Final scene comes Courtesy of Cobalt Greywalker.
Some modifications to fit.
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
Some modifications to fit.
Quote:-----________________________________
The Ferrari seemed to somehow sulk.... the red machine not especially taking too well to being parked up when something so simple had challenged its dominance. Gas turbine engines were, after all, the easy route.
They were bad. For all the reasons producing power through the use of pistols and crankshafts was good.
It seemed however, especially annoyed at being forced to park between a Range Rover, and a caravan being pulled by a Transit van.
The Ferrari’s driver took the opportunity to record a quick piece to camera while the produces busied themselves trying to figure out how to move it without blocking the tunnel
“What’s happened people is that we’ve had an emergency due to a runaway car - that isn’t ours - and the driver of the mobile production office has pulled in to the designated refuge with us. And he’s blocked the evacuation door with it.”
He glanced nervously over the top of the crash barrier, peering into the tunnel.,
“So now we have to move it. Or we’ll be trapped in here and there might be a big crash and we’ll all be killed.”
-----
A dozen fans stared at Jet.
“No!”
It was obvious what they wanted. It was written all over their expectant faces. There was a Griffon. There was a Knight Saber. There was only one way to stop a Griffon with a Knight Saber. It was big, red and made a lot of noise.
Jet scowled at them. To hell with the laws of drama.
“The Committee’ve nothing that can stop it. Which means I’m going to have to go out there, catch up to it and get it. And I’m faster by air.”
“And how are you going to stop it, Jet?” asked Sora, mildly.
Jet’s mind was clearly focused elsewhere. The cyborg glanced back at Sora for a moment - long enough for her to get a look at the real and deep fear lurking behind Jet’s eyes.
“I’ll figure something out when I get there,” answered Jet. That fear had pulled her voice taught.
“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Just...” Sora paused. It was the pause that actually grabbed Jet’s attention more than aything. She stopped, turning to face the android. Sora continued, her expression deliberately neutral. “Don’t let it cloud your judgement. Rash actions now will just make it worse.”
Jet wore a look of solid determination. “That’s how I make my living.”
Blade Running was the romantic description for what most people would call making it up as you go along.
Sora’s face betrayed her momentary disappointment, but it passed. Kohran bulldozed through the crowd, toppling someone dressed as the Bean Bandit in the process, nearly taking her sister with her.
“I was thinking, Jet....” she started with a force behind her that demanded attention and made whatever Sora had been planning to say utterly redundant. The mad’s gleam shone in Kohran’s eyes. The circle of fandom surrounding them shrunk back away from her “If someone chased it on the Highway Star. They could just grab Mackie out of it at speed.”
“What if he’s dropped?”
“I could survive it,” she answered, with pride swelling her chest. “I’m built tough. I’d need a new shell but..... my point is, he’s a CI. So long as his core’s intact he can probably be salvaged, which is more than I can say if he crashes and burns.”
The cyber took a moment to gauge Kohran’s expression.
“You want to ride the Star?”
The grin that twitched across her lips was the only answer Kohran could give.
“Keys are in the ignition. Comm frequency 401.85 Megahertz.”
“Got it!” Kohran was already running to get her helmet and riding gear, leaving Jet standing there with a stunned smile on her face, already having second thoughts.
“Hey!” another voice grabbed for her attention.KJ Dupree, already ready to go in his waved leathers with a helmet in one hand, and the boost controller in the other. “The Stiletto can keep up if you want a plan B.”
The grin across his face told her that a 2650 cubic-centimetre capacity turbocharged, methanol-burning V8 powered motorcycle could do more than keep up.
Jet answered with a grateful smile. “If you can get out in front of the car, could you give us a warning if there’s anything in the tunnel ahead?”
“No problem,” he answered, holding up his helmet. The Red Star shone in the overhead lighting “I’ve got comm’s in my helmet if we need them.”
“Now...”
“Hi there!”
It burst into her mind like a grenade in an enclosed space. A tachikoma popped up in her vision a moment before the firewall warned her of the attempt. The avatar waved cheekily.
Jet flinched in spite of herself, glaring at it with her minds eye.
It bowed down, an oversized sweatdrop rolling down the side of its central bowling ball. “Sorry about that.” No it wasnt. “But.....Well... we were talking with our mommy, and we have a way to stop the car.”[i]
“Yeah... what is it?” Jet radioed back, her irritation still plain for all to hear.
[i]“There’s no time to discuss the details. We’ll burst it to you. Mommy says you can handle it.”
Oh Joy. Jet braced for the onslaught.
“Go for it,/ she answered with the enthusiasm of a prisoner ordering their own execution.
“Is something wrong?” KJ asked, noticing her expression blackening over.
------
Shinji sat staring at the monitor.
“Berserker,” he murmured. He recalled something Ford had told him months earlier. This was the accident that everybody had known was coming.
Yuu placed her hand on his shoulder to support her weight as she leant in to see for herself. The convention’s website would only load the same emergency page, outlining the required evacuations.
"Oh, gods...” She covered her mouth with her other hand to keep herself from saying more. @ Is there anything we can do to help?"
Shinji placed his hand over hers on his shoulder, clasping gently.
"I'll ask Anika." Shinji's expression went blank for a brief moment - if Yuu hadn't also been an AI, she would have missed it. "If you know any way to get medical help here quickly, they'll take it. The con's infirmary isn't set up to handle it if the worst case happens.."
"Right."
Yuu pulled out her StellviaCorp cellphone and double-tapped the "PANIC!!!" icon on the screen. "Good thing there's a Halcyon node here, and the Global Frequency's connected to Halcyon”
It took less than a moment for it to ring through.
