I ride and he runs. We claw and kick our way to the front, and if we win the race, we patch ourselves up and do it all over again. It's a means to an end. It's a living. Giselk and I are partners in this—human and alien, scraping out an existence through a brutal sport, sticking together because we're all the other has.

But Giselk wants more. He wants to run until we're at the top. All I want is a way off this planet, a quieter life. I'm afraid the top's going to break us. But getting out of here doesn't mean anything if Giselk's not with me. And if I say no to the races, we might not be a team anymore, on or off the track.