DEADLINE: a /hmofa/ story inspired by Mad House's Redline

~~~PROLOGUE~~~
>Standing at the edge of the strip, the crowd around you hummed with anticipation.
>The announcers could just barely be heard over the din of the crowd.
>”...and the head of the group is just coming around the bend and heading up the strip! As the racers get close, we’ll run through the standing.”
>”At the head of the pack is Roxy in her Whimsy Special. So far she’s managed to just stay ahead through sheer determination. She’s followed closely by Sabina of Nocten in the Starhunter, who’s kept her cool and has gone for some very impressive moves to get where she is. A few seconds back, Bingle is in the Cool Cat Cruiser and has held his position through sheer luck, it seems. 
>”This has been one hell of a race, folks. If you’re just tuning in, we started with 10 racers and 7 have been knocked out. It’s certainly a reminder of how dangerous this sport can be.”
>”Alright, for you folks on the ground, they should be coming around pretty soon!”
>It’s then that you hear it.
>A faint rumble in the distance.
>The sound of turbos and jets whining, louder and louder
>Just before it happens, the air goes still as the crowd waits anxiously
>Sliding around the corner at trans-sonic speed, the bright colors and the long curves of the Whimsy Special come into view, her twin gold-nitro-boosted-V8s roaring as she blows past. You can almost make out a wide-grinned Roxy desperately holding on to the wheel.
>Almost invisible in the dust, the sleek Starhunter slips past with her jet engines screaming, gulping down air as quick as they can get it.
>If you had blinked, you would have missed it.
>Then comes the CCC, a tricked-out hover-sled with a nasty gold-striped orange paint job.
>It seemed that the rough desert track was taking its toll on the sleek beast, though, as it was shaking as it glided across the finish line.
>The crowd went wild, as the announcers called out the final places and times.
>As you stand there dumbstruck, your friend tugging on your sleeve, it all becomes clear.
>You are Anon, 10 years old, and someday, you’re gonna race in the DEADLINE.

~~~CHAPTER 1~~~

>Groaning, you wake up and try to remember where you are.
>Oh, right, the garage.
>Peeling yourself off of the dingy couch, you look at the large clock on the wall.
>1:30 PM
>Five and a half hours until racetime.
>You are Anon, a 22 YO 5’6” Earther who wants to compete in a most dangerous game.=
>the Deadline, a road-race where anything goes. While technically illegal, it’s popularity and widespread coverage meant that most governments couldn’t do much about it. 
>For a ruleless race, though, it’s pretty tough to get in. You have to win at least 40 points from 5 races in a qualifying series called the Flatline. So far you’ve gotten 30, and seeing as this is the last race you’ll need to take first if you want to have a shot at the Deadline.
>”Finally woke up, did ya?”
>A smirk growing on your face, you look over to your chief mechanic and partner in crime, Laika.
“Just getting my beauty sleep. Gotta look good for all those cameras when I take first.”
>The tall border collie Lunarran stifles a chuckle.
>”Yeah yeah, you wanna check what I did to your ride or not?”
“Yeah. Hope you didn’t do anything too crazy to my #1 girl.”
>”Just a few new bells and whistles.”
>Walking around from the lounge to the garage proper, you eye your ride.
>The long, sleek body of the 4 wheeled beast before you always makes you drool a little.
>Her body is loosely based on an old Earth car, something called a Golden Hawk.
>Emphasis on loosely.
>This machine had a longer hood to accommodate the massive 10-cylinder monster that powered it.
>Her nose was slightly angled downward, and widened to help suck in air.
>Her fins, once decorative, had been slightly enlarged and flared to give her more stability when she topped out.
>And to sweeten the deal, there was a cold-fusion booster hidden in the trunk that could take her up to mach 0.85 for a short burst.
>As you get lost in the deep blue color of the Thunderhawk, Laika talks about the changes she’s made.
>“Well I hope you’re ready to get her covered in red dust.The race is gonna take place out in Musk Valley, so I swapped your street tires out for something that’ll bite into the dirt better. Also, I tuned the intake to handle the artificial air better, they like to have a high-oxy mix in their atmosphere so the engine should do better than it has in the last couple races.”
>”Oh, and I finally switched her over from atvur to hydroline, so watch your rpm, otherwise you’ll shatter your crankshaft.”
“Laika, you’re the best.”, you say as you give her a pat on the back.
>”I know, now we better get her loaded up if you want to scope out the track.”
>Stretching, you grab the keys and walk out to get the old hover truck from around the corner.
>Why had someone who should be designing spacecraft stuck with you so long?
>You had been childhood friends, sure, but she had stuck with you even when she’d gotten offers from more successful racers.
