Space Race (Space Race 1) Nathan Hystad (ebooks children's books free .TXT) 📖

vision shrank, and all I could see was my competitor and the final Ring. Lotus was only ten seconds ahead, then eight. Their thrusters weren’t flashing, meaning they’d used up all their secondary boosts early on to take the lead.

The sky was dark now, with thousands of stars bearing witness to the end of the Race. My heart pounded, I was nervously sweating, and I held my breath as we raced for the finish line.

Lotus began drifting closer, but I didn’t let it bother me. Lotus wasn’t going to take my Pod out. If they tried and crashed, they’d be eliminated from the Race, like Sage had been when they’d collided with a rock cliff.

I glanced at the screen and saw three of the icons had been removed from the map. Barret, Espace, and Sage were all out of the race. When had that happened?

Lotus crept closer, and I lifted discreetly. “What happens if three Pods don’t make it to the finish line?” I asked.

Holland’s words were clipped. “The one farthest along will continue.”

“Guys, Sage is still in Space Race. Barret and Espace must have sacrificed themselves for Sage to continue.” The rules were different than when I’d raced as a kid. How convenient.

“So Lotus could risk damage to you,” Luther said through my earpiece. “They’d better not try anything stupid.”

The Ring grew closer, and my Pod sped along like a bat out of hell, my cockpit shaking and vibrating with intensity as my overdrive pushed us along. I broke into first place, but Lotus was right beside me, nose and nose.

At the last second, with the Ring within reach, I shot the projection of our Pod from the front cameras directly into my competition’s path, causing the Lotus pilot to be confused. The hologram was a split-second ahead of the real Pod I sat inside, and I entered right after it, with Lotus right behind.

The Ring exploded into holographic fireworks as I passed through the finish line, and I slowed the Pod, carefully cutting off the overdrive function. Another ten seconds, and it would have been fried. The timing had been perfect. My team was shouting and hollering their congratulations loudly into my ear, and I grinned as I looped the Pod around, seeing thousands of cheering people in the crowds. SeaTech had won, and the audience seemed thrilled.

Orion and Oasis came next, with Luna Corp followed by HyperMines, and the Race was completed.

I landed where we’d started and hopped out just as Luther, Jade, and Holland arrived on the transport lift. I stared at the Pod and set a gloved hand on the hull, closing my eyes. I pictured Preston Lewis there, wrapping his arm over my shoulders and telling me there was never a doubt in his mind, just like he’d always done after a victory. “This one’s for you,” I whispered to his memory.

I’d been so caught up in my own past, I hardly noticed the crowd was chanting “SeaTech” repeatedly. I slowly turned to face them, removing my helmet. I thrust my arm in the sky, smirking so widely, it hurt my cheeks. Luther was the first to arrive, and he picked me up, spinning me around.

“We did it!” When Luther let me down, Jade took her turn, embracing me tightly.

Holland lingered behind, and I could tell he’d wanted to race so badly. “You’re the best, Arlo.” He smiled despite being sick and forced from competing.

“I’m just glad I didn’t embarrass us. You would have won too, Holland.” I grinned at him, and it seemed to spruce up his mood.

Someone handed us a bottle of sparkling wine, and Luther opened it, spraying it over me in an archaic tradition. The rest of the pilots had arrived, even the disqualified members, and everyone stared toward us. Varn leaned against their damaged Pod, shaking his head and muttering at his pilot, who was on a stretcher. I waved at him, and he glowered even deeper.

The drones were filming it all, and I spotted the commentators coming to join us. Baru and Yon were both much shorter in real life than on screen. “Do I have to do this?” I asked them.

Baru answered first. “You’re under contractual obligation…”

“Fine.” I stood there while the others backed away, leaving me alone in the spotlight.

“Hawk Lewis, the highest ranked under eighteen ever before you prematurely retired. How does it feel to win today?” Yon asked.

I glanced at them and at the crowd beyond. The footage was playing on the giant floating screens, and I cleared my throat, hearing it echo across the Mars landscape. The cheering had stopped, and everyone was listening with interest.

“It was a team effort. SeaTech has managed to put together quite the—”

“But you were the Pod sprinter, Hawk. What happened to Holland Kelley? Wasn’t he supposed to compete?” Baru asked, his eyebrows raising while he tilted his head to the side.

I’d never liked being interviewed, and now, with so many people watching, I wanted to be anywhere but here. “Holland wasn’t feeling well, and we decided he wasn’t fit to race today. I’m just glad I was able to step in.”

“What do you think of your chances on the rest of Space Race? You’re impressing everyone so far. Can you continue to improve your rank?” Yon asked.

I stared at them briefly and gave them my best confident smile. “We’re going to win. I’ll see you at the finish line.” I turned away and walked past Sage’s Pod toward my friends.

“There you have it. SeaTech wins the Mars Pod Race. Let’s take a look at some highlights,” Baru said through the huge speakers surrounding the audience.

I joined the others, who were still basking in our victory, and felt the presence behind me before I heard the footsteps. Varn Wallish had a smug grin on his face. “Don’t think this is over, Lewis.”

“Good thing your pals sacrificed themselves, or you’d be heading home. I wonder how Mr. Under would deal with you then. Maybe you’d finally understand why I