Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Zip Racer - Episode 3
The sun was high in the sky over the desert as Kiki, Nina and Jinx sat down at the bar in the Zip Club. The name may have been corny, but they sold the best cocktails for miles. “The usual, when you’re ready Jaz.” The bartender smiled. “Three Breezers comin’ up.” He winked at Jinx, who gave him the usual flirty smile. Kiki nudged her with her elbow as Jaz went down the bar to get their drinks. “You’ve been eyeing each other for the last three weeks, why don’t you just ask him out?” Jinx frowned. “K, do you remember what happened the last time I asked a guy out? They don’t call me Jinx for nothing, you know.” Nina shook her head. “They call you Jinx cos you were born on Friday 13th. That’s the only reason. Now stop being so superstitious and ask him out!”
Nina was never usually so blunt, but she could never stand any of the superstitious bull that Jinx came out with. It wasn’t really Jinx’s fault, as she couldn’t help when she was born. Her parents had always delighted in sharing ancient superstitions with her. It had made her rather paranoid. Nina’s brash response took Jinx by surprise, and so decided to take the chance. “Fine, I’ll ask him out!” She was trying to sound annoyed, but there was no disguising the smile on her face. She stood up and headed down the bar before she could loose her nerve. Nina and Kiki smiled at each other. It would be good to see her dating again. After her last boyfriend she had almost gone of boys completely. It was about time she met a nice guy.
After a few minutes, Jinx returned with their drinks. She was all smiles. “I take it it went well then?” Jinx nodded as she handed Kiki her Breezer. “We’re going to the Krash Katz concert on Friday night. Apparently, he got tickets just so he could invite me.” Nina clapped her hands. “Well it’s about time!” The girls laughed and Jinx sat down next to them again, thoroughly thrilled with herself. Kiki took a long sip of her drink, shivering as she swallowed the icy blue liquid. It looked like things were going well for everyone. Jinx had a date, Nina’s career as an actress was about to kick off, and Kiki… Well, almost everyone.
Though she would never admit it, Kiki had been hurt when Dax had been chosen for the pro leagues. It had been her ambition for years, and Dax had only raced that day for the hell of it. But she could think of no one who deserved it more. He was a great racer, almost better than she was. There was no use moping. She would get there someday too, and they would be the hottest pair the leagues had ever seen, both on the track and off it. She really did miss him a lot. She could barely remember the last time he had kissed her… Kiki shook herself slightly, snapping herself out of it. She never usually got so soppy. It had just been so long. Too long.
Two hours later, the girls finished their drinks and thanked Jaz, who insisted on paying for them. They headed out of the bar, squinting in the evening sunlight. The sun was moving towards the west, and would be setting in about two hours. They decided to head back to the track, where they could practice their favourite sport. They settled down in the shade of the mech shed, watching the guys repairing damaged boards and breaking open the old ones for parts. Nina and Jinx were chatting and laughing, trying to decide which mechanic would be the best match for Nina. But again, Kiki was distracted. She slipped back into daydreams about Dax, and the day they had met. The day they had raced. She pulled his jacket close around her, remembering every detail in his face.
After a while, Nina and Jinx noticed Kiki wasn’t saying a word, just staring into space. They smirked at each other. Nina snapped her fingers in front of her face, trying to wake her up. “Yo K, come back down to earth will you?” Kiki blinked and sighed. “Sorry, I just zoned out there for a while.” Jinx smirked. “We noticed.” Kiki smiled, looking up at the sky. “Hey guys, I’m gonna head home. I have a cat to feed and an early race tomorrow. Meet me here at nine?” The two nodded, standing up to give her a hug before she left. They waved until she turned the corner. Kiki ran across the street to her apartment building, opened the door and jogged up the stairs. She turned the key in her door and opened it, Rika streaking down the hall to greet her. She picked up the silver tabby, scratching her ears and headed for the kitchen. Her foot knocked against something as she went through the door. Looking down, she saw a rucksack with a howling wolf logo. It wasn’t hers.
She put down the cat and headed for the bedroom. There on the bed was a magnificent silver wolf with huge green eyes. Its head was resting on its paws, waiting for her. Kiki smiled as it lifted its head and pricked its ears, looking straight at her. “It’s you.” In response, the wolf began to change until it was no longer a wolf. There was now a nineteen year old boy sitting on the bed, his eyes as large and green as the wolf’s had been. “It’s me.”

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Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Zip Racer - Episode 2
The countdown hit zero and the fourteen racers shot forwards, weaving in and out of each other at ferocious speeds, already competing for first place. Kiki left the other racers behind almost instantly, but Heart was already on her tail. When it came to the last stretch, Kiki knew well it was going to be a fight. Pure board on board war. That was the way it was last time, and her inexperience at “board bashing” had lost her the race. But not this time. This time she would win. She could taste it. Jackson was a good racer, but she wasn’t worried. His Racemaster was very strong and sturdy, but Kiki’s Zipper had the speed and manoeuvrability of a dragonfly. If he wanted to knock her off her board, he’d have to catch her first.
