CHAPTER 17 – FALLING INTO A TRAP

Johnny entered the other side of the portal with Julia and her elite guard. They were all taken aback by the theme of the void. What they encountered completely threw Julia for a loop. She had expected an abyssal landscape that was dark as night. Complete with toxic inky filled lakes and air that would kill anyone from taking one breath. Instead, the void portal was now a racing arena that went wild.

It was completely dark on the landscape but was illuminated by a giant moon. One part of the track got everyone’s attention. Standing up into the sky was a giant mountain. Elsewhere they looked in awe at what Johnny thought was a stunt track. It had loops, pit falls, ramps, and all other sorts of oddities.

Guessing I can race in the virtual world I was supposed to go to now. Johnny thought to himself amusingly.

His thoughts were soon disrupted by Julia who was now getting over the shock from what she had just seen. “What the heck is this place?” She asked Johnny with a shaky tone in her voice.

“This happens to be like the virtual world I was supposed to test drive the prototype in.” He told her with a bit of enjoyment in his voice.

Johnny hit the accelerator without warning as he gunned it to the starting area. Julia and the others yelped in surprise. As they approached the main area. Johnny got a better look of grandstands all over the track. He noticed a lot of buildings for tuning up cars as he went. As he drove by, he noticed a few things were different from what Banzai Bangers had set up. One thing he noticed was that instead of having the Banzai Bangers logo. It had been replaced with The Loathing Ones symbol. Johnny passed a sign that had info of the event that read.

First place gets the void core in the death derby 500. Second place and under is instance death. Only guys named Johnny can race. No copilots or any additional assistance from groups. The race has no rules except win. Sighed The Loathing One.

Julia saw the sign and had a concerned look on her face. “Well hope you know what you are doing. It seems The Loathing One is toying with us.” She sighed with a grunt.

Well, this takes things to a whole new level. Johnny thought to himself as he began to sweat from the fear and excitement of it all.

Johnny pulled the Humvee up to the check in for the event. As he did so a rift eater in humanoid form appeared inside the building. It walked out of the building a had Johnny stop the vehicle. Julia’s elites drew their weapons on the beast. As they did it spoke. “Relax, would you. I’m not going to turn you into rift eaters.” it sighed in a raspy frustrated voice.

He continued to talk as the elites lowered their weapons but kept up their guard. “Only the driver is allowed in the event. You miss and your guards are going to have to wait here.” It finished. Before they could protest, it snapped its fingers. Julia and her guard were suddenly swallowed up by the void and dumped into the check in building. Johnny watched in shock as he saw them get consumed by the void and reappear. The rift eater turned back to Johnny. “I’ll be back in a sec after I talk to them.” The beast disappeared.

It reappeared next to Julia and her elites. The humanoid rift eater appeared in front of Julia and then spoke. “You can get your stuff at the end of the event when Johnny wins.” The creature said with a grinning smile. “For now, make yourselves comfortable and enjoy the show. Any attempts on trying to leave or help Johnny will be sudden death for all.” he added before disappearing and reappearing next to Johnny.

The beast approached Johnny. “You will be racing against ninety-nine clone versions of yourself.” It told Jonny with a grin. Johnny was about to speak how that would even be possible. The beast cut Johnny off with his hand and pointed over to the starting grid, out of thin air ninety-nine different versions of Johnny appeared. The different clones were from different events Johnny knew very well and some little of. The cars were of all makes and models throughout Johnny’s twenty-year career in racing. There were monster trucks, dragsters, even an old beat-up banger Johnny recognized as his first car he ever raced in.

The humanoid rift eater gave Johnny info on how the race would go. The race was split up into four quarters. Each quarter was one hundred and twenty-five miles. At each quarter the drivers would be allowed to adjust their vehicles for a certain amount of time. The race would then continue with the remaining number of vehicles. The rift eater would inform the drivers at each checkpoint what to expect for that quarter of the race.

This is just like the time I drove in that one off event. The Death Derby: Euro Endro. Johnny recalled the event. The race was a death derby where drivers could pull any and every dirty trick imaginable. Cars were equipped with weapons and armor. This event was one of the first races he started his career in. He didn’t have the money for good equipment. He just had to avoid getting blown to smithereens. All he had for weapons were loosely packed guns he had to shoot out the window with.