“Hello, Buckaroo? Yuu Inagawa here. Patch me through to 4077 Asuka, please - we've got a potential multiple-victim medical emergency at 77 Frigga."
-------
“We’ve got a workable plan down here, Ford.”
The committee were watching.
“What’ve you got?”
“Lebia’s down here with KJ DuPree, and Kohran aswell. To cut a long story short, we’re going to use the Tachikoma and a Tumbler to slow it down to a safer speed... then have Mackie cut the engine. They can keep it under control until it stops.”
“Simple,” Ford remarked, almost surprised.
“If that doesn’t work. I’m getting aboard the thing myself. I’ll steer it while Kohran grabs Mackie out the driver door on the Highway Star.“ Jet paused for a moment. Plan C is to stick it into a wall and hope we can get Mackie out of the wreckage. Unless you’ve got any better ideas.”
She definitely expected one.
“Go for it.” Ford answered,allowing the cool relief to flow through her.It wasn’t over. But it wasn’t going to be a full blown disaster either.
It lasted until her mind caught up with who exactly Jet had said was involved.
------
Scene: James May and Richard Hammond are stood with the second Unit production assistant in the main display hall, talking to a portable speaker phone.
The picture is far more wobbly than normal, given that the cameraman is only pointing the camera in the right direction on trained instinct.
The voice coming out of the speaker phone is easily recognisable.
Jeremy, from phone: …So we have an idiot in a waved car who has lost control and is barrelling along at over 320 miles per hour, and we just avoided getting sodding killed!
James: At least you’re in the refuge area now, that’ll keep you safe.
Richard: And the F70 too, ‘cause Ferrari would be seriously pissed if anything happened to it. Wiping out at those speeds…
James: Easy Richard. [reaches over to grab Hammond’s shoulder] Deep breaths. [Tries to grin] The insurance guys throw enough fits…Oh Cock!
The camera catches May’s astonished face, Hammond turning rapidly to catch what has his fellow presenter so shocked and his face falling in slack-jawed amazement before a blur of movement as the cameraman swings around to their sightline.
Jeremy Voiceover: May’s expression of surprise was well warranted.
Scene: A half dozen Dorsai are pushing the crowd away from the podium. This is because three Tachikoma have just arrived, and are lifting the motorcycle from the stand, directed by a woman in white armour. They put it down and begin checking it over.
Richard, off screen: They can’t seriously-
Jeremy VO: They did.
The pods on the Tachikoma open and a couple of the Dorsai start pulling gear out of the capsules.
Jeremy VO: The bike the disturbingly cuddly spider-tanks were working on was no less than the Highway Star.
James Voiceover: The first of the line, a fully hardtech bike with TSAB docs to prove it, got the motorcycle world speed record before the FIM allowed waved bikes to make records. It’s owner, Jet Jaguar, is the Sister of the driver of the runaway.
The Tachikoma start to pick up the gear extracted from their pods. They start filling bike’s fuel tank .
Jeremy, on speaker phone: Guys? What’s happening?
James, off screen: Jezza, the Fen seem to be prepping the bloody Highway Star. Jet Jaguar is getting ready to ride it..... Is that really the best name she could think of?
Jeremy, on speaker phone: …Surely you can’t be serious?
James, off screen: Oooh yes. And don’t call me Shirley.
Another motorcycle is wheeled into place, this one styled long and low, more like a dragster. A turbocharged V8 engine is visible through the cutouts in the fairing, driving a fat rear tyre. Printed on the side is a single red star, cryllic marking and the registration SS-19. It’s very Soviet in execution.
James: Cor, that thing looks like a missile.... if you squint.
James VO: The SS-19 Stilletto, powered by a turbocharged methanol-burning Cosworth V8. Built by an officer of the Soviet Airfoce in Exile to go very-very fast and make the Highway Star look very-very slow.
A deep throated rumble is heard. The blocky shape with huge front tires, looking like the cross between a tank and a stealth fighter, pulls up sharply. The metallic blue of the body panels gleam in the light.
James: And given the only Fen I know attending that has a bloody Batmobile has just turned up, I’d say they really mean business.
Richard Voiceover: Said Fen was none other than Lebia Maverick.
The cockpit of the Tumbler rises and pulls back, revealing the blond hair and head of Lebia before she stands up and begins climbing out.
Richard VO: Ms Maverick owns the second Highway Star, and is the creator of both the Tachikoma spider tanks currently helping out among other things, like the Mk.IV Tumbler she arrived in. Or the Third Highway Star, which is the fasted object known to mankind....
With Lebia out of the way, we see a purple-haired woman also sat in the cockpit, who passes out some items to Lebia and a waiting Tachikoma before standing and climbing out herself.
Richard, off screen: [BLEEP]
Jeremy, on speaker phone: What?!? James, what the Hell’s going on?
James, off screen: Lebia Maverick turned up with Kohran Li in tow. They’re talking with Jet Jaguar and . It looks like they have a plan
Scene: Jeremy is standing by a folding table in the refuge area with the mobile unit director, stearring at the portable speaker phone in horror.
Jeremy VO: None of this sounded at all good. Ms Li had a well-earned reputation for making things go boom. Admittedly in this case the thing going boom would probably be the runaway. The situation was quickly becoming a disaster, so I reverted to instinct.
Jeremy: Do you think we could get video of the whole thing?
[[Soundtrack:: Thunderbirds March]
[/i][/i]
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?