4351/Multiversal MegaMotor

Multiversal MegaMotor
Date of Scene:	23 July 2016
Location:	Southern Urbania
Synopsis:	The annual Multiverse MegaMotor race is here! GOTTA GO FAST!
Cast of Characters:	Starlight Bandits, 992, Kotone Yamakawa, Corona Arclite, 673, 945

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Starlight Bandits has posed:
    The sun beats down hot and hard, the tarmac shimmering with heat. Flanking it are constructed seating for the audience, many of them already cheering as confetti rains down, fireworks popping off overhead. Several hoverscreens float about, displaying characteristics of the racers, as well as the betting odds being offered on them. Food and drink vendors patrol the stairs, hawking their wares at grossly inflated prices, and making a killing regardless.

    The racers are lined up as the starting lines, running last-minute checks on their vehicles, mugging for the crowd or simply awaiting in their seats, composing themselves. The commentator's hovercraft flies overhead, a shriek coming from the speakers set up all over as they turn on. It's about to start!

    "Gooooooooooooood morning everyone, and welcome!"

    Oh. Oh no.

    "Yes, welcome to the Multiversal MegaMotor race everyone~ I hope everyone is well today!"

    OH NO.

    "On this day, you are all blessed! For your not-so-humble commentators on this day are the glimmering lights in the empty skies that are your lives!"
    "We'll steal your hearts, wallets, and lives!"
    "Irvine Lune!"
    "Molly Crescent!"

    "Together we are the Starlight Bandits!"

    Silence, for a long moment. Until finally, they resume their commentary. "But for once, it's not about us! It's about our racers! So please, turn your attentions to the screens as we introduce them!" "Oh I'm so excited to get to know them~ I just hope they don't die horribly out there!"

    The screens change to a hovercamera's view of the racer in the first position. A cherubic-faced young man, his dark hair hidden under a red and gold helmet that matches his racing suit, cravat, and car. Said vehicle is a sleek thing, probably the most traditional racing car on the track. On the sides, painted in black, is what looks like a jet breaking through the vapour cone that forms at transonic speed. "Our first racer, Sonico Nobunaga! He comes from something of a racing dynasty it seems. His elder brother is on the casualty list from years back! Here's hoping he doesn't share the same fate today! Hahah!"

    The cameras shift to the second racer. A teenage girl in a school uniform and her black hair tied back into a sporty ponytail, chewing gum as she ties a takeout delivery box onto the back of a plain-seeming scooter. A banner for some kind of ramen shop extends from the bumper. "Next up is the very cute Fujimi Takane! She delivers rah-mehn for her parent's store part-time, and she plans on combining a delivery with this race! Ooo, I wonder what it is..."

    Now, the third racer! It's... a clown. Like, just a clown. The only unusual thing about him is that his mouth does not match the painted grin on his face. The corners of it pull down as he honks a horn, a unicycle between his legs. "Our third racer only wishes to be known as 'Qlown!' Yes, spelled with a 'Q.' He certainly seems very unhappy... maybe he's upset at his lack of proper spelling? We wish him luck anyway!"

    The fourth racers are a team of two! One dressed like the stereotypical Roma fortuneteller, with the turban and purple robes, currently lying in the pilot's seat of a vehicle with four massive wheels, the gun-metal grey body hanging between them. Their second is a massive brute covered head-to-toe in bandages. "These two are known as Sul-Fate and Bahngah! A team of two who drive a scavenged vehicle! Sul-Fate claims to have predicted their victory with 100% accuracy! As fellow scavengers, we wish them luck~"

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    The next vehicle in line is... literally just a steam train engine. But one that menaces with electrodes, lights and with proper wheels. An eccentric-looking scientist pokes his head out from the conductor's cabined and pulls the whistle cord! "Next up is Professor Doc and his customized train, the 'Future of Rail!' This is fifth time competing, but perhaps it will be his first victory? Only time will tell!"

    Next is... two men and a horse. Just a normal horse this time too. Both men are dressed in classical Civil War-esque military uniforms, but not matching ones. One is already on the horse, while the other climbs up in front of him. "Now is another pair of first-timers, Bobert and Jimothy! They ride upon a horse called 'Paul Revere!' It seems strange to bring a horse to a motor vehicle race, but maybe they have something up their brass-buttoned sleeves~

    And after them is...

Sigrun Stem (992) has posed:
Sigrun Stem has chosen something a little more sleek than her usual outfit, a hardened reinforced leather helmet with a magical barrier to protect her face, and tight-fitting linen clothes with protective leather pads at all the places most vulnerable to being hurt by a crash.

She's standing on the platform of her chariot, a vehicle that has no room for sitting, it's stand or fall. It has some handholds that she can hang on to, but currently she's not using either. The chariot has no horse, but it's obvious it doesn't need one, the air is swirling around it, almost as though the vehicle is eager to show what it can do.

Attached to one of the handholds is a quiver full of arrows, and a bow is attached to Sigrun's back, apparently she's prepared herself for the 'everything goes' part of this race.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone had a modest reputation for turning out a good line of custom made motorcycles, a line she'd named the Knight, in referance to an old TV show about a self aware motorcyle and it's Cop partner. It had amused her and seemed fitting but now with MegaMotors making for a race? Well that ws a chance to spread her reputation and that of her creations a bit more if she placed well in the race it self. She was flad in riding leathers, with a customized helmet that allowed space for cable jacks to plug right into her bike, for better control. She wasn't about to go wireless in a race somehing could go wrong, she hunkers downon her own maching waiting for the go. Whatever would happen, this would be fun and those that know Kotone might notice her cousin Miho is in the crowd to watch the race too with a big old grin on her face.

Corona Arclite has posed:
To the possible surprise of some, that cyberpunked train is not the ride of a certain vulpine machinist. As much as it would fit right into the theme of her world.

No, that would be the modified vehicle that rolls up to the starting line. The thing, at best description, is somewhere between a heavy-duty industrial machine, and a monster truck. The reinforced back wheels are so big they actually sit outside the frame of the truck bed, which appears to have some machinery stored in it. Smoke and embers belch out of the dual exhausts that rise up behind the cabin. Instead of normal headlights it has a pair of adustable floodlights mounted on the support rollbar over the windshield. Because that's the only way the lights would ever shine past the large drilling apparatus that makes up the front end of the vehicle. The truck itself is metallic grey and back, but several areas of paneling are a contrasting bright green or orange, and marked with hazard warning stripes.

