Chapter Text
Road dust kicked up and filled the air, in the flat plane of the desert it was easy for Lani to spot. “We can see you coming now.” She said on the radio. “I'll bring Nitrium over to join you.”
“Ten-Four Lani!” Monkey sounded pretty upbeat over the radio, but anyone who had survived taking on the Drones on their home turf would be in a good mood.
Returning to the car, Lani sat in the driver's seat and looked to the passenger. “We'll meet the others at the road. Plan our next move.” She clipped her seatbelt and started the car.
“Yes, our next move.” Dr. Tezla sounded a little more certain than he had for a number of hours. The events of the day had come in swift succession; the racers taking off to rescue Wylde, Gig's betrayal, the invasion by the drones and Gelorum herself. The revelation of Vert reaching the Accelerons and coming back to save them. Destroying the Acceledrome and the sacrifice of his oldest confidant.
Now his quick mind was finally processing things, it was time to regroup.
Lani shifted Nitrium up a gear to speed across the desert and meet the remaining drivers.
Dr. Tezla planned.
-*-
Without their cars to sit in, the sweeper wasn't the most comfortable ride for passengers. Drones didn't need seats, or aircon. Pork Chop, Sparky and Monkey had the cab, but the others were left to wait in the car store.
Karma sat in her meditative position, she could centre herself and ignore the discomfort of the bare metal, the heat from the desert sun and the emotions of the day. She had lost Chicane, they had all lost Vert. The Acceledrome was gone.
Her car had been like an extra limb, a part of herself. Even meditating, that thought caused a wince. Wylde's metal arm looming in her mind, causing a more personal concern than it should. Shifting her thoughts, she skirted past her envy at Vert being chosen as an Acceleron. He had to have proven himself to earn it and if he had earned the right, she could too.
Here and now, she had to think of what was to come, to plan for the future. Even weeks ago the world had been so much smaller; race her friends, race their rivals, work on their cars. Now they were facing Drones and a mystery organisation with plenty of power and resources. There were other worlds created only for racing. It was as if the universe had opened up for them all.
“Hey, Karma.” Nolo's voice interrupted her thoughts, her eyes snapped open to look at the team leader. He was stood with Tork, casually, almost friendly; some good had come of the adventure at least.
“Yes Nolo?” She kept her voice even, in control.
“How come you knew the Drones were gonna shoot?” He gestured at the sweeper they rode in. “If you hadn't got Monkey to stop, we'd've been toast back there.”
The question flummoxed her. She'd not thought about what had prompted her to shout stop, to demand they stop. There had just been a feeling, snaking its way through the adrenaline from their mission and her focus on their plan. A warning that they were an imminent target of a powerful attack. “I had a hunch.” Her answer came out sounding terse, she could see from the look on Nolo's face.
“It was a good hunch.” Nolo backed off, but watched his teammate carefully as she settled back into meditation. Something had rattled Karma, something deeper than the events of the day.
“She alright?” Taro said in his usual abrupt manner.
Nolo shrugged. “We've all had a long day.” The veteran racer gave him a nod in reply as he stepped over and took up station by the woman. Arms folded, stood beside her, he looked like a guard. The Teku leader smiled; he wasn't stupid, or blind, there was something between the pair.
Thinking about it, Karma and Taro had a lot in common despite their separate teams. Nolo grinned, wondering what Tone would have thought about it, without the usual pain in his heart that came from thinking of his brother. Tone had been chill, he would've probably thought it was great. Maybe teased about baby racers having to choose a side.
“You know we might all be friends now, but that ain't going to stop us giving everything we got on the track.” Tork gave Nolo a light punch to the shoulder.
“Wouldn't want it any other way.” Nolo laughed. “Short of rides though.” He waved a circle at the drivers left without their cars.
“Yeah, we're gonna fix that. I know it.” Tork folded his arms. “We've got a guy to get back and we need cars for that.”
The sweeper shuddered to a halt, tipping them off balance, bar Taro and Karma, the pair not moving an inch. “We've got Lani and Dr. Tezla!” Monkey yelled from the cab. The ramp lowered and Nitrium drove in.
“You're all okay?” Lani asked when she got out of the car. Dr. Tezla remained in his seat.
“Still no Vert, but we got Sparky.” Nolo said. “Monkey thinks he can take a look at the video memory.”
“We will get him back.” Lani had seen her former team leader come through a lot, she was sure he would be back with them soon.
“You all did a very dangerous thing.” Dr. Tezla said, stepping from Nitrium at last. He levelled a look at Kurt. “However things worked out mostly in our favour.”
