OK Number One: Margin Of Error

"Here, at Suzuka Circuit, at the conclusion of this Friday morning's first Free Practice session for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, I sadly must report that the news has been less than stellar. Twenty minutes into the hour long session which had been plagued by heavy bursts of rain, the Rebellion-Sakura of local driver Naoto Kōzuki crashed heavily at 130R, or turn fifteen out behind the back straight. Eyewitness accounts report the car's front suspension collapsing on entry to the high speed corner, and that the number ten car, which had experienced mechanical maladies that had prevented it from completing the first two races of the season so far, proceeded to spear off the circuit at approximately three hundred kilometers per hour, eventually hitting the tyre wall some way past the run off area. The front left of his car took the brunt of the impact, however as medical services arrived at the scene it was clear that not only had the car sustained heavy damage, but Kōzuki had as well. The session was immediately red flagged, and the driver was removed from the stricken car. After a preliminary examination by the trackside officials, he was airlifted to Mie University Hospital, which has just released a statement as to his condition."

"According to their reports, he sustained major injuries to the chest, shin bone, left hip and both knees and wrists. However, their most pressing concern was that his foot and ankle had been wholly crushed and entombed under the warped metal, forcing them to amputate the extremity. He remains in a critical condition due to this, as well the the combined blood loss and shock, however it is reportedly unlikely that he will succumb to these injuries. However, it does appear that not only does this spell an end to his promising third season in the sport, but it does also appear, based on the severity of his injuries, that it is likely to spell the end of his promising career in Grand Prix racing, which in such a short time has seen five wins, fourteen podiums, and a fourth place in the World Drivers Championship last year."

"In spite of concerns that this crash has raised over safety, the Clerk Of The Course and associated bodies have confirmed Qualifying is to take place tomorrow as per normal, in what is expected to be clear conditions, with all drivers either stating or expected to state that they will be taking part. It is truly a surprise to hear about such a freak injury, particularly in light of the record the sport has been able to build with regards to its rigid standards of safety. The question lies with the Japanese Rebellion-Sakura team, which is now not only forced to find a solution to whatever technical problems their car has, but also a replacement driver to qualify alongside the former two-time World Champion Kyoshiro Tohdoh. Whatever the case may be, this is a sad day for the sport, and a sad day for the Kōzuki family. This has been Diethard Reid, reporting from pit lane."

It had been a gruelling task reaching Naoto's hospital bed. Between the media swarming the outside of the building and the Students of Mie University haplessly going about their day, access to the Accident and Emergency ward was hard to come across, even for the younger sister of the injured. By the time Kallen Kōzuki had found the room, and the means to enter it, Naoto had gone through two rounds of surgery, and was filled with more drugs than a Russian athlete, but alive, and in a dubious state of consciousness.

The first thing she noticed upon entering the room was her brothers paleness. He had always been bright and perky, almost to a greater extent than her, and was never lacking energy or colour to his cheeks, or character. Even as he turned to see her, smiling dopily, he couldn't hide it with his attempt to inject humour into his voice.

"Heh… hey sis. Bungled that one pretty bad, didn't I?"

Drugs or no, he had been seriously shaken up by the crash. His chuckles were hollow attempts to reassure his sister, however for their hollowness they did not achieve their goal. Not only had he nearly died, which couldn't have been good for his frame of mind, but his career was now over, crushed like his left foot. It had always been his dream to race, and it was over just as he had begun to put in good performances. Kallen moved to embrace her motionless brother, only to be reprimanded by the nurse.

"He's still not stable. Not only is he fresh from surgery, but his immune system is weak. No contact."

Kallen withdrew, absent-mindedly clutching her left arm with her other hand as if to give it something to hold. Naoto was silent, which was the final nail in the coffin as to his changed state. Kallen recalled clearly a plethora of instances where it had been tough to get him to shut up, and yet there was no blood in his face, and no words in his throat. It remained that way for some time, until Naoto, likely realising what effect his silence was having, tried to speak up again through the addleing inhibitors with "At least the sponsors are taking care of the bills. I'm going to pig out on hospital food!"

Kallen sighed at Naoto's obsequiousness, which he finally acknowledged with a slight sigh of his own at the realisation his act convinced no one. He shook his head, and looked down. His false bravado dissipated, and he slowly let out his grievances in a stream of consciousness.

"It was so bloody scary… the car's front end just collapsed, hit the tarmac, and suddenly my wheel felt light, my input not having impact. I was a passenger, and suddenly I was flying towards the wall. There wasn't any time to brace, or move, and suddenly I was in a helicopter."

His explanations tailed off, before he insistently added at the end "At least I'm alive. That could have been really bad."