The painfully bright colors are the only 'safety' colors that will show up in the thick sandstorms that often blow across Brimsteel's surface, you see.

From the cab Corona leans a bit out of the drive's side, giving a whistle in the direction of the 'Future of Rail'. "Nice train ya got thare!" There is what appears to be a small metal cube of some sort sitting on the passanger side. Just sitting there, other than the occasional click and ticking that comes from it.

Rory White (673) has posed:
Rory White is not a participant.

    But since Kotone is, she's not going to just leave this matter be.

    The Cognizant Odyssey is one of the vessels that has pledged to observe and record the race...

    ... And Rory White has thus, by now, offered every racer an opportunity to carry a self-contained recorder. It is not a wireless device and thus cannot be used to cheat. But it will record something close to a fully immersive three-dimensional view of the racer's experience!

    Jury's kind of out on who'd accept such a thing though.

    That said, the Knight DOES have an AI in it right now! Some last-minute jury-rigging added a customized ghost-rider module to its on-board electronic systems and a fair amount of Transhuman computer systems - just a few lightweight Ecto cores without the screens linked in parallel - for extra CPU to spare.

    <<Still do not understand what is so enticing about this, but maybe I will by experiencing it. Good luck!>> Rory sends to her partner over the network.

    She's just an extra set of eyes and ears for this ride.

Lima Ultimos (945) has posed:
Floating high above the other vehicles, but at an equal distance to the line, is a pirate ship. It is not a supertech pirate ship, or a space pirate ship. It is a 17th century ghost ship, a massive brigantine with no discernable fuel source. Piloting it is over a hundred zombie-like pirates, with a tall, lanky man at the wheel. Lima Ultimos, the Revenant Spaniard, is preparing for the race. This race was basically the perfect thing for him: a prize, exploration, fun, what's not to like?

Standing at his wheel, Lima Ultimos did indeed accept the recorder! Having no idea what to do with it, he stuck it next to the wheel. Therefore, those watching get a nice view of the pirate's undead face and his weird gestures he makes as he gets excited, looking at his competitors. He shouts down below to his fellow racers. "Good luck, ye scurvy dogs! May the best man win!"

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    The displays show Sigrum in her chariot! Irvine says, "Another first-timer, Sigrum Stem in her magical chariot! She apparently hails from a world where science doesn't work, how crazy is that?! Hopefully the sci-sorry, magic of speed is with her today!" And next up is Kotone, aboard her A.I-enhanced bike! "Next up is Kotone Yamakawa, on board her hi-tech motorbike 'Knight~!' Apparently, it has an A.I on board that wants to record the race! Other racers have been offered a recorder, but is it some kind of pre-emptive ploy? We shall see!"

    Then it's Corona is a massive monster truck! Professor Doc gives a cheery wave from his train as Irvine introduces her. "Corona Arclite is up next, in a real hog of a machine! Something like that won't be easy to upset, but will it have the speed to keep up with the more nimble racers?!" And finally, is the massive ship floating above. The rules say nothing about having to be on the ground! "Our final entrant today is Captain Lima Ultimos, on board the Coma Navaja! The advantage of flight might be a boon, but that ship is the biggest thing out there, making it a good target~"

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    A journalism drone descends onto the track as Irvine says, "Now, we will get some words from our contestants! Who knows, they might end up being their last will and testament, so may as well get them recorded! Let's start with Mister Nobunaga!" The young man stands rather stiffly, his mouth starting to move a mile a minute. "I am Sonico Nobunaga, younger brother of Mach Nobunaga who died in the race held five years prior, on this day I would like to know what he did in such a race, my car is called the 'Transonic Piercer,' it was built by my grandfather and is filled with technology that is certain to bring me the win! Oh and my favourite food is sashimi and my favourite kind of music is anything fast and upbeat." And then, in a sudden burst of fluid motion, he leaps into the driver's seat."

    Next, the drone bobs up to Fujimi, who finishes blowing a bubble before straddling her scooter. "Listen up. If anyone does anything to damage this box," she says, patting the delivery box. "They won't live to see the end of this race. It contains ramen from Takane Ramen, best in the Multiverse. Come on by sometime, my dad is offering a 20% discount when I win this thing!"

    Next up is the Qlown. He gives the camera a sad look and says, "What's black and blue, but paints things red?" A long beat, before he delivers the punchline. "Little Susie." Then he produces a horn and squeezes it. HONK. "Bet you didn't see that coming. Neither did Little Susie." HONK.

    The drone bobs on, to interview Sul-Fate and Bahngah. The mystic leans in and speaks softly, with plenty of hand flourishing. "The two of us have emerged from a charred world, alive. And soon, triumphant. I have seen it in the swirling sands, in the glare of the sun. We and our chariot, 'That Way Up,' will claim victory on this day." The bandaged figure says nothing, their only visible eye glaring balefully at the drone until it moves on.

    Professor Doc leans out of his cabin again and speaks good-naturedly. "Great to be back everyone! I know I've had some mishaps in previous years, but the latest version of the 'Future of Rail' here has sorted out the issues the previous versions had. Nothing can stop me now! You'll see! They'll all see! Hahahahah!"

    Next up, Bobert and Jimothy. Bobert, the one at the front of the horse, strokes his mustache and says, "Don't look at me, just fulfilling a promise to Jim here. Consider me a part of the horse." Jimothy however, merely scratches his mutton chops and says, "Tell them to eat shit Bobert." Wow, rude.

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    And of course, the other racers do get an interview too. But then, it's time for the race to start! Drones descent baring red and green lights, the red ones slowly lighting up...

    "3!"

    "2~!"

    1!"

    "GO~!

    The race begins! Engines rev into life, the clopping of horse hooves mixing in! Everyone is speeding off! Their first destination? The warpgate 3 kilometres ahead!

Lima Ultimos (945) has posed:
As the journalism drone flies up, Lima Ultimos grins excitedly at it. "Lima Ultimos, the Revenant Spaniard! I be here to have some great fun! Remember, kids, don't be trying this at home, aye? Special thanks to me crew for this!"

