"The ancients believed that the stars formed pictures in the sky," Capable said. Her arm wound around Nux's neck, and he eagerly leaned into the contact. His eyes swept the sky above and the seemingly random pattern of stars sprinkled across it. He'd never paid much attention to the night sky before Capable pointed it out, but now he couldn't look away. How vast it was, stretching wide to cover the landscape just like the blanket around Capable's shoulders. Part of Nux longed for a joyride after seeing it. War Boys weren't permitted to drive at night, and he was usually too sick to do so besides. Imagine how shine it would be to try now! But another part of him was perfectly fine sitting in the back of the Rig with Capable beside him, sharing the heat of her body and breathing quietly in unison with her.
Strange… Up to now, Nux hadn't thought that anything could get better than driving on the Fury Road. In one day alone he'd made it through a sandstorm, defeated Imperator Furiosa in a fight, and even driven the War Rig. But sitting with Capable brought a different kind of joy. Not an exhilarating, self-destructive kind, but something sweeter. More peaceful.
"Pictures?" Nux murmured. "How so?" The myriad stars looked like nothing more than specks. He squinted, trying to conjure up something out of the massive nothing.
"To draw them, they would trace lines between the stars," Capable explained. Her hand shot up, demonstrating with her fingers. "Look. Those three stars, up there… That's the belt of a warrior they called Orion."
Nux followed the direction where Capable was pointing, and picked out three stars from the overhead cluster. Now he was beginning to understand. When the scars on his chest had been formed, the Organic Mechanic had made preliminary marks on his skin before cutting, so that every line would be straight and the detailing would be as accurate as possible. Had the ancients ever imagined V8 engines in the sky?
"What other pictures did they make?" Nux asked, thirsting for more knowledge.
"I think most were warriors." Capable lowered her hand, resting it in Nux's lap. He gently brushed his fingers against it.
"They had gods, too. Old gods. Not like your Immorta."
So no V8s, then. Nux found it difficult to wrap his mind around the concept of gods older than the Immorta. How could they exist if he'd never been told about them? However, he didn't doubt that Capable knew what she was talking about. She always spoke with such confidence, as if she'd glimpsed the future and no longer let it worry her.
Nux was about to ask Capable where she had learned about the ancients, when the vibrations from a person climbing up the War Rig froze his tongue. He watched as the newcomer approached, her purposeful, humorless stance revealing her as Imperator Furiosa. Was she angry to find him with Capable? Nux glanced over, but Capable didn't seem to be concerned. If anything, she snuggled even closer to Nux as she calmly met the Imperator's gaze.
"Furiosa."
Furiosa halted directly in front of them, blotting out the stars. Her eyes glinted like a car's steel frame.
"I've reached an agreement with the Vuvalini," she said. "They've got enough bikes for each of us, if we double up on them, and enough fuel to last 160 days. We'll ride to the edges of the salt. You'll be safe out there."
Nux glanced at Capable to see if she accepted the plan. The glimmer of starlight in her eyes swept him away.
"Thank you so much," Capable breathed. "Furiosa… even if we didn't find your Green Place, you must understand how much you've helped us. I don't think we can ever repay you for your compassion."
"No need," Furiosa murmured. Her eyes shifted to Nux, and a shiver ran through him. Under Furiosa's gaze, Nux felt like a desert lizard being inspected by a couple of hungry scavengers, who were debating on the best way to dice him up.
Capable must have felt Nux shiver, because she squeezed his hand and stared up at Furiosa, even though Furiosa was no longer looking at her. "What about Nux?"
Furiosa's passionless gaze flickered from Nux to Capable. The question ignited Nux's mind. Yes, what about Nux?
"He's proven himself as an asset to us," Capable said. "He knows just as much about engines as you do, and he's a trained warrior. Besides, you can't send him back to the Citadel. Immortan Joe will not welcome him there. The only other option is to abandon him to the wasteland."
Again Furiosa pinned Nux with her hard stare. Nux stared right back, refusing to let her intimidate him. Surely not even Furiosa is so heartless as to leave me behind…
"You're right," Furiosa said at last, apparently having evaluated Nux and determining his strengths greater than his weaknesses. "He's reliable, and if he wants to come with us, we won't turn him away."
