Count Your Lucky Stars
Chapter One
There was a steady count-down going. Counting down to what, exactly? Molly knew. She always knew. It was what she'd been raised to do. Her fingers clutched the wheel with determination. The mask that was required as part of the uniform fed oxygen to her, but she could hardly think of breathing. Not with fifty million light years of obstacle courses and difficult trials ahead of her. The Constellation X Fifty Million was the biggest racing event in the millennium. The red gloves were clammy on her hands and over all, it was a mere few seconds before the races began.
Everything she spent so hard working for.
Before the Racers, in big white letters, flashed the last digits.
IV...
V...
VI...
III...
II...
I...
"And they're off!" called the announcer. His voice carried through her scratchy headset. It wasn't the best out of all the Racers, but she'd earned all the money and searched rubbish moons for the parts she had, today. They were hers more than any of the other Racers could say about their brand new, shiny ones.
"Racer 03 takes the lead! Dark is a four time winner of The Constellation X Fifty Million." Dark was a friend of Molly's. A mentor, even. He'd spent a lot of time helping her, in these past years; getting her ready. It was his last season, so he'd made her promise she'd make it a good one.
"Behind him, Racer 07 is carrying a hard second. Gavriel has two wins in The Constellation X Fifty Million." Gavriel was nothing more than a competitor, but an equal if nothing else; Despite his origin from another planet and naturally orange skin.
Suddenly, someone breezed by her, kicking smoke up in her vision. When it cleared away, Molly got a full view of pink.
"And Racer 01 takes third place. Winner of a Constellation X Fifty Million in the past, Pastel is looking great in her shiny new pink car, paid for by Viper industries. We'd like to take this time to also support our sponsors..." Molly rolled her eyes. Pastel Viper might be her only actual enemy in this race. Always so showy and waving around her daddy's money like she owned the world. True, he did own a few planets, but they were tiny. Dwarf planets, more like.
"And behind Pastel Viper, we have Racer 06. This is her first year in the race. Molly Brown has been racing her whole life before she finally got the chance to join the big boys. This may be her chance to finally make something out of this commitment." It was true. Molly was the youngest and most inexperienced Racer on the track. The others might think they can use that against her, but they can't. She'd been studying their moves all her life. Molly knew exactly what was coming.
"Hear that twerp?" came Pastel's obnoxious voice through Molly's headset, "This could be your big chance. Too bad you're gonna blow it!" Pastel's squeaky laugh echoed as she blazed ahead of Gavriel. Molly rolled her eyes. Any other Racer would realize how bad of an idea this would be, considering you can only get more fuel with support from your sponsors, but Pastel's always been healthily paid for. The only thing that girl bothered to lift her fingers for was taking selfies. Her car was probably automated.
"No biggie," Molly smirked, all of space blown out in every direction around her, suns burning in the distances, "She couldn't even get passed the first obstacle last year."
Everything she spent so hard working for.
Before the Racers, in big white letters, flashed the last digits.
IV...
V...
VI...
III...
II...
I...
"And they're off!" called the announcer. His voice carried through her scratchy headset. It wasn't the best out of all the Racers, but she'd earned all the money and searched rubbish moons for the parts she had, today. They were hers more than any of the other Racers could say about their brand new, shiny ones.
"Racer 03 takes the lead! Dark is a four time winner of The Constellation X Fifty Million." Dark was a friend of Molly's. A mentor, even. He'd spent a lot of time helping her, in these past years; getting her ready. It was his last season, so he'd made her promise she'd make it a good one.
"Behind him, Racer 07 is carrying a hard second. Gavriel has two wins in The Constellation X Fifty Million." Gavriel was nothing more than a competitor, but an equal if nothing else; Despite his origin from another planet and naturally orange skin.
Suddenly, someone breezed by her, kicking smoke up in her vision. When it cleared away, Molly got a full view of pink.
"And Racer 01 takes third place. Winner of a Constellation X Fifty Million in the past, Pastel is looking great in her shiny new pink car, paid for by Viper industries. We'd like to take this time to also support our sponsors..." Molly rolled her eyes. Pastel Viper might be her only actual enemy in this race. Always so showy and waving around her daddy's money like she owned the world. True, he did own a few planets, but they were tiny. Dwarf planets, more like.
"And behind Pastel Viper, we have Racer 06. This is her first year in the race. Molly Brown has been racing her whole life before she finally got the chance to join the big boys. This may be her chance to finally make something out of this commitment." It was true. Molly was the youngest and most inexperienced Racer on the track. The others might think they can use that against her, but they can't. She'd been studying their moves all her life. Molly knew exactly what was coming.
"Hear that twerp?" came Pastel's obnoxious voice through Molly's headset, "This could be your big chance. Too bad you're gonna blow it!" Pastel's squeaky laugh echoed as she blazed ahead of Gavriel. Molly rolled her eyes. Any other Racer would realize how bad of an idea this would be, considering you can only get more fuel with support from your sponsors, but Pastel's always been healthily paid for. The only thing that girl bothered to lift her fingers for was taking selfies. Her car was probably automated.
"No biggie," Molly smirked, all of space blown out in every direction around her, suns burning in the distances, "She couldn't even get passed the first obstacle last year."