And then, right as the Go is announced, the ship blasts off, sailing as if it was still on the sea. The sails gain a great burst of wind as the ship rushes forward, showing that even against superspeed cars, it's still pretty damn fast! Speaking into the recorder, he shouts. "I be thinking I'll be making this extra special! Whoever places after me be getting a prize, courtesy of me and me crew! Let's all be playing somewhat fair-ish maybe, aye?~"

Corona Arclite has posed:
Corona Arclite had considered using her buggy. It was definately faster than the drill-truck. But after looking at the rules, or lack of therefor, she decided it was going to take something that can handle a beating. That, and the rig wasn't exactly slow, either. She did take off some of the heavier excess machinery.

When the interviewer drifts her way Corona leans out of the truck cab once more, giving her hat a tip by the brim with one hand as she does so. "Where Ah come from, speed ain't gonna do y'all no good iffen ya can't stand up to what ya ain't gonna outrun. This rodeo's gonna be 'bout more than just who can get to the end first, just ya wait and see."

After that's done she plops back into her seat, reaching up to where she stuck Rory's recording device and adjusts it to make sure to have a good view in front of them. She's worked with him more than enough times to know it's not some kinda of cheating device... and Kotone would probably give him crap if he tried to cheat in her favor, anyways. Then pulls her goggles off her hat and over her eyes properly. "Ah reckon we're read--"

The metal box in the passanger seat interrupts her with a few click-clacks.

"--Oh, rawht." Corona leans over to grab the seatbelt, and buckle it down over the box. "Safety first." Then settles into her own seat and pulls the harness down to buckle in.

And.... GO!

As soon as the signal hits Corona slams a boot down on the pedal and shifts gears, great plumes of embered exhaust belching out of the stacks as the truck nearly literally roared and tore away from the starting line.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa had not expected Rory to want to get involved insuch a way but since there's no rules about uit given Rory's just along for the ride really? It should't be a problem right.

<<Maybe it's due to just culture or being orginally made of meat. The thrill of going faster than Nature ever intended you to go.>>

She hugs the bike now waiting for the signal to go. Kotone is quite excited and she grins waiting for the time to go. She can't help but grin more as she hugs her machine even harder. She does one last check of her bike's link to her own cyberbrain and eveyrthing seems to be good.

"Well we'll see but as someone once said, Corona? Give me fuel, Give me Fire, give me that which I desire."

With that she'll gun it as a moment later the signal to go is given and she's off like a shot.

<<Hang on Rory! This is going to be a wild ride!>>

Sigrun Stem (992) has posed:
After turning down the technobob, Sigrun waits for her turn to be interviewed. Her response to the interview is simple and to the point. "I'm Sigrun Stem, owner of Stem Monster Analysis, Control and Killing. Need a monster taken care of, I am efficient, quick and deadly." She looks at the other contestants at that last word, "I may or may not win, but I will prove to the audience why they may want to hire me. My company is listed with the Syndicate Network."

A bit later, when it's time to go, the winds pick up and that chariot starts to accalerate, quickly going faster than any horse-drawn chariot could go.

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    Along the first stretch, its neck and neck! Yes, even the Qlown on the unicycle is somehow able to keep pace, the one-wheeler leaving a trail of sparkles behind it. The horse gallops, eyes burning with more intensity than most people show in their entire lives!

    They emerge onto the first leg of the race. Driving slightly uphill out of a dead valley, the ground underfoot being cracked and thirsty. The sun burns brightly overhead, offering no blessing of shade on anyone. In a place like this, one could probably expect a straight drive to the checkpoint, while making sure your engine/horse/ship doesn't overheat.

    But once you clear that valley, something sits on the horizon that will certainly present a challenge.

    It's like someone took a grand cathedral and put it on treads. Smoke billows from exhaust that sprouts from it... or are those pipes from an organ? Judging by the music emanating from it, combined with the raised voices of a choir, it might be both! Through cracks in the stonework, glimpses of monks smeared in soot and oil running around to keep this grand machine going can be seen.

    And sitting before the grand dome that tops it is a man in a chair.

    He's dressed like some kind of Pope, but his mitre is made from an engine block. His crook is a coil of twisted metal topped with a micrphone, and his robes are oily aprons. His face is old, withered... and furious. He speaks into his staff, his voice broadcasted for all in the great plain to hear.

    "Infidels who spoil this venerated land! Know that I, the Pope of Oil, oppose your very being! You dare to come here with your daemonic machines, your foul beasts of burden... hath we not suffered enough? Only the Cathedral of Revs has the purity to roam this place! By the grace of God, you shall be purged! DEUS VROOM!"

    A cry of 'DEUS VROOM' rises from the Cathedral as it comes to life. Treads start to spin as it begins to pursue, surprisingly fast for something so huge. From windows that once held broken glass, gunmen emerge, raining down machine-gun fire on the racers! The organ speeds up, as rockets erupt from several pipes, afterburners engaging to pursue!

    The checkpoint is visible as it plummets from the sky, a long metal lance that deploys a green holographic field around it. "And now we enter the first leg of our race in the Killed World! Blackened by some disaster centuries ago, only mechanized buildings remain! And today, we're crossing through the territory of the Cathedral of Revs!" "That's right Irvine~! They're known to be especially merciless to anyone they manage to capture instead of kill, so be careful down there~"

Corona Arclite has posed:
Other drivers and machines may feel the heat from the scorched environment, but Corona and her drill-truck are right at home! Seriously, this is pretty much what Brimsteel is like, save with less sulfuric ash smoldering all over the place. Or at least around this specific valley. Who knows.

It's not until they top the edge of the valley and head for the first leg of the race that things get interesting. Corona leans out of the cab again to peer in the direction of the rolling temple coming to life to give chase. "Whooo whee! That would be pretty gosh darn cool, iffen it wasn't hellbent on tryin' to kill us." Followed by a yelp as she ducks back into the cab as the gunfire starts. "See, told ya we'd need somethin' tough as well as fast."

Her 'co-pilot' emits an erritated whirr in response. The top of the metal cube opens up to extend a clockwork manipulator, reaching for one of the dashboard controls.

"Ah reckon yer right, Tinderbox." Smirk. "Hope they don't mind iffen we smoke." The manipulator grabs the lever and pulls it down.

