Red Nova
Chapter Nine

All the Sky is One

The largest crowd in the history of sports cheered throughout the all-seater stadium: Stade Al Boussadin. It hovered high above Marrakech, among the clouds. Rifting had become the most thrilling sport in the galaxy, but humans adored it more than any other species. Fortunately for Moroccans, the UEC decided to keep the heavenly stadium in Marrakech.

Stade Al Boussadin, a floating citadel sometimes called Olympus, was built in the form of a stadium. UEC and IGF shuttles landed at the entrance on outer platforms to allow citizens from all over Earth and other planets to gather. The stadium was twenty miles long with a total of four colossal towers, which symbolized the four known races. And each of the giant towers housed a rifting team.

The parents and friends of the rifting teams sat on top of the towers while all other fans remained on the seats nestled in the walls. Each seat had its own built-in vidlink, so the person sitting down could always see where the contestants were and what they were doing. The race track’s course was simply the sky itself. After all, a rift board was land for a rifter.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” announced President Weldner over the loud speaker, “welcome to the ninetieth tournament of rifting in our beloved stadium: Stade Al Boussadin! This year’s championship is being funded by Vignia Corporation’s Vortex—a virtual RPG that takes us on the ride of our lives. Start your journey through an epic dimension today!” He looked at Vreffith, who sat next to him, and asked, “Any words for the crowd?”

“Thank you, Richard,” said Vreffith, standing up. “Today is a very special day because I not only get to witness this amazing tournament, but as CEO of Vignia Corporation I’m also able to witness Vortex’s potential: its new engine, which has the capacity to generate multiple virtual dimensions; thus, utilizing a subspace time continuum for the rifting tournament. This means we will also be on an amazing voyage as we follow the journey of our beloved rifters because while we’re here as spectators we’ll be hurled into a blend of generated dimensions on Earth. Whether they are real, no one really knows. But, virtually speaking, this will truly be a journey through space and time.”

“Yes,” said President Weldner, “we’re all quite excited, Mr. Larser. Thank you again for allowing this to be possible. And now it’s time to introduce our glorious contestants. The first is a team of wit and will from the florescent water world we have come to know as Fe’lora: Mind Over Matter!”

The crowd clapped for the fe’lorian team who wore aureolin-colored sportswear. The team came out of their flower-decorated tower and rifted over to the entrance of the stadium where a rainbow-colored archway hung in midair. President Weldner stood near the archway, greeting the team.

President Weldner continued, “Here comes the grueling team of Yak-Shur: the Raging Claws!”

Only the vel’pheasians roared for their brethren who came out of their obsidian-colored tower. Using longboards, which were custom-built for such oversized brutes, they hissed at the humans, calisians, and fe’lorians. They then roared at the audience of vel’pheasians with their snouts up high, slamming their fists against their chests.

“For the Yak-Shur!” bellowed Rrahza, one of the vel’pheasian rifters.

President Weldner couldn’t help but twitch his eyebrows while the vel’pheasians made their way to the starting point.

In the meantime, Nesha stood in her team’s tower with Driss Grober and her girlfriends. The four of them stared through the windowpane, looking at the crowd. An extreme sense of anxiety came over Nesha, making her feel queasy and excited. Nesha wasn’t used to seeing an immense crowd. In fact, she’d never thought about the crowd until now. All she had thought about was the tournament itself. When she saw the fe’lorian team rifting by, however, she felt more at ease. She also thought of her mother. Mom, she thought to herself, I’m nervous, but I’ll do my best. I know you’re watching me.

“Next is from Hassan Ali’s University of Enlightenment: Galaxy Girls!” exclaimed President Welder. “Oh, but wait, there’s a boy on their team…interesting. Give it up for the Galaxy Girls!”

Nesha Bisel, Hannah Fandel, Talia Yilfrah, and Driss Grober each came out while the crowd cheered. The Galaxy Girls waved at them, feeling like superstars. Hannah’s and Talia’s families stood there, cheering them on. Grober’s gang of boys were there too, rooting for him. Rick Assuraf—the Moroccan Hunk—waved and cheered at Nesha who spotted him using her UND and blushed, waving back at him. Although her family wasn’t present, it was all right to her because her mother was in her heart, and she had her two best friends by her side.

“This gear’s too tight,” said Grober.

“I thought it’d be perfect for you since you take it up the ass,” said Talia.

“Tch, just you wait,” said Grober, irked. “You’re all gonna be praising me at the end when I’m the last one rifting. I’ll be holding the galaxy cup while all of you kiss my ass.”

“In your dreams, Grober,” said Hannah.

The quartet wore black sportswear and glided toward the archway, where the other two teams waited for the tournament to begin.