Kallen shook her head. She didn't even want to contemplate that idea, and so rejected it out of hand. Eager to move on from this morbid note, Naoto asked "So how did your race go? You were up in Fuji, I was hoping to watch it, but I had an unexpected doctors appointment."

"I won, though I couldn't really stick around to celebrate."

That was something of an understatement. Kallen, who raced in the feeder series to Grand Prix racing, had gone out for a race earlier in the day, and was on track while Naoto was crashing and being airlifted. She had only been told after she had left the car at the end of the race, and had rushed to the hospital immediately, missing the podium celebrations.

Naoto chuckled, and added "At least one of us can drive a car."

Kallen shook her head, but also noted that the discussion had restored some of his energy. It seemed as if he was getting back into the practice of being himself, after having spent some time not being so. She finally cracked a smile, though she wasn't certain how to respond. It was clear Naoto wanted to avoid the elephant in the room and enjoy the company of his sister in as normal a fashion as the circumstances would allow, however to either ignore or joke about the elephant seemed to disrespect its significance and importance. However, ultimately she knew Naoto was the one who needed her right now, and so decided to play along.

They had relied on each other for years. Their parents had divorced, and shortly after their mother, who had received custody, disowned Naoto for pursuing a career in motorsport, and Kallen had followed him. They were a team, and would always be there for each other. If Naoto needed her to be normal, perhaps to reassure him that things could in fact ever be normal again, she would provide that for him.

"Eh, you at least made it into Grand Prix racing, I'm still plodding around in GP2."

He chuckled at this in the fashion he was wont to do, his eyes almost shutting to slits, emphasising his smile which reached his ears, further embedding his already prominent laugh lines.

"So how long are you in for?"

Naoto frowned, before replying slyly "It's not a prison sentence you know. In any case, I'm stuck here for four months, and then it's two years of therapy to get back up to speed. On the upside, they've got kick-ass facilities, so I'll be in the lap of luxury."

"Don't get too comfortable, I'm still stuck in the flat-out in Shinjuku."

"Perhaps I crashed to get out of being stuck in there. Certainly much cleaner here. I might stick around for a while" he winked cheekily, obviously being facetious but to a humorous extent. Playing along, she replied in a similar tone.

"That's just because you never clean the dishes like I ask you to."

He feigned outrage, turning his head aside and melodramatically pronouncing "Ach! Why do you scorn me so? I am but a man, one for whom dishes are such a task!"

They had a good laugh over his Shakespearean display, which was in reference to his childlike disdain for household chores. She noted, with some celebration, that his cheeks were now much redder, and it seemed his energy had returned to him, even in spite of his immobilisation under extensive casts and braces.

"In all seriousness, I'll get someone to come around to clean up a few times a week while I'm out. I'll file it under medical expenses, and the sponsors won't notice. I don't like the idea of you being stuck on your own taking care of things, especially in Shinjuku."

Kallen appreciated the gesture, however she waved it off, commenting "I'm not a child, I can take care of myself while you're busy getting pampered."

Naoto rolled his eyes, but persisted "I'm serious. I promised I'd look after you, and I'm not letting a crippling injury get in the way of that. Besides, I can't be the only one mooching off like this. I'd never hear the end of it from you otherwise."

"If you insist" Kallen responded, not wanting to fight him while he was in this state, however she wasn't over the moon about the idea, not being a fan of allowing other people into their private space.

"What's this about mooching off?"

While Naoto, who was laid towards the door, could see the new entrants, Kallen had to turn around to see Taizo Kirihara standing in the door, with Kyoshiro Tohdoh visible behind him. Kirihara was the teams chairperson, while Tohdoh was the lead driver. They had likely come to check on how their number two driver was getting along, entering the room as a pair, forcing Kallen to move towards the back of the room near the head of Naoto's bed as they took up the limited space. Naoto, still admirably quick in spite of all the morphine in his system, answered their concerns with little issue.

"Kallen was just chastising my lightheartedness. Nothing to worry about."

Taizo was unconvinced, however he dropped that line of inquiry as he moved on by asking "We've reviewed the crash footage. Nasty stuff. We think we've isolated the faulty component, but we'd appreciate if you explained what happened, just to be sure."

Kallen saw a slight tensing of Naoto's forearms out of the corner of her eye, and had little doubt that if he had the agency to do so he would be clenching his fists, but nevertheless he answered the question thoroughly, if formally, using very legalistic language as Kallen realised the mood of the room had shifted. Naoto was not enjoying reliving his crash.

However, he answered the question to a standard Taizo seemed to be pleased with, with Tohdoh nodding to affirm some of Naoto's claims about track conditions. Their interactions were very formal, and Kallen felt like a stranger. By the time Taizo had moved on to discussing sponsorship issues created by his absence, this feeling amplified to the point where she felt like the intruder.

"Do.. do you want me to leave?"

