Chapter Text
Keiko took a deep breath as she walked across the pit lane of Tokyo GIO circuit towards SUGO’s pit wall.
No going back now, I'll be on the track again.
At the wall, Corolla, Osamu and Claire were already at their seats, and Hayato was standing next to them. Keiko couldn’t help but wonder again how Hayato’s hair could fit into his helmet - his spiky hairdo rivaled that of Goku from Dragon Ball .
“Good timing, Kei!” Corolla waved at her. “I’ve just got some updated weather data.”
Keiko walked over, and looked into the screen. As expected, she found temperature and humidity data, rain probability, and a few colored graphs she couldn’t make heads or tails of.
“We won’t have any rain during the race, and the temperatures are still in line with what we expected - I’ll keep an eye in case we need to fine-tune the tyre pressures though.”
Hayato laughed. “You have to be careful, Claire - it looks like Corolla is trying to steal your job.”
“As if I would ever do something like that!” Corolla protested. “I’m Keiko’s track engineer, she’s Hayato’s. We’re working together to make sure we get tons of 1-2 finishes!”
Claire giggled. “What she said.”
“Anyways, since there were no changes in weather, there will be no changes in our racing strategy either,” Osamu said. “Plan A will be a single pit stop at around Lap 30 for both of you, the final call will be made according to track position, track traffic and actual tyre wear.”
Keiko gave a nod. There were too many variables that could change in the middle of the race to make the final call now.
Osamu opened the starting grid on one of the screens. “Hayato will be starting in pole position, which means that if he can keep the track position and build some gap the race will be quite straightforward for him. Keiko, on the other hand, will be starting in fourth place so she’ll have to be mindful of other cars during the start and the first corner.”
“I’m sorry, guys, but fourth was all I could do,” Keiko admitted. “I’m sure the car was actually fast enough for second place.”
“It’s alright, qualifying fourth on the grid at your very first Cyber Formula race is still something to be proud of,” Osamu said.
“Besides, despite its low boost output the RedBull X2014 Cyber turned out to be much more effective than I thought,” Claire said. “They have excellent cornering, and managed to make up enough time in the corners to start in second and third despite their lack of top speed.”
Keiko gave a quick nod. “So I should go flying past them when on the boosters, and defend teeth and nails in the corners. Gotcha.”
“Well, this race doesn’t give points, so keeping your starting position will be more than enough,” Osamu rebutted. “As long as you’re in the first eight places, you’ll qualify for the championship, so don’t take unnecessary risks.”
He then pointed at the name of the driver starting in fifth position. “In fact, I dare say you should just focus on keeping Naoki Shingyo of AOI Formula behind you. He’s an experienced and very skilled Cyber Formula driver, and managed to qualify fifth despite the fact his Ex-Superion Z/A-10 is an outdated and ineffective car. If he manages to overtake you at the start, you’ll surely lose valuable time behind him.”
“Got it. But if I see the chance to get past the soda cans, I will.”
Osamu smiled. “Of course. You wouldn’t be a racing driver if you didn’t think that.”
Keiko couldn’t help but smile back, feeling confident. Maybe she had never stopped being one after all.
***
Keiko strapped herself into the Garland’s cockpit, just as the sound of jet engines came from above. She raised her head just in time to see a formation of small white and blue jets flying past, leaving thick coloured contrails behind.
“They even got the Blue Impulse to do a flyby,” Sergio said, standing next to the opened canopy.
“That’s the JASDF’s aerobatic display team, isn’t it?” Nikki asked. “Maybe we should do something like that too...”
“I’m not against the idea, it’s a nice one, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to help,” Keiko said as she put on her helmet. “I’m afraid I’ll be quite busy next year.”
Nikki laughed “I know. Do your best!!” She leaned into the cockpit, and exchanged a high five with her daughter.
Keiko then turned towards her father. “Any tips from driver to driver?”
Sergio rubbed his chin as he glanced at the cars starting in front. “I never heard of those two drivers before, so I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything you don’t know already.”
He turned around toward Shingyo’s car. “Shingyo’s good from what I’ve seen of old Cyber Formula races, but his car is an old project. He’s gonna drive its wheels off trying to overtake you in the first few corners or laps, but he won’t be able to keep it up the whole race. The Ex-Superion just doesn’t have the pace anymore. He’ll have to relent sooner or later. Keep an eye on the Frenchman in the light blue car as well, though - he’s kinda famous too.”
