Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles #3) - T.A. White Page 0,35

oh four. The first qual of that bracket is in an hour. Each bracket will allow those with the top three times to advance to the next bracket. I've assigned you bay two hundred. Your items should be there by the time you reach it."

Her spiel finished, the Haldeel smiled at Kira. "May the tides favor you."

Kira bowed. "And you as well."

Kira set out at a brisk pace, Finn trailing behind her, keeping one eye on the humans.

Kira wasn't as concerned. Zepher wasn't stupid nor were they particularly brave.

If they planned on getting back at Kira for the small slap in the face she'd given them, they'd do so when they thought they could get away with it. Until then, she was safe.

Stepping through the doors was like stepping into another world. Those on the other side bustled back and forth, the bays a frenetic swarm of energy as they raced to finish last-minute adjustments.

The smell of oil and sweat filled the space. It was as familiar as it was comforting.

"This brings back memories," she said softly, the high-pitched hum of tools mixing with the shouts of the individual bays' occupants.

"It was a lot smaller then," Jin agreed.

Kira's lips quirked as she set off to search for their bay.

"Who would have ever thought our little hobby would grow to be such an event?"

Not Kira. That was for sure.

"You've competed before?" Finn asked.

Kira hummed in ascent. "You could say that."

"The Curs started the races," Jin volunteered.

It all started with a bet to see who was the best. From there, it had grown. Of course, by then, most of the original founders were already dead.

Kira competed every once in a while to keep her skills fresh, but it had been a few years since then. She doubted anyone would remember her. It was why she had taken a chance and used her alias from during the war and after it.

Sadness pulled at her. There was more than one reason she stopped racing.

"You going to be all right?" Jin asked.

Kira walked with renewed purpose. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Jin made a sound that said he wasn't convinced, but he didn't pry.

"This is our bay," Jin said.

From the stands outside, they could hear the roar of the crowd over the rumble of the waveboards.

Their bay stood empty except for two pallets in the center of the room. Kira caught sight of basic mechanic tools and a workbench along the wall.

Most of the surrounding bays had their privacy screens up. The thin, electric field rendered anything on the other side invisible.

Jin barely waited for Kira and Finn to step inside before activating their own shield.

He zipped out from under her hood without waiting for permission.

"Someone's happy," Kira commented, watching him zoom around the room.

"Wouldn't you be if you were cooped up inside a tiny space for hours?" he asked.

Spotting the pallets, he zoomed toward them, hovering over the nearest one. "Let's see what goodies Odin got for us."

A small laser cut through the packaging, exposing the contents inside.

Jin made approving noises as he went through the items, lifting them out with his antigravs one by one.

"How are we looking?" Kira asked.

"Not bad. I don't see anything missing," Jin said.

Most of the items, including her board and the tools needed to maintain its functions, came from the Wanderer.

Odin had been responsible for ordering the odds and ends they needed while Kira and Jin were in transport.

A small mask flew through the air.

Kira caught it before it hit her face.

"What do you think?" Jin asked.

She held it up, examining it carefully. Its surface was white with two broken red lines carved vertically on the right third.

Kira held it up to her face, satisfied when it sealed to her skin. A holo screen appeared in front of her eyes.

[Connect]

Kira blinked once in yes. A bright pinpoint of light pierced her right eye as the lens there communicated with the system of the mask.

The transition was smooth.

Information such as temperature, air pressure, and humidity levels scrolled across the display.

Kira took a look around the room, getting used to the headset. Small screens with additional information popped up. Heat signatures flared and then waned as she dismissed the functions one by one.

She shook her head back and forth, up and down. The mask didn't budge.

Good. Exactly what she was hoping for.

She touched the sides, and the seal released, allowing her to pull it away from her face.

"Pretty nice," she said.

Jin snickered. "That's a best-in-class, ocular interface. We're talking a top-grade warning