The Moon Run, page 6
“Hang back so we’re out of the range of fire when we get to the sand dunes,” Garis said.
Oh yeah. She pulled back on the joystick and they fell behind the group. It didn’t escape her notice that the brown ship Castor and Pavo flew hung back too.
“You’re right. He’s going to shoot someone down,” Finley said.
“No. It’s against the rules to have guns on the ship. There’s a trap waiting for us.”
They approached the first sand dune and started climbing. The ship flew just as smoothly as Bhizin had promised.
“Watch for it,” Garis warned.
As they rounded the top of the dune, the sand sloped downward and Finley made sure to fly behind Castor. Anything to avoid another crash.
Just as the ground started to even out, she spotted them. A group of people stood off to the side, though she could make them out clearly against the pale sand. They were pointing long blasters toward the ships, following them as they descended the dune.
There was a flash of light, and a blast shot from the weapon toward the blue ship just ahead of them. The back of it exploded before losing control and spinning around in the sand. It came to a forceful stop and didn’t move.
Blood pounded in Finley’s ears as she watched Castor fly by the wreckage. “We have to make sure they’re okay.”
Garis laughed in her ear. “You’re kidding. We’re already last, and the race has barely started. They’ll be fine, Finley, they’ll get picked up by a med ship. We need to concentrate on the—”
His sentence cut off when she pulled back on the joystick and the nose of the ship flew in the air as they touched down. If there was a way to save another team from meeting the same fate as her and Cayne, then she would do it. Even if it meant not placing first.
“Finley, come on. The med team is already on their way and will make sure they’re okay.” Garis had taken off his helmet and was trying to turn around in his seat to look at her. She ignored him.
“I need to make sure.” She hopped out and ran through the sand to the blue ship. Smoke billowed from the back, and they hadn’t opened the cockpit yet. She pushed the emergency button on the outside of the cockpit, and it popped off. The two pilots inside weren’t moving.
“Hey.” She shook the shoulder of the closest one. The name on his blue uniform said “Dean.” At her shaking, he started to move and looked around.
A wave of relief washed over Finley as he opened his visor. “You okay?”
He squinted up at her through heavy-lidded eyes before wincing and rubbing his head. “Why aren’t you racing?”
Finley took a deep breath. “I wanted to make sure you two were okay.”
The pilot behind him wasn’t moving. Who was his copilot again? The banner from the building flashed in her mind. Harp. That’s right.
“Is she okay?” Finley moved to check on Harp. She was still strapped in her seat, slumped forward with her face obscured by her helmet.
Please be okay. Please be okay.
She gently shook Harp’s shoulder. “Hey, Harp. You alright? You guys crashed.”
She couldn’t help smiling as Harp moved her head. She pushed the visor of her helmet up and her eyebrows furrowed like she was trying to make sense of why Finley was there.
“You know what race you’re in, right?” Dean called from the front.
Right.
“I had to make sure you were okay.” She didn’t want to admit it sounded weird now that she was saying it to them. Why would she be checking on a team she didn’t even know? A team she was supposed to be beating in the race. She should be happy they had crashed.
“Well, I’m glad you’re not dead. The med ship is on its way, alright?” She ran back to her ship, where Garis frantically typed on the computer.
“I’m trying to gauge how fast we can go to catch up without wasting fuel. It might be better to just stay the speed we were planning on going in the first place,” he said as the dome closed. “You know you can’t stop for every person who gets hurt during the race.”
“The only reason I’m alive right now is because you stopped thinking about yourself for two seconds.” They shot off across the dunes. She could just make out a cloud of sand in the distance. The only thing that could make something like that was the other racers.
“The only reason I helped you was because we crashed into each other.”
Before Finley could come back with a retort, Bhizin’s voice blasted in their radios. “Why are you two so far behind? I didn’t buy that ship for you so you could look pretty in it.”
“Finley saw someone had crashed and wanted to make sure they were okay,” Garis said before she could get a word in.
“I don’t care why you stopped. Don’t do it anymore unless it’s at a checkpoint,” Bhizin said. “Understand?”
“Loud and clear,” Finley said. She pushed the joystick forward and they picked up speed. It wasn’t the best start to their first day.
Chapter Seven
The Checkpoint
“We’ve used up too much fuel trying to make up for lost time,” Garis said.
“The checkpoint isn’t that much farther. We’ll be able to refuel when we get there.” Catching up to the other racers had taken longer than she’d thought. The sun had already set and she just wanted to sleep.
In the distance, a tall metal structure sat against the horizon. The first checkpoint, a small tower in the desert whose only use was to house The Moon Run racers for a night so they could sleep before the next leg. Finley’s heart soared knowing she would be out of the ship soon.
“I see the checkpoint.”
“Oh, thank god.”
She didn’t want to make the ship go any faster for fear of pushing it too hard. Technology could only do so much, and this ship was new so she didn’t know how far she could take it. Between them and the checkpoint, the last racer arrived at the tower. Dean and Harp would no doubt still be with the medics or talking to their agent about what to do with their ship.