“Last, but certainly not least,” began President Weldner, “are the brave calisians from Brimidia. They left their warm homeworld and ventured into our breezy but beautiful planet despite their sensitivity to cold: Incandescence! And, by Brimidia, what a noble name to honor their heritage.”

The audience applauded Incandescence when they rifted out of their tower. The rifters were mesmerized by the crowd, flying toward the stadium’s archway.

“And now,” went on President Weldner, “before the tournament begins, let us bring our attention to that which binds us together. Let us have a moment of mindfulness with the UEC’s most venerable sage: Master Bhadrapala.”

Master Bhadrapala, a monk dressed in an amber robe, rose from his seat with a smile and stood next to President Weldner. He bowed and then calmly walked over to a gong with Sanskrit symbols.

“The Noble Eightfold Path is as clear as the blue sky,” said Master Bhadrapala, striking the gong. He continued, “Rifting by a drifting cloud, we see a grain of the universe.” The monk struck the gong again. Upon a few seconds of silence, he added, “All the sky is one.” He struck the gong one last time.

“Thank you, Master Bhadrapala,” said President Weldner. “That was exceptional and very true. Today our fellow rifters shall embark on an unforgettable journey through Vortex’s track of planetary heights. And unlike past tournaments, we, too, shall be able to witness the virtual world created by Vortex’s interface technology. As usual, each team must work together to rift past every obstacle. You know the rules: a single fall results in a wipe, and the last rifter standing wins. Any ties will be settled by the score cards of our two judges—Larry Sandbur and Lisa Fitzgerald. And remember, the more stunts you’re able to perform, the greater your score will be. Good luck, and may the wind tide be with you all.”

Not a second later, Vortex activated. The race track turned into a virtual reality circuit while the stadium entered a dimensional subspace time continuum with an environment of an asteroid field. The traffic light changed from red to blue, at which point the rifters took off.

“And there they go,” said Larry Sandbur, speaking via the stadium’s intercom.

The crowd cheered while each team flew through space. The stadium vanished from the rifters’ perspectives since they could no longer see their audience, but that was simply a part of Vortex’s virtual illusion so the rifters could focus solely on the track. They were surrounded by endless asteroids soaring toward them.

Nesha had never seen anything quite like this before. She felt as if she were actually in space. Rifting through the universe was always one of her dreams in life. Whether this was real or not, she did not know, but the experience felt real enough to her.

“This is amazing,” said Nesha.

“Oh my gosh,” said Hannah. “We’re actually in space!”

“Stay together,” said Talia sternly.

“No shit,” said Grober, grimacing.

“I must say,” began Larry Sandbur, “the Raging Claws are maneuvering themselves quite well considering that they’re using those longboards.”

“Definitely,” replied Lisa Fitzgerald. “But their size is holding them back from going faster, Larry. Look at Incandescence; they are first place so far and are maneuvering just as efficiently.”

The Galaxy Girls were approaching the first checkpoint out of fourteen, barely avoiding the asteroids and meteorites soaring toward them. Nesha, Hannah, and Grober managed to dodge them. Talia, however, along with a fe’lorian from Mind Over Matter, had no choice but to fly beside an asteroid. Nesha noticed a vel’pheasian starship materialize into the track, flying behind Talia.

“Watch out!” yelled Nesha, pointing at the vessel. “It’s trying to flank you!”

“Don’t worry,” said Talia. “I see it.”

The spaceship, whose hull resembled a wasp hive, fired plasma torpedoes at them. Talia curved down and dodged the torpedoes while she rifted inside the nearby asteroid. Nesha rifted upward and performed a fade, also dodging the plasma torpedoes. The horned fe’lorian near them, however, got blasted. She shrieked and fell off her board. When she fell, her body disappeared as if warping through another dimension.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first wipe,” said Larry Sandbur.

“Things aren’t looking too good for Galaxy Girls either,” said Lisa Fitzgerald in an unimpressed tone. “They are completely separated, and with Talia Yilfrah inside an asteroid, she’ll be lucky to escape a wipe.”

“That’s true, Lisa,” said Larry, “but did you happen to catch a glimpse of Nesha Bisel? She used the wind tide to cast herself into an upward fade. Brilliant. Just brilliant. Look at her float away at ease.”

“Nesha Bisel has earned herself a point there,” said Lisa. “However, it may not matter in the long run. Incandescence seems to be in control.”

“I agree,” said Larry. “No fancy pull-offs or fades like Nesha Bisel, but their speed is astounding.”

Vreffith glared at the virtual console from his seat. “Nesha Bisel?” he said. “I’ve seen her surname before. This is very interesting. Mr. President, is that Admiral Bisel’s daughter?”

