Title: Out Of Scrap
Author: Sheryl Nantus
E-mail: xfdragon1@aol.com
Distribution Statement: anyone who wants it!
Disclaimer: They're not mine! Lovingly borrowed and returned with very
little wear and tear...
Genres: Vignette
Relationships: N/A
Summary: Max details how she got her motorcycle
Out Of Scrap
by Sheryl Nantus
Hey, get away from that!
No, it's okay - I didn't realize you were just a kid... come here.
You like this bike, hmm? Yah, it's a pretty awesome thing. You won't find
another one like her anywhere. Really.
She's really special. Well, to anyone with two eyes and a brain, that is. Here,
you wanna sit on her? I won't tell anyone if you do as long as you don't tell
anyone I let you.
Wasn't too long after the Pulse when I got her. I was on my own; like a lot of
people trying to figure out what had happened and not getting the right
answers.
Anyway, there was a fight that turned into a turf war between two sets of
toughs who figured that blowing up buildings and homes was a good way to
resolve their differences. And anyone around them either got out of the way
or became part of the scenery.
One of the places they blew was a garage; full of cars. Before the metal got a
chance to cool people were in there, trying to salvage some of the machines and
get ahold of the good stuff; black market and all.
The bike was in the far corner. It had been dismantled before the explosion,
so what was left wasn't pretty. Parts all over the place and some totally
toasted. No one wanted her because she wasn't worth the work.
I couldn't just leave her there, spread out all over the pavement. So I dragged
the chassis back to my shanty and began to build her back up again.
It was hard, I tell you. Some of these parts aren't made anymore, so some I had
to have machined. Takes money to get that type of work done, but I managed. And
a little tinkering here and there kinda made her better than the original.
Pumped up the engine a bit; improved the shocks - that sort of thing. Bet her
first owner wouldn't recognize her now. Good thing, 'cause if he wanted her back
I'd snap him like a twig.
She feels good, hmm? You probably don't remember when there were thousands of
these, all running up and down the streets all the time. Day and night; no
checkpoints or anything. Fuel stops at each corner and less than ten bucks a
gallon.
It's okay. I don't remember it all that well either. But I've seen the pictures
and there were a lot of these around.
Yah, got a few scratches here and there. Not from me being clumsy, you know.
People bump up against her and nick and scratch her if I'm not looking and even
if I am. Think they'd know better by now.
Gotta go? Okay... I see your mom over there. Tell her I didn't try and sell you
anything bad, okay? I'll see you next time I get over this way. Just remember,
nothing is unfixable. Nothing is garbage. Nothing is just scrap.
Bye.
(
geocities.com/dragstor)