Gabatrix: The Magenta Racer

"It will be alright, Neo," the soft male voice told him. "You are stable. We are going to make it."

Neo tried to look around in the cabin. The pain medication was in full effect. He was injected with multiple kinds of drugs to keep his body alive. It had to be countering the poison that the sealant was giving off from his leg. However, it was messing with his mind at times.

His leg......he didn't want to look down. He could only barely make out so many people in the shuttle. People that he knew. Some of them made it, but there were only at least fifteen that he could see. The Tsunenga had way more crew than this. Most of them were the medical staff and injured in the shuttle. His eyes went toward the display screen. It was providing a live feed of the battle.

The shuttle had just exited from the hangar of the great battleship. From the cameras, it showed the incredible vastness of space. The battle was still going. There was only one Itrean warship remaining. It was the same one that disabled the Tsunenga, with its single operating turret being the clear indicator. The main blockading fleet had been eliminated or disabled, but the Tsunenga did manage to score a critical hit.

The Itrean battleship was heavily damaged. Even if it was the last of the battleships to survive, much of the frame showed numerous hits. Fires were venting from certain sections as they went out into space. Its centripetal rings were blasted to pieces. In its last vestiges of trying to stay alive, its few CIWS guns were trying to destroy another volley of missiles but failed to do so. Neo watched as a salvo of nuclear warheads flew towards it. There had to be at least seven missiles, but the gatling guns and intercept missiles it was launching only destroyed half of them. The remaining salvo struck the hull almost in tandem. A nuclear flash erupted as the Itrean warship was obliterated. There was a slight cheer coming from the shuttle crew, but it wasn't over yet. Neo almost had nothing to comment on it as the camera feed switched over to other events transpiring.

The Tsunenga was dead in space and heading towards the outer atmosphere of the planet. It was such an odd feeling to witness. He could swear that he saw the other shuttle was getting launched out into space and just at the right time. The cylindrical frame of the warship was in free fall towards the planet. The internal compartment began to rock a little bit as the vessel was experiencing the beginning vestiges of atmospheric entry. Flames began to erupt as the Tsunenga was being consumed in hellfire. Spinning out of control, the former battered battleship was being torn apart by the entry. Before the camera switched away from it, Neo swore that he saw the ship beginning to break in half. The combined intense heat had cooked the emergency bulkheads and weakened the frame. The remaining pieces and any crew left in it would have nothing but the vast ocean for their watery grave.

"Did......we....win?" Neo struggled to ask.

"Not yet," a female voice echoed near him. "There is one last ship left."

Neo almost blacked out again. For a second, he swore he was seeing things dancing around his eyes. Finally, his vision cleared out enough to see that the camera feed was focused on one last object in space. It was hard to see as the shuttle was conducting its atmospheric entry. Flames were picking up from the outside of the hull as the intense friction was at its peak.

He could see it, but just barely. The camera was focused on one last purple-colored object. It was the final warship of the Itrean invasion fleet, the scout ship or support ship. It had made a run towards Oshun. By now, it was using its vectoring thrusters to try to do a proper entry phase. It was a terrifying sight for some. The Itreans were trying to enter the atmosphere or land, but they didn't have to wait any longer.

The CIWS guns were not active on the small ship, possibly because of the entry. The alien vessel's bottom hull had gotten hot due to the intense friction. Suddenly, eight missiles came screaming towards it from space. Did they come from Orsa's moon, or was it one of the UHN battleships that were stationed there? Most of the guided munitions disintegrated from the heat, but it didn't matter. At least two of them struck the midsection of the support ship. It was not a massive explosion, but it was enough to tear the ship in half. The centripetal ring crumbled apart as its spine was snapped in two. Both of the pieces began to separate as it was slowly burning up from the intense heat. Further cheering could be heard as the cabin continued to shake. For Neo, the battle had been won, but he wouldn't be able to celebrate. His semi-delusional state was starting to put him somewhere else.

"I.......want to.......race......again......" he said. It came out as a whisper amongst those that were happier that the battle had been won. No one heard it but himself. He began to picture it over and over in his mind. He imagined seeing the motorcycle and having complete control of it. He could see and feel the intensity of moving faster than the others on Oshun.

