Darkwind - Viewing Topic: Jinx

The Paranoid Tourist
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Bruce Jenkins was elated. When 'Machine Gun' Mark Jackson asked him to man the newest version of the Fish Hawk, he couldn't believe it.

"We need someone who will be able to specialize on the new laser we put in there, and we think you're the man to do it. All of the other big shots in this town have focused on another kind of weapon, you're still green enough to go into this without any backward preconceived notions on how to fire it."

Seemed rational enough. Jenkins shifted in his chair, wincing as he moved. Jackson noticed the obvious pain that Jenkins was in and told him not to worry. "You'll just have to sit in the car facing backward, eye to the sight, we'll strap you in good and tight so that you don't have to worry about that broken hip of yours."

Jackson turned and left the room, barely allowing time for Jenkins to spit out a "thanks."

Jenkins had been living with this broken hip for a while. There wasn't much for local medicine in the Badlands Truckstop, and the Paranoid Tourists couldn't sacrifice the him for even a week by sending him to another more civilized town with a hospital. He had probably been on a dozen scouts with this broken hip, typically a backup gunner in The Renowned Backdraft, the pride and joy of the Paranoid Tourists, a Fire Engine. He felt a bit disposable as his main purpose was to drive loot home, often having to outrun pirates in faster cars. This new position made him feel like maybe he wasn't being asked to sacrifice himself.

The next day, Jenkins reported to the warehouse that served as The Paranoid Tourists' garage. There were dozens of cars parked inches from each other at the back end of it, vehicles which 'Machine Gun' had found reason to purchase but never found a purpose for. At the front of the garage were the few vehicles which were used regularly, and a few which were being repaired or stripped for sale.

Turning toward the bay door, Jenkins saw his target, the Fish Hawk. A sweet-looking little machine. The Fish Hawk was a new Osprey with the lightest armor the mechanics could put on it. In the back was a brand new laser, the first owned by the Paranoid Tourists, and a flechette gun. Tucked safely under the hood was another of the gang's brightest jewels: a 5L V12 engine. Jenkins had already heard word of how quick this little baby was. It could run circles around even the swiftest pirate vehicles.

Being the first to the garage that morning, Jenkins hobbled over to the Fish Hawk and did a slow circle around it before deciding to climb in and get used to his seat. It took him about three minutes to carefully slide his way into the rear-facing seat without bumping his hip into anything. Jenkins was happy to know that the Fish Hawk could get away from anything, as he had no idea how he would hobble home from an unsuccessful encounter. He chuckled as he realized that, even if he could, he probably would choose not to limp home. The wrath of 'Machine Gun' Mark Jackson should they lose this car would be far worse than anything that the wastes could throw at him. Jenkins looked at the controls and didn't see anything too unique. One of the gauges interested him, though. Where the magazine was normally replaced, a gauge reading "charge" was in its place. Jenkins knew exactly what this was and decided that he would have to figure out on the job how to most efficiently utilize the charge in the laser.

"G'mornin', Jinx!"

Jenkins looked up from the laser, "Jinx" was one that he'd never heard before, but he knew immediately that it refered to him.

"Admirin' the new ride, are ya? Gonna be one sweet ride. Hope you got yer belt on tight, this is one fast bucket."

It was Paul 'Crazy Like A' Fox. The resident mechanic and trucker for the Paranoid Tourists. He knew how to get that Fire Engine around a battlefield, Jenkins wondered if he'd ever driven anything smaller than a box van.

"Good morning, Fox. Where'd this 'Jinx' thing come from?" inquired Jenkins

"Dunno, jus' think it sounds good. Seems like you've been around long enough to get a half-decent nickname."

"Let me know when you come up with one." retorted Jenkins.

Fox hopped into the driver's seat, turned the key and started up the engine. Without as much as looking to see if Jenkins was ready, he revved up the big engine, popped the clutch, and spun the Osprey around on its axis, leaving black streaks and smoke behind them as they screeched out of the garage through the big double bay doors. "Jackson told me to go when I was ready", shouted Fox over the scream of the V12 engine's high RPMs.

"Didn't ask you to make sure I was ready, eh?" muttered Jenkins.

"Wuh was that? Hey, you good with that laser?"

"Guess we'll find out on the job."

"That's fine, this is jus' a test run, anyway."