Keiko gave a nod. “That was the plan already. Trust me, I’m gonna make my sponsor happy.”
Sergio looked at one of the logos of the car. “Well, I doubt Sonomi actually cares about the results.”
[Cardcaptor Sakura OST - Hoe?]
“Of course! Anything for you, Nadeshiko! Daidouji Toys will sponsor your granddaughter!”
Keiko tried to take a good breath, but Sonomi’s bear hug was very strong. Her grandmother’s cousin, and mother of Sakura’s best friend Tomoyo, was clearly just as overjoyed at meeting her as she was in the series when meeting Sakura.
“I’m happy you agree,” Nadeshiko said. “Her team was in a bit of trouble, and I’m sure that championship will be a good advertisement opportunity for your company.”
“Just knowing I’m helping your granddaughter is enough for me. Aren’t you happy, Keiko?”
“Can’t... breathe...”
Keiko closed her helmet’s visor. “I wish she cared more about my ribs, though.”
“Yeah, I know.” Nikki laughed. “We got told to not glomp canons at the PPC, but some of them are just as bad.”
***
[Future GPX Cyber Formula OST - Circuit]
Keiko gave a few sharp twists left and right to the steering wheel to weave on the straightaway.
“ Tire temperature in range,” the Cybernavigation system of the Garland sentenced.
She gave a bit more throttle to catch up with the car in front. It was the formation lap, and leaving too much space from the car in front wasn’t allowed.
Keiko could feel her heart beating faster. This is it. Wish me good luck, Himeko. I listened to you in the end.
***
[Future GPX Cyber Formula OST - Circuit] (same as previous)
Nikki sat down on one of the couches of the VIP area. A television was in front of it, already on and broadcasting the formation lap.
She turned towards Sergio, who had just sat next to her. “I thought you would stay on the pit wall.”
“Well, Corolla is Keiko’s track engineer, so I had literally nothing to do there. I would’ve just gotten in the way.” He crossed his arms. “And I don’t want to give the impression of being hovering over her.”
Nikki laughed. “True. I admit I’m kinda nervous, though.”
She noticed the perplexed stare Sergio was giving her. “I know, I know. She’s done much more dangerous things already, she’s even an ace, and she seems to have inherited her driving from you. But I’m still a mother watching her daughter’s first race!”
Sergio laughed. “You have a point. But still, I’m telling you again. She’s got it.”
“ The starting grid is as follows,” one of the announcers started. “ Starting from pole position is the reigning champion, Hayato Kazami of Sugo GIO Grand Prix, with Jason Dawner of RedBull Racing starting next to him. In second row, we have the second RedBull of Joakhim Kramer in third and the new driver of Sugo, Keiko Turbo, in fourth. ”
Nikki turned her attention to the footage. The cars were proceeding slowly on the track, with some of them occasionally weaving. Keiko’s blue and white Garland was fitting seamlessly with the other cars.
“ In third row we have another Cyber Formula veteran, Naoki Shingyo of AOI Formula, starting in fifth place while in sixth we have Michel Vaillant of Team Vaillante... ”
“Vaillante... Todoroki... There’s some damn good main character drivers in this race.” Sergio rubbed his chin. “Keiko will have to watch her back.”
***
Keiko kept the brake pedal pressed and revved up the engine as she waited for the semaphore to start the countdown.
“ Keep RPM constant, two bars under redline,” the Cybernavigation system advised her.
“Yeah, yeah,” Keiko muttered as she followed the instruction. The first of the semaphore’s red lights turned on. Then the second.
Keiko took a deep breath, her heart beating loudly in her ears. Let’s go.
One by one, all five red lights turned on, and as soon as they were replaced by the green ones Keiko released the brakes. The Garland shot forward, accelerating faster than the X2014 Cyber in front of her. Keiko moved to the right - the first corner was a right turn, so if she wanted to pass she needed to take the inside. The driver of the RedBull, though, moved on the right as well, blocking her, the other X2014 squarely on her left as they entered the first corner.
I’m boxed up. Should’ve guessed it wasn’t going to be so easy.
