Gaea gunned the engine. The ground under the tires was still dry, and the car easily moved forward. Michael’s eyes followed the tire tracks leading away from their hiding spot as they filled with water.
“Where are we?” he said.
“Just outside Leonora,” said Gaea, “a hundred metres or so off the road. We were going up the Great Central.”
“Not anymore,” said Michael. The Great Central Road was over 1000 kilometres of heavily corrugated dirt, which turned to mud when wet.
Branches screeched against the windows and whipped against the doors. The wipers vainly tried to bail water off the windscreen. The headlights reached no more than ten metres ahead, before they were cut off by scrub.
“Thanks for saving me last night,” said Michael.
“Damn lucky you convinced me to come hunting with you that time. Otherwise I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do.” Gaea’s smile dropped.
“What’s the matter?”
“When you shot those soldiers, did you feel bad?” said Gaea. “Like, no matter how necessary it was, it still wasn’t the right thing to do?”
“Not really,” said Michael. “I did what I had to.”
“Oh,” said Gaea. She didn’t say anything for ten seconds. “I couldn’t believe what I’d done. I felt like a murderer. Still, I haven’t been desensitised by video games.”
Michael grunted acknowledgement, and looked back. There were deep tire marks cut into the red slurry behind them. If they didn’t hit bitumen soon, they’d get bogged for sure.
“Do you have any other music?” said Gaea, changing the subject. “Heavy metal?”
“Of course not,” said Michael. “But I can bash my fists on the dashboard and make dying animal noises if you like.”
Gaea did an exaggerated fake laugh. “There’s more to it than that.”
Michael opened the glove box and took out the next CD. “I think this is just a mix of stuff. Might even be something you like on it.”
“I doubt it, but at least it’ll be a variety of girls music.”
“You’re a girl, stupid,” said Michael, pressing the eject button. “Not that anyone would think it.”
“Hey, why use moisturiser when you’ve got engine oil. I’m proud of my un-girlishness.”
“Hah. Yeah. Most women shave their legs though.”
Gaea punched Michael’s shoulder. Michael tried to keep a straight face. “Didn’t hurt.”
“Course not,” said Gaea, nodding knowingly.
Michael pushed the CD into the slot and chucked the other one back in the glove box. The player made clicking noises as it spun the disc. They emerged onto the bitumen. Michael breathed a sigh of relief; there was no sign of the authorities.
“This is shit,” said Gaea, as soon as the CD started playing.
“What do you mean? It’s been on for one second.”
“No, I mean this situation,” said Gaea. “Like, what chance do we really have? What are we going to do when we arrive in the middle of the outback? Eat kangaroos and drink our own piss?”
“There’s more to eat and drink than that.”
“Maybe,” said Gaea. “But they’re bound to find us eventually. I mean, what are we going to do with ourselves?”
“Nothing I guess,” said Michael. “Survive. Don’t die. Those sorts of things.”
“I guess so,” said Gaea. She was quiet for a moment, letting the music fill the car. “Thanks a fuckin’ lot dad,” she finally said, slamming a fist on the dashboard. “You might have considered that I have a life before you went shoving me in the jaws of death.”
Michael nodded, feeling torn inside. On the one hand he was furious with Nigel for putting his life in jeopardy. On the other hand, Nigel was his father, and he didn’t have any intentions for this to happen.
“At least we won’t be living in a corrupt regime,” said Michael. “We’ll be free at least.”
“Stuff that,” said Gaea. “What’s the point in freedom? Better to have a good life with a corrupt government than to scrape life out of this bloody red dirt.”
Michael yawned. “Depends how you look at it. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got another five hours of sleep to make eight.”
“All right,” said Gaea. “Goodnight princess.”
Michael snorted, then fell asleep almost instantly.