A deeper rumbling roar emits from the machine, followed by an almost literal eruption of dark smoke from the exhaust stacks. Similar smokey plumes start to emit from the discharge vents sitting alongside the front of the engine hood, and from some unseen emitters underneath the back of the chassis. It doesn't take long for the entire truck to be engulfed in the dark haze it's belching out.

Sure, you can tell the general position of the truck still as it roars across the blistering ground, but not so much where it is within the oily, sooty darkness of the smokescreen. Makes it a bit harder to aim at accurately from way up in those windows.

Rory White (673) has posed:
<<What am I supposed to hold on to?>> Rory's voice comes back. Faint amusement's detectable in her even, otherwise-curious tone. Oh yes, she understands the humor of this statement. Just might be maybe trying to fake not... and failing.

    It's kind of hard to say what to expect from an AGI struggling to work with the WILD SIDE of humanity... and WILD SIDES of all species are on display today.

    In her observations, it's a far more pleasant 'wild side' than she is when she cuts loose. This is something worth meditating on and processing for a good deal of time.

    ... Does weird experimentation with robotics designs in her spare time count? She's not sure. It doesn't involve talking to anyone or competing!

    But now is not a good time to question anyone on these matters.

    The only thing relevant now is GOTTA GO FAST!

Sigrun Stem (992) has posed:
Sigrun's response is pretty straightforward to begin with, she seemingly tears open a hole in the fabric of reality, while a little red orb on the back of her head lights up, the tear is a window in what the little orb sees, and though she also starts moving a little erratically, there's one bigger, more important reason for that.

Whenever some attack gets too close, runes light up in the sky near her, and suddenly solidify into solid force, absorbing most of the blasts, though they still rock her chariot a little. She decides to take advantage of the distraction these guys provide by laying aim, nocking a glass-tipped arrow with the shaft surrounded by some spongy tissue dripping oil.

When she looses that arrow, it rapidly accelerates to supersonic speeds, aiming to collide with the flying ship's sails. Upon contact, the glass shatters and the fire contained within sets the oil on fire, scattering the material that holds it wide, it's hot material that will keep burning for a while.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
The Race was under way not and she's speeding alongusing hte bike like it's a part of her. For all intents and purpoes she is a part of the bike and vice versa at the moment. Shefeels the speed picking up and she gets a bit excited here.

"Pope of Oil?"

She has no idea but she's going to gun it and speeds on trying to not get too much of the Oil Pope's attention.

<<It's a figure of speech!>>

She guns the engine, as her machine picks up speed and she hugs her machine. She'll not focus on dirty tricks for now she just got to go fast.

Lima Ultimos (945) has posed:
Oh no, it's a pope! As a proud religious man, Lima Ultimos can't possibly attack a pope! So he'll let the others do it. Instead, the Coma Navaja is blasted with fire via glass arrow, as the cursed wood catches aflame. Multiple pirates leap from their posts in an attempt to put it out, atleast three catching on fire and atleast one probably burning to death (he'll get better). This causes the ship to temporarily veer off course, slowing it down briefly and putting it farther back in the race, until the captain leaps off of the wheel, running over to adjust the sails. And then leaping back to the wheel. "AYE! Ye want a duel, gladiator? I'll be giving ye a duel to remember!" Lima Ultimos cheers eagerly, as he steers the ship.

The Coma Navaja begins to move in position, until it's directly above Sigrun's chariot. The dark shadow probably makes driving a bit difficult. Finally, there's a sound of a snap and falling...as the anchor slams downwards rapidly, hoping to smash straight into Sigrun's chariot!

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    All the racers are coming under fire! Sonico starts rambling, audible to all via the magic of radio. "My goodness I was not expecting such stiff resistance so fast, that vehicle is quite quick in spite of being so large, but the Transonic Piercer is still capable of greater speeds, hahaha!" He mashes a button on his dashboard, and his car suddenly rockets ahead, well out of the Cathedral's effective range! "Sonico Nobunaga takes an early lead! He's well on the way to be the first through the checkpoint!"

    Fujimi weaves as best she can, but a scooter is not build for this environment. A rocket explodes a little too close, and she is sent flying behind a rock! "Oh no, Fujimi has been blasted away! She seems to be alive, but this is a real blow to her position. Will she recover?!"

    The Qlown... actually pedals up towards the Cathedral. And then his unicycle actually goes up vertically along it. Dodging angry monks along the way, he gets close to the Pope, producing a cream pie from somewhere. He pulls back to throw it... only for the Pope to strike him away with the staff. "BANAL!" he bellows as the Qlown falls, a despairing 'Hooooooooooonk' audible. "The Qlown is down, I repeat, the QLOWN IS DOWN!"

    Sul-Fate and Bahngah's ride gets tumbled by rockets! It bounces along the ground, flipping and turning before landing upside down... only to continue driving! "Here we see the ingenous construction of the 'That Way Up~' Because the wheels are so large and sit outside the body, if the car is flipped, it can continue driving!"

    Professor Doc's engine just barrels on, gunfire bouncing off of it! A rocket actually manages to hit it directly, and it still trundles on! But that smokestack looks a little beat-up now... "The 'Future of Rail' seems unstoppable! I don't think mere attacks will take it out of the race!"

    Jimothy and Bobert also feel the heat from a rocket, which knocks the latter off! He crawls along the ground, groaning while Jimothy brings the horse around! "Leave me!" Bobert yells, the other soldier not listening and climbing off Paul Revere under gunfire to put the man back on. "Oh dear, the horse-mounted soldiers have run into a spot of bother! Will they make it?!"

    Corona's smokescreen does keep the heat off her a bit, the monks deciding to choose their shots a little more carefully. "Cornoa employs a smokescreen gambit to hide from gunfire! Now if it were me, I would veer into the path of other racers to obscure their vision too, but maybe she's not that brilliant."

    Sigrum actually attacks the ghost ship, who retaliates with anchors away! "Ooo, we're already getting into inter-racer conflict! Sigrun Stem starts burning the Coma Navaja's sails, but it retaliates by trying to nail her with an anchor!"