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Johnny ended up finishing third in the event. A mechanical problem near the start of the race caused him to fall behind. He had to make the repairs at the next checkpoint.

The only reason was that he was able to finish third was most of the competition had either been blown up or retired out of the race.

The event had a falling out afterwards being an unsanctioned underground race going through countries that the governments didn't know about. The race was a total disaster as villages and areas along the route were left in ruins. Most of the racers in the end were given fines or jail time depending on the severity of what they did. Johnny was one of those drivers to get away unnoticed in the end. He was wanted by Interpol for participating in the event. His charges were dropped years later after they hadn't noticed at the time that he had participated. The event still haunts Johnny to this day, knowing he was once a wanted criminal.

After giving Johnny the info for the race. The beast let Johnny know the first leg of the race would be an off road and terrain challenge. Johnny then was told he had thirty minutes to prepare for The Death Derby 500. He could use anything he wanted for this endurance race. He was told. It came at a cost though. He would have a certain amount of essence from the core to use once it hit zero. The prototype would be useless.

Johnny took note of all the other vehicles and came up with the best idea he could. Johnny was thrilled but also terrified at the same time as he quickly adjusted the prototype.

Johnny quickly got to work on the prototype’s computer dash. He input commands for the prototype to shift before his very eyes. Johnny chose to keep the prototype’s chassis as the Humvee. He adjusted accordingly with reinforced armor and all terrain tires. He made the plutonium core function as a 1,600 bhp Hennesey twin turbo V8 for the engine. Although he had a powerful engine, he decided to go with a four-speed manual transmission with quick bursts of speed.

Johnny then added an assortment of weapons to the car next. Flame throwers, missile launchers, oil slick, and a bunch of other nifty traps. He finished the prototype with a paint job that was gold and silver with the radiant alliance symbol on the doors and hood. He input the finishing details as the prototype glowed dark purple in color as the changes were made. He marveled at the finished look of the prototype as two warning messages caught him off guard on the computer. The first was letting him know he was down to 80% essence after adding all the changes. The second alerted him that time was up for making his modifications.

Johnny jumped at the message as he looked up from the computer screen to see the rift eater standing in front of him. At least I got everything I needed done. Johnny sighed with relief. The beast then put a device on Johnny’s car. It glowed with a low black color. Johnny was about to ask what was up with the device. The beast cut Johnny off once more, annoying him. “If you attempt to free this device, let me know, and the results won’t be pretty.” The beast finished showing him an image of Julia and her elites in the check in building. “Also, if you attempt to escape the building will be blown to smithereens along with this junk.” He said as he pointed to the prototype.

Can this get any more brutal? I should have Albert check in with them for me. Johnny thought with a sigh.

Johnny reached out to Albert to keep an eye on Julia and the others. He didn’t trust the humanoid rift eater with them. Albert responded but was soon cut off from his mind. The humanoid rift eater appeared in front of Johnny once more. “I am sorry, but rules are rules, no outside interference unless you wish for death.” He responded.

“I have also temporarily disabled your retainer from helping you or the others.” The beast finished with a grin.

His name is Albert, and he isn’t a retainer, he is an AI. Johnny thought with ever more frustration and more determination to win.

Johnny then turned his attention to the other clones of himself out on the race track preparing. Some of them were cursing and swearing for not finishing in time. “Why are they acting like that.” Johnny asked as he looked at the humanoid rift eater.

“Well, the clones of you are from past event entries of yourself of races you have been in.” Replied the rift eater with a shrug.

“The Loathing One wants to play. He is also in a good mood, so he says you can pick your starting spot.” It continued.

The starting grid was in five rows of twenty columns deep. Johnny knew to not start near one car he spotted on the grid on the list as he looked it over.

“I’ll take the outside of the first row.” Johnny said with a concerned look.

With all the preparations for the race ready. Johnny drove his car up the starting grid, he parked his car in the front row in the middle looking up at the starting lights. The other racers soon joined him with one clone eyeing him for no reason in tge front row. The clone gave him a bad feeling when a noise caught his attention. The grandstands Johnny had seen coming in were empty, let out a ghostly cheer. No one was in the stands, but Johnny could hear people cheering as the event was about to start.

Johnny waited nervously for the lights to turn green to go. They started at red as he revved his engine. When the lights turned to yellow, Johnny heard a loud bang only to see an explosion in the rearview from behind him as the race lights turned green…