Fernando
|
“Flight Town, Tech Town, a couple minor stops or so around the Yellow Stone Caldera and then on to No-Man’s Land and until some river settlements and to points unknown. Sturgis is along the way if a detour is taken before going around the Caldera. Another Supply Run through Sturgis? Hmm...” Fernando thinks as he looks over the maps given to him as he sits on the floor of the bus’ open side doors. He also thinks about Gabrielle as well as finding her should be along the way but where no one knows. What worries him is the increasing distance between towns and settlements, and the No-Man’s Land Run is expected to take 7 to 10 days by itself. Meeshie hops off the bed/bench of the rear of the bus and trots over to Fernando, sitting next to him. She looks over his lap onto the map that is there and “Meows.” Fernando reaches over and picks her up, putting her on his lap behind the map. She looks at the map, and “Meows” again, putting her paw on the star that labels Sturgis as a larger town. “You think we should go?” He asks. Meeshie “Meows” again. “Supply Run at Sturgis?” He asks Meeshie “Meows” again. “Alright. Let’s see how it goes. But no promises, you know how things can change at the last minute in this world.” He tells her Meeshie leans against him and purrs as she rubs her little head against his chest. He strokes her neck and back. Their little moment of silence is broken as Ichigo runs from behind the camper and into it, jumping onto the bed in the back and burying herself under the blankets. Fernando puts Meeshie on the camper floor and she makes her way to jump onto the driver’s seat of the bus. “Alright Ichigo, what is going on?” Fernando holds back from yelling at her. “I’m not going to going back to help that cow your friend calls a wife!” Ichigo stammers out. “What happened, Ichigo!” Fernando goes into the camper and closes the door behind him. “That stupid Wessen spilled hot water on me and I told her off, and then Val said that I am not welcomed and do not deserved to have been rescued! I told her that it is YOUR decision you made and not hers! She then said that if she had it her way, I would be thrown out! So I left...” Ichigo explains trying to hold back her tears. “No one is thrown out without my say so. No one joins without my say so. If everyone is going to stepping on each other’s toes, then I’m going to start slapping faces. And I do not care whose face it is either. I will not have disrespect being served here like the meals that are made and eaten. As for you, you disrespected anyone, you are going to apologize for it.” Fernando tells her. Ichigo does not answer, at least not for the moment. He stands there in silence, wondering if she will say something but she does not. He was not angered or disappointed by her silence but annoyed. He tells her, “Stay here for now, but eventually you will be stepping out with me and we will go to town later on. I’m stepping out and the doors and windows will be locked. The top will be open for air. Do not leave for any reason.” Again she does not reply. He steps over to the side door and steps outside, closing and locking it behind him. He looks about the place, seeing others doing what they must for the day and checking out their vehicles. As he begins to walk towards the town, Karl and Marvin with Marvin hauling a pull cart behind him with some empty 5-gallon gas/fuel jugs. They call to him. “Excuse me, Mr. Fernando.” Karl calls to him. Fernando stops and turns to them, “Hi there you two. Anything I can do for you?” “Well, yeah. We just need a few coins for fuel, as that last ride we are half empty, and rather making a mad rush to get fuel before we leave, we might as well fill up now.” Karl says. “That’s a great idea. I’ll go with you so there are no problems about lone wessens walking about the town for now.” Fernando tells them. “Thank you.” Both Karl and Marvin says. As they walk about, Fernando points out, “I made a mistake and did not check the area for water access. When you are done filling your rides with fuel, talk to Ruth and Maribelle about going with you to search for water.” “We’ll do that.” Karl says. They stop and look about, finding that they are on a parking area for small and medium sized blimps. Off to their left is some sort of one-story office building which seems to have been through better times. “This is interesting.” Fernando says before he starts to walk to the direction of the building. He and the wessens walk inside when finding the door to the premise unlocked. Inside was a counter and behind the counter was a group of separated desks. Though three females were on three of the desks, the fourth desk was occupied