As they exited the corner, Keiko noticed that Hayato had already gained a car length over the X2014 in second place, but she had no time to rejoice for her teammate. The second, left hand corner was coming up, and this time she was stuck on the outside. She braked and turned, trying to keep up as much speed as possible as the tyres squealed. It was not enough, though, and the X2014 on her left slipped past while her Garland touched the grass on the outside slightly, raising a small cloud of dust.
“ Kuso!” Keiko cursed as she accelerated out of the corner, now in fourth position again.
“Go easy with the words, Kei,” Corolla advised her through the radio. “They haven’t set it up yet, but I heard that for the championship proper they plan on having the radio comms televised. That would've gotten you fined already.”
“Gotcha,” Keiko said as she checked the rear mirrors. Shingyo and Vaillant were right behind her, battling each other for fifth position.
If they keep that up, they’ll slow each other down.
Keiko braked for the following corner. She had gained a bit on the two cars ahead on the short piece of straight, but they managed to recover the gap in the following right-hander.
Hayato is still gaining on them, but I’m struggling to keep up.
“You’re still perfectly on target, don’t overdo it. Do your race,” Corolla continued. “Those tin cans are fast on fresh rubber, don’t ruin yours by trying to battle them. Focus on steadily building a gap on those behind you. Target time one thirty-six.”
Keiko gave a nod. “Leave it to me.”
***
“ Kazami just entered lap twenty-three. With the Asurada AKF-0, they’re still the team to beat, judging by the fact they already have a twelve seconds lead on Dawner, fourteen on Kasper and eighteen on his teammate Turbo. ”
“ Speaking of her, she’s not doing bad at all, ” the other commenter interjected. “ Sixteen years old, and she’s already duking it out with the best. Sugo has an eye for young prodigies, it seems. ”
Sergio laughed. “She’s already making a good impression, isn’t she?”
“ And talent runs in her family - if what I got told is correct, her father has been Under-16 WRC champion twice.”
“Their family name really reflects their destiny it seems.”
Sergio froze in shock. “Hey, how did they manage to dig that up?” He leaned against the couch’s backrest. “I’m never sweeping the achievements I did as a Stu under the rug, am I?”
“Should you?” Nikki asked amid laughter. “Hayato got his first two Cyber Formula titles at the same age you got your rally ones. I’d say you’re more on the plausible side than him.”
Sergio joined in her laugh. “Point. Sometimes, canon is stranger than fanfiction.”
***
[Cardcaptor Sakura OST - Kuzen]
Keiko pushed the booster lever as she entered the first back straight. The Garland shot forward, the acceleration pushing her against the seat.
“You're three and a half seconds behind Kramer,” Corolla said. “He seems to have lost some pace after his pit stop, I think you can try hunting him down.”
Keiko smiled. Maybe a podium finish was in range after all. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
Meanwhile, she had come closer to the two cars in front of her. By the fact that the electronic flags were flashing blue for them, Keiko realized they were lapped cars.
She remained on the racing line on the left, knowing that they had to give her space. However, just before she started overtaking, the two cars in front collided with each other. The dark gray one spun out, and the dark green one ended up in the grass.
Carbon fiber bits flew everywhere, and as Keiko swerved to avoid the impact the front right wheels blew out.
“ Front and center right tire failure.”
“Oh, yeah, like I didn’t notice!” Keiko shouted as she wrestled with the steering wheel to stabilize the car. She had managed to avoid an accident, but her race was now compromised.
“Keiko, are you alright?” Osamu asked.
“Yes, but I’m down two tires. Who’s the idiot in the gray car? I want to have a word with him after the race.”
“I think it was McKane. Can you get back to the pits?”
Keiko glanced outside. She was being overtaken left and right as her car was now limping, a continuous scratching noise coming from under the car, but nothing else seemed to be breaking down. “I think I can, but I’m losing tons of places.”
She gritted her teeth. Was it already over?
***
“ While they both had to give way to Turbo, McKane of Ravenwest Motorsport decided he wasn’t going to give up on his overtake attempt on Ryan Cooper, and tried to push him off the track. If his race wasn't over already, I’m pretty sure Nathan would’ve gotten the black flag after that move.”
Keiko leaned towards her mother’s holographic window as she sat next to her in the garage. “Serves him well. That’s not how you behave on the track. I just wish I wasn’t involved.”
