Vertical.

Beginnings.

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I check the readings on my cuff monitor. Temperature: Ok. Fuel: Running on Half. Current Speed: 410 Kph.
And steadily climbing.

I slide my finger over my cuff monitor, swapping from suit analysis to race map. It indicates I have 43 kilometres to the finish line. Sadly, the screen is strictly modified to not indicate obstacles; standard race rules. That being the case, I raise my hand to my helmet and enable zoom, enabling me to see hundreds of metres in front of me.

I radio my race team.

" Chuck!" I hear the crackle of radio silence. Then, " Kit!" " What do you need?!"

"Shit!" I dodge a rouge ticker wasp.

"Uhhh....Kit?" Chuck's voice crackles over the radio.

I flip over onto my back and pump my right fist forward, activating bolt mode. My radio is on, and I can hear chuck muttering to the team. All I can catch is "absolute idiot" and "Shit?, what, did he crap himself or something!?" Laughter fills the background, and I decide to mute the radio for the while.

The wasp dashes forward, in an attempt to latch, so I let some bolts fly, disabling the wasp and watch it pummel into the ground in a huge plume of smoke and fire.

Ticker Wasps. Nasty little obstacles planted by the race makers. They resemble a wasp, the difference being they are the size of a German Shepherd and will latch onto your suit, disabling it, and kamikaze into the ground. Very painful. Very time costly.

"Kit!" Chuck repeats.

"Yeah chuck, what's up?" I respond.

" Dude, you are seriously the biggest idiot in the world. You just took down a ticker right next to it's nest, and now you have a freaking swarm on your tail."

I look over my shoulder. He's right. I respond with sarcasm. I let some more bolts fly, and the rest of them go down.

"Well, thank you very much kind sir, that was very generous if you to-"

"KIT!" Chuck yells. "Be serious, we have a race to win".

I reply with more sarcasm. " Yes Mum. Oh, and by the way, scan the next 30 kilometres for me, I can see some pretty thick obstacles up ahead".

"Alright man" Chuck goes off line for a few seconds. " Ok, we got a Series Two Dark Tunnel up ahead, so turn your visor to night mode. And after that a Slinger Run, so I suggest you actually try and avoid the slingers this time."

I smile, remembering my last race.

My train of thought comes over the Slinger Run.

" Hey chuck, what series is the Slinger?" I ask.

"Series Four. Why?"

"Hold on for a sec Chuck."

I need to get my head in it to win it and stay out of the way of the Slingers. All obstacles in Vert Races range from series 1 through 6. If your hit by a series 1 slinger, you get mild damage and it disables your suit for a second, tops. A series 6 slinger puts you out of the race for good. This though, series 4, is still enough to end any chance of me winning the race.

"Kit..? You good man?" Chuck's voice crackles over the intercom. "Yeah buddy, I'm good." I reply. "See you on the other side."

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FFFFFFFWWOOOOOOOOSHHH!

I rocket into the Dark Tunnel. The sound of my engines echo inside, creating a thunderous roar. Little overhead lights blink in and out of existence as I race past them. I flick my visor to night mode. "Much bette-Woah!" A Slider looms in front of me, and I roll to the side. The speed I'm going and the sudden tight turn makes me lose stability, and before long I'm careening into the next one. Another tight turn, another slider. I'm desperately avoiding the sliders before I kiss one at 500 kph. That's not how I want my first kiss to go. Suddenly a bright orange streak rushes pass me, knocking me off balance again. I stabilise the gyros, and take off after it.

I slide the cuff monitor to Racer Analysis. The visor flickers, and then the orange streak defines and I can make out the white almost transparent writing above the racers head. Richi Chang. Racer #7. Position #3. "Richie Chang, my friend, you, shall not be taking my place on the podium. I press forward, catching his slipstream, using it to create less drag and get me out of the tunnel. Before long, and a few near misses, I can see light at the end of the tunnel. My visor flicks back to a dark tint, so the light doesn't kill my eyes. The Slinger Run. A stretch of about 10 kilometres, filled with Slingers floating on hovering cubes. Richie Chang seems to of disappeared, so I pull a sharp left and head straight down the middle. The 'middle' of the run is what gives it the name, 'run'. It almost resembles a freeway of space, but there are twice as many slingers, lining the sides. The faster you are, the better chance you have of surviving. A loud, resonating humming is emanating from the slingers, already training their barrels on me.

The first slinger launches its energy ball, and as if a starting pistol, the rest of them begin firing cascades of energy balls my way. I kick up the speed. 550 kph. 600 kph. 650 kph. Almost at top speed, I'm still barely escaping the slingers, now a flood of energy trailing behind me. One mistake, and I'm a goner. Slowly though, I begin to outrace it. Metre by metre, but thats all I need. I check Race Map on the cuff monitor. 5 kilometres left. All Right! I can do this!

BOOM! A massive explosion rips through the air, and a ball of white fire erupts in front of me. Debris falls everywhere, clattering on my suit. Smoke envelops me, but is gone as quick as it came. Suddenly, an extra large, extra orange bit of debris hits me, and clings on. Richie. He must of been hit by the slinger, but judging by the amount of destruction, I'd say he hit it. His thrusters are coughing, trying to keep up with me, to hold on. His visor is broken. And I can see the terror in his eyes. The terror, pleading at me to hold on, to not let go. But another wild pice of debris comes out of nowhere, knocking him off me, and with a shriek of horror, is consumed by the wave of energy. Oh God. The wave. Richie's plea for life slowed me down too much, and now, it's biting at my heels. I kick my thrusters to max, super streamline my whole suit, in an attempt to get away, but the effort is futile. "C'mon!" I scream. " C'MON C'MON C'MON!" Not like this no. "NO!" But the wave is too fast, and I am too slow. And within seconds, my boots, are disabled, followed by my Wing thrusters, and then my Back Thrusters.

My suit. Dead. Me? Possibly. I am suspended in the air. And then, screaming, I am consumed by the wave.

And the world goes white.

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That was Chapter 1 of my new story " Vertical" I hope you guys love it!

If you guys have any feedback, please tell me! I'd love to hear it!