Mercury had told her family she would arrive the next morning, she wanted to surprise them. It was almost 8 pm, by this time usually everyone was home, and gathering around the com display in the living room. Her brothers and father should be waiting for 'MAC Tour' to begin.
She had 2 brothers, she was the middle child, 2 years separated each other. Her parents wanted them to be close, and they were. Her older brother worked in a logistics company; he was doing great. His younger brother was doing his masters in terraforming.
They all shared their father passion for MAC racing, Erus 6 was often one of the tracks in the MPC, and their father had taken them to see the races since they were kinds. He had even taken them to driving test, and Mini MAC racers, so they could give it a try, and they all loved it. That was until Mercury decided she was serious about becoming a pilot.
When she had tell her parents, she wanted to apply for the amateur circle, her father had freaked out. For all that he loved MAC racing, he felt it was too dangerous, and they argued and fight over it for some time, her mother however intervened, she remarked how it if Mercury liked MAC that much, it was because her father had encouraged it, from there the conversation had taken a turn. A few months later, the family was on board, and so began her crusade to become a pilot. She laughed as she remembered those memories, how proud and happy had they all been, when she had received an invitation for the league, now she had another surprise in store.
Mercury opened the door and as she entered the living, just as she had hoped. Her two brothers Inpel and Lumi were sitting in the couch popcorn in hand, the com display already tuned and waiting for MAC tour to begin "Are you sure, you are grown ups?" she said as they both smiled as they saw her coming.
"Come sis, MAC Tour is about to begin, you'll tell us everything about your trip once its over" Her younger brother Lumi, gave her a small hug, and took the bag from her. He went inside to leave it a her room, he had always been very attached to her.
"MOM, DAD, MER IS HER"- Her older brother Inpel was making sure, everyone knew about her arrival, this was accomplished screaming but not moving an inch "Come, Sis, they have been announcing an especial report about the possibilities next season" He pointed at her regular spot on the couch, she went there, and he passed the popcorn to her.
"How is work?" The company where he worked had recently been purchased by a larger corporation, they had been reevaluating the personnel. His brother screening had been yesterday.
"You remember Lerani for accounting?" She nodded "She has finally acknowledged my talents, and so she recommend I should be promoted, as Chief of Logistics, as a result of my screening" He said while grinning.
"Mrs. Lerani you mean?, come on Inpel, she doubles your age, I know you are a dog, but this is just wrong, sexadvancing your way up. You are smart, and the woman is married. Does mom know about this?" Mercury was upset, her brother had always been a playboy but he had a way of getting on older woman, and used them to get things. When things had gotten more serious her mother had once almost kicked him out of the house, and he had calmed down.
"Calm down Mer, you hurt me. I had nothing to do with Mrs. Lerani, I did incredible in the exam. True I might have been especially sweet and enchanting with her, but I did not cross any line, and only if she could hint at what would the screening inquire about "He answered with a wounded expression on his face.
"He is still and ass, right?" Lumi, her younger had returned and sat next to her.
"Lumi, don't talk about your brother like that, he is an ass, but you are not allowed to call him that" Her mother had entered the living room, she had a small tray, with a carrot cake on it, some plates and forks "Here help me" Her mother gave the tray to Lumi.
"Hi mom" Mercury got up and went to hug her. They stood there for some time and small tears fell from their cheeks as they parted.
"We are really proud of you honey" She said to her ear before parting.
"How come, you never cry when you hug me mom" Lumi asked.
"How come, you don't hug me mom" Inpel asked as well.
"Cause you both smell funny" Her father said as he entered the room. Once Mercury saw him, she ran towards him and hugged him as hard as she could. He was just a bit taller than her, but she felt safe there.
"You have earned it, honey, you made it possible, we are proud if you" He said to her as they hugged, Mercury felt a weight being lifted.
"Really, what is going on, she went for 3 days, you never hug her like that when she comes on breaks from the league" Lumi was really surprised. Inpel had also noted the strange behavior, but he had been suspicious ever since Mercury had left, their parents had been on edge this last days.
"MAC TOUR, the only show that brings you everything you need to know about the MAC Pro Circuit, every week, welcomes you, and as always you are left with host Jyn Jones and Bob Durry". The com display volume suddenly went up, they had programmed it that way for when the show started.
"Come lets watch it, Lumi, move. I will sit with your sister there" Their father sat next to Mercury on the couch, Lumi moved to the side of their mother, Inpel still had not moved an inch.
"Welcome to this week, MAC TOUR, I am Jyn Jones, and as always I'm accompanied by my co-host Bob Durry, how you doin Bob?"
