Chapter 2

Twenty-One Years Ago

After a successful year in sports cars, Summer Rose moved into Formula 2. Her dream was to race in Formula 1, and F2 was the natural stepping stone. She would still run sports cars, as most grand prix drivers did, but her focus would be on single-seaters until her dream came true. Running sports cars did have the benefit of making her name a familiar one on the racing scene. Instead of running with a mediocre team as most rookies did, she moved straight into a top-tier ride with the defending champs.

The first race of the year was at Signalstone. Summer was not exceptionally familiar with the track but she had run a few races there with mixed results. The weather all weekend had been miserable and in a wet qualifying session Summer had put the car on pole. If there was one thing she was better at than anyone else, it was racing in the rain. If it was up to her, every track would have sprinklers to continuously soak the racing surface. Unfortunately race day turned out to be dry and sunny.

Summer's race got off to a bad start. The starter waved the flag and she hit the throttle rather too enthusiastically. Her wheels spun and the car squirmed off the line, allowing the second and fourth place qualifiers to slip ahead as they entered the first corner. Worse, the new leader was her teammate. Since they were in identical equipment, he would be her chief rival. If she beat no one else all season, she had to beat him if she was to have any shot of moving up to F1. Summer quickly regained her composure and as the opening laps unfolded the top three pulled away from the rest of the field.

At about halfway the second place runner fell out with an engine failure, allowing Summer and her teammate to battle for the win. She was faster. She just needed an opportunity to pass. Her teammate was much more experienced and knew how to keep a faster car behind him. He drove hard into the corners, crawled through the center, and got good exits. It made passing him almost impossible. He was just barely quick enough. Time was against Summer as the laps ticked away. She tested the waters, making feints in corner after corner just to see what her teammate would do. He was not fooled and continued to run his line. It was going to take more than that to get past.

With three to go Summer slid badly on exit of School, allowing her teammate to open a bit of a gap. Much to his surprise, she did not close back in through the following corners. Perhaps she had worn out her tires in her earlier attempts to take the lead. He went back to running a more conventional line, abandoning the defensive posture he had been forced to adopt for most of the race. On the last lap he swung around Mall and glanced at his mirrors. He was shocked to see Summer right behind him. She closed further through Monastery until they were almost touching. She suddenly darted right, leaving him no chance to block, and blasted into the lead as the cars rounded The Cut.

Summer's ploy had worked. She lulled her teammate into a false sense of security and overtook him before he could recover from the shock. She was proud of her move and the victory in general, but disappointed that she had so badly blown it on the start. It would have been a much easier race if she had not screwed that up. After the podium ceremony and a few brief interviews with the local press, she returned to her team's garage. When she arrived, the team's owner was talking with a middle-aged man. She thought she recognized him.

The men shook hands and the owner approached Summer. "It's been an honor having you in my car." He said, reaching out to shake her hand. "That was quite the victory."

"Are you firing me?" Summer asked.

"Not exactly." The owner replied.

The other man walked up beside him. "How would you like to drive for me in Formula 1?" He asked. Now she definitely recognized him. It was Ozpin, owner of Beacon Grand Prix.

"I'd love to but the season's already started, and your team already has its drivers." Summer replied.

"Well, things aren't quite working out with one of them." Ozpin said. "It seems he and our lead driver don't quite get along. I've already arranged a deal to move him to another team. I'd love it if you would replace him."

"Count me in." Summer said, almost without thinking. She and Ozpin shook hands. "So, why didn't they get along."

"He couldn't handle being beaten." Ozpin explained. "Our lead, Taiyang Xiao-Long, has been comprehensively outpacing him. For some drivers that can be too much for their egos. I've had to pull apart one too many fist fights. I considered replacing both of them, but I think Taiyang can be a world champion."

"I can be a world champion too." Summer said.

"I agree." Ozpin said. "It'll be tough being a rookie alongside such a talented driver though. If you expect to defeat him straight away you'll probably be disappointed."

"I can take it." Summer said. "Besides, I think I'll be outrunning him sooner than he expects. I'd be more worried about his ego than mine."

"I like your confidence." Ozpin said. "Stop at the factory later this week and we'll make sure the car is comfortable for you. Unfortunately there isn't time for testing before the next race."

"I'll manage." Summer said.

"Excellent." Ozpin said. "I'll see you then."

