Jump 249: Redline

Jump #249: Redline
>The Hanged Man: Pausing to reflect. Surrendering to an experience.
And man, if running the Redline isn't an experience, I don't know what is.
>Age: 22
>Identity: Mechanic (-100)
As if I'd trust anyone else to lay a hand on my car.
>Drawbacks: Sweet (+100), At The Speed Of Plot (+300)
If I were to use weapons, that would just be cheating. And come on... looking at everything, the more epic things are, the better the experience. I can't just reduce this to a mundane RACE. This is the Redline, baby.
>Helpful Radio Announcer (1200)
I can't wait until I get to Worm, tune the radio to a channel that should be static, and hear a nonexistent announcer tell me of the nonsense that is the local gang scene. But until then, it doesn't hurt to have an announcer to listen to for the local racing events!
>Driving (1100)
Driving here... it's on a different scale than it is in most places. Most places, you wouldn't be expected to maintain 300 miles per hour as a cruising speed.
>Basic Maintenance (Free, Mechanic)
Again, as if I'd trust the care of my car to anyone else. People are ruthless when it comes to racing around here.
>Wind Resistance (1000)
The perfect perk to help anyone who's gotta go fast. And boy, have I got to go fast.
>The Finder (900, Mechanic)
Always helps to be able to find that last elusive part I've been wanting to track down for who-knows-how-long.
>Engine-uity (600, Mechanic)
Ah, now here's the perk I've been looking for to unite the three cores of Sajuuk. But we'll discuss the wisdom of putting nitro gold into a starship later...
>Nitro Gold (400)
I'll have to go easy on these. Don't want to go crazy on the speed when I don't need to.
>Platinum Nitro Charge (100)
This, on the other hand... this gets saved for when it's needed. Sure, it replaces itself weekly, but if I just use it whenever I feel like it, what good will it do?
>Vehicle Import: Modified Highwayman (0)
It's a sturdy car, oh yes. Nothing can stop a Highwayman.
>Wheels [Free]
Of COURSE it's got wheels. What proper car wouldn't?
>Hover-Jets [100/400]
Fortunately I get 400 points toward my sweet ride. And that's a necessity. Not to mention you never know when you might blow a tire and have to rely on the backups. Or perhaps the tires should be a backup? Should I just have interchangeable modes?
>TRZ-Airmaster [300/400]
Now this is the sort of engine that I can respect. Especially in a car like this. It feels almost like it was made for the Highwayman.
>Secondary Cockpit (Upgraded) [Free, Mechanic]
Never hurts to rework the interior of the Highwayman. Though I suspect it just means that if the going gets messy, I can grab a new set of controls from the dash or something, or that I can jettison half the interior safely and reduce it to just the front seat.
>Modular Vehicle [Free, Mechanic]
The Redline is always a messy race. You never know how much of the car you might lose. Best to be prepared for every eventuality.
>Grappling Cannon [400/400]
Well, it's not a weapon per se, at least as long as I don't use it that way.

There's not a great deal of detail that I can really give for this jump, honestly. My companions and I ran around and didn't take most things too seriously, with of course the exception of the races because they were on a scale that we've never seen so far. And it helps that I had them on the sidelines rooting for me at every race.

I won some, I lost some, but I secured a place in the Redline five years after I arrived. And to be honest... being in that race, it was simply EPIC. I don't think it's something I could do forever, but racing here was exhilarating in a way that I rarely find.

Even though I lost and a guy with a ridiculous pompadour won after his car basically disintegrated on the way to the finish line, I had a great time. Apparently, that guy and the girl who was riding with him had some kind of whirlwind romance and got married. I didn't follow it too much, though I wished them well and gave them a nice wedding present. That is, I gifted them a completely restored version of that car, without any bombs attached to it this time, and a steamlight hanging from the rearview mirror. Because I am a giant cheater and I got a hell of a kick out of the look on their faces, because it was the last thing anybody expected.

Sadly, he didn't show up at the next Redline, apparently he was busy raising a couple of kids with the cute mechanic girl that he married. Which is just as well - I don't think I would have won if he'd shown up again. It was nice to leave the jump with that notch in my belt, even if there was an angry giant cyborg chasing me until the jump ended at that point.