Zona Lobos encircled the Vida Escondida. When Tasìa entered the stunt track from the turnpike on the far northwest side of the city's territorial bounds, the Alfa Romeo HybrClydis she drove caught the interest of the nearby mag-racers running along the track's inner rail treads.
One of the vehicular mag-racers loosened itself from the tread that powered it. Once the mag-spheres that it lowered down to the track spread-out firmly in place, it pulled up along side her as she drove into the straight away where high arching ramps bound the track's outer parameter.
The HybrClydis' display console flickered as the mag-racer pinged through the sport car's electronics in search for a means to communicate with her.
When its scan finally concluded, a high pitched but pneumatic sounding voice vibrated against her spine in a pelting tingle. It sounded through a remote intercom embedded in the HybrClydis' matted carapace that sat directly behind her seat.
The device was normally only used during operationally compromised circumstances to communicate a diagnostic relay. The AI overrode its software to speak to her.
"Challenge," it asked, demandingly.
Tasìa pushed the response receiver down with her right-handed pinky.
"Accepted. What's the bid?"
The AI informed her:
"Your voice is recognized. Your account is still active."
Tasìa laughed. Incarceration and active bounties were mere blips in a player's profile as far as the Vida Escondida Autonomous Authority was concerned.
She had the resources, and she had proven her worth on the track many times before. That was all that mattered.
"Are you racing at Tier One," The mag-racer's AI asked.
Damn. I wanted the first go around to be a friendly affair.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
She glanced at the AI controlled vehicle beside her. It shifted closer to her, floating in a tight hover a few inches above its set of three mag-spheres.
Two of the mag-spheres were located in the back by the engine, and only one in the front beneath the wingéd steers that now set folded-in like a F-14 Tomcat in hunter mode.
#77 Zoro Azul was written in big neon pink lettering on its sides.
From inside it's cockpit a metallic skull glanced in her direction. Its boney left hand digits waved back in a fan-like spread at her.
With a chrome helmet that formed seamlessly along its cranium and a polished, gun metal gray rigor mortis grin, the skellabot was quite the imposing sight.
Indeed, the skellabot served as the eyes, ears, hands, legs - the full physical embodiment - of the AI that controlled the mag-racer.
She flipped the speaker on once more.
"I have never driven at Tier One before."
Though she was in possession of well-above standard reflexes, Tasìa wasn't a Tier One driver by any means.
With an airy hint of a taunt in its vocalization, the skellabot chided her:
"You are driving an Alfa Romeo HybrClydis. Given your high performance record at Tier Two track conditions, all while you drove inferior vehicles, it seems only fair to up the challenge."
A Tier One challenge was a minimum twenty-five thousand USD buy-in. That was a healthy chunk of her wealth if she lost. Of late, Tasìa had been making many high-end purchases of breach equipment in preparation for what was to come.
Not to mention, one of her accounts had been recently and mysteriously drained. She could shrug that off as the cost of doing business in the Black and Gray but all of her most recent work had been charitable do-gooder bullshit with income inflows coming from opponents she looted but not from much else.
She gritted her teeth.
Right off the bat even before she had the chance to make her presence known, Vida Escondida was coming at her fast.
The skellabot was growing impatient with her silent calculations.
Though It's voice morphed slowly into a low and smooth tone.
"Have you changed your mind? As a dearly valued member of our Club I would hate for you to lose out on this opportunity for a truly unique experience. At Tiers Two and Three the track is a mere facsimile with guard rails compared to the challenging design presented at Tier One. Those who are ultimately victorious over its formidable course become nothing short of legend."
Tasìa chuckled to herself. And those who don't conquer the Zona Lobos often become very much dead.
She had little choice but to go through with it.
Her up-coming scheme though made the race, and successfully completing the course, necessary for the sake of gaining back the impeccable reputation and infamy she had possessed amongst her peers in the Vida Escondida before Green-Eyed Elise made a fool out of her.
She asked the skellabot.
"Buy-in still 25K?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Hit my account. Let's do it."