>Maybe that old Earther saying about dogs and man held some truth, you muse.
>Pulling the truck around, you back it in and hop out, admiring your old friend.
>6’4”, typical height for Lunarrans, and built like an amazon, she filled out her coveralls quite nicely.
>She looks over to you with an annoyed expression.
>”You gonna stand there all day or do want to help me get this shit loaded up?”
>Shaking your head, you run over to help with loading the tools and spares.
>3:30 PM
>Luckily you had been one of the first racers to get to the starting line, so you set up your pop-up garage in a good spot.
>Being early also gave you a chance to do a quick test run before the race proper.
>As you rolled the Thunderhawk out onto the “track”, Laika gave you a few pointers
>“Alright, now that this baby runs on hydroline, you’re gonna get a hell of a lot more acceleration”
>“Remember, once you flip that switch on the coldfuze, it’s gonna burn until it runs out. And you better not use it on this test run, ‘cause we don’t have enough on hand for a refuel.”
>“And don’t you dare wreck this thing before the race even starts, otherwise we’re both gonna be working at McNocten’s.”
“Yeah yeah, I hear ya. Don’t you trust me?”
>She gives you a blank look before throwing the keys at you.
>”Just don’t do anything stupid, OK?”
“No promises.”
>Sliding into the driver’s seat, you buckle in and get everything adjusted \.
>You fire up the main engine, and note that the new fuel makes her purr a little bit smoother than before.
>You wait for your partner to clear the track before you stomp on the gas. The engine roars in approval.
>All four tires spin for a couple seconds before they finally bite down and send you flying down what you expect will be the first straightaway.
>Your eyes are glued to the track, but the HUD shows your speed in the corner of the windshield
>Laika was right, with this new stuff you would have left the old Thunderhawk in your dust.
>You tap the brakes and bring the car around a small plateau, noting how well the tires are doing on the rough dirt.
>You decide to do bring her around back to camp after a few more minutes of testing the area.
>A few more racers have shown up, and they’re watching you closely as you bring the car back into the garage.
>You get out of the car with a wide grin.
>Laika however looks far less pleased.
>”You’re damn lucky I put a limiter on your throttle, otherwise the engine would be all over the track right now.”
“THAT was with a limiter? Holy crap, I can’t wait to see what she can really do!”
>Laika sighs heavily, “Well I don’t trust you with her full power yet, so I’m gonna limit the T-hawk just enough that you can’t break her. Just promise me you won’t floor it at the start line?”
>You look her in the eye and promise you’ll watch the throttle better.
>She gives a small smile.
>”And don’t push yourself too hard either. If you can’t race, I don’t have a job to do.”
>With that, you both grab some rags and begin to wipe the rust colored dust that has caked your car.
>Once you’ve finished, you leave the tuning to Laika and decide to walk around the other camps to scope out the competition.
>Directly across from your tent is the Moon Rover Sisters, twin pilots of the Quicksilver. You and them were the only teams from the Sol system in this race.
>Unlike Laika, they were more typical Lunarrans, tall and slender with pale fur that resembled moondust. They were both lounging on couches as their mechanics tuned their ride digitally.
>The Quicksilver was a sleek, shiny carapace of a hover-sled that lived up to its name quite well. So far they have 34 points so they only have to get 3rd to get into the Deadline, but they’ll still try for first if it means knocking you out of the running. Those two were going to be the biggest threat on the track.
>To the left of you was what appeared to be plasteel shipping containers welded together into a sort of giant folding gazebo. In it was the Scavs, a troupe of rat anthros who came from the ghettos of the city-planet Cadavica.
>Their racer was a large crow by the name of Sleaze, and he piloted the aptly named Rat Trap, known for being packed with strange weapons and defenses. He only had 28 points, but he was only in this race for the money, as far as you’ve heard.
>You walk past them and try to ignore the smell, looking onward to a large white tent.
>In it is a group of Spurds, from the planet Suomina. You’ve never seen this team before, but you guess that they’re substituting the racer who died in the last race. 
>Their ride seems to be an average cargo ship bolted, upside-down, to a set of skis, which only raises more questions.
>squatting in the corner is a lone Gondolan, who you think (?) may be the pilot. You’d attempt to listen in to the conversation between the mechanics, but very few in the galaxy can understand the strange language of the Finns.
>That’s all the racer’s who’ve bothered to show up early, so you decide to head back to your tent and see if Laika needs any help.
>When you walk in however, you see her relaxing with her holopad, drinking a beer and reading the news.
“I thought we were only supposed to drink after the race?”
>”No, I said YOU aren’t allowed to drink until after the race. My job is done and I’m not gonna be behind the wheel.”
>”Hey, did you know that the name of this valley comes from the first king of Mars?”
