{"data":{"id":16474,"title":"The Cup: Part Two","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/16474-The-Cup-Part-Two","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/16474","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/16474","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"The Cup","images":[{"id":22581,"name":"TheCup.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/zxk3dvpnjkztwr\/source\/TheCup.jpg","alt":"","size":453615,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2018-02-27T19:43:16+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22581","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22581\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Part two of The Cup was published originally in Jump Point 1.9. You can read Part one here.\nAt the end of the first stage in the Murray Cup race through the Ellis system, Ykonde Remisk edged out Hypatia Darring with a boost flare that, while technically legal, was definitely dangerous. Both of these two Human racers finished ahead of their main competition, the veteran Tevarin Zogat Guul and the wily Xi\u2019an Nyan\u0101l Mo\u2018tak Xu.oa. Darring reacts to Remisk\u2019s maneuver \u2026\n\nDarring jumped out of her racer, sped across the carrier bay floor, found Remisk in the middle of a media gang, and drove her fist toward his cheery face.\n\nHe ducked just in time.\n\nOne of Remisk\u2019s crew grabbed Darring and held her back as she hurled accusations. \u201cYou son of a bitch! You could have killed me!\u201d\n\nRemisk recovered from the attempted assault and played it cool in front of the crowd, adjusting his collar and giving a weak smile. \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about, Darring. I ran a clean race.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou tried to burn me alive!\u201d\n\nShock and dismay spread among the faces of those gathered.\n\nOut of the corner of her eye, Darring could see an MCR official coming their way with a concerned look on his face, but she didn\u2019t care. She fought her way out of the crewman\u2019s grasp and took another swing. Remisk caught her arm and held it tightly.\n\n\u201cBack off, Darring,\u201d he said, \u201cor I\u2019ll file a complaint.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll file one requesting your dismissal, you cheap \u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cHumans, come now, let\u2019s remain civil.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak pushed his way through the crowd and stood beside Remisk. He waited until the MCR rules official arrived, then continued. \u201cAttend these words \u2014 I can assure you that from my perspective, Mr. Remisk violated no MCR rules. In fact, not only was his move brilliant in its simplicity, but it showed a deep dedication to the integrity of the sport. Remisk never once touched his ship to Ms. Darring\u2019s. He showed incredible care in the maneuver. I can attest to that.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou can attest to kissing my \u2014\u201d\n\nGuul stepped in and peeled Remisk\u2019s fingers from Darring\u2019s arm. He whispered into her ear. \u201cCome on, let\u2019s go. Not here, not this way.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak chuckled. \u201cYou should listen to him, young one. Guul is a wise soul.\u201d\n\nGuul ignored Mo\u2018tak and pulled Darring through the crowd. \u201cI said, let\u2019s go.\u201d\n\nShe relented, and they made their way out of the carrier bay and into a long narrow corridor that led to a small atrium with chairs and tables that looked out over Ellis III. The planet\u2019s orbit was alive with the race as it continued with the remaining racer groups down list. It was a beautiful display, the rings of the course pulsing their light, and the blur of racecraft rushing through them at marvelous speeds.\n\nDarring looked out at it, and her anger began to subside.\n\n\u201cTake a seat, Hypatia,\u201d Guul said as he pulled one chair away from a table. Darring sat, crossed her arms, and kept looking out at the race.\n\nGuul sat down across from her, taking care as he bent into the Human-style chair. \u201cNow tell me \u2026 what was that all about?\u201d\n\nDarring did not respond at first, but she met Guul\u2019s stern gaze with her own. Then she blinked, sighed, and said, \u201cHe cheated. He cut me off and blew fire into my face.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is not a violation of the rules, and you know it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, it should be.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou know,\u201d Guul said, shaking his head and leaning back, \u201cI would not expect a loose cannon like yourself to be such a slave to the rules.\u201d\n\nDarring finally smiled. \u201cA residual from my father\u2019s parenting. \u2018Play by the rules, Hypatia\u2019,\u201d she said, imitating a deep manly voice, \u201c \u2018win by the rules, and they can never have cause to take your victories away\u2019.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is a noble statement,\u201d Guul said, \u201cbut, in racing, a touch naive. There are rules, and then there are rules. But you pull something like that again, especially with witnesses, and you\u2019re the one that will be expelled, not Remisk.\u201d\n\nDarring sloughed off his warning. \u201cHe\u2019s a jackass, and so is Mo\u2018tak.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is true, but there\u2019s nothing you can do about it right now. They will do what they have to do to win, and you must keep your cool. Besides,\u201d Guul said, his gaze growing more serious, his face cast down toward the racers rushing past, \u201cI want my last race to be against the best. And if you are expelled, then it will be against wanna-bes and has-beens.\u201d\n\nDarring wrinkled her brow with concern. \u201cWhy is this your last? You have many years ahead.\u201d\n\nGuul nodded. \u201cMany years perhaps, but not as a racer. Every joint aches, every bone brittle, and my eyes are failing. It is time.\u201d\n\nDarring sat in quiet, not wanting to speak, not wanting to accept that her hero was near the end. And she had just met him. How could he be leaving now, when she had so much to speak to him about, so much to learn? Afterwards, he would likely return home (wherever that may be), and she\u2019d never see him again. Time would be so precious during the race. When would she have another opportunity to talk to him, to learn from him? If this is his last Cup, she thought, then perhaps I should back off a bit, let him have a course or two, let him take the lead when \u2014\n\n\u201cWhat is that look?\u201d\n\nShe turned to him, shrugged innocently. \u201cWhat look?\u201d\n\nGuul leaned forward. \u201cYou\u2019re thinking about throwing the race for me, aren\u2019t you? You\u2019re thinking, \u2018Give the old Tevarin one more victory.\u2019 Well, forget such nonsense. My people are warriors, Hypatia, and we have a saying: \u2018Honor your enemy, praise him if you must, but never lose a chance to kill him.\u2019 Here, you and I are friends. Out there,\u201d he said, pointing to the race, \u201cwe are foe. Promise me, that if we find ourselves neck and neck on the final lap, and you have an opportunity to win, that you will. That you will show me no mercy, no quarter, and then at least I will know that if I lose, I have lost against the best. Promise me.\u201d\n\nHis face was so serious, Darring knew that he would not let her leave the room until she promised and did so sincerely.\n\nShe nodded. \u201cI promise.\u201d\n\nGuul stood. \u201cExcellent. Now, I owe you a dinner. Hungry?\u201d\n\n\u201cFamished!\u201d\n\nThey walked together through the corridor, took a turn toward the carrier\u2019s mess. It was a good idea to get a full meal before heading to Ellis IV, and some rack time as well. The next several legs of the race would be tough, and Darring would have to face her crew chief soon and figure out if any serious damage had been done to her engine. It was not a conversation she was looking forward to.\n\n\u201cHave your crew chief speak to mine,\u201d Guul said. \u201cHe\u2019s an old M50 pilot and has been around as long as I \u2014\u201d\n\nGuul did not finish his words. They had turned a corner and there stood three Humans wrapped in dark clothing to match the faint light of the corridor. The three did not hesitate.\n\nOne pulled a knife and slashed towards Darring\u2019s throat. She leaned back instinctively and felt the wind of the brutal attack across her chin. The blade did not find flesh, however, and she tumbled back against the wall.