"If you are aiming for Formula 1, this is the highest level of FIA-sanctioned karting," Apollo's voice stated as Fatih finished reading the KF1 kart's description, his eyes still wide at the speeds it could achieve on a long straight.
"The regulations will change eventually," Fatih murmured, a satisfied smile playing on his lips, "but until then, practicing on this should be more than enough." He was thrilled to finally have a vehicle registered in the Simulation, but even more excited because, after five long years of waiting, he would finally start driving.
"Your mother is calling you," Apollo interjected, cutting through Fatih's excited train of thoughts, which had made him oblivious to the real world.
"Coming!" Fatih called out, snapping back to reality. He walked back towards his mother, finding her with the shop worker who had already gathered all the equipment for him to try on.
"Sorry," he apologized to the worker, who offered him a warm smile. Rümeysa then led him to a changing room to test the fit of the clothes.
He began by putting on the fire-resistant racing underwear: long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and socks, followed by a balaclava. Next came the race suit itself, then the rib protector, neck brace, gloves, and shoes. Lastly, with a sense of ceremony, he put the vibrant red helmet on.
The moment it settled over his head, an extreme sense of calmness washed over him. It was as if the outside world had been perfectly isolated, yet his connection to his immediate surroundings became incredibly acute. His legs, the only part of him touching the ground, felt hyper-sensitive to the slightest tremors. His eyes seemed to gather more information, every detail sharper, and his ears amplified the ambient sounds, each distinct and clear.
With each passing second, these heightened senses intensified. 'So this is how it feels when Invictus (Ultimate) activates,' he realized, immediately understanding the cause of his current experience. The ability's description mentioned "…all forms of pressure while heightening physical sensitivity." He had initially wondered about the seemingly contradictory nature of that phrase, but now it made perfect sense. His ability was turning his body into an advanced sensor, picking up and categorizing vast amounts of data from his surroundings, all while keeping his mind perfectly calm under pressure.
"How does it feel? Is it too stuffy?" his mother's voice gently pierced through the strange sensory bubble, bringing him back to a more normal perception.
"It feels fine!" he answered, his voice brimming with excitement.
"Good," she said, pleased to see his undisguised joy.
They then carefully removed all the gear, layer by layer, before leaving the changing room.
"Any problems?" the worker asked as they returned.
"None, he's happy with them, so we'll take them all," Rümeysa confirmed, placing the items on the counter.
By the time they left the shop, Rümeysa had spent the Lira equivalent of about five hundred US dollars. It didn't seem to faze her; she appeared to have budgeted for it.
Picking out the actual kart was straightforward but was left for last. First, his mother took them to a restaurant for a birthday celebration meal. Consequently, by the time they arrived home after collecting the used go-kart, it was already evening.
"You can drive it tomorrow," Rümeysa said, looking at the darkening sky with a slightly apologetic smile. She knew how cruel it could feel to get a new toy and then have to wait to use it.
To her surprise, instead of the tantrum she half-expected, Fatih simply replied, "Okay." He glanced towards the boot of their car, parked in the underground garage, where the Bambino go-kart and the newly bought equipment lay waiting. He then turned to help his mother carry some of the smaller bags.
"Is that normal?" Rümeysa asked her mother with a puzzled look on her face. "His behavior, I mean. I was sure it would have been difficult to convince him to wait until tomorrow."
"I remember buying you new clothes for Eid when you were his age," Güldane said with a chuckle, reminiscing. "You nearly kept us awake all night when I told you that you'd have to wait until morning to try them on."
She looked towards Fatih, who had placed the items down and was now jumping to reach the elevator call button, having arrived before them. "He is very mature for his age. I don't know what made him that way, but it seems like you got lucky," she added.
"I'm starting to get worried that he's growing up faster than he should," Rümeysa confessed, watching Fatih, who now stood patiently by the elevator, smiling at them. A pang of bitterness hit her as she wondered if his accelerated maturity was because his father was gone and she herself was away for work so often.
