Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 457: Waterways Circuit: First Half of First Lap

Jace watched as the vehicles in front of him all raced forward kicking up the bits of dirt and dust that had gathered on the track. Jace actually held back for a moment as he watched all of the vehicles race off past the starting line.

"OFF WE GO AND- WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?!" Jace pushed forward on his handles and the hoverbike sped forward quickly. Making a loud screech as he moved forward quickly gaining speed. "DID JACE GIVE THE OTHER RACERS A HEADSTART? WE WILL GET BACK TO IT IN A MOMENT BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THE FRONT RUNNERS ARE TRYING TO SET SOME RECORDS!"

As the announcer began narrating the front of the race. Jace was catching up to the person in the back. It was a large four wheeled vehicle with two massive thrusters at the back that were spitting out fire. Causing the front of the vehicle to raise off the ground slightly. The only thing keeping it from flipping backwards was the air pressure from the front. It was a low to the ground vehicle so as Jace zipped past it he only had to move slightly to dodge the vehicle.

The next vehicle he was catching up to was actually a pair of vehicles that were trying to push one another off the road as they entered into the first open air part of the circuit. He could hear the crowd cheating loudly as the two similar looking vehicles started pushing each other back and forth in the ’U’ shaped roadway.

Racing vehicles had no set shape but most of them stuck to the similar sleek design that was big enough to fit an engine and a boot that could fit a booster system. But it was cheaper for most groups to have similar designed vehicles.

Jace moved up behind them and with a quick flip and turn of his handles the hoverbike moved over the back ends of the two cars which froze as he drove right over their roofs. He roared past them getting his place in the seventeenth spot. He pushed forward the handles and he roared forward.

"What did I just see?!?" He could hear the announcer ask a lot calmly before he composed himself. "JACE THE SPECTRE JUST PULLED OFF A RIDICULOUS MOVE THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE VIOLATES ANY OF THE RULES! CHECK OUT THE REPLAY FOLKS OR YOUR NEAREST SCREEN! HE JUST WENT OVER TWO OTHER VEHICLES LIKE THEY WERE NOT EVEN THERE!"

Jace could hear as people lost it while he was already catching up to his next quarry. But they realized he was coming and started serving side to side in front of him. Jace pushed the handles forward to speed himself up more and the next vehicle slammed into the side of his hoverbike causing him to veer off to the side.

"IT LOOKS LIKE JACE’S LIGHTER DESIGN CAN GET EASILY PUSHED AROUND! WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO AGAINST MALIK-8?!"

Jace was slowly pushed up the slope towards the crowd when he pulled back slightly and then threw the handles forward. Causing the hoverbike to launch up slightly and spin right over the gray race car and back onto the track. He went forward and quickly adjusted his handles so the thrust was going forward rather than up while the Malik-8 veered to the side and lost control.

It lost control and went into a spin before slamming into the side of the race track and flipping over as a blue shield flared as it nearly flew into the crowd. As it was crashing back down into the center of the race track Jace was already looking for the next racer to pass.

"I DO NOT BELIEVE IT! I THOUGHT THE RACE AT THE FRONT OF THE PACK WAS GOING TO BE THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THIS RACE! BUT FOLLOWING JACE AS HE TEARS HIS WAY TO THE FRONT MIGHT BE JUST AS AMAZING! I MEAN, HE JUST FLIPPED OVER HIS FELLOW RACER TO GET OUT OF BEING PUSHED OUT!"

As Jace raced forward he noticed the next racers were a pack of them. Five to be exact. Only two were in the traditional race car hull. All of them were in different colors so different teams. There were a few teams but it was an old traditional idea that had lost sway in the last few years.

He had to fall in behind them as they entered an enclosed tunnel. As soon as they entered he went to move over the side but the racers all swarmed up the sides blocking him from going forward. One in the back kept following which way he moved, getting in front and stopping him from passing them.

Jace grunted in annoyance before adjusting his controls and veering to the side until he was riding on the roof and rode right past them as he hovered off the roof. Showing off the full capabilities of his hover technology.

"WELL DAMN! JACE IS PAST THE BACKROW BLOCKADE AND ENTERED ELEVENTH PLACE BUT IT WILL BE AT LEAST A MINUTE OR TWO BEFORE HE CATCHES UP TO ANYONE! BUT IT LOOKS LIKE BATRONE AND AZEL IN THE FRONT ARE CREATING A LEAD FOR THEMSELVES AS THEY RACE FOR FIRST PLACE IT IS A CONSTANT BACK AND FORTH UP HERE FOLKS!"

The announcer was right; he picked up speed as he came up on the first turn of the circuit. Exiting a tunnel for a bit as the roadway dipped down into the station. Jace waved at the crowd as he sped back down to the floor from the roof of the tunnel and then as his vehicle began freefalling down into the gravity well of the downward turn.

As he did his helmet’s interface pulled up data as someone attempted to hack into his systems. "Hey Cain, are you seeing this?" Jace asked over a channel he had open just in case.

"I am. Looks like their focus is on opening one of the doors downstairs and forcing the brake on your hoverbike." Cain informed him. He could find the same information easily enough as well. But it would distract him from racing.

"That is annoying. Can you locate where it is coming from?" Jace asked as he came up on the end of the turn. Leveling out and going into a straight tube that cut through the shipyards that lie on the external portion of the Waterways District.

They were driving on the ground of the shipbuilding facility. He could see another bundle of vehicles in the distance. Some of them are various types of cars but some of them looked larger and bulkier with those massive thrusters firing on the back of them.

"It is coming from the pit crew of one of the racers. I have already alerted the officials. I have also stopped their systems." Cain explained.

"Good." Jace leaned forward as he saw a piece of debris fall from above. He veered to the side as it fell into the ground next to him with a loud metal ringing sound.

He blinked in surprise and looked ahead to see the group of six ahead were having debris fall on them as well. He watched as a piece slammed in front of one vehicle and it crashed headfirst before exploding into a fiery blaze. Pieces of debris hitting the other nearby racers and taking two other vehicles out.

He watched as a giant white ball came bouncing out of the exploded vehicle. That had to be the emergency safety measures of that particular race car. All of the racing vehicles had to have viable safety measures. They had to be approved ahead of time. But aside from that, it was just about the only safety measure that was absolutely necessary. Mostly because they were only halfway through the first lap and two vehicles had already been destroyed and several others had been badly damaged.

The last three mobile vehicles were spreading out as a rain of debris fell in the area. Jace had to dodge several pieces as he made his way across the area.

"IT LOOKS LIKE OUR FRIENDS IN THE WATERWAYS SHIPYARDS SAVED UP SOME SHRAPENAL AND DEBRIS TO ENTERTAIN US!"

Jace flinched as something banged off the side of his helmet.

"BUT IT APPEARS THAT IT IS NO ISSUE FOR JACE AS HE DODGES THE DEBRIS AND JUST TOOK WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HAMMER TO THE HEAD! WHAT IS THAT ARMOR MADE OF? AS HE APPROACHES THE EXIT OF THIS PART OF THE CIRCUIT WE TURN OUR ATTENTION BACK TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE WHERE BATRONE HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ONCE AGAIN!"

Jace slid past another vehicle that had been damaged. Making four vehicles he had managed to pass in this area. One had been completely destroyed. Three had been slowed down by falling debris or damage.

The last two were in throwing distance as they arrived at the next part of the circuit. The upward corkscrew spiral.