2121

CHAPTER 1: THE THUNDER IN THE STREETS

Around the Earth there is a blanket of gems that cover the nights sky, but these starts cannot be seen from the city. They have been replaced with mankind’s LED sparkling skyline. While it remains festive and in some sense beautiful it doesn’t have the same visceral pull that laying down in the grass with a night sky above, out in the country watching shooting stars has. That feeling, a want, a need, a longing, to be out amongst the stars can be extrapolated and expanded when you know you could be out there.

A couple lay in the grass looking up at the blank sky as lights formed in the darkness, electric blue images, strobing LEDs, and blaring music filled the parking spaces next to the park as hobbyists and street racers met outside the ‘main drag’. The city of Detroit is alive and vibrant as the dying ‘Motor City’ quickly adopted the new vision of the car industry: flying cars. Detroit was now known as the electric city as robust investment helped them reclaim their title as one of the greatest cities.

Back in the 2060s an inventor had created an electric propulsion engine. This was a main catalyst in stopping the war for depleting fuel resources. Other sources of electric power became abundant such as solar powered roads, buildings, and roof tiles. These made electricity cheap and an abundant resource that cities used to electrify their skyline. Detroit’s electric skyline was decorated with the outline of every building in the city. Every building had lights on the corners of all sides of the building. This was partially decorative, but the lights also acted as sensors to the flying cars so they would know the corners of the buildings.

In the parking spots near the park many cars had already landed. One of the more expensive types had several heavy duty aluminum legs telescope from the underside of the vehicle before landing upon it. Around the area hoods had been popped open to display the reflective chrome plated engines that power these flying cars. A plethora of car body types were strewn around the lot. The types range from refurbished cars from a century ago to give that ‘classic car’ look, to the sci-fi flying saucers, typically outfitted with flashing LED lights around the edges. There was even a vehicle that was styled after a classic 2000’s era vehicle but with fins along the side that gave it a mild appearance of wings. At one point the vehicle was a sparkling sky blue, but the time and sun had stained the color on top to be a bleached, almost sad, off white. This was one of the first brands of flying cars ‘Pegasus’. It was named after the great flying horse that allowed the ancient Greek warrior Bellerophon it into to battle to defeat the chimera. These models are still sought after as they are easily modified and appeared before the heavy regulations that the 50 years since their creation has brought.

Leaning up against this model one ‘Pegasus’ brand flying car was a young man who looked like he could still classify as a boy. His steel toe boots were caked with dirt and half covered by his dark blue jeans. His jacket was on style with this more modern age as it was a polyester frock coat with LED lit trim and buttons. The sleeves of these jackets rode down his arms to just past his elbows, the neon flashing trim illuminated the bangles on his wrists, a pair of plain black looking rubber plastic. A matching choker was around his neck and hovered over the white button up shirt he wore under his frock. The top of his head is a mat of jet black hair, the scruff of his face was more like stubble, but speckled at best. His eyes were an eggar blue looking for an opening, he just needed a single opportunity. A head peaked out of the car window and called to the boy

“Hey Jim, do you have any cheesy poofs in here?” “Murphy!” Jim reacted quickly as if Murphy had blown his cover.

“Don’t worry about cheesy poofs now. We are here!” He said with excitement. He then calmly and quietly walked back towards the open window. He put his arm through and reached to the back and fished out a snack size bag of cheese poofs. “Here.” Jim handed him the bag of highly processed food. “Now come out here and keep an eye out. I have to fix the hood light, it went out again.”

Murphy stepped out of the car, he was a portly boy that couldn’t be more than 15 years old. He had curly dark hair on top of his head, his cheeks were as pudgy as his belly. He wore a simple three-quarter sleeve collared shirt with a fashionable digital display puff tie. Over those he had an out of date waistcoat that he had grown a little too big for as it pulled at the LED buttons and shown some of his t-shirt that had been tucked into his trousers. His pants were simple flexible blue jeans. He wore nice sneakers that didn’t match the vest.

“Jim, I don’t feel comfortable out here. It’s past curfew.” Murphy trembled. Jim fiddled with the lights on the underside of the hood for a moment before the connection was made and the lights illuminated the engine compartment.

“Hey Murphy, it’s okay. No one is going to notice. Just act cool.” He ribbed Murphy with his elbow as they looked out towards the crowd.

“Yeah, but don’t you think your dad is going to notice that his car and his son are gone?”

“She was already asleep when we left. Just settle down and look cool.” Jim said as he leaned up against his car and nodded his head towards a girl. She noticed, scoffed, and turned away. Murphy leaned up against the car and the old rusty landing gear creaked as he did so. They spent some time trying to get noticed and observing the people around them.

The sidewalk near the park had clusters of people all over. Groups of people gathering together as old friends giving greetings, jeering each other, some were drinking energy drinks, some were drinking beer, and others were looking at cars. Cars had been styled with flames, electricity, decked out in LEDs. Some even had digital displays covering the whole car which made it into a TV and was able to broadcast anything the owner wanted, which made it great for tailgates.