\n\nThe other two were on Guul immediately, but despite the Tevarin\u2019s confession of joint pain, he moved quickly, subduing one in a headlock and guarding off the fists of the other. Darring tried to get to him, but her assailant was not finished. He slashed again with his blade, this time toward her stomach. She knocked his arm back with a move she had learned in Basic, then drove her fist into his kidney.\n\nAs the man lurched back, recovering from the blow, Darring recognized his face. He was from Mo\u2018tak\u2019s entourage, the one who had shielded his boss and nodded to her as the Xi\u2019an had walked away. She gnashed her teeth, scowled, and drove her boot into his crotch, knocking him to his knees. She continued her assault against his face, striking him twice before he managed to turn, kick out his leg, and swipe her feet from beneath her. Darring fell hard, her hip reeling from its concussion against the corridor floor.\n\nHe was on her again, but she was ready. She timed her move, brought her knees up quickly and flung him up the corridor. She tried rising to pursue, but the body of another assailant flew over her and hit the wall. She looked toward Guul and found him making mincemeat of the third man\u2019s face. His companions, bloody, beaten and clearly not wishing further punishment, collected themselves quickly and dashed away.\n\nGuul released the third man, pushed him back against the wall. Darring tried moving against him, but despite his mangled face, he got away from her grasp, grabbed his blade and shot away down the corridor in the opposite direction of his accomplices.\n\nDarring went to Guul\u2019s side. He had slipped down the wall and was holding a bloody gash across his stomach. Darring moved his hand away to look at it. \u201cBastards,\u201d she said, helping him to his feet. \u201cBloody bastards. Come on, let\u2019s get you to the hospital.\u201d\n\nGuul shook his head and pushed her away. \u201cNo. Just get me to my crew. It\u2019s not that bad. I\u2019ve had worse.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut we have to tell someone about this. Tell them it\u2019s Remisk and Mo\u2018tak.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow do you know that?\u201d\n\n\u201cOne of the men . . . I saw him in Mo\u2018tak\u2019s gang the other day.\u201d\n\nHe nodded. \u201cBut you can\u2019t prove it.\u201d\n\n\u201cCome on, Guul,\u201d she said, letting her anger rise again. \u201cDon\u2019t play stupid. You know who ordered this.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou may be right, but they are far too smart to leave evidence lying around. And if you\u2019re wrong, then it will reflect badly on you, especially after your unprovoked assault against Remisk. Mo\u2018tak has too many friends among MCR officials. This will go away as quickly as it was attempted.\u201d He pointed down the corridor, toward the atrium and out to space. \u201cWe\u2019ll beat them out there.\u201d\n\nReluctantly, Darring nodded. She did not like the plan, but let it rest. The most important thing now was to get him to someone, anyone, who could help.\n\nPutting an arm around his waist, she helped him back to his crew.\n\n* * *\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re late,\u201d Mo\u2018tak said, sitting quietly in the dark of the room. Remisk took no time to express his agitation.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s got to stop, Mo\u2018tak. It\u2019s gone too far.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow so?\u201d\n\n\u201cThey could have been killed. Both of them. That\u2019s not what I signed up for.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat did you sign up for?\u201d\n\n\u201cSabotage is fine. Damaging an engine, clogging a fuel line, denting a wing, forcing a racer back with an illegal move. These are all fine. Win or lose, succeed or fail, it\u2019s all part of the unspoken game. But trying to kill people is another matter entirely.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak chuckled. \u201cWhat would you rather do? Race the final course with only me to contend with, or with Guul and Darring as well? The Tevarin is a beast, and that welp is far better than anyone gives her credit for. If they remain in the race, you\u2019ll go down in history as the man who had a chance, but failed to win the Triple Crown.\u201d\n\nYou will fail regardless, Mo\u2018tak said to himself. Once I\u2019ve dealt with Guul and Darring.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s over, Mo\u2018tak,\u201d Remisk said, emphasizing his point with a swipe of his arm. \u201cI\u2019m not doing your dirty work anymore.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak turned on an overhead lamp resting on a table at his side. Beneath the cast light lay a small, gold-colored box, which he carefully opened. A small syringe lay in its center. He picked up the syringe and held it as if he were going to give someone a shot. \u201cOh, I think you will. You still have things to do for me. And if you don\u2019t, I will share with the MCR rules committee what is contained in this needle.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat is it?\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak shrugged. \u201cThe very thing that has given you an almost inhuman focus, an ability to anticipate moves three, four turns ahead.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s a lie! I\u2019ve never taken drugs in my life.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve been planning this for a long, long time, Remisk. So let me lay it out for you. A young, successful pilot wants to make a name for himself. He wins the Goss Invitational by a nose and begins to think he really has a shot at winning the Triple Crown. He goes to a small-time dealer and asks, \u201cWhat can you give me that can\u2019t be detected by scanners?\u2019 The dealer gives him this, which I gave the dealer \u2014 a Xi\u2019an concoction called e\u2019t\u00e2m. For us it produces a mild meditative state, but when introduced to Human brain chemistry, it creates a state of hyper awareness, an almost extrasensory perception. MCR scanners at their current settings cannot detect it. And you have been taking microdoses for months.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re a liar!\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak ignored the accusation. \u201cAnd here\u2019s the catch. There\u2019s enough in here to keep you vital to the end of the race. Take it, and you\u2019ll be fine. If not, somewhere around Ellis IX, as your ship is being pulled by the gravitational forces of that giant gas ball, you will go into withdrawal, fall into a deep sleep and be crushed by the tidal forces of its wild weather.\u201d Mo\u2018tak held up the syringe for Remisk to see, letting a few drops squirt from the needle tip. \u201cWhat will it be, my friend? Life or death?\u201d\n\nRemisk stood in the darkness for a long time. Then finally, he rolled up his sleeve, and offered his forearm. \u201cYou\u2019re a bastard.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak punched the needle into a vein. \u201cNo, Remisk. I\u2019m not. I\u2019m just a businessman, protecting his investment.\u201d\n\nHe pushed the entire dose into Remisk\u2019s arm, then laid the empty syringe in the golden box. Remisk got up and rolled down his sleeve. He turned to leave, but Mo\u2018tak stopped him.\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d he said, reaching into a pocket and producing a silver capsule. He pitched it to Remisk. \u201cGet this to our man on Darring\u2019s crew and see he puts it where we have discussed. We want to make sure that upstart has a pleasant ride through the Boneyard.\u201d\n\nRemisk left. Mo\u2018tak lingered in the dark, chewing the inside of his left cheek, considering the future. He sighed. He should never have relied on Remisk, on a Human, to do the work. They could never be trusted. He\u2019d never had one pleasant experience with them in all his life. Not as a racer, not during his years of mandatory military service, not as a young adult, and certainly not as a child, when Human pirates had scattered his family and killed his mother. There wasn\u2019t one in the bunch worth a damn.\n\nBut Remisk . . . could he be trusted to finish the job against Darring? Mo\u2018tak shrugged. It hardly mattered anyway. Whether he did or did not, Remisk\u2019s time in the race was coming to a close. With the dose I gave him, Mo\u2018tak thought, getting up and leaving the room, he won\u2019t survive the Boneyard either.