The Big Waste (After-Skirmish Book 1)

by C. W. Ashley

  “Mode,” Iggy whispered. “Are they Poachers?”

  “Negative, they are Outlaws,” Mode answered.

  “Okay wheelie, step outta ya car. Slow like sewage,” said the Mutant holding a custom-built rocket launcher.

  He stood out as the clear leader of the 5 figures, furthest out in front, making himself very visible and the only one out of the group to not be wearing some sort of face cover. His skin was dark blue, which had a slimy leathery quality to it. He had large black and red eyes that looked somewhat amphibious, that were contrasted with a set of front fangs that were so long and sharp they protruded past his bottom lip down to his tongue like a sabertooth. The rest of his body looked human enough apart from heavy plates of scales that covered his exposed forearms and neck. Adorned in high-level wasteland combat armor, Iggy found him intimidating enough to comply.

  Turning to his android passenger who he believed hadn’t been seen yet, he made a hand motion for her to hide herself and her weapons under the dashboard before leaving the vehicle, hands raised. The others in the outlaw group held their position as Iggy made himself seen and were all too far away for Iggy to identify beyond similar combat armor and various masks and helmets.

  “A’ight, scav that Poacher wagon, they gonna have guns in there,” the lead mutant shouted to his team. Resting his large weapon over his shoulder he walked a little closer to Iggy, looking him and his car up and down. “Must hav’ a pretty fat bounty, to have Poacher-scum on yer ass. How much?”

  Iggy gulped, knowing that he couldn’t lie. His records were public.

  “Hundred thousand and change. Bare minimum.” Iggy said softly.

  The blue mutant stared at Iggy for at least 20 seconds before finally making a scoffing sound.

  “Yeah sounds bout’ right. If it was more I woulda heard of ya. You prolly greased a merc out of zone or some shit, I couldn’t give a Krok’s arse.”

  Iggy did everything to mask his relief, exhaling slowly out of his nose.

  “That still don’t explain why a fuckin’ Citi boi wheeler is out in Maim Creek, fancy gear can’t hide tha way ya talk, soft-neck.” the mutant said with a sinister grin, before reaching for a side pistol on his waist.

  Iggy’s hand threw themselves up once again in passive panic.

  “Yotie, he’s one of them derby wheelers, I’s seen that whip on the vids, it’s called the ‘Blackchains’ or something,” the rough female voice came from a 2nd member of the outlaw group.

  She was a pale green mutant woman with a shaved head and a forked tongue that darted in and out of her mouth as she spoke.

  “No shit!?” the mutant called ‘Yotie’ responded. “Tha raises more questions than it answers tho.”

  “It’s the Blockgain Chaser,” Iggy said, correcting the woman. “And I’m just passing through,” he lied.

  “Krokshit, there ain’t nothing past ‘ere but the Gaslands, and ain’t no Citi-Softneck driving through there willingly! Nah, matey, you got biznezz in the Creek.” The woman started drawing her own pistol on Iggy.

  “We just saved your life by junking that Poach-wagon. So, add all that to you toll for rollin’ through here, and you owe me the rest of us here a... well a lot of fuckin’ standards, Citi-boi.”

  Iggy stood pathetically with his hands up as the two outlaws threatened him while their 3 companions sorted through the wreckage of the interceptor. Calculating the odds in his mind, he went through a dozen scenarios of how he might try and fight them off, with all of them resulting in doomed estimates. His plotting was quickly cut off when the voice box inside the car crackled on and blasted full volume.

  “Koi, Yotie, you fucking morons, it’s me! We are going to see Baker!”

  The blue mutant Yotie dropped his pistol arm suddenly white the bald mutant spun to point her gun at the source of the voice.

  “Koi, tha’ sounds like tha fuckin’ Landlady,” Yotie said with a slight quiver in his voice.

  “K-Krokshit! Tha’ aint’ her voice...and why would she be riding with a Citi?!” Koi responded nervously.

  “Koi, she called ya by ya fuckin’ name. Ya know anyone else who’d recognize a four million bounty outlaw and call them morons?” Yotie asked pointedly

  Four Million!?

  Koi paused and considered her teammates point before aiming her gun back at a confused Iggy.

  “If...if it is her, why she riding with a Citi-boy?”

