MotorStorm: Blazing Trail

Story takes place in the Pacific Rift era, two years after the festival in the Arizona desert, and is in the first person perspective.

MotorStorm and all vehicles featured is a trademark of evolution studios and Sony computer entertainment. All rights respected.

Chapter 1: The Arrival

It still seems like a dream. It's been two years since the first MotorStorm festival, and I won despite the odds. 12 drivers lost their lives. I knew some of those drivers and started a friendship with some of them. Was it worth the risk?

It was worth the vengeance in the final race. "Lonestar" Terrence Clements, who is now vulture food at the bottom of Monument Valley. I exacted my most brutal revenge on him. "Hey! Wake up! C'mon! We're almost there!" The sun blared through the window of my jet.

I was on my way to the next MotorStorm. It was on Kanaloa Island, a few miles away from Hawaii. I saw the island looming in the distance. It seemed like quite a paradise, and why it was abandoned I do not know. This MotorStorm I heard is going to be more interesting than the first, as the anonymous host is allowing drivers to use monster trucks.

When I heard of this, I used my prize money to buy myself a monster truck: a Voodoo Mastodon with white rims and a Vegas high-roller graphic finish. I still had my Mojave Slugger mudplugger and my Castro Varadano big rig from the previous contest. I had some new vehicles as well. Every driver is given their choice of one of each vehicle depending on the race. With the addition of the monster truck, there are 8 vehicle classes allowed in MotorStorm: bikes, ATVs, dune buggies, rally cars, racing trucks, mudpluggers, big rigs, and monster trucks.

We landed on a crude airstrip near Kanaloa Bay, which would be the first race of the festival. My manager Gary pointed me in the right direction. "Ok, here's how it goes: the race isn't for another 3 hours, so you've got time to do a few practice runs. There's a digital track map on the screen of your dashboard, and whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT stray from the track, capische?"

"Gary, will you relax? I've been racing since I was 7, I know my way around the track." I stepped off the jet and the searing heat hit me like a runaway Patriot Minuteman. "My god, tell me the vehicles are air-conditioned."

"No, sorry, but most of this track is shaded by foliage." Of course, I wouldn't know searing heat until later on in the competition. "You wanna give the Mastodon a go?" I stared into space for a minute trying to adjust to the climate. "HEY!" I jumped as Gary walked up behind me. "What?"

"I said do you wanna give the Mastodon a go?"

"Uh...sure, that's fine." We watched as the helicopter lowered my monster truck onto the sand. It was an amazing sight. The sheer size and power of the monster truck would make any driver, even a big rigger run in terror. It was 2,000 lbs of alcohol-fueled, blown and injected power.

I put on my firesuit and climbed into the cab. I heard Gary over the radio in my helmet. "Can you hear me?"

"I hear you."

"Since this is your first time driving a monster, lemme give you a crash course: it's got four-wheel steering. That toggle switch next to you controls the back wheels. Remember for the back wheels, it's left to go right, and right to go left. You've got two kill switches in the cab. If you wipe out hit the switch and it'll cut off all power to the truck, but try not to crash bud, ok?"

I turned the key, and the monster truck roared as the engine turned over. I drove to the start line through a large open patch of sand to get a hang of the four-wheel steering. For the actual race, I'd only be allowed to drive either a buggy, mudplugger or a racing truck, but since it was a practice run, I'd be able to get the hang of the course. I stopped the truck at the start line and awaited the 'go' signal. The flagman waved the green flag, and I put the pedal all the way to the floor.

The monster truck tore off the starting line like a ravenous t-rex, crushing the ground beneath it. If it wasn't for the sound dampening earpads in my helmet, I would've gone deaf. As I passed the shipwrecks on the beach which were convienently made into ramps, I felt the full might of the monster truck as it roared across the sandy stretch. I saw the first turn coming up. There were two paths: one goes above ground and onto a makeshift curve, the other goes through a shallow lagoon.

