It is the year 6050 in Equestria. Many things have changed. Celestia had been overthrown. A new pony government rose creating the Races. Even the wingless ponies brave the skies in these races of the century. Great high speed challenges that test the limits of even the best flyer pilots. Last week there was 12 deaths. They were pushing too hard. I don't blame them. They all needed to win. To survive. This is our way of life now. Race… Or die.
Chapter One.
Initiation Day.
Beeep beeep beeep beeep. *Click*
3:30 September 3rd, year 6050. Location: Stalton, The grease rag of Sector seven.
Breakfast? Oatmeal as usual.
Weather? Perfect for flying.
Luck? Forget it. I thought to myself. Skill and speed.
Family? Asleep… For now.
I stood from the table and slowly made my way to the door. The old boards creaking under my hooves. I looked nervously up the stairs. Just a few more steps. I held my breath as I reached the door. It opened with a soft click making me winch. I looked back slowly letting out my breath. Home free. I thought closing the door quietly behind me. I swiftly crossed the yard to the old barn. As I entered I sighed in relief, having avoided my parents. The would never let me go if they caught me. "Its too dangerous for a filly." They said, but that wasn't true. I was 19, and I had always been a good pilot. Even for a unicorn.
When I was seven I had got my hooves on a hoverboard and placed second in our towns Hov-X races. My parents were furious when they found out. They threw the board in the trash and gave the price money back to the administrators.
Now I had my own flyer, and some cash I'd been saving up. I was ready for this. I crossed to the far end of the dark barn and moved away the organized clutter. There she was, just floating above the ground humming softly, my flyer. It was a FS44X quad-ion-repulsor racing flyer, an antique.
I had found it a long time ago. Rusted and abandoned and an untouched computer system. Complete with head gear. Now it's new brushed chrome plating shone in the moonlight. The black pinstripes hardening the edged of the intake. It looked brand new. Four seasons of work. I touched the hood with my hoof feeling the machines eagerness to move.
I levitated the headset and helmet over to me. The helmet had never fit because of my horn, but I knew I'd need one. Setting the helmet aside I slipped on the lensless headset. The light blue display blinked to life over my eyes. The date and time appeared at the top left, the speedometer was on the bottom right, NAV; bottom left, alert and security, top right.
"Sneaking out are we?" The voice in my headset said with a sly tone said.
"Yes Chip, we are," I said speaking to the voice. Chip had come with the flyer, he handled the diagnostics, security and almost everything else electronic.
"We should at least leave a note for them Terra," Chip said sounding a bit sad. "You wouldn't want them to worry,"
"If they knew where I was going, they would worry anyway." I said clearing a path for the flyer.
"Good point," He said in a 'you're right' tone.
"But," I began thinking about his offer. "Maybe, when we are already gone."
"Untraceable?" He questioned.
"Yes, even thought they could easily guess where I'm going." I began to push the flyer out of the barn quietly trying not to bump anything.
"Speaking of that I've already got a course plotted," as he said that my NAV app blinked showing me a course. "I've also included a stop to pick up that helmet you ordered."
"Good," I said inspecting the rout. "But, spice the rout up a bit. Take it through Ghastly Gorge."
"Are you sure? There has been an awful lot of construction going on there since they started building the sky bridges." He asked showing me the heavy points on the screen.
"Yeah, I'm sure." I said smirking. "Might as well get in some practice on the way."
"Yes ma'am," The rout changed arching through the gorge.
"There, thats more like it Chip." I said looking back to the house. "are we far enough away?
"With as quiet as you made this bad boy, yes." The faint hum grew louder and the lights sparked to life. The LEDs lit the small craft giving it its own life. The RPM gauge jumped as a second hum entered my ears. I climbed on. The seat perfectly conformed to my body as I lowered myself to a lying position. The foot controls came up to my hind hooves, and the windscreen engaged.
"Test all flaps," I said. All the flaps moved ensuring full operation. "Are all ion thrusters at full power?"
"Yes Terra," Chip said as if checking them himself.
"Main forward engin?"
"One hundred and ten percent operational."
"Thank you Chip." I said testing the brake system.
"All systems fully functional ma'am" Chip reported confidently.