>You give her a confused look.
“Well yeah, they taught us all about King Elon Musk in school. What did you think it was named after?”
>At this Laika gets a little flustered.
>”N-nothing, I just thought it was a neat fact is all.”
>You shrug and flop into a folding chair, pulling up a bucket to rest your feet on.
>”So what’s the competition like?”
“Mostly the same, except for a bunch of Spurds who replaced Cyber-man, since he wrecked himself in the last race. Nice guy, gonna miss him.”
>”How are the twin bitches doing?”
“Quicksilver looks as ready as ever.”
>“Yeah, that thing practically drives itself. Those airheads wouldn’t be doing nearly as well otherwise.”
>“What are the Finns racing?”
“You don’t want to know.”
>“Uh, alright then. Sounds like the last 4 dropped out since they don’t have enough points, so it’s just you four racers.”
“Well I guess that makes my job easier.”
>6:30 PM
> “Fuel tank?”
“Topped off.”
>“Lubricant pressure?”
“In the green.”
>“Fusion drive?”
“Stable in idle, all green lights.”
>“System diagnostics?”
“Systems nominal, ready to rock.”
>You pop it into neutral and switch off the ignition.
>As you get out of the car, you can’t help but gaze at the crowd that has gathered.
>You’d have to put on a good show for these fat-cats.
“Greatest mechanic in the system on standby?”
>“Check”, Laika replies with a small smirk.
>Looking out towards the other racers, they seem to be getting ready as well.
>The twins were finishing up their photoshoots and getting into their actual racing gear.
>Sleaze was smoking a particularly large cigar as he sat in his cockpit, presumably checking all his toys were loaded and primed.
>The Gondola was climbing into cockpit, getting strapped in by two Spurds while the rest seemed to be drinking heavily.
“Well, you want to roll her onto the track now?”
>“I’ll take care of that, why don’t you go get suited up?”
>You look down at yourself and realize you’ve been wearing a grease-stained t-shirt and torn jeans this whole time.
>Grabbing your bag, you head over to the bathroom and do a little cleaning up as Laika moves the Thunderhawk into position.
>You didn’t have a fancy racing suit or anything, just a clean pair of jeans, thermal wicking smart-shirt, a leather jacket and a simple pair of Sambas. All of which was fire-proofed, just in case.
>Heading out, you can’t help but admire how that deep purple flec paint shines in the sunlight.
>“We should really get you some proper safety gear.”
>You roll your eyes at Laika as she preps her tools for on-the-fly repairs.
“You know I won’t need any of that shit, right?”
>“Remember, if you die, I don’t have a job.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
>As you’re about to walk onto the track, you get pulled into a tight hug.
>“Hey, just make sure to come back in one piece, alright?”
>You try to nod despite your head being firmly nestled between her large tits.
“Don’t worry, I got this.”
>6:50 PM
>Flexing your fingers around the steering wheel, you can’t help but feel a little bit giddy.
>You’ve been in a number of races, but it’s always a thrill. Especially with this few racers, makes it feel a lot more...personal.
>Yeah, that’s a good word for it.
>You look to your right, where the Quicksilver is humming away, floating inches off the ground.
>To your left, the Gondola is upside-down in his cockpit, but he seems to be happy to be there anyway.
>Your rear-view mirror is filled with the Sleaze’s wide rat rod. You’ll have to keep an eye on him.
>As the clock nears race-time, an announcer’s voice booms over the crowd.
> “Friends, fiends and Xenos of every world, we welcome you to the final race of the Flatline, where only four racers remain. As they get ready, we’ll go down the line and introduce them to folks who may be tuning in for the first time. In the lead with 36 points AND a fan-favorite, the Moon Rover Sisters, Luna and Artemis in their iconic Quicksilver. I’m sure we’d all like to see these lovely ladies move on to the Deadline. Next to them is the man named Anon, but we all know him as The King, in his insane Terran-original, Thunderhawk!”
>You hated that nickname, but you gave the engine a little rev to please the crowd.
>“A new player is on the track, after Captain Pepper bit the dust in the last race, a Gondolan named--uh, I can’t pronounce that, sorry. Anyway, he’s piloting the stange, dangerous looking Pervatin Plunderer. And finally, a racer who is infamous for fowl-play, the Poe-ian Sleaze in the highly-hazardous Rat Trap.”
>“Alright folks, it’s time for the main event! Count it down with me! 10! 9! 8!...”
>Left foot on the brake, right foot primed.
>“7! 6! 5! 4!”
>Make sure not to hit it too hard at the start, can’t afford for the tires to slip
>“3!”
>“2!”
>“1!”