Taizo physically turned around to stare down Kallen, not moving his neck an inch in what proved to create a somewhat intimidating stare down. It was as if it was the first time he had seen her, and seemed to be weighing her up visually. He paused for some time, before eventually speaking.

"No… no stay, I feel you have business here."

"Taizo…" Naoto, suddenly outside of the attention of the room, spoke up, seemingly cautioning his employer, however Taizo ignored his driver, continuing "The thing is Naoto, there are a lot of investors who have paid into your seat on this team, and so it is my responsibility to fill it in your absence. Kallen."

Being addressed directly, Kallen stood up to her full height like a military cadet faced with a four star general, as the simile was not so inaccurate. Kirihara could make or break careers, and Kallen had no intention of making a bad impression on the person who could be her ticket into Grand Prix racing. She quickly answered "Yes sir?"

He paused again, before asking, in what sounded like a rhetorical fashion "You've been doing rather well in GP2, yes?"

She nodded, stiff as a board and answered without thinking "Yes sir, I just won the Fuji race before returning here, sir."

Taizo strikes his chin thoughtfully, seeming to be piecing things together, however Naoto, in what was a surprisingly aggressive tone, spoke up again, approaching a quiet roar as he interrupted "Taizo, don't you dare. She's just after seeing me fly off the road, and you want to put her in straight after me?"

Kallen, who had looked aside to see Naoto's anger, now turned back to Taizo as she worked out what they were on about. This could be her chance to get a drive, and she had no intention of letting it slip away. Enthusiastically, unable to contain herself, she began to interrupt Naoto with a gasp of "I-"

However, she then stopped herself. She was getting a drive off of her brothers misfortune, and that was hardly something to get excited over. However, Taizo spotted the brief moment of lapse, and raised his eyebrow as he inquired further.

"Yes? What say you? Trust me, we've solved the problems with the car, and I for one feel that you deserve the drive."

"Stop bloody pressuring her into it Kirihara, let her alone, at least until we've all calmed down."

It was Naoto's way, and one not unfounded, to react harshly to people offering what he deemed to be a bad deal to Kallen. It was protective, and well-meaning. However, Kallen was the last person who would be pressured into something she didn't want, and Kallen wanted this an awful lot, as awkward as the circumstances were. The truth was that Naoto was still heavily shaken up from his crash, and that was likely influencing his desire to stop Kallen taking the offer. As much as she hated to do it, she turned to him, and quietly responded "I know what I'm doing."

"Wonderful." Taizo, somewhat wanting for bedside manner, clapped, as Kallen turned back around to face him. Eager to preserve Kallens enthusiastic sentiment, he then asked "So you're ready to start tomorrow? It's a shame, but such is the way things like this go. You'll be starting alongside Tohdoh."

"You should get the hang of it rather quickly."

Kallen turned her head to the right to acknowledge the 2014 and 2015 World Champion, who spoke for the first time. It was certainly a bizarre experience to be addressed directly by someone so venerated, but it was a bizarre day.

Kallens second reaction to the Rebellion-Sakura Grand Prix car was its size, particularly once she sat into it. Its cockpit was incredibly tight and low, to the point where she struggled to see the front of the car. The entire canopy wrapped around in top of her, with her shoulders and arms enclosed under the head surround. Not an inch was spared at any point. She could only wonder how Naoto, two years older than her, ever managed to fit in this contraption.

Her first reaction was an unintelligible mental squeeing at the sound of the engine starting up, and so she chalked that up as not particularly productive, even if it was a fairly accurate reflection of how she felt about the opportunity. The car buzzed and rocked about, eager for the opportunity to get going, however Kallen knew to wait.

It was a few moments until qualifying session One began, where all drivers would set a time, and the bottom five would be eliminated before the next session. This would repeat until all the drivers had been sorted. Fortunately, the Rebellion car was competitive, and should get out of Q1 with little effort. The objective was more to do laps and get familiar with the car ahead of the race tomorrow.

"Hullo? Kallen, can you hear me?"

The radio was fuzzy, particularly given the competing rumble of the engine in the back of the car, however she could make out the voice of Kaname Ohgi, race engineer to and close friend of her brothers, who would talk her through the running of the car in addition to Tohdoh's help, which proved rather limited. She called back over the radio to affirm she heard him.

"Fantastic, so we can get underway now. Your tyres are warm, so you should be able to push from the get go. Pull out, carefully."

The starting procedure was intricate, but not dissimilar to what Kallen knew. The clutch was split in two parts, on paddles on the back of the steering wheel below another set of paddles which changed the gears. Hold in the two bottom paddles, select first gear, slowly release the left-

Clunk

Stall. She'd stalled the car, letting the engine fall out of the suitable rev range and sending the whole crankshaft to a shuddering halt. This was rather embarrassing, and forced her to wave for help from the pit crew to restart the engine. One cranking later, and she tried the procedure again, this time releasing the lower left paddle as slow as she dared, eventually feeling the cars rear wheels begin to rotate forwards with great resistance. She was under way.