"Don't worry so much," Güldane reassured her. "Each child grows at their own pace. And it's not like he's growing up this way due to hardship or neglect. You should be grateful he isn't one of those troublesome kids."
She paused, then added gently, "But if you want to be with him more, why not quit your job and spend time with him, at least until he starts school?"
"And how are we supposed to live without an income?" Rümeysa countered.
"You're an executive already," Güldane rebutted, a familiar note in her voice. "And you can use the insurance money. It should be enough for you to not work for decades and still look after him comfortably. We covered this two years ago when you were planning on returning to work."
"As I said then, that money will only be used for Fatih's needs," Rümeysa stated firmly. "And from the looks of it, he's completely infatuated with motorsport. If that passion continues, even that insurance money won't be enough. I need to keep working to prepare for that possibility."
"You know best, dear. But instead of worrying so much about the distant future, isn't it better for him to grow up with his mother by his side now?"
"I know that, and I'm working on a solution," Rümeysa said, her answer sincere enough to show she wasn't just trying to end the discussion.
"What is it?" Güldane asked, surprised.
"Let's wait until I have a definite answer. I don't want to raise our hopes only for it to potentially fail," she replied as they entered the elevator, where Fatih had already pressed the button for the 4th floor.
.....
"Finally," Fatih breathed as he entered the Simulation later that night, after finishing all his real-world routines and settling into bed.
On the main screen of his Simulation interface, his registered vehicles were listed:
[Registered Vehicles]
> KART_KF1_2008_BASILINE_001
> KART_BAMBINO_2008_USED_002
The smile didn't leave his face.
"Let's start with the easiest one first," he decided, resisting the immense temptation to jump straight into the powerful KF1 kart. He knew he had zero real driving experience from his previous life, so he had to follow a logical progression, even if he couldn't get physically hurt in VR.
Just as he was about to select the Bambino kart, he paused, a thought striking him.
"Ah, I need a proper karting circuit, or it'll take me fifteen minutes just to drive one lap of Silverstone in this thing," he chuckled to himself. He navigated to the Circuit Shop within the Simulation.
"Which circuit is best for starting out in karts?" he asked Apollo, valuing his Mentor's input since Apollo would be guiding his training.
"I suggest this one," Apollo replied, and a specific karting circuit was highlighted among the many listed in the shop.
> La Conca
With the suggestion provided, Fatih immediately clicked to read the circuit's description.
[La Conca]
--------------------------------------------------
TRACK ID: CIRCUIT_INTL_LACONCA_ITA_001
NAME: La Conca International Circuit (Muro Leccese)
LOCATION: Muro Leccese, Lecce, Italy
STATUS: Ready for Simulation Deployment
--------------------------------------------------
[CIRCUIT CONFIGURATION - PRIMARY INTERNATIONAL LAYOUT]
> Length: 1,250 meters (0.777 miles)
> Width (Average): 8-10 meters
> Direction: Clockwise
> Number of Turns: 12 (Typically 7 Right, 5 Left)
> Surface: High-Grip Asphalt
> Kerbing: CIK-FIA Standard
> Run-off Areas: Asphalt & Gravel
... [Press for more details] ...
[Price: 10 SP]
"Grade 6 tracks seem to be the lowest priced, with the price increasing by 2 SP for each higher grade. It seems the System has some conscience after all," he mused, noticing the price was significantly lower than what a Grade 1 F1 circuit like Silverstone had cost.
He immediately clicked purchase. [10 SP Deducted. Current SP: 730]. La Conca was added to his purchased list.
[Purchased Circuits]
> Silverstone
> La Conca
After selecting La Conca, his virtual surroundings instantly shifted from the familiar Silverstone paddock to the pitlane of the Italian circuit.
Not wasting a second to even look around, he selected his vehicle: KART_BAMBINO_2008_USED_002. The little kart materialized before him. Simultaneously, his virtual avatar's clothes changed from casual wear into the full racing suit, gloves, and shoes, with his red helmet waiting on the kart seat.
Picking it up and putting it on, he eagerly jumped into the Bambino kart.