Finley let out a sigh as they zoomed by rocks and sand as they slowly closed the gap between them and the building. She had wanted so badly to be the first ship to the checkpoint, but here they were arriving dead last on the first day. So much for being the best racers.
She couldn’t be mad though. After all, she was the one who had pulled the brakes when Garis had told her to leave it.
They flew one circle around the tower and touched down smoothly at the end of the line next to the other ships. The silence that met them as she powered off the ship was off-putting. Too quiet for her liking.
“With how far behind we are, they’re all probably sleeping already,” Garis said as the dome slid open.
Finley just glared at him.
As they walked to the tower, the metallic door slid open and a figure emerged, smiling. She was a head taller than Garis and wore a flowy red dress complete with gold jewelry. Finley could just make out her blue skin in the moonlight.
“Finley and Garis. I have to be honest, I thought we might have lost you to the desert. That would’ve been embarrassing, seeing what kind of ship you’ve been equipped with for this race.” She gave them a small smile before gesturing to the doorway. “Of course, the score for this leg will be revealed later. For now, please get some food and rest. There are several interviewers talking to all the racers so it might be best to get that out of the way before you eat.”
Finley thanked her before heading into the tower with Garis.
The caretaker’s words suddenly registered in her brain. Interviewers all the way out here? Normally they just had to deal with the flying robots trying to get the best shot. But before she could ponder it further, Garis grabbed her arm.
Finley flinched. “What are you doing?”
“Remember what Bhizin said. Don’t let them get under your skin,” he whispered.
“They won’t.”
The doors slid open, sand falling from the designs carved into the large metal. Inside, a big lobby with couches and seats awaited them. At the very end stood a desk with the words “The race always goes on” hung on the wall behind it just below a scoreboard. Each team’s name was listed in rows with numbers next to them.
Currently, everyone sat at zero points. But Finley knew it was only a matter of time before the day’s scores rolled in.
Across from the scoreboard, a group of people sat together in the lobby with cameras and microphones. Their heads turned in unison when Garis and Finley walked in. As if a switch flipped, flashing lights and multiple questions were suddenly hurled their way.
Finley felt Garis stiffen next to her as a woman with a camera broke through the crowd and shoved a microphone in their faces.
“Finley and Garis, hello. A few questions for the people watching at home. You were rivals for the last few years and now you’re on the same team. What changed?”
Finley let out a small cough. “Well, after what happened, I was looking for another copilot and sometimes the best teammate is found in your rival.”
The woman stared intently as she spoke. “Well, everyone is very glad you’re competing together. Any reason for arriving so much later than the other racers today?”
Garis cleared his throat to signal to Finley to let him answer. “Another ship had crashed and Finley wanted to make sure they were okay. I don’t think we were too far behind everyone else.”
The interviewer nodded. “But if you hadn’t stopped, do you think you could have come in first today? You two are both known for being the best of the best and you’ve already hurt your chances by coming in dead last today.”
Garis gave the journalist a tight smile. “It’s only the first day. We have a lot more of the race to get through.”
“I think I heard that somewhere before,” Finley said with as much pleasantness as she could muster.
Garis squeezed her arm. “I learn from the best,” he said through his teeth.
The interviewer seemed satisfied with his answer and turned her attention back to Finley. “And what about you? The great Finley Clarke coming in last place on the first day has pretty much everyone shocked. Was it worth helping that other team?”
She pushed the microphone closer to Finley’s mouth. Almost immediately, she could feel her body tense up. She didn’t know why, as she had never had a problem with the interviewers before. Her mouth was dry and she shifted her weight. Garis and the interviewer were waiting for her to say something, so she cleared her throat.
Don’t let them get to you.
“It’s true that in the past I placed well, but I was also on a different team back then. I’m learning how to be the best with a new copilot now.”
The interviewers’ eyes flashed at her words. “Are you saying Garis here isn’t as good of a pilot as Cayne was?”
Her heart hammered in her chest. Why did speaking publicly have to suck so much? “That’s not what I mean at all. I just mean we’re finding our groove. Cayne and I raced for years. This is my first race with Garis, so it’s a different style.”
“I see. Well, I hope you can figure out your style in time to hopefully place better than you did today.”
“Thank you.”
“One more question for you, Garis.”
Finley felt him stiffen next to her. “Sure.”
“You caused the crash last year and you’re the reason Finley is in the situation she’s in today. A number of people are furious you’re both racing together. Is there anything you want to say to put their minds at ease?”
Finley chanced a glance at him. His jaw was clenched shut as he stared down his nose at the interviewer. She just smirked at him like she had won a game he didn’t know they were playing.
But his scowl smoothly turned into a smile.
“They don’t need to worry about anything. Finley is a skilled pilot, and if it had been someone else sitting in my chair, I think she would have flown just as well regardless. People need to remember there were four pilots in that accident.”
What is that supposed to mean?
The interviewer raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, thank you both for answering our questions. We can’t wait to see how you do.”
