Once More (Unto the Breach) [FINAL RESULTS]

Community Challenges & Competitions
189

TGGBA Shitbox Crusaders: Part 3

The isekai quartet arrived at the Japanese restaurant at Spokane, WA.

DAVID: “We’re here!”

HARUKI: “Did we have any other visitors?”

DAVID: “We had no answers, so we’ll assume none. Anyway, here we are.”

YURI: “About time… I was feeling hungry.”

EMILY: “Yay!”

HARUKI: “Excellent!”

They take a table for four, and are supplied menus. David orders a rather sizeable bowl of udon, Haruki orders a seafood-based bento box, Yuri orders a large portion of chicken karaage and Emily orders a bowl of ramen.

YURI: “I really missed having food… this is great!”

EMILY: “This ramen is good… wait where’s my phone?”

HARUKI: “I think you left it in the van.”

EMILY: “Oh yeah…”

…

YURI moans in satisfaction of a good meal.

DAVID: “Haruki, maybe you could drive?”

HARUKI: “Yeah, I think it would be good to relieve you of all these hours of driving.”

They pay for their food.

EMILY: “DAMN, that is expensive.”

YURI: “But it is amazing!”

EMILY: “Can’t argue with that.”

The four get in the van. HARUKI this time is driving, with DAVID in front passenger seat.

DAVID: “First, let’s fill our tank with some diesel, just to be sure.”

YURI: “They might pick me up at the end.”

EMILY: "Who’s they?

YURI: “N-Nothing, it’s just… my job?”

EMILY: “I thought you never had a job.”

YURI: “It’s a long story.”

Soon, they arrive at the gas station, with a 8-88 convenience store nearby. HARUKI fills the van with diesel, while DAVID goes to get some food and drink. Once done, HARUKI resumes the driving, with DAVID in front passenger.

DAVID: “Welcome back to the wangan.”

HARUKI: “I used to play lots of Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune when younger. Don’t worry, I will not drive like that, I prefer to be careful and stay with traffic.”

EMILY and YURI let off a sigh of relief, and get to reading more manga.

tbc
tbc694×152 58.9 KB

7 Likes
190

Team Rockport

Day 1, Repair chronicles

Obsolete as of now, will fix later

Leo: Well this is it, Pete’s Garage. Pull over Zack
Zack: Pulling over… Hey I’m Zack, we called like 30 mins ago about a possible coolant issue?
The mechanic Zack was talking to responded with an affirmative gesture and said,“Ah yes, I was the one who received your call, this the car?”
Zack: Ah, yes…
Mechanic: The GTS trim aye? Everything’s stock I’d assume?
Zack: Except for the battery and some AC parts, yeah. Why?
Mechanic: I’d take a wild guess and bet my money on the Water Pump
Leo: While leaving the car Huh? You mean the pump is dying? But it hasn’t even run 80k miles!
Mechanic: Well I’d assume so. This thing is old enough to already have faulty Water Pumps, paired with the fact that the GTS trim had a cheaper water pump than it needed, yeah.
Zack: Well that just sucks. How long is it gonna take? Over two hours I’d assume?
Mechanic: Yeah about that. I’d suggest you men take a stroll or go grab a bite while we work on this.
Zack: Understood, we’ll leave the car here then.

Zack and Leo talk a bit with the chief mechanic and then leave for a Euro style restaurant near the garage. It’s kinda posh and expensive looking but they’re so tired and hungry that they just want a good bite while the car gets fixed.

I’ll add more details later it’s 4AM here please I need to sleep

Fixed: Once More (Unto the Breach) [FRI, 2P-4P]

6 Likes
191

Team Beer Blokes & BBQs (pt. 2)

T: How long until the next town, I’m starting to get hungry.
M: Why didn’t you say something 15 minutes ago when we were stopped in town for gas.
T: Well I wasn’t hungry then.
M: sigh
S: Why don’t we stop at the next town, grab some food and fuel and give the car a quick check to make sure everything is working as it should.
M: That sounds like a plan, should only take us about an hour
Suddenly the CB crackles to life
Alice (CB): Anyone around us, what are you guys planning? Driving through the night, or dinner and a comfortable bed somewhere?
S (CB): We were planning to have a quick stop at the next town over to grab some fast food and fuel then continue on through the night. You can join us if you’d like.
T: While we’re there, I don’t think it’d be a bad idea to pick up some ear muffs, so we can actually get some rest with all the noise coming from this thing.
M: Good idea, we can swing by the hardware store on the way out.
S: Earmuffs would be a godsend, the drone of this thing is driving me insane.

