Witcher of UA

Chapter 28

UA - Afternoon

A day later. Letho decided to take Vesemir outside the UA for... training. Nezu agreed, so the two Witchers met in the UA employee parking lot... Letho's car had been imported from the USA.

Vesemir stared at the strange machine he'd never seen before... it was definitely a car... but the boy hadn't been in this world long enough to distinguish between car brands... The machine was matte black... and looked like some kind of monster.

Letho smiled.

"Cool, right? It's a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. A man has to look good on the street."

Vesemir walked slowly around the vehicle, examining its silhouette. The headlights looked like the eyes of a predator. Letho opened the door, got behind the wheel, and started the engine.

RAWRRRRRRRR

The Hellcat's engine roared. Vesemir instinctively took a step back, reaching for his sword. Letho just waved his hand,

"Relax, young one. It's just a machine. Get in, we're already late."

"Late for what?"

"To learn something you'll like. I promise."

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Their journey took about 40 minutes. They drove halfway across the city. Vesemir once again admired the view from the vehicle's window. He also discovered that on the right side of the seat were a series of various buttons that allowed him to adjust the seat for his comfort.

Letho finally turned towards the underground parking lot. He pulled up to an old ticket booth, painted in various patterns by local 'artists.' He lowered the window and showed some kind of badge to the camera. The entrance gate creaked open, and they drove inside.

"Where are we? What is this place?"

"You've probably seen machines called cars and motorcycles in this world. People use them for transportation... but there are also those who use these machines for entertainment."

The Hellcat drove through another open gate, and Vesemir saw... a new world he would soon become a part of.

Loud music played from the wall-mounted speakers. Rows of cars and motorcycles of all makes and colors. Groups of people in various outfits, from leather jackets to fluorescent tracksuits, stood by the machines, chatting, laughing, exchanging money, and provoking fights.

Two motorcycles were racing along the designated route. Vesemir could only make out two streaks, vying for victory.

Letho's Hellcat stopped at the designated VIP area. Letho got out of the car and greeted the short man.

"Koyoshi!"

"Letho!"

They both shook hands. Vesemir got out. Koyoshi eyed him.

"Who did you bring me here, Viper?"

"This is my nephew. Vesemir. He needs to learn how to ride a motorcycle. The guys from the L.A. underground said you have a cool bike the young one could learn to ride."

Koyoshi threw his hands up.

"Fuck! Benny always tells everyone everything. Okay. I owe you for that stunt in Las Vegas."

He turned toward Vesemir.

"Welcome to the club, Vesemir. Come on, we'll get you set up in a minute."

Vesemir looked at the man with a slight detachment, but without fear. Koyoshi might be short, but his knife was visible under his leather jacket. He carried it so no one would notice... of course, Vesemir was used to something like this.

"Will this be your first time on a motorcycle?"

"Yeah... I've been riding horses my whole life."

Koyoshi looked at Letho.

"Oh fuck. That means you'll have the same habits as Letho. Okay, kid, listen. A motorcycle IS NOT alive. It's not a horse that can change direction on its own. Here, you have complete control over the machine. It won't accelerate, turn, or stop for you."

Vesemir nodded. The last time he'd been this close to motorcycles... his first day in this world. He didn't even know what they were back then.

"Well, let's go to the simulator. On the simulator, you'll learn the basic movements. How to turn and accelerate. How to shift gears, and so on."

Koyoshi led them away from the crowd to his private workshop. Koyoshi placed his hand on the palm scanner, and the lock clicked softly, and the door opened.

It was dark inside, only to be illuminated a moment later by LED lights. The room had a distinct style... a concrete floor painted checkerboard. There were numerous posters of naked girls on the walls, and in the corner were several crates of parts. In the center sat a real motorcycle, securely mounted on a simulation platform, which was connected to computers by a multitude of cables.

"Yamaha R7. Perfect for learning. I modified this model myself."

Vesemir approached the machine and ran his hand over the fuel tank, feeling the coolness of the metal. His entire life had been tied to horses... but now he was about to ride a steel steed from another world.