    Kotone guns her engines, taking advantage of her greater speed to outpace the Cathedral! As such, she comes up behind Sonico, pulling close! If she rides his slipstream, she might even pull ahead! "Kotone is gunning ahead, now in a narrow second place behind Sonico Nobunaga!"

    The checkpoint and warpgate is right ahead to the next leg is right ahead... but it looks like the Cathedral might keep pursuing them. And there are the racers having difficulties... what will everyone do?!

Corona Arclite has posed:
It's not that Corona isn't that smart. It's that there is enough heat with the massive fortress-temple rolling after them and she doesn't want to have the other racers gunning for her at the same time!

She's got an entirely different set of tricks in store for when she has to deal with other racers.

But the smokescreen does it's job. A few shots still ring off the drill-truck's exterior, but with the monks' picking their shots more carefully a few well timed ones do less damage that getting bombasted with bullets and rockets would.

By the time the smokescreen starts to fade Corona's vehicle is pulling farther ahead than the larger temple-tank. The truck may not be as fast as the Piercer or Kotone's cycle, but this parched landscape is the environment it was built in and for, so it is doing little to slow it down in it's headlong dash for the checkpoint/warpgate.

Rory White (673) has posed:
<<You're doing very well! It looks like the others are busy fighting each other. This is a very violent race... but they can't target us if we leave them in the dust!>>

    Rory has some confident in Kotone's engineering, but with all of the wacky things going on... she's no longer so sure that will be enough.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is coming under fire now she's forced to start moving in and out weaving and dsoding the incoming fire. She's got a few tricks on her ride, but nothing in theline of heavy weapons. She sees as Qlown gets clowned and is out of the race. She tries to not think about the honl as there's a lotmore to worry about. She also knows in pulling ahead is going to make her a target. she is wise to what Corona said as there's truth to that what she had said. 5R
She's going to shift her machine trying to ride Sonico's slipstreamand attempt to get to the check point, but if she does take first? She'll be a target for everyone else in the end.

<<Don't worry I got a few little tricks if people get into a fight, still thiscraft isn't armed too well.>>

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    Racers pass through the checkpoint! Every time one does, a hologram of their face springs up, denoting the order in which they passed through! And then from there, it's a short drive through the warpgate to the next leg! Racers are dumped onto a long highway that stretches across the sky of a vast city. It's constructed from segments that slowly start to split up ahead!

    "We're onto the second leg now, in beautiful Luminatic~! This city of the future has an amazing Skyway, which permits the construction of new roads on the fly for travellers~ But I don't think they're happy to be hosting the race this year!" And indeed, a commanding voice comes from speakers on the Skyway segments. "ATTENTION MEGAMOTOR RACERS. YOU ARE VIOLATING LAW. STOP YOUR VEHICLES AND SURRENDER, OR FACE A PLUMMET TO THE CITY BELOW. ANY DAMAGED CAUSED BY YOUR FALL WILL BE ADDED TO YOUR LIST OF CRIMES."

    Sonico Nobunaga decides to take the low road today. Immediately, he drives off the Skyway, the Transonic Piercer suddenly deploying gliding wings! Thus, he gently soars underneath the road, avoiding the worst of it.

    Sul-Fate and Bahngah decide to risk it though! The 'That Way Up' deploys mines in front of the car, which then explode as they drive over them, allowing them to leap from section to section!

    The 'Future of Rail' charges ahead, deploying a massive rocket engine from the rear! It blasts off, making the jump from section to section through sheer horizontal acceleration! But, that damaged smokestack is starting to smoulder a bit...

    And then, bringing up the rear? The Cathedral emerges, making the Skyway rock back on impact. It's engines are grand, but it starts sliding back! And then... Fujimi, the Qlown and Bobert and Jimothy ride from the warpgate, using the Cathedral's dome to get some air and land on some Skyway segments floating vertically! For a scooter, a horse, and a unicycle, the thin platform provided is easily navigated, allowing them to start closing the gap! The Cathedral finally plummets to the city below, the Pope screaming all the way down, the choir silenced...

Sigrun Stem (992) has posed:
The anchor did the job, smashing half a wheel of Sigrun's chariot. While her vehicle is crippled by that, it's not sufficiently taken out of the action to prevent her from making it out of the area. The next area, as the road disappears below her, her vehicle actually speeds up.

Without friction, the wind elemental pulling her chariot can go faster, and the landing on the ground is smooth. She redirects her path to another warpgate, leaving the course rather than attempt to make it to the next checkpoint and continue a lost race.

Corona Arclite has posed:
A few click-clacks and an aggitated buzz-bleep emits from the box buckled in next to her. "Yeah, yer right Tinderbox. Seems like maybe goin' the places that didn't want us was not the best way to make a challenge." Corona shrugs though, and stomps on the throttle again. "But ain't no turnin' back now!"

Maybe it was a good thing she wasn't up in the lead, because Corona has a chance to see what the road sections are doing moving about ahead of them. "This might be a wee bit more tricky..." She gives the metal box a nudge with her elbow. "Better go wake yer big brothah."

Tinderbox gives a buzz-click, extending four of the manipulators out of it's body to shimmy out of the seat belt, and climb out the back of the cab into the bed. It clomps down on the machinery back there, and smacks another panel of some sort with one of the manipulators. The machinery rattles around a bit, gearworks click-chunking as it shifts itself back together.

Just as the drill-truck is about to drive off the edge of the first platform the larger automatronic cube stands up from the bed, its legs grabbing onto the sides of the truck's chassis. It's arms extend out to grab the next platform moving away with its manipulators, and hoists the truck up onto that platform. Corona leans out of the cab a bit, if only to wave her hat overhead while givin' a whooping hollah.

At the end of that platform the cube-drone switchs, grabbing the truck with it's arms and dropping its legs over the sides, jumping as the truck leaves the platform to use its momentum and hoist it upward to launch onto the next. The same combination of jumping, driving and swinging continues to get from section to section.

Lima Ultimos (945) has posed:
Enemy down! The crew of the Coma Navaja cheers, finally putting out the fire, as Lima Ultimos looks at the enemies afar. Seems they're at a new world...a city. But someone that's not them is in the lead! He'll have to try and take them down! "Jesus, Tigerbabble, both of you take the wheel!" Jesus is not available for comment, but Tigerbabble, the quartermaster of the Coma Navaja, takes the wheel, steering. Meanwhile, Lima Ultimos ties a rope to himself, grabs the recorder...

