leopold's paygrade now.

Also- you need to make sure Arianna is nowhere near anything to do with Valkyrie right now. I understand you won't like me for this, but any link of her getting treatment on site at present, this will be an issue, so cease anything. They will put you to this if there is an Inquiry, and as an Estonian citizen, you are legally bound to answer their questions. Please understand I do not tell you this to be liked, when I respect people like yourself enough to give them the courtesy to do the right thing.

Speak soon.

Johanna."

Sent.

It was not a nice message. But Johanna hoped Alexander would understand the gravity of just how screwed Valkyrie was. She sighed, as the call prompt came up on her desk's holographic display for the meeting.

---

The Heat

Dorian Pascal Hornfleur

Sitting inside of the sim room, Dorian sat in a sweat against the wall as he saw Anais come by, deep in prep for Luna, putting in the hours before the entire day of EVA emergencies and safety. He was on his own this morning, and wanted time to chat to her, wanting to at least talk things over quietly. The simulator seat had been shut, and he was cooling down outside of it, slumped against the wall on a beanbag.

Not exactly the best week he'd had, after all, finding out all he had was upsetting to say the least. Anais and him had been busy- given he was at the twilight of his career, this was not how he wanted it to end.

To someone who wasn't Valkyrie, or his other half. Wearing an athletic undersuit, an Enigma Lux one no less, he appreciated Anais being on time, even if that time was very early in the Aachen morning.

"Morning. You are here early?" She asked, Dorian chuckling.

"I needed to take my mind off things."

"Clearly. I can't help but notice." She replied with a smirk, as Dorian looked blank.

"What can I do. This is not what I expected of retirement. I am too old for this shit sometimes I feel."

"And yet my number one client would not say that. You are still pulling in big names. Credit Agricole, Terra, Bang and Olufsen, they like the content you make and outside of a certain Beatrix Ward, you seem to be producing your well. Ignore the Valkyrie nonsense. I can tell it is that, which is getting you upset." Anais added, sitting down next to him, sighing, the Luxembourgish-Indian publicist all too aware of Dorian's cues.

"I mean, it is that, isn't it?" She added, as Dorian looked over, not needing much thought.

"Felix is gone. Two more engineers I worked with are gone. The ship failed and compromised us positions in Portugal. Brendel got arrested, and now for the first time since Audrick died, I'm thinking about things over than racing because I can't get the team out of my head. I've been here years, and in reward for my loyalty, I'm watching the team I spent half a decade as a solid piece and doing my job, start to fall apart. And Alex just happens to be the one it happens to...poor guy. Fuck. At this point, it's nearly better to pull the plug. Walk away before the roof falls in. The legacy I thought I'd have is getting more and more difficult to cement." Dorian's usual charm was weary, tired even.

"You could say something. Help him, no? And....after, you must be thinking of the next step, so Valkyrie may still be a good place for that if you want that role. You would make a good race strategist. Or pundit. You have a voice Delta Hyper, RTL, ZDF would adore."

"The gentleman playboy of the grid? Running a team? Or commentating? You are crazy, Anais."

"Well, someone said that about Alexander before they offered him the job. And he got it because of Mulder's mother. Safeguarding her son in the sport, and her influence on Leopold. It's no coincidence, he's managed other outfits but nothing the size of this. I guess that they were desperate and knew they might make him the fall guy, if it all collapses into itself, Paul included. Or they realised he's the only person that could take on Brendel, and he might be a popular choice for fans, being a legend in the sport. Either way, I thought you should know that from my digging." Anais commented, as if to drive another knife into him. Or at least, it felt like it was made of plastic at this point.

Dorian sighed with a certain look back, the curly-haired, undersuit wearing Frenchman just at his wits end.

"Is anyone actually not corrupt here apart from me and Paul? Fuck, what happened to just being a son of a millionaire, having your seat bought in Junior AG, and going racing? Jesus, at least we knew then where you stood. Arianna is.....was, here too. But....I don't know. He's the lesser evil of all of it. Somehow. Fuck knows. If he's caught up in this, then it all goes to shit." Dorian was not sure of his own thoughts, shaking his head as Anais replied.

"I agree. Alexander doing what he can, but this is going to be a storm and he needs to weather it for all of us to keep getting paid. Do you think Cassie saw it coming?" Anais asked, changing the topic.

Dorian paused in thought at her question, shaking his head.

"Don't tell me you think she might have known." Dorian replied, almost as if not wanting to compute that thought.

"What if she did? Would it help?" Anais said, the two looking across at the comprehensive sim suite, deep in that chat still.

"Maybe. All I know is I need to stay through to the summer break, as a minimum. I just hope this improves. Take the money while it's there, keep the networks up with the other teams, and then call it a day. Leave a legacy. Have kids. Be boring. Paul definitely needs to be mentored too. I owe that much to his old man." Dorian seemed to collect thoughts more, thinking over this a bit more logically now.

"I thought you'd like the chaos a bit more for someone of your taste." Anais chuckled, Dorian actually cracking a smile.

"Yeah, that is true. May as well get back to work, nothing's certain till we have this fixed." Dorian replied, getting his smile back, trying to leap back into a positive frame of mind.

"I'll sort out the endorsements. They will just want this to be over, so let me do some good publicity, you glow on camera, and I'll make this go away. Let's hope Alexander holds his end of the deal?" Anais commented, standing too, Dorian smirking back.

"Sounds like a plan."

Mindset was king in racing. But with the anarchy in the background, keeping focus at 500kph was not exactly easy.

---

Callback

Cassie Neves

Sitting inside the flashy office within Songdo, Cassie sat at the desk replying to mail, some fan, some sponsor, some publicist, lots Zygon overheads whilst sipping away at her coffee.

She was occupied at it wearing her team polo shirt and shorts, interrupted by an unknown number on her glass-like phone. She swiped her finger on it, picking up and linking it into her neural link to at least not talk out loud in the office and be that shit.

"Hello. Who's this?"

"Bonsoir. It's Dorian. Sorry to ring you, it must be late over in Seo...."

"Why are you calling?"

"It's....look, I'll cut to it. Why did you get so angry about Valkyrie? Did you know?"

"Did I know what?"

"You can't have missed the news."

"Oh....oh, fuck, yeah. Heh, seems like I was right. Shitty management. What a shock." Cassie's sarcasm dripped on the phone.

"Look. I think I got too frustrated at you. I didn't understand why you wanted to leave. I got frustrated because you wanted to be world champion tomorrow."

"And I do. But it sounds like you are about to apologise, so go on, say it."

"Sorry I didn't get us equitable treatment. I apologise. I did it because....well, team-mates are rivals and you deserved better at the time from me." Dorian's words were heavy, as if they came from a place of almost frustration.

Cassie shirked, shrugging her shoulders, walking into a sealed meeting room, hitting the blinds, and deactivating any recording in the table's centre console. That was enough for her to take on. This wasn't about Valkyrie or Zygon doing well, this was more a personal aspect.

"I'll accept that. Fine. And I could have been less of a wee twat to you, and been more patient. I get your point, but things happened, now I'm here, and you're still there. This is a fickle sport where things change." Cassie added, sitting on the table, staring into the blank glass wall. "Dorian, if I remember, they picked you over me back then, not because of results."

"Meaning..."

"I mean there's no easy way to say this. You were at the core of what they wanted, and they knew I was easier to keep second fiddle if a bigger team wanted to steal me. How many of your personal endorsements end up on Valkyrie's ship, and how much more did they yield when the performance bonuses paid out? I thought you were good at this whole game, so why am I telling you this, something I swear we argued about to begin with?"

"Those are big words. Are you suggesting they stole from my dividend?"

"Nobody in Valkyrie did a thing when you're the reason Brendel's slush fund is so thick. Some clever accounting and he pocketed it into a server and you still got paid. Knight had no chance of knowing. My gut told me something wasn't right. So yeah. That's how I see it."

"Shit."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter, because they're now going to find a healthy amount of money they can put into the team from your endorsements. Audits will clear you and you'll get to go on living. Hooray for you. If your endorsements stay on board. Jesus, Anais is gonna have a field day."

"Hooray for me? You knew. And you didn't say anything."

"Because I couldn't do a thing, Dorian. Because who listens to the second pilot against the vet who brings in the cash? We already had that argument about roles. Let's not start again. You know I had my reasons."

"So why do I get the feeling you're just as pissed? I know you, Cassie."

"Dorian, I've been sat in an office full of people who want to analyse every piece of my behaviour to fit the Far Eastern market, capitalising on that P2 in Portugal. They are selling Pastel de Natas in Myong-Dong with my face printed on the jam, which I'll be honest, is freaky. Some of this is straight up weird to me even now. Shit, I have no idea why I'm telling you this. Maybe because....it didn't have to be that way."

"Maybe you're telling me because you're in over your head and despite leaving and telling me all of this, you feel your Team Principal is a useless sack and you're now part of something the same as what you left? It's a Chaebol, for God's sake. And Silver Apex is no better, Cass." Dorian's wisdom bit back, as Cassie's fire countered.

"Maybe. But, we're both in the sport, and what happened, happened. People would kill for this. So yay us." Cassie sighed.

"Indeed."

"Well, I'm sure we'll knock the crap out of each other on the circuit after anyway, so it's not like there's much we can do."

"And the media will blow it out of proportion."

"It keeps people watching."

"That it does."

"That was a good talk. Look after yourself, Dorian."

"Bye."

Disconnecting the line, Cassie exhaled hard, and put her face into the table, and her head into her hands.

Fade to black.

---

The cutaway includes the scenes of Amy darting in and out between Paul, fighting hard for position, Harrison's victory, Paul's podium, and the fire of Ava's ship, as well as the competition that raged hard throughout the circuit played on, the final scenes of the Portuguese AGP playing out.

"We're off to Luna in two weeks time, and we can't wait to bring you all the action from what will be a special Grand Prix. I'm Aurora Baxter signing off, we'll see you in the next one!"

With it, the final closing scene of Cassie on the podium, trophy held high played out, and from there, a fade to black of the footage.

---

FORWARD/////PERSPECTIVE

Mare Austral, Luna

Layla Al-Nadir

Soundtrack: M83- Outro

The music begins, playing back archive footage of Apollo 11, the gigantic rocket leaving the pad at Kennedy Space Centre, the tail shot of Earth, and the sight of the Moon. Luna. The grey, rock-filled satellite of Earth, a memory ago. The landings which you already know, the planting of an American flag, gently set as the music strums. And then, the setup of the battery-powered Lunar Rover. Archive footage of it rolling about, bouncing on the grey, shard-like surface.

And as the music rises, the rudimental buggy rolling slowly across the lunar surface changes in a glitch effect as it suddenly dips through a small dimple in the surface, a Al-Saqr ship flying out and spraying dust, chased by a Silver Apex and Valkyrie ship in exactly the same shot, breaking from poor colour-correction to ultra, ultra high definition that immersed the viewer in their turns. The turns with zero atmosphere forcing the ships to quite literally act as if they were flying with the usually redundant corrective thrusters, which do the heavy lifting on Luna, rather than the airbrakes which appear to be fixed in place.

And the camera slowly following the two side on as they latched through a MAG section into a canyon, before it turns, catching them as they roar out of a crest, getting sucked back in by a neatly placed mag-plate into the surface again, the dust billowing in the solar wind to reveal the mostly blue, white, and green planet beyond it.

A soft, gentle, narrating voice comes on, without her in physical presence yet.

Layla.

"Looking back at Earth, 384 thousand kilometres away, it's hard to put into perspective when you see it for the first time. It is where home is."

As the ships roar past, Layla leans against her own ship, off-circuit clad in a green, white and black spacesuit, staring into oblivion, her figure coming into frame on the camera shot. Her visor has a beautiful gold tinge to it from a pulled down sunvisor, the suit cut out of more modern composite and significantly more elegant than that of something NASA would have 70 years prior, but still, requiring pressurisation and many amendments to meet Layla's own augments.

She has seen this before. But if you haven't as the audience, you're taking in Earthrise. The tiniest of thoughts. And a montage plays out.

"Yet from there, comes every innovation, invention, and the things we make." Medicine, flight, the motorcar, skyscrapers, augmentations on pilots legs.

"Every fight, every battle." Trench warfare. Modern conflict with exoskeletons and hovertanks. Engineers at work on ships and paint being traded in earlier rounds this season, particularly Jamie and Bea, Astrid and Han, Kais and Paul.