\n\n* * *\n\nHello again, and welcome to another broadcast of GSN\u2019s continuing coverage of the Murray Cup Race. After a rough start that saw Hypatia Darring warned and reprimanded for her unsportsmanlike conduct, things have calmed down. Ms. Darring has kept her cool and has fought her way back to contention with a stunning head-to-head struggle around Ellis V against veteran Zogat Guul. Though these two are reported to be close friends, no love is lost between them as they make their way through these dangerous courses. But now the most contentious portion of the race is upon us. The Sorrow Sea, or as most of the racers call it, the Boneyard, looms large in the cockpit window. Can anyone brave the shattered hulls and sharp asteroids that hazard this course? Let\u2019s find out . . .\n\nMo\u2018tak was on her left, Guul on her right, and somewhere behind her, Remisk waited to pounce. It had been like this for a long time, shifting back and forth through broken hulls of previous racers and multi-ton asteroids, some so large that their gravity tugged on her hull as she passed. Her radar displayed the Boneyard in all its glory, and there were many paths to take through the obstacles; some shorter, some longer. This was a timed course, but the lanes sometimes narrowed to force racers to poke and prod one another, thus making it one of the deadliest in the race. The broken hulls of the hollow racecraft around her confirmed its danger.\n\nShe shifted left and took one of the shorter paths. Doing so would put her closer to the finish line, but the obstacles here were ridiculous in their distribution. She turned left, barreled tightly through a wide hole of an ancient hull. The racer right behind her broke formation and flew down another path. At her speed, Darring could not tell if it had been Remisk or not, but one less bee in her bonnet was okay by her.\n\nMo\u2018tak was still on her left, however. Guul had broken formation as well and had chosen a longer path, but one less constricted with debris. She could see his little red blip on her radar, and several others training in on him from all angles. He was in deep shit, she knew, if any of those other racers worked in silent unison to push him off course. His modified Hornet would have trouble with excessive obstacles, but then that\u2019s why he took the longer route. He was no idiot.\n\nMo\u2018tak turned his 350r sharply and shot above her. Images of Remisk\u2019s scorching exhaust flooded her mind, but this time, she ignored her impulse and kept course.\n\nSpeed is life.\n\nA Banu racer in their heavily upgraded Avenger slipped in alongside her. There were a few Banu in the race, and Darring could not remember the name of this one, but she remembered the distinct green-and-black striped hull. They tried forcing her into the craterous side of the asteroid ahead of them. Darring took her thumb off the thrust, acting as if she were going to slow and allow the Banu to take position, but at the last moment, she gunned her thrusters, shifted sharply up so that the belly of her M50 skimmed mere inches from the crater floor, kicking up dust from its ejecta blanket, and blowing it back into the cockpit of the Avenger on her tail. The Banu had to turn sharply to the left, giving advantage once again to Darring.\n\nI can play dirty too!\n\nDarring laughed into the ear of her crew chief who was warning her to take it slow and not risk getting her hydrogen scoops clogged. He was worried about her engine, which had been refitted after its overexertion around Green. There was still so much race left, and he was especially concerned with Ellis IX, the gas giant that would place serious pressure on her hull. He didn\u2019t want her engine to go down a second time as well. But she was enjoying herself. She was enjoying the Sorrow Sea, the Boneyard, in all its wondrous danger.\n\nOnly Mo\u2018tak annoyed her now. The rest of her competition had fallen behind or had taken different routes. The route ahead of her was still tricky, but it was hers. She commanded it now, and she leaned back in her restraints and let her engine run.\n\nAnd now Mo\u2018tak fell back, and his blip on her radar stopped flashing red in danger. She was free, and the finish line was close.\n\nA warning light suddenly flashed on her cooling monitors. She looked down and saw that her engine\u2019s heat dissipation had fallen sharply. She pressed controls, tapped panels, and now other warning lights were flashing.\n\nSomething was wrong with her fuel. It was rising in temperature, too fast, too hot, and the cooling system could not dissipate the excess heat fast enough. It was burning her engine, and her hull shifted and sputtered, pressing her forward against her restraints.\n\nShe tapped her comm link. \u201cSomething\u2019s wrong here! Engine reaching critical heat.\u201d\n\n\u201cCheck your heat release override valve on the \u2014\u201d\n\nShe tried doing as her crew chief advised, but before she could move her arm, fire exploded into her cockpit, engulfing her torso and helmet. She panicked, trying to pat the fire out with her gloves, but that did nothing. The flames grew larger and larger, working their way under her jumpsuit, piercing the protective lining at her neck, and burning her face and shoulders.\n\n\u201cPower plant breach imminent!\u201d screamed the safety system in her ear. \u201cPower plant breach imminent!\u201d\n\nThrough searing pain, Hypatia Darring reached beneath her cockpit seat, tapped the eject pad, and blew her cockpit enclosure into space. Thrusters beneath her seat erupted, and she tumbled after the cockpit, still strapped into her chair, gasping for air.\n\nFive seconds later, before she lost consciousness, Darring watched her M50 explode into a thousand pieces.\n\nTO BE CONTINUED\u2026","de_DE":"Anmerkung des Autors: Teil zwei des Cups wurde urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 1.9 ver\u00f6ffentlicht. Den ersten Teil k\u00f6nnen Sie hier lesen.\nAm Ende der ersten Etappe im Murray Cup-Rennen durch das Ellis-System schlug Ykonde Remisk Hypatia Darring mit einem Boost Flare aus, das zwar technisch legal, aber definitiv gef\u00e4hrlich war. Die beiden Human Racer kamen vor ihrer Hauptkonkurrenz ins Ziel, der Veteran Tevarin Zogat Guul und der schlaue Xi'an Nyan\u0101l Mo'tak Xu.oa. Darring reagiert auf Remisks Man\u00f6ver....\n\nDarring sprang aus ihrem Renner, raste \u00fcber den Boden der Tr\u00e4gerbucht, fand Remisk in der Mitte einer Medienbande und trieb ihre Faust auf sein fr\u00f6hliches Gesicht zu.\n\nEr ist gerade noch rechtzeitig untergetaucht.\n\nEiner von Remisks Crew packte Darring und hielt sie zur\u00fcck, als sie Anschuldigungen schleuderte. \"Du Hurensohn! Du h\u00e4ttest mich t\u00f6ten k\u00f6nnen!\"\n\nRemisk erholte sich von dem versuchten Angriff und spielte ihn vor der Menge cool, indem er sein Halsband verstellte und ein schwaches L\u00e4cheln gab. \"Ich wei\u00df nicht, wovon du redest, Darring. Ich bin ein sauberes Rennen gelaufen.\"\n\n\"Du hast versucht, mich lebendig zu verbrennen!\"\n\nSchock und Best\u00fcrzung verbreiteten sich in den Gesichtern der Versammelten.\n\nAus dem Augenwinkel konnte Darring einen MCR-Beamten mit einem besorgten Blick auf sein Gesicht kommen sehen, aber es war ihr egal. Sie k\u00e4mpfte sich aus dem Griff des Besatzungsmitarbeiters heraus und nahm einen weiteren Schlag. Remisk fing ihren Arm ein und hielt ihn fest.\n\n\"Zur\u00fcck, Darring\", sagte er, \"oder ich werde eine Beschwerde einreichen.\"\n\n\"Ich werde einen Antrag auf deine Entlassung stellen, du billiger -\"\n\n\"Menschen, kommt schon, lasst uns h\u00f6flich bleiben.\"\n\nMo'tak dr\u00e4ngte sich durch die Menge und stand neben Remisk. Er wartete, bis der Beamte der MCR-Regeln eintraf, und fuhr dann fort. \"Nehmen Sie an diesen Worten teil - ich kann Ihnen versichern, dass Herr Remisk aus meiner Sicht keine MCR-Regeln verletzt hat. Tats\u00e4chlich war nicht nur sein Zug brillant in seiner Einfachheit, sondern er zeigte auch eine tiefe Hingabe an die Integrit\u00e4t des Sports. Remisk hat sein Schiff zu Ms. Darring nie ber\u00fchrt. Er zeigte unglaubliche Vorsicht bei dem Man\u00f6ver. Das kann ich bezeugen.\"\n\n\"Du kannst bezeugen, dass du meine -\"\n\nGuul trat ein und sch\u00e4lte Remisks Finger von Darrings Arm. Er fl\u00fcsterte ihr ins Ohr. \"Komm schon, lass uns gehen. Nicht hier, nicht hier lang.\"\n\nMo'tak kicherte. \"Du solltest auf ihn h\u00f6ren, junger Mann. Guul ist eine weise Seele.\"\n\nGuul ignorierte Mo'tak und zog Darring durch die Menge. \"Ich sagte, lass uns gehen.\"\n\nSie gab nach, und sie machten sich auf den Weg aus der Tr\u00e4gerbucht und in einen langen, schmalen Korridor, der zu einem kleinen Atrium mit St\u00fchlen und Tischen f\u00fchrte, das \u00fcber Ellis III hinausblickte. Die Umlaufbahn des Planeten war mit der Rasse lebendig, als sie mit der Liste der verbleibenden Rennfahrergruppen auf der unteren Liste fortgesetzt wurde. Es war ein wundersch\u00f6nes Display, die Ringe der Strecke pulsierten ihr Licht, und die Unsch\u00e4rfe der Rennboote, die mit erstaunlichen Geschwindigkeiten durch sie rasten.