by a large overweight male smoking a cigar and doing nothing much of anything else. He calls out to get their attention, “Excuse me, I need some service and attention!” The male gets up from his desk, annoyed from needing to get up and deal with. He walks over to the counter, tying to stare down those standing there: Fernando and his wessens. As they do not back down, he asks, “What is your business here?” “Passing through, getting fuels and supplies and buying wares. Where’s your fuel depot and your merchant areas?” Fernando tells him. Trying to show off his power, the man blows cigar smoke into Fernando’s face. This upsets Fernando, grabbing the cigar out of his mouth, and shutting it off by shoving the lit end into the palm of his hand and crushing it to extinguish its flame. He then grabs the overweight guy by his shirt and tie and pulls him against the counter and lifts him off the floor with just one arm. “Learn to respect your customers, or I’ll make sure no one will ever come here again.” Fernando tells him. “Too many loud mouths like you say that – it is an empty threat!” The overweight man growls at him. Fernando lifts him up further off the floor before pulling out his little Yeasu VX-2 handheld radio. He presses button on the side, “Hondo, you out there?” “I’m here Jefe. What be the deal?” Hondo replies on the radio. “Contact General Jastrey and tell her Flight Town is being uncooperative and needs to be shut down.” Fernando explains. “I’ll forward the message to her to turn this place into a No-Fly Zone in 48 hours.” Hondo replies on the radio. “Thank you.” Fernando replies. “This is utter bull crap!” The overweight man yells at him. Fernando whaps the man on his nose with the rubber antenna on his little radio, then shows the radio to his face. He then points to the patch on his chest and arm with the antenna, “I do not sling bull crap like you do.” He pauses for a second, “Right now General Jastrey and her army are cleaning up Fight Town from the riots that is going on over there after the fight where the Lich was killed. Right now Fight Town is a No-Fly Zone. Now, we can do business or I can have you removed from your seat of power before I leave this place burning like I left Fight Town. Now which one shall it be?” “You should listen to the man. He takes no bull crap from anyone.” Karl throws in. The overweight man looks over at Karl and then nods. In seeing this, Fernando slowly puts the overweight man down onto the floor. He then picks up the crushed cigar and puts it to his face, “Stop smoking these things, it’s a slow poison that will kill you, and you are in no shape to be fighting poisons.” He then tosses the cigar, making it land into a garbage can by the overweight man’s desk before adding “And lose some weight, being this big puts a toll on your heart and you will die at an early age.” “I’m 40 years old.” He tells him as if he achieved something. Fernando replies, “I’m 75, I do not smoke and I’m thin and lean. Tell me – you get out of breath after a long walk? Your chest hurts after some heavy work? I do not care if you answer, but if you have any of that and do not take care of it by doctor’s orders, you will be buried in the ground dead before I turn 80 in five short years.” The overweight man looks at him with his eyes opening wide. Fernando continues, “Now, we need fuel and water. Members of my convoy will be buying food and other supplies later. I would also like a schedule of flights you have.” The overweight man sighs before answering, “There are sellers all over the place. And Fuel is at the vehicle depots. Water however you can only get inside a hanger.” “So there is no outdoor access to water?” Fernando asks. “Long ago we used too, but too many abused the privilege and left the water running, causing floods in the areas. So if you want water, you need to rent a hanger. Now, do you have an air craft?” The overweight man explains and asks. “I need an aircraft to rent a hanger?” Fernando asks. “Aircraft have higher priority to hanger rentals. If you do not have an aircraft, a service fee will be added to double the price.” The overweight man explains. “Define Aircraft.” Fernando asks. “Aircraft can be any manned or unmanned vehicle that goes through the air at altitude set by its pilot. It can be a blimp, balloon, glider, or whirlybird of varying size.” The overweight man explains. “I see. One of our convoy members has a balloon but it is packed up and need of repairs.” Fernando says. “We have flight mechanics that can do repairs.” The overweight man says. “How much for a hanger then?” Fernando asks. “Depends on its size and your length of stay.” The overweight man