Racing Lightning
Chapter One
by T.F. Kit
She was pinned trapped beneath the wreckage of the flaming car. Something had gone terribly wrong with her ejection sequencer and now she was trapped. The flames were licking at her feet her sides, smoke was filling the air around her and seeping into her lungs.
She coughed through the haze that was filling her vision. She tried to focus on what to do next but she couldn't move she was cinched into her seat by twisted metal. She tried to pull her arm around and cried out in pain, pulling in a large lung full of smoke. She coughed chocking on it pulling in more and more.
I am going to die here. She thought. I don't have anyway out... I have no way to save myself.
She closed her eyes feeling the heat begin to blister her jacket.
"You are almost as crazy as I am." The blue eyed golden blond haired boy said, looking over to the figure splattered in mud.
"What do you mean almost." For her part she laughed, as she took off her helmet. "I am far crazier than you and well someone had to show you who is boss."
"Yeah but did you have to send me into the mud hollow? I am going to be cleaning this engine for a month." He stepped off of a once blue motorbike, now brown motorbike.
"No... I will be cleaning it out because you will screw up the engine." She smiled at him letting her long blond braid fall down her back.
"So are you saying I don't know how to work on engines, sis?" There was mock disbelief in his voice.
"Well duh, you are a pilot, not a mechanic" She shook her head, just as an elderly voice came through her wrist communicator.
"Celesta, Scott... dinner is almost ready, you might want to head on up."
Celesta lifted her wrist and pushed the button there. "We're on our way grandma... just need to shower off. Be up in ten."
"Well... hurry. Virgil is getting hungry." Scott looked at Celesta in surprise. "That must mean Gordon is famished if Virgil is hungry."
"We'll hurry, grams don't worry." They moved with greater speed, wheeling their motorbikes into the work area and heading off to the showers.
When they reached the dinning room, Celesta had her hair re-braided and still wet, and Scott was slipping a shirt on over a slightly damp torso. They were laughing about something random when they looked up their laughter trailed off.
Sitting at the table were not only their four younger brothers and their grand mother also directly in front of them was their father, Jeff Tracy, the patriarch of the Tracy family. His hair, now heavily streaked with gray, was kept relatively short and only a few wrinkles were showing around the blue gray eyes.
A quick assessment revealed a relatively good mood and Scott let go a small amount of tension he had been holding in his chest. There were things he knew his father wanted to talk to him about and they were not necessarily going to be pleasant, but he hoped they would be accepted.
Celesta returned the quirk of a smile. The things that she was going to be talked to about would not be near as accepted as what Scott was disusing but the outcome would not deter her from doing what she loved.
"Having fun?" Jeff asked.
Smiles spread across both kids faces and they moved up. Jeff stood and walked to his daughter first giving her a tight hug. Then he moved to Scott also giving him a hug, if a bit more manly.
"When did you arrive?" Celesta asked as she moved to the table.
"Yeah we didn't hear a plane." Scott said pulling away from his dad.
"You mean you can hear a jet engine over those over glorified lawn mowers on two wheels?" Their was humor in his voice and Scott gave a playful push.
"Mostly," Celesta said sitting down.
"Come on guys... I am starving." Scott and Jeff looked at Gordon, who actually was wearing a light polo along with his swim trunks, grams wouldn't let him just wear those to the table and the speedo was defiantly out.
"Okay... okay... lets..." Jeff started.
"..Pray." Grandma Tracy said with finality, folding her hands in front of her.
"Of course." Jeff responded taking his seat.
It is the jumps that will get ya.
Cars raced past cameras, blurs of color.
I need to wait pull back then punch it.
"The three jumps that are a head are dangerous. Three cars crashed the last lap and now after four laps are down to ten cars, from thirty. Two laps to go."
Just wait... breath... and... GO!
Jeff stood at the large bank of windows in his office, overlooking the house and beach below. He had spent two years building this house bringing it to the specs he needed, for his plans. Now he was making those plans a reality, he was working on things of great importance deep in the bowels of this house. But right now he had other things to think about, a son with aspirations of greatness and a daughter with no fear.
He had his arms folded in front of him and Scott could see the tension riding down his father's back.
"So you know the likely hood that you will serve the time in the Asian conflict zone." He didn't make it a question.
"Yes sir." Scott was standing straight, not a full attention but aware that his father might turn around at any moment and expect him to be ready.
Jeff took a deep breath. "I have always know you would pursue this line Scott, I just had hoped for no wars by that time." He then turned to look at his eldest son, no longer the ex-military, ex-astronaut, CEO of a Internationally recognized company, billionaire widower, but as a father.