"I......will......race again....." he affirmed himself. "I will......race again......." It was his last words before he blacked out......

Chapter 2: February 2^nd, 2350 AD

"Men and women! Welcome to the Oshun-400 racing event!" the overhead announcement called out. The enthusiastic call had riled the population in a layer of cheer. By now, Neo had gotten used to this.

It had been three months later. The memories of the distant battle seemed vacant in Neo's mind, at least for now. He was taking deep breaths as he was thinking about how the day was going to progress. He had the racetrack memorized in his head over and over again.

He placed his hand to his heart and could feel the black and brown jacket. He knew that he was about to walk out into the roaring crowds of the streets of Oshun. The people had been waiting for this. Ever since the alleged alliance treaty with the T'rintar, one of the clans of the Itreans, all seemed to be at a state of relative peace and calm. The population had demanded to see the revival of their favorite past sports. The entertainment field was uneasy but fell wholeheartedly into what the people wanted. So much had happened in the first few months than what would happen in the entirety of five years of development. Aliens had become allies. An unknown opponent had become a friend.

Of course, for Neo, that wasn't what was on his mind as he took one last look at the surrounding environment. The makeshift tent was his place of refuge as he had a pleasant view of the splashing ocean water. Residing on the continent of Girinhi Kinshasha, he was in the hub of the tourist industry of Oshun. The rich and fanciful had complete claim over this region of the great metropolis. The entrance of the tent would allow the scent of the salty seas into the area. It perforated his senses allowing his mind to be at ease. His tent was filled with his belongings as he sat down not far from his workbench.

Everything was supplied to him. The sponsorships were behind him like flies stuck to glue. Tools filled the brought in cabinets. Parts littered the vicinity. Engineers and mechanics were always promised to him, but he never needed an actual pit crew. He wanted to do everything for himself.

The foldout chair was positioned so that he had a perfect view of the ocean. His racing stripes and clothing radiated from the light blue and semi-purple sky from the distant sun. He would shift at times as he could feel the slight tingle coming from his right leg.

His leg.....for a moment, his mind would momentarily be distracted as he looked at it. He tapped it with his palm as he could feel the sensors on it were not entirely aligned correctly. The augmented leg served as a viable replacement to what he lost, but it wasn't 100% perfect. He would move his toes and could tell that his fourth and fifth toe wouldn't move as it was supposed to underneath the boot.

"Again.....that damn malfunction......." Neo sighed. "I'll need to take it apart and find out what is causing it."

The cheering crowd was beginning to pick up. There was the distant sound of the announcer that was calling out the racer's names as they were heading to their respected vehicles. It was nearing time. Everything was set. The tent felt so empty that it had Neo recollecting what was going to happen. It was missing the most important thing.

"Ahgh....." he said. "Even with the motorcycle, it isn't enough. Now it is too quiet. Got to do this......got to get up."

He stood up as he could see that his right augmented leg was going to work as it should. It would have to. He started to head out of the tent. His eyes would have to adjust to the glare that the sunlight gave off.

The moment his boots touched the sand, he squinted his eyes. It would only take a few seconds as he could see outside. Most of the racers had already left their tents. The ocean breeze would kick in as Neo had an entire scene of events. Behind him and away from the center of the beach was the great metropolis of Girinhi Kinshasha. The city encompassed the whole continent. Skyscrapers of various designs resided away from the coastline. Multiple ports were to his left that allowed fishing vessels to come and go. Not far in the ocean was one of the large space cruise liners. These interstellar ships could easily land and float on the water or take off and go to the next system. Vacationers would have the ability to watch the races that Neo would be a part of.

Away from the tents was the vast array of crowds. People from all over the colonies had come to see the great races. What had started off as questionably illegal street races in the great city had turned into a multi-billion mard industry. Racing had taken off as one of the many popular sports, if not, one of the more beloved. It became the soul of Oshun that helped prop its tourist industry as it was widely publicized. The UWA was watching. Needed now more than ever, the races would fulfill the almost destroyed morale of the population. Neo was fully aware of all of this.