\n\nDarring sah es an, und ihr Zorn begann sich zu verringern.\n\n\"Nimm Platz, Hypatia\", sagte Guul, als er einen Stuhl von einem Tisch wegzog. Darring setzte sich, verschr\u00e4nkte ihre Arme und schaute weiter auf das Rennen.\n\nGuul setzte sich ihr gegen\u00fcber und passte auf, als er sich in den Stuhl im Human-Stil beugte. \"Jetzt sag mir, worum ging es da eigentlich?\"\n\nDarring reagierte zun\u00e4chst nicht, aber sie traf Guuls strengen Blick mit ihrem eigenen. Dann blinzelte sie, seufzte und sagte: \"Er hat betrogen. Er schnitt mich ab und blies mir Feuer ins Gesicht.\"\n\n\"Es ist kein Versto\u00df gegen die Regeln, und das wei\u00dft du.\"\n\n\"Nun, das sollte es sein.\"\n\n\"Wei\u00dft du\", sagte Guul, sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf und lehnte sich zur\u00fcck, \"Ich w\u00fcrde nicht erwarten, dass eine lose Kanone wie du so ein Sklave der Regeln ist.\"\n\nDarring l\u00e4chelte schlie\u00dflich. \"Ein Rest von der Erziehung meines Vaters. \"Spiel nach den Regeln, Hypatia\",\" sagte sie und imitierte eine tiefe m\u00e4nnliche Stimme, \"gewinne nach den Regeln, und sie k\u00f6nnen nie Grund haben, deine Siege wegzunehmen\".\"\n\n\"Es ist eine noble Aussage\", sagte Guul, \"aber im Rennsport ist es ein bisschen naiv. Es gibt Regeln, und dann gibt es Regeln. Aber du ziehst so etwas noch einmal durch, besonders bei Zeugen, und du bist diejenige, die vertrieben wird, nicht Remisk.\"\n\nDarring lie\u00df seine Warnung fallen. \"Er ist ein Esel und Mo'tak auch.\"\n\n\"Das ist wahr, aber es gibt im Moment nichts, was du dagegen tun kannst. Sie werden tun, was sie tun m\u00fcssen, um zu gewinnen, und du musst cool bleiben. Au\u00dferdem\", sagte Guul, wurde sein Blick ernster, sein Gesicht nach unten gerichtet auf die vorbeiziehenden Rennfahrer, \"will ich, dass mein letztes Rennen gegen die Besten l\u00e4uft. Und wenn du rausgeschmissen wirst, dann ist es gegen W\u00fcnsche und N\u00f6te.\"\n\nDarring runzelte ihre Stirn mit Sorge. \"Warum ist das deine letzte? Du hast noch viele Jahre vor dir.\"\n\nGuul nickte. \"Viele Jahre vielleicht, aber nicht als Rennfahrer. Jedes Gelenk schmerzt, jeder Knochen spr\u00f6de, und meine Augen versagen. Es ist Zeit.\"\n\nDarring sa\u00df still da, wollte nicht sprechen, wollte nicht akzeptieren, dass ihr Held kurz vor dem Ende stand. Und sie hatte ihn gerade erst kennengelernt. Wie konnte er jetzt gehen, wo sie so viel mit ihm zu besprechen hatte, so viel zu lernen? Danach w\u00fcrde er wahrscheinlich nach Hause zur\u00fcckkehren (wo auch immer das sein mag), und sie w\u00fcrde ihn nie wieder sehen. Zeit w\u00e4re w\u00e4hrend des Rennens so kostbar. Wann sollte sie wieder Gelegenheit haben, mit ihm zu sprechen und von ihm zu lernen? Wenn dies sein letzter Cup ist, dachte sie, dann sollte ich mich vielleicht ein wenig zur\u00fcckziehen, ihm ein oder zwei Kurse geben, ihn die F\u00fchrung \u00fcbernehmen lassen, wenn -\n\n\"Was ist das f\u00fcr ein Blick?\"\n\nSie wandte sich an ihn, zuckte unschuldig mit den Achseln. \"Welchen Blick?\"\n\nGuul lehnte sich nach vorne. \"Du denkst dar\u00fcber nach, das Rennen f\u00fcr mich zu werfen, nicht wahr? Du denkst: \"Gib dem alten Tevarin noch einen Sieg. Nun, vergiss solchen Unsinn. Mein Volk sind Krieger, Hypatia, und wir haben ein Sprichwort: \"Ehre deinen Feind, preise ihn, wenn du musst, aber verliere nie die Chance, ihn zu t\u00f6ten. Hier, du und ich sind Freunde. Da drau\u00dfen\", sagte er und zeigte auf das Rennen, \"sind wir Gegner. Versprich mir, dass, wenn wir uns in der letzten Runde Hals an Kopf wiederfinden und du die Chance hast zu gewinnen, das wirst du. Dass du mir keine Gnade, kein Viertel zeigst, und dann werde ich zumindest wissen, dass ich, wenn ich verliere, gegen die Besten verloren habe. Versprich es mir.\"\n\nSein Gesicht war so ernst, dass Darring wusste, dass er sie den Raum nicht verlassen w\u00fcrde, bis sie es versprochen hatte, und das aufrichtig tat.\n\nSie nickte. \"Ich verspreche es.\"\n\nGuul stand auf. \"Ausgezeichnet. Ich schulde dir ein Abendessen. Hungrig?\"\n\n\" Ausgehungert!\"\n\nSie gingen zusammen durch den Flur, machten eine Wendung in Richtung des Chaos des Tr\u00e4gers. Es war eine gute Idee, eine komplette Mahlzeit zu bekommen, bevor man nach Ellis IV f\u00e4hrt, und auch etwas Rack-Zeit. Die n\u00e4chsten Etappen des Rennens waren hart, und Darring musste sich bald ihrem Crewchef stellen und herausfinden, ob ihr Motor schwer besch\u00e4digt wurde. Es war kein Gespr\u00e4ch, auf das sie sich freute.\n\n\"Lass deinen Crew Chief mit meinem sprechen\", sagte Guul. \"Er ist ein alter M50-Pilot und existiert schon so lange wie ich -\"\n\nGuul beendete seine Worte nicht. Sie waren um die Ecke gegangen und da standen drei Menschen, die in dunkle Kleidung geh\u00fcllt waren, passend zum schwachen Licht des Ganges. Die drei z\u00f6gerten nicht.\n\nEiner zog ein Messer und schlug gegen Darrings Hals. Sie lehnte sich instinktiv zur\u00fcck und sp\u00fcrte den Wind des brutalen Angriffs \u00fcber ihrem Kinn. Die Klinge fand jedoch kein Fleisch, und sie fiel gegen die Wand zur\u00fcck.\n\nDie anderen beiden waren sofort auf Guul, aber trotz des Gest\u00e4ndnisses der Gelenkschmerzen des Tevarin bewegte er sich schnell, unterwarf den einen in einem Schwitzkasten und sch\u00fctzte die F\u00e4uste des anderen. Darring versuchte, an ihn ranzukommen, aber ihr Angreifer war noch nicht fertig. Er schlug wieder mit seiner Klinge zu, diesmal in Richtung ihres Magens. Sie schlug seinen Arm mit einer Bewegung zur\u00fcck, die sie in Basic gelernt hatte, und trieb dann ihre Faust in seine Niere.\n\nAls der Mann zur\u00fcckschlug und sich von dem Schlag erholte, erkannte Darring sein Gesicht. Er stammte aus Mo'taks Gefolge, demjenigen, der seinen Chef abgeschirmt hatte und ihr zunickte, als die Xi'an weggegangen waren. Sie knirschte mit den Z\u00e4hnen, blickte finster und trieb ihren Stiefel in seinen Schritt und schlug ihn auf die Knie. Sie setzte ihren Angriff auf sein Gesicht fort und schlug ihn zweimal, bevor es ihm gelang, sich zu drehen, sein Bein auszutreten und ihre F\u00fc\u00dfe unter ihr wegzuziehen. Darring fiel hart, ihre H\u00fcfte taumelte von ihrer Ersch\u00fctterung gegen den Flurboden.\n\nEr war wieder auf ihr, aber sie war bereit. Sie timte ihre Bewegung, brachte ihre Knie schnell nach oben und warf ihn den Flur hinauf. Sie versuchte, sich zu erheben, um zu verfolgen, aber der K\u00f6rper eines anderen Angreifers flog \u00fcber sie und traf die Wand. Sie blickte zu Guul und fand ihn, wie er Hackfleisch aus dem Gesicht des dritten Mannes machte. Seine Gef\u00e4hrten, blutig, geschlagen und offensichtlich nicht bestraft werden wollend, sammelten sich schnell und zogen davon.\n\nGuul lie\u00df den dritten Mann frei, schob ihn zur\u00fcck gegen die Wand. Darring versuchte, sich gegen ihn zu stellen, aber trotz seines zerfleischten Gesichts entkam er ihrem Griff, packte seine Klinge und schoss den Flur hinunter in die entgegengesetzte Richtung seiner Komplizen.\n\nDarring ging zu Guuls Seite. Er war von der Wand gefallen und hielt eine blutige Wunde \u00fcber seinen Bauch. Darring bewegte seine Hand weg, um sie sich anzusehen. \"Bastarde\", sagte sie und half ihm auf die Beine. \"Verdammte Bastarde. Komm schon, lass uns dich ins Krankenhaus bringen.\"\n\nGuul sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf und schob sie weg. \"Nein. Bring mich einfach zu meiner Crew. Es ist nicht so schlimm. Ich hatte schon schlimmere.\"\n\n\"Aber wir m\u00fcssen es jemandem erz\u00e4hlen. Sag ihnen, es sind Remisk und Mo'tak.\"\n\n\"Woher wei\u00dft du das?\"\n\n\"Einer der M\u00e4nner.... Ich habe ihn neulich in Mo'taks Gang gesehen.\"\n\nEr nickte. \"Aber du kannst es nicht beweisen.\"\n\n\"Komm schon, Guul\", sagte sie und lie\u00df ihre Wut wieder aufleben. \"Stell dich nicht dumm. Du wei\u00dft, wer das bestellt hat.\"\n\n\"Du hast vielleicht Recht, aber sie sind viel zu klug, um Beweise herumliegen zu lassen. Und wenn du dich irrst, dann wird es sich schlecht auf dich auswirken, besonders nach deinem unprovozierten Angriff auf Remisk. Mo'tak hat zu viele Freunde unter den MCR-Beamten. Das wird so schnell verschwinden, wie es versucht wurde.\" Er zeigte den Flur hinunter, auf das Atrium und hinaus ins All. \"Wir werden sie da drau\u00dfen schlagen.\"\n\nWiderwillig nickte Darring. Ihr gefiel der Plan nicht, aber sie lie\u00df ihn ruhen. Das Wichtigste war nun, ihn zu jemandem zu bringen, jedem, der helfen konnte.\n\nSie legte einen Arm um seine Taille und half ihm, zu seiner Crew zur\u00fcckzukehren.