<div class="floatleft">(http://cghub.com/files/Image/167001-168000/167524/713_large.jpg)</div><div align="center"><strong><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Engine Heat</span></strong></div><br/><strong>“Well you are certainly right, Bob.”</strong>The announcer said, glancing at the projection on the screen. A few circles were on the grid, representing drivers and their vehicles. More than once had one of the circles suddenly vanished, or split into numerous smaller circles.<strong>“This year’s event is going to be spectacular, indeed. Alex Grey Mercer currently sits fifth in the Blood Sprint Series standings,  a shy 51 points behind Briad Kerselowsk, and he boasts an impressive record at New Port Speedway, tallying seven wins, 31 top 10 finishes and an average finish of 7.1.”</strong>The other announcer, Dave, nodded when he said that, awarding the camera with one of his dazzling white teeth smiles.<strong>“Let us hear what Alex had to say concerning his rising up the ranks.”</strong>The two man gave another flash of their fake smiles and the screen changed, showing a young male with short black hair, all of it matted to his forehead from all the sweat. His bright blue eyes gazed at the camera before he glanced at the man interviewing him.<br/><br/><strong>“Alex, you simply dominated on one of your best track this weekend at New Port.  What are your team’s expectations for the remaining two races this month?”</strong>A small orb of light was moving towards the tired youth, the device capturing every inch of his skin and every tremor his voice would produce. When he spoke he spoke in a very irritated way, irritation held at bay by something.<strong>“We as a team are looking forward to District seven which last year had been a good track for us, as well as Homestead.  Very solid races and tracks for us.”</strong>He simply stared as he left it at that, not bothering to talk about his winnings or his position.<strong>“Well, no doubt you have few glamorous words you wish to tell the audience, all those millions of fans out there. Right Alex? …. Alex?”</strong>The man glanced around the room and could barely register the door closing.<br/><br/>The media would package it up as ‘mysterious’ the young man being so driven that he barely had enough time to sit down and say more than a few words. The fans ate it all up, thankfully. The truth was much different. He had simply been herded into the room by his handler, explaining to him that there was a man who wanted to ask him a question. All true, save for the fact that the man was broadcasting it live across the globe. He used one of those fancy words again… glamorus? It irritated him that he did not know the word. He simply made a mental note to search it up later while he went to his crew. The second he left the ‘nice’ and ‘clean’ building the media used he was faced with the cold hard truth of reality.<br/><br/>(http://cghub.com/files/Image/151001-152000/151616/838_max.jpg)<br/><br/>In the year 2059 there was no cleanness, no bright and shiny world that held love and order. Chaos, death and pain ruled here. The old world, as some liked to call it, had perished. Nations and empires had destroyed itself, finally collapsing underneath its own weight. Large corporations were the only thing that managed to stay alive, if only barely. They warped themselves into large scale superpowers, drinking in lands that now held no government.  Alex and his crew worked for such a company, Elite enterprise, representing hem in this year’s blood race. A high stakes, winner takes all competition that had little to no rules. Last year he and his crew had gotten to sixth place, an impressive standing seeing as there were over two hundred teams. He did not know what the company he drove for did, not bothering to check either. They could slaughter humans and feed them to children, he’d still drive for them either way.<br/>In a world like this you simply did what you needed to do, his childhood proving that.<br/><br/>He moved towards their ‘garage’ a hulking beast of a truck. The sides were completely steel, layered with plates of hardened carbon plating, making it impenetrable by small and medium weaponry. The tires were coated on the sides, had thicker profiles and had shield plates on the sides. The think was a tank on wheels, housing several living compartments and enough room to spare for their vehicles. It could expand its compartments when it was stationary, allowing more room for storage and walking. The thing was old, old world design. It was sturdy and had been used for military missions, never once being able to stop, besides rockets or other heavy duty stuff. It might not be pretty, yet it was a good bandit deterrent. It also had two automatic turrets for any would be fan who tried to get closer than was allowed.<br/><br/>He entered the stationary truck and placed his helmet on the nearest stool he could find. He forced his tired frame into the softest seat he could find. It wasn’t strange to find Alex sleeping in a racing seat, usually legs dangling out of the side while he caught some rest. Beds were a thing he never had gotten used to, no matter how clean and fluffy they were. His crew accepted this fact, no questions asked. They were a ragtag group of individuals, each a savant in their own way. In the old world each of them would have been diagnosed with some psychotic problem or social disorder. Yet here, they called it ‘unique’ personality. He enjoyed hanging around with these fuck ups, knowing he could be himself here. He pulled the zipper downwards, only stopping when it was just below his navel. He closed his eyes as he began to think. What was that word again, Glorderum?<br/><br/>(http://cghub.com/files/Image/217001-218000/217535/119_large.jpg)<br/><br/>Engine Heat: Characters and Application (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=160119.0[/url)<br/>Engine Heat: Main Thread (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=160198.0)<br/>Engine Heat: Gossip Room (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=160199.0)