They decided to stop at the next town they came across to get food, fuel, the earmuffs (can’t forget those) and check the mechanicals of the car.

5 Likes
192

Team Wang Lao Ji - 2-4P

Harry was well on the gas at this point, Jackie was still scared, Anderson was fast asleep. He was smooth cruising in the HAC, Roll In Peace blasting on the tinny speakers. He had a confident grin on his face, until he noticed the sporty silver Vector in his rearview.

H: We’re racing those guys right?
J: Yes but they’re our friends. We don’t want any trouble-
H: We’re racing them-
J: No! You’ll get into deep shit again…

Harry let out a long sigh, leaving him no choice but to believe Jackie’s observations for the millionth time. Jackie has historically predicted Harry’s future correctly many times, like the time he fell off the yacht, slipped on the campus stairs trying to balance a can of Red Bull on his nose, went on a 26 game losing streak in League of Legends (to the exact digit too), etc.

H: Fine, we can talk to them and have a picnic. Right? Talk to them Jackie!
J: U-uh…
H: Get yourself out there you penis! Get fucking laid!
J: But…

image

After a long period of attempting to persuade Jackie, Harry eventually gave up. The Vector followed the HAC on onto the bridge, but eventually turned off for a reason unknown to the three Chinese students. Jackie wanted to meet them, but didn’t want to be the person to initiate the conversation. Classic Jackie.

@GetWrekt01 uhhh here we go I guess LOL

6 Likes
193

OK, I’ve been asked a couple times, so I think I should clear something up about repairs.

During midday hours, you may use a mechanic’s shop in a city (defined as 75k+ people) to do big epairs, but the mechanic doesn’t do the work; you are considered as renting a bay to do the work yourself. During evening/night/early morning hours and anywhere other than a city, you can only perform limited repairs based on your carried spares and toolkit.

This prevents people from having their car fixed by a mechanic and staying at a hotel/eating at a restaurant to get a morale and fatigue boost.

The idea is to deter major repairs because it will set you so far behind you have no chance of winning.

Having a critical failure, either on a control or mechanical check, at any time, ends your run.

8 Likes
194

Team “Buy Skyrim”

At the moment, besides of the car’s clunking sound and the “check engine” light still lit because of misfire, nothings really going on. At the same time, Vincent is watching a video from Drivers.com in his phone.

(On the video, Drivers.com hosts Carol Lee and Richard Zucker is talking about the cars that is going to launch in IAA this year.)

everyone on the vid is laughing

RICHARD: “Well, I think she’s going crazy. I mean…how the car looks so funny for some reason. Anyway, Carol, I heard Ursula’s is planning something bonkers, is it?”

CAROL: “Yup. According to some sources currently Ursula is planning a new car called the T1, which is a super…”

Suddenly Naomi feels a little bit uneasy. It’s because she feels a little sick after eating some cold soup and wants to have a dump somewhere. She then looked at Vincent.

NAOMI: I think I need a trip to a toilet.

VINCENT: What? closes phone Oh. There’s one in the nearby gas station, I think.

NAOMI: Okay. Let’s go there for some fuel and drinks too, since we didn’t eat too much. Also, tell Nate to check the car as well.

Nathan at that time is sleeping on the back of the car.

VINCENT: Okay.

They the proceed to stop the car on the petrol station, and without noticing any problems they locked the cars doors, told Nathan to wake up and do their own things.

random Drivers.com plugin incoming lol

6 Likes
195

Team Greasy Lightning

Fuzz glanced up into the mirror once again.

“Something interesting there?” Jen mused.

“Not sure. I think… think it might be another competitor.”

Jen shook her head and turned her attention back to her phone. She rooted around in a private chat room that had recently been created for the contestants. “Well, put your foot into it a little more. Looks like we’re in 4th. This might be our chance to break out big time.”

Rick snorted and turned his head slightly, lost somewhere in dreamland.

“Well, don’t want to fall behind,” Fuzz added, goosing the throttle slightly.

