With Betty already in flight, the Cap calls everyone up into his shuttle to discuss their next job. He tells the guys that they're headin' down to Athens. Apparently someone found record that a few cases of Grav Couplers might be found in a wharehouse in New Mecca.

However he points out that the locals in New Mecca are a bit desperate since the war, and will be starvin' for food and coin. In fact they might not turn away from a light dinner of fresh folk. So the boys would want to make sure to drive hard and drive fast.

Mad Art landed the Betty on the Southern skirts of New Mecca, out of main view of the town itself. Gounter hooked up two of the skim bikes to a hover trailer for carryin' the cargo. Atol felt the need to drive, so Willy and Gounter decided to take it easy in the trailer.

Headin' straight North into New Mecca, Atol swung west and at every turn found a dead end of toppled buildings and rubble. So back to the main road he decided to head straight north again, but in no time shots were heard coming from the roof tops. Four gunman had them covered from up high and the road was blocked further North. Atol took a hard turn to the east, but not before Willy got a shot off at one of the gunman. The poor sah gwa lost his balance and fell straight off that building like an apple fallin' from a tree. This came as a surprise to Gounter, 'cause up 'til now he hadn't heard any ruckus...bein' deaf and all.

The boys still needed to get North, but the next road was blocked as before with debris. However the road that followed looked clear enough so Atol took it. However quickly the boys realized it were a trap as someone had taken' considerable time diggin' a 10 foot wide gully in the road.

Atol weren't detered by this obstacle so he gunned it. The other two lads could feel their rectums tighten as the hover skiff bounded, none so gracefully, over that hole. Given that excitement it was easy to understand how they never noticed the six armed gunman standin' to the sides. The guys in the trailer took a pepperin' but Atol's lead foot pulled them out of the jam as he hung a hard left.

The road ahead was blocked, but a north-bound alley seemed to suit 'em. That alley took a sharp turn to the west, and Atol and Willy caught a glimpse of something in the road. Turns out someone had strung a wire stright across the path about chest high.

Willy took a shot and missed, and much to his surprise, Atol reached for his wrench and gave the skiff a bit more gas. Figurin' Atol had gone all kinds of crazy, Willy took another shot. That shot rang solid, but not on the wire. It hit dead on the back of Atol's wrench as he brought it down. The combination of the two snapped that wire clean in half, but the boys hadn't recon'd on the repercussions. That wire whipped free and straight at 'em. Atol and Gounter ducked clean, but Willy took a thumpin' to his brainpan that was sure to ruin his mornin' the next day.

A few more turns and the boys found themselves at the wharehouse. Atol made short work of the lock on the door with a mighty blow from his favorite pipe wrench. Come to think of it, why does he carry that gorram wrench? I don't think he's ever turned a pipe with it...ever. Weird.

There were a ton of boxes in that wharehouse. The boys spent the better part of the hour lookin' This section of town was strangely quiet, so even after they found the four small boxes they were lookin' for, the decided to crack open a crate and look for somethin' extra. It didn't take long 'cause in the first crate they popped they not only found protein waffles, but them waffles was chocolate flavored! It was a bounty fit for a king.

They strapped the booty up good and tight and shuffled off. The Cap had told him he'd be waitin' out East of town so that those that saw them come in wouldn't be able to ambush 'em on the way out. So after a short run North, Atol found a nice straight road East and took it.

'Bout halfway down this long road, Willy caught wind of some noise comin' from the far side of a building up ahead. In preparation for whatever the encounter, Willy grabbed Atol's machine gun and prepared for full auto.

As they passed the building they got full view of four scoundrels in a beat up hovercraft. Willy didn't wait to ask no questions, so he bounced some lead around to let them know his full intentions. They took some shots and gave some, then turned that wagon to chase our heroic trio. Gounter took a shot with his shotgun and tagged one of the guys head clean off.

Willy peppered 'em again, but this time he got a luck shot on one of the craft's thrusters and sent 'em spinnin' and pukin'. One poor fool spun loose and caught his upper teeth on the corner of the nearest building. Popped his head clean in half. 'Twas a sight for sure.

As they rounded the turn to the South, followin' the dry river bed, the boys encountered a sniper perched some distance away at the top of a building. He was good, so Willy let go a flurry in hopes he'd force the bad man to cover. He did, and the boys trucked right by.

Atol took the first turn back East and headed straight out of town. The Cap complained a bit about how long it took, but he always did that. Tarney noted that Willy and Gounter had been riddled a plenty, so he sent them to the infirmary. It took some time for Tarney to show up to do the patchin' and he clearly had the burden of chocolaty crumbs on his chest. He explained that the Cap had asked him to wait a bit before comin' back because lettin' the boys bleed a bit builds character. It's a tough love, but what can ya do?