The sun burned earth stretched on for miles the sparse brush that had just regained its foot hold in the world sporting large angry thistles as the only survivors of the scourge had been the spikey and grittiest of floras and faunas.
Cacti grew in small bubs amidst the blackened tar had once been a massive highway but now looked like a long stained strip of barren earth and sticky gravel. The only true moisture in the air being the rippling waves that rose through the air as the heat distorted the air like flickering flames.
Here the only sound that should have been heard was the cicadas who’s echoing chirping would rattle into the eternity that was the desert. The perpetual chatter of a dead and dying world. However, this was not the case.
Echoing down the rippling tides of heat the faint droll of what sounded like the Looney tunes theme song blasted out dwarfed only by the thundering hum of a massive jeep that disrupted the air its exshaust billowing as it roared down the highway at over eighty miles an hour.
The jeep, to be honest was an odd looking Vehicle, a massive rig with a large mounted gun on the back welded on years prior to the present and was showing the worn stains of sun radiation and use as it collected bugs that bounced off the hood and into the open area.
The driver and passenger seat were seperated giving room for a passenger to walk to the back seats, two of which sat next to the gun with a third being the gunners seat. The crawl spaces were just big enough for someone of a smaller build to lay down, slightly sheilded from the sons ever angry rays.
Unfortunately only someone as similarly small could fit in the passenger seat as a mini fridge had been wedged underneath and was currently keeping a collection of sodas and three water bottles semi cool as the rigs engine kept the motor running and the freon chilled.
The Driver was currently enjoying the music and sounds he had blasting from the speakers as the Looney tunes greatest hits played from a small TV placed in the consol under the radio. This had been the tenth time the DVD had been played... that day.
But Jack didn’t mind and was busy humming to the tune, his large heavy weight boxers arms tapping the steering wheel as his 6’7 frame was nestled into the seat. Jacks usual Bandana and sunglasses suiting the wide brimmed indiana jones styled hat he always wore. His get up and altogether eccentric demeanor screaming adventure as he sped the jeep up to ninty.
“You folks having fun??” He shouted behind him to the duo of young ladies with him.
Cacti grew in small bubs amidst the blackened tar had once been a massive highway but now looked like a long stained strip of barren earth and sticky gravel. The only true moisture in the air being the rippling waves that rose through the air as the heat distorted the air like flickering flames.
Here the only sound that should have been heard was the cicadas who’s echoing chirping would rattle into the eternity that was the desert. The perpetual chatter of a dead and dying world. However, this was not the case.
Echoing down the rippling tides of heat the faint droll of what sounded like the Looney tunes theme song blasted out dwarfed only by the thundering hum of a massive jeep that disrupted the air its exshaust billowing as it roared down the highway at over eighty miles an hour.
The jeep, to be honest was an odd looking Vehicle, a massive rig with a large mounted gun on the back welded on years prior to the present and was showing the worn stains of sun radiation and use as it collected bugs that bounced off the hood and into the open area.
The driver and passenger seat were seperated giving room for a passenger to walk to the back seats, two of which sat next to the gun with a third being the gunners seat. The crawl spaces were just big enough for someone of a smaller build to lay down, slightly sheilded from the sons ever angry rays.
Unfortunately only someone as similarly small could fit in the passenger seat as a mini fridge had been wedged underneath and was currently keeping a collection of sodas and three water bottles semi cool as the rigs engine kept the motor running and the freon chilled.
The Driver was currently enjoying the music and sounds he had blasting from the speakers as the Looney tunes greatest hits played from a small TV placed in the consol under the radio. This had been the tenth time the DVD had been played... that day.
But Jack didn’t mind and was busy humming to the tune, his large heavy weight boxers arms tapping the steering wheel as his 6’7 frame was nestled into the seat. Jacks usual Bandana and sunglasses suiting the wide brimmed indiana jones styled hat he always wore. His get up and altogether eccentric demeanor screaming adventure as he sped the jeep up to ninty.
“You folks having fun??” He shouted behind him to the duo of young ladies with him.
“Now now kiddo, theres no need to be spreading blashemy.” Jack said in response to scouts suggestion of new DVD’s.
“I mean, c’mon how can you beat the classics!” He said as the eighth reiteration of ‘rabbit season’ began to play.
Despite the other gals understandable melancholy Jack was his usual, unnaturally perky and chipper self. As kind as Jack had been and as eager he had been to share his ride with the two women since he’d picked them up from what was left of boston a few months ago. There was something about Jack that seemed... off, to most folks. Not in the sense that he was insincere, On the contrary he exuded an exciting confidence and a sense if safety to those he had tried to help in the past.
However this didn’t shake the sense that Jack may not have been all there. He rarely talked about his passed outside of being a self proclaimed ‘mercenary extrodinare!’ With short traces of his personal life slipping from time to time. Especially when talking about his wife. which would slip as he chatted happily along, but if pressed he seemed to completely forget that part of the conversation and would suddenly change subjects.