Jen reached for the CB radio. “Hey, anyone out there?”

(OOC: @findRED19 You’re the only one in range… ball’s in your court.)

6 Likes
196

Team Rockport

Day 1 2-4P, Repair Chronicles… But fixed!

Leo: Well, this is it, pull over.
Zack: The people at Pete’s Garage were generous enough to lend us some space to repair our car. Would you think that they’d help us quickly identify the issue?
Leo: I’d hope so. Looks at a mechanic Hey buddy! Can you help us?
Mechanic: Comes close How may I help you guys?
Leo: We called 30 mins ago about a coolant issue in our car and reserving a space for us in the workshop.
Mechanic: Oh yeah… The GTS trim aye? Everything’s stock I’d assume?
Zack: Except for the battery and some AC parts, yeah. Why?
Mechanic: I’d take a wild guess and bet my money on the Water Pump.
Leo: While leaving the car Huh? You mean the pump is dying? But it hasn’t even run 80k miles!
Mechanic: Well I’d assume so. This thing is old enough to already have faulty Water Pumps, paired with the fact that the GTS trim had a cheaper water pump than it needed, yeah.
Zack: Well that just sucks. It’s gonna take just over 2 hours.
Mechanic: Yeah about that.
Leo: Shit man! We’re gonna be so far behind!
Zack: Talking ain’t gonna help, let’s just get on with it to fix it.

The two men start taking prepping for Water Pump replacement. They’re both tired, have had lost some confidence due to the unexpected issue and are upset, but they’re still plowing on with it. To make the time more of use, they start talking while sipping on some tea they brought with them.

Leo: Okay first thing’s first. We’re gonna be behind Takes sip
Zack: Have you seen some of the cars? Most of them are so rinky dinky! Like remember how we laughed while passing that Sinistra? That thing was ticking like a time bomb!
Leo: I suppose so, yeah. While taking out a part only to realize this has nothing to do with repairing or taking out the water pump
Well… shit.
Zack: Put it back on, please. Takes sip and rolls his eyes over
Leo: That Guangzhou was ahead of us though…
Zack: We would’ve passed them if the Water Pump didn’t decide to just fuck off… Dammit!
Leo: Zack… I think we shouldn’t have this race mentality with everyone. We haven’t revealed ourselves much to anyone and so haven’t they. It’s best to assume that they’re more or less like us.
Zack: I… But… Okay maybe. You have a point. But right now we’re not really close to them you know? Let’s just get on with this and get back on the road. Well have our lunch at Spokane. Has fancier restaurants and is a bigger town.
Leo: Fine by me! Takes sip of his 6th cup of tea
Zack: Also you’re driving from this leg remember?
Leo: I do chief! Should I carry on driving like you did or should I change strats?
Zack: Not this early on. Keep on with the current strats, we’ll see later.

Just over 2 hours later, the tired bois have managed to replace the water pump and also fixed some other small issues that might pop up as headaches later. They’re going back on the road with some fast food taken from a drive through and are on their way to Spokane… To get some food!

Look mum, I fixed it!
PS: @yangx2 I guess we’ll interact when my bois catch up with you again, we are stuck at repairs and shit lmao

PPS: I realize that the repair work is supposed to bleed into the next time period. I just wrote everything a bit early on.

5 Likes
197

TEAM COYOTE JIM

Nothing eventful has happened in this stint sadly. But they listened through a couple of cassettes!

3 Likes
198

The D-Team

Other than numerous gear changes and some waffles being made, very little from the Trio in the box-truck.

@Keikyun and the Shitbox Crusaders are next to them on the road it seems, and well within CB range.

5 Likes
199

Pit Stop US

Charles: awake now Hey, theres some chatta on te radio
James: Well, let’s see whats up
C: [on radio]: Black suit here, hows yer drive been?
J: to Charles Black suit?
C: Yeah, gots ta have a handle when ya talkin on the cb
J: Black suit? Thats our handle now?
C: [On radio]: Where ya stoppin next for food or rest? Wella join ya.

———

@VicVictory back to you
(Also can do more rp when I get home, at work rn)

3 Likes
200

“We’re not sure yet. We’re looking at dinner maybe in Missoula or even Butte, then on as far as we can before we get to tired. We’re hoping to make out out of Montana today, but we’re not sure.”

