Chapter 9 - Record and Rewrite

  Rinova exited the Financial District’s teleporter hub and spotted Jett walking on the sidewalk.

  “Jett Cooper!”

  Jett stopped walking.

  “I thought you were still recovering in the hospital, Cooper!”

  “Nope. I’m fine. I’ve survived.”

  Jett turned to Rinova.

  “You really handled that thing.”

  “Thank you very much, Jett. I’ve watched and analysed many of your races. I didn’t realize how much that car could do.”

  Ouch.

  Unintentional gut punch.

  “It takes a specific type of person to handle that car.”

  “Yep, it fits my driving perfectly!”

  This guy must be doing this intentionally.

  “Aight… great meeting you, Mr. Winner. Imma go now.”

  Jett turned and walked away.

  “Do you still want to race, Jett?”

  Jett stopped walking.

  “Of course.”

  “I can step down anytime, your call. It’s your seat anyways.”

  “…Keep the seat. Jackson wants you driving more than me anyways.”

  “I can convince him otherwise.”

  “He made the decision already. You’re powerless. I’ll deal with this on my own. Goodbye.”

  Jett walked away. Rinova didn’t follow him. He had nothing else he could say.

  Mikey was still driving his RX-8 on the abandoned racetrack.

  The GR GT roared from behind him. It flew past him then braked suddenly.

  “You can’t escape the beast,” Vance joked.

  “That thing is stupid fast.”

  “Follow me. We are going back home.”

  Cipher was smiling and looking at the fuel truck.

  “This thing is a great investment, I didn’t even know we could make that much money from just selling fuel!”

  “Cipher you can go back to district 0 to return the truck, meet me and Mikey in district 12.”

  “Aww… Can’t we keep the truck?”

  “We need friends more than foes from District 0.”

  Vance looked at the clock tower. It was almost working hours.

  “We should hurry, the workers will teleport here soon.”

  “Later then, Vance.”

  Cipher got into his fuel truck.

  Vance saluted him.

  “I’ll text you the meeting location.”

  Cipher drove toward the teleportation hub while Vance and Mikey were headed the opposite direction– toward the highway.

  Mikey held onto his steering wheel, preparing for a long drive. Vance spoke on the car’s intercom.

  “Some workers might commute to work by car– very few. It could be bad if they report us.”

  “How do we avoid them?”

  “We can’t. We just have to keep this risk in mind.”

  “Roger that.”

  They sped down the highway.

  The city thinned.

  Buildings became lights.

  Lights became roads.

  A modern commuter car passed them.

  “No way, this guy actually drives to work, they must really like driving,” Vance said.

  “Are we in trouble?”

  “I don’t think they care enough to report us. Let’s stop at that gas station, Mikey.”

  They stopped at an abandoned gas station.

  Vance grabbed the fuel nozzle and clamped it.

  Not a single drop of fuel.

  To be expected.

  Mikey stretched. They drove for quite a while.

  Vance approached Mikey.

  “Mikey, here.”

  Vance handed a stack of digits over to Mikey.

  “You worked for us when you helped smuggle the RX-8… and also saved our lives. Here’s your cut.”

  Mikey looked at the stack of digits in his hands.

  “Thank you so much… Vance… I can pay for my sister’s hospital bill.”

  Vance smiled.

  “Good for you, kid.”

  Sirens cut through the quiet noon air of the abandoned gas station.

  Blue and red lights flashed across the rusted pumps and cracked windows of the old convenience store.

  “We should get in our cars…”

  Two police pod vehicles cruised past on the highway.

  “They are not after us, are they?”

  “Not sure… get in your car to be safe.”

  The pods slowed.

  For a split second, it looked like they would keep going.

  Then both vehicles braked— and snapped into a sharp U-turn.

  “They are after us!”

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  Mikey dove into his RX-8. Vance was already in her GR GT, engine roaring to life.

  The police pods shot off the highway exit and into the gas station.

  Mikey and Vance bolted.

  The pods followed.

  Mikey was sweating, his gear shifts were sloppy. Vance was talking on his car’s intercom.

  “These cops– they are not cheetahs, Mikey, but they will follow you to the end of the earth!”

  “What? What do you mean?”

  “We can outrun them but our gas cars will run out of fuel way before their hybrids. They will catch us when we stop!”

  “What do we do?”

  “Get to the tunnel first. We’ll lose them there.”

  Mikey could see the tunnel.

  “We are going to separate here, Mikey.”

  They entered the tunnel.

  “Take the exit! I’ll lead them this way.”

  “Got it… will you be okay, Vance?”

  “I’ll be alright. I’ll never disappear.”

  “…See you later.”

  “See ya real soon.”

  Mikey took the exit to District 12.

  The V8 roared through the tunnel with police sirens sounding behind it.

  Jackson was in his office, top of the Forefront tower. He stood facing the window.

  This view of the city couldn’t be bought with money alone.

  Jett entered.

  “Oh, you left the hospital. What do you want, Jett?”