He turned his rather scattered attention to the second woman he’d picked up his sunglasses looking at the rearview mirror.
“And miss the best time to be driving? Weathers coolest at night! If I remembeeer correctly the next town (or whats left of it.) is about a mile or two ahead. Sooo-“
It was then his rig quite properly slammed into the remains of a prius, which to its credit had made it rather far for being a tradh vehicle. Not to its credit however, it properly flew off the road, allowing Jacks rig to continue onward, hardly affected.
“If we can reach there by nightfall we can go looking for more goodies!” He said reaching into his glove box and pulling out a long slender box.
The red and white box could easily been mistaken from a distance with a cigarette box. Until its length and logo spoiled any anticipation that could be expected as the name ‘pockies’ shattered the illusion with their oriental cookie goodness.
Jack promptly opened the box with one hand, took one by the manilla tip using the small tiny hole in his bandana pulling the small cookie out with supposedly his teeth. Before reaching behind him to back to the gals with his thick muscular arms.
“Take a nibble.” He said as he munched the cookie slowly, the chocolate end hanging out of his mouth like a supremely skinny cigar.
“I mean, c’mon how can you beat the classics!” He said as the eighth reiteration of ‘rabbit season’ began to play.
Despite the other gals understandable melancholy Jack was his usual, unnaturally perky and chipper self. As kind as Jack had been and as eager he had been to share his ride with the two women since he’d picked them up from what was left of boston a few months ago. There was something about Jack that seemed... off, to most folks. Not in the sense that he was insincere, On the contrary he exuded an exciting confidence and a sense if safety to those he had tried to help in the past.
However this didn’t shake the sense that Jack may not have been all there. He rarely talked about his passed outside of being a self proclaimed ‘mercenary extrodinare!’ With short traces of his personal life slipping from time to time. Especially when talking about his wife. which would slip as he chatted happily along, but if pressed he seemed to completely forget that part of the conversation and would suddenly change subjects.
He turned his rather scattered attention to the second woman he’d picked up his sunglasses looking at the rearview mirror.
“And miss the best time to be driving? Weathers coolest at night! If I remembeeer correctly the next town (or whats left of it.) is about a mile or two ahead. Sooo-“
It was then his rig quite properly slammed into the remains of a prius, which to its credit had made it rather far for being a tradh vehicle. Not to its credit however, it properly flew off the road, allowing Jacks rig to continue onward, hardly affected.
“If we can reach there by nightfall we can go looking for more goodies!” He said reaching into his glove box and pulling out a long slender box.
The red and white box could easily been mistaken from a distance with a cigarette box. Until its length and logo spoiled any anticipation that could be expected as the name ‘pockies’ shattered the illusion with their oriental cookie goodness.
Jack promptly opened the box with one hand, took one by the manilla tip using the small tiny hole in his bandana pulling the small cookie out with supposedly his teeth. Before reaching behind him to back to the gals with his thick muscular arms.
“Take a nibble.” He said as he munched the cookie slowly, the chocolate end hanging out of his mouth like a supremely skinny cigar.
Jacks rig would continue onwards, as He Kept up the speed sharing the rather stale but still edible cookie treats as the world around them slowly changed with time as more and more buildings began to crop up, heat stained stones faded and brittle from years of constant sunlight. The tall light posts hanging worn and dry looking, warn through the heat and the occasional haboobs that would roll through much later in the season.
Jack was now lightly humming to himself keeping an eye out for a place to park his rig out of the suns rays. Lightly mumbling to himself the words of some old song from years passed.
“We’re in the money, we’re in the money do do do- oh hey, that’ll do!” He said as he quickly veered the steering wheel slightly and promptly ran in through a small fence line and crossed under the covered remada of a gas station.
“Pit stop, everybody out for a piss and a snack!” He said sliding out of his truck from his door. He tapped on the side of the truck as a sign to remember that Scout should hop out on the opposite side, through the door facing the gas station, which would give more cover if someone opened fire on them.
Jack had been going over some basic tactics to help the much smaller and more fragile Scout as they had been traveling as a means to aide in her survival.
The station was an old abandoned Stato Mart, a discount circle K style joint that had tried to to go the Bucky’s route with far less success.
“Okay kiddo, we’ll ‘scout’ out the joint, find some snacks, take a leak fill up a little bit and then find a house to rest in for the night.” He took a minute to revel in the pun he made.
When he first began showing her the ropes he had decided ‘Scouting’ would be what he would focus on as it mean’t a lot more not being seen and far less shootu shooty bang bang, which they had been fortunate to avoid having to involve her too much with. Her task was easy, slip into a spot, peak around and let him know if it was clear or not with a descrete signal.