“Yes, that’s right,” said President Weldner. “Why do you ask?”

“I’ve heard so much about him,” said Vreffith, trying not to grumble. “His daughter seems to be very talented.”

President Weldner nodded with a smile, watching the tournament.

The calisian team reached Vortex’s second checkpoint, which was also the second out of five dimensional planes in the track. The field of asteroids gradually dissipated as Incandescence rifted toward a molten lava planet that resembled Brimidia. Upon entering its fiery atmosphere, another vel’pheasian starship materialized and flew toward the calisian team while activating its plasma cannons.

In the meantime, Nesha was still in the asteroid field. She had managed to escape the oncoming meteorites and regrouped with Grober and Hannah.

“Did we lose T already?” asked Hannah, glancing at Nesha.

Just then, Talia flew out from one of the asteroid’s many holes and joined her team. She smirked at her companions and then rifted ahead, taking the lead.

“I can hardly believe it,” said Lisa Fitzgerald. “Talia Yilfrah has escaped a wipe after all!”

Grober hovered beside Talia, gawking at her. “I thought we lost you,” he said.

“Don’t let your dick get so hard,” replied Talia, winking at him.

The Galaxy Girls continued to rift toward the second checkpoint, which was the lava-filled planet. Meanwhile, the vel’pheasian battleship that had originally antagonized them abruptly changed its course, flying after the fe’lorian team.

“Uh-oh,” said Lisa. “Things are beginning to look dismal for Mind Over Matter. They’re not only third place and short by one rifter, but a vel’pheasian starship is still in the asteroid field with them, and it’s gaining on them.”

“Folks,” began Larry, “if Mind Over Matter doesn’t get it together, then matter shall surely provoke mind and put an end to their whimsical name.”

“I doubt they will be provoked, Larry,” responded Lisa. “Remember, fe’lorians don’t have the same aspirations as we do. I imagine they’re simply playing for the sake of galactic relations.”

“An interesting analysis, Lisa,” said Larry, ticked off. “In any case, those vel’pheasian starships are definitely beginning to cause a setback for many of those rifters out there, even the Raging Claws who are on the verge of switching to first place if Incandescence doesn’t replace a way to get rid of that second ship.”

The vel’pheasian spacecraft continued to launch plasma torpedoes at Incandescence, yet each rifter managed to avoid them. Suddenly, an enormous splutter of magma spewed up in an arc and engulfed one of Incandescence’s team members. He screamed while an electric current pulsed around his body, teleporting him from the virtual race track back to his tower. The lava burst was so intense that the vel’pheasian vessel swerved away in order to avoid it. Meanwhile, the vel’pheasian rifters cackled, passing Incandescence.

“It’s as you said, Larry,” said Lisa, “the vels—pardon me, the Raging Claws are now first place. But they still have a zero score card. They had better hope to keep their pace.”

“Quite terrifying,” said Larry. “Never underestimate the dangers of an off-world, folks. Incandescence is now down to three rifters and is in second place. Galaxy Girls, though in third place, is surprisingly catching up to them.”

Lisa Fitzgerald anxiously stared at another screen as she said, “It seems this might be the end of Mind Over Matter, Larry.”

The first vel’pheasian spacecraft from the asteroid field was relentlessly attacking the remaining fe’lorians of Mind Over Matter with plasma torpedoes. The fe’lorians were blasted into oblivion, rematerializing in their tower. Then the vessel flew to the planet of lava.

In the meantime, Hannah shrieked while descending into the second dimension of Vortex’s rift track.

“No one ever said anything about rifting in Brimidia,” said Hannah, moping.

“Look!” shouted Grober who pointed skyward, spotting a vel’pheasian ship descending into the planet’s atmosphere. “It’s coming back for us!”

“Split up,” said Talia.

Grober and Talia flew to the left while Hannah and Nesha rifted toward the right. The vel’pheasian ship was forced to choose a direction. It drifted for a moment and then flew after Hannah.

“Oh my God!” cried out Hannah. “It’s chasing me!”

“Calm down,” said Nesha. “Just follow my lead.”

Together they flew down to a piece of landmass in the planet that was gradually being devoured by its own volcanic eruptions. The vel’pheasian battleship launched several plasma torpedoes at Hannah. She managed to dodge them; however, as she did so, lava spewed up and swallowed her. Vortex teleported Hannah out of the rifting tournament so fast she didn’t even have time to shriek.

“What a gruesome wipe for Hannah Fandel,” said Lisa Fitzgerald. “Galaxy Girls is down by one. As of now, the three remaining teams are almost tied.”

“Well, if your theory is right, Lisa,” began Larry Sandbur, “Mind Over Matter did their part: for the good of galactic relations. But if things keep going this way, the other teams will be joining them soon.”