Fuzz waited until after Jen stopped transmitting, and added and aside, “Plus I’d like to try to catch up to our cat friends.”

5 Likes
201

Previous time block

Friday, 6PM - 8PM Eastern Time

Legend of Terms:

POI NOTE: I will NOT be pre-warning of upcoming POI points. I will ONLY auto-stop teams for two things: fuel and, when completely exhausted, rest. Anything else you want (including tourist POI, restaurants, premature fuel, rest at any point before complete exhaustion), YOU need to PM me in advance (before I run the time block that you’d complete it in). Also, please don’t map out everything from here to the end in one PM… try to keep it within a couple time blocks. Remember: Tourist POI and sit-down restaurants (not fast food) give bonuses to morale and fatigue, but take some time. Tourist POI also give points to the POI award at the end.

BD: Block Distance. This is the amount of mileage covered during the current 2 hour period.
OD: Overall Distance. This is the total distance that the team has covered since the event started.
FS: Fuel Status. Approximate fuel reading on the vehicle’s fuel gauge.
MRL: Morale modifier
FTG: Fatigue Level
Last Town: Last town of note that was passed (will not include tiny villages)
Next Waypoint: Should be self explanatory.
Weather Condition: Current weather condition at the end of the time block.
Notes: Any notes I have for your team during this time block. Including POI results, car issues, etc.

VicVictory:
BD: 179 mi OD: 523 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +5
Last Town: Clinton, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasingly cloudy
Notes: Waypoint completed: Lookout Pass. This car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2). Team has refueled in St. Regis, MT.

@Elizipeazie:
BD: 133 mi OD: 398 mi FS: 2/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +3
Last Town: De Borgia, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Weather Condition: 90 degrees, sunny
Notes: Team has refueled in Spokane, WA. Waypoint completed: Lookout Pass. This car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2)

@Fayeding_Spray:
BD: 156 mi OD: 524 mi FS: 1/2- MRL: +1 FTG: +8
Last Town: Clinton, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: ISSUE: Clutch starts slipping as team goes over Lookout Pass. Waypoint completed: Lookout Pass. This car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2). Team is feeling tired.

@BannedByAndroid:
BD: 146 mi OD: 496 mi FS: 3/4- MRL: +1 FTG: +5
Last Town: Missoula, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Team has refueled in Kellogg, ID. Waypoint completed: Lookout Pass. This car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2). Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued.
Ongoing issue: Vehicle is making a clunking noise from the front going over bumpy roads.

@kobacrashi:
BD: 152 mi OD: 485 mi FS: FULL MRL: +2 FTG: +6
Last Town: Missoula, MT Next Waypoint: Lookout Pass
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Waypoint completed: Lookout Pass. This car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2). Team has refueled and obtained chicken in Missoula, MT. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued. ISSUE: car has started making a grinding noise when turning right.

@Madrias:
BD: 102 mi OD: 480 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +3 FTG: -1
Last Town: MIssoula, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Team has stopped in St Regis, MT to refuel and investigate the engine noise. They have also stopped for 1 hour at Jakers Bar and Grill in Missoula. This will bleed into the next time period.
Ongoing issue: Rattling noise in engine.

@yangx2:
BD: 75 mi OD: 423 mi FS: 1/2+ MRL: +3 FTG: -1
Last Town: St Regis, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Weather Condition: 91 degrees, mostly sunny
Notes: Team has stopped for 1 hour POI stop in the ghost town of Burke, ID. Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2)

@mart1n2005:
BD: 136 mi OD: 360 mi FS: FULL MRL: -1 FTG: +3
Last Town: Kellogg, ID Next Waypoint: Lookout Pass
Weather Condition: 90 degrees, sunny
Notes: Repair from previous time block bleeds into this block. Team just barely misses rush hour traffic in Spokane.
Ongoing issue: Jury-rigged RR suspension mount. Unknown how long it will hold.

@Kubboz:
BD: 143 mi OD: 414 mi FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +4
Last Town: De Borgia, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 91 degrees, partly cloudy
Notes: Team has refueled in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2)

@Mikonp7:
BD: 36 mi OD: 352 mi FS: FULL MRL: +1 FTG: -1
Last Town: Kellogg, ID Next Waypoint: Lookout Pass
Weather Condition: 89 degrees, sunny
Notes: Team has stopped in Kellogg, ID to refuel and rest until night time.

