They were all in a row at the starting line, waiting for the starter pistol’s shot to ring out. Shi’paa was a bundle of nerves, checking and double-checking his engine and meters. This would be his first time racing with the Venusian Blue on a proper track. It was nothing like the magma fields back home. This was the big leagues. He wasn’t just a kid playing at being a racer anymore. 

So caught up in his final few checks and worries, Shi’paa almost didn’t hear the starter pistol go off. The rest of the racers took off like a shot, nearly leaving him in the dust. The Venusian Blue’s acceleration wasn’t the quickest, so he would be trailing the pack for quite a few ticks. That’s fine. This track was more of a marathon than a sprint, and Shi’paa had it memorized like the backs of his hands. The others had him beat with speed on the straightaways, but when it came to maneuverability, there was no one better than him. He just had to keep pace until they got to the winding section of the track. 

Shi’paa decided to flick on his radio, to see what the commentators were saying about the race.

“What a beautiful start to the race! The Ursa Major, driven by Kepler’s own Dihri Arctos, is leading the pack, followed closely by the Heavenly Chariot’s Apollo and the Event Horizon’s Pip and Slayter. Bringing up the rear of the pack are the Lopyear, the Rust Bucket, and the Venusian Blue.”

“I gotta say, Mick, things are not looking good for the Venusian Blue. That late start, coupled with its less than stellar acceleration, means that it looks like Shi’paa is going to be bringing up the rear for most of this race.”

“That seems to be the case, Lance. But anything can happen this side of Alpha Centauri, so we’ll keep watch to see if this newbie really has bitten off more than he can chew.”

Shi’paa sneers at the announcers. They’re just voices on the radio, what do they know? Besides, Shi’paa has a few tricks up his sleeves. Just a little something-something to even the playing field. Can’t show his hand too early, though. He’ll use the first one on the straightaway right after they get out of the winding mountain road section of the track. He’s sure he’s not the only one whose got a few stowed away. Anything goes in this race after all. And besides, it's not hard to get your hands on nitro capsules nowadays anyway.

No, what really matters is if your engine can handle it, and if you can control your machine during the speed boost. But Shi’paa has absolute faith in the Venusian Blue, after all, he built it himself.

It was hard to find any worthwhile scrap, back home in the slums of Venus. It took him about five solar revolutions just to get the Venusian Blue built. Even with access to his Ma’s junkyard, it was hard to find anything worthwhile. He’s made cars before, but never anything with an engine. Anything he did find hardly ever worked. But then he found the Mk. II Suul engine. Whoever threw it away must not have known what they had.

 He still remembers that day so clearly. It had been overcast, with almost everyone staying inside in case of acidic rain. Shi’paa could tell there wasn’t enough moisture in the air for it to rain. He could feel it in the spines on his back when there was a storm on the horizon, and he wasn’t feeling anything that day. He had decided to explore the junkyard, when there wasn’t anyone outside to tell him off for wandering. He had been going through scrap metal, various broken down machines, trying to find an axel he could use for one of his little soapbox cars. He was moving on to a different pile, when the clouds parted, and a ray of sun shined down onto a nearby pile. In that pile, spotlighted by the sun, was the Mk. II Suul engine. Shi’paa took it as a sign that this engine was meant for him, that he was destined to race. He dragged that engine all the way home, to his makeshift garage. He scrapped several of his soapbox cars for parts and used all of his good scrap metal in order to make a body that suited this engine. And that was how the Venusian Blue was born.

Shi’paa considered the Venusian Blue a part of his soul, an extension of himself. The other racers, their machines are just that, machines. Bought from wherever and sent off to some mechanic to be modded. They don’t have the same intimacy that Shi’paa has with the Venusian Blue, he knows it inside and out, knows its limits exactly. After all, he built it with his own two hands. That’s why he’s sure he can win. He knows exactly how to use the Venusian.