“Thank you.” Garis gently pushed her through the cameras to the hallway on the other side of the room. Finley had half a mind to tell him she could walk just fine on her own, but she just smiled at the cameras as they passed. As soon as they were around the corner and out of sight, Garis dropped his hand.
“Well, that could have gone worse,” he said.
Finley snorted as they headed toward the cafeteria, the smell of food making her mouth water. “At least we’re through it now. What was that about remembering there were four pilots in the crash?”
Garis sighed. “Everyone acts like you’re the only one who got hurt. There were three other people affected by it.”
“Oh.”
The line for food was empty because they had arrived so late. They shuffled through, scooping what looked like gray sludge onto their trays. At the end of the line was an entryway into the cafeteria, which featured several long tables.
Finley picked the seat closest to them and collapsed in the chair. Garis sat next to her and they ate their meal in silence. She winced as the chunky, chewy sludge hit her tongue, but she forced herself to eat it.
Her head popped up as four people sat down around her. The woman sitting closest to her—with long brown hair and bright eye shadow—leaned over to her.
“We were wondering when you and Garis would get here. Some people were even taking bets on if you’d make it.”
“Did you bet for or against us?” Finley asked.
The woman put her hand on her fist as a smile warmed her face. “For your information, I was the first one to bet on you both making it. I’ve seen how you fly. You don’t forget skills like those in a year.”
She pushed some of her food in front of Finley. “Take some of mine. That sludge won’t fill you up.”
Finley took a piece of the fruit on the side of her tray. It didn’t look particularly appetizing, but she ate it nonetheless. “Did you all get to the checkpoint early?”
“Me and Nova got here first. But Wylo and Lushian arrived right after us. That had to be the closest first-day race I’ve ever been in, don’t you think? Well, you guys wouldn’t know if you stopped for coffee on the way.” She laughed.
“Someone crashed right in front of us. I had to make sure they were okay,” Finley said.
The table quieted for a moment.
“Oh, I’m sorry. That wasn’t right of me to make light.” The woman looked like she meant it.
“Mercury never knows when to quit while she’s ahead. The only reason we came in first today was because you two were held up in whatever it was you were doing,” Nova said. She looked exactly like Mercury, with long brown hair and matching eyeshadow. They both wore their orange pilot suits.
“Bhizin let me know that was my one strike. So don’t get mad when I don’t stop if you crash,” Finley said, watching as Nova poked at her food. Mercury laughed.
The racer on the other side of her leaned in closer. He towered over everyone else, even while sitting down. His red bushy beard matched his hair, which he had pulled back into a ponytail. He had what could only be described as a permanent twinkle in his eye. “Finley and Garis aren’t your only competition, Mercury. Wylo and I were barely a second behind you. Don’t get too comfortable.”
He winked at Finley.
Mercury waved a dismissive hand at him. “Lushian, one day you’ll realize Nova and I have always beat you by at least a second, and we’ve been comfortable.” Her eyes flashed and the slightest hint of a smirk appeared.
Lushian’s face flushed before Wylo patted him on the arm. She was petite and more than a head shorter than him. She flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder. “Mercury, are you trying to cause a crash? You know he has to beat you now.”
Mercury laughed. “He knows I’m teasing. You know I’m teasing, Lushian. Right?”
Lushian took a long sip of his water, finally slamming the glass on the table. “Ask me again after we beat you in the next leg of the race.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled, and Mercury laughed.
The checkpoint’s caretaker entered the dining hall, and a hush fell over the room.
“I have been instructed to let all the racers in the vicinity know that your run begins early tomorrow. If you want to be well rested, it’s a good idea to go to bed now,” she said. “The scoreboard has been corrected for the first leg of the race. You can check it when you leave the cafeteria.”
“Well, we’ll be seeing you all at breakfast then,” Mercury said. “And I do hope you do well in the race. You deserve it, Finley. Just don’t do better than us.” She smiled.
The others followed after her, leaving Finley and Garis alone at the long table.
“I remember Lushian and Wylo from some past races,” Finley said as soon as they were out of sight. “We should keep eye on them.”
“Mercury seems to have already gotten under his skin,” Garis replied before he took another bite of his meal.
“It’s only the first day. She might not place first again.”
“You think she got lucky today?”
“I think it’s better to consider every possibility.”
Garis glanced down at the food she was eating. “Maybe she poisoned you so she won’t have to worry about us tomorrow,” he said with a hint of a smirk.
“Don’t even joke about that.” Finley dropped her fork.
“It would be too bad if we were out so soon, but you would probably be happy to go home already, wouldn’t you?” He didn’t say it in an accusing tone. More like he just wanted to be sure that was still how she felt.
She refused to admit talking to him about which racers could possibly be a threat was more fun than she’d had in who-knew-how-long. She had been so focused on how scary and impossible it would be to sit in a ship again, the other, smaller parts of racing had slipped her mind.
“I’ll admit if we were sent home tomorrow morning, I would be disappointed,” she said. “After everything he put us through to get here, I think I would wring Bhizin’s neck.”