\n\n* * *\n\n\"Du bist sp\u00e4t dran\", sagte Mo'tak und sa\u00df still im Dunkeln des Raumes. Remisk brauchte keine Zeit, um seine Aufregung auszudr\u00fccken.\n\n\"Es muss aufh\u00f6ren, Mo'tak. Es ist zu weit gegangen.\"\n\n\" Wie das?\"\n\n\"Sie h\u00e4tten get\u00f6tet werden k\u00f6nnen. Beide. Daf\u00fcr habe ich mich nicht angemeldet.\"\n\n\"Wof\u00fcr hast du dich angemeldet?\"\n\n\"Sabotage ist in Ordnung. Einen Motor besch\u00e4digen, eine Kraftstoffleitung verstopfen, einen Fl\u00fcgel verbeulen, einen Rennfahrer mit einem illegalen Zug zur\u00fcckzwingen. Das ist alles in Ordnung. Gewinnen oder verlieren, erfolgreich sein oder scheitern, das ist alles Teil des unausgesprochenen Spiels. Aber zu versuchen, Menschen zu t\u00f6ten, ist eine ganz andere Sache.\"\n\nMo'tak kicherte. \"Was w\u00fcrdest du lieber tun? Den letzten Kurs mit nur mir, oder auch mit Guul und Darring bestreiten? Der Tevarin ist ein Tier, und dieses Walfisch ist viel besser, als man es ihr zutraut. Wenn sie im Rennen bleiben, wirst du als der Mann in die Geschichte eingehen, der eine Chance hatte, aber nicht die Dreifache Krone gewonnen hat.\"\n\nDu wirst trotzdem scheitern, sagte Mo'tak zu sich selbst. Sobald ich mich mit Guul und Darring besch\u00e4ftigt habe.\n\n\"Es ist vorbei, Mo'tak\", sagte Remisk und betonte seinen Standpunkt mit einem Armstreich. \"Ich mache deine Drecksarbeit nicht mehr.\"\n\nMo'tak schaltete eine Deckenleuchte ein, die auf einem Tisch an seiner Seite lag. Unter dem gegossenen Licht lag eine kleine, goldfarbene Schachtel, die er vorsichtig \u00f6ffnete. In der Mitte lag eine kleine Spritze. Er hob die Spritze auf und hielt sie so, als w\u00fcrde er jemandem eine Spritze geben. \"Oh, ich glaube, das wirst du. Du hast noch etwas f\u00fcr mich zu erledigen. Und wenn nicht, werde ich dem MCR-Regelausschuss mitteilen, was in dieser Nadel steckt.\"\n\n\"Was ist das?\"\n\nMo'tak zuckte mit den Schultern. \"Genau das, was dir einen fast unmenschlichen Fokus gegeben hat, die F\u00e4higkeit, Bewegungen drei, vier Runden vorauszusehen.\"\n\n\"Das ist eine L\u00fcge! Ich habe noch nie in meinem Leben Drogen genommen.\"\n\n\"Ich habe das schon lange geplant, Remisk. Also lass es mich dir erkl\u00e4ren. Ein junger, erfolgreicher Pilot will sich einen Namen machen. Er gewinnt das Goss Invitational mit einer Nase und beginnt zu denken, dass er wirklich eine Chance hat, die Triple Crown zu gewinnen. Er geht zu einem kleinen H\u00e4ndler und fragt: \"Was k\u00f6nnen Sie mir geben, was von Scannern nicht erkannt werden kann? Der H\u00e4ndler gibt ihm dies, was ich dem H\u00e4ndler gab - eine Xi'an-Mischung namens e't\u00e2m. F\u00fcr uns erzeugt es einen milden meditativen Zustand, aber wenn es in die Chemie des menschlichen Gehirns eingef\u00fchrt wird, erzeugt es einen Zustand des Hyperbewusstseins, eine fast au\u00dfersinnliche Wahrnehmung. MCR-Scanner mit ihren aktuellen Einstellungen k\u00f6nnen dies nicht erkennen. Und du nimmst seit Monaten Mikrodosen.\"\n\n\"Du bist ein L\u00fcgner!\"\n\nMo'tak ignorierte die Anschuldigung. \"Und hier ist der Haken. Es gibt genug hier drin, um dich bis zum Ende des Rennens vital zu halten. Nimm es, und es wird dir gut gehen. Wenn nicht, werden Sie irgendwo um Ellis IX herum, w\u00e4hrend Ihr Schiff von den Gravitationskr\u00e4ften dieses riesigen Gasballs gezogen wird, in den R\u00fcckzug gehen, in einen Tiefschlaf fallen und von den Gezeitenkr\u00e4ften seines wilden Wetters erdr\u00fcckt werden.\" Mo'tak hielt die Spritze hoch, damit Remisk sie sehen konnte, und lie\u00df ein paar Tropfen aus der Nadelspitze spritzen. \"Was wird es sein, mein Freund? Leben oder Tod?\"\n\nRemisk stand lange Zeit in der Dunkelheit. Dann rollte er schlie\u00dflich seinen \u00c4rmel hoch und bot seinen Unterarm an. \"Du bist ein Bastard.\"\n\nMo'tak stie\u00df die Nadel in eine Vene. \"Nein, Remisk. Das tue ich nicht. Ich bin nur ein Gesch\u00e4ftsmann, der seine Investition sch\u00fctzt.\"\n\nEr dr\u00fcckte die ganze Dosis in Remisks Arm und legte dann die leere Spritze in die goldene Box. Remisk stand auf und rollte sich \u00fcber seinen \u00c4rmel. Er drehte sich um, um zu gehen, aber Mo'tak hielt ihn auf.\n\n\"Oh\", sagte er, griff in eine Tasche und produzierte eine silberne Kapsel. Er hat es Remisk vorgeschlagen. \"Bring das zu unserem Mann in Darrings Crew und sieh zu, dass er es dort hinbringt, wo wir es besprochen haben. Wir wollen sicherstellen, dass der Empork\u00f6mmling eine angenehme Fahrt durch den Boneyard hat.\"\n\nRemisk links. Mo'tak verweilte im Dunkeln, kaute die Innenseite seiner linken Wange und betrachtete die Zukunft. Er seufzte. Er h\u00e4tte sich nie auf Remisk, auf einen Menschen, verlassen d\u00fcrfen, um die Arbeit zu erledigen. Man konnte ihnen nie trauen. Er hatte noch nie in seinem Leben eine angenehme Erfahrung mit ihnen gemacht. Nicht als Rennfahrer, nicht in den Jahren der Wehrpflicht, nicht als junger Erwachsener und schon gar nicht als Kind, als menschliche Piraten seine Familie verstreut und seine Mutter get\u00f6tet hatten. Es gab keinen in der Gruppe, der einen Dreck wert w\u00e4re.\n\nAber Abhilfe. ...k\u00f6nnte man ihm vertrauen, dass er den Job gegen Darring beendet? Mo'tak zuckte mit den Schultern. Es spielte sowieso keine Rolle. Ob er es tat oder nicht, Remisks Zeit im Rennen neigte sich dem Ende zu. Mit der Dosis, die ich ihm gab, dachte Mo'tak, stand auf und verlie\u00df den Raum, er wird auch den Boneyard nicht \u00fcberleben.\n\n* * *\n\nHallo noch einmal, und willkommen zu einer weiteren Sendung von GSNs kontinuierlicher Berichterstattung \u00fcber das Murray Cup Race. Nach einem harten Start, bei dem Hypatia Darring f\u00fcr ihr unsportliches Verhalten gewarnt und getadelt wurde, hat sich die Lage beruhigt. Ms. Darring hat sie k\u00fchl gehalten und sich mit einem atemberaubenden Kopf-an-Kopf-Kampf um Ellis V gegen den Veteranen Zogat Guul wieder in den Kampf gestellt. Obwohl diese beiden Berichten zufolge enge Freunde sind, geht zwischen ihnen keine Liebe verloren, wenn sie sich durch diese gef\u00e4hrlichen Strecken bewegen. Aber jetzt liegt der umstrittenste Teil des Rennens vor uns. Das Trauermeer, oder wie die meisten Rennfahrer es nennen, der Boneyard, ragt gro\u00df im Cockpitfenster hervor. Kann jemand den zerbrochenen R\u00fcmpfen und scharfen Asteroiden trotzen, die diesen Kurs gef\u00e4hrden? Lasst es uns herausfinden.....\n\nMo'tak war zu ihrer Linken, Guul zu ihrer Rechten, und irgendwo hinter ihr wartete Remisk darauf, zu springen. Es war schon lange so gewesen und bewegte sich hin und her durch gebrochene R\u00fcmpfe fr\u00fcherer Rennfahrer und Mehrtonnen-Asteroiden, einige so gro\u00df, dass ihre Schwerkraft an ihrem Rumpf zerrte, als sie vorbeikam. Ihr Radar zeigte den Boneyard in all seiner Pracht, und es gab viele Wege, die durch die Hindernisse f\u00fchrten; einige k\u00fcrzer, andere l\u00e4nger. Dies war ein getakteter Kurs, aber die Bahnen verengten sich manchmal, um die Rennfahrer zu zwingen, sich gegenseitig zu sto\u00dfen und zu sto\u00dfen, was ihn zu einem der t\u00f6dlichsten im Rennen machte. Die gebrochenen R\u00fcmpfe des hohlen Rennbootes um sie herum best\u00e4tigten die Gefahr.\n\nSie bewegte sich nach links und nahm einen der k\u00fcrzeren Wege. Dies w\u00fcrde sie n\u00e4her an die Ziellinie bringen, aber die Hindernisse hier waren in ihrer Verteilung l\u00e4cherlich. Sie drehte sich nach links und fasste fest durch ein breites Loch in einem alten Rumpf. Der Rennfahrer direkt hinter ihrer gebrochenen Formation flog einen anderen Weg hinunter. Mit ihrer Geschwindigkeit konnte Darring nicht sagen, ob es Remisk war oder nicht, aber eine Biene weniger in ihrer Motorhaube war f\u00fcr sie in Ordnung.\n\nMo'tak war jedoch noch zu ihrer Linken. Guul hatte auch die Formation gebrochen und einen l\u00e4ngeren Weg gew\u00e4hlt, aber einen weniger engen mit Tr\u00fcmmern. Sie konnte seinen kleinen roten Aufprall auf ihrem Radar sehen, und mehrere andere trainierten ihn aus allen Blickwinkeln. Er steckte tief in der Schei\u00dfe, wusste sie, wenn einer dieser anderen Rennfahrer im stillen Unisono arbeitete, um ihn vom Kurs abzubringen. Seine modifizierte Hornet h\u00e4tte Probleme mit \u00fcberm\u00e4\u00dfigen Hindernissen, aber dann nahm er den l\u00e4ngeren Weg. Er war kein Idiot.\n\nMo'tak drehte seine 350r scharf und schoss \u00fcber sie. Bilder von Remisks sengendem Auspuff \u00fcberfluteten ihren Geist, aber diesmal ignorierte sie ihren Impuls und hielt den Kurs.\n\nGeschwindigkeit ist das Leben.