  “Who knows, might be fucking him.”

  Koi looked at Iggy up and down in mild disgust.

  “Landlady fucks soft-necks?”

  “It’s been known ta happen,” Yotie said while walking close to the Blockgain to speak directly to Clarissa.

  “If you two are done speculating about my sex life, can you let Baker know I’m here? I know he’s not in Creek for long but I got important business with him,” Clarissa snarled.

  “This Citi-Softneck with you Landlady? He delivering you?”

  “Yeah, there’s a Tin-Girl upfront with him, and I’m in the back with a mutant, avoiding a sun-tan,” Clarissa snapped.

  “Sil not mutant!” Sil barked gruffly before Clarissa hushed her.

  “Right, this ain’ proto-call, but I’ll call ahead for ye,” Yotie grumbled before pulling out a sleek communicator and punching a number in. “Your car is fucked, Wheelie. We are going to have to tow it to the shop,” he said to Iggy with minor concern.

  Iggy finally relaxed enough to take his eyes away from the Outlaw’s pistols and assess the damage on the Blockgain. To his horror, the collision with the interceptor had pulverized his front bumper and warped the left fender along with the whole side of the hood that caused his front wheel to be bent inwards. The car was still technically intact, but it was no wonder why it had trouble starting. His stomach dropped as he came to the realization that in its current form it was undrivable. He was at the full mercy at these outlaws that Clarissa seemed to know.

  The infamous Landlady, even heavily wounded and trapped in my backseat behind sun-blockers still wields the authority to talk down to outlaws with multi-million standard bounties. Damn, Clarissa.

  Iggy wouldn’t say it out loud, but he was a little turned on.

  Chapter 22: Conference

  The Blockgain Chaser and the remains of the Interceptor had been hitched to the back of Koi and Yotie’s vehicles. They were being driven to an undisclosed location past the vast scrapyard. Both Mutants drove variants of a C-class pickup truck model called a ‘Grip-Mule’. Certainly not fast or agile, but so durable and easy to handle that even rookies could put up a good fight in a derby if they could afford one. The outlaws had heavily customized their Mules with border spikes, black metal armor plating along with some crass graffiti in a language Iggy wasn’t familiar with.

  Along with Koi and Yotie who seemed to be leading the small group, the other three were introduced as Matchlock, Hayas, and Greem. They all kept their masks on, but Iggy noticed their skin colors and body shapes were not human. None of them spoke, they seemed to communicate with each other in grunts and nods.

  Clarissa explained to Iggy that the Outlaws were not members of Cook’s gang officially, but worked with Baker to split profits on their respective activities in Maim Creek. Which was mostly powder running and protection rackets on the markets. She went on to tell Iggy that Baker was the Cook-sibling most concerned with profits and had little interest in maintaining ‘strict gang codes’ (like not working with other crews) as long as he got paid. Baker was the one who fronted her the initial loan for her to lease and run the towers on their territory in Folsom and she had never met Cook or any of the others.

  Having his car dragged by another vehicle made him feel physically sick. His pride in the Blockgain Chaser made the idea of it being ‘assisted’ in movement humiliating to his very core. The sound of its wheels being pulled across the dusty terrain was as painful as his own skin being dragged across it. He wasn’t going to feel at ease until his vehicle was fully functional again. Peering out
of the window he saw that they were getting further and further away from civilization and closer to the dark soil and moss-covered rocks of a dry swamp.

  “So, after you see Baker you gonna head straight back to Folsom?” Iggy asked sheepishly.

  “Uh...no probably not right away. Once I call Grady and confirm the handover, I’ll have him come down this way and we will do some networking. New ventures and shit, you know?” Clarissa responded with a soft voice.

  “Ah okay, so you won’t be needing a ride back then, no problem…”

  “No... but you did a good job, Crasher. I’m glad I hired you.”

  Iggy’s voice barely disguised his uncertain feelings, but he did his best to hold his neutral tone.

  “So, do you know where you are going to end up? I mean after Folsom; will you stay in the zone or move further out?” Iggy asked, trying not to sound too curious.