“That’s right, Larry,” replied Lisa. “No one, under any circumstance, gets a galaxy cup unless they at least reach the fifth dimension.”

Nesha saw what had happened to Hannah and gasped, performing another fade. The vel’pheasian vessel, however, already adapted to the trick she’d used in the asteroid field and attacked her without mercy. The plasma torpedoes were practically no different than homing missiles because she only dodged them by mere inches while rifting through the tournament’s second dimensional plane of hellfire. Nesha knew it was only a matter of time before she’d get shot into oblivion.

“I won’t let this happen,” she said to herself. “I’m not going to wipe.”

She closed her eyes and recklessly dived down toward the lava that ceaselessly scorched the planet. The battleship hesitated at first, but it nevertheless followed her while launching yet another plasma torpedo. Just as the torpedo was about to blast her back, she rifted upward in a full cutback somersault until she hovered directly above the starship. She then performed a snap dive, smashing the substructure of her rift board against the vel’pheasian starship. The double propulsions of Nesha’s R91 burned a hole through the ship’s hull. The collision also caused the vessel to go off course. Seconds later, a burst of lava enveloped it.

“Go to hell,” said Nesha, rifting skyward.

“I can’t believe it,” said Lisa Fitzgerald. “One of the vel ships has been destroyed!”

The humans cheered Nesha on as she rifted back to Talia and Grober.

“Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen,” began Larry Sandbur, “a perfect snap dive by Nesha Bisel. Those were truly some of the most amazing rift maneuvers I have ever seen. And what an incredible manipulation of Vortex’s hazardous landscape. That’s two more points for Galaxy Girls. What a show!”

“I admit that I’m impressed by her rifting skills,” said Lisa. “Few rifters have the guts to perform sudden death, but no doubt possible for an R91.”

“Oh,” said Larry, taken aback by Lisa’s words, “well, the R91 is definitely a phenomenal upgrade from current models. Though we have to give her some credit; after all, no one has ever done that before.”

“But will her skill be enough to pull her team to first place?” posed Lisa. “Nesha Bisel appears to be quite talented in the sport of rifting; however, Galaxy Girls is still last place.”

“Always the critical observer, Lisa,” said Larry. “You’re correct. At this rate, the Raging Claws will soon be reaching Vortex’s third dimension.”

The lava-filled planet gradually changed as the vel’pheasian team rifted forward, entering a different dimensional plane. Vortex’s virtual engine created a tropical rainforest. And though it seemed less dangerous, Incandescence soon wished they were back in the asteroid field. The heavy rain was making it too slippery for them to keep their feet on their boards, and the dense forest wasn’t helping them. Many of the trees stood in angles. The rifters attempted to avoid them. One of the female rifters of Incandescence swerved between two trees only to slip off her board and smash against the electrical ground, vanishing into her tower.

“Another deadly wipe,” said Larry.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a failed crescent swipe,” said Lisa. “Perhaps the glorious Incandescence is losing its touch. They’re now down to two.”

“They’re still doing better than Galaxy Girls,” said Larry.

“The Galaxy Girls keep focusing on fancy stunts,” said Lisa. “And it’s not helping them because they’re losing in the long run. They have no concept of velocity, which is currently the most important objective at this stage in the tournament.”

“Indeed,” said Larry. “On the other hand, the Raging Claws seem to be following your philosophy of velocity because they’re first place. And all four of them are still together. Very impressive.”

“Not so impressive to me, Larry,” said Lisa. “Have you examined the track? It’s virtually identical to Yak-Shur. Surely they’re embracing this particular dimension of Vortex.”

“I guess you’re right, as usual, Lisa,” said Larry firmly.

The vel’pheasian rifters of the Raging Claws were grinning while rifting through the third dimension’s wilderness. The rain allowed their scute-scaled feet to grip their longboards tighter. Hissing proudly, they avoided every tree with ease.

“Finally,” began Lisa, “the Galaxy Girls are entering the tournament.”

Larry gave out a hefty laugh. “Yes,” he said. “They’re finally making their way past the fifth checkpoint.”

“What the hell?” said Grober in a grumbling tone while trying to avoid trees and thick branches. “This is completely unfair!”

“It’s called rifting,” retorted Talia.

Nesha kept quiet, focusing on the track. She swiftly angled herself on every shift and swerve while rifting through the dense forest.

“Oh shit!” said Grober, looking up.

“What now?” inquired Talia, scowling.

“Above us!” responded Grober. “It’s that other vel ship!”

“Well, it’s not stupid enough to fly down here because it’ll crash,” said Talia. “So don’t worry about it and just focus on not wiping.”