“I'm not going to apologise.” Kurt replied, his brother beside him.
“I am not expecting any apology.” Dr. Tezla removed a device from his pocket. “But I do expect you all to keep racing.”
“With what?” Wylde gestured to the empty cargo space.
“Monkey. Follow these directions.” Dr. Tezla tapped the device.
“Hey wow! How didja do that?” Monkey called down, a map had appeared on the console screen.
“I have studied the drones in the years since I encountered them.” Dr. Tezla replied, smug. He was back to his old self, a plan had laid out before him and the means to enact it were close.
“So, where are we headed?” Tork asked as the sweeper rolled on through bare desert.
“A good scientist always keeps a backup.” Tezla said, arms folded.
-*-
Tezla's map guided the sweeper off-road, they had already left the highway onto something little better than a track. There was a derelict farmhouse and a shabby barn a few yards behind them when the sweeper came to a halt.
“Uh, the map stops here.” Monkey shouted down from the cab. “There's nothing but desert!”
Sat in Nitrium, Tezla pushed a button. “The route should be clear soon.” He said, returning to formulating his plan.
Outside the ground began to shake. Loose stones rattled along and suddenly fell into the hole that opened in the desert.
A vast, perfectly rectangular hole opened up ahead of the sweeper. A ramp leading down into darkness.
“Okay- Better put the headlights on!” Monkey looked across the dashboard, his robot was in the way. “Hey Sparky, hit the lights.” The robot poked a button and green lights shone into the newly revealed tunnel.
“Continue down the ramp, once we clear the space the door will rise again.” Dr. Tezla said. The other drivers were all waiting for their destination. They could feel the sweeper move onto an incline, heading downwards.
Eventually, the ground levelled off, they had to be deep underground. A shorter section of level tunnel led out into a space too big for the headlights to illuminate, so Monkey stopped the sweeper. “We're here?”
“We have arrived.” Tezla said, starting Nitrium up, “You can open the hatch.” When the sweeper opened, Tezla drove his car out and used the touchscreen in the console to activate the facility.
“You guys have got to get out and see this!” Nolo shouted from the cab, he was on the ladder nearly as soon as he said it. “This is unreal!”
“What is it Nolo?” Lani followed behind as he ran out of the sweeper. She had no idea what Tezla had planned, she had worked with him for a long time but he did not share much information.
The other drivers followed behind her into an enormous space, it was like the Acceledome, but more technologically advanced. There was a track system set up in the same way and there were plenty of internal structures, buildings that hopefully had somewhere to rest up.
“Impressive.” Karma looked around, taking note that there was a space for the wheel of power hologram. Tezla must have anticipated needing to move to a new base.
Monkey and Sparky were already rushing around looking at everything they possibly could. The robot reflecting his creator's excitement. “Just look at these car lifts!”
“Yaeah!”
“What is this place Dr. Tezla?” Lani had joined her mentor by his car.
“My ultimate Acceledrome.” Dr. Tezla looked over at the assembled racers. “I created this place even before the World Race, it holds all the knowledge I have gathered over many years investigating the Accelerons. Here is the final bastion of my vision and plans.”
“The backup server.” Lani grinned.
“Does this mean you have cars here?” Tork strode forward. “We have a driver to get back.”
“Indeed I have, but those will require time to prepare. Perhaps I can show you around first?” Tezla got out of his car.
-*-
Dr. Tezla had quickly explained and pointed out the facilities his headquarters had, an advanced workshop and driver training area had been very interesting to Karma. With all the other amenities the drivers could need for a long stay, he had left them to settle while the automatic systems prepared some cars.
“You will find these cars suited to your driving style, skill and the goals we have set.” Tezla had promised. “With some of my newest upgrades.” He had headed for his lab, hoping to activate the hologram of the Wheel of Power. If there were more realms to race and more chances to enter them, they would be ready.
Without much to do, the drivers went to explore some more.
Karma went in search of a quiet space to meditate. It was past sunset and she wanted to spend some time to centre herself again. The elevator to the surface looked promising.
-*-
Vert sat on the bench in his borrowed clothes. The Acceleron uniform had been taken away for tests and examination. His dad had promised that they would talk soon, but for now he was on his own in the bedroom he had been escorted to.
Well, on his own bar a robot babysitter. The unit was an upgrade on Gig, but it looked similar enough. It hovered in the air near him. “So, what's your name?”
“I do not have a name. My designation is 0052.” The unit sounded like Gig when it vocalised.
“Right.” Vert sighed, this was going to be a long and boring wait. “I think I'll call you Byte.”