And dives off the ship, swinging forward. The dread pirate slams forward, bouncing briefly onto the bridge below facefirst, before launching back upwards, positioning himself to use the air to land on top of Corona's cab. Once on top, he tips over the side to speak to her. "Ahoy, lass! I be here to borrow ye roof. Just keep driving and I'll be shooting!" Drawing a rifle, Lima Ultimos takes aim, and fires at Sonico, attempting to shoot anything on his vehicle /but/ him, since he has a no kill rule. "Yahhahaa! This be way too much fun!"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa and her currently sapient bike, make it to the check point somehow. She's just trying to keep on the road. She grimace as the Oil Pope and his ride goes into one hell of a crash there is no Deus Ex machina to save their place in the race. She's not sure about htier life whe's about to say morebut then comes the local law, wait this is the set up of the race? How did she get into something like this.,

She's got to gun it and worry about not getting sent off the road she does not want to end up like the Cathedral did.

She's not quite sure, and she's got to well start doing some crazy ass jumps and she's not even sure she can do this now. Still her bike's got some good suspenation and she may indeed pull some slick ramp jumps as she tries to not do a half gainer off the track.

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    Sigrum Stem withdraws! "Sigrum has exited the world? Is this some off-track ploy, or... no, I am getting confirmation she is pulling from the race Sorry everyone who bet on her!" Meanwhile, Lima makes a daring dive onto another vehicle, before shooting at another! The wings on the Transonic Piercer are ruptured, forcing Sonico to drive down a building! "Sonico Nobunaga is being forced to drive the city streets! All those turns and traffic will put quite a dent in his position I think~"

    Corona navigates the segments with her drill truck's arms! It's not exactly fast, but it helps keep her in the race! Everyone riding the Skyway soon finds an off-ramp leading to the checkpoint, situated in front of City Hall! Race officials are fending off the police to defend it as everyone drives by! Kotone has actually managed to squeak into the lead now, with Sonico far behind thanks to Lima.

    "It's amazing how fast things can change in one leg! The front runner is now dead last, and those thought lost are holding up in the middle of the pack! Hold on folks, the next leg is coming up!" Through the warpgate, out onto a muddy highway that extends across plains, entrenched between high stone walls on each side! "Welcome to the Beseiged Highway! Here, feudal lords fortify their entire region, leaving roads as netural paths between grand walls and aggressive defenders! Racers better watch out, because old fashioned weaponry is still dangerous!"

    And indeed, the defenders leap into action as the racers speed past. Wall-mounted ballistae fires bolts tied to chains at the road, aiming to skewer vehicles, or at least block their path! Boiling pitch and oil is dumped down, while flaming boulders are launched from catapults further inside the territories!

    Fujimi's nimble little scooter actually uses those chains to her advantage, by riding up them to drive along the walls themselves! That banner on her scooter is removed to be used as a weapon to knock away defenders! The Qlown does the same, striking out with cream pies and black humour. Sul-Fate and Bahngah's car is pinned by bolts, forcing them to get out and try to pry them free under enemy fire!

    On such a straight path, the 'Future of Rail' shows its strength! But that smouldering smokestack is looking pretty bad now. Can the veteran racer's machine hold up?! Bobert and Jimothy and Paul Revere are right at home, the muddy ground underfoot galloped through by the horse, while heavier vehicles might get a bit stuck. Finally, Sonico catches up, and since the defenders have used up most of their ammunition by the time he arrives, he has some pretty smooth sailing ahead.

Corona Arclite has posed:
Corona Arclite sticks her head for a moment to reply to Lima. "Normally Ah don't take hitchhikers, but as long as ya ain't shootin' at -me- Ah can't complain."

As soon as they're on the stable off-ramp the arms and limbs of the automatronous device retract back into the bed of the truck. Just in time too, as the next leg of the race turns out to be a gauntlet of obstacles and enemy fire! "Holy hell in a handbasket, is this race to win or just -survive-?!" Not that Corona sounds all too deterred by it.

Even as she has to veer wildly to the side to avoid getting skewered by a ballista harpoon and chain! Good thing the reinforced metal treads and ridges on her trucks' wheels give her plenty traction. Though it might still be a wild ride for Lima if he doesn't decide to hop off the truck again.

Much like the Future of Rail, the drill-truck is proving that Corona was right to consider power and endurance as much as speed. Flaming pitch and hot oil splash down upon the track, and boulders slam hard into the ground ahead. But the hot liquids are no match for the truck, build for Brimsteel's volcanic environment.

The boulders and spears hitting the track? Corona revs up that big drill up front and just plows right through them!

She also pulls out her plasma shotgun, and leans out the window to take a few potshots at the wall defenders, trying to knock over their vats of oil the other way before they can dump them! But since she's focusing on surviving the obstacles, she's not driving as fast as the others and more holding her position than trying to get ahead. Survival first, winning later!

Lima Ultimos (945) has posed:
"Ye seem to be a good spirit! I'd be happy to let you take second place, once I be getting rid of the rest of these competitors." Lima Ultimos grins from his seat on the top, but is quickly sent flying as she veers off. He bounces down into the road, gets pegged by a harpoon, and set on fire. After a few minutes, he regains control of himself, and bounces back towards Corona's car, looking a bit worse for wear. "Waagh! Sorry bout that, I be forgetting me harness! Now ye seem like a survivor, so ye keep driving and I'll be firing!" Well, it seems he's trying to make an alliance here!

As Kotone and her bike get first place, Lima's shelving the rifle and pulling out a pair of flintlock pistols. He has two more on his chest, in holders. "Now then, metal horse girl! Ye'll need to be pulling over here!" He begins firing the pistols, swapping to the next pair when he's out. This is four total shots, but for pistols, they're pretty fast and pretty strong. He's not aiming for Kotone, but her bike, trying to veer it off course. Once the pistols are out, he grabs his rifle again, readying it in an attempt to shoot /in front/ of her in order to make Kotone veer off course. "How do you like that?!"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
The Race take another turn as they make it to anotehr check point and she pushes for the ramp to get out of the skyway, now she's ending up somewhere new with Roy. She has no idea wher they are going and now they are dealing with Feudal Lords? Oh dear she better watch the road as well as for weapons of thelocals. She shifts on the bike and she's better suited for off roead but she's now got a problem she's got osmeone coming over to there.

