Stranded

Chapter 3

Tonight was practice. She drove her old motorcycle to the outskirts of town, her friends greeted her immediately. “Didn’t think you were coming!” Derek said and slapped her on the back, his robotic eye twisted in the socket.
“I wouldn’t miss training for the three suns,” she said.
“That heap of scrap is not going to get you around the corners,” one boy mocked her.
“It’s going to fall to pieces,” another said.
“We’ll see won’t we,” she said and wheeled the motorcycle to the start line. A man mostly made from machinery walked up and down in front of them.
“This is a new route, there are more turns and narrow paths. Any shoving or pushing as you know is a punishable offence,” he was interrupted.
“But what if the bike falls about?” One of them teased her.
“If you don’t want to be disqualified I think you better shut up,” he said. The engine of the bikes started, they revved loudly. They were counted down. On the count of three feet lifted off the ground and the bikes roared down the streets, headlamps shone onto the already glowing streets. Samba raced in second, Derek in the lead. They raced into the Manufacturing Sector they dashed under towering robotic frames, sparks raining down onto them but bounced off their thick racing leather.
To make the track even harder it started to rain. Two men fell from their bikes as their bikes skidded out from them. Four now remained. The bikes cut off a few hover cars and raced across the streets, Sahara rode up onto the pavement yelling at people to move out of the way, a few bots jumped their mechanical joints rattling. Derek glanced back but was thrown from his bike, he had driven straight into the back of a garbage truck. She chuckled and kept driving.
She turned sharply into an alleyway and circled back, she was on the last leg and she could see the glowing lights of their trainer. As she came to a halt she realized she was the first one to return. “What happened to the others?” the trainer asked.
“Accidents or they got lost,” she shrugged.
“At this rate, I am not going to have a team left,” he said.
“Well you sure know how to pick em,” she said and lit a cigarette as she sat back in the saddle, a few more men finally returned all with scratched and damaged bikes. She took a deep drag and looked at the men, “so how did my heap of scrap perform?”
“Okay you have a point,” one man said dropping his gaze. A few minutes later and Derek returned wheeling his damaged bike and covered in trash.
“I wasn’t paying attention to the road obviously,” he said bitterly. Sahara dismounted and slapped him on the back.
“Let’s get you back to your apartment, showered and then we go for a drink at The Dream Space Bar,” she said.
“Sounds good to me,” he replied. Derek jumped onto her motorcycle and they raced back to his apartment, after a retinal scan they entered the building. The lift still busted so they had to run up the stairs when they reached Derek was panting but Sahara was ready to go for another round. “Curse your heart!”
“If you’re jealous get one of your own,” she smiled.
“I can’t afford it,” he replied. They walked into his apartment, she glanced around it, it was plain and pretty sparse but the neon lights from the city glowed against the walls.
“Here are some clean clothes, and hurry up,” she said tossing them to him.
“Yes mam,” he said and mocked saluted her.
“And now you’re buying!” she exclaimed. A few minutes later and they were headed to the bar. Music bleared from inside, it was packed as usual it was mostly filled with outlaws and racers. Derek and Sahara hid away in the corner.
“How’re things at the garage?” Derek asked.
“Same as usual,” she said, her gaze travelled over to the door as the captain from the army she once served walked into the bar with two bots. “Get under the table!” she leapt from her seat and cowered underneath Derek stared at her.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Hiding,” she gestured for him to follow her. Derek hid under the table with her.
“From who?” he asked.
“That man, whatever you do, do not let him take me with him,” she said retreating further under the table.