"Thank you Jyn, and welcome everyone. I feel incredible, we have some really important thing happening in the scene as the post season has entered its prime time, but first we will start with last season standings before anything else"
MAC Pro Circuit Season 70, 16 best Pilots:
1. Saleri Montblanc 9. Oleni Mikonos
2. Ayr Lite 10. Rick Artez
3. Levi Undermoon 11. Saly Murphy
4. Galeni Vindane 12. Nishi Yuki
5. Reiner Smiths 13. Vitkin Yentev
6. Claire Martin 14. Ye Sui
7. Eckhardt Kowalski 15. Elina Finova
8. Mark Hernandez 16. Diego Lunardetti
MAC Pro Circuit Season 70, Team Results:
1. Vortex Hunters 9. Wormhole Testers
2. Radiant Empire 10. Nova Nebula
3. Clockwork Station 11. Hydraxian Motorlords
4. Overdrive Knights 12. Pulse Breakers
5. Silent Moon 13. Binary Engines
6. Nether Jump 14. Alpha Racing
7. Gauss Relay 15. Space Benders
8. Hyper Drifters 16. Warping Thunders
"Once more, we congratulate Saleri on his second championship It had been a really close season, Ayr, Levi and Galeni made the fight for the crown a blood bath. It also seems the expectation placed on Ayr were not met again, we should perhaps consider calling him the Defeated Gentleman, it might be more appropriate"
"That is a hard statement Bob, his MAC failed on the 23 track of the season, and had some bad placings as a result of collisions by other pilots, he had the same number of first finish as Saleri, this season"
"He has not been able to lift the trophy Jyn, in the end that is all that matters. Gauss Relay fans certainly have had a lot to be disappointed, the Lance era, as they called seems to be consistent with Ayr's results, I applaud the management for deciding to let go of Ayr, and try with a different approach"
"They let go one of the best 3 pilots in the league is not a wise move, and I don't think Diego Lunardetti is not ready to be contesting for the first spots. The MPC is like that, would the change end the team better results, well, we will have to wait for season 71 to begin, and it is looking like it will be a very interesting season. We still have yet to hear where would Ayr be next season"
"That is still a fine topic, what team would take on Ayr, but for me my expectations next season are set on team Overdrive Knights. Levi ended the season like a beast, and the team, has already invested the money in bringing the much-needed reinforcements for him, the Knights and their fans are sure in for a treat this season"
"I do agree with you on that Bob, the Knights on season 71, sure feel like a monstrous team, they sure feel like Gauss Relay team did on season 66. There is also Radiant Empire and Vortex Hunters, both teams seem solid, all that is left is the announcement in a week for this season 16th team, and after it the last trades before the season starts"
"I think it is an incredible idea to leave the 16th team to the last, it makes the last trades all the more important, the last tremors before the MPC begins"
"The announcement for the last team will be in a week, after that we will have 3 more months before season 71 begins. There have been a lot of rumors about this season 16th team, I for one dare not venture into speculation regarding the roster, but I would love to see a team from Beta Prime, MAC passion is awesome, the Farmlands Classic is one of the best tracks in the circuit. We will go on a short break, but don't go anywhere as there is a lot to talk about, the MAC Tour has just begun"
"Well, Jyn might be on the right track this time" Mercury said as she took a piece of carrot cake from the tray, Lumi had placed on a small table.
"Wait a minute, were have you heard this?" Her older brother Inpel was looking at her, and their parents suspiciously, Lumi had stood up after his brother comment.
"Yeah, why, has father not said a thing about how Erus 6 would be an incredible place for a team?, are you all ill or something?" Lumi was frowning.
"While I still think, Erus 6 should be home for a MAC team, you have got to agree with Jyn, Beta Prime Loves MAC racing, it is the planet official sport" Their father replied calmed, dismissing his sons' comments, and paying them no attention "How was your shuttle back, was there much traffic on the port?"
"You know, the usual, but I saw a new sneakers store, looked like they are trying to get better rates by selling at the port" Mercury replied very calm like her father, she was focusing on her carrot cake, the casual tone in their tone, quickly made sense for Lumi, his eyes had lit up.
"Weren't you supposed to be on a training camp?, yet you only left for 3 days... has the Blazing Rockets called to renovate your contract" Lumi knew there was something important going one, but he just could put things together, Mercury had been in a very sad mood, but she left almost glowing for the training camp.
"No, she did not go to see the rockets, or any team in the league, from where was the tag in her luggage Lumi?" Inpel seemed to have figure it out.
"Beta Prime, but there is no team in Beta Prime" Lumi's voice died as he spoke, suddenly realizing what it meant.