Present Day

Ruby rounded the track slowly, waving to the cheering crowd. It was not an entirely new experience. She had won a few touring car races on Patch and the crowd reaction had been very similar. Still, this felt different. She had won an open wheel race in a silver car. That meant more to her than anyone could imagine. The podium ceremony was not vastly different from the ones she had been through before, but she found herself tearing up as the anthems played. Ruby forced herself to keep her emotions in check.

After the podium there were a few interviews with local news outlets. The international press did not have much coverage of Patch's F3 championship, but it always got a lot of attention on the island. There were lots of questions about how it felt, about her mother, the sort of stuff she was expecting. Though it had been anticipated, it was still difficult. There were bad memories there and Ruby had to be careful not to break down. It took serious effort. One question stuck out though. One reporter asked what she thought about her father. Yang had come up through the ranks already so it was well known that Taiyang was opposed to his daughters driving, even to the point of basically disowning them. Ruby had to think about that question for a bit. She finally came up with a suitable answer. "I wish he supported me and Yang, but I can understand where he's coming from. He's been through a lot, and it's probably harder for him than it is for us." The reporter tried to press the issue, hoping for some conflict or a juicy soundbite, but Ruby was not going to oblige.

After the race, the podium and the press, Ruby was exhausted. She headed back to the team's garage for the post-race debrief. She was hoping there would be a contract offer for the following season too, but that could wait. When she arrived she was greeted by some of the crew. They had not won a race in years and Ruby's victory was a huge boost to them as well. They informed her that Yang had already gone home. That was fine, Yang was busy and Ruby had her own car. She asked about speaking to the team manager but was told he was meeting with someone. Ruby decided to head home. If a contract was in the offing, they knew how to contact her.

Hours after the race, the parking lots were fairly empty. The skies had cleared and the sun was starting to set, bathing everything in an orange-yellow hue. Ruby was not looking forward to the drive home. Her car was pretty crappy. With little money, she was stuck driving a sedan her touring car team had given her. It was already years old, dented with peeling paint, and the engine was on its last legs. It had only just made the trip to the track and Ruby had the feeling she would be catching a ride home in a cab.

Ruby was surprised to see someone standing beside her car. He was an older man with grey hair and glasses. He held a coffee mug in one hand and a cane in the other. "Can I help you?" Ruby asked.

"I think you can Ms. Rose." The man said. "I take it you want to drive in Formula 1 like your mother."

"Of course." Ruby said. "It's been my dream ever since I was little."

"That was quite the race you had." The man went on. "And quite the car. A silver car with a Rose at the wheel, it certainly brings back memories."

"I think that was the point." Ruby sighed. "I hope the team decides to go beyond the publicity stunt and puts me in the car full time."

"I don't think you need to worry about that." The man said. Ruby shot him a quizzical look. "Do you remember me?"

"How could I forget?" Ruby replied. "You're Ozpin. You owned the team my parents drove for. Didn't you retire?"

"Not exactly." Ozpin said. "I still own it, even if I'm not quite the public figure I used to be. I think my team's looking pretty good for this year. We've got new engines from Nevermore and I think we've made some breakthroughs with the chassis."

"Yang's team is going to have Nevermore engines this year too." Ruby said. "They're pretty good. The Schnees will still have you on power though."

"True, but power isn't everything." Ozpin mused.

"It's nice chatting with you and catching up and all, but I'm really tired and I'd like to go home." Ruby said. "Maybe we can pick this up some other time."

"Of course." Ozpin said. "One last thing though. How would you like to come drive for me?"

"In F1!?" Ruby exclaimed.

"Not exactly." Ozpin said. "Nevermore is running an all-out assault in sports cars this year with a new prototype class design. They've asked the F1 teams using their engines to provide drivers for the 24 Hours of Orange Beach. I believe Goodwitch Grand Prix Engineering is sending your sister as a matter of fact. Unfortunately, I don't have any drivers signed at the moment. How would you like to fill the spot?"

"I'd love to, but why me?" Ruby asked. "I only just ran my first F3 race and I've only run a year of touring cars besides. I didn't even win the title."

"True, but you finished third in points." Ozpin said. "And your closest teammate was eleventh. Add to that four victories and that's quite the performance. Besides, you displayed some exceptional talent today. I think you have what it takes to race in F1. Consider Orange Beach a tryout."

"When you put it like that I can't say no!" Ruby exclaimed. "I'll do it!" Ozpin stuck out his hand for Ruby to shake. She took it and shook it rather too vigorously for Ozpin's liking. "This is a dream come true!"

