Episode 12: Season Finale
Event: Elite Race
Location: Quarry
This the final race of the Split/Second Season Championship, the Elite Drivers and 6 other finalists stand between me and victory. This will be my toughest race yet, but the goal has never been more simple: Win Split/Second.
The "go" signal never show mercy, never shows hesitance, especially to those who dump the cultch close to redline.
My Severus dug into the ground below, not budging for an entire 2 seconds until the tires bit at something. Lucky my car's immense acceleration can more than make up for my short comings.
My Cobretti rolled past Bonnie, and what I can only guess is the city's last known Ryback Angel like they were standing still.
I felt the familiar rumble of an upshift as the used differential pitched my car early into easy first corner. The supercharged growl of the Javelin was teeth shattering as it assumed it's natural position behind me: sideways.
I broke left through the spilt, and purposely locked my brakes into the turn as I scraped the paint off Marvin's Ryback entering the corner.
Out of the right hairpin, the distinction of friendly Elites and aggressive Elites were shown as the Power Play safeties flew off.
Vixen's S510 had been well introduced to a wall as I drifted by, she was down but by no means out.
My V10 redlined as I down shifted barely avoiding Torpedo's Corbretti as it recovered from the silo Play.
"Shit". The train Play hadn't been blown.
"Do it know Konani!" Bonnie instructed.
I instinctively veered left as the Train exploded with a deafening roar, it shook the ground as it landed.
I held my breath as I slipped in between the crevasse, the brief instant when the train pops back in the air, it's just big enough for a low profile car to squeeze through.
But I took no chances as the MK1 gave me a little shunt through the opening. Flames spat from my rear as I shifted just a little late.
But just as quick, I was on the brakes again having missed my chance for the shortcut. I grumbled as I slide around the bend, taking the long way.
I blindly activated the crane Power Play ahead; it's success irrelevant as I flew past it. I dove deep in the next right hander.
The adrenaline reprimanded me as it began to shift my car wider than I wanted. Unfortunately I don't have time for any self-perseverating bullshit today. I willed it, I let the unconsented slowdown in. I needed it today more than anything, but today I needed it to work for me.
And I'll be damned if anyone wanted to put their say in the matter, even you babe.
I board sided Mason Sharp's Brawler, spinning us into the left part of the split. The MK hummed as I used it to rotate me the rest of the way, blowing past the cranes as they began setting up another rock Play.
I peered into my rear view to see a not so friendly tap from Bonnie push The Hammer off the edge.
As I drifted into the next aggressive series of corners I spotted an infuriated Ghost spurring me on as I drove by, her car having caught the business end of the rock wall Power Play.
My chassis complained I swerved through the s-turn, missing the apex around the pile driver play. Orange air washed over my Severus I exploited the MK1 to regain my momentum. I was half way past the track's last spilt when I hear the Javelin on my 6 again.
We drafted into the last corner where Bonnie easily slid in beside me, crossing the line with me.
"Keep cool, 3 left." Bonnie said.
"I know Bon'"
I kept the inside line coming into the turn one, slipping ahead. But with Live Wire clear in my sights, the entire track began shake. With a thunderous scream that could no doubt be heard for miles, the Quarry's bucket-wheel excavator roared to life. Switching the route and obliterating anything stupid enough to be in its way.
The GT12 stayed stable through the corner as I followed Live Wire into the turn. I closed the gap as we dove into the s-turn, giving the vehicle ahead a little tap while activating the shovel Plays.
The blue lights flashed as the GT12's spoilers went near vertical, as the Elite was barely able to keep himself out of a brutal collision.
I threaded through the diggers just as they were activated, the last bucket clipping my back end. But with a little MK assistance, I straightened out before the jump.
My hands nearly fumbled over the wheel as I immediately pulled a hard left to avoid the crane as is slid across the track. The Severus let me know how it felt about that as my rear wheels kicked wide, sliding me against the wall. I cringed as the paint splintered off my car.
With the my Cobretti back in gear I pushed forward on the right side of the split, cutting back to the left in order to hit the apex of next corner.
I caught a glimpse Brawn's 440 as it slid around the sharp left hander, but that's all I got as something threw itself into my rear fender. My ear pricked at the resonance of an identical, I looked up and caught a mirror full of white Severus.
