Philotes, Goddess of Friendship & Affection (philotes) wrote in history_dot_com, @ 2012-05-07 13:50:00 |
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Entry tags: | ~hermod, ~philotes |
The Need For Speed [Black Rock Desert, 1925] (tag: Hermod)
It was ridiculously hot, but that was probably to be expected. Philotes was standing in the middle of a gigantic dry lake bed in the middle of a desert. There was no shade to be found except the small bit afforded by shadow cast by her supercar. With the panel up so she could tinker with the engine, the top half of her was covered, slightly protected from the merciless rays of the sun beating down on her, but she felt a bit like she had stuck her head in an oven. No air stirred to bring relief. Her torso was baking and her legs were frying. But if she could just get a little bit more out of her engine, Lottie was sure she could make it nearly fly.
The Bugatti Type 35 was already one of the fastest cars in the world. It had an overhead cam straight-8 engine that gave her 90 horsepower to play with. But that was just the beginning. From the leaf springs to the alloy wheels, the car was the ultimate machine for creating speed. The very best part was the hollow front axle that reduced weight. The Type 35 was created for racing, not touring, and it wasn't the most comfortable ride she'd ever had. But in a man-made contraption, it was the fastest.
And she loved it.
She didn't really love her location so much, but that couldn't be avoided. Salt flats and playas and dry lake beds were turning out to be the best places to run vehicles like this. Of the people that had automobiles, most of them would be appalled, and possibly terrified, at the speeds she was attempting to reach. Anything over 40 miles per hour was considered very fast on regular roads; Lottie wanted to go a lot faster than that. And mortal men would tell her she shouldn't be allowed to try, because she was a woman. So it wasn't as though she could drive down the road, even a very straight road, without interruption or obstructions getting in her way.
Her first choice had been the Bonneville Salt Flats, but it was getting to be a popular place to make speed runs these days, and that was where she was informed that ladies didn't do that. Rather than argue and have her day ruined, Friendship decided to find another spot. The Black Rock Desert, her second option, turned out to be blissfully quiet today. Which was perfect, because she was finished with her tinkering and ready to make another run. Philotes was certain she'd reach at least 115 miles per hour this time. She'd come really close last time.
But just as she was bending over at the front of her car to crank it up, Lottie heard the sound of another vehicle. Kind of. It wasn't like anything she'd heard before, though. Standing straight, she shaded her eyes and looked around. There to the west, a little dust cloud was following... something. It wasn't a car though. She was sort of annoyed that she was being interrupted, but there was also a strong curiosity about what was coming her way.