Chapter 03 Dancing with Danger

“We’re swinging by my bunker first. I have a few things I need to grab before we head toward Razor Ridge. Don’t worry, it’s on the way.”

Reed, already half-lounging in the passenger seat, shrugged.

 “Hey, as long as we don’t run into any raiders or get eaten by sandworms, I’m good.”

Mia, sitting in the back said, “If we run into raiders, it’s because your big mouth invited them.”

Dune smiled, revving the engine.

 “Relax, kids. I’ve got this.”

The buggy tore out of town, spitting up a cloud of dust behind it as they entered the rolling expanse of the wasteland. The dunes stretched endlessly, rising and falling like frozen waves of golden-brown sand. The sun beat down mercilessly, and the horizon shimmered with heat.

But then Dune’s sharp eyes caught movement on the distant dunes - Raiders.

“Brace yourselves! We’ve got company!”

Reed squinted at the horizon. 

“How many?”

“Too many,” Dune replied.

 “And they’ve got bigger wheels.”

Mia dropped onto her back in the buggy’s trunk, her sniper rifle slamming down with a loud clang. The massive weapon rested across her chest, and the barrel extended far out the back of the buggy. She adjusted her position, squinting through the scope at the raiders.

She sighed. 

“I don’t have enough rounds to take them all out. And wasting ammo on this lot isn’t worth it. They are closing in fast, we’re not outrunning them, not with all this weight."

Dune’s mind raced. She could try losing them in the dunes, but with the extra passengers, the buggy wasn’t as nimble as usual. Fighting them outright wasn’t an option, not with the odds so stacked.

Reed leaned forward, a spark of an idea in his eyes.

 “Listen, I have a plan! I know a spot up ahead. Rocky outcrop, is good for a standoff. It’ll buy us time.”

“Time for what?”

“Trust me. Just get us there. I will tell you the plan on the way.”

The rocky outcrop wasn’t much to look at, just a cluster of jagged boulders rising out of the sand, but it was enough to give them some cover. Dune skidded the buggy to a stop as they parked at a safe distance from the approaching raiders. 

Dune immediately recognized the leader and his scrap mech stomping toward them - a patchwork monstrosity of corroded metal and scrap. Atop the walking hunk of junk sat Steel Skull, his grinning face partially obscured by a dented steel mask that looked like it had been welded on as a joke but stuck around as his namesake.

“Well, well! If it isn’t my old boy toy, the bucket-headed bandit himself.”

“What now?” Mia asked as she adjusted the strap on her massive rifle.

“Back in the day, I had questionable taste, let's leave it at that,” Dune said. 

Steel Skull waved his raiders to a stop, standing atop his mech with all the swagger of a man who thought he owned the wasteland. His voice boomed across the desert, distorted by a makeshift loudspeaker bolted to the mech.

“Crash! Or better yet, Dune Vega! I’ll be damned. Still looking great, I see,” he called, spreading his arms wide like she was an old friend. 

Dune leaned casually against her steel beam. 

“Steel Skull! You’ve upgraded. That tin can of yours almost looks scary. Almost.”

Steel Skull’s laugh echoed across the dunes. 

“I could say the same for you. Still wearing that skin-tight suit, eh? Guess some things never change. But let’s not waste time! Here’s the deal: hand over your client and walk away, or me and the boys will strip you down to the last bolt and leave you here naked.”

The raiders laughed, hooting and hollering like a pack of hyenas.

Dune tilted her head, pretending to think it over.

 “Steel, if you wanted to see me naked, you could’ve just called. No need to bring an audience.”

 Her voice oozed sarcasm, and her smirk widened as the laughter grew louder.

Steel Skull crossed his arms. 

“Last chance, Vega. I chased you down not for some games! Don’t test me!”

“Oh, I’d never,” Dune said sweetly.

She stepped forward, gripping her steel beam. Then, she swung the beam upright and planted it firmly in the sand. She gave Steel Skull a wink.

 “For old times’ sake, how about a little show?”

The sound of music blasted through the buggy’s speakers, old-world rock and roll, the kind that had somehow survived the apocalypse.

She started to dance, her movements exaggerated and playful, the steel beam acting as an impromptu stripper pole. Her hips swiveled as she twirled and spun, her power suit hugging her curves tightly with each movement. 

The raiders stared, slack-jawed, as she twisted and turned. A whistle broke out from the crowd, followed by more cheering.

Steel Skull leaned forward in his mech. 

“Well, I’ll be damned. She’s still got it.”

“Goddamn,” Reed muttered, his face flushed with disbelief.

 “She’s going to get us all killed,” Mia whispered under her breath.

But Dune wasn’t dancing for fun. Every spin, every sway was designed to stall. Her eyes darted toward the horizon, scanning the sands for the telltale signs of movement. This part of the desert was infamous for its hidden predators - giant sand maggots that could swallow a car whole. All she needed was a little vibration, a little noise, and the worms would come slithering up for a snack.

The ground began to rumble. Subtle at first, like a distant drumbeat, but enough to make Dune smile. She finished her performance with a dramatic bow, planting her hands on her hips.

“Hope you enjoyed the show! Now, let me give you a real surprise!”

A roar echoed as the sand beneath the raiders erupted in a fountain of dust and sand. The first sand maggot reared up, its pale, glistening body writhing as its gaping maw opened wide, revealing rows of metal teeth. Screams replaced laughter as the raiders scrambled to react. Another maggot burst forth, then another, drawn by the vibrations of the vehicles and Steel Skull’s loud mech.

“Damn it, Dune!” Steel Skull shouted, his mech stumbling backward as he tried to regain control. 

“You always were a nasty bitch!”

“Why, thank you!” Dune called, grabbing her steel beam and swinging it onto her back.

 “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got somewhere else to be.”