"Every adventure, our courage." The sailing of ships on faraway shores in the Pacific through storms in the 17th Century, ocean trench exploration from a submarine, hot air balloons, freeride mountain biking and the rolling of a crewed buggy on Mars, kicking up red dust.

"Every story we tell, and every dream we have." Layla sighed, not making half a bad actor here. The music continues to build, approaching crescendo.

"And every single one of us." A newborn held in a doctor's hands, and children playing in a Pre-School. And footage there of Layla, who clearly, clearly, was dreaming of becoming on astronaut one day from the toy helmet she had. Cutting back to Layla's face, helmeted on, staring into oblivion, cutting back to the scene before her of the curves of the Moon and the pale Earth beyond.

"There was a time when the Moon was an untouchable dream to us. A pale light in the night sky, calling out to humanity, daring us to reach for it." Cutting back to the Buggy from the 1970s again, and the archive footage playing back again.

"And we did. We set foot here, a fragile species bound to our home, yet bold enough to leave it. Decades turned to centuries, and what was once impossible became inevitable. The Moon, our first step... became our proving ground. Our next chapter." The footage cut to more recent footage from the 2040s of more frequent Lunar landings, on return. Not just the Americans, but the Chinese Space Programme, the Indian one, the Korean, European, even the private entity of Fitzroy finally starting to make a dent into its own private tourism industry on Luna.

Then in the 2060s, the beginnings of Colonia Asterion, later Asterion-Cresent, the Valdes Helium-3 mine, as well as more development across the lunar surface, looking more and more like what Antarctica may have looked like in the 1950s as slowly, humanity put a foothold on there. Scattered, tiny settlements, but bit by bit, people stayed. People were there not for just science, but for mining work. And that had exploded, turning into Australian-style five on five off, except it was more five to ten months on, five to ten months off depending on rotation and risk profile. Mars was just starting to get that treatment now, thanks to new nuclear fusion-powered drives, and the Solar System beyond was beckoning. That vast black had humans in it now, and if there was any part of humanity that could have optimism, hope, this was it.

Bit by bit, the structures phase into the montage, including the now mothballed Mare Austral, and the assembly of the track by a fairly brave group of Astronauts and supporting engineers. The circuit's complexity and MAG stripping, a piece of humankind's desires to race, to win, put here.

And now.

The scene shifts to a high-speed shot of the Mare Austral Circuit, its vast, winding layout etched into the Lunar surface like an artist's brushstroke with MAG tracking amongst buildings and impossible things that you couldn't do on earth, bending most people's understanding of perspective, impossibly big jumps, and a mix of technical and fast all across the place. The circuit is breathtaking —a mix of human ingenuity and raw, alien beauty. The camera follows an AG craft as it streaks across the track, kicking up faint trails of Lunar dust in its wake going past Layla again.

"The Moon is no longer a silent to us, far away no more. Not just a constant in everyone's night sky. It is alive with the roar of humanity's desires. Our collective dream, to explore the universe, starts here."

The music intensifies as the AG craft dives into a section of the track cut into a jagged canyon. Massive holographic displays rise from the regolith, and the virtual audience able to watch. The craft weaves through tight corners, its thrusters flaring, the soundless void replaced with the pounding rhythm of M83’s soaring melody, interspersed with onboard audio. A mixture of archive racing footage, Amy and Layla competing over first, the rush of a Carrera Condor ship into the horizon, and flat across the Lunar surface, leaving a trail.

"This is more than just a race. This is a celebration of what we’ve become. Of where we are going. Of our boundless courage, our ceaseless innovation, our will to push past every limit. To go faster. To be more than human. To go beyond." Layla commented, the Jordanian turning towards camera, her face barely visible beneath her darkened, hazy gold visor, standing by her ship's side, facing back to the camera, exhaling oxygen and back to the camera.

You might have felt a teeny tinge of irony given Layla's background, but for half a gleaming second, even with what was going on with Layla, there was absolutely a person emotive in there beyond the machine, her voice at creak but composing back for the final part. A half script, but....something deep in her heart seemed to carry it.

"Welcome to Formula AG. Welcome to Luna."

With it, the tones of M83 fade out, the camera panning to reveal the wider complex, and most importantly, just how tiny, utterly insignificant it was. There weren't many settlements this side of the moon. Lights were not visible. It was grey, and then beyond, and endless, nebulous black filled with stars beyond number, as with that, the title sequence faded to black.

---

DELTΔ HYPER

Episode Six: The Dark Side of the Moon

Round 6 of Formula Anti-Gravity
Friday 19th May, 2094
Practice Day
Lunar AGP
Mare Austral, nr the South Pole of the Moon
1300 Lunar Coordinated Time (LCT)

With Royston in picture on the sofa, the scene comes back in again. It's shot on Earth, given some of the footage is from before the race, in front of the blank wall that Delta Hyper has been using in this season so far. Royston is as always, animated.

"Why Luna? Well, we are always trying to find the next thing. And so when the Mare Austral site was proposed by the former operator as an ideal site, full of chasms, climbs, natural turns from excavation activity, we had to investigate. And we found a perfect circuit for Formula AG to demonstrate we're more than just a Earth-bound sport. We're pushing the frontier. So, we go where no motor sport has ever gone, and we are exploring more options." Royston's tone was a chirpy one, the classic marketing on display as other.

Simon Hall came into view, the polo-shirt wearing Silver Apex designer having his own views.

"Because I suppose it is a challenge. The ships are incredibly hard to tailor. And they are....well, nothing if a completely different race. Ships need to now rotate and fly, aided not by air resistance but by actual propellant and oxidiser. Aerodynamics are completely irrelevant, suddenly you create a ship that needs to incorporate innovative design to carve over the surface. The pulse engines do well at that, but they need rethinking a little. Each team prepares, like the old teams used to for Monaco each year, and comes with its own solution. And it changes year to year as our ship designs change. We can't build a ship dedicated to Luna. But we can refit, and think about how we make the adjustments, from secondary thrust systems to regolith filters, to updated HUD and anti-gravity unit adjustments." Simon's analysis seemed pertinent.

Movement in the background of each team's HQ could be seen, from specialist ISO-styled containers made for spaceflight, made out of a highly tensile composite being loaded, including the ships themselves, one to each small spaceplane. Crew were boarding, harnessed up in the cockpit areas, and getting readied for launch. It was a hell of a logistics operation. A ton of health and safety, training, from the pilots going through neurally-linked VR training to real sim work in a pool to get used to a spacesuit, to dealing with emergencies, including pressure loss, hull loss, trauma in zero-G and sealing suits in the event of an incident. The sort of thing that 70 years prior, might have been an undergraduate course worth of content, was now teachable in a week. Many had undergone it in the pilot pool already. Those who were new picked it up fast enough, their physical and mental state as pilots fitting the extra requirements well.

Peter Thatcher appeared next, the formally dressed team boss of Silver Apex having his own input.

"Well, it's a pain in the f*cking arse to go there, but you all know it at home.....it's pretty spectacular. It's very good racing. And I think the sport evolves when we work with constraints. It's hard to prepare for, but the pilots still prove us wrong."

Spaceplanes were a little more difficult to run to Luna than a traditional rocket, but no less, technology meant they could be loaded, and launched from various spots, Silver Apex and Fitzroy Orbital sharing facilities from a launch site of Fitzroy's on the Isle of Nevis (in St Kitts and Nevis), Southern Cross from Otrere Launch Site in Hastings, New Zealand, Valkyrie and Nordic Call from Kourou Space Centre in French Guiana, Zygon from Wonsan Spaceport, Korea, Al-Saqr and SuperCat from Hamad International Spaceport in Qatar, MMR from Koch Space Centre in Texas, and Carrera Condor from Punta Arenas Spaceport in southern Patagonia, Chile.

The launch of Silver Apex's in particular caught the light as it soared from the angled runway, all burners on, and accelerating towards the sky, endlessly so. Minimum tonnage and minimum crews- a barebones pit team and only the pilots would make the trip, Principals optional given the use of a datalink. Space was difficult still, and in spite of decades of this, literally going hundreds of thousands of kilometres away from home, in zero-G, meant adaptations that were more profound.

And what a view it would be, looking back through the port window....

Soundtrack: ODESZA - Intro / A Moment Apart

What had been talked about in that intro was something that did not need understating, it was...well, there. Even if you had seen it before as a pilot, it would still be a headscratcher. If you hadn't, even a neurally linked VR experience couldn't entirely lay out the feeling of touching that port window and staring at all of it. Where home was, or where the team was, or Portugal, or anywhere else growing smaller by the second. A change of perspective that revaluated everything you understood.

All the conflict, worry, concern, friends, family, all of it, as Layla had articulated, were well and truly in that one field of vision, enough to make you either hopeful for the future of humanity and advancements, like Layla wanted, or so appreciative of the care of it and preservation of it, just like Harrison did. On a philosophical level, for many people this would re-evaluate your understanding of place if you hadn't seen it. Some even said the proliferation of spaceflight in the 2040s had become the main driver for many billionaires, governments and other organisations to focus their efforts on change,

It wasn't a long journey given the slingshot dropped the spaceplanes quick to the site, near the southern pole of the Moon, in one of the "seas" of the Lunar surface. The spaceplanes offered zero-G, via the same matrices that allowed the ships to float with anti-matter being inverted to provide about 8/10ths of regular gravity, a rough compromise for power and conserving muscle mass. Of course, not everyone had that luck. Many had to deal with zero-g on the way to Luna for work, taking supplements, and even in more extreme cases, augments to deal with osteoporosis, bone density change and the risks associated with long-term radiation exposure. Most cancers could be very easily cured back on Earth, but radiation poisoning, that could do a number.

One by one, they had arrived a week early, and the mothballed facility, with old digging equipment laying dormant like some sort of surreal slate quarry in Snowdonia, now was populated- half of the facility embedded in a lava tube, the other half protected from solar radiation by regolith covering and some exceptionally complicated field generators powered by a localised solar field 4km away. Everything was sealed, but EVA was undertaken where needed, for track maintenance or any other orders of business. The pitlanes were hybridised- the ships were worked upon within an airlock, with crews clearing and depressurising the area to let ships leave and go, as needed. Pilot suits were modified bespoke to the function, as were team kit, the use of robotics coming in extremely useful to help tinker with ships once the crews needed to be clear, or were in bulkier kit.

Biosecurity was a significant factor in line with the 2075 Istanbul Agreements on Lunar Biosecurity- and the crews were isolated for a two days before they could access the operational areas of the facility, and a couple days after before departing Luna altogether if in contact, driven by a huge fear of infections to mining or other crews from MRSA and other bugs that came from various corners of the globe into space, especially operational sites that technically, Mare Austral was categorised under. Further supplies already on site, or from Luna, or from Earth were then brought in as and when. For those with marketing prowess, making the most out of the downtime, away from other pilots was likely a boon.

The track was set up, advertising, virtual spectator positions, and one by one, practice runs that trickled in. For any pilot, this was everything they had come to dream of. No other series came here. No other series (bar someone insanely suggesting the World Rally Championship or World Raid Championship could, but, would that even be a relevant title to it?) came here.

And for the moment being, the tunnels, small pit box sealed within an enclosed facility, the teeny area under a repulsor enclosure still demanding EVA suits to access, and then the one outside of it, made for the most spectacular circuit of the year. If sleep schedules were broken in the quarantine, now they were fixed and primed to make the most of this place.

Nothing about this was easy, as Peter said.

---

The Sofa on the Moon

Delta Hyper's often used sofa, normally against a backer, now had Earthrise in the background, with a camera perfectly placed next to it. It sat directly on the regolith, the nanite-covered material catching the solar wind.

A normal interview with quite a different background.

Quite comical, really, because the shot opens with the sofa empty.

Every single pilot was going up to it, on top of what looked like a boulder-like arrangement outside of the old Mare Austral site, the sofa lined in god-knows-what protection material to stop it being shredded by regolith. And there wasn't anyone there. A projected hologram of Aurora sat without a EVA suit on, but to stop boiling and freezing alive at the same time, the pilots would need to bring theirs. Either a pilot-grade suit, that they'd be used to that was suitable for walking, or a more bespoke spacesuit brought along, likely repping their team colours. The design of the suits were significantly more modern as Layla had on earlier- pressurised, yet more elegant, form-fitting and modular, and lighter whilst offering protection.

