Chapter 14: Basic Needs

In the morning Archie stews something up on the stove and serves me a steaming cup of coffee while Tee and I sit around the table expectantly.

"What's the agenda today, Archie?  More murdering?"

"No..  But we need to make a supply run."

"What for, you've got ten of everything here."

"We're out of coffee."

"Oh, it's an emergency.  Can't you live without it?"  In the wasteland, you live without everything.  I'm lucky each day that I wake up with my humanity intact, that's about all I've got left.

He glares at me.

"You don't want to see me without my coffee.  I want you to make a run down to the gas station.  Last time I was there they had a basement full of food.  I locked it on my way out."  and he hands me a key.

"Think you can handle that, soldier?" he says.

"First of all, I ain't a soldier.  Second of all, you want me to risk my life for coffee?"

I took a sip and the hot liquid going down my throat feels great.  I look into my cup, at the swirling darkness.  I suppose we all need to keep our humanity alive, however we can.  Life has to have meaning.  Coffee has meaning to Archie.

"I'll get your coffee, Archie..  Why don't we go together, for safety."

"I'm headed to Oasis to trade, I need some parts.  You can handle it yourself.  I'll be back in four days. Oh and watch out for ghouls." and he picks up a duffle bag and climbs up the ladder and he's gone.

Ghouls.  Ages ago, the bombs fell, and many chemical weapons were unleashed.  Most who survived these days were immune, but the few who weren't became feral monsters who came out at night, flesh melting away, losing their senses until all they wanted was meat.  Any meat.

"Well Tee, I guess it's just you and me now."

"He's coming back, right?"

"Yeah, I hope so.  I guess I've gotta head out too, why don't you stay here for the day?"

"Don't go," she says, and she grabs my hand and squeezes hard.

It's a stupid mission.  Go into the ruins of the town and get coffee.  I'd scavenged medical equipment to save lives, I'd hunted slavers, I'd brought back iguanas when their was no food, I'd fought off a ghoul with my own hands, just to save someone I didn't know.  Coffee for Archie.  What's the point?  But I know.  It was the same with him and his white carpet.  I know the truth.  Coffee represents sanity, humanity to him.

"You're safe here, Tee.  I'll turn on the eyebot so you've got someone to play with.  I don't want you leaving here, understand?  And if I'm not back tonight you tuck yourself in ok?"

"Ok..  You'll be back?"

"I'll be back."

Damn Archie and his white carpet, his coffee.  At least I have purpose for another day.  Every man needs purpose.  I go into the storeroom and I turn on the orange eyebot.

"Scanning.  Scanning.  Tools detected.  Executing self repair protocol."

The eyebot starts poking around the room, pulling parts from here and there with it's small pincer arm.

I walk through the kitchen and Tee walks behind me to the ladder entrance.

"You'll be back?"

"You got it kiddo.  And if I'm not, you stay put.  Don't play outside, see if that eyebot knows any indoor games alright?"

"Ok," she says, dejected.  And I climb up the ladder and emerge into the blinding light of another day in the wastes.  I lower my goggles and slide the manhole cover back over the entrance while Tee looks up a me from within.  I push a pile of dust over it to hide it and I'm off to see the wizard.

Coffee.  I had risked my life for worse things I suppose.  Once a long time ago, after my wife died, I had been a junkie.  Every junkie has purpose, they gotta get the next fix.  I remember shivering, cold and naked, wandering the wastes looking for another dose of salts.  I wouldn't have survived except Moira had found me and taken me to Oasis, patched me up, fed me fixer until I was clean.  I'm a better man now, and my purpose has evolved.  

I have Tee, and Archie.  I'm a human being again.  Coffee.  At least I have purpose, and white carpet to come back to, and a child who loves me.  I see Archie in the hot distance, wavering in the heat .  I scan the horizon with my binoculars and I see a radscorpion chasing after an unknown wastelander, and I remember what Archie said.  Now he's pinned to the ground, and the scorpion is stabbing him and stabbing him with his tail, over and over, dust flying into the air.  Why did it attack?  Was it because he ran?  It begins to eat its unlucky quarry, and Archie's words echo in my mind.  The bugs are my friends.  Don't run.  Yeah, right.

The things a man will do for a cup of coffee.

Welcome to the wasteland.