Present...
Banc opened up the throttle on his new Interceptor with a
grin on his face. Sten sat next to him relaxing. Soon he would be back to the
Settlement, his personal kingdom, with another hundred Gen in his pocket and
that stupid girl out of his life for good.
He then noticed the Bandit Coup coming on fast through the
sand and he was confused, "Did we forget something?"
Sten perked up and noticed the car, "I don't think so
boss, what do you think that's about?"
Banc was suspicious but he had a good relationship with
Queen D and did not want to ruin it over a misunderstanding, "Signal
everyone to slow down we are going figure out what this is about.
Sten made some arm gestures and the two Scarab Devils and
the Scav Duster escorts to slow.
Their slowly had no effect on the Coup, which actually
seemed to increase its speed and then it's front window was no longer blocked
by the sun's reflection and Banc could see the driver.
"It's fucking her!" He yelled at Sten.
Sten took a half second to react and that half second was
one to many for Cud on the Duster.
The Coup slammed into the back wheel of the Duster kicking
the bike's front end straight up and hurling Cud backwards into the hood of the
Coup. The velocity of the impact broke his neck and sent his lifeless body rag
dolling into the sand behind the Devil.
The driver downshifted and jerked the wheel pulling around
the Duster before it could get trapped under the vehicle's wheels. She then shifted
again and the exhaust on the vehicle flared as it shred the sand behind them
coming fast.
Banc could see her eyes now, the fiery madness in them, and
behind that even deeper the face of the devil itself.
****
Before...
"Close your eyes," The hard guttural accent of the
man's voice did not affect the sixteen year old JaJa, because all of the bad
lander's spoke that way. No one was quite sure were the accent had come from it
had always just been there.
JaJa did as her father DaDa said and shut her eyes. She sat
in the driver’s seat of the partially restored Cord Interceptor and smile as
she felt the Devil under her. The engines hummed with and energy that took on
sentience and begged to be used. The vehicle was like a great beast asking to
be released.
"That's it girl, Feel the car," He continued his
voice was soft, leading her to a conclusion she had already made on her own.
"Now," He said finally, "Open your eyes, and
make magic!"
Her eye's popped open and she instantly through the car into
first jamming the gas. The powerful vehicle leapt into motion Dirt kicking up
behind it as it burned through the sand. Father and Daughter screaming loudly
the battle cry of the two who looked out for each other and no one else.
The Badlands were a hundred mile rocky desert were on
Genisis, it was not prime real estate by any stretch of the imagination. There
were towns and settlements in the harsh unforgiving land, but they were few and
in between and usually6 sprung up around Chota Mines. The Chota was a special
conductive material which was used for the conversion of the Nex energy that
everything on the planet used for power.
JaJa and DaDa's home was one such mining town, not big
enough for a name, just known as settlement 952. DaDa was a skilled mechanic
and had been borne into the trade. He was valuable in the town to keep the
gadgets, equipment, and vehicles running. It helped that this skill was one he
happened to love and his free time was spent with his only daughter, restoring
and building the finest Devils and Duster's that Genisis had ever known.
The Interceptor was their latest conquest, Cord had always
been known for the most advanced Vehicles. Add in DaDa's superior building
abilities and you got one of the most powerful machines on the planet.
DaDa watched his short red headed daughter howl at the wind.
He knew that she had, and would be, more about the driving. This did not bother
DaDa, she had a natural ability that made him proud. She could feel the car,
she instinctively knew its abilities and limits. After his wife had died he had
done the best he could but the ways of the woman were not known to him.
JaJa was strong though, the Devil was in her eyes. Maybe she
would have a hard time with the facts of being a lady but she would live, she
was a survivor and for that he was proud.
DaDa began to cough, small at first, but then the cough
became rolling overtaking him, Blood leaked from his mouth and he doubled over.
That was when JaJa noticed and slammed on the brakes, "DA?! DADA?!"
Concludes act 1