They were literally moonwalking to get an interview, and as they would likely find their spot, and take a seat on the couch, faces lit up due to the lighting arrangement and facing out of the sun, they were getting an interview quite literally like no other. Alone, but with a figure they were used to strangely present. Aurora seemed to stand there as if it wasn't really a big deal. As they would take their seat, the interview felt fairly easy to run with..

---

"Nora, welcome to Delta Hyper, and welcome to the Moon. It's safe to say with your first time here, you must be having butterflies in your stomach? How are you feeling?" Aurora asked, the hologram coming through in the interviewee pilot's ear.

"Kais, welcome to the sofa. Layla certainly talks a lot about Luna, it seems like a home race to her and I bet you've heard no end of it! Now we're here, do you think she's right to hype it up so much?"

"Paul, welcome to Mare Austral! With all the talk of the controversy behind the scenes of Valkyrie at the moment, would you say the team is ready for the race to come?"

"Bea, great to have you here. With your fans out in force in Portugal, how do you feel at a race that they aren't able to physically attend here at Mare Austral?"

"Han, great to have you here on Delta Hyper, and welcome to our favourite couch of the year! With your talent on show over the last few races, do you think you and Cassie have what it takes to charge after Valkyrie, and do you think there's any edge you can find at Luna?"

---

The others sat there as the scene cut to the remaining lead pilots, most of their spacesuits matching their team colours, with various interpretations of the team liveries.

"It would be impossible not to appreciate this. Still makes me pinch myself!" Max replied, his energy carrying in the response to the question which felt rather obvious.

"Yep, it is....it is incredible. I mean, we're so far from home, I can't even see my house from here...." Harrison quipped, cutting to the next, a rather shit-stirring Astrid.

"Eh. It's alright. I've been before. Lacks atmosphere." Astrid dryly remarked, sticking out her tongue beneath her visor as she replied.

"Well, you heard the intro, I mean....what more can I say? It's incredible out here. My two favourite things together, and well, I can set a fierce lap here." Layla gave a smirk, like someone who was rather possessed by it all.

"Not if I have something to say about it. Should be on course to get back here with a good result, Luna is one of my favourites and I imagine it'll be fierce." Amy replied, a smirk forming on her face, the role of a gentle villain playing back, wanting to keep on her crown.

"Well, first African to race on the Moon. Not bad at all!" Kofi smirked, cutting into Dorian, who seemed back to his usual behaviour.

"It's magical. The handling, everything is totally different. Like Monaco but in Space, no?" Dorian giggled, as Cassie followed.

"I mean, it's glorious. We take it in one step at a time. But it's a cool circuit, and I am sure with some party tricks up my sleeve I can make the most out of it." The Portuguese-Scots pilot replied, cutting to Henry, who seemed actually quite excited.

"I mean, I've been a lot but it does never get old. Fitzroy does lot of logistics so naturally, I've been to the Moon more than most..." That intercut with the last pilot, Ava, who sat almost cross-legged even in a spacesuit, making it seem remarkably casual.

"It's a pretty amazing place. I think it suits my style of flying ships, and it's a treat from my previous piloting experience. My childhood self would be grinning ear to ear, so we are here to make the most of it!" Ava grinned, cracking a rare grin, very much satisfied with where she was.

Raven Squad: Second Storm (Military/Spy-Fi RP) (COMPLETED)

Accepted! Post into characters, and I'll sort the admin out shortly :)

Spearhead: A modern/near future Special Forces RP (ON HIATUS)

Santi

Enzo "Santi" Santiago Laste Valenzuela

Age:32

Gender: Male

Nationality: Chilean-Italian

Callsign: Condor

Primary Role: Grenadier

Secondary Role: Drone Operative

Appearance:

Enzo, or his common nickname derived from his middle name that is almost exclusively used, "Santi", stands at 6"0" (182 cm) with a lean but muscular build honed for agility and endurance rather than brute strength. His sun-weathered tan complexion hints at years spent outside, particularly sunburnt. His sharp, angular facial features are softened by his expressive dark brown eyes.

Santi keeps his black hair cropped shorter than in the photo, but he maintains a neatly trimmed beard, giving off the look of definitely a European-origin Chilean rather than that of a more local Mapuche. A small scar runs diagonally across his left eyebrow, a souvenir from his early days as a young soldier.

On operations, he dons standard-issue olive drab tactical gear and rolled-shirt fatigues (particularly an MARPAT-derived tropical green), including a plate carrier equipped with pouches for grenades and a compact drone controller. Santi now has access to more gear than his traditional setup, opting for a 5.11 TacTec plate carrier, black Mechanix gloves and a Camelbak Tri-Zip assault pack. His olive Ops-Core fast helmet is set up with a Peltor ComTac headset, marked with the Chilean flag patch, features a mount for his quad-optic GPNV-18 NVGs. His fatigues are are paired with durable Scarpa boots built to withstand harsh conditions and bogs.

Off-duty, Enzo favours outdoor gear: moisture-wicking shirts, checked shirts, cargo pants and a boonie hat- his tacti-cool loadouts when trying to blend in with the populace.

Voice Claim: Santiago Cabrera

Santi's voice is deep and crisp, accent of his Chilean roots.

Bio/Personality:

Santi is all about efficiency when he is boots on the ground. His decisions are grounded in practicality, not idealism. He believes in getting the job done with minimal resources and often shows a level of calmness and composure that contrasts with his sometimes chaotic methods, namely, the blowing stuff up parts. He’s more interested in getting the job done, and getting out- if he has the intel, he sees merit in moving fast rather than being patience.

Santi is fiery and boisterous, and usually is direct to the point, being willing to argue or make his point if he believes it. It also means he is willing to follow though, to the order, but he won’t sit and be overruled. He wants answers but isn’t so stubborn to not fall in line. A good soldier, but sometimes a difficult one.

He usually quips a bit more with darker humour given he’s dealt with some very gruesome scenes hunting after cocaine-producing cartels, but, generally, is fairly light and is warm. The kind of guy who’s seen a fair chunk of dismemberment, but, doesn’t let it turn him inside out. Outside of combat, Santi is very easy-going. His interest in food, and his warm nature make him easy to like, but an absolute bastard to get on the wrong side of.

History:

Enzo “Santi” Santiago Laste Valenzuela was born and raised in Valdivia, Chile. Santi’s father, a former Chilean Army soldier turned Mining Engineer, and his schoolteacher mother (Italian, hailing from Genoa, also being a former Geologist) who raised Santi to be outdoorsy, inquisitive and have a relatively unsupervised childhood. Lucky for him, they avoided the temptation of spoiling him and instead, let him muck around as a kid despite coming from a relatively well-off household. Mining pays in Chile, especially the copper industries.

Shadowing his father, Enzo worked in the mines until he was 20, joining the Chilean Army due to a lack of other job opportunities or a desire to go to university (being a part of the reason why he is used to drones from their early phase). Santi’s intent was to get involved in the Chilean Army's Engineering Brigades- but this instead changed once it was realised that Santi could shoot, fight and soldier far better than any backstreet logistics man needed to. His use of a drone, inspired by his father’s surveying work in the vast open-cast mines that he worked on across the country, helped him find a niche and always a deployment, something he sought outside of Chile itself.

After serving in logistical roles, his aptitude for fighting made a transfer to the Brigada de Operaciones Especiales “Lautaro”, Chile’s premier special forces unit a straightforward choice, where he passed selection. He distinguished himself in particular in the Escuela de Montaña, Chile's renowned mountain warfare school- a competent skiier and climber, with a proven capability to fight in the Chilean Cordilliera. His technical aptitude can-do attitude got him advanced training in reconnaissance and working as a fireteam grenadier, alongside managing a fireteam of his own.

In the Lautaro Brigade, Santi developed his skills as a drone specialist when working within small fireteams, often with much more limited equipment than their Western counterparts but adapting to challenges that were thrown. His time with the unit saw Santi deployed on anti-smuggling operations in Patagonia and the Atacama, anti-cartel operations in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, and peacekeeping operations in Haiti, CAR, Honduras and Belize, being the reason he can speak French and English with decent fluency, alongside his native Spanish. Santi’s versatility and ingenuity earned him the respect of her peers and the nickname “Condor” for his aerial perspective, often on a tablet guiding teams or setting up fire from afar.

To put his service history in a clean manner would be unfair to someone who was more than often, deployed on short notice where and when

Over time, Santi became known for his ability to blend traditional guerrilla tactics with cutting-edge technology- but ultimately, remain adaptable. Santi’s mindset is that on the frontier at the end of the world, you work with what you have, rather than what you don’t, and a drone is the luxury you get on top of everything else.

Now in his early 30s, Santi is a key member of Spearhead, recruited based upon his ability to do just that.

Not a master of anything bar hybrid warfare and being able to use any tool at his disposal, Santi thrives on smaller-scale fighting rather than mechanised, air-support focussed warfare that traditional special forces might have access to. Despite his success, he remains grounded, and as ever, the keen explorer and outdoorsman he always was. This makes him useful in SOF teams that don't have that sort of support, and instead, need a Vaquero (Cowboy) like him.

Equipment:

Primary Weapon:

Knight's Stoner KS-1 Rifle, chambered in 5.56x45 with:
Underbarrel M320 Grenade Launcher
13.7" Barrel
1-10x Reptilla AUS Variable Optic, Aimpoint Micro-T1
AN/PEQ-15
KAC QDC Suppressor
Magpul PMAG Magazines
Magpul CTR Stock
Olive Spray
(Subsonic munition loaded on need)

A specialist tool available to Spearhead, and a natural successor to the M4A1 that Santi has used on many an op before, the KS-1 (also known as the L403A1 in British SOF service) is an M4-derivative, gas-operated specialist rifle with a high degree of precision, a variable-zoom optic and RDS optic, designed as a lightweight, special forces-oriented tool. For jungle and rainforest use, the rifle's platform makes it Santi's best friend for laying down grenades, or precise shooting, the high magnification even making it a low-calibre designated marksman rifle in a pinch.

Secondary Weapon:
FN FNX.45 with Osprey Suppressor, Night Sights,

Grenade Arsenal:
6x M433 HEDP 40mm Grenades
2x M84 Stun Grenades
4x 40mm Smoke Grenades (various)

Specialist Weapon (dependent on need):
Mikor M32 MGL

Drone Systems:
Recon Drone: Returnable, rechargable compact quadcopter with thermal imaging and GPS tagging.
1x Combat Drone: Fixed-wing SUAV drone with micro-explosive payload for precision strikes. Based on the RQ-11 Raven.

Other Equipment:
Tactical Knife (Scout)
Compact Toolset
Laser Rangefinder
Lightweight Tablet for Drone Control and EW Interface
GPS and Comms Device
Multi-Tool Kit

Hobbies:
Mountain climbing, particularly in Patagonia
Drone piloting and tinkering with new tech.
Playing guitar, particularly old Latin rock.
Cooking food

Likes:
Traditional Chilean food, especially seafood, asado and empanadas de mariscos
The sound of rain in the mountains
Loyalty and camaraderie.
Quiet, solitary moments to recharge.

Dislikes:
Inefficient planning
Unnecessary risk-taking
Cold coffee
Sandstorms
Anyone who makes a joke about watching their back while in a helicopter
Being confused for being from Texas

Other Skills:

Santi has a knack for improvising in the field. From makeshift shelters to rigging equipment for specific tasks, he’s known for his resourcefulness in tight spots. His ability to work with limited resources makes him invaluable when conventional methods are unavailable.

Growing up in Chile's varied terrain gave Santi a profound connection to the outdoors, from Patagonia to Atacama, making him relatively resilient to most weather. His mountaineering, wilderness survival, and navigation skills make him an asset in jungle, desert, and high-altitude operations.

Speaks Spanish, French and English, with a tiny bit of Italian from his mother too. Currently single, coming out of a fairly long-term relationship strained due to deployments.

Spearhead: A modern/near future Special Forces RP (ON HIATUS)

Santi

Enzo "Santi" Santiago Laste Valenzuela

Age:32

Gender: Male

Nationality: Chilean-Italian

Callsign: Condor

Primary Role: Grenadier

Secondary Role: Drone Operative

Appearance:

Enzo, or his common nickname derived from his middle name that is almost exclusively used, "Santi", stands at 6"0" (182 cm) with a lean but muscular build honed for agility and endurance rather than brute strength. His sun-weathered tan complexion hints at years spent outside, particularly sunburnt. His sharp, angular facial features are softened by his expressive dark brown eyes.

