Sky Runner

by Alexander DuneStar

  Sky Runner By Alexander DuneStar

  Chapter One

  Rissian Cardenia looked at the big, campus holo board, his face turned a degree dire. “45 academic points,” he muttered to himself helplessly, “how am I going to graduate with that?” In order to graduate and go to college on Mars he needed at least 67 academic points and currently was way off the mark. Clarke Quail his best friend strolled up to the holo board and checked his own results. “77 academic points, looks like I’ve booked my place on Mars, but where should I go,” he gloated, his beady greenish eyes gleaming with delight. “okay, okay knock it off,” Rissian said insistently, now even feeling worse about his academic performance. “What are you going to do?” Clark asked whilst peering at Rissian’s final year test results.

  Rissian put a coin in a nearby vending machine, selected a cherry coke, waited for a few seconds for the drink to dispatch, grabbed the can, opened it swiftly and gulped. “Who the fucks knows, I certainly don’t,” he answered dismissively, miserably savouring the sweet taste of his beverage. “I hear Wendy’s is always on the look out for new burger flippers,” Clark mocked. Rissian grinned, “I better get practicing then on my meat turns,” he retorted, humorously. “And don’t forget the extra cheese with mayo, hold the tomatoes,” Clark replied, breaking out into a fit of laugher. “Very funny, Clark this is serious, this is my life, this is my future. Really what am I going to do?”

  Clark thought reflectively for a moment trying to analyse Rissian’s options in his mind, “Well, you could start the program again from the start as an adult learner, you could beg the principal to let you sit the final again claiming health issues or maybe just win this year’s Sky Runner’s Championship and automatically graduate.” Rissian felt horrible, his options were all as equally appalling as each other. “I’m not going through this for another 5 years, I’ll be 21 by that time and completely unemployable with just a high school education to show, whilst everyone else sports their shiny college degrees. The principal is a serious asshole, I wouldn’t be surprised if he excluded me altogether if I played the sick card and winning the Sky Runner’s Championship is as likely as finding aliens on Mars, but thanks for giving it some thought.”

  Clark grinned inwardly, knowing that his future was nice and cushy but did honestly feel sorry for his friend. “I don’t know man, how did it even get to this, I did warm you that if you kept up with your usual slacker routine you would eventually pay for it in the end.” Rissian gulped his drink and parked himself on a bench, watching bright, happy students walk by, their faces said it all, they were going places and he certainly was not. “I guess I thought I could just sail by, you know, like one of those big hot air balloons in the sky that no one really noticed. Whilst sailing away I sailed right past reality and my responsibilities, if that makes any sense.”

  Clark shrugged his shoulders and adjusted his dorky glasses, “Sure it does but I don’t hear any violins. That’s how life is I’m afraid, when the shit hits the fan no one really cares, everyone is just trying to avoid the fall out, if you catch my drift.” Rissian felt slightly disgusted by Clark’s analogy, “Nice mental image, thanks.”

  “Don’t look now but here comes Kelsy Warmshine, you know that hot shot pilot’s girlfriend, what’s his name, Kastian something,” Clark warned, his face screwing up. “match sequence and win a prize losers,” Kelsy informed, addressing both Rissian and Clark at the same time. Rissian jetted his face away straight into the blinding sun light, squinted and then turned his face back toward Kelsy, “What the hell are you doing, some tribal dance Rissian.” Rissian grinned sarcastically, “Why don’t you get busy with your superstar boyfriend,” he riposted, slight anger fuming in his voice. “That’s cute slacker Jack, are you going to match sequence or not,” Kelsy replied, insistently and irritably. Rissian remained quiet, beginning to stew in his oncoming depression. Clark noticed, “He's a bit under the weather right now, just leave him alone please,” he pleaded to Kelsy, trying to be a good friend.

  “Then you match sequence,” she replied, sticking around like a sore thumb, completely adamant about getting her way. Clark huffed, “Fine,” and pressed a big red button on a numerical code type device, which caused numbers to rotate in a display for a few seconds before stopping altogether. Kelsy examined the numbers, “1, 5, 9,” she said, her face sagging miserably. “Oh it looks like you did match sequence, damn it.” Clark’s eyes widened, “What did I win?” He asked, bubbling with a degree of enthusiasm. Kelsy checked a key colour code listed on the back of the machine and strummed down the list until she found the generated numbers currently on the display and announced, “1 free entry pass into this year’s Sky Runner’s Championship.” Clark huffed and shook his head, “What do I need that for, it's a silly competition and everyone knows who’s going to win anyway.”