Kiki was a natural. So much so that Jackson Heart was the only person ever to beat her. Except, of course, for Dax. He had been a mechanic for the Santa Liza racetrack when Kiki and Nina first started going there. (Jinx had not yet moved to Santa Liza). They were sitting in the shade of the mech shed on a Saturday afternoon, talking about the six packs on the young mechanics, when he walked over and challenged Kiki to a race. If he won, he got to take her out on a date. It may have been cheesy, but it worked. He won the race and they had been going out for almost two years. Kiki still insists that she let him win.
Back in the race, she was doing well. Heart was ahead of her, the giant winged heart on the back of his jacket showing the true size of his over-inflated ego. There was no point in trying to get ahead of him this early. She’d just be wasting engine fuel and her own energy. She could tell he was getting cocky though. Just to make sure, she tapped the speed pad with her foot and brought her speed up a notch. Now she was level. She smirked at him through the flying dust, doing a couple of trick manoeuvres just to get the point across. She wasn’t sure if he recognised her, but he got the message. He revved his engine, returning the smirk. “Idiot.” She thought. Revving the engine on a zip board did nothing but make noise and waste fuel. And she used to admire this amateur. Now, he was nothing more than a prat with a logo and board.
They rounded a bend, and the final stretch was in site. As soon as they entered the gorge, sensors would be triggered and an alarm would sound. This was the signal that the board bashing could begin. The gorge was lined with thick forest and scree covered slopes, with a river flowing through it. Not really a place you want to fall off your board. As soon as the alarm sounded, Jackson swooped in, slamming his board in Kiki’s. The shock rattled her and sent her hurtling towards the wall of the gorge. At the last second, she pulled off a tricky break turn and flew at Heart, smashing into the side of his board and taking the lead. She could hear the gorge camera’s swivelling in their cradles as she passed, and thought of Nina and Jinx, who would undoubtedly be watching on the jumbo screens above the finish line. She could hear Jackson behind her, urging his board on. He was catching up. “We’ll see about that.” She thought, pulling her board upwards and out of the gorge, her hair forming a chestnut stream behind her as she accelerated. She could see the finish line now, could see her victory. She was brought back to the now with a heavy thump that sent her jolting forwards. Heart had slammed into the back of her board. But Kiki’s balance was impeccable, and she didn’t so much as move a foot. What’s more, the jolt pushed her further ahead, giving her a clear lead. All she had to do is hold it for a little longer…
A cheer erupted as the winner crossed the line. Kiki leapt from her board in triumph the second she was clear. Her face filled the screens and the caption read “Krashin’ Kiki wins again!” Nina and Jinx dived on her as soon as she was off the board. She had beaten him. The only guy that had ever won against her. Except of course for Dax, but, as Kiki insisted, that didn’t count.
Jackson made his way over to her as soon as the cheering had stopped and Nina and Jinx had let her go. “Good race.” He said, holding out his hand. Kiki shook it, perfect in her part as the humble winner. “You too.”
“You’ve really improved at the board bashing. That was you I raced here a year ago, wasn’t it?” Kiki put on her best puzzled face. “Oh, have we raced before? Sorry, I don’t think I remember.” She turned, took the arms of her friends, and left Heart to tend to his bruised ego.
Nina imitated her as they walked away from the track. “Oh, have we raced before? Sorry, I can’t remember. Ha! Can’t remember? You’ve only been looking for a rematch for the last YEAR!!” Jinx laughed. “Well, it was a memorable race. When you’re used to wins the losses stand out a lot. Heart is the only guy ever to beat her.” Nina giggled. “Well, I don’t care who he’s beaten, or lost to. He’s still the hottest guy racer on the track.” Now Kiki had to speak. “Hey, what about Dax?” Nina looked at her. “You’re not still hung up on HIM are you? He’s been gone for a whole month!” Kiki sighed. “He’s gone to try out for the pro leagues, who knows how long the heats will take? Besides, he promised he’d send a message, either telling me to come out or that he was coming back. I trust him.” Jinx snorted. “What?!” Kiki was getting pissed off now. “Come on K, he takes up your dream and then doesn’t even let you come and watch? Seems a little mean to me.” Kiki shook her head. “He was offered a spot in the pro heats, not me. And I didn’t go because I had important races here. If I don’t show that I’m a good amateur, I’ll never even be considered.”