A few months later Ruby flew to Vacuo with Yang. Ruby did not know what to think but Yang was ecstatic at the chance to visit Orange Beach. It was a world-famous party destination and Yang was a world-famous partier. Unfortunately the reality was a letdown. It was still winter. The weather was bad and the ocean was icy cold. There was not a party to be found. Still, there was the race, and that was something both sisters could look forward to. The 24 Hours of Orange Beach was one of the world's most prestigious endurance races and a win there would be a big feather in both their caps. Ruby had extra motivation, as a good showing would see her in an F1 car for the upcoming season.

"Who's our third driver?" Ruby asked as she and Yang walked through the garage area.

"I don't know." Yang replied. "Apparently it was really last minute."

"I hope it's someone good." Ruby said. She and Yang arrived at the team's garage and got their first look at the car, a Nevermore GTP-C. Normally there would have been time for testing, but the car was redesigned at the last moment so the race's practice sessions would be the drivers' first chance to get behind the wheel. The silver car with yellow and blue stripes was wedge-shaped with a bubble cockpit and flat sides. The back featured a huge wing and colossal aerodynamic diffuser. It bore the #71 and some Nevermore Motors logos, along with the drivers' names and national flags.

"Let's see, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao-Long and...oh my…" Yang gasped.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked. "Is it that bad?"

"Quite the contrary." Yang said, staring at the name in disbelief. "Pyrrha freaking Nikos."

"You mean the defending F3000 champion Pyrrha Nikos?" Ruby said with excitement. Pyrrha was the hottest up-and-coming driver in single-seaters. She was unbelievably fast in every car she drove. She would have a shot at the win if teamed with two corpses. "She's a great driver."

"And really, really hot." Yang added.

"I'm flattered, but perhaps we should focus on the race." Pyrrha said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. She was blushing slightly, clearly embarrassed by Yang's comment.

"Wow, I'm really sorry, that was super rude of me." Yang said. "It's just...you're basically my hero."

"That's funny, you're the F1 driver." Pyrrha laughed. "Well, I guess I am too now."

"Really?" Yang said. "Who with? I haven't heard anything."

"Beacon GP." Pyrrha replied. "I just signed last week. We haven't even made it public yet."

"Me too!" Ruby exclaimed. "Well, maybe. This race is kind of a tryout."

"You must be Ruby then." Pyrrha said. She held out her hand and Ruby shook it. "It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand to Yang. After hesitating for a moment Yang shook it. "Come on Yang, I'm not that big a deal. You don't need to be nervous around me."

"I'm not nervous." Yang protested. "I'm just...in awe. You're even better looking in person."

"I thought I said we should focus on the race." Pyrrha said, blushing again.

"Yeah, sorry." Yang said. "Sometimes I can't help myself."

"Sometimes?" Ruby laughed.

"It's alright." Pyrrha said. "At least you didn't ask for my autograph."

"I thought Beacon GP was only sending one driver." Ruby said, getting the conversation back on track.

"That was the plan, but Team Juniper didn't have a driver to send." Pyrrha said. "The blue stripe on the car was supposed to be for their driver. Apparently they're having a lot of trouble finding drivers. It's no surprise. Last year was really rough for them."

"Tell me about it." Yang said. "They broke even more often than we did, and they were slow. Even with better engines they'll be in trouble unless they've made some huge improvements."

"Time will tell I suppose." Pyrrha shrugged. "So, which one of you wants to take the first run in practice?"

"You're the big name, you should." Yang suggested.

"That's alright." Pyrrha said. "You two need the track time more."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruby gasped.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha said, almost in a panic at the possibility that she had offended her teammates. "I didn't mean it that way. I helped with the development of the car, so I already have a lot of time behind the wheel. They've made some changes since then, but it shouldn't be too different."

"I guess Ruby should take the first run then." Yang said. "She's the least experienced."

"That's an understatement." Ruby sighed. "I've never driven anything with more than 250 horsepower. This car has like three times that." There was a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it." Pyrrha encouraged. "This car has so much downforce and such wide tires it's probably more stable than an F3 car, and you've won in one of those, in the rain no less. You'll be fine. Just go easy on the throttle at low speed."

A few engines fired and cars started rolling as practice got underway. "Here's your booster seat." Yang said, handing it to Ruby. Yang and Pyrrha were similarly tall, with Pyrrha being a bit taller, but Ruby was shorter by nearly a foot. Without some help she would not even be able to reach the pedals.

