INT. WASTELAND CANYON STRONGHOLD - GARAGE/WORKSHOP.
The cannibal tribe's stronghold was once a government installation devoted to the extraction and distillation of bio - fuels. The rusted steel industrial complex now serves a hideous new purpose: The extraction of water and the rendering of human fats, distilled into an obscene new bio - fuel from the corpses of wasteland abductees.
The Industrial Garage Workshop. Tribespeople are making repairs and modifications to their vehicles.
Kronos, the leader of the tribe enters the garage with his entourage. A large, powerfully built man in his late thirties, bald, twin tubes are inserted into his nostrils leading to a Breather Filter Pack strapped to his back. A gas mask dangles from a strap on the war harness strapped to the muscular chest and shoulders
CLOSE UP ON:
The Skin Feeder standing on a rusted steel walkway overlooking the garage.
THE SKIN FEEDER. (Shouting).
Brothers and Sisters rejoice, a bounty is upon us. Ripe juicy Pilgrims to feast and fuel us through the Dark Night. Vehicles to plunder for spare parts and gas.
KRONOS.
Patience my Children, patience. We cannot make war in darkness, we will await the Pilgrim convoys arrival with the dawn. Sharpen your knives and make ready for the hunt.
Loud war cries echo through the cavernous garage as the People Eaters make ready their vehicles and weaponry. The tribe's Doctor/Priest invokes a benediction upon the War Party.
DOCTOR MECHANISTOPHELES.
Testify Brothers and Sisters. This aint the Garden of Eden, there aint no Angels above, things aint like they use to be, and this aint the Summer of Love. Load your weapons and fuel your engines, for this is the night we ride.
EXT. WASTELAND - PILGRIM CAMP - NIGHT.
Pilgrims are tending fires and preparing meals. Rand and Cooper's men are on watch. Max sits away from the others, staring into the fire. One of the Pilgrims approaches bearing two plates of steaming food, he hands one to Max and sits down. The two men eat in silence. After a while Mathias speaks.
APPRENTICE ENGINE MASTER MATHIAS.
Something troubles you Road Warrior?
Max just stares into the fire.
APPRENTICE ENGINE MASTER MATHIAS.
In these dark times the words of the Prophet, The First Egine Master, can give some measure of comfort. "For seven days and seven nights I wandered the wasteland. On the eighth day the Lord appeared to me and spoke thus: Gather your Children unto you and I shall provide. Teach them the Holy arts of Internal Combustion and Engine Maintenance and you shall want not in body or spirit."
MAX.
The souls of the dead haunt me.
APPRENTICE ENGINE MASTER MATHIAS.
I understand your pain Brother, in the Dark Night we have all lost someone we loved.
MAX.
My wife and son were killed in front of me and I couldn't stop it. I was a cop, survivors relied on me and I failed them, they were all killed.
APPRENTICE ENGINE MASTER MATHIAS.
Many are killed in these dark times, we take comfort in the fact that they are with The Prophet and The Lord in the Halls of Mighty Valhalla.
MAX.
You can take comfort in that, I can't. I'm going for a walk, I need to get some air.
APPRENTICE ENGINE MASTER MATHIAS.
Go gentle in the Dark Night, Road Warrior.
Max wanders off into the desert to be alone with the demons of his past.
EXT. WASTELAND - PILGRIM CAMP - NIGHT.
Rand and Cooper are sitting by a fire poring over a hand drawn map showing the Gasoline Alley region of the wasteland.
COOPER.
We should pass the Strontium Sea tomorrow. That's People Eater turf, this is where this run is gonna get interesting.
RAND.
You got a gift for understatement, Coop. It's gonna get downright fucking dangerous.
COOPER.
Yeah but we'll get through, after that it's neutral territory until we hit Gastown. What are we gonna do about our colleague? We really gonna give up a third of our profits to this guy?
RAND.
Hell Coop, he's ex MFP like us, we need him.