  “I’ll probably do a bit of drifting. Grady has a few contacts out of Zone, so I’ll spend a while building a network while I figure out what I want to do,” Clarissa said before pausing, realizing what Iggy was really asking. “But, heh...I’m the Landlady so you’ll hear about me sooner or later, might even need you for a job down the line, who knows?” Clarissa was trying to sound positive, but she could feel the heavy feelings through the voice box.

  “Yeah, who knows…” Iggy said dolefully.

  He felt a weight on his stomach that wouldn’t shift. These feelings were strange and uncomfortable to him; a freewheeling loner whose only family was his alcoholic grandpappy, who died by the same bottle he lived by. Thinking soberly about a life without Clarissa, or Sil or even Mode seemed inconceivable.

  I can’t be this attached, can I? I barely know these people. But then, I know them better than I know anyone else...

  “I take it you’re gonna stick with Mode and Sil for a while?” Clarissa asked, breaking Iggy’s melancholy introspection.

  “Uh, yeah. I want to find out about Sil’s past, and what her connections were to my grandmother for sure. Not even thinking about trying to pay off my bounty now,” Iggy said.

  “Randall, as I continue to rebuild and upgrade, my access to personnel files will become greater. Including those of Sylvia and her background,” Mode interjected.

  Iggy smiled at Mode weakly, appreciating her offer of assistance. Still trying to understand how much free agency she really had in comparison to whatever programming she was given.

  “I also made a promise to Mode to help her rebuild in exchange for keeping us alive... And I’m alive!” Iggy said with a little more spirit.

  Clarissa chuckled along softly and turned to a half-asleep Sil, who was still incredibly weak, and only half-listening to the conversation with little reaction. Clarissa ran her newly four-fingered hand through the werewolf’s hair before stroking her cheek gently.

  “I’m gonna miss you too, Puppy,” Clarissa whispered quietly.

  The group inside the Blockgain felt bumps beneath the wheels which indicated to Clarissa were within the ‘Badlands’ territory. Which was where Baker’s hideout was located.

  “Oh, when we get there, Koi said you’ll be led to an old gas station, they got some tools and parts there to fix your car, no charge,” Clarissa said to Iggy reassuringly.

  Iggy thanked her and sat back in his driver's seat, letting his eyes rest and clearing his mind of the soreness and stinging of his many injuries. While considering what locations he might travel after the end of his escort job, he drifted into a very shallow nap.

  “Let’s get moving wheelie!”

  Iggy felt like he had only rested his eyes for a minute, but the harsh gruff of Yotie’s deep voice indicated that he had probably been asleep for longer, as his body had a lot to recover from. As his eyes snapped open, he realized how dark it was outside of his car along with Clarissa and Sil climbing out of the backseat.

  “Shit, is it night time already!? I couldn’t have slept that long!” Iggy exclaimed.

  “You haven’t. We are in an underground area, you only slept briefly,” Mode explained while calmly stepping out of the Blockgain, joining Sil and Clarissa in the dark facility.

  Curious to his whereabouts, Iggy was quick to leave the damaged vehicle to examine his surroundings. Before his eyes could adjust to the dim lighting, his ears were assaulted with loud industrial punk music. It was being played from multiple sources, along with the commotion of dozens of loud obnoxious voices and the banging metal of tools on workshop tables.

  “It’s an abandoned train station, very popular forms of shelter during and after the skirmishes. You have to be pretty damn feared to secure one of these as a permanent hideout,” Clarissa explained to an overwhelmed Iggy.

  “Multiple mercenaries and outlaws populate this facility, bounties between two hundred thousand and thirty million,” Mode mentioned while ‘scanning’ the area, eyes glowing green.

  Before Iggy could react to those numbers, a tall figure in a long coat stepped out of the shadows and approached the group swiftly before speaking. “Thirty mil? I was at twenty-eight last week. What happened Koi?” the figure asked, his voice was masculine, commanding and full of confidence.

  The female mutant, turned in slight shock as if the figure’s stealthy approach caught her off guard before responding. “Uh, could have been that Lead-Slinger raid. Mashed up a few convoys in the crossfire,” Koi said.

  “You mean 3 days ago? How many died?” Yotie asked casually.

  “Uh, 26 in the raid, another 12 during the getaway, mostly nomads, couple of merchants,” Koi responded.