  Jett stood there, silent.

  “Go ahead, sit down.”

  Jett refused to sit down.

  “Rinova told me that he will step down once you’ve fully recovered, Jett. Did you influence him into doing this?”

  “No, I would never do something so shameful.”

  “How unfortunate, I thought you wanted to come here to show me that you’ve recovered and wanted your race seat back.”

  Jett stepped forward and sighed.

  “I want more voice in the company, I want to know the direction you are taking it, and I don’t want you to twist my story–”

  Jackson interrupted Jett before he could say anything further.

  “You thought I wasn’t going to give you your seat back, did you? You are demanding so many things– but in the end, all you wanted to do is to race. Son…I knew this.”

  Jett couldn’t respond.

  “Next race you can be back in the race car.”

  Jett looked torn, jaw set but gaze bright.

  “But… What about Rinova?”

  “Don’t worry about other people, Jett, he will still be racing, he will only step down to become a secondary racer. He will understand, he wanted you in the seat anyways.”

  “But you said you didn’t want me in the seat.”

  “I said I wanted you to recover.”

  Jett sat down and Jackson did the same.

  “Next race, team based, you’ll do well. We need a good team leader like you. Tomorrow, come with me, son, to the GRS: After the Line broadcast, set the story straight. Tell them what actually happened at the crash.”

  “I don’t– it’s not clear what happened…”

  “You just have to be there, son. Let’s dust this off and get you back into racing.”

  At the District 12 Hospital, Mikey burst through the door and paced to the Old Nurse.

  “Where is my sister?”

  “She’s already out– recovered. She said she’s going to work straight away to pay me back ten-fold.”

  “I’m sorry I’m late, here–”

  Mikey placed a stack of digits on the table.

  “Holy moly, kid, where did you get this?”

  “Where does my sister work?”

  “I saw her at the fish market.”

  Mikey bowed and paced away.

  “Kid! This is more money than you owe me!”

  The fish market was full of life, loud chatter from people trying to buy seafood for lunch. A sharp metallic scent of fresh blood stood out to Mikey as he made his way across the crowd. Ice cracked under boots as workers dragged crates across the wet concrete. Cleavers struck rhythmically against thick wooden blocks. Seagulls shrieked overhead, circling low whenever a scrap hit the ground.

  Between stacks of styrofoam boxes and melting mounds of ice, Hailey moved carefully through the chaos. A rubber apron clung to her frame. Heavy boots splashed through shallow puddles tinged pink. She carried a box of fish against her hip, her limp forcing her to favor one side with every step.

  “Sis!”

  She froze.

  Slowly, she turned.

  “Mikey…?”

  Her face widened.

  Her eyes filled.

  The box slipped from her hands and hit the ground with a wet thud.

  She didn’t even look down.

  They closed the distance in seconds and collided, arms wrapping tight as the market noise blurred into nothing.

  Then the crying started.

  Not soft.

  Not dignified.

  Ugly.

  Her face scrunched up completely, nose running instantly. She sucked in a breath that sounded like a malfunctioning engine and wailed straight into his shoulder.

  “I– missed you so much– huuhuhhuuhrg…..”

  “Me too, sis…”

  “I– knew– hic you would come back, but… sometimes… I thought… that maybe… you might’ve disappeared… like mom– and dad–”

  “I’m never gonna do that. Also, you smell like dead fish.”

  “I feel like a dead fish… huhuh.”

  “You are a great role model, sis, working to pay your debt right after recovering. Fitting of a big sister.”

  “What am I if not your big sister… heheh.”

  “I already paid the nurse. Come on, let’s go home…”

  “You really are… the best, broski…”

  At GRS: After the Line broadcast, a new GRS interviewer, Chevy, introduced the show.

  “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to GRS: After the Line! Where we get GRS race insights and see our favourite racers after they crossed the finish line! Today our special guests are the beloved racers from the Forefront Industries Racing Team!”

  Loud applause.

  “Jett Cooper, glad to see you back, how do you feel?”

  “Great. It’s great that I can race again.”

  “Are you sure you are ready to come back so soon, after such a big crash?”

  “It wasn’t that big–”

  Jett glanced to see Jackson’s reaction.

  “…The car saved me from any major injuries.”

  “Rinova, you were doing great on GRS, why are you stepping down to become a secondary racer?”

  Rinova glanced to see Jackson’s reaction.

  “Haha– it was Jett Cooper’s position to begin with! I was just a substitute driver… and the reason I wanted to win the race in the first place is because of him after all!”

  “Helping keep Forefront a formidable competitor in GRS while Jett Cooper was out recovering, what a noble goal… speaking of recovering, Jett Cooper, now that you have recovered, do you remember anything about the crash?”

  “I uh… there was a black out– all the lights in the car went out, the car lost traction, then I crashed.”

  Chevy turned to Jackson.

  “Oooo, this is a likely sign of an EMP, as Mr. Jackson said in the press conference…”

  “An EMP sabotage,” Rinova said.

