In the Cold

Chapter 6

The next day Tach woke up to  Zee throwing a pair of goggles and an old, patched-up, orange polyester parka at her. “Wake up, pet. We’ve got a call.”

Zee was gone before Tach could ask what that meant, and then the walls of the tent started to collapse on her. She crawled out of the flap, looking around for a reason for the hurry.

Standing up, she saw a thick, orange cloud spreading out in the distance.

“It’s a distress signal.” Mouse explained as he rolled up the tent. “Anyone willing to draw attention to themselves when hurt has to be able to pay.” Mouse pulled a partially opened granola bar from is pocket, and took a bite from it. “Zee says you’re basically healed now, make yourself useful and load this into the Cat.”

“Into the... Cat?” Behind where the tent used to be sat a bizarre machine, cobbled together from parts of cars, washing machines, toys, androids, and all manner of devices. In the front, an open cab with three seats, over a pair of tractor treads.

In the back, a covered wagon of stretched leather on top of a pair of skis. The whole assembly looked like it would fall apart if she leaned on it.

Zee walked up to the cab, wearing snowshoes and Tach’s cape. Her goggles were down, and her dreadlocks were tied up at the back of her head. She climbed up into the cab and waved at Tach, “Get on in, we’re gone in two.”

Tach stomped through the fresh snow, and threw the tent in the covered wagon part, hoisting herself up behind it. The back of the vehicle had tackle boxes and peanut butter jars and filing cabinets stacked up tall and duct taped in place. There was a set of straps on the floor that looked like it would fit the rolled up tent. Tach strapped it in and cinched it tight.

A flap at the front opened and Zee stuck her head through. “We’ve got enough room for you up front if you don’t mind snuggling. You’ll need to wear your goggles though.

Tach shrugged, and climbed through the flap. She slumped down in the seat next to Zee, and watched Mouse, hair drier in one hand, connected to the heavily corroded car battery under the opposite arm, standing in front of the machine, warming up the engine.

“Are you two entirely entertained?” Mouse asked, not even looking up.

“Very.” said Zee, putting an arm across Tach’s shoulders. “You ready to go?”

“Try starting her up.”

Zee reached across Tach to turn the key in the ignition. After a moment of choking and grinding, the engine turned over and revved up to life. To Tach it sounded a little bit like when she put marbles in the blender as a child.

“We better hope they can pay us in gas, or we’ll be staying with them for a while.” Said Mouse, sliding the engine compartment shut and climbing over it into the driver’s seat.

Zee laughed, “Worst comes to worst we can burn my ethyl alcohol.”

“And go forty feet really fast.” Mouse slammed down one of the levers in front of him, and the contraption lurched forward, jumped over a snow bank and sped down an embankment, towards yet another signal flare.

The cold air whipped across Tach’s face as the green tinted landscape blurred past. They were going downhill now, dodging between spires of red crystal and deep pits that faded into blue, then black. They hit a bump that sent them flying over one of the pits, Tach involuntarily clung to Zee, who laughed, returning the embrace as they slammed down onto the snow at the far end of the chasm.

“Don’t show off Mouse.”

The boy was grinning. ”But we have company.”

As they got closer to the source of the smoke, Tach pointed at what might have been a vehicle silhouetted against the snow. “Is that who we’re looking for?”