Sergio patted her on the shoulder. “Still, the fact his accident was bad enough to warrant a red flag is helping us. The race being interrupted is allowing the Garland to be properly checked for damage.”
As if she was listening, Corolla crawled out from under the car. “The inside of the fender is a bit battered and the underside has a few scratches, but nothing that will really affect the car. What about the booster, Pei?”
Pei pulled his head out of the right booster’s air intake, a small electric torch in his mouth. He took the torch out of his mouth and turned towards Corolla. “The right booster must’ve sucked up some debris, several fan blades are damaged. As of now it still works, but I’m not sure how long it will last.”
“Great.” Keiko grumbled. “As if having gone down to thirteenth place was not enough.”
Claire connected a laptop to the car. “I’m going to restrict the booster’s maximum thrust as a precaution. The Garland has one of the highest top speeds on the grid, so we can afford to take the hit.”
“How much’ll I lose?”
“Around 35 kilometers an hour.”
Keiko quickly did the math in her mind. With the setup they had adopted for the race the Garland could reach 685 KPH, so she was down to 650.
It wasn’t exactly ideal - she could forget trying to get past the X2014s, but getting back to eighth place could still be doable.
Sergio held out a fist in front of her. “It’s not over. You can do it.”
Keiko smiled, and fist-bumped. “I know. I haven’t given up yet.”
***
Keiko tossed the Garland on the outside of a corner, attacking the other Ravenwest car on the outside. I have more grip, I can make the pass stick!
The Garland’s tires squealed, protesting for the stress that was being put on them, but the car still followed the line Keiko chose. By the end of the corner the two cars were side to side, but the following corner was in the opposite direction.
I’m on the inside now. Goodbye!
Keiko braked and went for the apex of the corner, going as close as she could to the curb without touching it. The Ravenwest car was forced on a wider line on the outside, and fell behind.
“Nice job, Kei!” Corolla shouted. “You’re in ninth place now. Just one more, and you’re good to go!”
“Thanks. Who’s up next?”
“Let’s see... It’s Shingyo. He’s a veteran, but don’t let that scare you.”
Keiko reached the first back straight, and activated the boosters. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”
***
“ Turbo‘s car seems to have suffered some damage, but that isn’t stopping her. She has already recovered four positions, and has clearly put Shingyo in her sights.”
“It won’t be as easy to pass as the others, though - so far Turbo has overtaken drivers that, like her, are at their first foray in Cyber Formula. Shingyo and AOI Formula have been at it for almost a decade.”
“They’re almost side to side now! Turbo is trying a dive to the inside... and no, Shingyo just closed the door in her face. It’s gonna take more than that to overtake him.”
***
[Future GPX Cyber Formula OST - The Fear Of Danger]
“You’re a tough cookie, aren’t you?” Keiko said when another overtake attempt failed.
“Chew him hard enough, and he’ll break! Keep at it!” Corolla cheered her.
Not as easy as you say , Keiko thought as she attacked on the outside at the following corner, trying to set up an overtake on the inside at the following one.
However, Shingyo widened his line, blocking her from bringing the Garland side-to-side with the Ex-Superion.
Keiko stomped on the brakes to avoid a collision. While she didn’t manage to bring her car where she wanted to, Shingyo still had to abandon his line. He was going to be out of position on the corner’s exit.
As she expected, there was a little gap on the inside for the following corner. Keiko quickly judged the braking distance - if she managed to brake later than him, she could still get the pass done.
She aimed for the gap, her front wheels lined up with Shingyo’s rear.
Himeko tried overtaking the other boy on the inside, but he tried to messily close the gap, the two karts collided, and Himeko’s hit the corner’s inside curb.
Keiko could only watch in horror as her friend’s kart went airborne.
Keiko stomped on the brakes again to bail out of the overtake attempt, the front wheels shrieking as they locked up. What was that? I just saw those two karts right in front of my eyes!
She gulped, trying to control her breathing. Was she hyperventilating?
Keiko shook her head. It must’ve been my imagination.
She gripped the steering wheel more tightly, and accelerated again. The following corner was a right-hander, and Keiko prepared another dive to the inside. Just as she began to brake, though, the image of Himeko’s kart in the air flashed across her mind again.
***
[Future GPX Cyber Formula OST - The Fear Of Danger] (same as previous)
Sergio raised an eyebrow as he saw on the screen Keiko locking up her wheels again. “She’s gonna ruin her tires if she keeps doing that.”