"This...this is...beautiful..."

Letho laughed.

"Wait until you master the simulator, and then we'll hit the real streets. Just don't get caught by the police, because you don't have a license."

Koyoshi tossed Vesemir a black helmet.

"Put it on and get on the bike. The helmet has a voice system and VR. He'll explain what to do step by step."

Vesemir sat on the motorcycle, feeling the entire structure shift slightly under his weight. Inside the helmet was a black mask, which he had put on before putting it on.

The owner of the simulator stepped closer and closed his visor. Instantly, a track appeared before Vesemir's eyes. A strange, mechanical voice entered his ears, explaining the correct positions of his arms, legs, and the names of the parts.

"Welcome to the driving simulator.

Mode: Beginner.

Hands on the handlebars.

Right hand – throttle.

Left – clutch.

Right foot – rear brake.

Left foot – gear shift.

Ready?"

The system registered his correct position. Vesemir nodded.

"Starting simulation."

The motorcycle roared. Vesemir felt hundreds, if not thousands, of micro-vibrations. He didn't yet know that this was a feeling of... power.

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The first corner was easy... the second... the third... but the fourth was too sharp. He leaned too much, and the system immediately caught it.

"Warning: Excessive lean. Collision inevitable."

After a moment, Vesemir saw a video of him leaning too much into the corner. The simulator showed him the crash and then reset to the previous position. Now he made it around the same corner without much trouble.

With each passing minute, Vesemir understood more and more how the machine worked. He wanted to ride the bike like a horse, but that was pointless. He adapted very quickly to the situation.

"Too abrupt clutch use. Speed loss. Correction recommended."

The system said again.

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Vesemir completed the track several times. Each time, he made fewer and fewer mistakes. Riding a motorcycle was easy.... When he crossed the finish line, a ghost appeared in front of him on a motorcycle.

"Unlocked - Ghostmode"

Vesemir looked at the ghost and realized after a few turns that the simulator was showing him his final lap... this was going to be interesting. Vesemir felt a surge of adrenaline. Now it was a duel...

He leaned lower. He took a wider corner to launch himself out of it like a slingshot. He easily outran the ghost. The next lap was more difficult... because each time he won, he was racing against an improved version of himself.

After his fourth victory, every corner became a challenge, every acceleration a test of instinct and control. He began experimenting. Body balance, earlier corner entry, shorter braking distances.

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Letho smiled, watching Vesemir perform. Koyoshi commented.

"Not bad. He's started correcting his own mistakes. The machine stopped pointing them out... he even started experimenting..."

Letho folded his arms across his chest and regarded Vesemir with quiet appreciation. The boy had just defeated another ghost... exceeding 180 kilometers per hour. Koyoshi glanced at the monitors, then at Letho.

"Someone riding a motorcycle for the first time shouldn't pick up the nuances of the track so quickly."

Letho shrugged.

"The boy had to adapt quickly to survive. Now he's adapting out of pure competition with himself."

Koyoshi nodded approvingly.

"He'll be a hell of a racer in a few months. We'll have to get him into racing."

Letho chuckled quietly to himself.

"If he wants to, there's no problem."

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Vesemir was sweating from the exertion. He was tired, but also satisfied. He'd spent two hours in the simulator. He was sad to see such a... outstanding experience end. He and Letho watched a few races together. Vesemir watched intently as people with more experience than him navigated the corners.

Late that evening, on the way back to the UA, Letho decided to make sure Vesemir understood the situation.

"Listen, kid. Here's the thing. Don't tell anyone where I took you. It's illegal."

Vesemir nodded, sitting in the passenger seat and looking out the window.

"You don't have to tell me that, Letho. I actually remember you throwing sand in my eyes throughout training... and I was deafened by your punches... er... where were we anyway?"

Letho nodded with a slight smile.

"We'll go there every few days. We also need to sort out your own motorcycle, but that's for later. I think I'll have something suitable for you."

End of Chapter 28