Santi keeps his black hair cropped shorter than in the photo, but he maintains a neatly trimmed beard, giving off the look of definitely a European-origin Chilean rather than that of a more local Mapuche. A small scar runs diagonally across his left eyebrow, a souvenir from his early days as a young soldier.

On operations, he dons standard-issue olive drab tactical gear and rolled-shirt fatigues (particularly an MARPAT-derived tropical green), including a plate carrier equipped with pouches for grenades and a compact drone controller, wearing a mix of Crye Precision gear and Mechanix gloves. His OPS-Core fast helmet, marked with the Chilean flag patch, features a mount for his quad-optic NVGs. His fatigues are are paired with durable Scarpa boots built to withstand harsh conditions and bogs.

Off-duty, Enzo favors outdoor gear: moisture-wicking shirts, checked shirts, cargo pants and a boonie hat- his tacti-cool loadouts when trying to blend in with the populace.

Voice Claim: Santiago Cabrera

Santi's voice is deep and crisp, accent of his Chilean roots.

Bio/Personality:

Santi is all about efficiency when he is boots on the ground. His decisions are grounded in practicality, not idealism. He believes in getting the job done with minimal resources and often shows a level of calmness and composure that contrasts with his sometimes chaotic methods, namely, the blowing stuff up parts. He’s more interested in getting the job done, and getting out- if he has the intel, he sees merit in moving fast rather than being patience.

Santi is fiery and boisterous, and usually is direct to the point, being willing to argue or make his point if he believes it. It also means he is willing to follow though, to the order, but he won’t sit and be overruled. He wants answers but isn’t so stubborn to not fall in line. A good soldier, but sometimes a difficult one.

He usually quips a bit more with darker humour given he’s dealt with some very gruesome scenes hunting after cocaine-producing cartels, but, generally, is fairly light and is warm. The kind of guy who’s seen a fair chunk of dismemberment, but, doesn’t let it turn him inside out. Outside of combat, Santi is very easy-going. His interest in food, and his warm nature make him easy to like, but an absolute bastard to get on the wrong side of.

History:

Enzo “Santi” Santiago Laste Valenzuela was born and raised in Valdivia, Chile. Santi’s father, a former Chilean Army soldier turned Mining Engineer, and his schoolteacher mother (Italian, hailing from Genoa, also being a former Geologist) who raised Santi to be outdoorsy, inquisitive and have a relatively unsupervised childhood. Lucky for him, they avoided the temptation of spoiling him and instead, let him muck around as a kid despite coming from a relatively well-off household. Mining pays in Chile, especially the copper industries.

Shadowing his father, Enzo worked in the mines until he was 20, joining the Chilean Army due to a lack of other job opportunities or a desire to go to university (being a part of the reason why he is used to drones from their early phase). Santi’s intent was to get involved in the Chilean Army's Engineering Brigades- but this instead changed once it was realised that Santi could shoot, fight and soldier far better than any backstreet logistics man needed to. His use of a drone, inspired by his father’s surveying work in the vast open-cast mines that he worked on across the country, helped him find a niche and always a deployment, something he sought outside of Chile itself.

After serving in logistical roles, his aptitude for fighting made a transfer to the Brigada de Operaciones Especiales “Lautaro”, Chile’s premier special forces unit a straightforward choice, where he passed selection. He distinguished himself in particular in the Escuela de Montaña, Chile's renowned mountain warfare school. His technical aptitude can-do attitude got him advanced training in reconnaissance and working as a fireteam grenadier, alongside managing a fireteam of his own.

In the Lautaro Brigade, Santi developed his skills as a drone specialist when working within small fireteams, often with much more limited equipment than their Western counterparts but adapting to challenges that were thrown. His time with the unit saw Santi deployed on anti-smuggling operations in Patagonia and the Atacama, anti-cartel operations in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, and peacekeeping operations in Haiti, CAR, Honduras and Belize, being the reason he can speak French and English with decent fluency, alongside his native Spanish. Santi’s versatility and ingenuity earned him the respect of her peers and the nickname “Condor” for his aerial perspective, often on a tablet guiding teams or setting up fire from afar.

To put his service history in a clean manner would be unfair to someone who was more than often, deployed on short notice where and when

Over time, Santi became known for his ability to blend traditional guerrilla tactics with cutting-edge technology- but ultimately, remain adaptable. Santi’s mindset is that on the frontier at the end of the world, you work with what you have, rather than what you don’t, and a drone is the luxury you get on top of everything else.

Now in his early 30s, Santi is a key member of Spearhead, recruited based upon his ability to do just that.

Not a master of anything bar hybrid warfare and being able to use any tool at his disposal, Santi thrives on smaller-scale fighting rather than mechanised, air-support focussed warfare that traditional special forces might have access to. Despite his success, he remains grounded, and as ever, the keen explorer and outdoorsman he always was. This makes him useful in SOF teams that don't have that sort of support, and instead, need a Vaquero (Cowboy) like him.

Equipment:

Primary Weapon:

Knight's Stoner KS-1 Rifle, chambered in 5.56x45 with:
Underbarrel M320 Grenade Launcher
13.7" Barrel
1-10x Reptilla AUS Variable Optic, Aimpoint Micro-T1
AN/PEQ-15
KAC QDC Suppressor
Magpul PMAG Magazines
Olive Spray
(Subsonic munition loaded on need)

A specialist tool available to Spearhead, and a natural successor to the M4A1 that Santi has used on many an op before, the KS-1 (also known as the L403A1 in British SOF service) is an M4-derivative, gas-operated specialist rifle with a high degree of precision, a variable-zoom optic and RDS optic, designed as a lightweight, precise tool. For jungle and rainforest use, the rifle's previous platform makes it Santi's best friend for laying down grenades, or precise shooting, the high magnification even making it a low-calibre designated marksman rifle in a pinch.

Secondary Weapon:
FN FNX.45 with Osprey Suppressor, Night Sights

Grenade Arsenal:
6x M433 HEDP 40mm Grenades
2x Flashbang Grenades
4x 40mm Smoke Grenades (various)

Specialist Weapon (dependent on need):
Mikor M32 MGL

Drone Systems:
Recon Drone: Returnable, rechargable compact quadcopter with thermal imaging and GPS tagging.
1x Combat Drone: Fixed-wing SUAV drone with micro-explosive payload for precision strikes. Based on the RQ-11 Raven.

Other Equipment:
Tactical Knife (Scout)
Compact Toolset
Laser Rangefinder
Lightweight Tablet for Drone Control and EW Interface
GPS and Comms Device
Multi-Tool Kit

Hobbies:
Mountain climbing, particularly in Patagonia
Drone piloting and tinkering with new tech.
Playing guitar, particularly old Latin rock.
Cooking food

Likes:
Traditional Chilean food, especially seafood, asado and empanadas de mariscos
The sound of rain in the mountains
Loyalty and camaraderie.
Quiet, solitary moments to recharge.

Dislikes:
Inefficient planning
Unnecessary risk-taking
Cold coffee
Sandstorms
Anyone who makes a joke about watching their back while in a helicopter
Being confused for being from Texas

Other Skills:

Santi has a knack for improvising in the field. From makeshift shelters to rigging equipment for specific tasks, he’s known for his resourcefulness in tight spots. His ability to work with limited resources makes him invaluable when conventional methods are unavailable.

Growing up in Chile's varied terrain gave Santi a profound connection to the outdoors, from Patagonia to Atacama, making him relatively resilient to most weather. His mountaineering, wilderness survival, and navigation skills make him an asset in jungle, desert, and high-altitude operations.

Speaks Spanish, French and English, with a tiny bit of Italian from his mother too.

Spearhead: A modern/near future Special Forces RP (ON HIATUS)

@Komo

I've switched now to Grenadier/Drone Op.

Spearhead: A modern/near future Special Forces RP (ON HIATUS)

Interested in a Support role with a Drone Operator. Will confirm quite what that looks like.

SPEARHEAD - A military, special forces RP in the almost modern-day

@Rhona W

*smacks chamber release*

I'm keen!

DELTΔ HYPER (Anti-Gravity Racing, Cyberpunk/Solarpunk RP)

History

The History

TLDR:

2020-2030: F1 experiences a golden era, with a growing fanbase and competitive racing.
2030-2040: The sport faces challenges, including commercial rights issues, safety concerns, and a recession, leading to a decline in popularity.
2040-2050: The introduction of "Formula Future" regulations and the emergence of Helena Starcross, a dominant driver who wins multiple championships and becomes a legend in the sport.
2050-2060: F1 faces a "dark decade" with external factors like wars, climate change, and pandemics affecting the sport.
2060-2069: The last decade of true F1, the series plateaus but yields the last, most incredible combustion based racing cars ever made. The first anti-gravity racing championship, AGRC, is established in 2071.
2070s: AGRC gains popularity, and F1 teams begin to transition to anti-gravity racing. The sport experiences growing pains, including safety concerns and debates over pilot modifications.
2080s: AGRC becomes the dominant form of racing, with the introduction of new technologies like MAG strips, neural links, and repulsor systems.
2090s: The sport continues to evolve, with the introduction of new teams, technologies, and innovations like ELS (ELS Battles).

Soundtrack: London Grammar- Higher

The camera takes a moment to follow through the exhibit.

From Fangio to Hill, Lauda to Villeneuve, Senna to Schumacher, Hamilton to Verstappen, much of this is the story you've seen of greats, top level drivers that won many championships and awed by. By 2094, this is like looking through textbooks of the Victorian era by 2024's standards, given how old the pictures seem to be, and how primitive the cars seem to be, displayed holographically.

So the carbon composite may remain, but what has changed, is literally everything else.

You get to 2024-->, and 2020-2030 is up on the wall. The text explains an AI-driven summary, of course, with a fun twist, narrated by Aurora.

2020-2030:



This era represents a sport that was in the ascendancy- with a growing fanbase due to social media, streaming and on-the-wall documentaries, F1 became global and started to truly grow out of an old boys club and into an international phenomenon. Three more titles for Verstappen, three for Piastri, one for Norris, and one for Russell, outlining a dominant period shared by a variety of top-running teams including Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes. The cars under a new electrical power and active aero regulation become more competitive and more competitive, and the trend continues throughout the decade for fan engagement and racing. Cars don't really get faster, but competition is very good, and that is all people want.

2030-2040:



A decade introducing more electrical power into F1, racing begins to plateau from historic highs in the late 2020s, as strains over commercial rights and tension related to safety and new circuits, particularly in rich oil states who are now getting tangled into proxy wars and beginning to lose their influence, begins to bubble. And in late 2037, due to a recession, the bubble of popularity bursts- overegged commercial contracts with broadcasters, rights holders and tracks just doesn't work anymore because nobody has the political will to reform FOM (F1 Management) and the teams that expect virtually untapped money. The market for F1 basically crashes.

Three mid-table teams leave in late 2038, prompting a management crisis from discovered corruption, top level mis-management and bribery which began to shake the foundations of what F1's fair, respectful racing looked like. The FIA and FOM Management nearly split into two over this with many other series of racing gaining traction such as Formula E, Formula X (a niche Asian-spin off including V10s and relatively low levels of aerodynamics) and the WRC in this period, a lasting, sustainable growth that provided a healthy alternative to the dominance of F1.

Drivers such as Norris, Russell, Piastri, Verstappen, Antonelli, as well as newcomers such as Arvid Lindblad, Gabriel Bortoleto, Alex Dunne, Louis Sharp and Leonardo Fornaroli started to emerge and fight over championships of their own, as well as new drivers not on the grid in 2024 that emerged from in Ross Vale, Pavel Hradecky and Juha Virtunen, who followed suit.

Yet little did anyone in the sport know, that due to a significant technical change to F1 in 2040 in the making for over ten years, mocked up as "Formula Future", a new driver would set her own legacy. One that made almost everyone else redundant.

2040-2050:



The world in this period went through significant change- minor recessions, wars and conflict over resources beginning in the end of the decade. There is nostalgia over the "Fast Forties" still felt to this day given how positive the start of the 2040s were, and then how they ended poorly, from everything in music, fashion, cars, to clothes and accessories, like the Roaring 20s but far weirder. But in F1, they were probably as good as the 2020s, and late 80s/early 90s, yet one champion came out of it that settled the question of who the GOAT was.

A golden era. A golden girl. And cars that at this time, proved to be the best technical directive ever produced by Formula One, producing incredible sounding, incredibly fast, competitive and relatively safe racing that still produced one dominating racer.

