Johnson

Johnson was a legend in the world of Varis, a place where speed is everything. Here, the sport of auto racing was monopolized by the rich and elite until Johnson became the first commoner to break that mold. But just when he shocked the world by winning his first official race, he disappeared without a trace.

The only person who had any idea where Johnson was was an old man who claimed to have gotten into his car. According to him, Johnson was driving so fast that he was tearing the fabric of space and going beyond the stars. However, everyone who heard the story simply dismissed the old man as senile.

This old man led an ordinary life and spent most of his life in the city's slums. He worked in construction in his youth and helped build many of the city's extravagant landmarks, including the famous Varis Speedway. He earned a meager salary for his work, but loved gazing at the lights of downtown and getting lost in their promises of a better life. The years passed and he grew older. He could no longer work as before, but his debts continued to accumulate. The debt collectors' visits became increasingly frequent and violent, and one night they came looking for blood.

The old man was running with everything he had, but he felt like he was sinking into the mud. Surely this city he helped build would give him a way out, right? Little did he know that his salute was heading towards him at 180 miles an hour...

“Hey, get in the car!”

The old man was suddenly pulled into the passenger seat by a firm grip as his pursuers disappeared in the rearview mirror. Everything happened so quickly that the old man only saw a flash of light and believed that he was finally going to meet his maker.

When he came to his senses, he realized that the driver was only a child. A young boy who took up almost the entire driver's seat.

It was the first time the old man had ridden in Johnson's car. He had spent his whole life in Varis, but he had never seen the city like this; at least not at this speed. Johnson drove like he was possessed, speeding through every corner of the city. They were moving so fast that the outside world seemed to move in slow motion.

“My dad always told me to be fast!”

The old man did not know what kind of father this boy had, but the boy spoke about him with a sparkle in his eyes and kept these words dear to his heart. For the first time, the old man began to understand why the people of Varis kept saying that speed was a passion and that the pinnacle of speed was the limits of the universe. After experiencing such extreme speed, he gained a deeper understanding of the city.

People were always coming and going in a hurry, and all this was illustrated by the words of Johnson's father: "Be quick!" »

The old man did not see the boy again for many years after that fateful ride. He returned to the construction site even though he was too old and sick for the job. He looked up just as a pipe fell from the upper floors. He closed his eyes and believed that he would finally be free of his debts.

Suddenly there was another flash of light, and a silhouette, or rather the silhouette of a car, appeared at full speed and grabbed the old man. For a moment, he couldn't understand what he was seeing...

"I've gotten faster, haven't I? Hahaha!"

It was Johnson! He has become... half machine, half car? A roaring engine was now Johnson's new heart, and a carbon frame was his body. On both sides of him were exhaust pipes that looked like bottle rockets. In this world where speed is everything, the old man couldn't think of a body more suitable for Johnson.

But it was tragedy that led to this moment. Johnson and his father were in a terrible car accident and only Johnson survived the accident. He had no money to pay for expensive prosthetics, so he allowed doctors to perform an experimental procedure to fuse him with his car.

The old man frowned. This child had managed to escape death. And not once, but twice! Despite his age, he saw in Johnson the true meaning of speed. It was strange, but real.

As the old man said goodbye to Johnson for the second time, he had the feeling that they would one day meet at the ends of the universe.

The old man's life then passed uneventfully, until the day he saw Johnson on a jumbotron, crossing the finish line at Varis Speedway. This kid had performed a miracle! He was the first commoner to win an official race. He became a pioneer and a beacon of hope for the lower class; the catalyst that will change this world forever.

Excitement rose in the old man's veins and he began to dream of becoming like Johnson; having passion pumped through a roaring engine in his soul.

Johnson did not appear on the podium after his victory. As he crossed the finish line, something triggered in his mechanical body and a blinding light appeared in front of him, like a door to another world. And just like that, Johnson, who had just become a legend in his world, disappeared into the light.

"Johnson was my apprentice, you know. Now he's among the stars. There! It's him!"

The old man got his wish and became like Johnson, and now lives his life at breakneck speed. In his free time, the old man would tell stories about his time with Johnson. He still believes that if you can move fast enough, you can leave this mundane world and soar into the cosmos, just like Johnson did.

Johnson, at that time, had just arrived in a strange new world. For him, it simply meant new faces to meet, new places to explore, and new speed limits to exceed.

"Hey, you with the ponytails. Want to race?"

The roar of its engine echoed throughout Eruditio.