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

asked the team. The restaurant lounge was busy, with so many people here for tomorrow’s big show. I’d had to fend off fans all night, which was something I didn’t want to get used to.

“Great. Marley pretended to be friendly, and when I asked about the next challenge, she just smiled and patted me on the arm,” Jade told us.

“At least she spoke to you,” Holland muttered. “Chen Wei wouldn’t even let me talk to the pilot. Lotus is a bunch of jerks.”

“I hear you, kid. HyperMines was a bust. They acted like I was some joke, and that SeaTech had no right to be in the Race. Even the low rungs of the Primary ladder are perilous.” Luther sipped his coffee.

I spotted Travis Brenner. So far, I’d been unable to find anyone from Oasis. Considering they were in last place, I didn’t blame them. Oasis had lost hope in the eyes of the fans too. His posture was defeated. “I’ll be right back.”

Travis leaned against the bar, ordering a drink when I arrived, and he slid one at me without looking. “If it isn’t Hawk Lewis,” he grunted. It was obvious he’d already had a few of whatever this concoction was. Steam rose from the blue drink inside the glass.

“Travis, it’s good to see you.”

“I didn’t connect the dots until the Race began. If I would have known the great Hawk Lewis was on my team for the last few years, I’d have searched you out. We both worked for Oasis, and I still wasn’t aware we had such a highly sought-after pilot in our midst.” He slowly turned, his eyes unfocused. “But I guess hauling from Eris and other crap jobs wouldn’t put you in the limelight, would it? I’ve done some research on you since.” The tension was rising, and I regretted coming over. “Decked the Sage CEO? Man, that took some serious balls. They were going to fire you over a late shipment, because you stopped to save a civilian transport from being attacked by pirates. That’s terrible.”

There weren’t many civilians allowed to travel between planets—only those who’d gained great favor from their employers—and pirates were even rarer. A few thugs living out of their ship, trying to get supplies wherever they were able. “Then we have to agree on that note,” I said.

“I did some further reading. Used my notoriety to poke someone at Oasis in the know. That was all a setup. The ship attacking the civilian transport was hired by Luna Corp to steal your delivery. I guess you had some pretty valuable gear on that haul. Something that would turn the tables on energy warfare.”

I tried not to react while he spoke, replaying those words in my head. My load for Sage had been coming from Jupiter, and I’d been told it was nothing but gas and ice samples.

I leaned in, smelling the booze on his breath. “You’re telling me Luna was attempting to steal from Sage…from me? But the pirates struck the wrong ship?”

“The guys they hired weren’t too bright, and the civilian vessel had made an alternate route last minute. The hired guns saw a yacht where you were supposed to be, and attacked. But you managed to fend them off. Probably blew up the evidence too.” Brenner inhaled the mist rising from his drink and downed it in one chug.

“Why would Luna steal from Sage?” My voice was a whisper in the loud bar, and I glanced over my shoulder to see my entire team staring at me.

“Don’t you get it? These guys are all pricks. They want to rule. It’s a constant power struggle.”

“It never changes,” I said.

“That’s the truth.”

“Have you heard anything about the finish line?” I took a chance that his drunken loose lips would spill an important detail.

He grabbed my drink from my hand and downed it. “I know that I’ll be there.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’m the best. And you’ll probably lose tomorrow.”

“Not likely. Jade Serrano’s been practicing for weeks,” I lied.

And he took the bait. “Damn it. They told me SeaTech didn’t know what the challenge was about. I mean, how hard is it to bring your dead Racer to life anyways? Guy like you had to do it all the time in that hunk of junk you flew around in.”

I clapped him on the arm, staring Brenner in the eyes. “Thanks for the chat. Let me buy you another round.”

He smiled and ordered two more. I pointed at my table and told the bartender to send me the tab.

“Maybe we’ll see you at the finish line after all, Hawk. Two Oasis men,” Travis Brenner said as I walked away.

I doubt it.

Holland was almost falling out of his seat by the time I returned to the team. “Well?”

“Sounds like they plan on killing our Core, and we have to revive Pilgrim,” I informed them.

“We can do that,” Jade said with a smirk.

“Oh, and the others have been warned of what’s coming. So we’d better move to the Racer to practice,” I instructed. After hearing the real reason for Sage being so angry with me five years ago, I was feeling restless, but it also made more sense. I wondered how much infighting there truly was between these Corps, and how deep the cracks reached.

____________

Octavia Post looked well-rested on the screens as she announced today’s race segment. “Each ship’s Core will be neutralized. The teams must not use any outside devices to bring their Racer to working order. They will then travel past Saturn to a Checkpoint. The first four teams to accomplish this will move on. The last three will be eliminated.”

Luckily, we’d been expecting this. The seven Racers were lined up, and a blocky modified freighter moved down the line, starting with Oasis. I smiled, thinking about how rough Brenner must feel today.

“R11 won’t be powered off too, will he?” Holland asked.

“I don’t—” I began.

“I have backups and will be able to remain operational for five hours without charging,”