answers. “Hmmm... What’s your biggest Hanger?” Fernando asks. “50,000 square feet – 100 by 500 feet.” The overweight man answers. “Have anything smaller?” Fernando asks. “What do you have in mind?” The overweight man asks. “Maybe something half that size. I’m thinking something smaller but half the size should be more than enough.” Fernando asks. “I need to check on availability.” The overweight man replies. “How much for such a space?” Fernando asks. “$10thousand a day.” The overweight man answers. “That’s robbery. Every town I passed by had such spaces for that much a month!” Fernando complains. “Take it or leave it.” The overweight man replies. “I’ll be back. When General Jastrey arrives, I’ll get the space for free.” Fernando says before turning away. He starts heading to the door, “Come on fellas, let go get that fuel.” As Fernando and his wessens leave, he hears the overweight man say to himself, “Who does that fool think he is? I bet there no General Jastree out there.” A young boy of about 10 years of age runs into the office and throws a few envelopes and a newspaper onto counter, “Here Mister Awbrite...” Then he extends his hand out to him. The overweight man puts a couple metal coins into the kid’s hand. The kid motions his arm closer to the overweight man with the coins in his hand, as if demanding for more. The overweight man scowls at him but the kid motions to his again. The overweight man puts three more coins into child’s hand. The kid withdraws his hand and walks away, yelling, “Pleasure doing business with you!” “Hmph! Damn begging kid... ” The overweight man says to himself as he puts a cigar to his teeth and lights it. He then picks up the mail and the newspaper, reading the newspaper’s headlines “Riots and Violence Quelled In Fight Town By General Jastrey And Her Men”. Underneath the headline is a picture of a woman in her 40s riding a tank through town. On the side of the picture is an insert to two pictures of Hondo and Fernando and a caption saying, “I Could Not Have Done It Without Them!” The overweight man gasps, inhaling the cigar deep into his throat before coughing it out onto the floor and goes through a severe coughing fit! Outside Fernando, Karl and Marvin walk about, exploring the town. Karl asks, “You really thinking about getting an indoor space for the convoy?” “You heard him, water is only available indoors. But $10,000 a day to have access to a single spigot for water – hell no. I’d rather pay an indoor merchant we’ll make friends with $1,000 a day to get water from them.” Fernando explains. Karl nods in response and reply. They walk for another five minutes before they find a fuel depot almost a quarter mile away from their camp. The place looked empty, Fernando points to the fuel pumps for Karl and Marvin to go to as he looks for somebody who works there. He did not like the prices of the fuel, as they seemed twice as high as they were in Flight Town, but he is not going to argue. Eventually a scruffy man in mechanics overalls comes out with a large wrench in his hands. several other mechanics stand in the doorway of the garage with large implements of tools in their hands. He looks at Fernando and his wessens. He yells out as he approaches them, “What do you want?” “We need fuel – gasoline, preferably high output gas.” Fernando tells him. “Where’s your vehicle?” The mechanic asks. Without thinking, Fernando gives him a lie, “We broke down 5 miles out of down. My wessens and I walked where and have jugs to fill to bring back and fill our tanks.” The mechanic stops within an arm’s reach of Fernando’s distance, “We usually do not fill out jugs to be taken elsewhere. Too many ass-holes trying to burn down a merchant’s store with gas when a deal goes sour. No vehicle, no gas.” Fernando looks at him before turning to show his shoulder patch. “You see that. I’m not here for torching bad businesses that deserve it. I’m here for fuel while I do rescue work out in the wilderness.” “I’ll send a tow truck to haul you in and charge you for the fuel and tow.” The mechanic says. “Unless you can pick up and handle a 10-ton all-track, no way are you getting that towed to here. If we had fuel, we can drive it in.” Fernando explains. “How much fuel you need?” The mechanic asks. “I would like it if all the jugs were filled.” Fernando answers. “How do I know you’re not going to burn down some merchant’s store?” The mechanic asks. Fernando opens his jacket and pulls out one of his .45s, putting it to the mechanic’s face, “I am a rescuer, I rescue those in need of help. Anybody who gets in the way of me doing a rescue will get three of this to the head. Right now I need to rescue my crew and vehicle