@Centurion_23:
BD: 73 mi OD: 400 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +1 FTG: +1
Last Town: De Borgia, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 91 degrees, mostly sunny
Notes: Team has stopped in Kellogg, ID to do some shopping, top up fuel, and diagnose their vehicle. Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2)

@Xepy:
BD: 147 mi OD: 436 mi FS: 3/4- MRL: +1 FTG: +5
Last Town: Saint Regis, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Team has refueled in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Waypoint complete: Lookout pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2)

@Private_Miros:
BD: 152 mi OD: 480 mi FS: 1/2- MRL: +1 FTG: +3
Last Town: Missoula, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2). Team pulls into Missoula, MT a few minutes before the end of the time block for refueling and diagnosis of the SES light. This will bleed slightly into the next time period.
Ongoing issues: SES light is on

@Boiled_Steak:
BD: 145 mi OD: 461 mi FS: 1/2+ MRL: +1 FTG: +6
Last Town: St Regis, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has moved into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2).
Ongoing issue: Slight hesitation at high speed. More pronounced now that the speed limit has increased. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued.

@GetWrekt01:
BD: 59 mi OD: 283 mi FS: 3/4+ MRL: +3 FTG: -2
Last Town: Spokane, WA Next Waypoint: Lookout Pass
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, sunny
Notes: Repair from previous time period has bled into this period. Team has stopped at Europa Restaurant in Spokane (1 hour break). This will bleed into the next time period.

@Mythrin:
BD: 141 mi OD: 436 mi FS: 1/2+ MRL: +1 FTG: +5
Last Town: St Regis, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Team has refueled in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Team got caught behind two semis (lorries) blocking the road and going slowly over Lookout Pass. Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2)

@Ryan93:
BD: 5 mi OD: 283 mi FS: FULL MRL: -4 FTG: +5
Last Town: Cheney, WA Next Waypoint: Lookout Pass
Weather Condition: 91 degrees, sunny
Notes: Team has moved on to Spokane, WA and is currently borrowing space in a garage to replace a leaking head gasket. They will be off the road for several hours.

@abg7:
BD: 153 mi OD: 491 mi FS: 3/4- MRL: +1 FTG: +4
Last Town: Missoula, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Team has refueled in Kellogg, ID. Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2).

@Radster:
BD: 156 mi OD: 482 mi FS: 1/2 MRL: +1 FTG: +8
Last Town: Missoula, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2). Team is a little tired and hungry.

@SkylineFTW97:
BD: 69 mi OD: 399 mi FS: LOW MRL: +3 FTG: -1
Last Town: De Borgia, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 91 degrees, mostly sunny
Notes: Team has stopped for a POI break at the ghost town of Burke, ID. Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has crossed into the Mountain Time Zone (EST-2)

@findRED19:
BD: 136 mi OD: 480 mi FS: FULL MRL: +1 FTG: +5
Last Town: Missoula, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Team has refueled in Kellogg, ID. Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has crossed into the Mountain Time Zone (EST-2). Team has refueled in Missoula, MT and is heading back to the freeway at the end of the time block. Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued.

@Jaimz:
BD: 70 mi OD: 378 mi FS: FULL MRL: +3 FTG: -1
Last Town: Mullan, ID Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 88 degrees, mostly sunny
Notes: Team has stopped for a 1 hour POI break in Coeur d’Alene, ID (downtown park beach). Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2).
Ongoing issues: Car has a squeak and slight lateral shift of the rear going over bigger bumps. Small crack in windshield. Car has a dead (and now kinda smelly) deer strapped to the top.

@Caligo:
BD: 111 mi OD: 394 mi FS: 2/3 MRL: -1 FTG: +8
Last Town: Mullan, ID Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 90 degrees, mostly sunny
Notes: Team has refueled in Coeur d’Alene, ID. INCIDENT: Radiator side tanks crack and leak out significant coolant on the approach to Lookout Pass. Team replaces the radiator from their spare parts inventory along the side of the road. Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Vehicle has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2). Team is starting to feel slightly fatigued.