"Let's go." I said gunning the thrusters and going 0 to 240 in five seconds flat.
I felt like bullet, and probably looked like nothing but streaks of blue and red light.
"Woooohoooo!" I screamed pulling the craft up into the air. The wind ripped through my black and blue mane.
"Chip, cut the ion's!" I said screaming over the wind. "Extend main stabilizers!"
Me ascent slowed and I tipped the nose down toward the earth and quickly gained speed. The ground sped closer and closer. My altimeter flashed red.
"Terra pull up!" Chip said in full-tail freak-out voice.
" Wait," I said calm. The ground got closer still and my display warned, 'unable to pull up in time, eject requested.' "Chip keep your gears on!" I closed my eyes until I heard it. Until I heard the voice of the flyer. The secret language of the machine. There it is. "ENGAGE IONS NOW!" I yelled pulling up. The tail dipped inches from the ground and I was slinged forward. "HELL YES!" I screamed checking the speedometer. 405! I was going 405 miles per hour! "Chip! 405!"
"Yes Terra, I can see that, and might I advise never doing that again."
I laughed. "Sure thing Chip." I looked at the NAV. Manehatten was one thousand miles east. "But at this speed we could get there in a couple of hours." I said, but we were already losing momentum. I leveled off at 205. "Hey, why don't you run a diagnostics on our speed. I want it enhanced."
"On it." Chip said.
I yawned.
"Do you want me to fly?" Chip asked snapping me out of my doze.
"Sure I should rest up. But you better wake me when we get to the gorge.
"I'd advise against it. But you'd just ignore me."
"You got that right." I said activating the magnetic restraints. "And don't even think about not waking me."
"Your wish is my command." Chip said sounding stressed.
"Terra..." I heard Chip say, "Terra! Wake up! There might be trouble!"
I yawned shaking off the sleep. "What is it?"
"Behind us, they just appeared a few moments ago." Their image popped up on my display.
"It looks like a race team." I zoomed in. "No way, it's the Dashers! They must have gotten new flyers. Chip, they have the XMR Fusion Triads."
"The 6050 edition? If we are going up against that we better make some modifications. But, they still don't have me Terra. No other flyer has a conscious in fight processor.:
"Yeah, I'm lucky to have you." I said watching the team.
"Well I'm flattered,"
"Chip they have to be following us,"
"That's what I was thinking, and why I woke you,"
"I don't think they are lost, but do you think we should stop?"
"I can't tell yet, it's your call Terra."
"I never thought how dangerous this could be,"
"Your father's stunner is in the third compartment," Chip said.
"Thanks, seriously I would be dead without you. Let's see what these guys want," I stopped and climbed off leaving the flyer running. I left the pistol in the compartment hoping I didn't have to use it.
I watched there approach, there was one mare and three stallions. On the sides of their flyers there like like batons or something, Let's not find out. I thought.
I didn't have to wait long, when they came up they circled me. Then the mare stopped and climbed off removing her helmet. The wind caught her blonde and yellow mane which matched her light crem yellow coat, tattooed over one of her eyes was a lightning bolt. I couldn't help but feel looked down upon.
I show first, "hello, did you need any help?"
Her gaze hardened then went suddenly soft. "Oh we just saw you and thought we'd greet you, what brings you here?"
I hesitated before speaking. "Uh, the fall race season,"
That snapped something inside of her. "Oh," Her voice was dark. "A newbie, well filly this is your first lesson." She pulled out one of the baton things and turned it on, electricity ignited around it making a crackling sound as she came forward swinging the baton toward me. I dogged but she hit my leg making it go limp. I stumbled and fell trying to focus on the third compartment. She swung again but this time the shock was of, the baton cracked across my face making my head feel dizzy. I started to taste blood. She raised the baton to knock me out but before she could swing three was a hefty zap, and the baton flew out of her mouth.
She swore putting a hoof to her cheek and looked up to see who took the shot. My head throbbed but i could hear a stallions voice, he had a distinct accent that I've heard before, my mother called it western.
"Now that was a warnin' shot Cora! and don't expect my t' miss!"
Cora spoke strongly back. "Caliber you bastard! I swear this season I will kill you!"