\n\nEin Banu-Rennfahrer in seinem stark aufgewerteten Avenger schl\u00fcpfte neben ihr her. Es gab einige Banu im Rennen, und Darring konnte sich nicht an den Namen dieses Schiffes erinnern, aber sie erinnerte sich an den deutlich gr\u00fcn-schwarz gestreiften Rumpf. Sie versuchten, sie in die Kraterseite des Asteroiden vor ihnen zu zwingen. Darring nahm ihren Daumen vom Sto\u00df, tat so, als w\u00fcrde sie langsamer werden und den Banu erlauben, ihre Triebwerke in Position zu bringen, aber im letzten Moment schoss sie ihre Triebwerke scharf nach oben, so dass der Bauch ihres M50 nur wenige Zentimeter vom Kraterboden entfernt war, wobei sie Staub von seiner Ejakta-Decke auftrug und ihn zur\u00fcck in das Cockpit des R\u00e4chers auf ihrem Schwanz blies. Der Banu musste sich scharf nach links wenden, was Darring wieder einen Vorteil brachte.\n\nIch kann auch schmutzig spielen!\n\nDarring lachte ihrem Crewchef ins Ohr, der sie warnte, es langsam anzugehen und nicht zu riskieren, dass ihre Wasserstoffschaufeln verstopft wurden. Er machte sich Sorgen um ihren Motor, der nach seiner \u00dcberlastung um Green wieder eingebaut worden war. Es war noch so viel Rennen \u00fcbrig, und er war besonders besorgt \u00fcber Ellis IX, den Gasriesen, der ernsthaften Druck auf ihren Rumpf aus\u00fcben w\u00fcrde. Er wollte nicht, dass ihr Motor auch noch ein zweites Mal heruntergefahren wird. Aber sie am\u00fcsierte sich. Sie genoss das Trauermeer, den Boneyard, in all seiner wundersamen Gefahr.\n\nNur Mo'tak \u00e4rgerte sie jetzt. Der Rest ihrer Konkurrenz war in Verzug geraten oder hatte andere Wege eingeschlagen. Die Route vor ihr war immer noch schwierig, aber es war ihre. Sie befahl es jetzt, und sie lehnte sich in ihren Fesseln zur\u00fcck und lie\u00df ihren Motor laufen.\n\nUnd jetzt fiel Mo'tak zur\u00fcck, und sein Aufblitzen auf ihrem Radar h\u00f6rte auf, rot zu blinken, in Gefahr. Sie war frei, und die Ziellinie war knapp.\n\nEine Warnleuchte blinkte pl\u00f6tzlich auf ihren K\u00fchlmonitoren. Sie blickte nach unten und sah, dass die W\u00e4rmeabfuhr ihres Motors stark abgenommen hatte. Sie dr\u00fcckte auf die Bedienelemente, klopfte auf die Panels und jetzt blinkten andere Warnleuchten.\n\nEtwas stimmte nicht mit ihrem Treibstoff. Sie stieg in der Temperatur, zu schnell, zu hei\u00df, und das K\u00fchlsystem konnte die \u00fcbersch\u00fcssige W\u00e4rme nicht schnell genug abf\u00fchren. Es verbrannte ihren Motor, und ihr Rumpf bewegte sich und stotterte und dr\u00fcckte sie nach vorne gegen ihre Fesseln.\n\nSie hat auf ihre Kommunikationsverbindung getippt. \"Hier stimmt etwas nicht! Motor erreicht kritische Hitze.\"\n\n\"\u00dcberpr\u00fcfen Sie Ihr \u00dcberbr\u00fcckungsventil f\u00fcr die W\u00e4rmeabgabe am -\".\n\nSie versuchte, es zu tun, wie ihr Crewchef ihr geraten hatte, aber bevor sie ihren Arm bewegen konnte, explodierte Feuer in ihr Cockpit und verschlang ihren Oberk\u00f6rper und Helm. Sie geriet in Panik und versuchte, das Feuer mit den Handschuhen auszutrocknen, aber das tat nichts. Die Flammen wurden immer gr\u00f6\u00dfer, arbeiteten sich unter ihrem Overall durch, durchbohrten das Schutzfutter an ihrem Hals und verbrannten ihr Gesicht und ihre Schultern.\n\n\"Kraftwerksausbruch unmittelbar bevorstehend!\" schrie das Sicherheitssystem in ihr Ohr. \"Kraftwerksbruch unmittelbar bevorstehend!\"\n\nDurch brennende Schmerzen griff Hypatia Darring unter ihren Cockpitsitz, klopfte auf das Aussto\u00dfpolster und blies ihr Cockpitgeh\u00e4use in den Raum. Triebwerke unter ihrem Sitz brachen aus, und sie st\u00fcrzte nach dem Cockpit, immer noch in ihrem Stuhl gefesselt, keuchend nach Luft.\n\nF\u00fcnf Sekunden sp\u00e4ter, bevor sie das Bewusstsein verlor, sah Darring zu, wie ihr M50 in tausend St\u00fccke explodierte.\n\nWIRD FORTGESETZT......","zh_CN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Part two of The Cup was published originally in Jump Point 1.9. You can read Part one here.\nAt the end of the first stage in the Murray Cup race through the Ellis system, Ykonde Remisk edged out Hypatia Darring with a boost flare that, while technically legal, was definitely dangerous. Both of these two Human racers finished ahead of their main competition, the veteran Tevarin Zogat Guul and the wily Xi\u2019an Nyan\u0101l Mo\u2018tak Xu.oa. Darring reacts to Remisk\u2019s maneuver \u2026\n\nDarring jumped out of her racer, sped across the carrier bay floor, found Remisk in the middle of a media gang, and drove her fist toward his cheery face.\n\nHe ducked just in time.\n\nOne of Remisk\u2019s crew grabbed Darring and held her back as she hurled accusations. \u201cYou son of a bitch! You could have killed me!\u201d\n\nRemisk recovered from the attempted assault and played it cool in front of the crowd, adjusting his collar and giving a weak smile. \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about, Darring. I ran a clean race.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou tried to burn me alive!\u201d\n\nShock and dismay spread among the faces of those gathered.\n\nOut of the corner of her eye, Darring could see an MCR official coming their way with a concerned look on his face, but she didn\u2019t care. She fought her way out of the crewman\u2019s grasp and took another swing. Remisk caught her arm and held it tightly.\n\n\u201cBack off, Darring,\u201d he said, \u201cor I\u2019ll file a complaint.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll file one requesting your dismissal, you cheap \u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cHumans, come now, let\u2019s remain civil.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak pushed his way through the crowd and stood beside Remisk. He waited until the MCR rules official arrived, then continued. \u201cAttend these words \u2014 I can assure you that from my perspective, Mr. Remisk violated no MCR rules. In fact, not only was his move brilliant in its simplicity, but it showed a deep dedication to the integrity of the sport. Remisk never once touched his ship to Ms. Darring\u2019s. He showed incredible care in the maneuver. I can attest to that.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou can attest to kissing my \u2014\u201d\n\nGuul stepped in and peeled Remisk\u2019s fingers from Darring\u2019s arm. He whispered into her ear. \u201cCome on, let\u2019s go. Not here, not this way.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak chuckled. \u201cYou should listen to him, young one. Guul is a wise soul.\u201d\n\nGuul ignored Mo\u2018tak and pulled Darring through the crowd. \u201cI said, let\u2019s go.\u201d\n\nShe relented, and they made their way out of the carrier bay and into a long narrow corridor that led to a small atrium with chairs and tables that looked out over Ellis III. The planet\u2019s orbit was alive with the race as it continued with the remaining racer groups down list. It was a beautiful display, the rings of the course pulsing their light, and the blur of racecraft rushing through them at marvelous speeds.\n\nDarring looked out at it, and her anger began to subside.\n\n\u201cTake a seat, Hypatia,\u201d Guul said as he pulled one chair away from a table. Darring sat, crossed her arms, and kept looking out at the race.\n\nGuul sat down across from her, taking care as he bent into the Human-style chair. \u201cNow tell me \u2026 what was that all about?\u201d\n\nDarring did not respond at first, but she met Guul\u2019s stern gaze with her own. Then she blinked, sighed, and said, \u201cHe cheated. He cut me off and blew fire into my face.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is not a violation of the rules, and you know it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, it should be.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou know,\u201d Guul said, shaking his head and leaning back, \u201cI would not expect a loose cannon like yourself to be such a slave to the rules.\u201d\n\nDarring finally smiled. \u201cA residual from my father\u2019s parenting. \u2018Play by the rules, Hypatia\u2019,\u201d she said, imitating a deep manly voice, \u201c \u2018win by the rules, and they can never have cause to take your victories away\u2019.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is a noble statement,\u201d Guul said, \u201cbut, in racing, a touch naive. There are rules, and then there are rules. But you pull something like that again, especially with witnesses, and you\u2019re the one that will be expelled, not Remisk.\u201d\n\nDarring sloughed off his warning. \u201cHe\u2019s a jackass, and so is Mo\u2018tak.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is true, but there\u2019s nothing you can do about it right now. They will do what they have to do to win, and you must keep your cool. Besides,\u201d Guul said, his gaze growing more serious, his face cast down toward the racers rushing past, \u201cI want my last race to be against the best. And if you are expelled, then it will be against wanna-bes and has-beens.