Ahead lay a dead end—a span of gargantuan mountains. Nesha and Talia noticed it in time and steered their rift boards upward; however, as Grober turned around from glimpsing at the vel’pheasian starship, he screamed and smashed through one of the virtual mountains. After colliding into the mountain, he ported to the human tower.

“Ouch,” said Larry. “Another painful wipe for the Galaxy Girls. And whoa, what’s this? The computer’s showing that it was Driss Grober, a boy.”

“He wasn’t as lucky as he thought he’d be being in a girls’ team,” said Lisa, chortling.

Larry joined in her laughter. “I suppose not,” he said. “Well, may the wind tide be with Nesha Bisel and Talia Yilfrah.”

When Grober reappeared, he noticed Hannah laughing hysterically at him. He got to his feet, groaning after the sudden surge of Vortex pulling him out of the rifting tournament. Barely standing, he glowered at Hannah.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“You’re such an idiot,” said Hannah, still laughing. “I can’t believe you smashed into those rocks. Only you, Grober. Only you.”

“It was a mountain,” said Grober.

Hannah didn’t care, she continued to laugh so hard that she teared.

In the meantime, Nesha and Talia were rifting high above the mountain.

“Nesha!” yelled Talia. “That vel ship is gonna wipe us if we don’t replace a way back into the forest!”

“I have an idea,” said Nesha, looking below at the mountain’s summit. “Snap dive beside me when we clear the peak. It should be enough momentum to break through those branches.”

“Okay,” replied Talia, swerving away from a plasma torpedo.

The vel’pheasian ship was gaining on them as they rifted above the mountain’s summit. It continued to launch plasma torpedoes, but Nesha and Talia performed high fades and dodged them. After failing to attack Talia, the ship flew closer toward Nesha in an attempt to hit her with its hull.

“Now!” exclaimed Nesha.

Talia followed Nesha and dived downward faster than she had ever gone in her life. Together they plummeted themselves back into the tropical rainforest while their rift boards broke through countless branches.

“Amazing teamwork by the Galaxy Girls,” said Larry. “Nesha Bisel and Talia Yilfrah simultaneously performed sudden death after a curving plummet, sending themselves straight back into the forest. Brilliant!”

Lisa nodded. “I have to admit, their maneuvers really were impressive. They are the only rifters in the tournament who’ve decided to return to the forest.”

“There’s always a choice, and they chose the lesser danger,” said Larry.

“I don’t know if it’s the lesser danger,” said Lisa, “but it was definitely a smart move considering that the vel’pheasian ship was on their backs.”

“Right,” said Larry. “And now it’s probably going to end up attacking Incandescence since they’re still rifting above the forest.”

“And there they thought they had it easier,” said Lisa, smirking.

The vel’pheasian starship approached the calisian team and fired torpedoes at them. The team managed to avoid the sphere-shaped plasma torpedoes; however, the vessel decided to do something different—it used a fusion beam. The amber-tinged ray projected horizontally and struck one of the two rifters, eliminating her from the tournament.

“What a devastating blow for Incandescence,” said Larry.

Lisa shook her head. “I was just beginning to become fond of Shala Bella,” she said. “It’s only a matter of time before the noble calisians are eliminated from the tournament.”

“Sendis Nayama still has a chance to prove us wrong, Lisa,” said Larry. “Though, I do have a feeling that the vel’pheasians are going to snatch the galaxy cup.”

As soon as Sendis Nayama saw what had happened to Shala Bella, he performed a snap dive and joined the Galaxy Girls in the forest. He almost slipped off his rift board in the process of his maneuver but managed to balance himself.

“I can’t believe it,” said Larry in disbelief. “Galaxy Girls and Incandescence are tied. Nesha Bisel and Talia Yilfrah have actually caught up despite the deadly forest they’ve been rifting through.”

Lisa sulked under her breath. “What really matters now is the Raging Claws. So far they have been completely untouchable. And look, they’re entering the fourth dimensional plane.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. You’re right,” said Larry. “They somehow managed to rift beyond the rainforest and are now heading toward Vignia Corporation’s manufacturing facility. But get ready, folks, because this is when things will start getting shaky for them. I guarantee it.”

Sendis Nayama, meanwhile, rifted beside Nesha and Talia.

“Say, you girls are pretty good,” said Sendis.

“You’re not bad yourself,” said Talia.

“Hey,” said Nesha, “maybe we can work together?”

“Together?” said Sendis, raising his eyebrows. He shook his head and performed an angled windwheel to avoid a large cluster of trees while he added, “I’m afraid not.”

“The rules don’t permit it, Nesha,” said Talia.

“Darn,” said Nesha. “I’m sorry, Sendis.”

“It’s all right,” he said, shrugging. “But thank you. I truly wish you both the best.”