Jenkins had little time to look over the laser on the way out. He was too busy trying to keep from vomiting as Fox threw the Fish Hawk over one bump in the road and into a slide around the next turn. He couldn't get a good look at the speedometer, but Jenkins figured they had to be traveling no slower than 90 miles per hour, occasionally hitting 140 during the short straight runs. Jenkins' stomach might've been a little more settled if he hadn't been facing backwards. As it was he had no idea what kind of terrain was coming. He was strapped into that seat far too tightly to be able to watch where they were going. Jenkins could tell that Fox was talking about something, but it was far too loud in the cab to hear him, not that Jenkins was sure he could concentrate on it, anyway.

Suddenly the car slowed and Jenkins could hear Fox again.

"Looks like we found someone."

Jenkins felt that Fox was using that saying loosely, as five muscle cars suddenly showed up directly behind them in the canyon. He suddenly realized that neither of them had any scouting experience.

"Alright, Jinx, aim for tha' Pegasus, it'll be the first one to us. Le's see if we can take that Pike home."

Jenkins knew it would go like this. They were just supposed to go out and test the setup, not risk anything to take a car home. Ah, well, maybe they'd find a way to separate the Pike from the rest and be able to scare the pirates into giving it up.

Fox punched it, gaining distance between them and the pirates within a second. Jenkins was forced up against the straps but managed to get this sights on the Pegasus. He fired off a shot from the laser and missed. "Dammit, keep it steady", he muttered. His second shot hit the Pegasus square in the side. He could see a large black scar form in the door of the Phoenix, and the car swerved away to avoid any more. Jenkins looked down at the energy gauge which already read well below half power, and he realized that this was going to be a real test of patience and accuracy.

"Find a nice high spot so we can get some shots on their roofs!" offered Jenkins.

Fox wasn't listening, "Hold on, Jinx. Things are gonna get rough!"

Before he knew what was going on, Jenkins felt the Fish Hawk fly through the air. "Christ! Keep control of this thing!"

"I'm doing what I can, dammit!"

The Fish Hawk bounced to the ground, hitting off-center on the front bumper first. The car's momentum kept the rear end going over the front, landing the Osprey square on its hood.

"####! Jinx! Get out there and flip this thing over!"

Jenkins knew that he didn't have time to protest. He somehow managed to get unstrapped in no time and threw himself out of the door. Nearly blinded by the pain in his hip, he couldn't believe it when he opened his eyes and found a portion of the heavy steel barrel of a heavy car rifle laying on the rocks. He jammed the rifle barrel under the car and over a rock, intending to use the thing as a lever to get the car back on its wheels. He imagined it a futile effort, but if anything was going to work, it was this.

He could hear the roar of the 4 liter engines coming at them. Looking up he caught sight of a Badlander just in time to hear its Heavy Machine Gun rattle off a blast at them.

Then, nothing.

Jenkins felt like he was floating on a cloud. He was at peace, floating through a white nothingness. Everything was silent except for the sound of a breeze whispering past his ears. Bruce Jenkins smiled.

Suddenly, he felt a hot grip on his arm and a yank. He came to just long enough to see that he was in a car and that a number of other cars were whizzing by his car in the other direction. He blacked out again.

Bruce Jenkins awoke with a start. "Where the hell am I!?"

He tried to sit up but couldn't. He could feel his body but he couldn't do anything with it.

Paul Fox came to his side. "You're back in the truckstop, Jinx. You're OK."

"Damn, Fox, what happened. I blacked out back there, thought I was dead."

"I did too, Jinx. You got out and put up that lever. Helluva idea. That Badlander, though. Damn."

"Ah, hell, yeah. That Badlander. Guess it got me, eh?"

"Sure did, Jinx. Hit you square in your good hip. Sent you flyin' right into that HCR barrel. Your weight and the recoil from that hit was just enough to get the car over. We're two lucky buzzards. The car spun when its wheels hit the ground and you were right outside of my door so I yanked ya back in. After that it was easy to get out of there with our V12. Should've seen the looks on the pirate's faces when we took off!"

"Fox, I don't know how to thank you."

"Thank me!? Hell, I flipped that damn car. It's my fault that you've got a shattered right hip to match your broken left one! I didn't take your shotgun from your side to make you more comfortable, Jinx, I took it in self-defense."

"So the Fish Hawk is alright, too?"

"Yup, jus' a couple a scratches. It'll be back on the road long before you even get out of bed."

Jenkins lay quiet and thought for a while. What an ordeal. He wasn't sure if he was lucky or unlucky. Sure, he's home, but with two broken hips. Besides that, his job behind the laser might be in jeopardy. "Fox, I think you're right about that nickname of mine. Guess we can make it official."

......................... vet gateautumn gwextrav raceL1 wv e2g0,2,0
Posted Jul 12, 2009, 4:14 pm	Last edited Jul 12, 2009, 4:48 pm by The Paranoid Tourist