"You are correct on that little Lumi, there was no team on Beta Prime, but I have told by a very reliable source, that the MPC Committee will announce next week, that the 16th team for season 71 will be based on Beta Prime" Mercury explained as she gave the cake another bite.
"And just who would happen to be that source?"- Inpel asked, he knew Mercury was being dramatic about it, and he was going to play along.
"The CEO and the Coach for this new team" She smiled grinning, now everyone in the room was waiting for her to continue, she however kept her attention on her cake.
"Come on Mer, cut the crap, how and why do you know this stuff, and who is the coach for this new team?- Lumi was about to pounce on his sister.
"Watch it" That was all their mother said to Lumi, it was the one and only warning.
"Last week I receive a call, they told me a team form the pro circuit was interest in me as a pilot, and wanted to asses my skills, they asked me if I was interested in the chance, I said yes. An hour later I had a round ticket for Beta Prime, and a mail with all the details " Everyone in the house was dead silent, her father had muted the com.
"How many pilots were there for the tryouts?" Lumi asked eager to know, Mercury smiled at her younger brother, he was an avid fan of MAC racing.
"It was just me" Their father almost choked on his drink, as he heard this "They wanted to assess only me"
"That is incredible Mer, only the best pilots get offered an opportunity like that" Inpel was standing now, looking flabbergasted.
"I arrived in the afternoon to Beta Prime, and was taken from orbit to a nice hotel, near Ruan Cit. I was filled with nervousness, so I stayed the night in the hotel, trying to psych up for the test" Both her brothers and her father were nodding at her words, her mother hands were made a knot "I arrived at a private track next morning, at the outskirts of the city. There I was introduced to whom would assess me, I was a mass of nerves by then, and then my knees just melted, as Vander Meir introduced to me as the one conducting the test"
"WHAT?" Lumi jumped from the couch.
"You met Cold Silver?" Inpel was ecstatic.
"Calm down, calm down, let her finish" Their father stopped them, even though he was the biggest fan of Vander Meir in the house by far, but wanted to hear the rest.
"We went to track, it was half the length of and official track, but it was a mean course. He told me I had 2 laps for recognition, and then I would have 4 laps to race to the best of my ability. I am certain the MAC I was given to drive was new for it was only painted with primer "She stopped for a moment there"
"How did it go?, did you impress Cold Silver" Lumi was beaming.
"I went as fast as I could, but I kind of sucked" Everyone went quiet again "Mr. Meir told me to wait inside the MAC, I sat there thinking what else I could have done, rethinking everything I tried on the last season to improve but was just not sure, I felt angry and sad, but the track was hard. When Mr. Meir arrived, he asked me how have I felt, I explained it to him, and he said he would give me 3 more laps, and some of advice if I wanted it" Her father and brothers expressions were incredible, his younger brother had always been proud of her, but now, he looked at her as if she was one of the heroes of the animes he watched when he was a kid.
"He said, I was trying to force a change in my driving style, and that it was crippling me, he told me to as I used to during the first season in the league"
"But you did better last season" Inpel interrupted her this time.
"I taught the same thing, and he knew that, but he explained for all I have seen an opportunity to improve in the way a drive, I had not done the adjustments properly, and so he proposed, I would do the first lap, with my current style, the second with my 'natural' style, and that I could do the third whoever I liked"
"How did it feel?" Her father asked Mercury, he was the only one whom she sometimes talked about her ideas on driving, her brothers always shared theirs, but her father listened and replied only when she asked, she had always respect her.
"I tryed really hard the first one, and I felt I have done better than on my first try. The second lap was, cathartic, I had numbed my original instincts in order to change my driving style, and letting them take over made me feel more focused and confident, but I was not sure of how fast I have done the lap. For the third lap, I tried to make a mix of both styles, tried to use the gimmicks I forced myself, and remain as natural as I could. Once I was over, I turned of the MAC, and went inside an office, where Mr. Meir was waiting for me"
"Which one was the fastest?" Lumi needed to know.
"Was it fast enough" Inpel asked, more cautious then his brother, whom quickly calmed down.
"The second one" Her mother replied, making everyone look at her, Mercury was dumbstruck by her comment "You change when you drive Mer, you become full of focus and determination, and I felt like you had lost that last season" A tear fell from Mercury's cheek.
"You are right mom, the second one was the fastest" She calmed for a second before continuing "I asked if it had been fast enough as well, but Mr. Meir told me they already believed I had the skills required to be in the circuit, they wanted to see my performance firsthand, and how would I take on their" Her father had stood up as well, he was about to jump and hug her.
"Does that mean, you are going to be racing on the MAC Pro Circuit?" Lumi cut in before their father pounced on Mercury.
"Yes, I have been accepted in a team for the MPC" everyone in the house jumped on her.