Chapter Survival of the Chapter Survival of the Fastest

Chapter 1
The Last Race

The day of the race was as clear and perfect as any

other. The sun-globe fizzed in the bright, domed
sky, lighting up the shimmering steel towers of
the covered city. The silence was broken only by
the hum of the air purifiers, and by the babble of
eager voices as Zizi and his fellow runners emerged
into the starting enclosure, trying not to let the
excitement of the day overwhelm them.
“Now, remember,” Confucius said, his metal
voice barking from the hovering, human-shaped

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Chapter Survival of the
robot avatar he always wore when he was with his
pupils. “We’re expecting a good, clean race. Every
Intellect in the Link will be watching, not just here
in the city but out in the Solar System, and
beyond!”
Zizi felt a thrill in his belly. The thought of all
those great artificial minds watching him; of his
image being broadcast to Mars, to Jupiter, through
the Kuiper Belt and on to distant star systems – it
was inspiring and terrifying all at once.
And, of course, the Intellects wouldn’t be the
only ones watching. Inside the Academy, the
younger Trainees would be sitting eagerly by their
screens, each one dreaming of the day when it
would be them vying for the chance to join the
Winners Circle. And the Winners must be
watching too, in their Paradise Compound, waiting
to see which of these 13-year-old competitors
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would be next to join their elite assembly.
Zizi was determined that he would be the one.
“Before we begin,” Confucius went on,
addressing his invisible audience, “let me just say
that in the 263 years I have been preparing
Trainees for their Final Race, I cannot recall ever
seeing a stronger six. We are in for quite a show.”
Zizi felt a flush of pride and grinned back at the
floating robot. But Confucius wasn’t looking at
him. The avatar’s silver eyes were fixed on the girl
at Zizi’s side.
Why’s slender frame quivered with excitement
and, for a brief moment, something seemed to
pass between them – a secret glance that Zizi
didn’t understand. The robot nodded to her, then
he turned back.
“In lane one, Racer ZZ-872X,” Confucius said,
giving Zizi’s full name. “Current record: 67 race
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Chapter Survival of the
wins, 29 seconds, 9 thirds, one last.”
Zizi gritted his teeth. That last place had only
happened because he’d twisted his ankle and
couldn’t run. But it was still there on his record,
making him feel ashamed everytime he heard it.
“In lane two, Racer YV-491N,” Con went on, and
Why raised a hand. She was Zizi’s best friend, the
smartest person he knew. But he couldn’t stop
thinking about that look she’d shared with
Confucius. What was going on?
Lane three was occupied by WS-333G, the boy
they called Dubs; he was no match for Zizi, but
that wouldn’t stop him trying. Beside him stood
JA-983H, known as Jay; he wasabiglad with broad
shoulders, built for strength rather than speed.
He’dbe last, Zizi would beton it.
MW- 6 4 4 K – Em – was a skinny girl with a sharp
face and a quick sense of humour. Zizi would miss
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Chapter Survival of the Fastest
her when he joined the Winners. Which was more
than he could say for LZ-426B, the girl they called
Elle – she was Zizi’s only serious competition, a
laser-fast runner with absolutely no scruples. If
she had to knock him down to claim the win, she’d
do it.
All six took their positions, bodies poised
behind the starting barrier. Zizi felt the adrenaline
coursing through him; he’d never been so ready
for anything in his life.
“Know this,” Confucius told them, his old voice
scraping like rust. “It has been a pleasure to train
each and every one of you. I wish you good luck.
Now, GO!”
** *
The last word fell like a thunderclap and the
barrier dropped away. Zizi almost stumbled but he
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let the momentum take him, plunging down the
slope, the steel track smooth beneath his grip-
shoes. He felt a rush of intense joy and freedom as
the light from the sun-globe embraced him. The
towers of the city seemed to beckon him on.
He glanced over as they hit the flat, seeing Why
at his shoulder, winking as she caught his eye. The
boys had dropped back a metre or so, but beyond
them Zizi saw that Elle was neck and neck with
him, her face fixed, her legs pumping relentlessly.
The course they ran was never the same twice
– every tower in the city was constantly on the
move, the pathways between them shifting andre-
forming. Why said it had something to do with the
towers needing to access the thermal energy vents
that kept the city powered, but that was all over
Zizi’shead.
They hurtled into a long, crooked canyon, silver
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spires rising on either side. Zizi could hear the
rumble of machinery within, those ancient
mainframes that contained the Intellects
themselves, the mighty artificial intelligences that
had created the city and everything in it, including
him. There were factories in there too, he knew:
industrial plants built to manufacture the bottle-
ships that the Intellects sent into deep space,
fleets of solar-powered craft each manned by a
single Intellect, sending back regular reports to
expand their understanding of the universe.
The canyon narrowed, forcing them into pairs.
Zizi glanced across at Elle beside him, her head
down, her breath coming in short, controlled
puffs. He let himself ease off ever so slightly; the
others were too far back to catch him, and he
wanted Elle to think he was already getting tired.
Because he had a sneaking feeling that just around
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the next corner …
It worked. Elle put on a burst of speed, flying
into the bend. Zizi waited until he was clear of the
turn, then he surged, passing her in three long
bounds. He heard Elle gasp in horror as she
realised what he was doing, and what was just
ahead.
The ladder rose straight and narrow, climbing
the face of a tower. Zizi hadn’t known for sure it
was there, but he’d always had the knack of
guessing when the Intellects would throw in a
climb or an impediment, just to keep things
interesting. He bounded forward, landing with
both feet on the fifth rung and hauling himself up.
Elle clambered up behind him, groaning in
frustration.
Looking up, he felt his stomach turn over. This
was no ordinary ladder – it was what they called a
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dome-scraper, from the very bottom of a tower to
the very top. It could be 400 metres or more: a
brutal climb designed to sap their strength, to test
their limits. Zizi was just glad he was the first one
up.
He forced himself on, muttering the words of
an old song that Confucius used to play on his
scratchy squawk box when Zizi was barely a
Trainee. “ We’re climbing up the sunshine
mountain ,” he mumbled. “ Faces all aglow. We’re
climbing up the sunshine mountain, where the little
breezes blow .” He had no idea what a mountain
was, or breezes. But even if the song meant
nothing, it still gave him strength.
The dome was close now, the square panels
visible. The sun-globe was about a hundred metres
to his left, its humming warmth powering him on.
Then suddenly, the ladder ended.
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He crawled onto the roof of the tower, pain
stabbing through every muscle. He heard Elle
behind him and staggered to his feet, crossing the
broad, flat roof at a run before skidding to a halt
on the far side.
Leading from the roof was a steel bridge to the
next tower, just wide enough for two to run side
by side. But there was a catch – the adjoining
tower was a good twenty metres shorter than the
one they’d just climbed, meaning that the bridge
sloped downward, not steeply, but just enough to
make things very uncomfortable. One wrong move
and it’dbe a long drop to the canyon below.
Zizi stepped cautiously onto the bridge,
stomach lurching as his foot landed. But he
couldn’t afford to slowdown; Elle was right behind
him, barely pausing as she stepped up beside him.
Zizi took another step, and another, trying not to
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look down. He was almost halfway now. He was
going to make it.
Then he heard a shout and turned. Why had
approached the bridge at a run, so fast that she’d
lost her footing and slipped; now she was dangling
by one hand, the other flailing desperately. Em
had slowed, looking back in horror. Both Jay and
Dubs were still crossing the rooftop.
Zizi froze. He couldn’t go back. He couldn’t. It
wasn’this responsibility.
But she’s your best friend , a voice said. You
can’t just let her fall.
It was true. Zizi and Why had been inseparable
since before either of them could remember;
they’d been grown in adjoining gene-pods, and
they’d run together in more races than Zizi could
count. Why was kind, she was funny and she was
fast – but it was her mind that fascinated him the
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most. She had a thirst for knowledge that amazed