\u201d\n\nDarring wrinkled her brow with concern. \u201cWhy is this your last? You have many years ahead.\u201d\n\nGuul nodded. \u201cMany years perhaps, but not as a racer. Every joint aches, every bone brittle, and my eyes are failing. It is time.\u201d\n\nDarring sat in quiet, not wanting to speak, not wanting to accept that her hero was near the end. And she had just met him. How could he be leaving now, when she had so much to speak to him about, so much to learn? Afterwards, he would likely return home (wherever that may be), and she\u2019d never see him again. Time would be so precious during the race. When would she have another opportunity to talk to him, to learn from him? If this is his last Cup, she thought, then perhaps I should back off a bit, let him have a course or two, let him take the lead when \u2014\n\n\u201cWhat is that look?\u201d\n\nShe turned to him, shrugged innocently. \u201cWhat look?\u201d\n\nGuul leaned forward. \u201cYou\u2019re thinking about throwing the race for me, aren\u2019t you? You\u2019re thinking, \u2018Give the old Tevarin one more victory.\u2019 Well, forget such nonsense. My people are warriors, Hypatia, and we have a saying: \u2018Honor your enemy, praise him if you must, but never lose a chance to kill him.\u2019 Here, you and I are friends. Out there,\u201d he said, pointing to the race, \u201cwe are foe. Promise me, that if we find ourselves neck and neck on the final lap, and you have an opportunity to win, that you will. That you will show me no mercy, no quarter, and then at least I will know that if I lose, I have lost against the best. Promise me.\u201d\n\nHis face was so serious, Darring knew that he would not let her leave the room until she promised and did so sincerely.\n\nShe nodded. \u201cI promise.\u201d\n\nGuul stood. \u201cExcellent. Now, I owe you a dinner. Hungry?\u201d\n\n\u201cFamished!\u201d\n\nThey walked together through the corridor, took a turn toward the carrier\u2019s mess. It was a good idea to get a full meal before heading to Ellis IV, and some rack time as well. The next several legs of the race would be tough, and Darring would have to face her crew chief soon and figure out if any serious damage had been done to her engine. It was not a conversation she was looking forward to.\n\n\u201cHave your crew chief speak to mine,\u201d Guul said. \u201cHe\u2019s an old M50 pilot and has been around as long as I \u2014\u201d\n\nGuul did not finish his words. They had turned a corner and there stood three Humans wrapped in dark clothing to match the faint light of the corridor. The three did not hesitate.\n\nOne pulled a knife and slashed towards Darring\u2019s throat. She leaned back instinctively and felt the wind of the brutal attack across her chin. The blade did not find flesh, however, and she tumbled back against the wall.\n\nThe other two were on Guul immediately, but despite the Tevarin\u2019s confession of joint pain, he moved quickly, subduing one in a headlock and guarding off the fists of the other. Darring tried to get to him, but her assailant was not finished. He slashed again with his blade, this time toward her stomach. She knocked his arm back with a move she had learned in Basic, then drove her fist into his kidney.\n\nAs the man lurched back, recovering from the blow, Darring recognized his face. He was from Mo\u2018tak\u2019s entourage, the one who had shielded his boss and nodded to her as the Xi\u2019an had walked away. She gnashed her teeth, scowled, and drove her boot into his crotch, knocking him to his knees. She continued her assault against his face, striking him twice before he managed to turn, kick out his leg, and swipe her feet from beneath her. Darring fell hard, her hip reeling from its concussion against the corridor floor.\n\nHe was on her again, but she was ready. She timed her move, brought her knees up quickly and flung him up the corridor. She tried rising to pursue, but the body of another assailant flew over her and hit the wall. She looked toward Guul and found him making mincemeat of the third man\u2019s face. His companions, bloody, beaten and clearly not wishing further punishment, collected themselves quickly and dashed away.\n\nGuul released the third man, pushed him back against the wall. Darring tried moving against him, but despite his mangled face, he got away from her grasp, grabbed his blade and shot away down the corridor in the opposite direction of his accomplices.\n\nDarring went to Guul\u2019s side. He had slipped down the wall and was holding a bloody gash across his stomach. Darring moved his hand away to look at it. \u201cBastards,\u201d she said, helping him to his feet. \u201cBloody bastards. Come on, let\u2019s get you to the hospital.\u201d\n\nGuul shook his head and pushed her away. \u201cNo. Just get me to my crew. It\u2019s not that bad. I\u2019ve had worse.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut we have to tell someone about this. Tell them it\u2019s Remisk and Mo\u2018tak.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow do you know that?\u201d\n\n\u201cOne of the men . . . I saw him in Mo\u2018tak\u2019s gang the other day.\u201d\n\nHe nodded. \u201cBut you can\u2019t prove it.\u201d\n\n\u201cCome on, Guul,\u201d she said, letting her anger rise again. \u201cDon\u2019t play stupid. You know who ordered this.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou may be right, but they are far too smart to leave evidence lying around. And if you\u2019re wrong, then it will reflect badly on you, especially after your unprovoked assault against Remisk. Mo\u2018tak has too many friends among MCR officials. This will go away as quickly as it was attempted.\u201d He pointed down the corridor, toward the atrium and out to space. \u201cWe\u2019ll beat them out there.\u201d\n\nReluctantly, Darring nodded. She did not like the plan, but let it rest. The most important thing now was to get him to someone, anyone, who could help.\n\nPutting an arm around his waist, she helped him back to his crew.\n\n* * *\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re late,\u201d Mo\u2018tak said, sitting quietly in the dark of the room. Remisk took no time to express his agitation.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s got to stop, Mo\u2018tak. It\u2019s gone too far.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow so?\u201d\n\n\u201cThey could have been killed. Both of them. That\u2019s not what I signed up for.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat did you sign up for?\u201d\n\n\u201cSabotage is fine. Damaging an engine, clogging a fuel line, denting a wing, forcing a racer back with an illegal move. These are all fine. Win or lose, succeed or fail, it\u2019s all part of the unspoken game. But trying to kill people is another matter entirely.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak chuckled. \u201cWhat would you rather do? Race the final course with only me to contend with, or with Guul and Darring as well? The Tevarin is a beast, and that welp is far better than anyone gives her credit for. If they remain in the race, you\u2019ll go down in history as the man who had a chance, but failed to win the Triple Crown.\u201d\n\nYou will fail regardless, Mo\u2018tak said to himself. Once I\u2019ve dealt with Guul and Darring.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s over, Mo\u2018tak,\u201d Remisk said, emphasizing his point with a swipe of his arm. \u201cI\u2019m not doing your dirty work anymore.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak turned on an overhead lamp resting on a table at his side. Beneath the cast light lay a small, gold-colored box, which he carefully opened. A small syringe lay in its center. He picked up the syringe and held it as if he were going to give someone a shot. \u201cOh, I think you will. You still have things to do for me. And if you don\u2019t, I will share with the MCR rules committee what is contained in this needle.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat is it?\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak shrugged. \u201cThe very thing that has given you an almost inhuman focus, an ability to anticipate moves three, four turns ahead.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s a lie! I\u2019ve never taken drugs in my life.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve been planning this for a long, long time, Remisk. So let me lay it out for you. A young, successful pilot wants to make a name for himself. He wins the Goss Invitational by a nose and begins to think he really has a shot at winning the Triple Crown. He goes to a small-time dealer and asks, \u201cWhat can you give me that can\u2019t be detected by scanners?