Ruby took the seat and slid it into the cockpit. She sat in the car for the first time. The cockpit was a little cramped as far as she was concerned, and visibility was not great, particularly when compared to an open-wheel, open-cockpit car. She slipped on her balaclava and helmet. The mechanics made their final checks and gave Ruby a thumbs up. She flipped a series of switches, the last one starting the engine. The 3.2-liter flat-six roared to life, it's guttural rumble accompanied by the whine of twin turbos. After the mechanics checked that the engine was running properly, they waved Ruby out and she idled through the garage, heading for the track.

The Orange Beach International Speedway was not only unlike anything Ruby had driven before, it was unlike anything she had seen. The core of the track was a 2.5 mile tri-oval with turns banked at 31 degrees. It's marquee event, the Orange Beach 500, was the crown jewel of Vacuo's National Stock Car Series, and cars routinely ran faster than 200 mph for their lap averages. To make the track suitable for sports cars twisty sections were added to the infield. Even with the detours it was a fearsomely fast track.

Ruby eased out of the pits, taking the access road that led onto the first of the infield sections. She swung into the right-hand hairpin that quickly followed the end of the access road, and hit the throttle as she pushed through the apex. Too much throttle. The rear wheels broke traction as 700 horsepower was forced through cold tires. Lightning reactions were all that saved Ruby from an embarrassing spin. It was a valuable lesson though. The car required a soft touch, particularly in the immediate aftermath of a pit stop.

Ruby regained her composure and ran a couple laps. The engine was monstrously powerful but she soon began to get a feel for it. For the first few laps, the pair of long sweeps through the banking were positively horrifying. Not only was it fast and unfamiliar, the track was very bumpy. Ruby's confidence built. The car was indeed very stable as Pyrrha had said, and though she was not particularly fast, Ruby was pretty comfortable. She figured that would be enough for the first run, and handed the car over to Yang.

Yang was immediately faster than Ruby. That was hardly a surprise as she had much more experience, particularly with more powerful cars. Compared to her F1 machine the Nevermore was underpowered. She had a few slips in the infield and completely blew the backstretch chicane once, but overall she looked ready to race. Pyrrha took over in the closing stages of the opening practice and put the sisters to shame. Her times were not only faster than theirs, they were the fastest in general. When Pyrrha drove the car it looked as if it were glued to the track. There was no sliding, no drama. Then Pyrrha shocked everyone when she returned to the garage and started asking the engineers for changes. She had absolutely killed it, but she was not satisfied. Apparently the car was not as stable as the previous testing versions had been and Pyrrha felt that could be an issue as the tires wore out.

"With the changes I asked for the car will be slower in terms of single-lap pace, but on the long run it should be much more drivable." Pyrrha explained to her teammates.

"Why do you need it to be more drivable?" Ruby asked. "It looked like you were on rails out there."

"I could feel some little things I didn't like." Pyrrha said. "When the tires wear out and when we're tired from hours of driving, those little issues might become big ones. It should also make the car easier for the two of you."

"You don't have to change the car to suit us." Yang said. "If it's good for you, we can manage."

"That's not how endurance racing works." Pyrrha said. "It's a compromise. It doesn't matter how fast I go if you can't get the most out of the car. What we need is a setup we can all live with. Over 24 hours it's more important to be comfortable than just have outright speed. I could see it in Ruby's eyes, she was not thrilled about the handling of the car."

"It was a lot to get used to." Ruby admitted. "But with more practice I'm sure I'll be able to drive closer to the edge."

"We'll adjust accordingly." Pyrrha said. "Right now we need to find a stable base."

"This kind of insight and selflessness is exactly why I admire you." Yang said.

"Yang, please." Pyrrha blushed.

"Just ignore her, she's hopeless." Ruby said. "If you think this is the best way to go, that's what we should go with."

"We'll see how the week progresses." Pyrrha said. "By the race we might be undoing all the changes."

Inspirations

- Signalstone is still based on Silverstone, and I'm still proud of that name.

- Being offered a major drive with so little experience is rare, but it had happened. Both Kimi Raikkonen and Mika Hakkinen came into F1 with very little prior experience and more recently Max Verstappen was signed to race in F1 at age 17.

- Starting with Orange Beach, the story moves into 1987.

- Nevermore is based on Porsche. The GTP-C is based on the 962.

- Orange Beach is Daytona.

- Teamed drivers being of wildly different heights is rare but not unprecedented.

Inaccuracies and Anachronisms

- By the late 1980's F1 drivers rarely drove sports car races.