Good ole' Maya Strong, still always in wrong place at the wrong time.
"Bon'?" I called.
"At the next Play." she answered.
As soon as we were out of the sloping turns I slammed the brakes and veered away from Maya, who powered into the turn.
The pile driver fell with tremendous force as Bonnie hit the Play, enough to move the very ground we drove. The shockwaves caused Maya's Severus to skid wide.
The breakaway guard rails would have slowed her down enough to recover had Bonnie not sideswiped the shit out or her car.
I could almost hear Maya's curses as her Cobertti tumbled off the cliff.
With a trembling gear shift the Javelin pulled ahead, beckoning me to follow it through the tracks faster but more dangerous left fork. Fortunately we flew through unharmed.
At last corner, Brawn's 440 made bold outside pass on Marvin's Vulcan, they made contact allowing Bonnie and I to close the gap.
I poked my car's nose out of the Javelin's slipstream just as the track shook again. The saw of the colossal earth mover fell to earth, blocking the track and completing Quarry's last Route Switch.
The dust seemed to ignite as the crane Power Play slid in front of us, bending all of our cars out of shape as we flew over the jump.
Blue streams of fire spewed from the corners of Brawn's 440 as he activated his upgrade mid-flight. The Elite car dropped like a rock crumpling the front of Marvin's car in the process. They both impacted the ground behind us with enough grunt to flip the 440 on its back.
"Go get 'em girl." a static filled voice filled my helmet. I didn't need your help Brawn...
My Severus struggled to swing through the chicane trying to follow Bonnie's effortless drifts. We had barreled past the motionless shovel and digger plays and over the jump before I locked on with the only reason I was here.
Blitz's 440 Special power slid into the left hand corner ahead while Rigg and Andre worked to box Raptor out.
I dove deep into the inside of the corner, sling shoting past Bonnie and stepping the Severus out wide through the exit. The boulders fell to the track as tanker play exploded. The double tapped Plays stalled Tyson's 440 and clipped Torpedo's 530 GTS into the wall.
My engines growled from the downshift as I pulled into the Goliath's obstructive slipstream. He blocked me every step of the way as we left the sharp left turn as flowed through the s-turns.
Rigg broke early into the next turn forcing me wide and far too close to the track's edge. Thankfully no one hit the Power Play as I brought my car in front of Rigg's. I tucked into Raptor's draft as we went into the right fork.
OH fuck.
The explosive Play Rigg activated fell right in front of Raptor, it was like a being hit by a Goliath itself. Both our cars collided with the wall letting the enemy Elite blow past.
But Raptor apparently wasn't having any of that, the S510's rear boosters ignited blinding me for a moment before leaving me in the dust.
Before I even had my car in gear, the gap between Raptor and Rigg was gone. But the German Elite let off as the last second as Vixen exited the faster part of the circuit, she slipped in between the two and broadsided the right side of the massive truck. It was a performance that only two people who know each other that well could accomplish. As soon as Vixen's car made contact the pile driver Play dropped. The shockwave shoved them wide as Raptor unloaded another rocket assisted burst, broadsiding the Vixen's S510.
The Goliath popped one wheel of the cliff side but instead of continuing off, it impacted the solid barrier. The truck seemed to scream as it burst into flames, ejecting the S.A.F.E. in the process.
As I drifted by, Raptor and Vixen just sat there, neither bothering to restart their cars right away.
Last lap.
Tyson will not leave this track in that car, so help me God I'm gonna make sure none of his limps are intact either.
The back end of my car stepped out as I floored the pedal out of the corner.
"Oh hell yeah, you and me Konani!" Blitz laughed, I furiously tried to switch my radio channels, but he was on every single one.
Fuck it. I used the MK1 to fling me over the jump, landing wonderfully close to Tyson's bumper.
"Oh yes." he scoffed. His 440 broke early into the chicane, slamming me as we entered. I blindly tapped my wheel's level one Play button causing the shovels to move downward. I swerved sharp left, barely avoiding the obstacles as they swung by.
I forced a wall of air into Blitz's 440 as we passed the digger Power Plays, his car wobbled forcing him to rethink activating the Plays. He instead took the opportunity to use his Black Rock legal advantage.