  “I don’t remember ordering that raid. When you reckless Mercs hit homesteaders, it raises my bounty by association, but whatever,” the figure said before stepping closer to the towed vehicle and revealing himself in the headlamps.

  He was a human with a long and chiseled face, complemented by a very strong jaw, that was peppered with dark stubble. His eyes were mismatched, the left one was a brownish-green like a hazardous pit of swamp mud, and his right was a bright mechanical blue of a cybernetic implant. His medium-length brown hair was tied into a loose topknot and his neck was adorned in tattoos. He stood even taller than Clarissa, Yotie, and Koi at around six foot four. His build was slim, but his form-fitting coat and shirt revealed very solid muscle underneath.

  “Baker! Holy shit, you got older!” Clarissa said with a surprised but happy tone.

  Placing a gloved hand on the shoulders of Koi and Yotie as he walked past them, the man revealed to be Baker briefly acknowledged Iggy and the others before putting an arm around Clarissa’s waist. Iggy’s eyes darted to this contact, not being able to look away.

  “Older? Is the Immortal Vampire Landlady forgetting the aging process the rest of us have? I’m only Thirty-Five. But then again, it’s been like eight years hasn’t it?” Baker asked while leaning in slightly closer.

  “Yeah well it ain’t easy, getting all the way down here, this is why we started the monthly pay drops remember?”

  “Hm, pay drops. More efficient, less contact. The nature of modern businesses.”

  Baker mused before turning to look at the Iggy, Sil, and Mode. “Quite a fetish party you got going here, Clar. You got a custom comfort-bot in a poacher jacket and a naked mutant girl? Kind of makes your driver look too ordinary!” Baker scoffed dismissively.

  What a fucking prick, and why the hell did he call Mode a comfort bot?

  “Sil...not...mutant” Sil stated once again, in a much drowsier tone.

  Clarissa’s eye darted between Iggy and Baker, deciding to speak up to break the tension.

  “Ignition here is a hotshot derby driver, I had him escort me fast ‘cause I knew you wouldn’t be here tomorrow. Sil is a... w-wild woman who saved him from a waste lizard and Mode helped us escape those dickhead poachers. They are good people,” she said respectfully.

  Baker cast a lazy glance over the group again before turning back to Clarissa to pull her in closer to him. Iggy noticed there was no resistance fro
m the proud vampire.

  “Yeah poachers are a fucking pain, wish Yotie could have blown em up twice,” Baker said firmly patting the mutant outlaw on the shoulder. “You came all the way here to talk business though, so I can make some time for that. Koi can take your friends up to the shop for repairs.”

  As Koi nodded and began to climb back inside her mule to tow the car topside, Iggy noticed Baker’s hand slip closer to Clarissa’s rear. The Landlady quickly glanced at Iggy before turning back to the towering gang leader, fully aware of what Iggy could see.

  “Hey Baker, can I use the shower first? I don’t even want to think of all the different crap I’m covered in,” Clarissa said warily.

  Baker pulled Clarissa closer to him as if she had no super-strength and inhaled a long whiff of her scent before locking her lips in a powerful open mouth kiss. Clarissa’s head jolted slightly in surprise before slowly moving in rhythm with the make-out, moving her own hands to his rear and gripping hard. Iggy’s eyes widened in anger, his chest became cold and his fists balled. Sil, Mode, and Yotie barely paid any notice.

  “You smell like death and chaos, Clarissa, why the fuck would I want you to shower?!” Baker scoffed, before groping her chest fervidly as if no one else was around.

  “You make a strong argument, Ritcher,” Clarissa responded casually before pushing away from him gently to turn to Iggy. She found it difficult to meet his eyes with her own. “Well Crasher, I guess your job is complete.

  “Guess so,” Iggy grunted.

  Clarissa kept her head down as she walked over the backseat of the Blockgain. With some fiddling, she opened a secret compartment under one of the seats that held a medium-sized strongbox and handed it to Iggy.

  “There is your payment. Good work Ignition, and take care of yourself.” Clarissa said before almost holding her hand out to shake, but deciding against it.

  She nodded to Mode and waved to Sil before returning to Baker who was beckoning her over to his office. Iggy took the strongbox, turning away as quickly as possible, trying to put everything that just happened out of his mind. He couldn’t return to the surface fast enough.