COOPER.
We're all just meat now Rand. Once we're through People Eater turf he's surplus to requirements, I want his wheels, a V8 Interceptor would be a very useful piece of hardware to our operation. We get past the Strontium Sea he's dead meat.
CLOSE UP ON:
Max. Standing in the desert just outside the light cast by Rand and Cooper's fire. A dark shadow unnoticed by the two ex MFP officers.
FADE OUT.
EXT. WASTELAND - PILGRIM CAMP - DAWN.
The first light from the rising sun begins to pierce the darkness. Rand is bedded down next to his vehicle, an old yellow and blue MFP Pursuit Special. The car has been heavily modified, the body is dented and the paint is cracked, peeling and faded. Cooper kneels down and shakes the sleeping man.
COOPER.
Rand wake up he's gone, wake the fuck up.
Rand's eyes open.
RAND.
What?...Who's gone?
COOPER.
Your friend, our former colleague.
Rand sits up, yawning.
RAND.
Calm down, he's probably just off taking a dump.
COOPER.
No you idiot he's gone. His wheels are gone, eight jerry cans of gas are missing and this is the best part, the fucking Engine Master is gone too.
Rand is alert now. He springs to his feet.
RAND.
He must have overheard you last night. Without the Engine Master we're screwed, the Immortan aint gonna cough up the rest of our gas if we don't deliver him intact. I'm going after them, get Katana I'll take her with me. Help me load up some extra gas then get everybody moving.
The two men collect extra jerry cans and load them into Rand's vehicle. Cooper goes off to fetch Katana.
Rand jumps into his vehicle and starts the engine, the powerful high performance engine thunders loudly in the pre dawn stillness. Cooper returns with Katana and she gets into the vehicle.
RAND.
If I aint back to the convoy by midday, wait up for me at Megaton Mesa. Make camp and hang tight, when I've got the Engine Master I'll signal with a flare and wait for you to catch up.
COOPER.
You just get that fucker and the Engine Master, I'll keep the rest of the gas safe.
The Pursuit Special roars off into the wasteland.
INT. INTERCEPTOR - WASTELAND - STRONTIUM SEA - DAY.
Max at the wheel. Next to him in the passenger seat is the Engine Master, bound and unconscious. He begins to come around, he is groggy and disoriented.
MATHIAS.
What...Where...Where am I?...
Max doesn't speak.
MATHIAS.
Road Warrior...What has happened?...Why am I bound?
MAX.
I'm taking you to the Citadel. My ex colleagues were planning on double crossing me once we had passed through People Eater territory. They planned to kill me and take my vehicle, so I acted first. I'm going to deliver you and collect their fuel from your new employers.
MATHIAS.
What about the flesh eater tribes? We won't have a chance on our own.
MAX.
No we won't, that's why I'm going to find a spot where we can watch the route the convoy will take. We're going to let them pass, they will draw out the cannibals and keep them occupied whilst we slip through unnoticed.
MATHIAS.
I understand your motives Road Warrior, but we can't let the Pilgrims be slaughtered and devoured.
Max doesn't reply, he is scanning the wasteland ahead for a place of concealment to await the convoy's arrival. He spots a likely location amongst some low hills and pulls the Interceptor in and kills the engine, he takes a pair of binoculars and goes to exit the vehicle.
MATHIAS.
My arms are numb, can you release me from my bonds?
MAX.
If I release you are you going to give me any trouble?
MATHIAS.
I give you my word, I will not make trouble for you.
Max takes out his knife and cuts the ropes, he gets out of the car.
MAX.
Just in case you are thinking of taking my vehicle and stranding me here, it's immobilised I've set the killswitch.
MATHIAS.
You doubt the word of a man of God? You have no faith Road Warrior?
MAX.
No.
MATHIAS.
I won't try to escape. Do you have any water?
Max tosses the Engine Master his canteen and goes to check the convoy's route.
FADE OUT.