In my mirrors I could see the supercharger intake peek out from vents on the hood of the 440 as they folded back. The car lurched forward pulling beside me as we flew over the jump. I activated the crane Play ahead, but as soon as we touched down, the 440 found a gear it never had. It sped forward and around the crane leaving me to slow down in order to dodge.
I popped the explosive Power Play at the entrance to the next corner, but the Brawn's jet based upgrade kept Blitz's 440 planted to the ground.
Damnit, if I wasn't sure then, I am now.
"He does have other parts." Bonnie exclaimed, voicing my thoughts. Her Javelin drifted in behind me as we exited the right hander.
Bonnie...
I activated the falling boulder Plays far too late to tag Tyson as I sent I large ripple through my draft.
"KONANI-!" was all I heard as Bonnie's Javelin failed to avoid the last boulder.
I'm sorry Bonnie, but I can't have you getting in my way now...
"Whoa, cold shit Tenma." Tyson laughed.
But I sort of tuned it out; I lunged deep into the next turn hitting the apex beautifully. My car flew into the next turn at speed, kicking the back end out a little too wide, but just enough to fill my Power bar back up.
I ignored the first pile driver play as I slid through the corner, closing on the 440.
"Shit." I growl as Tyson broke left at the last possible moment into the fork.
Well, not when I wanted to try this but, what do I really have to lose now?
The MK1 pulled me forward as I went broke for the left split, then I jerk the wheel left again. My Cobretti flew through the opening and off the track.
Of all the jumps, ramps, and kickers I've ever taken in this city, this is the only blind one. I spotted it when I first saw the track, an unmarked jump, a daring way to chop off time going the long way.
"The fuck?" Tyson shouted as my car landed behind his with a loud dismount.
"Think that'll be that huh, bitch?" he snarled, his trademark frat boy charm all but gone.
"Why yes, I do."
This is it, last turn. This...this is gonna happen right here, right now. So how 'bout it, one more move babe?
The engine revved without me having to do anything.
Thanks babe, two seasons and still the most kick ass car in the world.
I kept the car flat through short left hand flick before lining up for the last corner; my hand hovered over my wheel's blue button as I let the adrenaline sink in for the last time.
The vibration of the suspension as it began to slide over an uneven surface. The smell of aqueous exhaust as Tyson's car down shifted for the turn. The sound of the V10 behind me, answering the call in the only way it knows how, in glorious 650 horse power sequence.
My foot never neared the brake as I approached the Tyson, I could see the threads of his tires as they distorted from the weight of the car.
I activated the Power Play sending shockwaves through the track, the vents to the weight inducing turbo fans of the 440 began to open at the same moment I manually closed the spoiler on my own car.
Using the force of the shock wave I plowed into Blitz's car side long. The paneling on our cars rippled, ripping away paint while the glass from our widows shattered.
Tyson reaction was one of surprise and rage as our vehicles were forced closer to the cliff's edge. I kept the pedal floored; trying to press every force I had to put us off the track.
And then weightlessness...like water over rock, our car's slipped off the edge.
"What the fuck Tenma? Put us both over the edge!? Tyson screamed at me in fury, a little warning light from the MK did the same.
"No Tyson, it's happens when you deprive S.A.F.E. of nitrogen." I replied back as I activated the MK1 for the last time, voiding the area around my Severus of air.
I'm not sure what Tyson said after that, or even if his said anything at all. Would he have been able to say anything at all? I don't know, but I hope he didn't.
Because after all that's happen this season, I just really wanted the last fucking laugh for once. As cliché as that sounds, and I don't want that laugh from anyone, I mean ANYONE but me.
I'm Konani Tenma and I'm a veteran of Split Second. It can rain barrels, dump trucks, airplanes, Elites, relationship problems, ninjas, cars, rocks, and whatever the fuck you can think of. Whether it be a championship win or a blaze of glory, this girl it gonna go out the way any of you people would, behind the wheel, doing what you love. 'cause let's face it, Spilt/Second is just another excuse for people like use to do what nature intended: drift, draft, slide, jump, pass, scrap, brake, race.
Drive.