| “ | A ball bounces; A pin drops; A man falls. Gravity is the glue which binds us to our planet. We are about to apply the solvent which will free our species forever. | „ |
| ~ Pierre Belmondo, Director of European AG Research, speaking at a demonstration of anti-gravity technology, Nevada, April 2035 |
Pierre Belmondo (17 January 2004 - 8 June 2127) was a pioneer of the anti-gravity technology, as well as the former Executive Director of the F5000 Anti-Gravity Racing Commission. According to the in-game historical accounts, he is known as the "Father of Anti-Gravity".
Belmondo himself coordinated and piloted the first flight in an anti-gravity ship in 2035. To combat the increasing costs of the development of AG technology, he founded Anti-Gravity Systems in 2040 and installed himself as its Director. In the mid-2040s, he expressed the idea of an international racing championship for AG craft. This manifested into the Anti-Gravity Racing Championships in 2048.
Despite his role in founding the sport, Belmondo didn't play a major role in the organization of the sport until his time as Executive Director of the F3600 Anti-Gravity Race Commission in 2080, where he would overhaul the sport by introducing controversial craft-destroying weaponry to the sport.
Early Life[]
Belmondo was born on 17 January 2004 in the Poitou-Charentes region of southwestern France. He spent most of his childhood here as well.
A child prodigy, Belmondo was naturally curious and wanted to know more of everything around him. He developed a fixation on gravitational physics from a childhood incident where he fell from his father's bookcase trying to retrieve a book. That particular experience led to an ambition to study the gravity of the Earth and, eventually, break it.
And so, Belmondo spent much of his spare time studying the laws of physics and other related works. Although he was classified as an 'average' student in school, his extracurricular studies made him a virtual expert on physics, such that when he applied for entry into the Federal European University, one university staff member commented "...he is so far ahead of any member of staff, we are all tempted to resign and let him take over right away."
Foundation for European Anti-Gravity Reseach[]
In 2021, Belmondo dropped out of the university to join the Foundation for European Anti-Gravity Research – the European member of the World Anti-Gravity Research Congress – on a permanent basis. This catapulted the progress done by the Foundation to the point where Belmondo was promoted to the position of Director at the age of 20.
Later in 2024, the World Technology Symposium withdrew its support from the Congress and ordered cessation of all anti-gravity research operations. Although it was thought that this was because of evidence suggesting the infeasibility of the technology, Belmondo and other pioneers believed that the Symposium and its supporting governments would have too much to lose if anti-gravity technology was ever implemented.
In defiance of the Symposium, Belmondo and his research team continued their operation in secret. In 2034, they managed to create a prototype craft equipped with an anti-gravity generator. When the development was leaked to the public, the governments of the world initiated propaganda smear campaigns in an attempt to undermine the research, claiming Belmondo and his team were using state assets and other funds for their own pleasures.
On 14 April 2035, Belmondo proved everyone wrong when he successfully piloted the first anti-gravity craft, the Nx1000, in the Nevada desert. Within months, the governments of the world had implemented the new technology, leading the World Technology Symposium to fold in 2037.
Anti-Gravity Systems (2040 to 2060s)[]
To cover the shortage of funds and address the social concerns of anti-gravity technology, Belmondo founded Anti-Gravity Systems in 2040 as the commercial division of the Foundation. The rise of AG Systems and the protection of rights to anti-gravity technology developed Belmondo's business skills in this new stage of his career. He remained with AG Systems even after the company moved to Japan when the Foundation folded.
Shortly after the Foundation's dissolution, Belmondo got word of Europe's new AG research organization, FEISAR, and saw many AG Systems employees leave the company to work for the newly established organization. FEISAR also reportedly attempted to get Belmondo himself to join them, but he turned down, citing his indifference to the money on offer and his conviction that the AG Systems name runs deep within him.
In 2045, two of Belmondo's top research employees at AG Systems, Delia Flaubert and Holst McQueen, were dismissed when word broke out of their feud regarding the direction of the company's operations, thus leading them both to part ways out of bitterness. McQueen moved to Russia and established the AG division of Qirex Industries shortly afterwards, while Flaubert moved to the United States and founded Auricom Research Industries the following year.
It was during his time with AG Systems when Belmondo proposed other ways to bring all of mankind together around his technology, namely a racing competition. With assistance from the little-known Brazilian company Pir-hana, the Anti-Gravity Federation was founded in 2044 to establish an AG racing league by 2048. Despite playing an advisory role in the organization of the sport in its formative years, Belmondo turned down the role of the Commission's Executive Director, preferring to stay with AG Systems and help develop their racing craft for the upcoming tournament. He instead invited popular datacast celebrity Dirk Breakwater to run the Commission.
By the 2060s, Belmondo left AG Systems in a shock move as he intended to join the Commission. His concerns over the increasing influence of money in the sport aside, he had fears of a conspiracy against AG racing, namely that there was an unscrupulous party desiring to take control of the sport.
Executive Director of the F3600/F5000 Commission[]
Belmondo's fears came true in 2080, when Chuck Hoffman, still F3600 Executive Director at the time, was assassinated before the start of the 2080 season in Canada. The season was subsequently cancelled. Belmondo immediately installed himself as Executive Director, seeing it as a favor to his late friend to continue the tradition they had started, and quickly excommunicated those involved in Hoffman's murder.
Unafraid of change, Belmondo announced an upgrade to the F5000 specification for the 2085 season. This move included the introduction of the more powerful weapons systems capable of destroying craft. Although he believed this was the logical continuation of his ideals for AG racing, he was criticized for 'betraying' the purity of the sport.
Belmondo resigned as the Executive Director in the early 2100s. The reason for this was his declining health condition attributed to his advanced age, reaching well beyond his centenary years.
Later Life and Death[]
Shortly after his resignation, Belmondo discovered that those who had conspired to overthrow the Commission also had plans to alter the sport should they be in control of it. In response, he founded the Belmondo Foundation to help enforce the purity of AG racing and preserve his vision of using AG technology for the good of mankind.
Belmondo passed away on 8 June 2127, aged 123. A few hours before, he was able to witness the birth of his great-great-granddaughter, Natasha.
Legacy[]
Natasha Belmondo would grow up to become one of the most accomplished pilots in the F9000 league, winning the 2158 championship with Auricom, then claiming more for Xios. However, she also strongly criticized the changes done to the sport by the F9000 International Federation of Anti-Gravity Racing, revealed to be under control of the Overtel Corporation datacast company. Natasha was relieved once all crimes and atrocities by Overtel came to light in 2170.
Natasha would go on to be named Executive Chairwoman of the Belmondo Foundation. At this time, she oversaw the revival of professional AG racing in 2197 with the FX300 League, where the sport took a return to traditional AG racing not seen since Pierre's term as Executive Director.
AG Systems, another legacy of Pierre Belmondo, would see an important milestone in their history when they won their 25th teams' championship title during the 2206 FX300 season following the disqualification of Triakis.