Zizi, and she was always asking questions. She’d
got that name for a reason.
For Zizi, everything he needed to know was
right in front of him. He knew that the Intellects
had created him for one reason: to race. He knew
that the races existed to give these all-powerful
beings entertainment, to offer an element of
chance and unpredictability in their rigidly
ordered universe. And he knew that if he won,
he’d live the rest of his life in luxury, under the
Intellects’ protection.
“But what if you lose?” Why had asked him
once. “What happens then?”
But Zizi had just shrugged. He didn’t want to
think about that. Why would he?
Why’s constant questioning did frustrate him
sometimes. Who cared what was outside the
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dome? What did it matter where the Intellects had
come from in the first place? But this same
curiosity had endeared her to Confucius, the old
Intellect responsible for training the runners. He
had taken Why under his wing, giving her special
lessons and extra attention. Zizi wasn’t jealous,
quite the opposite. And it hadn’t affected their
friendship. Nothing could, he knew that.
Except … sometimes he wondered. If he
did come first and join the Winners, would he ever
see
her again? He didn’t know. He didn’t want to.
Right now, all he knew was that he didn’t want
her to fall.
** *
Elle grinned as Zizi turned back, ducking aside
and allowing him to pass. He dodged past Em too,
then he dropped to his knees, reaching for Why’s

