CH.6: Changing gears
Rivet had managed to remain strong even if her heart was breaking. Part of her wanted to stick around and see where Ratchet had been raised and maybe get a tour, but, that didn't seem like it was going to happen anytime soon. She kept to the cargo bay of the ship as they launched from Veldin and were now on their way to the racing planet Sydon.
"Do you think I was too harsh on Ratchet?" Rivet inquired of her companion bot. She sat on the hood of the vehicle that Grim and Ratchet had worked on.
"I believe you did what you felt was right, though, that is only going off your character. In the end what matters most is up there and in your beating heart." Kit offered.
Rivet sighed as she was now lying on her back staring up at the walkway above her head. "I guess I gave him a cold nugget of reality, I mean, he must've known what he was doing back then. Our entire time together it felt like it was going somewhere, right?"
"I am not exactly the best when it comes to emotions," Kit says, "and even if I were the best advice I could give you judging from this conversation is that everything is going to work out in time-."
"Ugh, I suppose I should have expected that. Even so, I can't get over how I feel for him, all this time apart and I still want to be swept up in his arms or even a kiss...eep...what am I saying this is Ratchet I am thinking about..."
Rivet sighed feeling like there was no simple answer to her predicament. Perhaps when all of this was figured out she could return to Veldin. Still, Ratchet seemed quite intent that Rex was up to no good and that she was in danger. Pfft, she would know if she were in danger, right?
"Resting up I see?" Rivet blinks a bit before realizing that hanging upside down from the rafter was the creature known as Barry.
"I'm just thinking is all, there is a difference," Rivet didn't know why she shot immediately to defensive but that is how it was.
"I see, I see, because where I am hanging it is quite the opposite." He drops down and lands in a crouch before her before rising up to his full height.
"Can I help you with something?" Rivet sat up and rested her yellow bionic right arm on her knee. Her blue eyes fixed on the nuisance who had beaten Ratchet to nearly an inch of life.
"My so testy, far as what I want, it is nothing really. You are Mr. Stone's fastest client and as such a lot is riding on you. I am to make sure you have no plans on going back to that Lombax and such."
"Who, you mean Ratchet, no he made his mind up and he'll just be healing up is all. I have no reason to go back to him. He made up his mind." Rivet wasn't sure why she was even having this conversation.
"I see, so, I take it that means you have no feelings for him right?" His teeth were jagged in his mouth and he folds his wings in like he knows something she doesn't...or maybe is picking up on something unsaid.
"Ratchet is just a friend, and, not really a good friend at that. Don't you have like bodyguard work to do or something?" Rivet swung her legs over the side of the car and dropped off it as she strolled over to where a box of tools was laid out.
"Keh keh, you are funny little Lombax, as for bodyguard work it is not needed at the moment. My boss is meeting with that fat oaf to discuss pit crew stuff." His laugh was hard to manage so she was thankful her back was turned to him.
"I see. Well, lest you know anything about mechanics, pretty sure you are going to be bored out of your mind here." She held a wrench in her hand and did her best not to think of him. Why did he have to be so difficult?
"You might be right, but, you should do well to remember your place. You are expendable as a racer even if the boss thinks highly of you." He flew off leaving her standing there and gripping the wrench even tighter.
"Are you alright Rivet?" Kit inquires joining her. Rivet knew that Kit wasn't a big fan of him either but compared to her if she spoke up it wouldn't take long to be tossed into the scrap heap.
"I will be...once I am done with all this. I feel like the whole racing thing was a great escape, but, now it only feels like I am shackled into racing for some guy who looks half decent but there is this underlying tension I can't place my finger on. Could Ratchet have been right?"
She sighs as she opens the hood of the vehicle and looks over the work that Ratchet and Grim had done. Much of it seemed good, though, she needed to tighten a few things cause in a tight race when acceleration was key she didn't want anything get loose or possibly coming undone.
"I think this is something we have to see through now Rivet. There is no going back even if we wanted to and you saw what that Barry did to Ratchet. True we have a bit more arsenal on hand then he did but we also have to consider that Grim is here."
Rivet sighed as she shut the hood after her ministrations were done. "You are right Kit, guess we are in the racing business for the time being. I imagine we are also close to the planet so suppose we should head up to the cockpit."
Rivet went to pick up Kit and placed her on her back as she walked up the steps and only hoped that Ratchet was doing ok.
The planet was approaching on the viewscreen and she stood there along with Barry and joining them were Grim and even her employer and boss.
"This is your first time seeing the planet is it not Rivet? It is something else, and, I have put much of my time and own finances into making it what it is today."
Sydon was located a good distance away from Veldin and true to his words the planet had towering buildings reaching up at them and a track that ran throughout the city and even out into space. Rivet didn't believe there was such a world where she came from and apart from doing a little racing here, mostly to get her the gig, she didn't do much racing back home.
The dimensions couldn't be more different and one could say things were far more colorful over here in Ratchet's dimension. Even so, well, only reason she wound up back here was because of him. Rivet had never done the whole relationship thing but if there was one Lombax she could see herself doing that with...it would be him. It was still him even with his way he acted. Though thinking more on it perhaps he was only looking out for her, and, it was endearing the way he did it...even if she could very much take care of herself.
"Once we set down deliver the racer to the garage and do a few test laps. The first race will be setup shortly so I expect great results. Grim, you will join her, meet your new pit crew and each lap time should be shorter then the next."
Rivet found Rex situating himself between the two as he places his hands on their shoulders. She exchanges a look with Grim, whom she didn't have much interaction with before, but seeing those sunken eyes of his she knew his meeting with Rex was a long one.
"The three of us are going to make a name in the racing circuit, yes sir, I can already smell the success. This is going to be big!" Rivet wondered about that as they made their descent.
Authors note: Next chapter we will stick with Rivet as the test laps go down. Don't worry you will see Ratchet again possibly in the 8th chapter.