The ships went from open-top to closed canopy, wide-tyred, adaptive aero, grip monsters capable of accelerating as fast as modern-day rallycross cars, with four-wheel drive fusing Formula E technology to Formula 1 grip, power and performance as the two series coalesce and technology-share. Cars are covered in invisible, paintwork level solar panelling that naturally regens the battery, visual gesture controls, as well as virtual datastreams. Five cylinder, twin-turbocharged, small-batteried hybrid engines make this era one that sounds utterly incredible, and by 2094's standards, the cars go ludicrously fast with very little technology for what they are on the last generation of conventional pneumatic rubber tyres. A V4 was considered, but the five-cylinder was lobbied for successfully as part of partly a fan-service gesture as well as that of a technical directive to improve flat engine performance, which shrank the engine down to just 1.3L and 1400bhp (without the hybrid, which is rumoured to increase it by another 600bhp!).

Jamie Bird, Eduardo Piquet, and Martin Liepeja always provided a stiff competition to Helena Starcross, but history remembers her and Casper Lundstrom keenly.

Helena (Helen) "Stargirl" Starcross was the first woman to ever win an F1 Championship, driving a McLaren-Porsche to victory at Brazil for her first title in 2043. And in her career, going from BMW-Sauber, McLaren, Red Bull and Porsche, she showed that no matter what team she was in, she was a force of nature. Helena was quiet growing up, and kept that reflective nature throughout her career. They described her as having a certain timeless class, a charm that always was seen outside of the car....yet in it, became a monster capable of the extraordinary. She did what was unthinkable, because it was like she was from twenty years ahead in terms of her thinking.

Women in F1 had always been seen as impossible, but Helena was born in the right time, right place, and was lucky enough to fall into the system when cars became easier to drive than ever before with better power steering and G-Force support for drivers. Once that was in, her pure talent shone through. Her wet weather skills, and a car that seemed almost born for her conservative and gentle technique, blended with her absolute ability to find time where others couldn't when pushing, then setting up the car with AI and her genius-like engineering background, meant that she combined a Senna-esque talent with a Prost-level intelligence to win races in bad cars, and dominate in good ones. Oh, and did this all with an artificial heart and actuated joints, the very first neurological enhancement technologies available on the market. The image of her driving the Gulf-liveried 2048 McLaren, or the incredibly ornate Red Bull in 2049 around Silverstone at full pelt are canvases that any self-respecting racing lover puts up in their collection next to Senna at Monaco, or James Hunt at Fuji.

Within five years, she wins four titles, matching Vettel. Within ten, she's won seven, matching Hamilton. By retirement in 2055, Helena has won nine world titles, and at this point, it seems like a total revolution has taken place, even in spite of world tension and corruption bubbling over, Helena using her platform to speak up for women's rights, fairness and transparency in racing, and cultivating a culture of young, aspiring dreamers to change the world, going against the system and proving many, many, many people wrong. In a time of crisis, Helena's soft spoken voice is one that almost ironically, screams into history. Helena even whispers a bit of discontent, the FIA were too terrified to let her go, and did anything to keep her on side. Perhaps it was single-handedly her doing that revived the sport from falling apart, but Helena's commitment to perfectionism ignored other driver complaints about the growing difficulty of racing, and the need to take on augments that were still risky and untested.

After Helena left the sport in 2055, the ratio starts to divide up for men and women joining the sport spurred on by initiatives in the 2020s, to roughly a 60/40 rate into F1. Beforehand, there were less than two women within the 2030s, and none were ever even remotely successful. Ironically, as she left some said the best days were over- and with the world going badly, you might have believed them.

In a world on the brink, Helena grew to become a humble girl from Manchester that became the Rain Queen, pulling out drives and pushing increasingly unstable racing cars to new heights as the initially safe regulations were pushed to their absolute limit, ironically, due to her tolerance. The racing despite Helen's dominance is competitive, and her every championship win was never a guarantee given she sometimes ended up in sub-par machinery- her rivalry with Casper Lindstrom made into movies and TV shows, given how relentlessly the two pushed each other in everything from analytics to even the early dawn of pilot modifications, though ultimately showing respect. She retired in 2055, but made occasional appearances, always tempting the sport with her presence before ruling it out after having twins in 2058.

Helena's sometimes consulted by Silver Apex and in her 70s, is still as polite, lovely and utterly talented in an old racing car as she was thirty years ago. Many would see her as not just a pioneer, but a woman born in 2020 that utterly broke any idea of what dominant, talented racing looked like.

2051-2060:



F1's "Dark" decade happened as races are interrupted by missile and drone attacks, and thankfully, no driver is killed from external factors, but support crews, engineers and CEOs are targeted, and many great designers and principals are killed in the process. While races continued to be competitive generally, this is not considered a good decade for the sport, and humanity in general. Climate change disrupts seasons, with a particularly dark set of years between 2053-2055 when a major pandemic broke out and nearly ended a season entirely, as did the destruction of half the paddock in 2058 in Saudi Arabia due to a drone strike- a reason why even in 2094, VIP cluster areas are protected by active defence systems, often invisible to most. The world was on fire, and whilst researchers were working to advance humanity, ecological collapse and some irreversible damage already starts to show face.

In 2054, 2055 and 2058, the death of three drivers- Franco Fola, Joshua Marnier and Marie Forestier from high-speed accidents caused by a poor technical regulation begins to mar a decade that due to factors beyond F1, takes off the sheen from the glory years of the 2040s because nobody wanted to stop their speed and despite the advances in safety, the show was too important- ironically, driven by Starcross's utter brilliance and control. The cars are simply too fast and the circuits are just not capable of hosting them, and nobody wants to stop them going faster- the human factor is a limit because drivers, even with very basic mods, cannot even think that fast.

Trials to introduce AI to help drivers underperform, creating more serious injuries and demonstrating that without a total fusion of the pilot and the car, nothing can really happen that will stop them. Some fixes later and people complain when it works too well that overtakes and AI virtually saps all the fun out, creating "Drones" rather than drivers that race, with drivers annoyed by how much they are restricted. Nobody can really win, because AI-driven racing series are doing utterly poorly for ratings. Nobody cares about a machine going around a circuit without a person inside, putting their life at risk. Nobody cares for code. Everyone cares for the human behind the wheel.

So development seems to halt, fuelled by global recessions that has like a wave, dried up interest in such a sport. The sport shrinks in response, and fan engagement reduces. This is a slump until the investment until the sport itself is bought by a Japanese hedge fund, saving it from bankruptcy. As a result, ships are designed back to safer limits but aren't to the same glorious spec of the 2040s, so little meaningful development happens- electrical systems are improved and new advancements in tyres, gearboxes and adaptive suspension improves some aspects, but four-cylinder engines are not considered an improvement on the screaming five-cylinder versions prior.

Champions include Dietrich Faust, Xavier De La Fuera, Alejandro Neves (uncle to Cassie Neves), Brad Collins and Samir Rajapaksha, all taking titles at various teams and keeping seasons relatively competitive, even if the format was drying up. Other drivers, like Leon Alonso started in this era, and raced through into the 2050s and 2060s- his three time championship and dominating drives as a young driver in this era living up to the family name.

2060-2069:



The introduction of a new generation of Formula One cars in 2061 creates a revival in the sport, now considered the last vestige of old carbon-emitting sports, even though F1 has been using carbon-neutral racing fuel for decades now. The world still sits in turmoil, but is the last decade of major conflict, war and resource stress, as desalination, the very early geoengineering and carbon reduction schemes, as well as asteroid mining begins towards the end of the decade and starts to slowly turn the tide.

This is one of the most impactful decades in human history- and arguably, the one where humanity tames what could have been catastrophic climate change and survives at the end. Fundamental shifts in economy and society begin- as the very beginnings of Universal Basics schemes roll out from 2068 onwards, the formal agreements for the Arabic Union's member states are signed into law as are the Federal American States, and society licks its wounds from a terrible time. Converse to the 2040s, we entered this decade in the worst we've ever been, and left it with an untold optimism and a Solarpunk future that beckoned, and one we actually in the end, got.

For F1, this is considered the last technical era that ever was- the regulations are known as the Nova Regulations given the introduction of cutting edge driven impeller ground-effect, three cylinder twin-turbocharged 1.0L machines that scream their way to 15,000RPM containing advanced magnetic and electrical anti-lag and energy recovery, AI-supported aerodynamics and drivetrain. Most interestingly, this also includes the precursor to the pilot's neural link- a mindreading device bedded in within drivers' helmets that can support decision making and provide a virtual race engineer. This isn't too restrictive, actually allowing drivers to react faster and work better- though hard-wiring through modifications is still a decade away.

Drivers such as Aurelie Loeb (grand-daughter of Sebastien), Sam Stirling (father to Amy), Audrick Mulder, Yuki Soo-Han, Liam Freeman and Silvie Norgaard dominate this period, and whilst the world is in a very dark place, the signs of recovery change in the sponsorship that the teams carry, from early geoengineering firms to new tech companies committed to a new way of doing business.

Audrick is among the last great dominant drivers- winning in 2068 and coming close in the three years after, piloting a red and yellow Porsche-TAG ship, a free-spirited, party-loving driver in spite of his absolutely analytical, focussed driving style.

By now, F1 cars look more like the ships you would recognise in 2094, incredibly complex aerodynamics masterpieces, but limited by tyres, imagination, and the surface they go over. F1 is struggling, going through another boom and bust, as interest wains as people are more interested in other, more sustainable forms of motorsport, the WRC in particular leading in this field as spectators want to see the outdoors and wider world. Running out of ideas, F1 was successful, but at a plateau- the escape many needed after a difficult few decades, but not enough.

Yet decades compress to years, as things start to get a bit more specific.

Because in 2069, the world changed forever as Anti-Gravity technology matured in a perfect storm and accelerated what we now know as modern racing.

---

Soundtrack: Hyper- Accelerate

2069:

Born from developments at multiple universities, anti-gravity technology finally breaks free of theory and becomes a commercial reality in 2069. This is an incredible revolution- previous anti-matter experiments had yielded nothing, but in the 2060s, getting closer and closer to the technology had yielded results that were stable enough to share.

In a moment for physics probably as impactful as discovering the Higgs Boson in the 2010s, the development of nuclear fusion in the 2040s, the massive AtlanticFast geoengineering scheme in the early 2060s, the condensing of barely a sand-grain sized grouping of antimatter inside an Anti-Matter Drive meant that craft could be held aloft with however much, or however little you wanted. Doctor Petter Karlson won a Nobel Prize for his work on this- safe, self-containing and most of all, ridiculously expensive anti-gravity technology was now on the horizon. This was them amplified by NASA, the ESA, Honda, Toyota and Ji Motors, of all people, who collaborated on a unique platform that continued to make it cheaper, and more easy to access.

Of course, funding is very generous, with every space agency and every transport company throwing more money than sense at this avenue of technology, but one man sees a very interesting opportunity to develop something out of this. With wars dying out, and contractors interested in putting their money into the next big thing, a competition is born. Doctor Karlson builds a ship under Royston's funding, one the likes of which the world has never seen.

2071:

Anti-Gravity Racing is born on Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, led by a research team funded by Royston Pearce, testing speed and handling. The ships are slower than F1 cars, incredibly hard to pilot, and can't turn easily. But some modifications high-speed run leads to a ship accelerating to twice the speed of sound, shattering the record of any land-based vehicle. This is of course, an easy thing to do when you haven't got friction to worry about and a pulse jet, but still raises eyebrows. The ships at this phase are incredibly primitive- like the beginning of the Wright Brothers, progress is on the horizon and most geopolitical blocks take note.

The Arabic Union, European Union, and oddly, the Oceanic Whanau, a small geopolitical bloc, throw money at this trial too, captivated by what this may look like in spite of the fact that many would rather see that money go to fixing wider ecological and environmental concerns.

2072:



The first season of the Anti-Gravity Racing Championship, AGRC, takes place at ten venues across the globe under FIAR, the Federation for International Anti-gravity Racing which is also run by Royston. The first race takes place at Brands Hatch, Kent- a small beginning for what would soon become an enormous discipline.

The sport catches viral attention, but most F1 drivers choose not to shift to the sport yet. Until a thrilling race takes place at Silverstone alongside the existing F1 racing as a support series, displaying the slightly smaller ships exhibiting classic F1-style characteristics, the handling dialled in by pioneers such as Dorian Hornfleur, Alexander Knight, Audrick Mulder, Pierre Faust, Kasumi Takakura, James Norris and Laura Muller, and showing that against F1 craft, in only a year they've come leaps and bounds. The first series is a testbed, and many ships look strange, feel odd, but most of all, are distinctive and a refresh from the F1 format. Social Media in particular is very inclusive, and the tech is paraded around, and made for investors to throw money at. Most of all, very limited bounds on biomodification (unlike F1, following Starcross's mods) exist- so, people throw themselves at it.