  Abruptly, Kelsy cheered like a stupid trumped up android, “Go Kastian, go Kastian, you put them all in a haze cos you’re Kastian Blaze.” Clark twiddled his fingers, “Oh yeah that’s the guy’s name.” Kelsy smiled and began to strut along when Clark noticed Rissian’s eyes wondering somewhere behind the clouds, “Wait,” he said to Kelsy who stopped and walked back over. “Rissian could use a bit of luck, let him have the free entry pass.” Kelsy’s pretty, finely tuned face became mortified, “What are you serious. I might as well throw it in the garbage before I give it to slick the slacker over there, he’s a dead beat, a good for nothing and doesn’t even deserve the chance to compete against a real man like Kastian.” Rissian fumed with anger as Kelsy’s words penetrated through his usually thick armour, his boyish good looks became marred with rage, “Look here Miss perfect, Clark won the pass fair and square and now is offering it to me. Who knows maybe I’ll win this year,” he retorted defiantly, trying to rub his smugness right into Kelsy’s self righteous little face.

  Kelsy snarled, printed the pass from the match sequencer utility and let it glide onto the floor. “Oops, I guess you’ll just have to be pick it up fly boy, the way you’re trying to pick up your broken little life.” She smiled heartlessly and whistled away, ready to annoy more unsuspecting students. “I really hate that bitch,” Rissian said, picking up the pass, which read in fine gold print, ‘Sky Runner Championship 2077 June Entry Pass.’ “I guess you better report to Redmore’s class, I hear he’s the instructor for the sky track and a real hard ass.” Rissian clumsily looked at Clark with forgotten eyes, “Why?” Clark became a touch agitated, “Because Sherlock you don’t just turn up to the race without at least some form of basic training, otherwise you’ll get killed and won’t be eligible for insurance either.” Rissian shrugged his shoulders, flapped the pass against his cheek and felt for the moment just a morsel better.

  Chapter Two

  Redmore, bold, middle aged, wearing a fancy pilot’s uniform and somewhat of a grumpy, unappeasable hard nose who took comfort in his student’s deficiencies announced to a room full of Sky Runner contestants, “Now it’s my job to talk you through the sky track and hope that you learn something and don’t get killed out there. For those of you that think this is a game, please leave now. You will each have the opportunity to test your skills in the live simulator and the contestant who performs the best will be given the highest score. Let’s begin with the basics.” Rissian walked into the instructor’s room late, predictably and scrambled to get a seat, making an awful lot of noise. Redmore eyed him venomously and peered down at his data pad, “Rissian Cardenia, you’re late, and you’ve just incurred 5 academic points. Next time it will be 10,” he said, a tone heartlessly.

  Rissian shrugged his shoulders in a care free manner as he felt the stare of about a million eyes on him. Redmore cleared his throat and continued, “Sky track is made up of 5 zones; Sky City, New Miami
Beach, Sky Bridge, Downtown New Miami and Carmine River.” Redmore activated a holo projection of sky track, “Your starting position is Sky Bridge. You take Sky Bridge all the way to the end, setting your Nav stick to high in order to maximise speed and your aero gliders to narrow, in order to reduce the drag. The next part of sky track heads upwards into Sky City. Set your Nav stick to low in order to maintain your balance and your aero gliders to wide, to create some drag, so you don’t get pulled off the track. Once you hit Sky City you want to make use of the space, so set your Nav stick to high and your aero gliders back to narrow. At this point you want to make use of the slip stream, so if you have the skill get into it. Sky track then slopes downwards, so as you hit the track sloping down you want to set your Nav stick to mid in order to decrease velocity and set your aero gliders to wide or flexi, depending on your current speed of course. Again you have the opportunity to get into the slip stream but that is ill advised, at this point in the track. Before I finish are there any questions?”