“Isn’t there something wrong?” Nikki said. “She’s giving up on the overtake before Shingyo starts to defend!”
Sergio watched his daughter’s following overtake attempt more carefully. Keiko started a dive to the inside, clearly aiming to put her car at least partially aside, but before she was even close she braked hard again - and only afterwards Shingyo closed the space. “You’re right. Something is off.”
***
[Future GPX Cyber Formula OST - The Fear Of Danger] (same as previous)
Keiko struggled to control her breathing as she went down the main straight with the boosters engaged. Okay, no, I don’t know what’s happening to me, but the inside won’t work if I keep seeing that!
She gulped again. The Garland and the Ex-Superion were roughly equal in speed now - if she wanted to overtake, it had to be in the corners.
She moved half-heartedly on the outside, but as expected Shingyo covered the outside immediately.
***
[Future GPX Cyber Formula OST - The Fear Of Danger] (same as previous)
Sergio and Nikki ran over to SUGO’s pit wall. As Sergio expected, Corolla, Osamu and Claire were all very tense.
Corolla noticed him, and turned around. “Sergio! Nikki! Good thing you’re here. There’s something up with Keiko.”
“We noticed,” Sergio said. “Has anything else broken down on the car?”
“Damage to the boosters aside, the car is absolutely fine,” Claire confirmed. “She should’ve gotten past Shingyo without problems, boosted speed is roughly equal but the Garland has a large acceleration and grip advantage over the Ex-Superion.”
Nikki covered her mouth with a hand. “Don’t tell me... the crash is holding her back.”
“The crash?” Osamu asked. “Do you mean...”
“The accident that happened in front of her must’ve jostled her memories of her friend’s karting accident,” Sergio said. “Himeko collided with another driver while attacking on the inside, and Keiko...”
“Is now attacking only on the outside, but for someone like Shingyo blocking that is trivial even with an inferior car,” Osamu completed. “Now that explains why she can’t get past despite being two seconds a lap faster in clean air.”
He sighed. “If her driving doesn’t improve soon, I’ll have to stop her before she has an accident.”
Sergio glanced at the screen. Keiko’s handling of the car had become more erratic, and her lines were definitely sloppier. I can see what he means. I’m afraid she’s just had a few flashbacks.
“Can we try talking to her? Maybe we can calm her down,” Nikki pleaded.
Osamu thought it up for a few seconds, then turned towards Claire, who gave him a nod.
***
“Kei? Do you hear me?”
Keiko’s eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the voice. “Mom?”
“And dad,” her father said.
“Why are you...?”
“What kind of parents would we be if we ignored our daughter being in trouble? It’s alright, Kei, we’re here with you.”
“Thanks, but...” She tried to grip the steering wheel more tightly, only to realize she was clenching it already.
“Deep breaths, Keiko. Inhale... Exhale.”
Keiko matched her breathing to her father’s instructions. Somehow, it seemed to help.
“You've had a bit of a flashback, haven't you?” Sergio said after a few cycles.
So that’s what that stuff was? “How do you know?”
Her father laughed sadly. “Got a bit of experience with those. Alright, cut it with the attacks for a couple laps - the race is still long, there’s still time, so take some to make a little reset.”
Keiko chuckled. “I wish I could hand you the wheel for a few laps.”
“Well, I can’t take turns driving, but I can still try to give you some pointers. The first of which is, try not to think about Himeko. I’m one hundred percent sure she’s proud of you right now, wherever she is.”
Keiko gave a nod. Himeko had always been quite vocal about her retirement. Seeing me behind the wheel... Yes, that’s what she always wanted. Sorry for having understood it too late.
***
“ We’re at lap 47, and the positions of most drivers seem to have consolidated. Kazami currently has a 23 seconds lead on Dawner, with Kramer trailing five seconds behind his teammate. Then we have, in order, Vaillant, Todoroki, Earnhardt, Warson and Shingyo to complete the virtual roster of qualified drivers. Turbo, for now, is the first of the non-qualified drivers, and seems to have taken a breather after trying to overtake Shingyo relentlessly for a good three laps. ”
***
[Crush 40 - What I’m Made Of...]