>Your mind is blank, silent; all you hear is the engine and all you see is the tree, waiting for it to go green. Everything seems to slow down.
>“GO!”
>All at once the world snaps back into focus as you hit the gas and zoom ahead.
>The Quicksilver glides past you, wicked smiles adorning the faces of it’s pilots.
>The jet engines of the Rat Trap whine as they gulp in air. Solid boosters strapped to the side help the machine get off the line quick enough to keep up.
>Back at the start line the Gondola realizes he forgot to prime the engines, and while a couple seconds behind the pack, his rig somehow holds together and gains some speed.
>You can finally put the pedal flat down and match the speed of the Quicksilver, leaving Sleaze behind. Once his boosters die, he dumps them and cackles as they narrowly miss the PP.
>Just as you start to catch the Quicksilver, however, you see the first turn coming up and let off the gas. As you approach the turn however you note that they have to take it slower than you, and you gain some more ground. Sleaze is passed by the Gondola, leaving the Poeian in last.
>This is when Sleaze chooses to use the first weapon in his arsenal. Cackling with glee, he fires off a salvo of micro-missiles toward all three racers.
>The PP is the first to be hit, the missile striking one of the struts for the skis. Losing control, the cargo rig tumbles sideways into a roll before coming to a stop just after the first turn.
>You fire off a couple flares from the tips of the fins, and luckily catch the two missiles that homed in on you.
>The Quicksilver does the same, escaping unharmed.
>Your holo-map of the track shows a tight mountain pass ahead, so you line up behind the Rover Sisters as the canyon walls close in.
>The Rat Trap falls into line behind you, but with it’s wide footprint you’re not sure how far you can go into this canyon.
>As you think that however, you see a couple small explosions on the sides, several side panels fall off, making the junker thinner. Guess he realized he’s not gonna need that armor.
>The panels fall off, and as he gains speed Sleaze starts harassing your rear bumper. 
>The gaps between the three racers shrink, threatening to crush you between the two larger racers. Then, you spot something that might save you: a detour.
>Without much time to think about it, you take a chance and change course.
>Your map updates and shows that the path you picked is going to wrap up and over the plateaus, a longer but overall straighter path.
>You may actually be able to overtake them, giving you a straight shot to the finish line.
>As you come up over the ridgeline however, you realize why there was a narrow path between the two plateaus. The wind up here is intense, battering you with dust and debris.
>Despite the low visibility, you flip on the infrared overlay and plow on. You weren’t gonna lose because of a little wind and dirt.
>Just as you start coming down the back of the plateau, the other two racers emerge from the canyon pass, the Quicksilver some new dents, and the Rat Trap missing yet more body panels.
>You were just about tied with the twins as the tracks joined up, and as the finish line came into sight you finally hit the switch on the fusion drive.
>All the lights in your car change from a subtle lavender to a bright blue as the lid of your trunk moves up and out of the way to reveal the booster.
>It spun up for a few seconds, then a stream of blue flame came bursting out of the back nozzle, sending you screaming ahead.
>You were giggling like a madman as you approached the finish.
>As you looked in the mirror, you noticed that the Quicksilver did a fuel dump to try and catch you.
>Sleaze is trying to use all his toys to stop both of you, but seems that he either broke them or used them all while in the canyon.
>You’re so close to the finish line, all you have to do is last a little longer.
>The ion engine finally dies, and the twins start gaining on you.
>Even though Laika warned you not to, you push the Thunderhawk to the very edge, hoping it will last long enough to get you across the line.
>As you approach the tents, the girls are nearly alongside you.
>You pass the line just as the engine dies, though your not sure who got across first.
>You don’t have a lot of time to think about it either as the engine dies and the hood starts pouring smoke.
>Luckily you manage to slow the car safely, as the announcer chimes in.
>“WOW, what a finish folks! We’re gonna have to go over the footage to see who got that, but looking over at the Thunderhawk, my money is on the Quicksilver.”
>Climbing out of the car, you wince slightly as your mechanic makes her way over to you with the truck. 
>You get ready for a tirade, but instead get a quick hug.
>“Good job making it back.”
“You’re not mad?”
>“No, but I will be when I have to fix the engine.”
>You suppose you can deal with that.
>For now, you help load up your car.
-------------------------------------
>With the car resting under the tent, you crane your head up to the large holodisplay with the results, just in time to hear and see the final verdict from the announcer.
> “Well folks, for the first time since the start of the flatline, we have a photo finish! So we’ll go ahead and pull that up. Aaaaaaaaaand… looks like The King won by the tip of his bumper! Both racers will be moving on to the Deadline!”
>A wide grin comes over your face.
>You head back into the tent to tell Laika the good news.
> “All right! Next time around, though, try not to cut it so close.”