Massal Stories

Dune Runners

An illustrated story by Neon Harbor · Action · Futuristic · All ages · English, Spanish

A teenage junkyard mechanic races her rebuilt hover-bike against a champion team that will do anything to win.

Sol Ortega has rebuilt her grandfather's old hover-bike, Comet, from junkyard parts, just in time for the Great Dune Race of 2240. Team Helix's manager Marta Voss sees how fast it is and has it sabotaged. Sol fixes it mid-race, but a sandstorm swallows the canyon, and in the storm she finds Helix's champion Jett stranded. She can win, or she can turn back.

Characters

  • Sol Ortega (Mechanic and racer): A sixteen-year-old junkyard mechanic who rebuilt her grandfather's racing bike.
  • Abuelo Tomás (Retired champion): Sol's grandfather, who won the Great Dune Race forty years ago.
  • Jett Kade (Team Helix's champion): Team Helix's seventeen-year-old star rider, arrogant on the outside.
  • Marta Voss (Team Helix manager): The ruthless manager of Team Helix, who hates to lose.

Episode 1: The Junkyard Bike

Sol brings Comet back to life and enters the race, but Team Helix sees the threat and sabotages her bike.

Sol works on Comet at dawn.

Year 2240. The Great Dune Race starts tomorrow.

Sol Ortega: Come on, Comet. One more spark.

The engine roars to life.

VRRMMM!

Abuelo Tomás: Ha! She sings like she did forty years ago!

Tomás gives Sol his old racing goggles.

Abuelo Tomás: These won the race once. Your turn.

Sol Ortega: I won't let you down, Abuelo.

At registration, Jett mocks the junkyard bike.

Jett Kade: A junkyard bike? Cute.

Sol Ortega: Cute and fast.

Voss scans Comet from the VIP tower.

Marta Voss: That engine is better than ours. Make sure it never finishes.

At night, a shadow tampers with Comet.

That night, someone visited the pit lane.

Race morning at the start line.

Jett Kade: Try to keep up.

Sol Ortega: Try to stay in front.

The race starts; Sol shoots ahead.

GO!

Comet sputters: sabotage.

Sol Ortega: Someone loosened my stabilizer!

Sol fixes it and sees a sandstorm coming.

Sol Ortega: Fixed. Now... what is THAT?

And then the sky turned brown.

Episode 2: The Storm

In the sandstorm Sol finds Jett stranded and turns back to save him; together they expose Voss and cross the line side by side.

Sol rides into the storm with Abuelo's goggles.

Sol Ortega: Abuelo's goggles. Good thing I brought them.

Jett's bike is stuck in the sand.

Jett Kade: Help! My engine's full of sand!

Sol sees the finish beacon and hesitates.

Sol Ortega: If I stop now, I lose the race.

Sol turns back and throws a tow cable.

Sol Ortega: Grab the cable!

Jett Kade: Why would you help me?

Sol tows Jett through the storm.

Sol Ortega: Because racing's no fun alone!

Jett recognises Helix's tool marks on Comet.

Jett Kade: Those are Helix tool marks... Voss did this.

They burst out of the storm and cross the line together.

WHOOSH!

They crossed the line together.

Jett exposes Voss on the big screen.

Jett Kade: Team Helix cheated. Sol deserves this win.

Marta Voss: Jett! Be quiet!

Tomás hugs his champion granddaughter.

Abuelo Tomás: My granddaughter, champion of the dunes!

At sunset, rivals become teammates.

Jett Kade: Need a co-pilot next year?

Sol Ortega: Only if you can hold a wrench.

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