As far as it sounded ridiculous to her, Keiko had to admit that staying on a two seconds gap from Shingyo had allowed her to calm down a bit. “Okay, Dad, I think I see things more clearly now. How do I get past him now?”
“Shingyo’s defensive game is good, and he doesn’t underestimate an attack from the outside. So we’re turning that against him.”
“Turning that...” Keiko widened her eyes as realization struck her. “A feint?”
“You guessed right. You have a bit of a grip advantage over him, so you should be able to change lines better than he does.”
Keiko pondered it as she brought herself on Shingyo’s tail again. “Let me guess... I trick him into defending the outside, and then I cut into the inside?”
“Exactly. Turn Three is perfect for that, it is pretty long. I think you can set up a late apex, while making it look like you’re actually trying to take the outside throughout. If you time it right, he’ll leave the door wide open and won’t be able to do anything about it.”
Keiko couldn’t help but think of Himeko’s accident again. “But what if he tries to close the door?”
“That’s the neat thing: he won’t be able to. He will widen his line, but will do so trying to carry as much speed as possible - meaning he won’t be able to go to a tighter one afterwards.”
The third corner came up, and Keiko braked just a little bit more than necessary to make sure the Garland could change direction more readily. I’m gonna aim for an apex three fifths in.
She moved on the outside, and as expected Shingyo did the same to cover her maneuver.
Keiko glanced on the inside. Dad was right, there’s a big gap there now!
She turned in hard, the tires protesting as she did but the Garland still followed her inputs. By the corner’s apex she was side-to-side with Shingyo’s Ex-Superion.
“Got you!” Keiko shouted as she out-accelerated him out of the corner. The following straight was long enough that the Garland’s superior acceleration was enough to build up a bit of gap before the following corner.
“Great work Kei!” Corolla shouted.
For the first time in a few laps, Keiko felt good. “Okay, one down. Who’s next?”
“Now I recognize you,” Sergio said. “Next up, Warson of Team Vaillant.”
***
[Crush 40 - What I’m Made Of...] (same as previous)
“Turbo seems to have recovered her determination. While Shingyo gave her a headache at first, she overtook him with a clever move, and proceeded to do the same on Steve Warson of Team Vaillante and Leon Earnhartd of Missing Link.”
“The Sugo Garland SF-03/G is a better performing car than the Vaillant Mystére C or the Strat Missioner MS-03B, but it cannot be denied that the girl has talent.”
“Stella is at Sugo’s pit wall now. What is Sugo saying about their new pilot?”
“They seem to be quite satisfied with her so far. She had a bit of trouble around lap 45, but she got past it.”
“Is that her father Sergio?”
“Yes, that’s him. According to Sugo, he is now helping them as a test driver, and is also advising his daughter on the track.”
***
[Crush 40 - What I’m Made Of...] (same as previous)
“Stay in his backdraft until the corner, then take him on from the outside,” Sergio advised as Keiko fired the boosters on the second, shorter back straight. The following corner was a banked one, so Keiko understood the plan right away.
Todoroki’s car looks like it was designed in the 70s - that rear wing is huge. Trailing behind it means I’ll have very little air resistance.
She did so, and indeed despite the reduced output of the boosters the Garland got up to just short of 670 KPH.
Keiko did a small feint on the inside, then moved on the outside, getting side-to-side with Todoroki’s car just as they entered the banked turn. Keiko kept the accelerator floored, the G force pushing on her as she completed the overtake.
“And that’s one more position taken!” Corolla shouted as Keiko tackled the following chicane. As she reached the main straight, though, she noticed a car entering the pit lane trailing smoke.
“Hey, someone blew their engine.”
“Let’s see...” Sergio said. “It’s one of the X2014s, I think Kramer’s. That means you’re in fourth now, with six laps to go.”
Keiko squinted her eyes. She could see a light blue car in the distance. “So it will be a podium if I get another overtake done?”
“Yes, but prepare yourself for a fight. That’s Michel Vaillant up in front of you.”
Keiko thought it up. She had already heard the name. “The guy is kinda famous, right?”
“Famous?” Sergio laughed. “He’s not ‘famous,’ he’s a legend. Name any type of motorsport, he’s done it, and won it at least once.”
“So I should leave him alone for now?”
“Well.. He’s French, I would chase him down. But you do you, especially since fourth is already more than good enough. Might not be worth the risk.”