A burgeoning smile filled his face as he started to make way towards the starting lines. He could make out the crowds. Many of them were the Oshunian people. Their dark complexions were symbolic of the former African colony, but there was so much more. People who descended from all the former nations of ancient Earth were there. Everyone had to see it as the music began to pick up. Speakers were playing a sort of steel drum, lute, and Chinese flute instrumental music. Occasionally, it would be followed with a dance synthesized rhythm that would come and go. It helped to establish the meaning and atmosphere.

"We want to welcome everyone to the great races of the Oshun-400," the enthusiastic announcer called out. "This is the final qualifying race for those that wish to be a part of the Oshun-500 and the United Worlds' Alliance Light Vehicle Races!"

There was cheering in the crowds as another racer was waking past the arranged rows of people. Neo recognized this individual immediately. The female racer had former Chinese features on her. She had red hair and crimson dyed eyebrows. The Martian woman had the best equipment as she was getting closer to her motorcycle. Brazen and outright obnoxious, he hated being around her. The crowds cheered the moment that they saw her face.

"Our first racer is nothing more than our grand champion of every race in the last nine Oshun-500 and UWALVR competitions," the announcer continued. "Our famed and well known Meifen Lu!"

Meifen gave her arrogant smirk to the crowd. Men and women were almost tossing flowers in her direction. She would do her familiar nine-finger salute, almost holding up all her fingers to the crowd to let everyone know of how far she got. Her front teeth would be pressed over her lip when she did it. Neo knew that this woman was incredible in her skills as a racer. Even her bike was a beefed-up quad motorcycle. It had to be the only one of its design. Heavily modified, the vehicle had a series of red and gray stripes on it. In the center was a pod-like cockpit in which the driver could lay down on their stomach between the front and back set of tires. Her motorcycle was in the rear most section of the motorcycles.

Neo sighed as he continued his slow walk. He knew that he had a long way to go when it came to even win against the champions. Meifen alone was all but guaranteed to win, but maybe things would be different in this year of racing. If the rumors were true, then it would add a new hurdle in the UWALVR. Even now, his eyes could befall the various members of the crowd. He could see some of the new aliens. The Itreans were an adjustment at first but gained recognition amongst the populace. Most of the T'rintar clan consisted of the Yutilians, a subspecies of anthro reptilians. Their short stature consisted of various shades of green, yellow, or blue smooth scales. They stood at an average height of four feet and stood on digitigrade legs. They were the supposed decedents of dinosaurs and related to the velociraptors of ancient Earth. They had a series of feathers that protruded from their heads, arms, and long tails. In many aspects, they were very similar to human beings but were generally shorter and had pointy-like snouts. Each one wore a different set of clothing and styles that reflected the region that they either came from or part of the vicinity of here.

Many people had a curiosity towards them. All of these aliens were women, and for a good reason. It was the primary influencer in why they made an alliance with the UWA for a reason. Neo stopped thinking about it as he could see the next racer approach the starting line. He also already knew of this one. Oluchi was another racing veteran. He was a slightly older man with a dark complexion and short-cut black hair. He was the son of one of the great founders of all Oshun's street races. While he was the grand champion for some time, Meifen had taken it. Regardless, this man never gave up. He would always win second place and would drive one of the more interesting racing bikes. His UBX-11 had been modified into a partial hoverbike design. The front portion of the gray and black frame carried the repulsorlift engine that kept it afloat over the pavement. The rear portion had a large wheel that connected with the pavement. Supposedly, it was a more traditional racing bike design that followed its lineage to former Earth. It wasn't an enclosed pod-like the other racing bikes were, and the driver would sit slightly more upright as well.

"We welcome one of our other racing veterans to the match," the announcer called out. "The great racer Oluchi Vander, son of the retired Ken Vander. This will be the racer's final competition before his retirement. Everyone give a round of applause to him!"

Oluchi was not the man who seemed to stand with the crowds that much. He would give a short nod to everyone as they cheered him on. It seemed that most of the audience was used to him. He was never a prideful individual and always just let the actions do the talking. Regardless, the fact that this would be his final year made him take more notice towards the population. It was as if he wanted to ensure that he would remember it for the rest of his life. Neo knew that he still needed to sit down and talk with him before moving on to his other planned career.