"Shouldn't you be back in Pirate bay!?!"

IS her reply to Lima and then she sees COrona is going to be a heck of an issue fo rher as well possibly the things hitting the track force her to shift and dodge even as LIma attempt to shoot her. Mass is mass, and a olf fling lock is firing something more akin to a shotgun slug than anormal modern bullet. They fell out of use to to accuracy issues rather than just how hard she's hit, She's able to dodge some of the shots, but? one does connect and all the while it is slo2ing her ride down, however she'll be pushing on for Corona, she's got a present for her and Lamia...if she can keep pace with Lamia's well played attack.

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    As Corona barrels ahead, her drill spinning to destroy ant obstacles in her path, she breaks the chains on the bolts that pin down the 'That Way Up!' She's made the job much easier for the two as they get it running again, but they've fallen quite far behind! "We're all gathered up in one group again, save for Sul-Fate and Bahngah, as we head into the next leg of the race everyone~!" The checkpoint is situated at a crossroad, and the next warpgate just beyond that. Through it, and the racers emerge on a starry road in a black space-like void. It glimmers, somehow able to hold the weight of vehicles, the path ahead twisting and turning with no rails to protect you from a tumble into the void. "Welcome to the Celestial Path! This twisting space road is a recurring stop in the MegaMotor race, testing the limits of your steering abilities! One slip, and it's all over folks!"

    It is at this point that things start getting aggressive. This is the perfect place to take out your fellow racers for good, after all! Sonico starts muttering into the radio, "This is where he fell, this is where my elder brother lost the race and quite possibly his life I cannot make the same mistakes I will win! I WILL WIN FOR YOU BROTHER!" He guns his engines, trying to pull ahead again! Fujimi takes that banner and jams it into his tyre wheel though, sending him spinning, but not off the track thankfully. "Sorry man, I'll give you some ramen later to make up for it!"

    The Qlown however, starts bouncing his unicycle to LEAP, trying to catch onto one of the ropes of the Coma Navaja! Should he succeed, he starts climbing it, to pie and seltzer every crew member! At which point, the chemical reaction between the two causes them to combust.

    Professor Doc's engine is really smoking now, but he's not giving up! He comes alongside Corona's truck... and tires to ram it side-on! "Sorry my dear, but I won't face failure five years in a row! You raced well, I hope to see you again!" And then he tries again! If those hits don't do it, the probable explosion that's coming will!

    The two horse-mounted soldiers can't really do much against armoured vehicles. So instead, they get a little tricky! Paul Revere is urged to leap off the road, to plummet... to another section of road below, to try and get ahead!

    Finally, Sul-Fate and Bahngah catch up, emerging onto the starry road... only to be crushed by what comes after them. The Cathedral of Revs, bleeding smoke and oil from the damage it suffered from the fall, but still going! "INFIDELS!" the Pope screams, the dome starting to open up to reveal a missile! No matter where that's aimed, it can't be good for the race!

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa doesn't know if she's going to win, but she's going to certainly try a few thing on Corona and her pirate partner. She just got tag teramed by a cowboy and a pirate. Some might accuse of of becoming some kind of cyborg ninja. She's going to push ahead now trying to burn as much power as she can to the enigne.

<<Here we go Rory!>>

She'll attempt to pull infront front of her. She'll issue a command dropping not only an oilslick but also caltrops as well as she tries to retake the lead she's lost and not even Corona would be safe from her!

Rory White (673) has posed:
<<Under fire! We are under fire!>> Rory warns Kotone frantically. She can, unfortunately, do pretty much NOTHING in the situation she's in. Her only meaningful choices available is evacuating the bike in an emergency.R
    She already made sure to take a full backup of her Ego in case this turned out to be madness and the bike was utterly destroyed.

    Seems that might've been a good idea indeed...

    She can only bewilderedly groan about the Feudral zone though. <<WHY ARE THEY SHOOTING US? WE HAVE NOT ATTACKED.>>

    ... And then... it's a road in space.

    There are no words for this.

    EXCEPT FOR INSANITY.

    <<... We should not do this again. Too much risk for questionable reward!>>

Corona Arclite has posed:
Once they're past the checkpoint Corona shuts down the drill, shifting gears and putting more power back into actual speed. She only half makes out what Liam has been shouting from above while shooting, and frankly, at this point she doesn't really care about placing so much as surviving! That's where the real challenge is.

Never let it be said that the MegaMotor Race doesn't live up to it's reputation. If it's a good reputation or a bad one is up to the viewer.

There's a resounding *FWAM* of heavy machinery against heavy machinery as the future-train pulls up to slam into the side of the drill-truck. It fishtails back and forth a bit before Corona can get it back under control, scattering mud and pitch it'd picked up from the previous leg all over the track.

But despite skidding close to the edge Corona keeps the truck going, careening a bit as it veers around a corner, and then here comes Prof Doc again. This time though she's ready, and Corona veers right into the incoming train to take the sideswipe. There's lots of sparks spraying up from between the two powerhouse machines as they shove back and forth between each other.

The co-pilot cube bleeps and grinds gears wilding to protest the shaking about, fumbling its manipulators to get it's seatbelt back on. Only to squack with annoyance when Corona smacks her fist on top of the metal box, popping open his lead and reach inside to grab something.

Then she pulls her truck apart from the train, and leans out the cab. "That's mighty nice of ya, Doc. But ya see, there's one li'l thing." Toothy grin. "Ah work on trains fer a livin'."

That's when Corona takes the oversized wrench she pulled out of Tinderbox's storage, and throws it into the engine's wheel assemblies! There is almost no way that's not going to get caught up in there. "An' that means knowin' how to BREAK EM too!"

Corona is polite enough to give one last tip of her hat to the Professor though, before hitting the throttle and trying to pull away before his train goes haywire!