Turning left as she left the garage, she was barraged by instructions from Ohgi to heat the brakes on the entry into turn one, and to be careful. She acknowledged this request, before gently forcing the throttle to full as she left the pit lane, not wanting to spin the wheels. Even with this more gentle approach, the car accelerated viciously, forcing her to brake violently in reaction to the unforeseen turn in speed. The sudden braking locked up the tyres, sending a puff of smoke out from all four corners as they squealed under the heavy forces.

"Is everything alright? You just locked up."

"Yeah…" Kallen breathed out, adrenaline beginning to flow. "Just getting heat into the brakes."

Ohgi laughed, before advising her on the curving Ess section past turn one.

"You're used to GP2 cars, but these beasts have a lot more downforce. You can't take it flat-out, but ideally you shouldn't be braking in this section. Of course, build up to that sort of speed as you feel comfortable. Just don't crash it."

As she finished the long, medium speed right hander of turn one, which at the slow speed she took it seemed to drag on forever, she attempted to follow Ohgi's advice, lifting off the throttle though not braking into the shallow turn three, only for her humble turn in with her steering wheel to send her far further inwards than she had expected, as the car hopped over the kerb and onto the grass with reckless abandon. While she eventually wrestled the car back onto the track, she was still surprised by how responsive the car was. However, as she reached the end of the Esses, she began to get used to the way the car behaved, which could be surmised as twitchy, and even worked up the nerve to take Dunlop without lifting off the throttle by the time she approached the Degner corners. The physical force of the cars ability to turn at high speeds was truly staggering, with the tyres and downforce providing superhuman grip that was almost terrifying. She felt her inner organs be tugged towards the outer side of her body, being pulled to the side by the later G-forces the rapid change in direction induced.

The Degners and the back hairpin all consisted of an exercise in avoiding a lock up, where the brakes were faced with a sudden increase in force and would stick on, under rotating and wearing rapidly. Gentle application was the key, however this was not so different to GP2, with the caveat that the brakes were much more powerful.

Out of the hairpin, Kallen pressed down on the accelerator, now prepared for the power that the warp drive in the back of the racing car would be able to deliver. Eager to impress, the car pulled away at 4 times the acceleration of gravity, squeezing Kallen into her seat as it rocketed along the long, high speed bend of twelve, reaching the Spoon curve within moments.

Familiar with the corner, Kallen forced the car against the apex on entry, swinging out towards the outer edge of the track before rotating back inwards to hit the apex a second time, allowing her to preserve momentum for the back straight and up towards 130R, where Naoto had crashed.

It was supposed to be taken flat, but Kallen had absolutely no intentions of doing so on her first attempt, particularly in light of recent events. She broke on entry, allowing her to take the corner at a more comfortable pace. She felt in her stomach, which was largely unmoved compared to how many G-forces it experienced in the Esses, that there was plenty of more time that could be saved by taking the corner faster, but it was not something she was eager to get into. It was a short run up to the final two corners, a slow pair of right handers leading up to the finish line.

Kallen let out a breath. She had done a lap, and had only made a few scruffy errors, and had only one heart in mouth moment, which was not unjustified. She was feeling confident, a feeling which was emphasised by Ohgi's return to the radio.

"Nice one! Keep up the laps, you've got Prime tyres and four laps of fuel, go do some flying laps."

Kallen didn't reply as she braked heavily into turn one, using the gears to slow the car progressively as she swung back into the Esses. Naoto had often said that driving these cars, while exhausting, was addicting. The feel of the track, the ripples and imperfections of the tarmac under the wheel, transmitted itself through the wheel to her hands in a fashion that felt telepathic. The tugging away, the slight resistance to turn, crafted a texture that keyed Kallen into every inch of the road surface and allowed her to hug the proper line and zoom around the high speed bends as if she had spent months at it.

It was glorious.

I'm back, and much sooner than I expected. I had initially intended to write this all in advance, as I have done in the past, to ensure a regular schedule for uploads, however it was Titanfire999 who actually convinced me to publish as I write. The reason is as follows; During my last story, there were several interesting ideas that were suggested to me that I was never able to act on, including the return of different characters that I had neglected. As a result of this, your suggestions have a much higher chance of making the final draft, however this also means that my thrice a week upload schedule will not even be approached, let alone met. I will be uploading as I write, and so you may want to Follow to make sure you don't miss updates. If you're feeling really kind, it would be lovely if you could leave a review on this new direction. Thank you, and stay safe!

~Eth0