"Now miss, there's no need for language, but I'd love t' see you try."
"Watch your back Caliber," I heard their flyers starting up, "There's going to be a knife in it soon."
I heard Caliber mutter a curse as they flew off. I coughed spewing blood across the ground. I heard hoofbeats behind my. I tried to look but pain shot through my lungs.
"No, don't move… Dammit, that bitch has no right beating up young racers, they have it tough enough… alright, do you think you can sit up?"
I stuttered trying to speak, but ended up nodding and trying to sit up. I gagged and coughed as i caught my breath.
"Are you alright?" He said looking at my. He had green eyes, and his mane was blonde but it looked nicer that Cora's. His coat was a cool orange color that I've never seen before.
"uh, y-yeah I'm alright," I said staring at his eyes.
"Can you move your hoof?" He said pointing at the one she had shocked.
I moved it and sighed in relief.
"Good, her damned batons paralyze racers and they end up falling to their death even the pegasi."
"That sounds evil," I said trying to stand.
"Well, she is," He said helping me up.
"Thanks," I said standing shakily.
"Don't mention it," he said waving a hoof. "It's really nothing."
Was he blushing? I swear I was now if he wasn't.
He cleared his throat. "Do you want to head to the registration together? I mean I wouldn't want you to run into her again."
"Smooth," I heard Chip say in my head.
"Chip why don't you come out and meet Caliber?"
Caliber gave me a confused look and jumped when my flyer started and came forward. "y-yer flyers alive?" He said backing up.
"Yes and no," Chip said making Caliber jump again. "I am a artificial interface and Terra's best friend."
"Chip," I said. "Don't scare him."
"I'm not scared, I just never seen anything like this before."
"I know, maybe i shouldn't make him public in the races" I said contemplating.
"I agree to that, Cora might kill for it." Caliber said.
"So, are we anywhere near Ponyville?" I asked Chip.
"Yes that helmet is waiting for us."
"Ah I just came from Ponyville. I could take you there If ya want." Caliber said.
My heart did a unexpected backflip and i probably smiled way too big. "Sure!... I mean if you want."
"I don't see why not." he went toward his flyer. "I think I forgot something anyway."
I climbed onto my flyer and we started out. I flew next to him looking at his flyer. It was a newer model than mine, the model was from 6048 but he had done his own modifications. There were two energy cannons mounted under each wing and spikes on the wings and nose. He also had a rifle strapped to his back that I hadn't noticed before, and i began to wonder if he used that or the cannons to shoot the baton out of her mouth. Probably the rifle.
My gaze had fallen to his flank when Chip spoke. "Terra, he's too old for you."
"No he isn't! He's only like, 18!" He couldn't be that old.
"He is," Chip said. "And he has a minor offence record,"
"Do you know why? Everypony has a minor offence record."
"You don't," He said bluntly.
"It's just not on record," I said slyly. "I am in possession of stolen property."
Chip sighed. "Yes Terra, but please be careful. I don't want anypony taking advantage of you."
"Chip he saved my, I doubt he's going to be that kind of pony."
"Your fathers gun is in compartment three." Chip said in the same tone.
"I know and i know you got my back." I said rolling my eyes. "Hey does Calibers helmet have a head set?"
"Uhhh yes it does, want my to hack?"
"Yes please."
"Aaand your connected,"
"Thanks,"
"Hello? who's there?" Caliber said on my head set.
I laughed "Caliber, its me, Terra."
"Oh," He looked over and smiled. "Chip can do that?"
"Yeah, he can connect to any comm,"
"That's cool, could he jam comms?'
"I suppose, Chip, could you?"
"Thats easy," Chip said as if gloating.
"That's a very effective weapon. So do you have a team?"
"Uh no, do I need one?"
"Uh, no not if you enjoy extensive injury."
"Oh, I wouldn't prefer that."
"Well, you could join my team if you want, It's just been my and my friend for a while. We could use another hoof."
"So the teams qualify as one?" I asked.
"Yeah the just started the team qualify thing last year, it makes the Event more intense.
"That sounds scary," I said. The Event Is the Grand Prix of the racing season, it's the most dangerous race in Equestria.