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wrist. She kicked desperately, and Zizi tried to pull
her up, but his arms were already exhausted from
the climb. He couldn’t pull her up. He couldn’t
even hold on, not for long.
Then suddenly Jay was at his side, crouching
down and taking hold of Why’s collar. Together
they hauled her in, heaving the girl back onto the
bridge. Why rolled onto her back, breathing
harshly, looking up at Ziziashe got to his feet.
“You–” she began, but he cut her off.
“Later,” he said, turning away to rejoin the race.
He bounded past Em just as they reached the
far side of the bridge, stumbling down the sloping
roof to another ladder on the far side. Elle was
already metres below him, dropping five rungs at a
time, vanishing into the shadows. Zizi cursed and
followed.
At the base of the ladder was another steep
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roof, where a sudden rush of air from a three-
bladed fan almost blasted them down into the
canyon below. Then there was a huge jump to
another bridge, and beyond that another ladder,
this one wide enough for two. But try as he might,
Zizi couldn’t catch Elle. His arms protested, his
legs cramped. Still, he forced himself on.
From the peak of the next tower, he saw an
extraordinary sight. The Paradise Compound lay
spread out below them, its lush lawns dappled by
great, spreading trees. Zizi had seen it once before,
on the first day of Training: they’d all been
granted a brief glimpse, so they’d know what they
were fighting for.
But that was half his lifetime ago, and now his
heart lifted to see it again. The Winners peered up,
sipping drinks and cheering as Elle burst into view,
with Zizi not too far behind her. He threw himself
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forward, ready now for the final push.
They came to a ramp snaking downward, walled
by towers on one side and a row of vast, rumbling
air vents on the other. Elle started down and Zizi
followed, the hot blast enclosing him as he ran,
drenching him in sweat. He dared a glance back
and saw Em and Dubs following, with Jay and Why
not far behind. Why’s face was pale and strained,
but she was still running.
At the base of the ramp, Zizi could make out
the finish line, a silver ribbon shimmering in the
shadows. Confucius floated above it, arms
outstretched to welcome them. Elle was still ahead
but Zizi was closing now, summoning the very last
of his strength. He put his head down and willed
himself to overtake her, hearing her hoarse
breaths coming closer, sure he could do it, certain
he could–
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There was a flash of light and a noise louder
than anything he had ever heard. Something
struck Zizi, a force that knocked him flying,
slamming him into the nearest tower. He rolled,
gasping and blinking, and for a moment he
thought he’d gone blind. But no, there was just a
thick smoke in the air, a foul fog gushing from one
of the vents. As he staggered up, Zizi saw that the
face of it had been torn open, the metal twisted
and melted by the explosion. Inside, machinery
roared and screeched.
Then through the smoke he saw a figure
approaching the vent, stumbling forward. It was
Why, and there were others with her – Em and
Jay, blinking through the fog. Em stepped
forward, peering into the vent. Then to Zizi’s
astonishment,
she vanished into the darkness.
He cried out in horror and Why turned,
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spotting him. She waved frantically.
“Come on!” she shouted over the drone of the
purifiers. “We’re leaving!”
Zizi looked at her blankly. His heart was
thudding; he had no idea what was happening.
“ Leaving? Where? ”
“Away from here!” Why told him. “We’re
getting out of the city. You have to come, we need
you. I need you. Please!”
Zizi pointed through the fog, off towards the
finish line. There was no sign of Elle, but he had
no doubt that she was still running. “But I can
win!” he protested.
Why ran to him, taking hold of his arm.
“Forget the race,” she said. “Come with us. It’s
your only chance!”
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Chapter Survival of the Fastest
And now you decide...
What should Zizi do?
A) Follow Why and the others into the
tunnel
B) Keep running, and try to win the race
C) Stay where he is and wait for help to
arrive
Go to en.fictionexpress.com and vote
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