Earth Racer
I’m not sure how I got elected the PR person. I guess of the three of us, I was the only one who didn’t have a solid role to play in the actual racing, and they wanted me to feel like part of the team.
Oh, I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Carol Petty-Foyt. The oldest of three children who are the direct descendants of racing royalty. My sister Alison is the grease-monkey - give her an engine, and she can pull it apart and put it back together again in no time flat.
Then there is Michael, or as he is popularly known now, the Earth Racer. If there was ever you wanted someone in the driver’s seat of a car with everything on the line, it’s him.
Which worked out really well when the Archons came, and demanded someone represent Earth in their races.
Well. “demanded” might be a bit strong. The Archons aren’t the bad guys. They are more like referees, charged with making sure we’d have a fair chance of keeping our planet under our own control.
The species we actually race against for our planet are called the Dar’ones, or just “the Dark Ones”. And thanks to what the Archons showed us of what happens to planets they win, well, it didn’t take much to get Earth on board in terms of doing whatever we could to prevent them having our planet.
And once everybody realized it would involve racing, Michael was the obvious choice, even among other racers.
However while everybody knew the consequences of losing, nobody knew that winning would have a price as well.
And it would be Michael that paid it.
We discovered that price after the first of the twelve races when Michael, instead of wanting to celebrate his victory, pulled my sister Alison and I away from the crowds and dragged us back to our house.
That’s when he told us about the special boost that had been given to him for the races. He, being a rule-abiding guy, checked with the Archons, and got the go-ahead to use the boost. But the boost came with a cost. By a process I cant even begin to understand, the boost draws a fraction of Michael’s maleness as its source of power. So by using the boost, his right hand is now a woman’s hand - slender fingers, no hair, and even the nails look like a woman’s.
Michael was so freaked out, he asked us to keep his change a secret, and vowed that he’d find a way to win the remaining races without the boost.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep that vow.
We discovered that when after the second race he got out of the car and limped to meet us.
Eventually, I was tasked with telling the world he’d suffered a very minor issue with his left foot, but it wouldn’t prove a handicap in the next race.
I suppose that was at least technically true. His left foot now was as feminine as his right hand, but some thicker socks allowed him to not need a special shoe to keep racing.
At this point, I wondered if my brother would stop racing, maybe find someone to take his place. But to give him all the credit in the world, he decided the risk of losing was just too large to risk anybody else.
Which brings us to today. Any time now, the last race will be over, and barring some kind of mechanical failure, Earth will be safe forever from the Dark ones.
But unless I am very much mistaken, the person who will step out of the winning car wont be Michael anymore, but a girl named Michelle, and she’ll be a girl all the way through.
Racing isn’t always been known for it’s acceptance of women, much less what Michelle has become, but I’m hoping saving the Earth counts for something, and people will not turn against her once her secret is out.
Since, at least as far as I know, Michael never even dreamed of being a girl, the adjustment ahead is going to be difficult, to say the least.
So I’m posting this ahead of time, in hopes she gets the support she deserves as the savior of Earth, and not negativity because of her gender change.
So spread the word, wont you?
End.
Comments
nice chapter
Ill wait for the next one
no next chapter planned
unless, of course, you want to write it.
Interesting
Hope that you continue the story looks like it could become a good one
I have no plans to at the moment
but if my muse sends me more, I'll pass it along!
Thanks for commenting.
Awww
I know it was intended to be a short, but that's such a neat premise to a story that I'd love to see more, if your muse decides that's something she wants =]
Sara
glad you liked the premise, Sara
I hope Michelle's story isnt over yet, but we'll all have to see.
We can spread the word
Dorothy
We can spread the word, Yes , how many will listen and accept
although they are still far too many who will only listen to
what they wish and see only what they wish to see.
Give Michelle open support and not hidden silent support
Thank you for posting Dorothy
SamanthaAnn
we can hope she got all the support she needed
be nice to think that's what would happen, isn't it?
thanks for commenting.
So
Does Michelle Petty-Foyt become the first female NASCAR Cup Series champion, thus carrying on the dynasty? Thanks for a cute story Dorothy.
carrying on the dynasty
well, after racing for Earth, would winning a cup be an anti-climax?
Thanks for the comment!
You're right, nothing left to prove for sure
But then many people don't like to quit while they are ahead. I guess the reader can speculate if adapting to the sex change will be enough of a challenge. Sounds pretty daunting.
I Think It's Complete
It's a lovely little story with an internally logical end. There's nothing more to be achieved by continuing it. Michael is now Michelle and she needs her own story.
thanks, Joanne
maybe my muse will let us peek in on Michelle's adjustments.
A cute short story. Sure
A cute short story. Sure there may be other chapters added while the life goes on and there is always what write about just it would be other story. This one is cute while it's written well and it's finished.
glad you liked it.
thank you for commenting !
Danica Needs a Friend
Thanks for the story.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Thanks, Jill
Maybe Danica is their mom !
giggles ...
Out of the Blue
Um, this was out of the blue. I assume Dot understood the reference...?
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)
Danica Patrick
was a female race car driver: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danica_Patrick
Really nice "beginning"
This is a really neat story, though it does need to continue in order to follow Michael's adjustment to Michelle. And how Earth treats their hero.
Others have feelings too.
no plans to continue this right now
but if my muse sends me more of this one, I'll be sure to share!
So Did It Work?
Was Michelle given a hero's welcome, applauded ever more for her sacrifice to saving the earth? Or was she received badly?
This was a nice quick story. We didn't have the suspense of whether we'd actually win -- that was a foregone conclusion.
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)