The first exhibition races of AG ships versus F1 initially lean towards the tyre-based counterparts, before mods and changes mean that the future is inevitable. AG ships truly are unbeatable when reliable and able to steer. And from that, the drops become a pour as many within the media sphere realise that AG racing, with higher cornering speeds, and sheer grip works for them.

The first champion is James Norris- and yes, we will come back to him later.

2073:

The shift starts to happen, as more and more F1 drivers come into the Anti-Gravity Racing Championship, with Royston working with the Arabic Union and Oceanic Whanau who want to see AG tech popularised, and the sheer amount of money brings drivers over- as well as most media broadcasters who see this as the future.

New locations, such as Cape Town, Tokyo, Istanbul Park and short-lived races in London and Paris display what the ships can do, aweing spectators due to their ability to climb and accelerate.FIAR73, the first technical regulation is published and this is the blueprint that F1 teams, and new geopolitical blocks run after it because the future is seen to be Anti-Gravity in delivery, transport and space sectors, and everything beyond.

FIAR 73 is seen as a turbulent era- incredibly novel and awesome to watch, given the ships were diverse, weird and wonderful, yet is like the 1970s of the F1 era. Serious injuries, massive crashes, and ships that were insanely difficult to fly, yet satisfying as hell to pull off made this seem like a bit of an iconic era for AG racing, even if that's the nostalgia talking- as many ships had significant reliability problems and races relied on you actually finishing.

2074-2075:

The Years of Mergers.

So called as conveniently, many teams started to refocus their efforts out of F1 and into AG Racing- but due to the astronomical costs of anti-matter at this point, as well as the concerns, many started to group together.

Ji Motors, a rival conglomerate to Hyundai, Samsung and Kia developed Zygon out of old Honda and Hyundai F1 teams, with the Korean-super team a dominant constructor that still races today, Williams and Mercedes and fragments of Red Bull F1 teams merge creating the super-team that is Silver Apex.

Red Bull, Ferrari, Renault and Sauber all contribute engineers to the pan-European Valkyrie AGR team, supported by the ESA. McLaren stays independent, and remains fiercely so for the next couple of years.

Nordic Call takes on Red Bull's junior assets, but is rebranded by a Swedish billionaire, while Dragon Racing forms in Indonesia, as well as Carrera Condor's predecessor, Cordillera AG, in Chile. A few other teams come and go, including the Russian Gagarin-59, Chinese NOVA, as well as the Indian-based Garuda Racing teams. This explosion of teams dies out a little faster than some hoped, due to a bit of a bubble and rushing into the first generation of rules.

Why? Many were representing national or regional pride, and "pilots", as they became, grew into heroes locally- something that they could invest themselves into after war, conflict and as many know, the more you throw at competition, the faster development happens. FIAR offered an outlet that F1 had stagnated in for decades- and the investment was too willing for something completely groundbreaking and remarkable.

Cole Marnier, nephew of the deceased Joshua Marnier from 20 years prior goes onto win his second title, alongside Natasha Bearman and Esteban Velar who fight with him in the next few seasons.

2076:
A veritable legend in Formula AG, Audrick Mulder is killed in a crash at Spa-Francochamps alongside fifteen bystanders, marshals and fans, and the pending investigation creates a very black mark on AG- being the worst accident since 2056. Tributes pour in, and the rest of the 2076 series is modulated to account for this, with an outpouring of grief from the community. Ships are slowed down, and debates rage over if F1 is still the best series due at least having well-understood safety implications, and worries over the 2050s dark period come back.

Engineers and Designers work rapidly to to make the sport safer, and work to innovate, but racing is a bit more mused as spectators are banned and circuits are redesigned to reduce potential collisions. Pilots are asked to take on more and more mods, and many rebel against this. But where those who won't walk away, those who will become able to push ships beyond anything any normal human could do. Norris is one of those who did. The sport suffers badly, but agreements with the FIA mean that AG Racing is already on track to all but replace F1 next year- so the regulations have to be good.

2077:
Formula One's final season, as the official title of the top motorsport related to Formula One switches to Formula AG, which adopts it as a successor series- won by James Norris, ah yes, grandson of Lando Norris, multiple-time F1 winner in the 2020s, who went back to F1 for the last time. Historic Formula One continues as a parallel series, at most European and Asian tracks as a support to Formula AG, now rebranded from its old name of the AGRC.

Al-Saqr Racing, a very small team entering AG in the midst of this absorbs the failing NOVA and Garuda teams into its own structure in Abu Dhabi, and suddenly becomes a much bigger player, backed by significant oil-fund money.



2078:
The introduction of the FIAR-78-1 regulations brings in a brand new regulation, sparked by Mulder's death and FIA insistence- but is a little rushed. 2nd Gen AG ships are directed and to be designed with the first semi-integrated, and extremely basic neural link comprised of an AR-enabled AI that helps buffer pilot information (imagine a Nokia 3310 compared to an iPhone), a significantly improved safety cell, as well as track-side repulsons for the spectator areas (but not the ships) coming into force.

Ships are significantly faster to turn and track design now gets a lot more freeform given spectators are watching virtually. The heyday of AG begins, as investment, money and fan support pours in.

However, these ships were difficult to fly, buffered by AI significantly, and concerns over pilot modification has grown, creating unequal paths for pilots and lots of poorly implemented rules in the next decade.

2079:
The very basic introduction of MAG strips means that races at older racing circuits are made slightly safer to carry ships without sending them airborne off track. This doesn't work out perfectly given it stalls ships at times, and many refinements are made before the system is perfected for good racing.

2081:
Sami Lipponen wins three titles on the bounce, and abruptly retires, wanting a sabbatical as he leaves McLaren in their last season before being the team is divided up between Silver Apex and a small team in New Zealand that bought their car factory and rights, called Southern Cross.

2083:
Silver Apex begin their rampage of constructor wins- dominating the second half of the FIAR-78 regulation field. Fitzroy Orbital AG Racing joins the fray, replacing Gagarin-53, and initially takes on a lot of its staff, albeit ramps up spending significantly to a Top 3, before funding gradually drains away as Maxwell Fitzroy turns his attention elsewhere.

2085:
MAG technology is fully introduced at almost all venues where it can make a difference, revolutionising the way that racing is seen- making it possible to invert ships, take tight corners flat out, and literally loop ships. This is demonstrated at Auckland, Tokyo and Sao Paolo to positive reception. Dorian comes 2nd for the 5th consecutive time in Formula AG racing- and this is the highest his career goes, as French two-time championship winner Maxine Lacroix puts Silver Apex back on top.



2087:
The third generation of AG Technology emerges- known as FIAR 87. A ground-breaking revolution, the many already neural-linked pilots are harmonised with a system that works on all ships, that has fixed neural dampers to stop pilots being overloaded, as well as ships coming with personal repulsor systems baked into the anti-gravity unit- making the ships go from having extremely complicated fighter-pilot style cockpits to incredibly minimal areas that mean ships can be flown with a fighter-styled stick, and mostly neuron-fired thought, making them bounce off each other and off the track for lower-degree impacts. Design such as enhanced active aero, airbrakes, as well as a more coherent set of regulations that standardises the rule set is brought forward and fixes the wrongs of 2078.

This means that while the ships are easier to fly, and some detest the lack of "challenge" (the same people who likely believe that the 1980s was the best period of F1), they can be reliably pushed to the limit in overtakes, "dogfighting" can happen more frequently, and they now require a significant amount of mods to even try and keep on the MAG tracking. In every way, these are the ultimate ships, and offer something that can be pushed reliably to the limit- albeit wobbles still exist when on the very ragged edge.

The other design changes mostly pertain to pilot suits, optics, aero changes, and changes to the underlying anti-gravity unit that overall, are received very positively and make for more competitive racing that reins in Silver Apex. The repulsor system inside the ship is contributed to be the main reason Dorian Hornfleur walked away from a big crash in Monza, ending any debate about safety very quickly.

Fairness and balancing systems are put in for augments and implants via FIAR regulators, but this is merely creates rules that teams try to bend and via pre-existing augments and implants, as well as medical contingencies. This makes it nearly as bad as the Tour de France once was, but some teams are allocated this for research purposes given how novel much of it is and thus, are left alone. Ships also come with a new engine system- replacing wasteful jets with an efficient pulse engine fuelled by biofuels. This is the current master for all ships right now, and Zygon initially dominated this period, followed by Silver Apex reclaiming their spot.

2088:
SuperCat, as well as MMR join the sport as candidates, with the former officially entering in 2092, and the latter maintaining a small programme, as the recovery process in the Federated American States takes place.

2089:
The introduction of AG racing on Luna sparks mass viewership- with the first race won by a young Amy Stirling in her Zygon ship in her first year.

2090:
Florence Mason wins her second title at Silver Apex, but retires after- becoming a mother but seeking to stay in racing, so she switches to Endurance Racing with a less strenuous calendar. She's the second woman to win the Triple Crown in history with a win at Le Mans and the Indy 500, but now remains as a technical advisor to Silver Apex.

2091:
The introduction of Strada Alpina through innovative drone-delivered MAG tracking and virtual spectating happens, and it is the same year Amy goes and wins her first title, her first of three.



Soundtrack: Go- The Chemical Brothers

2092-2093
The introduction of ELS as part of FIAR-514 (named as such because it's a smaller technical change), comes with controversy, as the initial system creates far too many "ELS Battles"- something many contest as it allows Amy to sweep the first half of the series with ease. FIAR-514 is seen as a step between big regulation changes, with ELS brought in to create more competitive races being then perfected in 2093. It more than achieves this, growing the viewerbase even more- and this makes Formula AG the world's biggest sport going into 2094.

The collapse of Dragon Racing, a Malaysian-Thai-Indonesian team shrinks the grid to 10 teams total- with the majority of their staff joining Southern Cross. This contributes to Southern Cross's best season yet, the backmarker now becoming a staple at the top with many mouths and almost not enough factory space. The first series of Delta Hyper begins, focussing on Dorian, Kofi, Jenny and Harrison, becoming a smash hit with viewership almost topping a billion.

2094.
We are here, today. It is the fastest, the safest, the most exciting the sport has been before.

Four new rookies are on the grid. And the F1 trophy, now part of Formula AG's cabinet, has one last space left on it, since being made by a silversmith in London in 1995. Schumacher, Hakkinen, Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen, Piastri, Lindblad, Starcross, Lindstrom, Lipponen, Mason, Stirling all dot this trophy.

Who's on it next?

DELTΔ HYPER (Anti-Gravity Racing, Cyberpunk/Solarpunk RP)

The Top Dog

Sitting down in the couch, the early-60s, silver haired, polo-shirt wearing copy of what some would have said was a little Richard Branson, a little Bernie Ecclestone, yet all English guru of the sport, was here to be interviewed and Aurora was fast to open.

"Royston Pearce. Thank you for your time, we understand you are extremely busy, so..."

"The pleasure is mine, Aurora."

"So, take us through it, for the audience at home, who may not know the history. How did we get here with AG racing?"

"Well. It all started in 2072. So, I used to run a team, Williams-Porsche in the old Formula One series, but heard from an old friend of mine in the grapevine there was something I had to see. Something transformative. Through him, I met Doctor Petter Karlson, a quantum physicist whose team had come up with the prototype anti-gravity ship that turned mere dreams into an actual craft that could be piloted, perhaps raced, and well...... as you know, the rest is history. Most major automotive manufacturers now offer an anti-gravity model, and we have carbon-negative, as well as incredible efficient ships. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, and what started as a limited series came on to replace Formula One entirely with ships that go even faster, turn quicker. The FIA simply let FIAR take the reins, and whilst historic Formula racing exists, we're the top level now."

"Did you have any idea how big it would get?"

"Of course we did! Look, what makes this sport incredible is not only our incredible commitment to pushing the boundaries of what our AG technology, and engineers can do, but also, the pilots and their love for the sport. Whilst we could put AIs to the test, this way, pilots are being pushed to their limits, at speeds that even 20 years ago would be considered impossible. And who doesn't like a little competition when the ships can go hull to hull, like open wheelers can't?" Royston seemed to be confident, yet an underlaying poke back at older formulas there, with his showman-like bravado.