@Aaron.W:
BD: 146 mi OD: 408 mi FS: LOW MRL: -1 FTG: +5
Last Town: De Borgia, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 91 degrees, sunny
Notes: Team has refueled in Spokane, WA. FAILURE: A/C Compressor has failed. Replacement not possible (PM me for details if you have questions), comfort penalty applies going forward. Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2)

@Keikyun:
BD: 137 mi OD: 420 mi FS: 2/3+ MRL: +1 FTG: +3
Last Town: St Regis, MT Next Waypoint: Gallatin County Fairground
Weather Condition: 92 degrees, increasing clouds
Notes: Waypoint complete: Lookout Pass. Car has passed into the Mountain Time Zone (ET-2).

Vehicles that are traveling in packs:
480 mi - Sinistra, Ardent (both in Missoula) , Torg (getting on freeway to leave Missoula)

Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range. Group chats via social media are available.

Team Greasy Lightning

(Somewhere east of Clinton, MT, near the end of the time period)

“Hold them off. They’re coming up on the left!” Jen said excitedly, her eyes on the Strig hatchback that slowly closed in on them.

Fuzz checked Team 49’s onslaught with a left lane change, leaving the right lane blocked by a slow-moving semi. “I got em.”

He was formulating the next move to keep their competitors down, and the opportunity presented itself in the form of an Ardent Hood with its cruise set at the speed limit in the right lane.

c’mon, c’mon, he thought to himself.

“Jesus, Fuzz,” Rick griped. “Don’t get us killed.”

Fuzz put the idea down with a stern PFFT

“They’re still on us!” Jen exclaimed.

“I can see that. I have mirrors, you know.”

Their luck ran out a mile down the road as traffic worked against them. The little hatchback managed to get the lane advantage on Fuzz, and an old Sinistra Savage lumbered along in their lane.

“Goddamn you. Long skinny pedal on the right,” Fuzz shouted in futility at the driver of the Sinistra. It was too late. Team 49 and their cheap little Strig Mirae had masterfully navigated the roadway and passed Greasy Lightning’s proud, yet maimed, Keystone Senator.

“Great going, Team 49,” Jen chirped through the CB. “You got us. But we’ll get you back.”

oh yes we will, Fuzz grinned.

Most of you will have noticed a big jump in speeds after the cars reach Lookout Pass. This is because the speed limit is 10 MPH higher in Montana than WA or ID.

5 Likes
202

Team Tiger Trouble

(At a gas station in St. Regis)

The Sinistra rattled into the nearest available pump, where Kayden switched the engine off and got out to try the improved refueling procedure. At the same time, Kaylie popped the hood and Jaden moved the driver’s seat forward and the passenger’s seat all the way back.

Kayden stuck the card in the reader, picked the premium gasoline, and put the nozzle into the fuel filler.

Kaylie pulled the dipstick, wiped it on a shop towel, then checked the oil. “Not good. There’s metal particles in the oil, and it smells horrible. We’re going to have to try to fix this, and quickly.” She put the dipstick back, her tail twitching with annoyance.

With a full tank of gas, Kayden retrieved his new credit card, put the nozzle away, and got into the passenger seat. Jaden settled into the rear bench seat, and Kaylie started adjusting the seat and mirrors before starting the car.

“So, Nova, what can put metal shavings in the oil and make an internal combustion engine sound like it has a basket of gralliks in it?” Kayden asked.

“Most signs point toward a failing bearing, either a main bearing on the crankshaft, or a rod bearing on a connecting rod. One is semi-field-serviceable, the other is a bigger issue. If I were you, I would hope for a rod bearing, there may be a larger variety of options available.”

Jaden asked, “Does Earth even have gralliks?”

Nova was quiet for a few seconds before responding with, “Something rather similar. The closest thing to a grallik is a rattlesnake.”

At Jakers Bar and Grill, Kaylie parked the Sinistra, and the three Tigrilans quickly got out of the car, heading inside. After a lot of stares, they were seated, and that’s when the chaos started.

“We would like to get 20 of your Campfire Burgers.” Kayden said, watching as the server’s eyes went wide.

It took a while, between attempts to convince the three that 20 burgers was a lot of food, that it was going to be a very expensive meal, and that there was going to be a bit of a wait, but eventually the burgers were delivered.

