[05/04-0085]
Two spacecraft, a Y/26t Galaxy and
a G/0ld45 D.O.T., were lined up at the starting line. A place of empty space
between two other vessels, in the hangar bay of a dark grey plated capital
cruiser. A blinking red light flashed between the two racers. Then suddenly, it
flashed green. The two spacecraft sped out of the hangar bay and into the deep
black of space.
Outside, the race had entered a
small asteroid field with the Y/26t falling behind. The asteroids were a dark
reddish-brown, with a few of them drifting lazily around. The G/0ld45 had
gained an early lead. Gold in colour, it was shaped like an oblong, with a
long, thin rotating turret attached on either side, with two red thunder decals
on the sides of the main part of the ‘craft. It flipped and rolled over the
asteroids, opening up with speed when the driver thought he could chance it.
The Y/26t Galaxy on the other
hand, was taking things at a much slower pace. Dark blue in colour, this ‘craft
was also shaped like an oblong, but with a spoiler-like rectangle at the back.
The decals on this ‘craft were green with two arrows pointing inward on the
spoiler and a green arrow pointing centre front on each side of the cockpit.
Instead of the fancy tricks the G/0ld45 was performing, the Y/26t just lumbered
along and around the asteroids. An asteroid hit the ‘craft and rocked it. Hard.
The shields winked out.
The last of the asteroids blasted
past the G/0ld45 and soon it was back around to the beginning of the asteroid
field by going the longer way, following the course. Soon the capital cruiser
the two racers had started at came back into view.
By this time, the Y/26t was edging
closely toward the capital cruiser as well. The finishing point was at the same
hangar bay the two spacecraft had started at. Unfortunately, the Y/26t scraped
the capital cruiser, and with no shields, disintegrated.
Inside the hangar bay of the
capital cruiser, the G/0ld45 D.O.T. came to a gradual stop and landed. Then,
weirdly, red words of ‘YOU WON’ flashed on the screen. A faint whine could be
heard and all was back to reality.
“Yes!” Tom Hughs shouted, “Another
victory for me.”
“Well done,” his friend, Lee
Johnson said darkly. “Again.” This was a very faint whisper. But Tom heard it.
“What was that?” Tom said sharply.
“I said great work, and also well
done for winning,” Lee replied. Then added in his thoughts for the fifteenth time this year.
The two boys were in a room
generally called the games room. This room was plain white, and with good
reason. The game the two boys had just been playing, Space Racer, was played on
the Virtual Disk. This Virtual Disk could project 3D reality images into a
plain coloured room to play games, films, music and video viewing channels.
The two boys however, were a lot
more different in appearance. Tom was 15 years old with peachy skin and short,
brown hair. Lee was also 15 years old with pale skin and spiky, light brownish
red hair. Both boys had light blue eyes and there was only 2 centimetres
difference between the two. Tom was 145 centimetres and Lee was 143
centimetres.
“Wouldn’t it be good to actually be
in a Space Race Championship?” Lee questioned aloud as he unstrapped himself
from the supporting seat he was sat in.
“Suppose it would, yeah,” Tom
replied absently.
“Come on. You know you want to,”
Lee goaded. He had a light, airy sort of voice.
“How can I if I don’t even have a
spacecraft!” Tom almost raised his voice to a shout. “And then there’s the
transportation and the training and the mone-”
“Okay. Okay. I was only wondering
aloud,” Lee hastily backed down.
Tom doesn’t have to know yet. He can’t know yet.