Quantum Drive - Lance

The eardrum-shattering shriek of fighter engines filled the air, which reeked of ashes. The earth below my feet was scorched by energy bolts unleashed by the plasma cannons, and the bullets poured like rain. Bodies fell in droves. Some of them were friends, others enemies, but it didn’t matter, the killing was indiscriminate. The ground was smeared in deep crimson, and spotlights of the starship looming overhead shone with a brilliant glow, flickering periodically as they slid across the land. All the charred bodies, the ashes, and the blood-stained mud were visible for one brief instant of clarity, before being plunged into the darkness again.

My ears were ringing, my head felt like it was going to implode.

Chase was gone, my best friend, gone in an instant. Just a moment ago, we were standing together, and a moment later, he was reduced to atoms. 

I felt sick, like I was about to puke.

“Get in the fucking ship, pilot! What are you doing, you miserable half-race?”

“Yes sir,” I called out in response, stuttering, hesitantly clambering into the cockpit of the xi’van class fighter vessel. 

That’s right, I was a pilot, a good one at that.

As I ascended into the air, floating above the desolate wasteland below, the ship's engines blazed. I slammed the throttle and rocketed forward, piercing the clouds. I hung over the target for a few brief moments. 

“Drop the bomb.”

I heard the orders, crystal clear, and I was not at liberty to disobey. My fingers lingered, I shut my eyes tight, and pressed the button, before the target vanished in a dazzling burst of light.

This was the Vanguard.

Last I heard, sleeper foam was supposed to be soft. This may as well have been rubber.

The sleeping pod doors swung open. My head felt like it was going to split, what happened last night? I glanced around. Six empty bottles of Myltrian whiskey lay strewn about the cold, metal floors. Clearly, it was one of those nights. I guess I wanted to forget.

I rubbed my head and turned my gaze over to Ektol, my strange insectoid friend, who stood at the doorway with twitching feelers and what seemed to be concern in his compound eyes, his six giant legs sliding back and forth nervously.

His pincers were clacking, but the sounds he was making were complete gibberish.

Oh, right, my ICD must have switched itself off when I fell asleep. I pressed down on it with my index finger, and the brain implant whirred back to life, as Ektol’s words slowly began to unjumble themselves. 

“Jextrl krni clk, clk, clk… master Ke’xian, is your interspecies communication device functional? I have-”

“What, Ektol? I told you not to come in here while I was asleep.”

I sighed and stumbled out of the sleeping pod.

“Yes, I am truly sorry ma-”

“My name is Ke’xian,” I growled.

“Yes. I am truly sorry, but it is important. Also, is that liquid surrounding your eyes water? I believe that is a sign of great emotional-“

“I’m fine, just continue,” I interrupted, rubbing my eyes slowly.

As I looked out the window, I was drawn to the starships gliding through the sky above. Up on the higher levels, Haven was truly a sight to behold, but unfortunately, my ‘home’ was located in the most depressing, downtrodden region of the entire hypercity; the quintessential slums, if you will.

“What happened?” I asked Ektol, pushing myself over to my consumables container to get a glass of water.

“Well, ma-” I glared at Ektol.

“Sorry, Ke’xian, it appears that you have signed yourself up for the Great Galactic Boundary Marathon.”

I stared at Ektol for a moment, processing what he was telling me, and slowly sipping on the water. It didn’t really help the headache, but at least I felt marginally more awake. Then the shock hit me.

“I did what?!”

My eyes widened.

The Great Galactic Boundary Marathon was a race, more specifically, the biggest and most prestigious race in the galaxy. A race around the outer rim of the entire Milky Way.

I gulped down the rest of the water, nearly coughing it all back out again immediately afterwards.

“You signed up for-”

“I heard you,” I placed the now empty cup on my desk, “just tell them it was an accident or somethin’ and it’ll be fine.”

“That is the issue, Ke’xian,” Ektol continued, clacking his pincers together, “you were accepted.”

“Accepted? I was drunk, wasn’t I?”

“Indeed, however, due to your background as an ex-Vanguard pilot, they let you into the race. They said you would be an ‘interesting competitor’.”

“Oh, just great. Fantastic. Fuck, I’m such an idiot,” I was less than a k’ned away from punching myself in the face, “can’t we cancel it or something?”

“The deadline was yesterday, Ke’xian. You must either show up or be scrutinized for the rest of your time here in Haven.”

I was on the verge of screaming. How did I manage something so ridiculous? Just one night, a few bottles of alcohol, and now I was in this mess, no, not even a mess, a wreckage, or like, an asteroid field or something. Oh boy.

“Okay, just gimme a moment, will you?” I eventually said to Ektol, after beating myself up for around two t’erg, “I’m gonna go get cleaned up and then we can figure out what the hell’s up.”

Ektol acknowledged my request, and wandered out of my crappy little hovel, as I stood and stared myself down in the mirror.

My eyes looked especially dead today, that same yellow shade. Pure Nerrym eyes had a distinct shine to them, a glow, almost. I was only half Nerrym, and half human, so my eyes were just empty. Or maybe that was…

I shook my head.

I splashed water across my face, and watched as it trickled down my pale blue skin, and quickly brushed my hair, wetting it slightly. Somehow, it seemed that water brought out the dark blue a bit more.

I breathed sharply.

So, I was in the Galactic Boundary Marathon? 

I needed to devise a plan. Like Ektol suggested, I could either participate or go ghost and take judgment for the rest of my stay in Haven. So there was that. I wasn't planning on leaving Haven anytime soon, especially given how little money I had. Depending on how I saw it, this was either a tremendous opportunity or my undoing. Humans were despised as they were; the galactic community wasn’t especially fond of us. Although, they did like our means of amusement, ironically enough, given that starship racing had become something of a galactic craze. After the Frontier Break, humanity started building the Vanguard - the largest army the galaxy had ever seen, and considering that I was an ex-Vanguard pilot, I don’t think that the inhabitants of Haven would take very kindly to me if I did decide to ditch the race.

Haven used to be a hive of scum, a forsaken corner of the galaxy that was unknown to the Zyxxeen Empire for r’xere. It was reformed now, of course, but still, a lot of the citizens weren’t exactly what you’d call ‘upstanding’ members of society.

I sighed, pressing my clammy fingertips to my forehead. What really was the best option here? I’d probably be killed for ditching the race, and I’d miss on slathers of te’vrei. Probably more money than I’d ever seen in my life. But alternatively, taking part in this race would mean putting myself in the public eye, me, a Vanguard deserter, where I might also be killed for ditching the Vanguard instead.

I stepped away from the mirror. Good, my exosuit was already on, that saved a little time, at least. I was going to need to talk to Ektol again. Participating meant a lot of things, including finding a ship and a crew, which was a whole different story. 

My headache was just getting worse, it was probably better to just start doing. I needed to figure out whether I was gonna participate or not, and then from there I could worry about the rest.

After picking up my MNID, I stepped out of the front door.

The walkways of Haven were spectacularly gigantic. Well, Haven itself was spectacularly gigantic. A gargantuan tower, encompassing one half of a dead planet, housing a hypercity, that was pretty absurd.

Ektol stood outside, waiting for me and idly flicking his pincers.

“Hey, Ektol.”

“Oh, greetings, Ke’xian. Have you decided on what to do?”

“Not quite.”

I took a step back, and gazed up at the thousands of ships sailing overhead. 

Well, I had to decide sooner or later. 

“I’m gonna go over everything in my head one more time,” I told Ektol, “and then we’re gonna figure out what to do from there.”

“Okay, ma-”

“It’s Ke’xian. Now go stand over there, I’m gonna clear my head."