Displacer tech is what the professional world calls a 'disruptive technology'. Just like grav-thrusters, AI, quantum computers and the older tech like the internet, nuclear weapons, the personal computer, all the back to agriculture, for whoever had it, it was a game changer, affecting the world in unpredictable ways. It altered the daily lives of everybody totally changing how people thought about transportation, safety, medicine and a thousand other industries. Mega conglomerates had dumped billions into R&D developing it, each making separate progress and breakthroughs. If this was a better world, humanity would have all banded together and figured it out years, maybe even decades earlier. But this was not a better world. That meant that for an enterprising thief, there was profit to be made.
Ari grew up on the streets, begging and stealing to survive. That changed the day he stole his first grav-cycle. From that day forward he was a courier. Maybe the riskiest position to hold in a petty criminal empire, but a good courier would make huge money by the standards of other petty criminals.
At first it was drugs, but as time moved forward the couriers found an even more profitable business, information. In a world of quantum computers and AI encryption breakers transferring trade secrets over the air or wire was practically begging to have it stolen.
Legitimate businesses usually used heavily armoured trucks and former soldiers to guard their precious cargo, but sometimes there were cracks in the security that only a few well placed individuals knew about.
At first, the racing was just a way for Ari to launder the courier money, but it led him to his big break. Sometimes he would end up chatting with his fans. Sometimes talking would lead to drinks. And sometimes, if you found the right person, that was the right kind of drunk and the right kind of pissed off at their bosses... well that's when Ari learned to pay his employees well.
It wasn't stealing and selling the information that made Ari a wealthy man. It made him a nice chunk of change, but all the big players were publicly traded companies. Knowing who to bet on and who to bet against when it came to the tech race made sure Ari came out on top.
That job made Ari a lot of enemies and even lost him a few friends, but Ari would never need to work another day in his life.
But like they say, the worst thing you can do to a person is give them everything they ever wanted. Fortunately, Ari always wanted more.
Tuesday had arrived and Ari had been smuggled into the venue early. The recent attempt of his life had certainly frazzled him, but failing to show up to his public appearance would make some of Ari's customers nervous. Almost as importantly the races were important networking opportunities for him. So with Grant's assurances about the extra man power as well as the venue's security being on high alert Ari had made his way to the track and was warming up on the simulator. By the time he had to make his way to the track Ari was feeling like his old self again. The ritual of the whole thing calmed him. Gearing up, mounting his brand new grav-cycle, courtesy of Hei Long automotive, and rolling up to the starting gate as the announcer called his name and the crowd cheered were all familiar enough to get him into the zone. Beside him Ed Wierczyk looked over at him with a strange, almost cocky look. Ed's bike looking practically cobbled together but something about his demeanour had changed. Ed looked over at him, and to Ari's great surprise, gave him a thumbs up and a coy smile. Ari, knowing the crowd was watching, returned the gesture, but this was certainly off-putting for someone that had been his rival. Was this just a display of good sportsmanship from Ed? Ari found that unlikely. He knew something, or he'd done something.
"Grant!"
"Yiah boss, what's up?" his bodyguard replied.
"They checked out this bike? It's totally clean?"
"Absolutely, triple check by our guys and Hei Long's. All the racers were scanned as they went in too. You're totally safe in there. If racers start dying on the track all the sponsors would back out. You're golden, Boss!"
All the same Ari felt the off. Was Ed involved in the attempt on his life?
"BOSS!", Grant's voice pulled Ari back to reality, "Are you good?"
"I'm fine. Head in the game..."
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