Scott gave a smile that was far too old for him. "That would be a fool's paradise dad."
"No a fool's paradise would be to believe that I will be able to convince your sister to stop racing." There was a grimace and a sigh as he walked up to his son.
"She's a Tracy dad. She more bull headed than you with the passion of mom." Scott looked at him.
"Is she really that good?" Jeff asked.
"Yeah dad... I haven't seen better and to top it off she is the best there is with an engine." Scott stated.
"Why couldn't she be the piano player." Jeff said shaking his head.
"Because she prefers to get dirty, is tone deaf, and Virgil refuses to teach her." Jeff laughed at that.
"Wow would you look at that, number seven is bobbing and weaving through, drifting and dodging around the track, a couple of times almost flying of the top edge this is what race fans came here to see, a racer with true courage and balls."
Don't listen to the audience, listen to the car to the track. Feel the other cars around you.
"Whoa... watch the back drift, the tail is listing heavy, knew I should have lightened the back end." The voice came over the head set, managing not to stutter.
It isn't listing, is swinging... and I am using it... I am the car.
"I can not believe you did that!" The anger in his voice was almost visible and it took all of Celesta's courage not to bolt from the room. It always amazed her, she could face down on coming cars at three hundred plus miles an hour but one man could scare the piss out of her.
"I did what you would have done." She shot back in a relatively steady voice.
"You put this family at risk not to mention your own life. What if..." but he was cut off.
"I could have what dad... been injured... died. What do you think Scott is doing playing checkers." She was frustrated. "You would not be having the conniption fits if it were Scott."
"Do you think it was easy watching him go off to train and then off to a war zone?" His voice was raising as was the color of his face.
Celesta knew this was dangerous ground but she couldn't seem to stop herself, she didn't want to stop herself. "I am not Scott, who is a brilliant tactician, who can fly anything... and I mean anything, with wings. I am not John who has already been accepted into the aeronautics program with NASA, will be a college graduate at age eighteen, and an astronaut at nineteen. I am not Virgil who is a world renown concert pianist or Gordon who has qualified for the Olympic swim team. I am a racer and mechanic. I know engines inside and out, and maybe if you let me into that secret hanger of yours I might be able to help Brains get those vehicles off the ground." And the moment she said it she knew she had crossed a line.
"Do not ever go down to that hanger. Do not ever work on anything there. If I find out you have been in there you will be confined to your room and the only way you will be leaving is for school. You are still at least in school, aren't you?" The tone was level and commanding and no negotiations.
"Yes dad I am in school. I have been doing tutors and hands on work. I have most of my classes via internet and my teacher have been very accommodating to the racing schedule." She kept her eyes level with him. They were her mothers eyes, but hair, a reddish tint, with golden highlights.
Just then his phone went off. He looked at Celesta and said. "This discussion is not over, we will be finishing it later." With that said she turned and went to her room.
"Okay... the turn is tight up there...y..ya.. you really should sl.. sla... slo.. reduce speed."
"It looks like number 7 is speeding up... there is no one in front and all the others are now working for second place."
"Oh ca.. ca... crap."
"What are you doing Celesta?" a small voice asked from the doorway.
She turned to see her youngest brother standing there leaning on it cautiously watching her pack her bag. "I have to go Squirt." She knew what the next question would be but she didn't have the heart to tell him not to ask.
"Can I come?" It was inquisitive, almost pleading.
Celesta bit her lip then sighed. "Sorry bro... not this time." She lay the last bit of clothing in the bag and zipped it up.
"But I'm small I won't take much room... I'll I'll be no trouble at all." The tone of desperation lay heavy in his voice and almost made Celesta stop. But her resolve was set.
"No Alan, you have to stay here." She lifted her bag and walked out of the room.
The drift of the lead car caused the dark haired young woman in the stands to grip the binoculars tighter.
Focus... focus... there are other cars still behind me.
The voice of the driver filtered into her head. At those thoughts she let out a small breath before lowering the binoculars down and turn her eyes to the man sitting next to her.
So similar.
His thoughts entered her mind and she closed her eyes to focus on her own mind blocking out the stray thoughts of those around her.
Scott's intense gaze followed the number seven car, remembering a conversation.
"Saw your race. Damn sis, did it ever occur to you not to take those jumps at nearing three hundred miles per hour." Scott said through the phone line.
The voice on the other end laughed. "Watch your language, dad would have your head. And I would not be able to make those jumps at anything less than that."
Then Scott's voice changed. "But seriously Celesta you don't have to drive so aggressively. You can let the other cars finish."