Shi’paa has pulled to the middle of the pack, side by side with the Lopyear. He doesn’t know the other racer well, but she’s giving him one hell of a death glare from her cockpit. She’s some Leporidan from some planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. Sylvilagus, he thinks it’s called. Shi’paa is interrupted from his musings by the Lopyear slamming into the side of the Venusian Blue. Her car is a lot more sturdy than his car is, so that could be a problem. There’s a rock wall on the other side of the Lopyear, and a canyon to the left of the Venusian Blue. Not a lot of room to maneuver. She rams into him again. Shi’paa waits until it looks like she’s going in for a third hit, then slams on his brakes. She can’t slow down in time, and ends up going over the edge into the canyon. It’s not that far off a drop, so she probably won’t die. Shi’paa is pretty sure they have people on standby for things like this. 

The first pack of racers is pretty far ahead, even with Shi’paa leading the second pack. Might as well spice things up a bit, right? Besides, he’s got three charges, so using one right now should probably be fine. Shi’paa pressed one of the buttons on his dashboard, dropping one of the nitro charges into his engine. It takes a moment, then Shi’paa’s stomachs lurch as the Venusian Blue rockets forwards. It’s difficult to steer like this, so Shi’paa just focuses on trying to continue going straight forward. He starts closing the distance between him and the racer at the back of the first pack, the Event Horizon. Shi’paa barely registers the announcers on the radio going nuts over his sudden leap in position. The Event Horizon seems to take offense at Shi’ppa over taking them. One of the drivers, Pip, leans out the window and starts launching things at the Venusian Blue. Shi’paa gets hit a few times, a bit of the car’s exterior comes off, but luckily, nothing important is lost. One of the projectiles gets caught under the wheels of the Event Horizon, blowing one of their tires and causing them to spin out. 

In front of him, Shi’paa can see the Heavenly Chariot, the last car between him and the Ursa Major. The last racer between him and Dihri. Shi’paa had dreamed of this since the first time he ever saw Dihri race. She was relentless, like a force of nature. Again and again, he watched her race, watched her win. She claimed the title of champion for the last five years running. She was everything he had hoped to be when he first started building the Venusian Blue. It would have been everything he had dreamed of to race against her like this.

She had approached him first.

He was in the garage the race’s management had given him, doing some last minute repairs. He didn’t hear her come in, and startled when she first spoke.

“I’ve seen you race in the prelims. You’ve got skill.”

“T-thank you. I’ve watched you race before too, you’re one of my major inspirations!”

“Mhm. You’ve got really good control over that car. Special training?”

“No, I just built it myself. Easier to control when I know exactly what’s in it.”

“Fascinating. You seem like a good kid, so I’d like to cut you in on a deal.”

“Like a sponsorship?”

“No, no. Something more lucrative. Y’see, lots of people like to bet on this race. Problem with that is, too many people betting on a favorite, the payout is going to be less, you understand? But let’s say an underdog shows up on the scene. They have long odds, but towards the end of the race, they seem like they’re going to win. People will go and change their bets before betting closes, changing the odds and changing the payout. But if that little underdog happens to lose, those who kept their bets on the favorite get a bigger payout because of the others jumping ship.”

“I-I don’t understand what you’re asking of me.”

“We’ll make it close. You’ll get right up behind me, but I’ll cross first. You’ll get a piece of the payout. Guarantee it’s way more than whatever you’ll get for winning.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept that. I’m not doing this for cash, I’m doing this to race.”

“Hm. That’s a shame, then. Be careful on the track, Shi’paa. It’s a cutthroat place. Tragic things always seem to happen to promising young racers.”

And with that, she had left.

Shi’paa couldn’t abide by the thought of intentionally losing a race. He was here to race, and he was here to win. Even now, inching closer and closer to the Ursa Major, closer and closer to Dihri, he found himself fuming. How could she tarnish the sanctity of her wins like that? Were any of her wins truly her own? He had looked up to her, admired her, but now he had to beat her. Even if just to prove to himself that love of the sport was the most important thing in racing. Not the money, not the fame, just the love of the game. 

He was pulling forward, the front of the Venusian Blue inching out ahead of the Ursa Major. He could do this, he was going to win.

And then he heard a pop.

One of his back tires blew. The sudden loss of friction on the rear, coupled with the traction on the front, sent the Venusian Blue tumbling end over end. The last thing he saw was the Ursa Major crossing the finish line ahead of him.

And then the ground rushed up to meet him.