He then pulled the large repeater rifle, a fully functioning replica of the old winchester repeater. Put a finger to his lips before handing it to her, before pointing her towards the door, and giving her a short. Swat on the backside.
“Go gett’m kiddo!” He said Beaming on the other end of his bandana and sunglasses.
Once she was off he leaned against his jeep, fully aware there wasn’t really a threat inside but, practice made perfect.
Jack was now lightly humming to himself keeping an eye out for a place to park his rig out of the suns rays. Lightly mumbling to himself the words of some old song from years passed.
“We’re in the money, we’re in the money do do do- oh hey, that’ll do!” He said as he quickly veered the steering wheel slightly and promptly ran in through a small fence line and crossed under the covered remada of a gas station.
“Pit stop, everybody out for a piss and a snack!” He said sliding out of his truck from his door. He tapped on the side of the truck as a sign to remember that Scout should hop out on the opposite side, through the door facing the gas station, which would give more cover if someone opened fire on them.
Jack had been going over some basic tactics to help the much smaller and more fragile Scout as they had been traveling as a means to aide in her survival.
The station was an old abandoned Stato Mart, a discount circle K style joint that had tried to to go the Bucky’s route with far less success.
“Okay kiddo, we’ll ‘scout’ out the joint, find some snacks, take a leak fill up a little bit and then find a house to rest in for the night.” He took a minute to revel in the pun he made.
When he first began showing her the ropes he had decided ‘Scouting’ would be what he would focus on as it mean’t a lot more not being seen and far less shootu shooty bang bang, which they had been fortunate to avoid having to involve her too much with. Her task was easy, slip into a spot, peak around and let him know if it was clear or not with a descrete signal.
He then pulled the large repeater rifle, a fully functioning replica of the old winchester repeater. Put a finger to his lips before handing it to her, before pointing her towards the door, and giving her a short. Swat on the backside.
“Go gett’m kiddo!” He said Beaming on the other end of his bandana and sunglasses.
Once she was off he leaned against his jeep, fully aware there wasn’t really a threat inside but, practice made perfect.
Jacks left ear perked once he had heard the shot. The muscles behind it shifting slightly to rising the auditory appendage to push the fabric of his bandana slightly.
The deep echoing belch of sound that echoed from behind them towards the rocky backed hill behind them, the soundwave a small ripple in the sea of oxygen around them. Sounded like a shotgun, not quite antique in fashion although it didn’t sound like a pump action, granted from this distance it might have been hard to tell.
“Oh lookit that.” He said to himself mildly turning around to look over the hood of his rig. He took his time estimating, but shrugged it off before turning to whistle at the gas station.
“Hey kiddo! Take a quick leak and hop out sounds like we go say howdy in a second.” He said before opening the side door and leaning in. He took his time fiddling with the glove compartment which popped open to revealtwo grenades, three boxes of ammo and a elmer fudd bobble head.
Then, as an after thought he turned back around.
“Hey Kiddo? While your at it Jack some of their T.P. Just incase!”
He then resumed his humming as he grabbed a grenade, opened the tiny mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle of Pina Fanta from his stash of mexican sodas (and regrettably some comes for Scout seeing past her hedonistic ways.)
While waiting for her to come back after his instructions he closed the door, and slowly walked over to left side of the rig, and popped open a compartment on the tail end of the heavy jeep, and pulled out a long rigle, an a shot gun before slamming it shut.
This would be a much better more serious test as he doubted there would be more than 2-3 people (less now with the solidarity of the shot that had rung out.) so he figured he’d put Scouts new job to the test.
The deep echoing belch of sound that echoed from behind them towards the rocky backed hill behind them, the soundwave a small ripple in the sea of oxygen around them. Sounded like a shotgun, not quite antique in fashion although it didn’t sound like a pump action, granted from this distance it might have been hard to tell.
“Oh lookit that.” He said to himself mildly turning around to look over the hood of his rig. He took his time estimating, but shrugged it off before turning to whistle at the gas station.
“Hey kiddo! Take a quick leak and hop out sounds like we go say howdy in a second.” He said before opening the side door and leaning in. He took his time fiddling with the glove compartment which popped open to revealtwo grenades, three boxes of ammo and a elmer fudd bobble head.
Then, as an after thought he turned back around.
“Hey Kiddo? While your at it Jack some of their T.P. Just incase!”
He then resumed his humming as he grabbed a grenade, opened the tiny mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle of Pina Fanta from his stash of mexican sodas (and regrettably some comes for Scout seeing past her hedonistic ways.)
While waiting for her to come back after his instructions he closed the door, and slowly walked over to left side of the rig, and popped open a compartment on the tail end of the heavy jeep, and pulled out a long rigle, an a shot gun before slamming it shut.
This would be a much better more serious test as he doubted there would be more than 2-3 people (less now with the solidarity of the shot that had rung out.) so he figured he’d put Scouts new job to the test.
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