Page 52 of Knot So Lucky

"Copy that," Marco's voice crackles back. "We're logging the telemetry."

I accelerate again, bringing the car back up to speed as Cale slows slightly. His prototype pulls alongside mine, matching my velocity so we're driving in formation.

The sensation is surreal—racing side by side with one of the most talented drivers in the sport, both of us pushing these experimental machines to their limits while diagnostics stream back to the pit crew in real-time.

"Good acceleration response," I note, watching my speed climb past acceptable testing parameters. "Top speed could definitely beat our competitors. But whatever's causing the brake fade is holding us back from making clean, late braking entries into corners."

"Agreed," Cale's voice comes through the comm. "I'm getting similar feedback on my unit."

"If he's all talk," Dante's voice cuts in with sneering condescension, "why doesn't he actuallyracewith me instead of being so superstitious about all this technical bullshit?"

I sigh, the sound deliberately loud through the open mic.

"You're acting like a child who isn't getting what he wants."

"And you're acting like you belong here," Dante shoots back. "You're just an invisible tech. We don't even benefit from your presence."

The pit crew channel erupts immediately.

"Hey, watch it?—"

"He's talking to one of the best?—"

"Show some fucking respect?—"

Dante's laugh is ugly, sharp with malice.

"The bestin the shadows, maybe. Where he belongs."

I don't respond.

Won't give him the satisfaction of knowing his words landed, even though they hit closer to truth than he realizes. Iamin the shadows. By necessity, by choice, by the simple biological reality that Omegas aren't supposed to be here.

But that doesn't mean I'm less talented.

Dante's car surges forward, accelerating aggressively as he tries to assert dominance through speed.

Fine. Two can play that game.

I increase my speed, matching his acceleration curve while my mind continues processing the mechanical issues. The brake fade is consistent across multiple applications, which suggests a systemic problem rather than localized component failure. If it's affecting all three prototypes, the issue is likely in the base design specifications—something simple that got overlooked in the rush to production.

Maybe as simple as a loose connection.A calibration error.Something fixable in hours rather than days.

Cale slows down further, his voice coming through the comm with an edge of concern.

"Something's off. I'm getting weird resistance in the steering at high speeds."

I frown, my eyes tracking the telemetry displayed on my dashboard while simultaneously monitoring the track ahead and Dante's aggressive driving beside me.

Even with just visual observation, I can see what needs to be fixed. The way all three cars are handling suggests a common fault point—something in the suspension geometry or aerodynamic package that's creating instability.

Could be as simple as a loose mounting bolt.

A miscalibrated sensor.

Something that slipped through quality control because everyone was focused on the bigger picture instead of the fundamental details.

I wonder if all three models are dealing with the same issue, or if there are individual variations that need addressing.