Keiko smiled as she tackled the first corner, closing in on the Mystére C. “My Italian blood is screaming at me to show up the French guy.”
Sergio laughed. “That’s my girl.”
***
“Just when we thought things were settling down, Keiko Turbo offered us a spectacular comeback. Not only did she manage to climb back up to her starting position despite being involved in an accident, but with three laps to go she’s now pressuring Vaillante in hope of a podium finish.”
“She has her work cut out for her if she wants to get past, though - while the Vaillant Mystére C isn’t as mature of a project as the Sugo Garland is, Michel Vaillant is an exceptional driver. He is a double holder of the Triple Crown, with six Formula One championships, two Le Mans victories and two Indianapolis 500 wins.”
“That is true, but it doesn’t look like she let his fame scare her.”
***
Keiko countersteered as the Garland’s tail kicked out in a corner. The Garland lost some speed, not much, but enough for the overtake attempt on the outside to fail as the Mystére C accelerated away.
“Warning: severe rear tire wear. ”
“I’ve noticed, I’ve noticed!” Keiko engaged the boosters as soon as she was on the second back straight, the rear wheels spinning for half a second being another proof that the tires were at their limit.
Good thing this is the last lap. “Thoughts, Dad? Last plan didn’t work either.”
“I’m out of options,” Sergio admitted. “As much as I hate to admit defeat to a French, I don’t know what else we can attempt. But, good news, Hayato just crossed the finish line and won.”
Keiko followed Vaillant down the straight, and attempted a dive on the inside on the banked turn. Vaillant didn’t block her, but for the first corner of the last chicane Keiko found herself on the outside, meaning he managed to slip in front again at the start of the last turn.
Keiko braked and turned in, but the car failed to follow her input, tires squealing as it understeered towards the outside of the turn. There was only a thin strip of grass before the wall - and she was going to hit it.
I messed up, I’m too fast!
“Full boosters!” Sergio shouted.
Keiko didn’t understand how it could help, but did so anyway. As soon as the boosters fired, the car suddenly went from understeering to oversteering, kicking its tail out, and Keiko countersteered aiming for the gap between the Mystére C and the right side of the track as the car accelerated.
Keiko kept the throttle pedal down, her early boost firing meaning she out-accelerated Vaillant, going past him just as the checkered flag came in sight. I did it!
“Way to go, Kei!” Corolla sounded overjoyed. “A podium finish at your first race!”
She took a deep breath as she slowed down after the finish line. Looks like I’m still good at this after all.
***
Claire stared mouth wide open as the Garland went past their position with the boosters engaged, quickly followed by Vaillan’s Mystére C. “What did just...?”
Osamu rubbed his chin. “By using the boosters to increase the engine output and induce a power over drift, the car was rotated towards the corner’s exit. At that point, the boosters’ thrust simply sent the car where it was facing.”
Claire turned towards Sergio. “So you made her use the boosters to steer? That’s some out of the box thinking.”
“I used a similar maneuver with the Stormer a couple times.” Sergio crossed his arms. “It’s dangerous, so I didn’t suggest it to her until now. But it was the only way she could’ve avoided ending up in the wall.”
“And not only prevented a crash, but allowed her to make a surprise overtake.”
Nikki let herself fall on one of the pit wall stools. “Thank Madoka, it’s over.”
“No,” Sergio said. “This is only the beginning.”
***
Keiko followed the track marshal’s hand signs and parked the Garland right up to a tall, thin sign labeled “3”. She shut off the engine and opened the canopy, taking off the helmet as soon as she was out of the car. The cold air of November was a very welcome refresher after such a hard race.
“Miss Turbo?” someone called from behind her. Keiko turned around, and from the car he had just come out of was Michel Vaillant. He was older than she expected - he looked like he was in his late 40s or early 50s.
“What is it, Mr. Vaillant?”
Vaillant held out his hand, which Keiko shook. A firm, sincere grasp. “That was a good duel. That maneuver you did at the end was a bit reckless, but you performed it perfectly.”
So, this legendary guy is commending me? Wow.
“Thank you. It means a lot, coming from you. I heard you’ve won a lot.”
“I’ve also been racing for a long time. And, from what I’ve seen today, I think you can have a successful career too. I’m looking forward to racing against you again during the championship... but no discounts. I’ll be racing to win, of course, but I expect you to do the same.”