and you are in my way of that rescue by not providing me the fuel I need.” He then puts away his gun in his shoulder holster, closing his jacket before he says, “You understand where I am coming from?” The mechanic nods. Fernando replies, “Good. Now, I request that those fuel jugs be filled and I’ll pay you accordingly.” He then shows a small bag of coins, clanking about giving the sound of gold and silver and not copper or nickel.” The mechanic tries to reach for the bag of coins, Fernando pulls it out of his reach and into his pocket “Fuel first. Then you tell me how much I owe and I pay for it.” The mechanic turns away and yell at the men at the door, “Johnson, Smith – give this man what he wants, then take his money as payment.” Two younger guys walk up to Fernando and ask what he wants. Fernando tells them to fill the jugs on the pull cart with the best gasoline they have. Karl and Marvin start handing them empty jugs to be filled. As the filled jugs are placed into the pull cart, another empty one is handed out. Another 10 minutes had passed and all the jugs were filled. The cost on both pumps totaled over $200 for the fuel, a price that is a bit high but Fernando is not arguing it, handing $220 in gold and silver coins. He signals to Karl and Marvin to follow him once things are packed up to return to camp. Fernando says to himself, “I’m not liking this place at all.” “How so?” Karl asks. “First that fat mofo in the office wanting to charge us for water and an indoor space an amount of money a day that I would spend in month in most towns we were in.” Fernando explains, adding, “Then there is the cost of this fuel being three to four times more than every place else. Money is not a problem for us, but this is robbery on all levels.” “It’s tough everywhere.” Karl replies. “Tough is one thing but this is Price Gouging. There is no reason why this place, a center of transportation and commerce should prices be sky high. In fact prices, especially on space rentals and fuel should be lower than every place I’ve been at because this is the place where it gets first dibs on what comes to the area before all the other towns. Before I met you guys, I was in a town almost 800 miles away, and they had the lowest prices on fuel and food. Center Town where I met most of you guys at, the price of space, food and fuel was just as low. The prices at Fight Town were expensive but there was a high demand diving up the high price. But there is nothing here driving up the cost of things to these ridiculous levels. Eight jugs of fuel should not be over $200. $120 maybe but no more than $150.” Fernando explains. “No use crying over spilled fuel.” Marvin throws in, adding, “You said that money is no problem, so you can pay what price is being asked.” “Technically, Yes. But if you allow one injustice to happen – like the slavery of humans and wessens, other will continue it and find any excuse to allow it to continue. Human or Wessen – we are born free men with rights to have and responsibilities to those rights to be maintained. If the price of space with access to water and fuel is this high, how much will the food be? I need to sit and talk with the others about this, including you guys as it affects you as it does everyone else.” Fernando explains. “What are you going to do about the fight the women folks are having?” Marvin throws out. Fernando stops in his tracks, forcing Marvin and Karl to stop. They both turn to face him. “What do you know that is going on?” Fernando asks. “Only what our ears tell us.” Karl points out. He throws in “It is one of the few good things about being a Wessen – super hearing, the other is being stronger and faster than most humans.” “Yeah, we heard the screaming and yelling in Hondo’s camper and then seen Ichigo and Ruth leave the camper.” Marvin says. “Yeah, but we’re not getting involved in that. A bad place for a man to be in is between fighting women.” Karl throws in. Fernando sighs, knowing that a majority of history’s wars were fought because of women and the crap they fling. He thinks for a while. He then says, “If it does not resolve itself by dinner time, I will be stepping in. Until then it better resolve itself.” The three of them seem to let out a collective sigh at the same time. “Let get your rides fueled up, and go look for something to eat. I know you guys cannot eat meat but maybe we can find some fruit and oatmeal for you guys. Also get something for the Wessen girls and my ladies as well in case lunch is ruined like I think it will be.” Fernando says. “Sounds like a plan.” Karl says. “Yeah, let’s go.” Marvin throws in before they continue with their return trip home.
|