Lima Ultimos (945) has posed:
"Where be this Pirate Bay? Last one I be going to turned into a resort island! And, well, Port Royale, been there, done that!" Lima Ultimos readies another shot at Kotone but a caltrop flies back, bounces off the oil slick, and sticks to his face. He seems to be in pain. Ripping it out and tossing it behind him, he's about to chase after her, but notices Qlown attacking his ship! "Pies? Seltzer? That maniac, he be going to ruin EVERYTHING!" Lima Ultimos looks down into the recorder, fiddling with it. "Aye, lemme show ye how I be defeating a clo-"

BOOM!

The recorder explodes in his face, sending Lima Ultimos flying backwards. His rope tangles into Qlown's rope, sending him flying face first into the sad clown. "Ahoy there! I ain't be letting you mess with me crew! I BE THE CAPTAIN HERE!" He proceeds to draw his sword, fumble with it for a minute, and then cut through Qlown's rope, hoping he falls to the track below (or past it).

Once that's done, he'll pull himself up, retake the wheel, and attempt to speed forward to take the lead. Cannons begin firing at every available target except for Corona, who gets a free pass! "THIS IS THE COMA NAVAJA! YE AIN'T GONNA BE BEATING US!"

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    It's getting to be a tight race! Corona's gambit executes flawlessly, as the 'Future of Rail' loses speed and actually flips! The good Professor ejects just in time, as the Cathedral rolls over it. And finally, that smouldering gives way to an explosion, one that rips through the mechanized building, sending it tilting. The missile fires, but off course!

    Meanwhile, Lima send the Qlown plummeting before he can do much to his precious crew! He falls, letting out a despairing 'hooooooonk'... until he realizes he's falling towards the burning Cathedral, at which point it rises it pitch. Out comes another pie as he descends towards the Pope!

    Splat

    BOOM!

    Whatever is in those pies, it's more than banana and cream, as an explosion rocks the papal seat, Qlown and Pope lost in it. The missile swerves, coming back... and impacts the Celestial Path, causing it to start shattering. Again, the Cathedral of Revs plummets into the endless void. There's no way it's coming back from that.

    But now the race is even more urgent! The checkpoint and exit is just up ahead, with the path breaking up behind! Everyone guns it as hard as they can to make it, but the cannonballs from the ghostly ship are making it hard! Sonico, still recovering from the banner to the wheels, takes one just as he reaches the warpgate, the Transonic Piercer crumbling on the other side!

    To lose in sight of the finish line is a harsh blow indee-FINISH LINE?!

    "It's the final stretch everyone! 3km between racers and glory! The gap between victory and loss will be measured in mere inches it looks like!" "Go for broke everyone~! This is the time to use anything you've saved up! End this race with no regrets~!"

    Fujimi takes out a bottle and dumps it into her scooter's fuel tank. The exhaust splutters with blue flames as the nitro boost sends it careening forward! Bobert and Jimothy gallop forward on the Paul Revere when, just short of the line, the horse bucks! A spring mounted in the saddle launches the crippled Jimothy forward, a last ditch attempt at getting him over the line!

Lima Ultimos (945) has posed:
Well, it seems Lima Ultimos inadvertantly led to the death of a holy man. He removes his hat and puts it to his chest in shame, says a few words, and puts it back on before leaving the wheel. They're at the final stretch. They're not going to win, too large of a target, too fast. So, the solution: get someone he actually /likes/ the first prize. Jimothy and Bobert cursed, therefore they're no good!

Walking to the very front of the ship, Lima Ultimos stands at the tip, as Tigerbabble takes the wheel again. "Aye, men! Full speed ahead! Fire all cannons! RAM THAT TRUCK AS HARD AS YE CAN!"

The cannons keep firing, even faster. They're being targeted at every racer but Corona...whose truck will feel a strong CRASH as the flying pirate ship slams into it from behind at full speed. Lima Ultimos isn't trying to destroy it. /He's trying to let it win/.

Corona Arclite has posed:
Corona Arclite really appreciates not being shot at! She's got enough to worry about just making the twisty twiny turns without skidding off the edge.

Not to mention the Cathedral blowing itself up and taking part of the road with it, causing it all to start crumbling apart behind them. "Musta been load bearing...", the vixen mutters, even as she gets around the curves and opens the throttle up wide. This is it, the final push!

Which turns out to be a lot more accurate than Corona thought it would be when the Coma Navaja, admist its barrage of cannons, comes down and drives hard into the back of the truck! That is one hell of a final push in so many senses of the word, sending the truck wailing down the final stretch of the track!

"HOOOLD OOOOON!" If it wasn't for wearing gloves her knuckles would be white with how tightly she's clenching that wheel to make sure it -stays- on the track with that final push!

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is coming under fire, she's ready for it, this time knowing Limia is up to try and gun down anyone else trying to win iut she'll b e evading the incoming attacks as well he's got a lot of targets and she's not focusing on her alone this time. It is time to go for broke though she replies to Rory.

<<Look it's getting my work notice which is whatI need. Beisdies this is insane but fun....let's try to win this!>>

She floors it now doing every last bit of speed she can get out of her machine as she guns for the finish line, let everyone else fight it out!

Starlight Bandits has posed:
    Cameras flash as the black and white chequered flag is waved. Truly a photo finish! "It's over! It's all over! We're developing the picture to see who won folks, please be patient!" The crowd is abuzz with chatter, the hearts of other racers hammering...

    "Ladies and gentlemen... I am pleased to give you this year's winner of the Multiversal MegaMotor... CORONA ARCLITE!" The crowd goes wild as Corona's picture is put up on the display, along with the picture showing her drill tip being just slightly in front of Jimothy's nose over the finish line.

1ST: CORONA ARCLITE
        2ND: JIMOTHY
            3RD: KOTONE YAMAKAWA

    The crowd is cheering for the three placers! Confetti rains down, champagne is offered! The Qlown bikes across some banners somehow, juggling! The speakers transmit the sounds of a struggle before the commentator's ship ejects the pilot! "Thanks for coming out everyone! Molly and I are gonna go on a looting spree in the worlds that were destabilized by this year's race!" "I hope you all had a good time~ Drive home safely everyone!"

Lima Ultimos (945) has posed:
Lima Ultimos didn't place as a medalist, but did indeed get 4th! After the race ends, each of the top three placing competitors will get a large keg of gunpowder, some ale, and pizza coupons to the Multiversal chain Joe's Pizzeria. Truly a glorious prize to be had!