Jinx and Nina looked guilty. “We’re sorry K, we know you miss him. And it’s your dream to go pro. We’re just trying to look out for you.” Nina nodded in agreement. “Yeah, no one screws with us three.” Jinx smiled. “Well, not if they know what’s good for them, anyway!” The three girls laughed and headed towards the bar.

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Zip Racer - Episode 1
Kiki rolled over in her bed and tried to block out the sound of shouting and zip engines from the track below. Those machines were fun to ride, but murder to listen to when you live next to the main racing ground. Kiki loved to race, but she also loved to sleep, so her choice of apartment may not have been the wisest.
Eventually, she gave in to the inevitable, and stumbled out of bed and into the shower. The water was cold, as usual, but she was used to it by now. After a quick wash, she climbed out and towelled herself dry. Leaving her chestnut hair to dry of its own accord, she pulled on her jeans, t-shirt and, most importantly, Dax's racing jacket. He had given it to her on their third date. That was almost two years ago. The jacket was her most prised possession, just as it had been to Dax.
She threw on her trainers and grabbed her zip board from the corner. In its compact state, it was about the size of a small plate. When fully extended it would be about as big as the box for an extra large pizza. Zip boards are pure scientific engineering, combining a skateboard and a hovercraft to form a truly incredible vehicle. The design was perfected years ago, and any modern modifications do nothing to improve the performance of the boards. Kiki’s board was a Zipper 900, the best model ever built, and the most valuable.
With the jacket and her vintage board, she was a legend on the track. Krashin’ Kiki, that’s what they called her. She had built up a reputation on the track after her very first race. She had always been a natural with a board, and that race showed it. The odds of newcomers winning on their first try were 100 to 1, and the one person that bet on her became a very rich man.
Kiki’s board had been a real clunker back then. She had had to repair it herself five minutes before the race, because she couldn’t afford a mechanic. The result was literally explosive. In the final lap of the race, it was just her and Corin Shanks, the greatest racer ever to grace the Santa Liza racing ground. The last lap of the race is always the most intense, as there will always be some kind of solid objects, whether it’s trees or rocky mountains, to obstruct the racers and cause them to crash. It is also the only part of the race where the contestants are allowed to purposely bump into each other. Kiki’s clunker took one hit too many under the onslaught of Corin’s titanium board, and buckled as she approached the finish line. Realizing the inevitable, she had jumped from the board and over the white line, looking up just in time to see the sparking board set fire to its fuel tank and explode in a shower of steel and engine fuel.
Despite the loss of her board, Kiki won the race. There is nothing in the rules of the sport that states that the racer must be on the board when crossing the line, only that both board and racer must cross before their opponents in order to win. Grand-standers in the pro races would often leap from their board and over the line when they were assured victory. Kiki’s win earned her a place in the Santa Liza Hall Of Fame, under “most impressive first race”.
Kiki took the stairs to the ground floor two at a time, wanting to get into the next race. Nina and Jinx would be waiting for her. The track was just a patch of desert just outside the town of Santa Liza, and Kiki could watch every race from her window. She walked through the crowds of people surrounding the various souvenir and snack stands. Zip races always attracted crowds, especially tourists. Even the unofficial races of this small town brought in hundreds of spectators.
Kiki found Nina and Jinx sitting in the shade of the mech shed, watching the young, shirtless mechanics repairing damaged boards. “I didn’t know guy watching was on the agenda for this morning.” She laughed. The girls stood up, batting the dust from their jeans. “We know.” Replied Jinx. “Just thought we’d get a look in while we were waiting for you.” Nina smiled and nodded in agreement. “Well, come on, you can look at hot mechanics all day. I have a race to win.” She took each of their arms and they walked together towards the race co-ordination office, where the contestants put their names down for their races. Nina looked up at the huge contestant board above them. “Of course, Jackson Heart is back!”
Jackson Heart was the only person to ever beat Kiki in a zip race, and she had been wanting a rematch ever since. “I presume that’s why you’re so eager to race this morning.” Said Jinx, even though she already knew the answer to her question. Kiki nodded, took her racer slip from the man at the office window and took up her position at the starting line. There he was, right beside her. Jackson Heart, surrounded as usual by his crowd of female admirers. Kiki couldn’t exactly blame them. He was gorgeous, and a great racer. But this time, she was going to beat him. She didn’t care how hot he was, he was going down.
The blue light on the signal board over the starting line flickered on, signalling the contestants to mount their boards. At once, fourteen compact boards were flung forwards to hover in the air in front of their owners. With a loud shiic each board expanded, making plenty of room for the racers to stand on. The fourteen contestants hopped onto their boards and watched the timer on the board go through the fifteen-second countdown to the start of the race. “Well,” she thought, as the timer hit one, “here goes nothing.”


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