  The long, fair haired, perfect looking blue eyed boy known as Kastian Blaze asked, “Why would you advise against entering the slip stream on the downward track heading to New Miami Beach?” Redmore grinned, he was always pleased to hear from his number one student. “Excellent question Kastian. Mainly because it takes a great deal of skill to remain in the slip stream and on the track at the same time. Remember the slip stream is the fastest path or route around the track and it takes a trained eye to navigate, but if you feel you can do it, who am I too complain.” The class burst out in laugher but Rissian didn’t really find anything funny. He remained straight faced, peering down at his desk interface, which streamed different portions of sky track, like one long promo stream. Redmore caught on like an annoying hawk, “Rissian you look as though you could better, is that right?” Rissian glanced away dismissively, “No sir that’s not the case, it’s just, well nothing.” Redmore felt deep seeded anger for Rissian, just because he had such an overly zealous attitude, he took nothing seriously and didn’t pain like the rest of them. “Go on Rissian, I’m sure the class wants to hear what you’ve got to say.”

  Rissian blurted, “Isn’t it just an assumption that of all people Kastian could take on the slip stream at an extremely fast velocity and successfully maintain his ground. Aren’t you showing a little too much confidence in the guy, bordering on arrogance.” Suddenly there was silence, it was as if in that exact moment the whole world or even universe became gravely offended. Kastian felt obliged to retaliate, “I’ve won this thing 2 times in a row and I plan on making it a trilogy. You’re here because, oh yeah you accidentally won a free pass, everyone knows that. You didn’t earn your place here Rissian, so don’t get ahead of yourself now, you definitely won’t on the track.” The class erupted in laugher and Rissian for a second felt really small. Then he remembered he didn’t really care what other people thought and retorted, “Go get it champ.” Kastian smirked, turned his face to Redmore, who continued his theoretical run down of sky track.

  “Next you enter New Miami Beach, which for the most part is easy cruising. You want to set your Nav stick to high and your aero gliders to flexi, because you need to be able to turn quickly, in order to swiftly avoid happy civilian beach party cruisers and the like. At the end of New Miami Beach a sharp turn awaits you that leads into downtown New Miami. Kill your speed, set your Nav stick to low and your aero gliders to wide, so that you hit a lot of drag whilst taking the corner and avoid crashing. Once you hit downtown New Miami it’s a straight race to the end. Keep your aero gliders on flexi so you can interweave between traffic, and once you hit a clear patch set your Nav stick back to high. After you’ve cleared downtown New Miami it’s the Carmine River. This is another great opportunity to make use of the slip stream, so get into now, at full speed ahead. Soon you’ll be on Sky Bridge again so adjust your aero gliders to narrow in order to compensate for the surface change, continue on the slip stream if you can, and hopefully if your name is Kastian Blaze you’ll pass the finish line first. Any questions?”

  Rissian felt like saying a crude remark but contained himself. In fact for the whole lecture he had only picked up on 2 things; set your Nav stick on high to go fast and low to go slow. That’s all I need to know, he thought comfortably, swiftly downplaying the challenge sky track actually presented. Rennardo Rosonis who came third last year said, “What about riding with heart and guts, what about connecting to the flow?” Redmore rolled his eyes cynically, “That's all mumbo jumbo kid and that’s the kind of delusional thinking that will inevitably be your down fall. There is no flow, it’s all a wives tale, a stupid myth. What’s real is how you handle your air speeder on the track, and that’s that.” Renardo looked saddened for the moment, his stylish, tanned, Hispanic face grieving almost. Rissian thought, I’ve heard of something like that, but I wonder why baldy was so quick to dismiss it.

  Redmore finally announced, “Live simulator training starts tomorrow, don’t be late.” He eyed Rissian, expectantly.

  Chapter Three

  Rissian rummaged around the canteen looking for a place to sit. Amongst the hungry crowd of students he eventually found a seat, next to a girl who had a familiar face. “Is this seat taken?” he asked the girl politely. She smiled coyly at him, her big brown eyes wondering and replied, “No, you can take it if you like.” He planted himself down on the seat, put his tray on the stylish, holo embedded coffee table and began enjoying his lamb burger. As he munched away he peered at the girl curiously. “Don’t I know you?” he said, a little perplexed. The girl jolted her head to the side cutely and replied, “You're Rissian right. I’m Joey, Joey Renson, we had some classes together.” Rissian nodded his head agreeably, took a sip of strawberry lemonade and said, “Oh yeah, that’s right, Joey, I remember you from film class. All those boring clips we had to sit through, boy am I glad that’s over.”