“Hey, look at that!” A green haired muscular man called out near by “Someone brought out their dad’s old rust bucket.” The crowd parted slightly to see the man pointing towards the Jim’s car. Those who were following the man sneered and snickered as their eyes caught the model 1.

“This baby may not look like much, but she can carve the sky with the best of them.” The boy used his best steely voice to call back to the group. The group laughed back at him as if to call his bluff.

The brutish man approached and with each step his size seemed to increase as well. The green hair was cut tight on the sides while the top was made into a loose mohawk. This man's jawline as chiseled as his shoulders which bulged at the seems of his modern red tailcoat. The pants clung to his legs and his thick military boots stomped the ground with a sense of authority. As this man approached Jim gave way to let him see under the hood. He peered in on the engine of the vehicle, his eyes analyzing every detail.

“You’re running an 88 power converter into a 73 neodymium thrust lifter… That’s some retrofitted slingslap claptrap.” The brute said with a scuff, his eyes never leaving the vehicle.

“Yeah, it might not be the most modern vehicle but this girl purrs just fine.” The boy said with pride.

“Cars aren’t suppose to purr, they are suppose to hum with energy. That purr might be from this oxidized solenoid.” The brute flicked at a part within the vehicle.

“Don’t touch my car!” Jim slapped the man’s hand. The crowd replied with an ominous ‘OOoooo’. Murphy stood to the side in utter disbelief.

“What do you know about engines anyway?” The kid rebuffed his inspection. He quickly darted back into the hood to make sure the spring like solenoid was still in place. He glared at the man who when he took his head out of the hood of the car was clearly a head taller than him.

“I’m the best mechanic here in the streets. They call me Abrax.” The brutish man with green hair said with a smirk and a smile. “See that car over there.” He pointed towards a car that had a green to orange metallic color changing paint. The undercarriage was lit with a red LED system. The vehicle itself was oddly shaped and a bit of a mixture of types. It had the head of a fast styled sports car, the cabin seemed spacious and bulky, the end of the vehicle was a truck bed with chrome plated guide rails on the edge of the bed which reflected the red light surrounding the hybrid vehicle. It made the car look like it had red horns along the back end. “That’s my 2115 Chimera Liger right there. I fixed her up and got her flying again, so I know a thing or two about cars. But that begs the question, just who on Earth are you kid?” As Abrax questioned Jim he stepped through personal boundary space and leaned down into his face. It was almost an accusatory tone as he questioned the scruffy boy.

Realizing that this was his opportunity to make a name for himself, and not recognizing he had bit off more than he could chew the boy stood his ground and broadened his chest as he announced himself. “I’m Jim Harusame. But people call me Thunder in the Streets!”

“Hey Jim, no one calls you that.” Murphy whispered to him. The crowd stood silent for a moment.

Then someone called out from the crowd “and lightning between the sheets!” Which got the group that had form around the young man’s car dialed up with laughter. The boy sank into himself as he heard other laughs and jeers in his direction.

“Listen up ‘Street Thunder’ how about you and I go for a little race. You can show me how loud you can roar!” Abrax thrusted his fist which made the crowd around him erupt with excitement. He took his hands, palms faced outwards, and hushed the crowd to hear what his new opponent would say.

“Thats fine with me.” The boy huffed. The crowd surrounding him erupted again with a thunderous cheer. Some started to chant ‘Abrax, Abrax, Abrax” while others called for attention of others in the area.

“What are we racing for? How about jackets?” Jim tried to yell over the crowd.

“I only race for pink slips buddy. You still up for the challenge?” Abrax sneered down to the kid. “So if you win you get my car? And if I win I get your car?” Jim pointed to Abrax’s fancy car.

“Jim I don’t think this is a good idea.” Murphy spoke into his ear. “I’ll put up something that’s worth the same as that rust bucket you have here. It’ll fly nonetheless, but it won’t be my Liger.” The brute put out his hand to shake.

“What’s the track?” Jim questioned the man, which seemed to annoy the man as he adjusted himself to stand up straighter, while still holding out his hand. “Standard Stretch.”

“Don’t do it” Murphy pleaded.

Jim grasped the man’s outstretched hand and shook on the deal.

“Done”

Abrax turned around and thrust both fists into the air as if he had already claimed victory. One of Abrax’s followers came up to Jim. “Start line in five minutes, be ready.” The thin man hissed towards the young boy before he slithered away into the crowd. Jim acknowledged the strange man and twisted around to shut the hood when Murphy was standing in the way of the hood.

“Why did you do that Jim?” Murphy said with cheesy poof powder all over his face. Murphy was a nervous eater, but still a loyal friend.

Murphy had been best friends with Jim since they were little. Since Murphy had a little more bulk, both in girth and muscle, he had always made Jim feel more comfortable taking a risk.

“Murphy, we talked about this, If we ever want to make a name for ourselves we will have to take a risk.” Jim said as he turned the hood light off.

“Yeah, but don’t you think this is too big of a risk? It is your Mom’s car after all, not yours. What is your dad going to say tomorrow if you loose?”

“Well I guess I better not loose then, eh?” The northern Michigander speak had shown itself from Jim as he spoke with shaky confidence.