[Rio de Janeiro, Brazil] [Autódromo José Carlos Pace]

{Electric engine classic zipping noise followed by a stubborn gas-powered roar behind every silent electric car}

What is the purpose of these guys even competing at this point?! Why am I the only driver controlling this machine, and why is no one rooting for me? I told myself this multiple times before realizing my passion for gas-powered engines was late to the party.

I was born too late in time, born in a land where people praise and hail electric vehicles and where it seems like I'm one lost soul still impressed at the incredible engineering of a gas-powered engine. It's a fantastic piece of equipment I've spent my whole life trying to perfect, but I've made it quieter and more efficient, which got me to like them.

I like the vibrations of an engine roaring every time I step on the gas, and even though my cars lack any self-driving modes, I enjoy driving them more than the boring electric alternatives. There's no skill required to drive a full self-driving race car, while mine does require skill. Why is anyone even watching, then?

I'm racing through this same circuit like I've done a thousand times before, but I'm still left in the dust by the efficiency and consistency of perfectly executed lines. Why are there any people inside the other machines? To give the illusion of competition? I told myself as I remembered the words of the man who told me not to win.

{Unfazed - ARXMANE}

I remembered his warning, but even so, I couldn't stand back from my best-performing engine so far. I wanted to push the pedal to the bottom, not halfway after the turns. There were only five laps left, and the lead was far ahead. Yet, if I opened the valve, I could use the boost.

Screw it; this would be my last chance to run a gas-powered car anyway, possibly even my last ever driving an F1 car, so what was at stake? I told myself as I opened the track map before me. It would be a rule break, but why not show these nerd kids why gas was superior all those years ago?

Around one of the last turns, I chose to show the world the true power of a gas engine by opening the valve at full throttle, launching the engine to a jaw-dropping 25,000 RPM, immediately launching me forward past five other drivers who can't believe what they see.

But I wasn't done yet, as the engine kept revving higher as I let more gas and compressed air through. The main problems with my previous engines were the limit of my engine parts and how much pressure and weight things like the pistons could handle. I solved that problem with a loan that allowed me to finally use the wonder material IMA-97.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

With this new material, the capacity was solved, leaving me with another problem, mainly flame propagation. I could now rev my engine past 20,000 RPM but was limited by the fuel as it did not burn fast enough until I began to dig into the science of fuels. So, I developed my own fuel, which burns twice as fast as the previous king.

The problem with the new fuel is that I could explode at any time, but that was a risk I was willing to take to show the world how fantastic gas engines were. Soon, my team leader began to scream in my ear about my misconduct, saying that I should slow down as per my contract.

"You're dead, KIM! Slow down! You can't pass anyone else! YOU HEAR ME!?" Naturally, I turned my communication systems off and took total control of my car as I pushed the gas all the way, pushing the needle even higher and creating excitement on the benches for the first time in ages.

[26,000 RPM]

"What's that? Driver number 99 has begun to overtake an impressive amount of drivers, rising from last place into the fiftieth spot and quickly catching up!"

"We have never seen anything like it from Kim D Giorno, who has never finished any races on any spot other than last."

[27,000 RPM]

"I know! I thought the last stubborn gas driver would be destined to finish his career in the last, but he's putting up a genuine fight as he climbs up the ranks smoking electric powerhouse drivers from one of the favorite brands, including driver number 3 from TESLA! How is that even possible!?"

The announcers were going crazy, and the crowds watching began to feel that lost excitement lost to the boringness of electric quiet engines being dusted by my roaring I6 engine pushing the RPM limiter to its absolute limits. I was catching up at the end of every corner, accelerating far faster than the others until I reached the top 5 with only 2 laps left.

[28,000 RPM]

I was already pushing the engine to its theoretical safe limit, but I only had a short time before everything would be over. Hence, I manually moved the hidden button, allowing me to push it further past the red line of my calculations. I could die by doing so, but I wanted to send a message.

[29,000]

The entire chassis felt heavier, and the steering got more challenging, but I was catching up with the big dogs extremely fast. My engine pressure gauge was about to reach its theoretical limit, too, but I kept pushing forward until I went past the red line to the unknown land of chaos.

[30,000 RPM Theoretical limit] [5,000 HP]

In less than a quarter of a mile, my car was already reaching top speeds of 330 MPH. Enough to dethrone the leading Tesla driver number 1 from the top just before the finish line, making the crowds cheer for once in their lifetime as I brought excitement back into the sport, yet I knew I would be reprimanded.

"AND KIM TAKES THE WIN!" "Passing the number one driver from Tesla! I'm sure Karlos Mcrone has a couple of things to say to this apparent nobody who just took a victory from his exceptional win streak record!"

"I know! Crazy to say, but the Mcrone one hundred-win record has been broken by none other than Kim D. Giorno, the stubborn gas jockey!"