Ragnarok (Chapter 2)
Title: Ragnarok
Rating: R
Pairing: 2min
Summary: Taemin works hard to be accepted into the exclusive racing world.
Psygonix racing wasn’t something anyone just ‘picked up’ one day like the guitar or something. You couldn’t simply go for lessons like it was a recreational sport. This was an art for the fortunate, privileged, and the highly talented.
First, a racer had to earn the attention of an established Psygonix racing coach. Then he needed to find benefactors to sponsor him and provide him with funds for a racing ship. There was no such thing as a ‘spare’ ship lying around for anyone to use for practice racing. Ships were made to order and custom fit to the person who’d be operating it. They were more or less delicate machines that relied on specific body weights and shapes in order to function properly with the magnets, and because of this, racers needed to maintain their ideal body weight at all times.
Taemin started training at a Psygonix-appointed athletic facility five days a week. He did everything from weight training to anti-gravity simulations. Because the Psygonix ships could exceed 900 miles per hour (1450 kilometers per hour) and accelerate from 0 to 500 in less than two seconds, the body needed to be trained to take such momentum or vertigo would overcome the senses. Ships were basically indestructible, but there have been fatalities in the racing world due to unnecessary slip-ups or overzealous maneuvers that jostled the racers too violently.
By 17, Taemin was scouted by a coach from the same division Flame was in. Taemin immediately recognized the team symbol on his jacket and nearly fainted when the man asked him if he was interested in joining.
Coach D.K., as Taemin was told to call him, was astounded with the extensive amount of knowledge Taemin had about the inner-workings of the race and track. He had nothing new to teach him in terms of the power-up or boost pads. Coach DK found a sponsor for Taemin in no time. A mobile communications company who’d already invested several millions into a select few Psygonix racers gladly accepted Taemin as their new racer. His potential was promising and lucrative. They would start building his ship immediately and then begin driving lessons.
Once he sat in his own ship, Taemin took to the track like a natural. He made laps and laps around the beginner courses with low speeds at first, and eventually reached 600 miles per hour comfortably within a month. “You’re well on your way, Taemin! Let’s get you on the Artemis!”
“The Artemis? Isn’t that one of the most difficult tracks?” He asked nervously.
“I didn’t mean today. I meant for your debut. I want you on the Artemis for your debut race.” DK nodded.
“You have too much confidence in me...”
“No, it’s you who doesn’t have enough confidence. Come on, I thought you were born for this.”
Taemin held his titanium helmet under one arm. “I still have to pick my colors...” His racing colors would represent him on the track and they were important. His ship was built, but still unpainted.
DK shook his head. “There’s plenty of time for that. We have three months until your debut. I’m entering you a day after your 18th birthday so you will pass the age restriction.” He spoke enthusiastically. “You can do this, Taemin. You’re ready to race now, in fact.”
“Coach...” Taemin sighed. “I can’t thank you enough. This is my dream...”
“I know.” He put an encouraging hand on the boy’s shoulder. “So make me proud.”
“I will.” He strapped his helmet back on and ran to his ship, determined to beat his time record for the course by another second before he went home.
Another shorty. My bad.
Rating: R
Pairing: 2min
Summary: Taemin works hard to be accepted into the exclusive racing world.
Psygonix racing wasn’t something anyone just ‘picked up’ one day like the guitar or something. You couldn’t simply go for lessons like it was a recreational sport. This was an art for the fortunate, privileged, and the highly talented.
First, a racer had to earn the attention of an established Psygonix racing coach. Then he needed to find benefactors to sponsor him and provide him with funds for a racing ship. There was no such thing as a ‘spare’ ship lying around for anyone to use for practice racing. Ships were made to order and custom fit to the person who’d be operating it. They were more or less delicate machines that relied on specific body weights and shapes in order to function properly with the magnets, and because of this, racers needed to maintain their ideal body weight at all times.
Taemin started training at a Psygonix-appointed athletic facility five days a week. He did everything from weight training to anti-gravity simulations. Because the Psygonix ships could exceed 900 miles per hour (1450 kilometers per hour) and accelerate from 0 to 500 in less than two seconds, the body needed to be trained to take such momentum or vertigo would overcome the senses. Ships were basically indestructible, but there have been fatalities in the racing world due to unnecessary slip-ups or overzealous maneuvers that jostled the racers too violently.
By 17, Taemin was scouted by a coach from the same division Flame was in. Taemin immediately recognized the team symbol on his jacket and nearly fainted when the man asked him if he was interested in joining.
Coach D.K., as Taemin was told to call him, was astounded with the extensive amount of knowledge Taemin had about the inner-workings of the race and track. He had nothing new to teach him in terms of the power-up or boost pads. Coach DK found a sponsor for Taemin in no time. A mobile communications company who’d already invested several millions into a select few Psygonix racers gladly accepted Taemin as their new racer. His potential was promising and lucrative. They would start building his ship immediately and then begin driving lessons.
Once he sat in his own ship, Taemin took to the track like a natural. He made laps and laps around the beginner courses with low speeds at first, and eventually reached 600 miles per hour comfortably within a month. “You’re well on your way, Taemin! Let’s get you on the Artemis!”
“The Artemis? Isn’t that one of the most difficult tracks?” He asked nervously.
“I didn’t mean today. I meant for your debut. I want you on the Artemis for your debut race.” DK nodded.
“You have too much confidence in me...”
“No, it’s you who doesn’t have enough confidence. Come on, I thought you were born for this.”
Taemin held his titanium helmet under one arm. “I still have to pick my colors...” His racing colors would represent him on the track and they were important. His ship was built, but still unpainted.
DK shook his head. “There’s plenty of time for that. We have three months until your debut. I’m entering you a day after your 18th birthday so you will pass the age restriction.” He spoke enthusiastically. “You can do this, Taemin. You’re ready to race now, in fact.”
“Coach...” Taemin sighed. “I can’t thank you enough. This is my dream...”
“I know.” He put an encouraging hand on the boy’s shoulder. “So make me proud.”
“I will.” He strapped his helmet back on and ran to his ship, determined to beat his time record for the course by another second before he went home.
Another shorty. My bad.