He swerved away before any of the spectators would become suspicious of them working together and kept to himself.

“He seems like a nice guy,” said Nesha.

“Maybe you should bring him home,” said Talia, winking.

Nesha chuckled softly. “You’re too much,” she said.

The duo reached the eighth checkpoint, rifting to the end of the tropical rainforest. When they reached a clearing, the dimensional plane transformed, and they found themselves in a water world remarkably similar to planet Fe’lora—the fe’lorian homeworld. Just a couple of feet below Nesha and Talia lay a florescent ocean. Boundless flowers floated between the ebb and flow of the waves. Blue crystallized trees were also there, jutting from the ocean.

This was the kind of planet Nesha had been hoping to visit. It seemed so real to her. She stared at the ocean’s trees in awe.

“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,” said Nesha.

Talia agreed. “This must be a reflection of Fe’lora,” she said.

“Really?” said Nesha. “Well, I think Fe’lora is going to be the first planet I travel to after we graduate.”

Not a moment later, their UNDs vibrated. They looked at their vidlink and noticed their screens displaying a map of the virtual rift track, which signaled them to rift down to where the sparkling water forest grew.

“Seems like we need to rift over to that island,” said Talia, pointing down.

“All right,” said Nesha. “Let’s go.”

They whizzed between the crystallized trees in the ocean and made their way to the water planet’s island. Upon approaching, they realized it was an island owned by Vignia Corporation on which stood a factory. Nesha stared at the factory’s wall and spotted a small hole.

“See that shutter-thingy?” said Nesha. “I think we can go through it.”

“I hope you’re right,” said Talia.

The opening that Nesha had spotted was narrow but big enough for them to go into. Upon entering the building, they found themselves in a tunnel with steam billowing around them. This alarmed Nesha and Talia, though it didn’t cause them any harm.

“What a clever maneuver by the Galaxy Girls,” said Larry Sandbur. “They found that secret passage in a cinch. It’s as if they knew exactly where to look.”

Lisa Fitzgerald shrugged. “They’re still last place,” she said.

In the meantime, Talia cautiously rifted through the dense steam. “It seems you were right,” she said.

“I really hope so,” said Nesha. “But one thing’s for sure: it’s better than waiting around for that crazy ship to shoot us.”

“Totally,” said Talia.

As the duo flew inside, they noticed five conveyer belts ahead, each with machines that were creating parts for computers and androids. When they turned at the tunnel’s corner, four compactors from the ceiling rapidly descended. The compactors were attempting to crush Nesha and Talia.

“Fuck!” cursed Talia, heading toward the first compactor.

Nesha quickly rifted upward and performed a somersault as the first compactor crushed Talia into digital pieces, sending her back to the human tower. A rush of anxiety abruptly took hold of Nesha when she saw Talia get wiped. Luckily, Nesha’s maneuver bought her enough time for the first compactor to lift back up. She rifted through the steam-filled passage, past the other three compactors as they consecutively slammed the concrete floor, missing her by mere inches.

“Such a shame,” said Larry Sandbur. “The Galaxy Girls are down to one, tied with Incandescence.”

“The one time they use speed, they get trashed for it,” said Lisa Fitzgerald.

“Well,” began Larry optimistically, “the Galaxy Girls still have hope: the talented Nesha Bisel.”

“Bisel?” replied Lisa, laughing. “I don’t know what you’ve been drinking, Larry, but her stunts won’t save her. It’s only a matter of time before she also gets wiped. Look at where she’s going.”

Nesha finally exited the tunnel. She entered the factory’s main manufacturing chamber, which had multiple defense turrets shooting laser beams at her. Sendis Nayama had just passed her, dodging all the lasers. Nesha tried to follow Sendis but slowed down when her UND’s map beeped, noticing that the remaining vel’pheasian ship was approaching.

“See,” said Lisa, smirking. “Only a matter of time.”

Larry glared at her for a moment. “It’s not over till the fat lady sings. And right now, I don’t see a fat lady anywhere.”

“Oh, I see plenty of them, Larry,” said Lisa. “And they’re praising the Raging Claws.”

“How rude,” mumbled Mrs. Rozilio, eating a huge burrito in her seat.

The vel’pheasian starship fired its fusion beam at Nesha and Sendis. Yet the starship was taking heavy damage and losing its force field what with the factory’s defense turrets accidently blasting it with lasers.

“Cutback into a windwheel and then snap dive in four,” spouted Nesha, glancing at Sendis.

He heard her but didn’t respond, counting in his mind.

“Now!” she yelled.

The duo curved upward into a windwheel and plunged their rift boards into the starship’s apex. The double collision damaged the vessel, causing its force field to shut down. Then it blew up via the laser turrets that had been attempting to fire at the rifters.

