GunBarrel Gauntlet: The Last Bronze II

19. Uncle Know-it-All.

"I've heard of this man, the Colonel, from Idaho himself, when we were in control of the Gaswells. Before the gangs took over." Spluttering coughs interrupted his voice. "I believe you, woman."

Until this moment, the Nomad had been disinterested in the conversation, looking elsewhere at the configuration of pipes and batteries that fed into the wall-cavity beds of the injured. Then he heard the name 'Doc Idaho', and his memory flashed back to a convoy of cars tied down with luggage, fading from his view as they left him for dead on the asphalt of a country road.

Shamrock had also been triggered by the mention of Idaho, locking eyes with the Nomad in a silent confirmation that he too had recognized the name of the man that had abandoned them years previously.

"And what of Blue Tattoo? Why did you take his life?" Uncle Know-it-all continued his questions.

"We took some damage after leaving the city, then we met this one, Socky" –she motioned toward the afro-headed figure – "and he told us we could find a mechanic in a place called 'Dogtown'. We found one, and more; an army of trouble that's been chasing us since we picked up that greaser Shamrock and his mate, the quiet one over there. Blue Tattoo, or whatever he called himself, tried to run us down with his crew, so ... I ran him down instead."

"Bullet Tooth was at the gates this morning Uncle, hunting for this woman and her friends to take revenge for the death of their chief." Tin Lizard informed those listening. "We sent those thugs from Dogtown on a wild chase northward to the Mine Hills after telling them that Carrion and her truck had moved on."

"So, now that you've heard our story, can we make a trade for repairs? We just need to borrow some tools and scrap to reinforce our panels and a busted wheel joint." Carrion asked. "Then we'll be on our way."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. Even with the repairs, you'll never reach El Dorado. Nobody makes it intact to the end of that cursed highway, the GunBarrel Gauntlet. You'll be either skinned alive or taken as prisoners to work in the refinery at Gaswells until you collapse. Then you'll be butchered for dog food and shipped back to Dogtown in a bucket." Uncle Know-it-all warned her.

"Suppose we find a way through? What then?"

"After the capture of Gaswells, Idaho and his people shut their doors to all outsiders, but us. Perhaps I should explain the events that led to the current situation on the roads, and our exile."

"I'm listening, go on..." The trucker leant against the Catacomb wall, folding her arms.

"During the Lawless Times we were all workers and managers of an oil refinery, just west of the Gauntlet. I organized those whom wanted to remain so that we could keep the plant operational, using the refined oil to keep the power generators and machinery working so we could trade and defend ourselves from the savages roaming the highways.

"Soon after, we had an ambassadors at out gates, from an underground bunker far to the north. They had clean water, Haitch-two-oh, drawn up from an aquifer well deep in the earth, but they needed gasoline to keep their equipment operational. Of course we agreed to the exchange, fuel for water, and both communities prospered, for a time.

"Then came the Big One, and the long winter.

"Soon afterward, from the sky, the remnants of an army entered our lands and tried to take it all away from us. Their chief was a cunning man, a giant warrior whom they called 'Zeus the Lightning'. At first their aerial raids were unsuccessful, and he was forced to ground when their planes ran out of fuel. We thought we had them beat, and watched them duel along the Gauntlet with another tribe for dominance. We thought they would destroy each other, but we were wrong.

"Unbeknownst to us, Zeus had united with the Skin Pirates, and married their leader; Bitch Boudisha the Flesh Eater! Together, they found a way into the refinery and slaughtered us to those survivors you now see around you, but then they realized that the water came from elsewhere, from El Dorado. Zeus & Boudisha spared our lives, because El Dorado would not trade directly with them, they would only trade with those they could trust, we so called 'Scabeaters'.

"And so now the fickle truce stands between Gaswells and El Dorado, only keeping us alive as long as we remain the middle men, negotiators for the exchange trucks."

"... and Dogtown supplies you all with food?" Weary guessed.

"Correct, although some of the Skin Pirates haven't given up their former diet so easily." Uncle informed them.

"So where does Hercules fit into all of this?" Carrion wondered aloud.

"Zeus & Boudisha call him their son; he patrols the Gauntlet now as the chief of the Skin Pirates, capturing slaves for the refinery."