"Yeah we would be glad to have you."
I looked ahead and saw a transit flyer pass above us. The engines roared as it begun its descent toward the bustling town ahead. Also a few police flyer pilots glanced at us as we made our approach. Ponyville was the capital hub of sector 2 and looked way more advanced than my home Stalton. There were more buildings and a ton of android ponies walking the sidewalks running errands. It looked very clean compared to my home town. All the white vinyl siding on the buildings was flawless. The air smelled more synthetic and felt slightly warmer.
We passed a bunch of shops on the way to the post office, there was a bakery, and a clothes shop with the latest fashions and racer wear war being modeled by mare androids. Some of the designs looked cool there was a blue striped one that caught my eye, it had a slick finish and it looked armored. Also on the street was a huge library. I must have had every book on flyers in there.
After my gawking we finally got to the post office. "Holy, this place is amazing!" I said as we entered.
"Ponyville? Yeah I know, I think it's better than Manehattan."
We walked up to the desk where a droid pony was sorting mail. It stopped when it saw us.
"How may I help?" It said in a very good synthetic voice.
"I'm Terra Byte, I ordered a package and I'm here to pick it up."
"Ah yes Terra, it arrived a couple days ago." He looked under the desk and grabbed a package. "Here you are, sign here please." I signed for the package and thanked the droid.
"You're very welcome miss." he said going back to his sorting. We exited and Chip began laughing.
"Really? HA! That was hilarious!"
"What do you mean?" I said, Cal looked confused again so I pointed at my headset and he nodded.
"That android! That was pathetic!" He busted out laughing.
"Ok Chip, I thought he was nice." I said climbing on my flyer.
"Programmed to say that. OH I'm so glad I was stolen."
I chuckled. "Yeah, but you wouldn't have been in the droid. You would have been in a flyer, well, ALL the flyers."
"Yeah but who says I can't have a body?"
"Huh never even occurred to me. I suppose you could."
"Yeah maybe." Chip said still laughing a bit.
With that said I opened my helmet and put it on. Perfect fit. I still didn't like how my horn stuck out, but there's no helping my anatomy. We started up our flyers and started heading out of town. I contemplated about what I would do after the racing season. I didn't want to go back to StaltI couldn't pick. I could stay here, but I probably didn't have enough money. Well, Caliber was
nice, maybe, no I couldn't ask that. That would be too much at once, and I don't really know him.
We exited the Ponyville. The sun was reaching its peak. We flew in silence for a while, and i
found myself looking at his flank again. I could see his cutie mark, it was a pitcher of something
and apples around it. That made me smile, I don't know why, but it did.
After a while Caliber spoke. "Hey are we still connected?"
"Yeah Caliber." I said.
"Ok, and just call me Cal, so uh, I was wondering if you had, or, do you have a place to stay?
For the races?"
"Um, not really… You d-don't have to…"
"No no we have tons of space, You're welcome to stay with me, I mean, us."
I was probably blushing again. I was glad I had the helmet so he couldn't see me. "Uh, s-sure." I
said quietly.
"I know we just met and all but I already consider you a friend."
As he said that my heart lept. "Y-you too." I said slightly squeaking.
on. My parents would probably sell my flyer for money and use that money to buy locks that I couldn't pick. I could stay here, but I probably didn't have enough money. Well, Caliber was nice, maybe, no I couldn't ask that. That would be too much at once, and I don't really know him.
We exited the Ponyville. The sun was reaching its peak. We flew in silence for a while, and i found myself looking at his flank again. I could see his cutie mark, it was a pitcher of something and apples around it. That made me smile, I don't know why, but it did.
After a while Caliber spoke. "Hey are we still connected?"
"Yeah Caliber." I said.
"Ok, and just call me Cal, so uh, I was wondering if you had, or, do you have a place to stay? For the races?"
"Um, not really… You d-don't have to…"
"No no we have tons of space, You're welcome to stay with me, I mean, us."
I was probably blushing again. I was glad I had the helmet so he couldn't see me. "Uh, s-sure." I said quietly.
"I know we just met and all but I already consider you a friend."
As he said that my heart lept. "Y-you too." I said slightly squeaking.
