After hours of walking, they came to the outskirts, tired and dehydrated.
It was a peculiar feature of Myth Vegas that as the desert ended, a few scattered buildings started to appear and then their number grew and you were in the suburbs and then the city proper. Just like that - end of desert and then habitations and no clearly defining markers in between.
In fact apart from the road and the odd petrol station and signs, there was nothing else on the approach until suddenly you had arrived.
The Gingerbread Man was glad of his heavy black doc martens, having the distinct feeling that his feet would melt into the tarmac if they hadn't been protected. Still there were some advantages to the blazing heat!
He grinned as he openly admired Goldie's body - she had tied the bottom of her khaki shirt up, just below her breasts, displaying her taut brown stomach and above the tied up shirt, her normal amount of cleavage was also getting the benefit of the sun, as were her legs below her shorts. As usual Goldie was wearing her Australian style khaki hat to protect her head, with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail.
He also glanced, much more surreptitiously at Jessica who had also been forced to wear a lot less clothes than usual. The beautiful redhead's breasts were bigger than Goldie's and despite her covering them more, were straining at the buttons of her pale green top. The Gingerbread Man briefly wondered if he could get Goldie to talk Jessica into a threesome. Nah, probably not worth it - she only likes that Hare gimp. His eyes went over to the Hare - the idiot was walking along wearing his shades and had his right hand over his shoulder, where his jacket was draped. He too was looking at Jessica's bosom.
In front of them walked the three non upright animals. The Golden Goose was chatting with the two cats as that Wells guy ambled along beside them, occasionally making a comment.
So far they had passed one gas station. Abandoned. And one diner. Shuttered and locked up tight.
They had broken in and found some water and old tinned food but no sign of anyone being there in years.
That idiot Hare didn't get it ... this was the apocalyptic future according to the cat. He and the Goose were expecting to find everything was business as usual in town, but now here they were on the edge of Loonytown and there was nobody ... not a single car had passed them and the place looked eerily deserted and unlived in. Shops were smashed or shuttered up with iron and the whole place had the feel of a ghost town.
The Hare called a halt. 'I don't get it SC. I thought you said Myth Vegas was relatively unaffected by this ... armageddon event. Well where is everyone and why is the place a wreck? Do I see rubble? Burned holes in the ground? It's like someone moved the streets about and redecorated ala Dresden circa 1945.'
'I'm surprised you know about the Dresden firebombing,' remarked Jessica ironically.
The Hare placed his hands on his hips. 'Hey, I read. Slaughterhouse Five was a fav ...' he noticed Jessica glaring at him, her own hands on her hips. 'Alright ... Kurt told me the plot. We used to talk books and movies late nights in the Rainbow Room over some whiskeys. Damn, that guy was morbid ... guess he wasn't all that wrong though, about apocalyptic futures I mean.'
'Shall we stop and consume the last of our food Mr Hare?' inquired George. 'Hopefully we can find more supplies as we go deeper into the city.'
SC shook his head. 'It isn't a good idea to stay out in the open. There are residents here and we don't want to attract th ...'
'HUH HUH HUH HEH HA HUH HUH HUH HEH HA HEHEHEHEHEHE.'
'Too late! They know we're here!'
'Who?'
'The residents Mr Goose. The few who remained after the inner walls were erected and the radiation waves swept the non protected zones. They went mad and started killing each other until only a few gangs survived. Hare! Put that away.'
'What? I'm only having a swig of my water bott...'
Suddenly The Hare felt something breeze past him and wrench the bottle from his hands and he was sent flying to the ground.
'MEEP MEEP!'
SC looked alarmed. 'Quickly. We have to move. The loonies will kill us for our supplies, meagre though they be. We must make it to the first inner gate! Run!!'