There was a sigh. "I drive with a purpose Scott."
"Right... and that is where you and dad disagree." He leaned against the wall as he held the phone.
"Speaking of dad how is he doing?"
"Nice change of subject, but well enough. Locking himself in the work room from what Alan and Gordon are saying." Scott responded. "He wants me to come back and work with him but there is talk of offering me an officers posi..."
Celesta cut him off. "Take him up on it Scott."
"What... has he been...?" Scott started.
"It's worth is Scott." Her tone was serious steady.
"Wait how do you know about this stuff?" He asked.
"I saw some of it before I left the island." There was a slight chuckle and her voice became laced heavily with irony. "Wasn't exactly what he wanted me to see."
"Well he does like to keep things close to the vest." He paused and she waited. "You really think I should?" He actually made it a question.
"Yes I do. I really do, both you and John need to trust him with this." She was strong in her convictions. She saw something that was going to lead to great things and she did not want her brothers to miss out on it.
"What about you Celesta what are you going to do?"
"Whoa look at that spin jump... we haven't seen driving like that in eight years. It looks like the apples do not fall far from the trees."
Brooding eyes watched the screen in front of him instead of the sunset behind him. The bank of windows revealing water, sand and sky was ignored but the flashing blurs of color on the large screen were not.
Words... it could be words that destroy a family. Not everything else... just words, words said in anger, said in haste. Or words not spoken at all.
He was concerned for the driver of number seven but when aren't you when it is your child out there on the track.
"We are investigating all parts of her life Mr. Tracy." The inspector said. "It is necessary to understand the person so we can understand the possible crime."
"Celesta no longer comes home. I haven't seen her in a year, and haven't spoken with her in four months. She has her own place and agenda that we as a family do no agree with." Jeff kept his voice level even though his hands were clenched behind his back.
"It isn't just about being current, it is about know who she was as well." The inspector was looking directly at Jeff, a level of calmness that was mirrored on Jeff's face if not in his heart.
She left, she chose to race over her family, she chose to deify what I wanted from her. My desire to protect her. But he did not say those words. "We simply changed directions Inspector. We no longer were on the same game plan. So when we could no longer agree, we parted ways."
"No animosity, no desire to right a wrong? No pull to bring her back to the family?" The inspector shook his head. "That does not seem like you Mr. Tracy."
"I haven't given up Inspector. My daughter and I are just at a stalemate." He looked the other gentleman in the eyes and waited for this stalemate to end.
"It is like watching a dancer with his shadow. An amazing feet of swing and motion."
Two turns to the left whip around, slip right.
"It almost looks like the same drive, Scott."
"It is Tin Tin, he is dancing with a ghost."
Scott watched in horror, watched the news reel scroll on the screen. He heard his fathers glass hit the floor but was fixated on the images before him.
"This was an awful crash ladies and gentlemen. The number eight car was sent reeling. The fire is still not under control, we saw Racer X move through the flames but he too has not made it out of the tunnel. There seems to be a problem finding the ejector seat and driver. Wait Racer X has just been seen exiting the tunnel, he is radioing in..." The words filtered out as a larger explosion billowed out behind the reporter. "He tried to get the driver out but was unable to do so... oh my god... in ten years we haven't had a death here, now..."
The television flipped off as Scott watched Alan run from the room. He bolted up and was after him. He knew this would hit his father hard, he would need a moment to recover and Alan needed someone right then. She had taught him how to handle a car, taken him out onto the track with her, had been his confidant and guide... now.
Scott reached Alan's bedroom and heard the sobs. He moved in and saw his baby brother laying face down on the bed sobbing. Without a word Scott moved up and took him up in a hug, the sobs and cries barely muffled into his chest.
"No... no ... no." He repeated over and over again, just holding on to Scott, who now felt his own tears slide down his face. As he looked up he saw his father standing just outside the door, his own pain written clearly on his face.
The red number seven car flipped around and slid to a stop. The bright blue eyes twinkled under the helmet. "Miss ya sis."
"Oh my god, that was beautiful, that was grand, this driver has shone to the world he is no longer in his sister's shadow. Where ever she is now, god rest her soul, you know that Celesta Tracy is proud of her baby brother Alan."
Dark eyes watched the screen and a graveled voice spoke. "Looks like he is good enough... the only question is will he help."
A small smile flickered over his companions face and a light but sturdy female voice spoke. "He will, he might not be able to save everyone but he will try."
"So you don't think that he will break?"
"No... he does more than drive and it doesn't break him. All we have to do is make him more than a driver... we have to make him driven."