\u2019 The dealer gives him this, which I gave the dealer \u2014 a Xi\u2019an concoction called e\u2019t\u00e2m. For us it produces a mild meditative state, but when introduced to Human brain chemistry, it creates a state of hyper awareness, an almost extrasensory perception. MCR scanners at their current settings cannot detect it. And you have been taking microdoses for months.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re a liar!\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak ignored the accusation. \u201cAnd here\u2019s the catch. There\u2019s enough in here to keep you vital to the end of the race. Take it, and you\u2019ll be fine. If not, somewhere around Ellis IX, as your ship is being pulled by the gravitational forces of that giant gas ball, you will go into withdrawal, fall into a deep sleep and be crushed by the tidal forces of its wild weather.\u201d Mo\u2018tak held up the syringe for Remisk to see, letting a few drops squirt from the needle tip. \u201cWhat will it be, my friend? Life or death?\u201d\n\nRemisk stood in the darkness for a long time. Then finally, he rolled up his sleeve, and offered his forearm. \u201cYou\u2019re a bastard.\u201d\n\nMo\u2018tak punched the needle into a vein. \u201cNo, Remisk. I\u2019m not. I\u2019m just a businessman, protecting his investment.\u201d\n\nHe pushed the entire dose into Remisk\u2019s arm, then laid the empty syringe in the golden box. Remisk got up and rolled down his sleeve. He turned to leave, but Mo\u2018tak stopped him.\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d he said, reaching into a pocket and producing a silver capsule. He pitched it to Remisk. \u201cGet this to our man on Darring\u2019s crew and see he puts it where we have discussed. We want to make sure that upstart has a pleasant ride through the Boneyard.\u201d\n\nRemisk left. Mo\u2018tak lingered in the dark, chewing the inside of his left cheek, considering the future. He sighed. He should never have relied on Remisk, on a Human, to do the work. They could never be trusted. He\u2019d never had one pleasant experience with them in all his life. Not as a racer, not during his years of mandatory military service, not as a young adult, and certainly not as a child, when Human pirates had scattered his family and killed his mother. There wasn\u2019t one in the bunch worth a damn.\n\nBut Remisk . . . could he be trusted to finish the job against Darring? Mo\u2018tak shrugged. It hardly mattered anyway. Whether he did or did not, Remisk\u2019s time in the race was coming to a close. With the dose I gave him, Mo\u2018tak thought, getting up and leaving the room, he won\u2019t survive the Boneyard either.\n\n* * *\n\nHello again, and welcome to another broadcast of GSN\u2019s continuing coverage of the Murray Cup Race. After a rough start that saw Hypatia Darring warned and reprimanded for her unsportsmanlike conduct, things have calmed down. Ms. Darring has kept her cool and has fought her way back to contention with a stunning head-to-head struggle around Ellis V against veteran Zogat Guul. Though these two are reported to be close friends, no love is lost between them as they make their way through these dangerous courses. But now the most contentious portion of the race is upon us. The Sorrow Sea, or as most of the racers call it, the Boneyard, looms large in the cockpit window. Can anyone brave the shattered hulls and sharp asteroids that hazard this course? Let\u2019s find out . . .\n\nMo\u2018tak was on her left, Guul on her right, and somewhere behind her, Remisk waited to pounce. It had been like this for a long time, shifting back and forth through broken hulls of previous racers and multi-ton asteroids, some so large that their gravity tugged on her hull as she passed. Her radar displayed the Boneyard in all its glory, and there were many paths to take through the obstacles; some shorter, some longer. This was a timed course, but the lanes sometimes narrowed to force racers to poke and prod one another, thus making it one of the deadliest in the race. The broken hulls of the hollow racecraft around her confirmed its danger.\n\nShe shifted left and took one of the shorter paths. Doing so would put her closer to the finish line, but the obstacles here were ridiculous in their distribution. She turned left, barreled tightly through a wide hole of an ancient hull. The racer right behind her broke formation and flew down another path. At her speed, Darring could not tell if it had been Remisk or not, but one less bee in her bonnet was okay by her.\n\nMo\u2018tak was still on her left, however. Guul had broken formation as well and had chosen a longer path, but one less constricted with debris. She could see his little red blip on her radar, and several others training in on him from all angles. He was in deep shit, she knew, if any of those other racers worked in silent unison to push him off course. His modified Hornet would have trouble with excessive obstacles, but then that\u2019s why he took the longer route. He was no idiot.\n\nMo\u2018tak turned his 350r sharply and shot above her. Images of Remisk\u2019s scorching exhaust flooded her mind, but this time, she ignored her impulse and kept course.\n\nSpeed is life.\n\nA Banu racer in their heavily upgraded Avenger slipped in alongside her. There were a few Banu in the race, and Darring could not remember the name of this one, but she remembered the distinct green-and-black striped hull. They tried forcing her into the craterous side of the asteroid ahead of them. Darring took her thumb off the thrust, acting as if she were going to slow and allow the Banu to take position, but at the last moment, she gunned her thrusters, shifted sharply up so that the belly of her M50 skimmed mere inches from the crater floor, kicking up dust from its ejecta blanket, and blowing it back into the cockpit of the Avenger on her tail. The Banu had to turn sharply to the left, giving advantage once again to Darring.\n\nI can play dirty too!\n\nDarring laughed into the ear of her crew chief who was warning her to take it slow and not risk getting her hydrogen scoops clogged. He was worried about her engine, which had been refitted after its overexertion around Green. There was still so much race left, and he was especially concerned with Ellis IX, the gas giant that would place serious pressure on her hull. He didn\u2019t want her engine to go down a second time as well. But she was enjoying herself. She was enjoying the Sorrow Sea, the Boneyard, in all its wondrous danger.\n\nOnly Mo\u2018tak annoyed her now. The rest of her competition had fallen behind or had taken different routes. The route ahead of her was still tricky, but it was hers. She commanded it now, and she leaned back in her restraints and let her engine run.\n\nAnd now Mo\u2018tak fell back, and his blip on her radar stopped flashing red in danger. She was free, and the finish line was close.\n\nA warning light suddenly flashed on her cooling monitors. She looked down and saw that her engine\u2019s heat dissipation had fallen sharply. She pressed controls, tapped panels, and now other warning lights were flashing.\n\nSomething was wrong with her fuel. It was rising in temperature, too fast, too hot, and the cooling system could not dissipate the excess heat fast enough. It was burning her engine, and her hull shifted and sputtered, pressing her forward against her restraints.\n\nShe tapped her comm link. \u201cSomething\u2019s wrong here! Engine reaching critical heat.\u201d\n\n\u201cCheck your heat release override valve on the \u2014\u201d\n\nShe tried doing as her crew chief advised, but before she could move her arm, fire exploded into her cockpit, engulfing her torso and helmet. She panicked, trying to pat the fire out with her gloves, but that did nothing. The flames grew larger and larger, working their way under her jumpsuit, piercing the protective lining at her neck, and burning her face and shoulders.\n\n\u201cPower plant breach imminent!\u201d screamed the safety system in her ear. \u201cPower plant breach imminent!\u201d\n\nThrough searing pain, Hypatia Darring reached beneath her cockpit seat, tapped the eject pad, and blew her cockpit enclosure into space. Thrusters beneath her seat erupted, and she tumbled after the cockpit, still strapped into her chair, gasping for air.\n\nFive seconds later, before she lost consciousness, Darring watched her M50 explode into a thousand pieces.\n\nTO BE CONTINUED\u2026"},"links_count":1,"comment_count":11,"created_at":"2018-03-28T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"8 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 23:23:33","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":16473,"next_id":16475}}