Stella Urbem

Chapter 2: Part 6

Jey figured Drey had been out late last night, which is why he didn't come back to the room with them, but when he woke up, Drey was still not in his bed. Tack didn't know where he was either. Jey sat down at the bar while Tack ordered breakfast. "If he's not careful he's going to miss the ceremony and possibly be expelled from the mission." Tack was talking to the smart refrigerator. "...and a breakfast burrito and- Jey do you want one?" "Sure." "-Two breakfast burritos and a strawberry smoothie..." Jey blocked out Tack as he worried for his friend. He wondered if something had happened between him and his family, or if he had gotten in trouble, or if he had even just gone home...whichever home that was. Jey tried calling him and leaving messages, but it went straight to an answering machine. The last time he saw Drey was on the track yesterday just after lunch. He seemed fine, but with someone like Drey, who could really tell. He called the rest of the team looking for answers. "No I didn't see him..." Glow replied. Most of their responses were unhelpful, but Chess said she saw him walking around outside from the window of her class later in the afternoon. "He probably ended up messing around in places he shouldn't have," Jey complained to Tack. "But wouldn't they have let us know?" "Not necessarily, we're not his parents or anything. I'm gonna go take a shower before the ceremony. Lemme know when the food gets here." Jey made his way to the bathroom as Tack chugged a carton of milk.

The ceremony took place on the track, feeling somewhat like a graduation. The audience was in the bleachers and the stage and chairs were in the middle of the stadium. The board had gathered together to discuss the event and the send-off following shortly after. Mr. Harley was among them, having made sure that the garage, where all of the cars were being tuned up, remained off-limits. The racers and mechanics gathered towards the center, suits and helmets and gloves at the ready. The racers sat at the front of the stage and the mechanics sat behind them. For some reason, Liz was placed with the mechanics and not the racers, which meant she would not be going on the mission. "You haven't heard from Drey at all?" Tack asked. "Nothing," Jey responded. "He's going to miss the mission," Glow warned. "I know. I think he got in trouble for something." "This is the worst time and place to get into trouble," Glow added. "And I'll be sure to tell him that when I see him again," Jey said.

Drey woke up with a cough and held his stomach. His lungs were still full of the smoke. He heard clanging and whispering outside the door. Once he had finished his coughing fit, he weakly lifted his head to the hole to see the commotion. Mechanics were working on the hypercars, seemingly adding something to them. He tried banging on the door and yelling, but he was still too weak. He began angrily kicking the door. "Ignore it. Don't let him out!" Drey heard one of the older mechanics say. "Who is it?" Asked a voice Drey knew all too well. "Eeon! Eeon it's me Drey!" Eeon walked over to the door. "Eeon! Dont touch that door!" The mechanic ordered. "Will you shut up I'm just looking." Eeon peeked into the hole and saw Drey, red-eyed and coughing. "Eeon! Eeon you have to get me out of here!" "Why." "What do you mean why? That Harley dude is up to something!" "Yeah...I know. He's the one who hired me." "What? You're working for him?" "Why not? It pays." Drey didn't want to admit it, but that's exactly what he would've said when he was Eeon's age. "Eeon, what's Harley going to do?" "You're not gonna like it." "Just tell me!" "We're attaching a filter to the cars so they produce extra carbon monoxide inside the vehicle. None of the racers will make it back alive, but Mr. Harley and the IRAS will." Drey's stomach dropped. Jey. Glow. Tack. And all the other racers from every base in Stella Urbem...will die. "Why is he doing this??" "Racers have had it good for way too long. It's about time they got what was coming to them," Eeon explained nonchalantly. "How can you say that? You're about to commit mass murder!" Eeon just shrugged his shoulders...like he didn't even care. Just like he used to. "Eeon, if this is about what I did, take it out on me not everybody else!" "I don't care anymore about what you did. My life doesn't revolve around you." "But I'm the reason you're like this. I was just like you are now Eeon, and trust me, you're going to regret this." "Really? Look where I am and look where you are. And you are nothing like me. Cause I'm not a screw-up. I made our parents proud." "I know for a fact that that's a lie, cause they wanted a racer, and you could never be that." "Watch it," Eeon warned. "You may be a racer now but that'll never undo all the crap you put us through." "I know. And I'm sorry. I really am sorry Eeon. I wanted the same things you want, and I didn't get them, so I acted out. I don't want that to happen to you." "Stop trying to fix your pathetic life by managing mine. I don't need you. I never needed you. No one did. You don't matter." Drey froze, then stood tall. "I matter to SRH. I matter to everyone in the sky world. That's why you and all those other mechanics are here, isn't it? Because we got all the attention instead of you. I got all the attention instead of you." "Shut up!" Eeon kicked the door and turned to see some mechanics staring at him. He calmed himself down and gave Drey one last look. "Well I hope you guys enjoy the attention while it lasts." Eeon walked away as Drey banged on the door. "Eeon no!" He watched as Eeon slipped out of view.