“Of course. We wouldn’t be racing drivers otherwise.”
Vaillant smiled. “That’s right. See you on the track, and good luck for the championship.”
“You too, Mr. Vaillant.” Well, looks like the Frenchie is a nice guy after all.
***
“Something on your mind, Sergio?” Corolla asked as they headed towards the area of the podium ceremony.
“Well... I was thinking that I can’t do what I did today again.” Sergio crossed his arms. “I want to help her as much as I can, but I shouldn’t puppeteer her on the track. I think it might actually be against the rules, even.”
“True,” Nikki agreed. “She really needed the help today, but it’s her career. She should make her own calls.”
“Thirding that. Especially since I think I need you for something else,” Corolla said.
Sergio raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“You remember I’m working on that developmental chassis?” Corolla grinned. “To get proper data, I’m building it to official regulation specs, but at this point it would be a shame to not race it. I talked about it with Osamu, and he said that we could make a one-car satellite team.”
Sergio blinked. “Don’t tell me...”
“There’s still a few free spots for the last qualifying race. You in?”
***
Keiko narrowed her eyes to shield them from the flashes. The podium ceremony had been fun - and, while she had sprayed most of the champagne bottle’s content around, the exception to drinking age laws she had been granted for the ceremony meant she did get a little taste of it.
Now was the unpleasant part - answering to the media interviews while exhausted and still drenched.
“Keiko, you’re the youngest female driver to have finished on the podium of a sanctioned Cyber Formula race, and at your first race, even. How do you feel about that?”
“Well, happy of course.”
“You were involved in the accident between McKane and Cooper. Did you feel demoralized after losing many positions, and knowing your car was damaged?”
“A bit. But I couldn’t give up - see, Sugo placed their trust in me, despite my lack of experience. I couldn’t let them down, so I didn’t give up.”
“You were stuck behind Shingyo for a few laps. What happened there?”
Keiko gulped. They had started already with the unpleasant questions. “Well, let’s say that my first attack strategy was wrong. I let my tires rest a couple laps, taking the time to plan a new strategy, and then bam! I took him by surprise, and got past.”
Keiko avoided mentioning her father’s supporting role - he had asked her not to.
“Your spectacular comeback ended with you overtaking Michel Vaillant. How does it feel to have beaten a motorsport legend on the track?”
“Well, it happened so fast, I haven’t really given thought to it yet. Besides, it is just one race, with everyone still getting experience and many cars still not at their full potential. I don’t think it means much having beaten him now.”
“That maneuver at the end, firing the boosters in the middle of a corner. Where did you get the idea?”
Let’s see if I can get what Dad told me about it right...
“Well, I was understeering quite badly in that corner, so I got the idea to use the boosted engine output to make the rear wheels spin and turn it into oversteer instead. It was crazy, but... I didn’t end up splatting on the wall, which I was going to do otherwise, so I guess it worked.”
“So it wasn’t a strategy to overtake Vaillant?”
“Not really, no. My first objective was to avoid an accident. When I realized it gave me a chance, though, I went for it.”
***
“You were great, Keiko! A podium already!”
Keiko tried to pry Hajime off her, but her sister’s tackle-glomp was quite strong. “Thank you but I need air. And a shower. And a bed.”
As much as she was enjoying the little party in Sugo’s garage to celebrate the double podium and qualification, she hoped it was over soon - she was completely exhausted.
“Give her a bit of space, Hajime,” Hayato said. “This was her first full race, she must be completely beat.”
Hajime let go, and Keiko sighed in relief. Her sister was really excitable sometimes. I wonder if they had to prescribe her Anti-Lustin when she was an agent.
Hayato patted her shoulder. “She’s right on congratulating you though - You had some tough opponents, but you still managed to grab the podium. Can’t wait to race with you in the actual championship, if you keep this up the constructor’s title will be ours!”
Keiko smiled. “You can bet on it. We’re gonna drive the wheels off our cars if we have to, but we’re going to win!”
“I’d appreciate it if Hayato doesn’t actually do that,” Asurada said. “Just like I would appreciate it if my rear wings were left alone and not used as tables or benches.”
“Shush,” Corolla said, obviously sitting on one of said wings with a paper cup set at her side. “I know where your off switch is.”