"What did you think about the sport being the most tuned into across 2093 across most major sports channels, and what do you think sets it apart?"

"Well, the commercial opportunities from the sport are now immense. I copied what Formula One had done in the mid-2010s, so perhaps I'm not that original. But I recognised just how good the sport could be when competitive, integrating fan involvement, and working on innovation rather than stifling it into an old boys club. Rather than an alternative to Formula One, I positioned this sport as an exciting, engaging discipline. Our introduction of on-boards for neural link users at home literally puts you in the point of view of pilots' ships, and well, the addition of ELS has made for closer and more competitive races. I know we had some tough periods at the start, but the technology came to us, and we're still playing with some really exciting developments that I think the public are going to love."

"Outside of Amy, who stood out to you as the one of the best pilots of the series so far?"

"Well, Audrick Mulder, he was an incredible pilot. A true prodigy, he....he was so, so on the edge and a showman, driving with this Senna-like tenacity, and in the wet, completely blind, he still lapped as if it wasn't there. Then Sami Lipponen, two-time champion, he was something else too. Ice cold, but like me, reliable. But, I have no true favourites really. I let the fans decide that one."

"And what would you say to those fans who say your changes have been controversial?"

"I'd say give it a chance. ELS wasn't liked at first, but this season it's made some of the best content. So our decision stands. FIAR is a democratically run organisation, but my oversight got us here, and believe me, we listen to what you ask for, but are willing to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can do with the sport."

---

Fanview

"Joao, up here! Found the seats!"

"Thanks!" Joao replied, passing across a reusable metal cup to his friend, filled to the brim with Sagres, like his own.

Looking on, the Portuguese fans headed up into the stand, possibly the most stereotypically named two, Jorge and Joao long time fans, and indulging their yearly pilgrimage to the Portuguese temple of speed.

Tickets for Formula AG were hard to come by, but being lucky enough to bag a couple even in this heat, well, it was a treat to say the least, and wearing Zygon merch head to toe, a new purchase given Valkyrie merch wasn't really relevant to them anymore. Lucky the takeback scheme had been happy to reproduce the polymer-based clothing into something else, with a small refund to boot. Whilst those in the paddock lived a life maybe akin to what the old school may have lived up there, given the wider socio-ecomomic contexts, Joao and Jorge representing the fans that followed the sport that went worldwide, but right now, was in their patch of land.

It was a treat, and whilst capitalism meant they could buy a ticket, the rules around payment were a little different for some in society. Universal Basics as a concept was implemented differently across different countries- but in effect, made normal work for about 60% of people a redundant concept, down from 40 hours a week to barely 20. Automation and AI had caused significant recessions in the 2040s, 2060s and 2070s to gut jobs and coupled to water shortages and extreme heat, had started to collapse many states across the world, and supply chains with it. And given such circumstances, governments shifted their model from tax, to benefit, larger companies footing the bill with progressive policy on AI and automation making sure the dividends were shared equally. Not since the early 20th Century had such dramatic upheaval taken place- with Georgist-style reforms on land tax and a UBI-adjacent concept, work had become a freedom of workers to choose, pick and delve into for benefit, not cost.

Whilst some jobs in the traditional sense of course, existed as they did just with reduced hours, the nature of it had evolved a little more. Lesser work hours and contractor-styled piecemeal work for most replaced a normal nine to five, giving people more time to commit to other projects. Of course, Lunar engineers and workers, as well as many of the engineers in Formula AG and associated medical staff didn't ever have that luxury, continuously being transported around the globe, the pay that came with it was significantly higher and rewarded them in other ways. Of course, people moaned in relative terms- but everyone was guaranteed a place to live, healthcare, water, energy and a basic standard of food and education, with a small supplement of money that came from the Basics Support that felt like a quasi-job programme, made up of piecemeal work that turned most into contractors specialised in transforming communities. It came in different packages, but this is what a utopia looked like when the previous conglomerates, so shaken by climate change and the protests that had followed, realised they'd need to give up a sliver of gold if they wanted to continue into the next century without anarchy ensuing.

Piecemeal work ranged from fixing AI models to technology transfer to less developed countries and states affected by climate change, coming in varying packages dependent on need. Graphic design, arts, and sectors that could be automated, but were better left in human hands still remained. You could watch an entirely AI driven film, for example, but still, the traditional remained, as it did with music and art- widened if anything, with local goods made from local supply chains that came with a community-led solarpunk utopia. Given basic needs were met, entertainment and leisure came out of that small budget, and the net benefits of a society that seemed to run out of problems here on Earth, and rather now focussed on the Solar System. Instead of being bored, more community-led initiatives had nicely filled the void left behind, Joao's old career as an Environmental Consultant replaced by piecemeal voluntary work and supporting high-tech permaculture that restored the arid badlands of the inland back to their former glory, led by communities that put people back in focus, rather than as an afterthought. Jorge's work as a doctor was more as an oversight to the machines that operated on people, and as such, gave him time to work on his real passion, grassroots junior racing, and part of the wider piecemeal programmes that he could find. Society's dividend from immense mineral wealth and automation had given humanity a respite from thousands of years of hard graft, labour and work, and given those who wanted the opportunity the chance to invest into other things, and many others to tune into Formula AG. It offered a bit of escape. Conflict in a world that offered non-stop drama, that simply made itself.

It was not perfect, of course- some wanted more and wanted to be greedier, and of course, the inequality at the top was vast- almost gulfing 70 years prior, but for most, the basics of life were provided for in everything from healthcare to education. A missing generation between the 2050s and 2070s, the near collapse of many nations and humanity teetering on the brink had perhaps made some wake up to the reality, and once technologies such as asteroid and lunar mining hit, alongside nuclear fusion, the cat was truly out of the bag. Companies like Zygon sometimes had more predatory piecemeal contracts and strings to Universal Basics, but by and large, the sheer shortage of workers, coupled to the relatively little work that was actually needed meant completing tasks, rather than a performative joke was the standard of work.

Untapped accelerationism felt like an AG ship roaring forwards, any any normal model of working in that society seemed misplaced- so perhaps, society had somehow veered into something else altogether. A little utopian, yet if you desired more, off-world work was where you could find it. That, or something that AI, robotics, automation or sustainability hadn't knocked out. The other 40% probably didn't enjoy fixed hours in work, but with virtually untapped flexibility, enhanced benefits and the ability to enjoy voluntary work of their own meant most were able to follow their passions. It was strange that for such a bleak past, people were generally optimistic, and community led.

The other bit of course, was sitting down in 30C heat was near unbearable. It felt strange how the Algarve was still the Algarve- the geoengineering efforts that resulted in the gentle drizzle earlier now fading from the more forceful cloud seeing methods to more broadly engineered carbon sequestering and cloud production from saltwater. Portugal and Spain had nearly collapsed in the wake of the 2060s water crisis, and whilst some of those younger may not have remembered those times, hellishly hot 45C summers were common, and countless people had died from heatstroke and the natural disasters that had flooded vast chunks of Florida, Bangladesh, parts of the Netherlands and western Africa, creating a demand for change.

Water had become a major topic of war in the 2050s and 2060s in particular, with the Arabic Union's wars in Egypt being particularly bloody over the Aswan supply, one that was the lifeblood of agriculture projects in the Lower Nile and deserts surrounding it. Migration, populist governments, rogue terror cells, society had gone through the wringer and many would have been right to say it could have escalated at any moment as the great former powers cowered under the pressure of it, and many were on the brink of completely falling apart. The innards of Australia, China, Russia and western Africa still were, in some ways, lawless and abandoned.

Yet desalination plants that were powered by cheap electricity, and that electricity then powering massive geoengineering schemes, coupled to most people having access to carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative produce, emissions were rapidly turning back down and even in spite of the artificiality of it, actually made sure humanity kept itself at bay. AG racing was no exception- the carbon-absorbing process of the concentrated biofuel coming from an energy crop that was basically on steroids. Massive companies were replaced by upstarts and governments wanting change, meaningfully delivered and most of all, wanting to survive again. So society rebuilt, either a little like in Auckland's case, or in Cape Town's, nearly entirely, as did much of the United States, Russia and China, which still had much to finish. The world had certainly tamed the beast of climate change....but that had meant compromises for most.

Actual steak or meat from cows was a luxury akin to buying a fancy Rolex, products were produced either become infinitely recyclable with relatively few plastic types, or be bought as one-off, highly expensive reusable items that were made to last, be sold, reused and mended over and over again, making fast fashion or fast consumption a thing of the past. You had your coffee cup in the same way you had a set of house keys, your refillable cup for beer, and clothing and electronics that could be mended freely, and so simple it could be fixed by an average ten year old. Soil erosion had been reversed through a mixture of lunar mining and deep-sea recovery, rewilding had helped halt ecosystem collapse, as well as high intensity vertical farms mixed in with permaculture and sustainable farming practices helping to mend the land, but meant that in some places, the landscape wasn't exactly left the way nature might have looked like 100 years ago. But for it, rewilding, and true restoration had taken place, driven by multi-billionaires buying land and returning it to free use, a remarkable turn of events given their wealth had come from extraordinary gains in the space and engineering industries. Growing up, a child would have access to more green space than in the last 100 years that was emerging in bloom,. Solar panel-like coating on every window and roof mixed in with cheap nuclear fusion and wind power, meant that electricity was cheap, so that meant industries requiring power to recycle, or simple operate the geoengineering schemes had no such issues, nor did anyone else in buying it. It meant a change in mentality and some hated of course, this idea of being told what to do- but in the end, it meant people weren't obsessed over new things, but bought what was needed and often recycled sustainably what they didn't.

A tangent? A little bit, but the two at the top were beneficiaries of this, and in the teeming crowd here to watch a race, got to enjoy their favourite sport, that frankly everyone in the Taverna or the croft or the virtual office or wherever they were talked about, on social media or in their own sims at home.

And as Joao and Jorge sat in the top of the stand, watching the ships get pushed onto the grid and their frames then removed, the Delta Hyper camera captured that look of awe on their faces, and of course, the chant that simply waved from the crowd.

"Neves, Neves, Neves!"

---

Round 5 of Formula Anti-Gravity Racing
Sunday 7th May, 2094
Race Day
Portuguese AGP

Autodromo Internacional Algarve
Portimão, Portugal
1300 GMT

Hitting the Tarmac

Soundtrack: Digitalism- Blitz

Amy Stirling

Hard, deep inhales almost seemed to have an echoing effect when the neural link plugged in, taking Amy out of her calm, meditative state into the link that connected her ship and her consciousness into one, a feeling that felt like coming alive somehow. At least, she tried to make sure that routine came back. The smell still seemed to taste in her mouth, the gentle drizzle that had interrupted the morning now gone, with the wet track drying fast with the warm sunshine, not that it would matter much given the ships didn't really need the tarmac at all.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

GREEN.

The ship however, did not do what Amy expected. With a stall, the other six ships accelerated, and Amy was back on throttle again half a second later, as the connection faltered.

GREEN.

Other ships were dodging her stall on the grid before she was whisked to their speed as it reestablished, further back than she would have liked.
"What the fuck was that!" The unfiltered anger raged out, as she gripped her way through the first corner, barely dodging Kais and tightening the line, fixing things up and wanting answers.

"Software glitch, head down Amy, we'll talk after. You can get this back." Keira's voice was reassuring, firm, but Amy was not in the mood. And the part of her that turned inside out was pouring out.

"No talk. I'm taking those positions back."

And that was what Amy did. She blitzed Han into Lagos in the next lap, and then after that, her own team-mate, Jamie, who was actually trying to put the power onto Nora. Not that Amy was even remotely interested. She overtook them both through the last turn and first three turns respectively, almost as if the ship itself was powered by pure rage. Pure frustration. But Amy knew how to use that. Even when it seemed lost, she wasn't going to let up now. It wasn't clear how the glitch had happened, but with a neural link, the wrong receptor being sent maybe sent something off. Or something on the ship had malfunctioned. Or Amy's internals had themselves reacted wrong. She didn't know. She did not care. She was taking whoever was in front of her and the way she was going, you could frankly hear the boss music playing if she was chasing you down.

Next person up, as the ship bucked over the crest into Portimao, and the right hander that looked like it could send an AG ship into oblivion, if it wasn't for the brakes slowing the ships down with such an intensity that it physically looked to be vorticing air off them. Even if you hated her with a passion, there was something to be said that even with a ship that seemed to have had a thrust issue on start, and a few seconds dropped back on grid, she was an absolute warrior when it came to mentality. She was willing to put the ship in places others dare not try, and make sure that the absolute needle-like feel of the ship, a feeling only paralleled by Valkyrie in Portugal, was able to sow corner after corner as efficiently as possible.