“From suspense to defense!” shouted Larry Sandbur. “Ladies and gentlemen, that was an amazing windwheel and snap dive by Nesha Bisel and Sendis Nayama. And by rifters peak, the vel’pheasian starship has been destroyed.”

“Two points for Galaxy Girls and Incandescence,” said Lisa Fitzgerald, “though, I replace it a bit suspicious that they did the same exact maneuvers and took out that vel ship together.”

“Coincidences do happen,” said Larry, grinning.

“I can’t believe it,” wheezed Sendis. “I thought we were done for.”

“Not yet,” said Nesha, trying to remain focused while she rifted with Sendis through the manufacturing chamber of Vignia Corporation’s factory.

The Galaxy Girls cheered, watching Nesha from their tower.

“It’s as I mentioned,” said Lisa. “The Raging Claws have reached the last checkpoint and are entering the fifth and final dimensional plane. Their swift speed has paid off because getting here first has given them nine points. Let’s give a shout out to the untouchables: Rrahza, Gortal, Norseis, and Hala’feth!”

Larry shook his head when she praised the vel’pheasian rifters.

“What’s this?” added Lisa in a surprised tone. “Oh, it’s Nesha Bisel and Sendis Nayama. I almost forgot that they are still in the tournament. They’re also making their way into the fifth dimensional plane, but it’s futile considering what awaits them.”

“Well, I always give the benefit of the doubt,” said Larry. “And I advise the vels not to underestimate Bisel or Nayama; they have both showed us great talent today.”

“They know how to perform fancy maneuvers,” said Lisa, “but they’re a bit too quaint for the might of the Raging Claws.” She then shouted, “For the Yak-Shur!”

“Interesting,” said Larry. “I’ve never met a human who loves the vels so much. But that’s beside the point. Right, folks? We’ll replace out soon enough who deserves the galaxy cup.”

Nesha and Sendis were rifting through another tunnel. The walls abruptly changed while they flew ahead. They eventually entered an enormous chamber and were finally able to see the audience. The stadium had transformed itself to function as an arena.

“Look,” said Sendis, pointing at the Raging Claws. “All four of them.”

“This doesn’t look good,” said Nesha. “Do you have a plan?”

“I wish we could keep working together, but we’ll be disqualified,” said Sendis. “I truly wish we were on the same team. Good luck.”

Nesha felt sad but nodded at Sendis who rifted away, gliding to where the calisian crowd sat. Turning around, Nesha noticed her own crowd of humans. Talia and Hannah were waving at her. She smiled, waving back at them. Seeing them made her feel better. She started to feel more confident.

“This is it,” she said to herself. “I can do it.”

“Such brave and talented contestants,” said President Weldner, clapping. “Let us give praise to all three surviving teams before the finale begins!”

The crowd went wild, cheering louder than ever.

“But, like all things, the tournament must come to an end; and only one team can leave with this,” said President Weldner sharply, showing everyone in the stadium the glittery galaxy cup.

It was made of gold and had diamonds embedded into it. The galaxy cup kept morphing. One moment it resembled the rifters of the Raging Claws; then the figures changed to the Galaxy Girls, Incandescence, and back to the Raging Claws. The galaxy cup continuously changed while the audience stared at it in awe.

“Which team will win this amazing cup?” posed President Weldner. “The answer awaits us in this final round: the rifting arena. Each rifter will be given an MP-98 rifle and must take down the other team in the midst of rifting.”

“Cool,” said Nesha.

“And don’t underestimate this simple-looking arena,” said Weldner. “Countless surprises await you. This final bout is eight minutes. If more than one team remains after that, we will go directly to the score cards. Otherwise, the last team standing wins the galaxy cup. Begin!”

The arena trembled violently with dust particles falling down as the rifters ported MP-98 rifles into their hands. The Raging Claws fired directly at Sendis. He barely dodged the bullets as he performed a crescent swipe. Nesha zoomed upward in an angle and fired her gun at Hala’feth who swerved aside on her rift board, hissing and cackling at Nesha.

Hala’feth was about to return fire when a virtually created syvinthasaurus flew down and sank its teeth into her, sending her to the vel’pheasian tower. Many of the audience gasped when they saw the beast descend from above. Its length and form resembled a tyrannosaurus, yet it had wings like a wyvern from human folklore. Its body was covered with a brown fleece, and its crimson viper-like eyes were as menacing as a vel’pheasian’s.

“My God,” said Nesha, slack-jawed.

“Do you see that, folks?” said Larry Sandbur. “It’s a syvinthasaurus! Vortex’s ability to create a vivid world is truly amazing.”