“Just for your information, these food items contain cheese, which could have some unpleasant effects when combined with enclosed spaces, such as inside the transport.” Nova warned, though the warning went unheeded as hunger took over. Kayden, despite having 9 burgers to himself, was done first, while Kaylie was on her fourth out of five, and Jaden was slowly closing in on burger number six.

This left Kayden with plenty of time to chat on the radio, using Nova’s handheld as a reasonable facsimile of a smartphone.

(CB) “Anyone in range of this transmission?”

6 Likes
203

The D-Team

Somewhere between Coeur d’Alene, and Smelterville.

Gen: “You know we’ve been riding this thing pretty hard since we left that Gas Station… might be a good idea to back down a bit.”

Tom: “Yeah.” The grey haired man chewed on a cigar as he thought. “Slow down and get left behind the rest of the group you mean.”

Malik: “That’s especially bad, we’d be sitting ducks for any police tailing the race. And i’m sure there’s plenty FBI and CIA along the way tailing those weird cat-people.”

Gen: “So… we’re not slowing down… Got it.” She eyed the temperature gauge as it seemed to steadily creep up as Malik kept his foot down.

A few miles later
Malik shouted in surprise as suddendly the cab and hood were both filled, and covered with a thick layer of nasty tasting steam or smoke, the driver palmed for the four-way indicator and swung the box truck to the side of the highway blindly as he carefully depressed the brake pedal, he and the rest of The D-Team choking on the thick steam as he piloted the now striken barge ashore. by the taste of the steam and the look of the temp gauge, the team knew what’d happened, and Gen, from behind the cargo door let out an annoyed, choked groan.

Gen: "Well, I did tell you to take it easy. we’re lucky to have a spare and for the radiator to be five feet from anything else… just a shame we’re out of spare coolant, and risked cooking some piston rings.

Malik: “How long to fix it Gen, we don’t have time to wait around and point fingers.” He said this quite ironically, standing with his arms crossed behind her, doing nothing but tell the young mechanic to work faster.

Gen: The female mechanic pulled her head and upper body up from inside the engine bay and looked down at the now useless driver. “Like twenty minutes tops. Just go and… carefully get the spare radiator from the back of the truck please? I have to take this one out.”

Malik rolled his eyes and walked off to the back of the truck, begrudgingly doing what he was asked.

Living on a diet of waffles and cigars, as well as the constant duress of the stiff suspension, V8 rambling, and rough shifting was really taking it’s toll on The D-Team, they were going to need some real food and rest soon, or there was going to be some serious in-fighting.

The D-Team is always on the CB Net, and would definitely be worth attempting to wave down should any other of the drivers ahead have a breakdown.

5 Likes
204

Team Rockport.

Zack and Leo have finished working on the car. The water pump is replaced and running perfectly, there is no Ethylene odor present and they’ve also bought an AC air freshener with a switch (which should give approximately 0.0005% morale boost jk). Now they’re headed for Spokane to get some food in their system and also to make sure they don’t start hitting each other with a wrench if they start having mental breakdowns. After all, they’re far behind and exhausted.

Leo: And take a right… Yeah that’s the parking lot. Hurry up man, I’m famished.
Zack: It looks pretty expensive, the restaurant. But I guess we should treat ourselves after dealing with this much issues.
Leo: Exactly. Besides, we aren’t the only ones to break down.
Zack: Yeah I heard another team is also with us in Spokane, but at the other side of the town, repairing their car.
Leo: Ah damn. Wanna go meet maybe?
Zack: Fuck no! Others have done over 400 miles, we haven’t even crossed 300 As they enter the lobby There is no time for meet and greet Leo.
Leo: Fair point. It hurts to think that we were so far ahead, I think we were in second place right?
Zack: Yes. And there’s more to come, speed limits in the mountain pass are very strict. And I’m not siding towards dangerous driving just yet.
Leo: Yeah me neither. You know what? Screw this! Let’s just have a seat, grab some food and enjoy our 1 hour break.
Zack: Let’s do that, please.

Will continue after my bois finish eating

4 Likes
205

Team Trinity

The Ardent Manhatten rolls to a halt next to a parked Sinistra. Alice looked tired from the last stretch of driving. The gearbox was acting up again and the car smells a bit of oil. The team needs a rest and Matt needs to check what the check engine light is about.

