The Fittest

by Oonah V. Joslin

Might as well have been on Mars except for places where ore had turned the rocks to verdigris. They stood out cool against the ochre landscape. You could see right to the horizon all around. Way in the distance, red dust rose where the road joined Interstate 15. The Pine Valley Mountains stood like cut-outs to the northwest of St. George.

Uncle Driver scratched his head. “Of course if you want to loll around here, you go right ahead.”

His passenger sat staring intently at the crackling radio. Signals died here.

“What are you waiting for? Cryptic message sent by angels or somethin’? The mother ship coming for you, College?” Driver laughed into the cloud of steam from the open hood and fanned at it with his cap.

“I’ve never done car maintenance...”

“I don’t give a cuss what you done nor never done. What you’re doin’ now is what counts and you ain’t doin’ diddly! You’re pretty dumb for a genius, you know?”

“Um...”

“You wanna be here all night? There’s rattlers. There’s all kinda lizards, spiders, vermin...”

The young man discarded his mobile onto the passenger seat. “So, what do I do?”

“Skim milk an’ two raw eggs. They’re in the trunk.”

“We’re making an omelette?”

“Yeah, why not? Maybe you wanna invite them varmints for a picnic!”

“Well what do you want with the groceries then?”

“They’re for the radiator, bonehead! Is brains forbidden where you come from? Truck’s overheated. The eggs’ll seal the radiator leak and the milk’ll do for water.”

“That’s inspired.”

“No, young’un. That’s survival!”