“Let me get this straight,” began Lisa Fitzgerald in an agitated tone, “not only do they have to challenge one another, but they have to also survive against a legendary creature from Yak-Shur?”

“Not legendary, Lisa,” replied Larry. “These things actually still exist on their planet. Apparently, from what I heard, they’re even tamable.”

“Hard to believe,” scowled Lisa.

Larry laughed. “And yes, the remaining rifters have to somehow replace a way to win while the syvinthasaurus attacks them.”

The Raging Claws were completely taken by surprise, desperately trying to avoid the syvinthasaurus from ravaging them with its teeth. Sendis ignored the creature, as did Nesha, firing at the vel’pheasian team. Nesha switched to the MP-98 rifle’s secondary firepower and launched a thermal charge at Gortal, blasting him into oblivion.

“Who would’ve guessed,” said Larry. “It seems the Raging Claws are now down to two. So much for them being the untouchables.”

Lisa grunted under her breath, keeping quiet.

Rrahza, the leader of the Raging Claws, managed to perform a cutback on his rift board and not only evaded Sendis’ magnum-pulse bullets but also the syvinthasaurus. The winged beast flew so fast that it smashed against the arena’s wall, just beneath the frightened calisian crowd. Norseis fired a thermal charge at the creature. Though it roared in pain it continued to pursue the rifters. Sendis also fired a thermal charge and managed to send the syvinthasaurus down. It screeched and whimpered while it fell into the arena’s abyss.

“The syvinthasaurus has been neutralized!” exclaimed Larry. “Incredible! That’s three points for Incandescence.”

“Whew,” uttered Sendis, relieved.

Sendis heard the calisian crowd cheering him on as he rifted over to Nesha who gave him a thumbs up. Just as he smiled and got excited, Rrahza’s thermal charge blasted him. The impact sent him flying into Nesha, causing her to lose balance and fall off her board.

“And the fat lady sings,” said Lisa haughtily.

Nesha watched Sendis gradually dissolve while she fell into the arena’s abyss. She was on the verge of crying, wondering how she could let this happen. She’d practiced so hard, and now it seemed she did it for nothing. Continuing to fall, Nesha spotted Sendis’ rift board falling beside her. Upon seeing his R88, she reached out for the board and caught its side. She dangled along its aft, trying to climb aboard while it continued to glide down into the abyss. She finally lifted onto the board and flew it up.

“What a lousy wipe from the rifting prodigy, Nesha Bisel,” said Larry.

“She was lucky to have made it this far,” said Lisa indifferently. “Rifting is a challenging sport.”

“Well,” began Larry, “if it were up to me, I’d say they were tied. Let’s look at the score cards, shall we?”

Lisa laughed. “Only one team survived the final track,” she said.

The vel’pheasian crowd roared with delight, slamming their fists against their chests and lifting their snouts high. The other races in the stadium booed. Rrahza and Norseis rifted around the arena while they snorted and cackled; then the impossible occurred: Norseis got blasted by a thermal charge.

“What’s this?” said Larry, his eyes widening. “I can’t believe it! Nesha Bisel has gotten a hold of Sendis Nayama’s R88 before she could wipe into the virtual abyss!”

“That’s impossible,” said Lisa, staring at Nesha on her screen in utter disbelief.

“Ladies and Gentleman, the game continues!” shouted Larry jubilantly.

Rrahza grumbled with a hiss as he performed a crescent swipe, avoiding Nesha’s bullets. He returned fire, rifting over to her. Upon his thermal charge being energized, he launched it at Nesha who maneuvered into a cutback somersault, dodging it. She rifted behind him with ease after the cutback, performing a snap dive toward him. Doing so allowed her to hover the R88’s bottom propulsion into his reptilian face, burning him and making him lose his balance.

“Sorry, but the cup is mine,” she said smugly. Watching him fall off his longboard, she fired MP-98 bullets into him. His body jolted as the bullets pierced him. Nesha then launched another thermal charge while she performed a windwheel. “Game over,” she added, watching him explode into thousands of digital particles before he could even wipe.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new winner!” exclaimed Larry Sandbur. “Give it up for the amazing Galaxy Girls! What a dazzling performance by Nesha Bisel!”

The humans in the stadium praised Nesha as she rifted around the arena, her arms raised high. She smiled, feeling like a conqueror of the universe, and bowed at her audience.

“I did it, mom,” she said to herself, teary eyed.

Becoming the champion made Nesha believe in herself more than ever before, and it also made her realize anything’s possible in life as long as she’d never give up and always hold on to her dreams. Tears of joy rolled down her eyes. The crowd applauded her, including the mighty vel’pheasians. Vreffith clapped too; though, instead of smiling, he simply glared at Nesha with a menacing face.