The Perfect State: A Fictional Commentary on Humanity and Politics

The Journey: Chapter 6

Great North American Wasteland, 31 January 2048

7.00 AM, Mane woke up in the car which he had been his home for the last three days. He could not remember a thing; it was almost like he was coming out of a daze. Looking around he remembered what happened the night before.

Luckily the acid rain had stopped, He got out of the car to talk to Quent who had been on guard duty for the night. "Morning," said Mane wiping sleep from his eyes.

Quent replied, "Don't Morning me."

Mane was confused, What had happened to Quent overnight to make him so confrontational? With that thought on his mind, he enquired "What's wrong? You seem awfully miffed."

Quent replied, "You know that 'Octavius' fellow is a spy, Right?"

Mane had entertained the idea but on second thought dismissed it. "Maybe...I don't know. The story does not add up that's for sure but my instincts tell me he is not. It's a hard one." said Mane still in a sense waking up.

Quent tensed up replying "I'm gonna confront him when we are exploring the water tower. Open your eyes, how does he know our maps? He's an agent of the Supreme Elder."

Mane thought harder considering he trusted his long time friend's judgement greatly but still, he doubted that Octavius was a spy. For one, He certainly was convincing and he certainly didn't look like he just left New Oxford.

"I don't know if we should confront him. What if he is genuinely what he says he is? It would be awfully moronic of us to piss off a vital ally." said Mane.

"He's a sleeper agent. I read it in books of old. Pasco wants a spy in New Providence, 'Octavius' is perfect for that. Great backstory. Looks genuine but that's the trick. I swear if he is an agent I will blow out his brains repeatedly."

Disagreeing but respecting his friend's opinion he said "Fine, We'll confront him but I will do it. You're a loose cannon, You'll shoot him the moment he opens his mouth."

Quent interjected "Mouth of Lies."

Mane struggling to hide the frustration in his voice said "Yes, I get it. Nice to know our only ally is most likely an agent."

Mane left Quent to simmer in his anger and went to the cars to wake up their families in the cars including the presumed agent Octavius. He distributed the food and drink rations before disconnecting his car from the makeshift charge point. Hopefully, it had worked and the car's battery was at one-hundred percent.

He asked if Quent's car had been charged too and he confirmed that. Now the main objective was to check the water tower in the hope that the underground source of water wasn't contaminated. From his understanding of geography, he presumed not but nothing was ever for certain in the living representation of hell.

With everyone ready; Quent, Mane, Octavius, and their families got into the respective cars and formed a Convoy once more. Octavius sat in the front with Mane, Mane feared if he sat in Quent's car he would confront him prematurely.

The water tower was only 500 meters away on a small hill; the advertisement on the tower was no more than rust at this point of history, a fitting metaphor for the society it once represented. Over 30 meters high, painted in what would have been cream white, it was a prominent feature in this landscape dominated by nothing besides flat fields of death barring a few polluted streams or two.

The Convoy stopped at the boundaries of the Water Tower, all three of them looked up and saw the monolithic structure towering over them. There was a pump operated by a wheel at the bottom of the tower; Quent and Mane prayed inside that clean water would flow from it but first they had business to attend to of a more unpleasant nature.