Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision
canon:ace14:horizon:chapter2 [16/03/2026 17:41] – poistettu - ulkoinen muokkaus (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1canon:ace14:horizon:chapter2 [16/03/2026 17:41] (current) – ↷ Page name changed from canon:ace14:horizon:horizon_ch2 to canon:ace14:horizon:chapter2 kkurzex
Line 1: Line 1:
 +HORIZON PROTOCOL\\ Chapter 2 — Opening Grid
 +
 +Night settled over the valley like a curtain dropping on a stage.
 +
 +Festival lights spread across the desert in long glowing lines — neon arches, spotlights, drone cameras circling overhead. Music thundered from speaker towers the size of buildings. Thousands of spectators crowded the temporary grandstands, roofs, hillsides, anywhere with a view of the starting line.
 +
 +For most of them, Horizon was simple.
 +
 +Cars.\\ Speed.\\ Spectacle.
 +
 +They didn’t see the probability curves bending.
 +
 +They didn’t see physics quietly forgiving mistakes that should have killed people.
 +
 +But the SCP Foundation had noticed.
 +
 +And now the Triad had noticed too.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The starting grid stretched across a wide strip of asphalt cut through the desert.
 +
 +Twelve cars waited beneath the towering Horizon gantry.
 +
 +Engines idled, some smooth and controlled, others vibrating with barely contained aggression.
 +
 +Ace rolled the Nismo into position.
 +
 +The small Nissan looked almost modest compared to some of the machinery around it — a few hypercars, a monstrous American muscle build, something heavily modified that hummed with hybrid systems.
 +
 +Ace didn’t seem bothered.
 +
 +She rested one elbow against the door and studied the other drivers through the windshield.
 +
 +Most were focused forward.
 +
 +A few glanced sideways.
 +
 +Evaluating.
 +
 +Sizing each other up.
 +
 +Typical.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Behind her, the Aston Martin DB11 slid neatly into its starting slot.
 +
 +Mai adjusted the steering slightly, aligning the car with precise movements that looked almost lazy.
 +
 +The engine note settled into a low, confident rumble.
 +
 +Shammy leaned forward slightly in the passenger seat, watching the crowd instead of the track.
 +
 +“…there are too many people here,” she murmured.
 +
 +Mai smiled faintly.
 +
 +“That is generally the idea of a festival.”
 +
 +Shammy shook her head.
 +
 +“That isn’t what I mean.”
 +
 +Her eyes drifted upward toward the sky.
 +
 +Drone cameras circled lazily above the grid, their rotors whispering through the air.
 +
 +But beneath that sound was something else.
 +
 +Something subtle.
 +
 +Something wrong.
 +
 +Like air currents folding in directions they shouldn’t.
 +
 +----
 +
 +A voice roared across the festival speakers.
 +
 +“Welcome to Horizon!”
 +
 +The crowd exploded.
 +
 +Spotlights swept across the lineup of cars.
 +
 +Engines revved in response.
 +
 +The announcer continued, his voice overflowing with theatrical excitement.
 +
 +“Twelve drivers! Ten events! One champion!”
 +
 +Fireworks burst above the starting gantry.
 +
 +The sky flashed white.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace glanced at the car beside her.
 +
 +A wide American muscle machine sat there, matte black, engine rumbling like distant artillery.
 +
 +The driver inside grinned when she looked over.
 +
 +Big.
 +
 +Confident.
 +
 +Too confident.
 +
 +Ace recognized the type immediately.
 +
 +Further down the line, another car caught her eye.
 +
 +Low.
 +
 +Fast.
 +
 +The driver inside didn’t look toward the crowd.
 +
 +Didn’t wave.
 +
 +Didn’t rev the engine for the cameras.
 +
 +Just sat there quietly.
 +
 +Watching the road.
 +
 +Interesting.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The Aston Martin’s radio crackled.
 +
 +Mai’s calm voice came through.
 +
 +“Wind direction stable. Road temperature high.”
 +
 +Ace tapped the throttle lightly.
 +
 +“Copy.”
 +
 +Shammy’s voice followed a second later.
 +
 +“…something else is moving.”
 +
 +Ace smirked slightly.
 +
 +“That’s called a race.”
 +
 +Shammy did not respond.
 +
 +----
 +
 +At the far end of the grid, two familiar vehicles waited.
 +
 +One driver leaned casually against his car instead of sitting inside it.
 +
 +Grouse.
 +
 +Even from a distance the man radiated confidence.
 +
 +The kind built from surviving situations most people wouldn’t.
 +
 +Walking War Crimes had that effect on people.
 +
 +Across from him, another figure sat in complete silence behind the wheel of a sleek black machine.
 +
 +Skulker.
 +
 +His engine wasn’t revving.
 +
 +His headlights weren’t flashing.
 +
 +He simply waited.
 +
 +Like a predator that had already decided something.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai studied the telemetry display.
 +
 +Every system looked normal.
 +
 +Too normal.
 +
 +She had reviewed the accident statistics earlier that day.
 +
 +They were absurd.
 +
 +Cars flipped here.
 +
 +They smashed into canyon walls.
 +
 +They tumbled through the air.
 +
 +Drivers walked away.
 +
 +Every time.
 +
 +No explanation.
 +
 +No pattern.
 +
 +Just…
 +
 +Horizon.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Thirty seconds!” the announcer shouted.
 +
 +The grid lights ignited above the starting line.
 +
 +Five red lamps.
 +
 +Engines rose in pitch across the lineup.
 +
 +Ace’s hands settled comfortably on the wheel.
 +
 +The Nismo vibrated softly beneath her.
 +
 +Alive.
 +
 +Behind her, the Aston Martin’s engine tone deepened.
 +
 +Mai leaned forward slightly.
 +
 +Shammy closed her eyes.
 +
 +Listening.
 +
 +Wind pressure.
 +
 +Air flow.
 +
 +Movement.
 +
 +“…something is definitely wrong,” Shammy whispered.
 +
 +Mai’s smile returned.
 +
 +“That’s why we’re here.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +The first red light blinked on.
 +
 +Then the second.
 +
 +Then the third.
 +
 +Engines screamed now.
 +
 +The desert air trembled with mechanical fury.
 +
 +Ace’s eyes narrowed.
 +
 +Focus tightened.
 +
 +Everything outside the track faded away.
 +
 +Fourth light.
 +
 +Fifth.
 +
 +For one brief moment the world held its breath.
 +
 +And then—
 +
 +The lights vanished.
 +
 +Twelve cars launched forward into the Mexican night.
 +
 +And the Horizon Festival truly began.
 +