"Ladies and gentleman, today marks a historic day for Stella Urbem, though the occasion is somewhat solemn because of the loss of our beloved star, this is a day of celebration, as we begin a new era of discovery, technological advancement, and personal improvement. Not only have we created a formula that recycles the energy we receive from our star so that we become fully self-sufficient, but we have also guided our young racers and mechanics to new heights in their knowledge of their field. Stella Urbem will be stronger than ever, beginning today!" The audience gave a loud applause as CEO Thomas Harley stood proudly. He silenced them and continued to speak. "I will now ask my son, James Harley, to speak us into this glorious new generation." Mr. Harley walked up to the podium as his father patted him on the back and sat down. He took a deep breath, and began to speak. "To all who are present with us today and all who are watching the broadcast," Mr. Harley nodded at the cameras pointing at him, "please take a moment to pause. Think about how you came to Stella Urbem, how you have grown along with our city, and where you stand now. You are not where you used to be, nor are you where you could be, but where you are now is what matters. The world changes every day, and we must change along with it, every day. From the short time that I got to know this group of trainees up until now, I have seen their dedication, their determination, and their passion for their star city, and their love for the cafeteria food, if I might add." Everyone laughed at Mr. Harley's little quip. He continued on for some time, seemingly longer than the board had anticipated, since they kept getting up and whispering in his ear, only for him to continue on as if it didn't matter. Jace began to fall asleep, and RC nudged him. "Ow!" "Pay attention!" "I've been paying attention for the last forty minutes!" Jace argued. "He is going way too long," Aura noted. Venice chuckled. "Chess doesn't seem to think so." Venice tilted his head towards Chess, who was holding on to Mr. Harley's every word, as if in a dream-like trance. After nearly an hour, Mr. Harley finished and sat down, followed by light applause. "Thank God," Tack moaned. The CEO once again stood at the podium. "Now, without further ado, racers, to your marks!" Jey and the others hurried to the garage. The hypercars were already outside, ready to take off. A group of mechanics got out of the vehicles and moved to the side, Eeon among them. Jey found the car that matched the number on his suit and walked over to it. He looked once more for Drey in the crowd, then shook his head sadly and got inside the car. The hypercars had built-in communication systems so the racers could speak to each other, the mechanics, and the crew at Mission Control Center, located above the garage. The SRH and the technicians each had their own control room. The other mechanics were given iPads to track the racers' progress. "Glow this is Jey, do you copy." "Jey, this is Glow. I do copy." "Glow this is Jey, thanks for copying." "Jey this is Glow, no problem." "Shut up with all the flirting already!" RC yelled from her headphones. "RC this is Jace, do you copy." Everyone laughed as RC grunted. The racers started their engines and followed the marshallers to the runway to prepare for take-off. Glow's heart began to pound. "Anyone else starting to feel sick?" She half-joked. "Pshh no what are you talking about," Aura teased. "Everyone be quiet. We're starting the countdown." Jey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He began to have a small headache, but thought nothing of it.

Drey pounded on the door with all of his might. "No, no please! HELP! PLEASE!" It was no use. Everyone was outside for the send-off. No one could hear him.