Catalyst

fiction by michael werneburg

"No, Jim, nor the defense contractors. With her team badly spread out after the initial course was abandoned, team Antelope's defense platform followed the original leader, Harold Weaver. Weaver was well out in the leading pack, and was caught behind Larisa Kuan's destruction of the first marker. On hearing of the marker's destruction, he dropped out of the race."

"Along with some 190 others, it now seems."

"Yes, it's the most dramatic turn for a marker in an open race here in Dusylin since Edgar Haunce actually stole one of the markers in the third annual race."

"Right. Which prompted them to go with the larger plasti-ceramic markers they use today."

"You have to wonder what they'll be using next year!"

"If there'll be a next year, Dan. I should point out that we've registered reports of some 650 individual suits against the city, race organizers, and sponsors so far. Tilescu himself is facing suits from eight resident's associations and the families of four dead spectators, and the race isn't even over. We've got Grey Pharmaceuticals down twelve percent on the day, 3Tree Motorworks down seven percent, and the Sanford Brews Corporation down some four percent. Naturally, all of this excitement has been bringing in the viewers, though, and Megalomedia is up some twenty-one percent on the day!"

"That's incredible, Jim."

"It sure is, Dan, and I'd like to say hi to our record 4.6 billion viewers out there, across the world, on Luna, and in every orbital, spacer, and even on the Martian colonies. Of course, you folks will have to wait a few minutes, but this Megalomedia coverage is exclusive. Now," he continued, sounding almost as breathless as I felt, "we're joined by Doctor Tony Ashbito of the city's planning department. Welcome, Doctor,"

"Thank you, Jim, Dan. It's a pleasure to be here,"

"And such an occasion. Now, we've had that little inset window showing the progress of the race's leader, Cyrus Tilescu, for the last fifteen minutes. Can you tell me just where he is going in this wide-open race?"

"Well, I think I might, Jim. My guess is, he knows the city pretty well. In the last few minutes, he's diverged from a direct approach to the third marker in a way that suggests a solid knowledge of the Old Town."

"How so?"

"Well, he's selected a low-traffic route into an area that has had extensive renewal in the last few years; an area that's been redesigned for minimal traffic congestion and ease of navigation."

This analysis was news to me. I just thought I'd been avoiding the shopping district on a Saturday.

"What's more, he's avoided some of the worst street surface conditions in the Old Town by avoiding the harborfront on the one hand, and the West End on the other. He'll be making a left at Thomas Street, then a right onto Garland Boulevard. Then he's got the right of way all the way down Garland to the palace, and to the third marker."