By now, Neo had reached the main street and passed the set of lines. Many of the audience turned their heads to see him. He could hear a couple of women that were calling out his name.

"Neo!" a random woman called.

"Yeah, you go, man!" another person said.

Neo could see the enthusiasm. It felt a little bit comforting as he could see much of the crowd that lined the fenced edges of the road. He could see the scantily clad clothing that many of the women wore. Oshun was always known for its freedoms. Some of the women would stand topless as their breasts would hang freely. Men, women, children, and aliens were all present.

"And our final racer to join us for the competition is Neo Kekoa," the announcer explained. "He is a UHN veteran and survivor of the Battle of Oshun. Runner up to reach the Oshun-500 and UWALVR championships. Everyone, give him a big hand!"

There was another cheer and round of applause from the crowds as they looked upon him. He continued to smile and wave at everyone as he walked into the streets. For a little bit, he tried not to let the over joyous crowd get to him. The glory of making it this far was something that he had to keep going with. Meifen would act like she was basking in the glory, but he wanted to be a little bit like Oluchi in time when it came to the people. He stopped thinking about it as he looked at his vehicle that was fourth in line for the six racing vehicles. It was there that he saw his parked motorcycle as it made him smile at it.

The UHN originally used the decommissioned Bandigara class motorbike. Designed for every sort of environment, they were used for reconnaissance duties and light support on the ground. It consisted of two wheels, one in the front and one in the back. The frame design consisted of a gyroscopic adjustable manifold, much like most of the bikes. The center of the pod was wide open for him to climb in. The pod itself could easily keep the driver sealed into a comfortable environment, even if there was no atmosphere outside. On the sides of the motorcycle consisted of two M18 machine guns that had been clearly deactivated and unloaded of any ammunition. Purposely, it always seems to make a few of the people point at it in the form of glee. The blue and red stripes lined the gray frame. Much like many of the vehicles of its design, many of these pod-like motorcycles were not that tall. This was mostly for the fact that the driver was lying inside them.

"Win at least fifth place, and we'll be good for the rest, old gal," Neo told his bike as he felt the apprehension of climbing into the pod. The man could feel the shock absorbers easily adjust to the additional weight applied to it. There was more than enough room for him to lay down on his stomach. The padding was mended and folded to hold his entire frame with ease. His eyes were attuned to a display board, with his arms and hands naturally upright to grip the small steering wheel. As his boots pressed the backpedals, he could see that he was entirely inside. He pressed a side button as the pod window closed, sealing him inside.

In the motorcycle, Neo turned his head up as he initiated the warmup sequence. He made sure that he was comfortable. Unlike many of the other motorcycles, having a body that laid flat in a pod meant that the cushioning had to be equally as comfortable. When he pressed the first startup, the electric engine's battery activated. The small quantum computer core system turned on and showed a boot-up sequence. The display switched on as the front cameras of the bike fed into the screen. Technically, he would always be looking at a screen rather than the outside world. All initial checks showed up as green. The tiny speakers would allow him to hear the announcers and support checkpoint crews. A separate system in the audio did enable him to listen to the outside audience.

"So far......so good," Neo commented. He could see the camera feed as he looked ahead of the motorcycle. In front were the three other motorcycles positioned on opposite ends of the road. These all consisted of the DBX-600 line of motorcycles. These were similar to the Bandigara, but they had a larger hunchback to their pods. The entire frame had a slightly more v-shape to it and protruded a little bit over the wheel frame. They were adequately color-coded with shades of red, blue, and green. Neo only knew one of the racers that drove the green one. It was a man that he barely knew as Adrian Silf. However, the other two had been losing many of the matches but still served as a viable challenge. He tilted the camera a little bit as he could see that Oluchi had gotten comfortable on his UBX-11. The repulsorlifts would naturally jolt a little bit as his weight pressed onto it. However, Neo couldn't see directly behind him, but he knew that Meifen was there with her bigger and beefier bike. Everyone had climbed into their respected vehicles.