The Man in Black

The mysterious figure started waving at Marcelina and Natalia, prompting the two girls to draw their weapons and point at the mystery man. The figure was now close enough to be identified as a man, although they could hardly see his face.

"Stop right there!" Marcelina yelled out.

The man in black raised his hands and stopped moving.

"Take one more step and Natalia here will blast you into oblivion!"

Natalia slowly nodded, gripping her futuristic rifle. "We're not kidding around. We can and will blow you up if you try anything funny."

The man in black nodded once again keeping his arms above his head. His hat obscured most of his face, but they could see he was still smiling.

"Are you alone!" Marcelina yelled holding her pistol firmly and finger on the trigger.

The mystery man nodded and continued smiling.

"Identify yourself! Who are you?" Marcelina said.

"Howdy, the name's Captain Stanley Stevenson," he spoke in a thick southern accent that used to be associated with Texas.

"Captain?" Natalia raised an eyebrow.

"Captain of what?" Marcelina frowned. "Are you with some kind of marauder group?"

"It couldn't be further from the truth lady," he said still grinning. "I am captain of the inquisition unit of the reformed state of Michigan."

Captain, Inqustion, reformed state of Michigan? In one sentence this guy had created so many questions, was this an attempt at confusion.

"What the hell are you talking about," Marcelina fumed, "Talk sense or we will kill you."

"But it's the truth, I ain't lyin'. I speak in service of the lord's mission. Now I have a question for you two ladies, are you by chance marauders and if you are do you know where I can find Rungi Corpovich."

Marcelina and Natalia shook their heads.

"Well, ain't that swell," he said laughing, "What are you fine ladies doin' in the middle of nowhere?"

"We are travelers," Marcelina refused to let her guard down.

"Traveling to where?"

"North."

"I believe we can help each other, I am traveling north too, but unlike you, I don't have any vehicular transportation. I know where the next settled town is and would be much obliged to serve as your guide."

"Out of the question," Marcelina shook her head.

"I don't know," Natalia bit her lip. "We could use his help, we have no idea where we're going, our 1953. map isn't doing us any favors. If he knows where we should go next why not use him?"

"We can't trust him. Who knows what he-"

Before Marcelina could finish, the loud growling of her stomach interrupted her. She was very hungry, and there wasn't much left to eat in the jeep. They would need to find more food quickly.

"You were saying?" Natalia raised an eyebrow and laughed. The growling proved her point.

"Oh, shut up!" Marcelina yelled out. "We don't know who he really is and what he is doing out here."

"Ladies I am still standin' here and I can hear you talkin’. I can answer all your questions if you would let me. As I said, the name's Stanley Stevenson, I am an inquisitor with the rank of captain sent by the reformed state of Michigan. I am out here searching for Rungi Corpovich, a wanted man in Michigan, there is a huge bounty on his head, and I am sent to do the lord's work on Earth and enact judgment. He is a serial killer who crossed the American wasteland to escape to these parts. If you help me with my transportation problems, I would offer you my knowledge to the nearest town if you were to transport me there."

"Why are you alone and what's this talk about a state of Michigan, the only government that exists is Greenland and its colonies." Marcelina was still skeptical.

"Oh, but you are terribly misinformed my child. After the collapse of the old American empire, what lay in its place were mostly empty deserts that were wholly radioactive. However, not all of the country was beset by the nuclear fallout. The Great Lakes of Michigan survived, the people gathered and created a new government. We are even recognized by the Empire of Greenland, they opened an embassy. On the question of why I am alone, my crew are not among the living, may the lord bless their souls. We were ambushed by a group of marauders, and I was the only one who survived."

Marcelina nodded still not fully embracing Stanley. "Why are you out here searching for a criminal, you know the end of the world is near, the solar fissure will kill your Rungi Corpovich or whatever his name was very soon. Sooner or later death will come to him and to you too. Why waste your time?"

Stanley smirked, "Excuse me but the lord's justice doesn't rest, apocalypse or no apocalypse. I have a duty to carry it out as long as I draw breath. Also to be honest I need money his bounty will so mercifully offer. May the lord forgive my sin."

"Hm," Marcelina grumbled.

"We should totally take him with us, he can help us," Natalia whispered.

"I still don't like him," Marcelina replied whispering back.

"Look I can sit with him in the back and keep my rifle pointed at his head if he tries anything funny while you drive," Natalia said.

Marcelina agreed and decided to lower her weapon, prompting Natalia to do the same.

"Alright Mr. Priest inquisitor man, you are coming with us." Marcelina gestured with her arm.

"Bless you and your kindness," Stanley took off his hat, showing his dark hair, and bowed to the girls. "I am grateful that you accepted my offer, I would have hated to have had to kill such pretty girls like yourselves to take your jeep by force."

Marcelina and Natalia raised their weapons at Stanley once again. He laughed and raised his hands again, "It was in jest girls, do you have no sense of humor down here." Stanley took out his two concealed revolvers and threw them to the ground. "As a sign of goodwill and trust, I surrender you my weapons and am in your hands."

Natalia went to pick them up while Marcelina held her gun pointed at Stanley. She searched Stanley to see if he had any more weapons concealed. Natalia found a warrant for the bounty of the serial killer Rungi Corpovich and a seal of permission giving Stanley Stevenson the rank of captain inquisitor both issued by this so-called state of Michigan. This would confirm his story and identity if this government in Michigan existed. Amongst his belongings were a water bottle and futuristic gadget that was unfamiliar to her.

"What is this?" Natalia asked Stanley, pointing at the unfamiliar device.

"That there is the Retriever 6000, a harmless gadget which I will show you its function when the time comes."

"Ah, okay" Natalia gave it back to him.

"You idiot!" Marcelina yelled at her partner, "Don't give it back to him! We will give it to him when we return his pistols! We don't know what that machine is for!"

"Oh right," Natalia nervously laughed. "Silly me, sorry got take that away."

"NO offense taken," Stanley gave a soft smile.

"You use 20th century revolvers, yet you carry no ammo?" Marcelina squinted her eyes at Stanley.

"I don't need any more ammo, my pistols are loaded with 6 bullets each. The Lord has given me all that I need."

After the search and surrender of weapons, the girls reluctantly take Stanley to the car. Marcelina at the front wheel and Natalia at the back with Stanley pointing her rifle at him.

Marcelina turned on the engine and asked Stanley where to next, he begins instructing her on directions and they are back on the road. Nataila and Maercelina’s stomachs began growling ever more loudly as they drove, they wanted to arrive as quickly as they could to the next town.

Stanley gave them all of the necessary directions and then there was silence. Just the roar of the engine and the rolling of the tires. To break this uncomfortable silence, Stanley said:

"Might I ask what mighty fine girls such as yourselves are traveling, during the end of the world I might add."

"We want to see as much of the Earth before life ends," Marcelina lied unconvincingly.

"Come now child, you don't take me to be that stupid. There ain't much of Earth to see, there must be some kind of other goal."

"None of your business!" Marcelina snapped.

Stanley shrugged, "Fine, you don't need to talk. I can go first, I've got nothing to hide. Ask me anything you are curious about."

Marcelina said nothing.

"I have a question," Natalia said not wanting to spend this car ride in a deathly silence. "You said you needed the money off the bounty on that serial killer. Why would you need money if the world is about to end?"