Ivy Mike is fidgety since the car stopped, but still allows John to put on the leash. John makes a cryptic statement.

We are where we want to be.

Matthew does the necessary diagnostics on the engine and the error codes clearly and unexpectedly show gearbox trouble. Most pressingly is an overheating issue, so Matt has little option to go and search a service station where they sell gearbox oil. Let the whole thing cool down and add oil, that should keep the gearbox alive for the trip.

Meanwhile Alice and John have stretch there legs, had a walk around, and came over to the Jakers Bar and Grill at the other side of the parking lot. Ivy Mike hisses.

What’s got into your cat, John, he used to be a cute fluff ball?

John smiles.

This is why it was good to push on. We might have passed another team of interest, but this one is most interesting indeed. We should limit ourselves to observing.

John says he’ll go and get some other food for him and Matthew and instructs Alice to go inside, get a table - some charming needed to be done to get admitted by a strangely freaked out table attendant - and take notes.

Matthew, having found some gearbox oil, and John are enjoying a Denny’s burger. They occasionally toss a piece of meat at Ivy Mike. Afterwards he will continue with the maintenance of the Ardent.

Inside the Jakers Bar and Grill Alice is fully aware of what has caused the panic in the joint, the interest of John, and her purpose of being there. She stares at the three Tigrilans. She has not touched her food since it arrived. She picks herself together and begins taking notes on appearances, behaviour and conversation.

Suddenly jolting up and turning red, she feels cold sweat running down her spine. The CB radio. She took it with her into the place. So when one of the Tigrilans, the one eating the most - and most ravenously at that - speaks into his CB radio, hers echoes:

“Anyone in range of this transmission?”

@Madrias

5 Likes
206

Maroon Marauders - Part 4

Early evening, east of Missoula

Having refueled their car just before crossing the state line, the Maroon Marauders continued to maintain a steady pace. Few other teams were within sight, but at least they were running near the front - fourth overall, in fact. And thanks to the car’s comfortable ride and plush interior, they had not yet shown any sign of fatigue.

It was then that Gary began talking to himself: “So many of the other teams are having issues so soon, I hope at least some of them are equipped to deal with major mechanical emergencies. And even if they do, there’s no guarantee they can hold out for the whole race. I’m just hoping they stick around long enough to give us some real competition. In the meantime, we could be better off sticking to our plan of steady driving until the time comes to take a break.”

Denny somehow heard him and silently acknowledged the team’s plan to stick to their usual pace. With that, the Maroon Marauders continued on their way and drove off into the sunset… For the first time in the race.

4 Likes
207

Tiger Trouble

@Private_Miros

Kayden heard the CB “echo” and turned to face the source of the sound, his eyes focusing on Alice of Team Trinity. He spoke to his siblings in Tigrilan, “Anything happens, find safety,” before getting out of his seat. He walked toward Alice with a tiger’s grace, each step light on the floor, nearly silent despite his nearly 400 pound body, and despite wearing a robe that would make a Sith Lord jealous.

He sat down at Alice’s table, then said, “I believe introductions are in order. I am Kayden of the Tigrilan Warriors. Who are you?”

5 Likes
208

Team Trinity

Alice composed herself - silently swearing at John.

Nice to meet you Kayden. I am Alice of Team Trinity! Just having dinner here while my team mates are fixing the car.

She looked down at her untouched plate, and briefly considered saying “sorry, I hadn’t noticed you”, but that would have sounded less than convincing.

I am happy you guys came to say hi. I usually like talking but I drove the way here and felt a bit tired.

She had half stretched out her hand in his direction, but held back. She wasn’t sure whether shaking hands, or a paw, or whatever, was a good idea. Ask him something neutral, she thought.

How is the trip going? What brings you here?

Quickly adding:

To the competition I mean.

Meanwhile outside, John watched Matt as he added oil to the gearbox when Ivy Mike tugged on his leash and scratched the door to get back in.

We’re compromised. John mumbled.

We’re what now?

Finish up and go get Alice, we need to get going. Look at the clouds. I don’t want to be driving in the dark and in the rain.

John got back in the car, leaving Matt confused. But he shrugged and started packing up. Having done so, he walked into the direction of the Grill place that Alice was having dinner at.

4 Likes