Out of the ashes

Hello readers. This is my first take on a Wipout fanfic. Not everything is as it is in the games, this is just my take on it. I hope you enjoy it!.

Chapter one

Final lap
Evox course
3400 league
Semi-finals qualifier
5th place

"Contender eliminated." The computer said, as an explosion caught the tail end of a craft up ahead. As he sped past the wreckage, Vern glanced in his rear view monitor to see a lonely capsule skidding along the middle of the track. A smoke cloud rolled into the sky above it, and pieces of debris lay everywhere. He smiled to himself, watching it shrink away into the distance. Looking up from the monitor again he glided his racer around a wide left turn. The leading group was just in front. They purposefully knocked into one another, each trying to force the other into the sloping walls. Shields flared a bright white when ever contact was made. One of the lead racers flew over a weapon pad and deliberately dropped back. As a few of it's opponents overtook it, the ship released two rockets from it's undercarriage. They struck viciously. The two lead craft were lifted off the track. One was sent spinning as their shields engulfed them in a second skin. The attacker flew beneath them, re-taking it's original position.

The rest of the leading group held back through the next set of rolling turns, waiting for a chance to steam ahead. Vern's nimble ship cut inside the corners and overtook several others. On the final turn before a tunnelled straight, the craft in second place smashed into the side of him. A white flash flared to Vern's left. He was forced up onto the sloped edge of the track and collided with the wall to this right. Another flash erupted on that side. Vern rolled around in his seat at the impact. He cursed to the other driver and angrily tilted the sticks left. His ship pushed back at the other vessel but was quickly forced against the wall again. His ship wasn't strong enough to break free. Vern tried again to nudge back, but the racer held him in place. He could see the end of the straight in the distance, a speed pad was coming up. Vern continued to fight with the other craft, trying to at least keep his wing off the wall. Red lights rolled over the racers in bands as they continued down the tunnel towards the exit. The speed pad was activated. Vern's light ship soared ahead, wrenching loose from its attacker. Scattered other speed pads were triggered, and within seconds, all the ships were hurtling at full speed. The tunnel exit grew very big, very fast. One last row of speed pads threw everyone over an incredibly steep drop. A coastal scene surrounded them as they flew high above the track. Vern pulled back on the controls, the nose of his ship tilted upwards and caught more air. Spread out now, the opposing ships began to descend one by one. Eventually succumbing to gravity. Vern's was the last to drop. He prepared for the landing, watching the wide right hand turn coming up. The anti-gravity pods barely withstood the fall. The edges of the wings briefly scraped the floor and the shields flashed as the racer bounced once. He had flown over the leading pack and now held first place.

More speed pads lay ahead. He ran them over and took the corner wide, running along the angled side at a severe tilt. A quick slalom afterwards caught him off guard. The nose of his ship scraped the outer wall, but he easily corrected for the error. On the last corner, the final straight was within reach. Vern pushed the nose down to gain more speed and hunched over the controls. Victory was so close he could almost taste it. His narrowed eyes suddenly opened with shock as his craft flashed white. "Shields disabled" Spoke the ships computer. Before the belief could sink in, Vern was thrown forward. The harness dug into his shoulders as the straps tried to pull him back. The ships nose dug into the concrete sending sparks flying as it cartwheel onto it's roof and smashed into the adjacent wall. Vern yelled in pain as the ship crushed in on itself, trapping his legs beneath the console. The purple ship in second place whizzed past, reclaiming first position and entering the final straight. Vern cursed as recovery drones quickly arrived on the scene and dowsed the craft with extinguishers. While he was being lifted off the track, Vern could only watch as the rest of the racers flew past.

He punched the side of his capsule in anger.