She carved forwards in a recoup of some charge for her ELS that put her side by side with Paul, cursing as she watched him slip by after a long fight, Amy swiping across and denying that move with Nora trying to follow through with a level of aggression bordering on insulting. But you did not play fair with Amy. And she was going to keep her behind, stalling the ship through Torre VIP with the hard pull of an airbrake that she just imagined in her head and saw come to life, the white ship tailing right behind the gray and yellow of Paul, Amy going toe to toe. It would have been an unthinkable pressure for the young rookie, because Amy was giving it everything. Every corner, trying to dive, every straight, trying to unwind the ship's superior pace, but none of it was working on Paul. He was driving like a man possessed, but when the reflection of Amy was visible breathing down his neck in his rear-facing sight camera, in a metaphorical way, then Paul had every reason to either fight harder or go faster.

But if there was one person she was more angry about, it was Harrison. She could hear it from Keira over her comms about the distance, the only one Amy wanted to hear. Like it fuelled her. Maybe like Kais. Love was a powerful emotion, but hating the fact you weren't where you wanted to be was like petrol on a fire. And every time she just felt things slip, she found focus in that. This was not what she wanted. Not by any long shot. But she had a race to take back. And despite the bad start, the commentators had the same thought.

"Well, it has been an uncharacteristic start for Stirling! With all the talks of upgrades, the three-time champion's stall at the start seems to be claiming positions, and is putting Mulder under pressure after sweeping past Kelly, Hart and Zenix, she seems like she's channelling something else! I would not want her breathing down my neck right now, she's not looking to give up!" Rosie called out, the roaring whine of the metallic white ship despite the stall showing why the pilot behind the interface was so feared.

Amy's tongue curled against her cheek, in focus and absolutely locked in making Paul's life hell, keeping Nora back at the same time Her heart closed and opened on corners that almost seemed to amplify that want, that focus in the same way the ship did given the g-force being pulled, but Paul must have been doing something to not fall victim. He must have found his own Shangri-La, corner after corner coming.

"Unbelievable, Mulder is fighting for position hard with her, he must be feeling the heat! Whilst Valkyrie has just lost its iconic designer, Felix Burkhardt a week ago, to see Paul holding back such a fierce talent in this sport so calmly shows such maturity for the young racer." Rory replied, as Rosie piped up, watching the Portuguese home hero lead- after all of the changes at the start, Cassie had lucked out and pushed through, but was making that advantage pay.

"Yes yet would you look at Neves, we know her for her aggressive, attacking racing style, all on the line. She is putting on a show for sure it's like the crowd are carrying her ship faster!" Rosie commented back, the sight of other ships barrelling through the now old-school race-circuit putting on a show that displayed on a little more of a human scale how fast these ships were. Rather than the hyper-fast circuits that Formula AG normally travelled to, just how short the laps were coupled up to make laps fly past, and Cassie Neves actually on a second place position, by merit. The crowd and Joao and Jorge had a definite favourite.

"A national hero, and she's been underperforming at Zygon, but is this finally her time? We'll have to see, as Wedgewood makes a lovely move on Al-Nadir..."

---

Ava Villarosa

Pulling back in line with Bea, she followed her team-mate past Ulrich out of the last corner onto the hilly start-straight, the Carrera's superior speed here making up for the handling, and even Ulrich's ELS couldn't beat two ships onrushing past. And it was all going well coming into turn one, well, until.....a loud clatter could be heard behind Ava's ears.

"Ship's compromised! Lost power, going to have to stop!" Ava yelled out, the warning blaring in her mind, seeing just what had gone wrong. A nasty engine burnout had basically killed all power, and the system seemed to collapse rapidly, Ava very aware of what this meant for her race.

Rey's voice on the other end was a calming tone, looking on at the telemetry and well, knowing Ava's safety was critical. They could fix the ship later, but Ava wasn't expendable.

"Okay, steady now Ava, stop the craft and get out on the sand." Rey's response was not answered by Ava, who very quickly pulled that in, the mag-enabled gravel trap pinning the ship to a halt, and the AG-system below deactivating as she could see the fire engulf her rear camera.

As the ship crawled on the magnetic sands, Ava immediately unhooked from the ship and pulled the Carrera ship to a total stop, releasing her harness and popping the canopy, the smell of the engines roasting away as she clambered very fast off to the side, the ship buried in gravel and giving her the chance to get away. The ship's internal extinguisher had done most of the work to take out the flames, but given how volatile the biofuel was and energy dense, as well as the battery next to it, the ship was like a lithium battery being set afire, albeit even more quick to rise.

From the highs of Italy, to the lows of having her ship catch fire behind her, the drones and soon, marshalls coming over to extinguish the flames, and with that, marking the end of her race, as the prosthetic-legged Chilean clambered over the barrier, a deep sigh audible on comms.

Not the best day. And not a day Carrera were grabbing points on, it was a reminder things didn't always work out.

---

The resultant virtual safety period, and the restart hadn't changed much of the order- Max being the main disruptor after it came back, managing to make moves from 11th to 9th in a ship that was now being pushed to its limit, the American unlucky not to have overtaken Kais, given he was nipping away with his superior handling through the corners.

But as for the rest, it had turned processional. Not every race was a world-beater, not like Races 1 and 2, because Harrison had disappeared into the distance whilst Cassie had made a decent gap from Paul, caught up in alternating from defending like a lion to having to put down lap after lap to try and break Amy's flow. She was good, but in this moment, his relative calm prevailed. Behind that, Nora had kept Amy honest but didn't have enough to break their flow, whilst Jamie Hart, despite not messing up this time, really did not have the talent to just break through on his own and content higher up the grid. Han and Kais had been fighting all race, but in the end, the order stayed as it had begun- netting Zygon even more valuable points, given Al-Saqr's decisions with the neural links.

Max and Layla finished out the top ten, and the disappointment that was Dorian's race had finally come to an end- it turning out it was caused by a faulty airbrake system, reducing his braking capacity and making him a sitting duck towards the latter half of the race, the aim to at least get a handful of points reduced to finishing ahead of Beatrix, who had quietly overtaken Ulrich and held the lone position as the Carrera ship on circuit. He'd been more than a little pissed off, given the change in engineering management, no doubt the team that remained would have that to fix because it had cost Valkyrie points. He had done everything he could, but

And with it, the chequered flag had fallen.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qF6cn…

---

Post Race, Portugal: Cooldown and Podium

"So, you think I made the wrong call again?" Cassie sassed back, Harrison shrugging, smirking, looking at the move Cassie made legit on Paul, whistling. The two of them certainly were a little more friendly than Amy and literally anyone else, but at this point, a newcomer to their little gang had joined, and was watching on at all of this. Wearing their respective team hats, Harrison a yellow variant on his team's navy blue and yellow, whilst Cassie wore a special edition red and green Zygon hat, for the team to tap into the European market a little

"Well, the amount the fans are screaming out there for you, I'd say you have a boost. Damn, I thought I heard them through my cockpit when you crossed the line!" Harrison chuckled, looking across to Paul, the new Mulder on the block showing an impressive performance today.

"Those moves on Amy were impressive, Paul. She wanted to really get past you, but you gave no quarter....damn, you are going to be sinking in the ice bath after this!" Harrison smirked, as Cassie shrugged, looking over, knowing that no doubt that level of work had probably exhausted Paul, but then again, who was he to know. Rehydration had come a long way, so he probably had enough in his tank for now.

"Not bad at all. Looks like we will be in for some competition later this season. But, welcome to the podium, Paul. Good to have you here. And I think it won't be the last time either. But, save some steps for me." Cassie smirked, giggling as Harrison nodded.

"Well, come on then. They'll be screaming your name. Fish and Chips after this?" Harrison led the way, the crowd noise picking up, as Cassie shook her head, the red-green haired pilot not really giving much quarter to that reply.

"Caraho, fish and chips....you have no culture." Cassie stung back, as the noise grew louder and louder, fans opposite the podium screaming once they saw Cassie. Trophies were picked awarded, with Paul's getting plenty of shouts given his status as the song of a legend too, followed by Cassie, and then Harrison, who held up the cork-embedded silverware in the sky, before the champagne was broken out by Cassie and blasted across his face, nearly taking his hat with it, and he responded with his own blast of champagne back to both of them.

It was good to be winning.

---

Pulling into the booth, it was back to post-race interviews once more, in the now sweltering afternoon heat of Portugal.

The cheers from the crowd came in for the Zygon team, given the Portuguese link that now connected Zygon, as Han came up, a solid race with more points for the team.
"Han, a solid race for Zygon, with good points positions, and your first podium of the year for Cassie. Do you think the move has finally worked out and she's settled in?"

"Nora, a good finish for Southern Cross, but do you think you could have done better here than in Italy? It seems like you were struggling to hold back Amy, did you feel she was quite intense on the circuit?" Aurora asked Nora, the Southern Cross pilot this time not on podium yet still keeping her end of the bargain up when it came to getting points. The rivalry would intensify between the two no doubt given it was both of them chasing Amy, and turning it into a three-way fight.

"Bea, not the best weekend for Carrera Condor, and the fire for Ava had us all worried. How do you feel about the risks in Formula AG- following your crash and this recent fire?" Aurora's question harkened back to Cape Town, the risks Bea took in rally significant yet still comparing a little differently to those in Formula AG- and likely seeing her team-mate pull in with an engine fire would raise some pulses.

"Paul, congratulations on your first podium! This is quite a momentous occasion- do you think this silences the rumours that you weren't ready for the step up into the sport?" The crowd cheered, and of course, a loaded question by Aurora was set up for him with an answer that she knew he would likely give, one that was likely to cement Paul rather nicely in that growing pool of rookies.

"Kais, a difficult weekend out there after two podiums in a row for yourself and the team, it looked like you and Layla are struggling with focus on the ship. What do you think happened out there?" Aurora asked, aware Kais probably wouldn't be able to divulge the complete truth, but the audience at home would likely be asking why Al-Saqr hadn't done as well as anticipated- particularly Layla, who was more fruitful on technical circuits like this finishing 10th. Behind the scenes, no doubt Al-Saqr were scratching their head why that neural mod hadn't quite worked the way they had, but the migraines had continued and that among poor luck had been a factor.

---

"Not our best today, outside of that start, and being caught in an ELS trap, the pace was good but simply not enough. We're looking into the fault but taking the best from it, we know the other upgrades are working nicely." Amy replied, curt in her reply, leaving after that, keeping it short.

Harrison beamed a smile.
"Hell yes, back on the top step! Well, yeah, it was great. We're opening our lead up against Silver Apex, we're showing our result. And while I've overtaken Nora by a point, we're working well as a team to get the job done and extend our lead in the constructors. Stock in us is off to the Moon...speaking of!" Harrison left on that note, cheers from the crowd responding as the naturally charismatic Aussie indulged them with a wave or two.

Dorian sighed, a grim look across his face, another bullshit weekend but still, a weekend that felt like he'd done all he could.
"Well, the right airbrake failed, and that was that. Every corner was a fight to get through, but we have to move on and find the fault." Dorian did not give off positive energy, but he didn't blame the team too harshly, just merely stating what his media-trained self knew had to be said. This wasn't the time for it. They could get points again, but he was somewhat glad deep down that Paul had gotten his.

Ava gave much a similar response, the usually stoic Chilean pilot not letting disappointment go.
"Engine fault meant a full burnout, and well, that was that. Not much I could do, but all safe and sound. We'll go again at Luna, and outside of that, we have lots to be optimistic for as we are on a positive trajectory."

The contrast to Astrid though, who gave even less of a fuck was clear.
"Well, that was a penalty I don't agree with, but it is over now. I did well all the way, but just couldn't keep the momentum going to get higher up the grid. But our pace is good, and it shows we can compete. On even terms."

Max was in another opposite, smiling as he came into camera, blue and orange hat on, a smirk on face.
"Another points paying finish, and it proves on race-day, we can really bring it up to standards. We don't go backwards often, well, not at least when we can't help it. Looking forward to the next."

And finally, Cassie, who like Nora in Auckland, got a deafening roar.
"Yes, it's amazing! P2 at home! I'm so, so happy, Obrigado Portugal, this is a dream come true!"