Chapter 7

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In the case of getting out of the ravine, the shortest distance between two points turned out to be a tedious, meandering drive down a streambed, getting stuck three times in said streambed even with running off-road tracks, and a slow haul up a rocky slope. Joe had to extend the cutter's fins farther to keep steady as he climbed the embankment, and Sikes's incessant monologue made the drive even slower. Joe absentmindedly stroked the dog's fur while she snored on the seat between the two men, grateful for the distraction lest he strangle Sikes himself.

They say that slow and steady wins the race, but if the drive took any longer, that old tortoise down at Mac's General Store could've beaten him. Fortunately, after Joe navigated Monster back onto the road, he reached Cavil without any additional stops and without anyone else trying to kill him.

Cavil, the largest town in the Midlands, sat in the center of the land zone. From a distance, it didn't look like much, since there were very few stone buildings taller than one-story, due to it being much more comfortable, and safer, to live below ground. The Midlands, like the other seven land zones across the wastelands, experienced severe weather patterns: scorching summers, frigid winters, and violent storms year-round. Every now and then, when the winds were out of the wrong direction, the air would become toxic with radioactive particles brought in from the northeastern area of the Tidewaters, which had been uninhabitable for centuries. Anyone caught outside when the "dead winds" were in the area wouldn't live out the week. Fortunately, the air was carefully monitored by weather specialists who would activate the storm sirens, giving people time to get safely underground, where the air was processed. Out of all the jobs across the wastelands, the weather specialists were the most respected. Only the worst heathens would deign to rob or assault one out of the bad luck it'd bring to them and theirs.

The dead winds came through more often in the summer and fall, but they'd been known to blow through anytime of the year, often bringing deadly acid rains. In addition to Monster's protection against the dead winds, Joe kept a breather mask in the cab, and his suit provided protection against radioactivity in case he was caught out on the road when they came through. Indeed, it'd come in handy a few times. But the worst part about being caught in the dead winds was watching those who were unprotected as they blistered, weakened, and died. It was a bad way to go.

It was spring, the best season for being outdoors and the lowest chance of dead winds, though it was already ninety degrees Fahrenheit outside. In another month, the temperatures would rise to over one hundred degrees by noon every day, with some days climbing over one-twenty. That made for short growing seasons, with most crops grown within greenhouses.

"So, this is Cavil? I've never been here before," Sikes announced.

"You haven't been missing much," Joe said as he drove past the town's slums.

"I thought it'd be nicer," Sikes mused.

Joe nodded to the shantytown surrounding them. "This is Far Town."

"Fart Town?"

"It's Far Town, and it's the slums. Not a place you want to be if you can help it," Joe corrected. The area known as Far Town took up three square blocks, and it was an area everyone knew to avoid after dark. Keep far away, hence the name. Violence and an early death were the only guarantees in a place like this. A quarantine sign was currently posted, though it seemed like it was up more frequently than it was down.

Far Town was no doubt going through another round of dysentery. Outdated plumbing and not enough access to potable water led to unfortunate bathroom habits that brought bacteria too close to their food and water supply.

The only time Joe stopped in Far Town was when he was hunting. Otherwise, he knew to steer clear, just like anyone else with anywhere else to go. The funny thing about the "civilized" side of Cavil, on the other side of the city from here, was that there, a single murder was tragic, while the hundreds of murders that took place in Far Town were seen as nothing more than a statistic.

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