I brought the truck onto the curve and drifted across the metal plating. I began to question my choice of route as the wall of the cliff was gradually getting closer as this part of the track winded down. I caught a glimpse of the next turn and drifted into the lagoon. Neither water or mud could slow down this behemoth. I felt the cool water splashing onto me as the wheels churned the track under it.

The next route was another fork. The direct route had a sharp s-curve in it. The other route went up another hill and split into three paths: two of which re-join and the other allowed me to hit a jump. I was feeling adventurous and decided to jump the ravine. I was pleased with the monster truck's performance as the shock absorbers cushioned the landing.

I came across another jump and took the path directly in front of it. The path had yet another jump and it took me over a small pond formed by the waterfall above. I was coming into the final stretch of the course as I was confronted by the final fork. I heard Gary shout into the radio. "Whatever you do kid, do not go over that bridge, it won't support the weight of the truck."

I drove the truck towards the middle of the path and crashed through the sun-beaten signs that the race coordinators forgot to tear down. The truck landed in a grassy knoll which went straight down to the beach. I drove the truck full-speed down the stretch. The truck went airborne as I hit a dip in the ground. The truck landed square and continued to roar down to the beach.

I slid the truck into my garage as I reached the beach. I unfastened the safety harness and climbed out of the truck. "Woo! I love this truck!" Gary came over to me with a huge grin on his face. You also got the best practice time on the course, so you'll be starting in first. Good job kid."

I went over to the concession stand and bought myself a soda. "Hey Blaze! I didn't think I'd see you here!" The racer known as Blackjack McCoy walked over and took a seat next to me. He was one of the racers I made friends with in the previous competition, and he wasn't in it for the money either, he did MotorStorm just for fun. "Hey, I wanna thank you again fir gettin' rid of that 'Lonestar' Clements. That guy was crookeder than a rattlesnake in a rainforest."

"Well, I did what I had to do Jack. How's Bessie?"

"Oh, she's ready! Gonna cut another swath through that pack. Mighty fine monster ye got yerself there."

"Yeah, got it with the prize money I won from the last race. I tell you it's one HELLUVA ground masher."

"Oh I hear ya. I gots myself a Beelzebuggy monster. OOOOOOOOOWEEEEEE! That thang just turns the sand into grits!"

"I'm looking forward to using it in the competition. Ever since I got it, I've been jonesing for some car-crushing."

"Well, good thang there ain't no rules in MotorStorm!"

"So how are you adjusting to the climate?"

"Well...it's hotter than the devil's hind-end. Not much different from Texas, 'cepting that theres no ranches here, and then there's them volcanoes." My face went pale and I nearly dropped my soda. "V-volcano?"

"Yep, theys all over the island. Only two of them are active though, on the other side of the island." I've never been around a volcano before, but I knew enough about them to be afraid of them. Now I know why the island was deserted. "Well, I don't think they're crazy enough to make us race on a volcano huh?"

"Ahhh, don't be so sure of that. We's all thought they was crazy making us race at the top of Monument Valley. It was like what, 5, maybe 600 feet above sea level? Remember, they want to make MotorStorm the most intense racin' out there, so don't be surprised if'n they have ya racin' on one o' them firebreathers."

"shit..."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

"Alright then, I'ma head back to my garage fir now, I'll see you in the race." I rested my head into my palm. I heard gary walking up to me. "Hey, you alright?"

"Dammit Gary, why didn't you tell me there are volcanoes on this island?"

"What are you worried about? Only two of them are active and they're on the other side of the island."

"The last thing I want to have to race against is a lava flow."

"Alright, alright, well listen, I found out about some of the other tracks. One of the volanoes is expected to erupt tonight, and they're going to set up a course around the lava flow."

"WHAT? You've got to be kidding me!"

"No, I'm not. I wish I was. You won't be racing on the volcano per se."

"I don't care! Who in their right mind would race around a lava flow?"

"It's MotorStorm, kid. Expect anything."