The light embedded in my arm blinks twice. A voice recording from Selene plays with the swipe of my finger over my network port. “Hey E, good news! I pulled a few strings and spoke with the DC director. He basically said if you can prove someone cheated, he would consider an investigation. I know it’s not much, but it’s a start. So, when you have the drone, call me. Be careful.”
Who gives a fuck about some stupid race when Lethe is out there murdering innocent people? I’ll never fly for them again.
How could I be so naïve? All of these wasted years… so self-absorbed to even notice what was happening right beside me, as if it matters. What the fuck am I going to do? I’m just one man. All I know is I can’t stay in this cesspit another minute.
It’s getting harder to breathe in here so I take off running, the only thing I can think of to stop myself from crying. Turning the corner of my launchpad, I head straight for my shuttle.
The engines roar the second my wrist hits the ignition. Pulling back the throttle I take off, soaring between monoliths of glass and over the city walls to freedom.
My brief moment of relief dissolves when I see three Lethe enforcers fly in formation over the black sand behind me.
I’m not sure if I forgot about the lockdown or just didn’t care, either way, I’m outside the city and caught. Technically, not caught if they never stop me, and no one can catch me in a fair race. I don’t assume this to be fair though.
A few silent seconds pass. I continue flying away from Olympia, full throttle. The enforcers remain behind me in formation, trailing at every turn.
My throat begins to dry.
A rocky canyon is visible from the dash, dozens of winding arms weaved in and around the Outlands desert, the perfect place to make my move.
Gripping the steering a little tighter with my sweaty hands, I take a deep breath and try to block everything out. Focus. A red indicator on my dash makes that impossible as it notifies me that I’ve been fired upon.
Time stops for a moment. And just as quickly as it paused, it resumes again fourfold the second I yank my flyer straight up just barely evading their missile. Somersaulting around a rock pillar, my shuttle descends, disappearing into the sandy haze of the canyon.
Three more missiles are shot from behind.
I jerk left and cut through a narrow crack in the desert, just big enough to fit through.
Another close miss as the rocket collides with the side of a boulder, shrapnel peppering my tail.
Flying dangerously low to the ground, I duck and dodge eroded rock formations until my upgraded eye locates a tiny fissure hidden between two rocks large enough to squeeze through, I think.
I spin and zoom towards the opening.
Two Lethe enforcers follow, too far to fall back now.
The sides of my shuttle throw sparks as it barely scratches through. Out the opening I soar, behind me, a powerful explosion collapses the tunnel and slings smoldering debris in all directions.
I think I lost them.
Suddenly, three blasts explode in the black sand below me as I give her everything I have.
From the best I can tell, the last Lethe enforcer is still on my ass from above. I can’t shake him in the open, he’s too fast.
Three more shots just barely miss, blasting sand into the exhaust, causing one of the engines to stutter.
I jerk the control to the right nearly wrecking, as the shuttle’s wing grazes the top grains of the quiet Outlands.
Lethe’s enforcer turns with me, a blur of black and red. The blur fires three more missiles - one striking the hull of the shuttle this time.
I swing it hard left while drawing back on the control at the same time, shooting me spiraling up towards the stratosphere.
He follows.
We climb higher. Higher.
Ignoring the insistent lights and pleas from the dash, I push further. Higher.
More.
The windshield cracks. Webbing flashes across the glass. The sound of the pressure against the metal frame makes me jump.
My flyer stalls at its highest point.
The nose of my ship slowly floats down, pointing back towards the Earth. Olympia is hardly noticeable from up here. Everything is so small, so insignificant.
Descending, I pass the enforcer and begin picking up speed very quickly. I push my wrist up to the dash, but it refuses to crank.
Falling faster panic takes over.
My shuttle isn’t starting.
I start to spiral out of control in freefall.
Sucked to the back of my seat.
Stay focused.
Start.
Fucking start.
I fall faster.
Come on… Start.
Impact is imminent.
I feel myself losing consciousness.
Slamming my wrist against the dash violently, again and again, the engines refuse.
Just a few hundred meters above the black sand, and falling rapidly, I close my eyes and push my wrist to the console one last time. The dash lights flicker, then spring to life as the thunder from the engines shakes the tears from the brim of my eyes.
Exhale.
Hammering the throttle, I pull up and take off just above the empty sand. Behind me, the Lethe pilot crashes to the Earth in a fiery flash as I jet away from Olympia as fast as I can.
After a few seconds of quiet, I pull myself together. There’s no calming my lungs. That was fucking close.
Nestling in my chair, I catch my breath and get comfortable for the long ride as my still quivering hands set the autopilot navigation for a city only known as 34. I may not be able to stop Lethe, but at least I can help where I can, like Palin, and Xander. Starting with the child that lost me my title. He must be terrified out here. I don’t know how he’s survived for this long. Maybe this will make up for some of the fuck up shit I’ve done, clean the