  Joey grinned and replied, “I actually found film class kind of interesting.” Rissian shook his head in a manner that suggested that he accepted what Joey meant but still didn’t quite agree, “I mean it wasn’t bad, but all that melodrama and psycho analysis was way too much for me. The way I see it is if a film has intrigue and an original plot line it’s a good film in my book. If it’s in any way recycled and probably not as good as the original, I tend to pick up on those things, negatively.” Joey seemed peculiarly attracted to Rissian, he was boyishly good looking, had dark wavy hair and a certain idiosyncratic appeal about him, like he was genuinely different. Rissian picked up on Joey’s relaxed demeanour and started to recognise just how amazingly cute she was, with her coy little smile, sweet big brown eyes, sensitivity and rich, lush brunette hair.

  Accidentally, in his momentary trance he spilled some strawberry lemonade on his light green shirt. “Oh man,” he complained as he tried to wipe it off with his hands making it even worse as the liquid expanded into a wet patch. Joey chuckled looking down at the patch with entertained eyes, “Don't laugh Joey it's not funny.” Then Rissian began laughing as well. “So what College are you going to? After you leave Earth,” Joey inquired. Rissian seemed a shade embarrassed and began to fidget irritably, “I’m not leaving Earth, I didn’t score high enough to graduate. It looks like I won’t be seeing Clark, Rich or you again.” Rissian’s bright brown eyes dropped melancholically, Joey instinctively felt sorry for him, “You mean you won’t be going to Mars,” she said, in a relatively concerned fashion. Rissian threw a bunch of French fries into his mouth, washed them down with strawberry lemonade, shrugged his shoulders like he routinely did and answered simply, “Nope.”

  Joey peered at him with a sisterly type expression, “So what are you going to do?” Rissian burped unintentionally, he was a bit of a slob and proudly announced, “I’m gonna win the Sky Runner Championship.” Joey’s face contorted bizarrely as she glanced away, “Sorry did you say the Sky Runner Championship?” Rissian clapped his hands twice, punched the air and replied, “That's right, absolutely yes, you got it.” Joey se
cretly liked his slightly juvenile behaviour, it was refreshing from other guys she thought. “And how’s that?” She asked, sipping on a hot chocolate.

  Rissian shrugged his shoulders, smiled innocently and answered, simplistically, “Fuck knows,” and burst into laugher. Joey smiled, chuckled then started laughing profusely, as well. “You're a funny guy Rissian, but I sincerely hope you do.” Rissian looked confused for a second, the dopiness on his face was actually quite warming, Joey thought. “Hope I do what?” He said, stupidly. Joey grinned, “I hope you win dummy.” Rissian slurped back the strawberry lemonade as his face changed morosely, “I need too, I really do if I’m to even stand a chance at graduating, first prize gets you to Mars, then I won’t have to flip burgers at Wendy’s for the rest of my life.” Joey countered playfully, “Don't worry I’ll be your best customer.”

  Chapter Four

  Redmore’s face was adamantly serious as he looked down at a data pad, his eyes scanning the entries like a wolf watching its prey, “The results are in from the live simulator. Each of you had 10 runs , I’ve taken your best run and created a neat little bar graph, showing the fastest lap times. Shall we take a look.” He pushed a blue button at the bottom of a holo board and a virtual bar graph appeared on the screen, expectantly showing the class’s fastest lap times, ordered from fastest to slowest. Rissian gazed at the holo board wondering what bar he was. I’m probably around the middle, he thought to himself consolingly. Abruptly, Redmore started reading off names, “Blue bar, fastest lap, 3 minutes and 2 seconds, you guessed it Kastian Blaze. Red bar, second fastest lap, 3 minutes and 10 seconds, the machine Ritten Krish. Green bar, third fastest lap, 3 minutes and 25 seconds, mister natural Rennardo Rosonis, yellow bar, fourth fastest lap, 3 minutes and 50 seconds, the dove Felicity Chancer and finally the fifth fastest lap, purple bar, Warren Johnson coming through at 4 minutes and 5 seconds. I said finally because the rest of you, outside the top 5 don’t warrant a mention.”