  “A TARGETED EMP sabotage… sigh Jett, did you see Joanna Nexi’s car losing traction?” Jackson added.

  “No… but–” Jett tried to stop them.

  Jackson closed his eyes.

  “Hmm… so during an EMP attack, Nexon’s driver, Joanna Nexi was completely unaffected.”

  Jackson swept his gaze across the crowd, measuring their eyes.

  “Is it a coincidence that lately when a Forefront racer starts to win the race against a Nexon driver, something dirty would happen to them?”

  Jackson glanced at Rinova.

  Rinova noticed and faced the camera.

  “Yes yes, when I was almost at the finish line, Joanna Nexi almost crashed right into me from behind! GRS needs clearer rules to stop such a reckless maneuver from happening!”

  Jackson smirked.

  “I am not saying that Nexon has direct involvement in my son’s crash, but after seeing Joanna Nexi being able to abuse her race AI to do an incredibly dangerous stunt like that so easily, it would be best if Nexon finally tries to catch up to Forefront’s safety standards.”

  Rinova sighed, “GRS should make it so that their race AI regulations are stricter. When we race, we want the track to be safe! Joanna Nexi needs to apologize!”

  Rinova cleared his throat.

  “…I am sure that no one wants to see the thing that happened to Jett Cooper happening again!”

  “Please GRS, please Nexon, please take responsibility for this.”

  Jackson bowed.

  Flashes erupted as shutters clicked in rapid succession.

  Rinova turned to the speechless Jett.

  “No– Nexi didn–” Jett mumbled.

  Rinova kicked Jett in the foot and whispered to him.

  “Stop talking and you’ll get the race seat.”

  A couple years earlier at GRS race academy, Jett’s race car came to a stop at the pit stop. Nexi stood, arm crossed.

  “YES! I BEAT MY BROTHER’S TIME!”

  “A whole second faster too,” Nexi added.

  “This was my best lap ever!”

  “Great lap, congratulations.”

  “You are not going to lecture me?”

  “Why would I?”

  “Sure I was faster than before, but I’m still slower than you…”

  “I wouldn’t belittle a racer who tried his best. You’ve improved. You got a better time. You can be proud of this accomplishment. I’ll be back to lecturing you when you wanna improve further.”

  Proxy’s race car came to a stop. She got out of the car and threw her helmet onto the ground.

  “Tch–”

  Proxy kicked her car, then stormed away.

  “She’s so unfriendly…” Jett said to Nexi.

  “She’s just competitive– like me.”

  “Would you get that mad if you lose?”

  “I don’t know, I haven’t lost.”

  At Mikey and Hailey’s rooftop hideout, Mikey stared into the night sky while Hailey was cooking a fish she got from work. Mikey told her everything about what happened to him while he was gone.

  “Then she just handed me the keys to a car.”

  “Oh! She’s so cool!”

  “I still have the car by the way. I parked it at the junkyard.”

  Hailey chopped the fish head.

  “You own a car…”

  “WE own a car. A red sportscar. We should go for a drive sometimes.”

  “Absolutely, I wanna see that thing!”

  Hailey dropped the fish into a pot and wiped her hand. She looked at Mikey hesitantly then grabbed her old camera and walked up to him.

  “Mikey, I’ve been meaning to show you this…”

  “Sup?”

  Hailey kneeled down to him.

  “Here, Mikey.”

  Hailey clicked the play button on the recorder camera and a recording started playing.

  “This was before the crash… in the abandoned building…”

  “Yes, at first I didn’t want to rewatch it because I didn't want to relive the experience, but then I got curious…”

  Jett Cooper’s race car headlights and street lights turned off.

  “Right here. Something weird happened…”

  “Hmmm.”

  She continued playing the footage.

  Jett’s car headlights turned back on then off again.

  “That’s weird…”

  The car lost traction and crashed into the building.

  “Okay… that’s weird, but I don’t think we can conclude anything about this information.”

  “I thought so too… but keep watching…”

  The camera recorded Hailey who was lying on the floor. Vance entered the frame, she kneeled down to Hailey, then placed her fingers on the side of Hailey’s neck.

  “Vance…?”

  Vance got up and walked out of frame.

  “Why… why is she there?”

  The fish boiled in the pot.

  Mikey entered the frame then piggybacked Hailey out of the building. Debris soon covered the camera. The video kept going until the camera ran out of battery.

  “Do you know her?” Hailey asked.

  “She’s… I– I…”

  Mikey closed his eyes.

  “Sorry, sis, I need to process this.”

  “Okay…”

  She got up and returned to her cooking.

  “…I think Jett Cooper is innocent– it seems like he lost control because of external factors…”

  Mikey didn’t respond, his eyes were closed, he pinched his nose bridge.

  “So– I don’t blame Cooper. Don’t worry about it too much… I just want to show you this because I thought it was interesting…”

  Hailey tugged on her hair.

  Mikey opened his eyes.

  “I need to find her…”