"Nux?" Capable's arm shifted from Nux's shoulders to his back. Her fingers rested in the space between his shoulder blades, close enough to touch his brand if she wanted.
"Will you join us?" she said softly, as if they were discussing the matter in private instead of in front of Furiosa. "We could ride double. You'd be the driver… We could start a new life- me and you, and Toast and Cheedo and the Dag, and the Vuvalini…"
If Capable hadn't said a word, Nux would have answered positively in a heartbeat. However, the words new life brought him up short. He wavered for a bit, under pressure, before addressing Furiosa.
"Is it all right if I think about it, and get back to you?"
Furiosa didn't seem surprised to hear Nux's lack of a decision, but then again, Nux was hard-pressed to dream up a situation that would surprise her. She dipped her head and left the Rig. When her back had retreated far enough into the distance that she was out of earshot, Capable turned to Nux.
"What's wrong? This is the only way to ensure your survival. You'd never make it on your own out here." She hesitated, a troubled crease appearing in her forehead as she brushed back a strand of hair. "You're not still thinking about reaching Valhalla?"
Nux shook his head. "No." That desire had fled after accepting that he had no way to redeem himself. "It's- it's just-"
"What?" Capable pulled away from Nux, and he stared helplessly at her. He didn't want to say it, to muddy the clear features of her face, but he had to.
"I'm a half-life." Nux reached up to touch Larry and Barry, his heart heavy. Realization seemed to fill Capable, and she hugged her blanket tighter around her shoulders, mirroring Nux's helpless look.
Fortunately, Nux didn't need to say anything else. His few words were devastating enough. True, he had survived innumerable days since the tumors developed, many more than he had ever expected to. He'd seen other War Boys snatched away in their prime, some before they had even made it out on the road. Taking them all into account, it was astonishing that he'd made it this far. Lucky, even.
But when he'd set out on the road the previous day, Nux had fully intended for it to be his last. Not only because of his determination to die historic, but because he'd known he was close to it anyway. The fevers were growing steadily worse, and day by day Nux struggled to breathe. He was amazed he'd lasted this long without falling prey to his sickness. And if he had lasted that long, it would have been okay. It was a soft death, yes, but he'd gotten to drive the War Rig and deliver Capable to safety. He'd made allies of which he never could have dreamed, who filled him with a weirdly satisfying sense of purpose, even though it was radically different from his goal as a War Boy. Nux had achieved more than he'd ever asked for, and that was surely enough.
The only problem was Capable, or rather Capable's affection. Not that Nux didn't care for her, but his care was the root of the problem. After Capable had shown Nux such unprecedented kindness, Nux found himself unwilling to part from her side. He felt warm in her presence, as if standing in front of his own personal sun, and when she spoke, he hung on every word. Above all else, he wanted her to be happy- but her happiness was impossible to ensure.
Nux didn't want to leave Capable. But if he traveled with her across the salt, his time would soon come to an end, and she'd be there to witness it all. He couldn't bear to do that to her, nor was he especially anxious to let death part them.
Would prematurely severing their bond help Capable or hurt her more, in the long run? And could Nux even bring himself to do it?
The morose thoughts must have shown on Nux's face, because Capable reached out and laid a hand on his arm.
"Nux," she said gently. "You know I want you to join us. Not only because you're a valuable asset, but… but I don't want to leave you out here alone. You deserve a better ending to your story."
"But it will end." Nux felt like shrugging away from Capable's contact, but at the same time, he ached for comfort. "Whether I come with you or not. I won't be… valuable to you for very long."
"But you'll be with us all the same," Capable said. "Even if you're not well enough to fight, we'll still have your company. A little bit of that goes a long way."
Nux couldn't disagree. The connection Capable felt towards her traveling companions struck him as similar to the way he'd once felt about the other War Boys. It was always better to go out into the wasteland knowing someone had your back. But he wasn't sure if that was worth the sorrow to eventually follow.
"If I come with you…" Nux began slowly. "If I come with you, and Larry and Barry get to me after two days of driving… There's no point to it. You won't have my company for long."
"Yes, but that doesn't matter!" Capable insisted. "Nux, I want you to come with me-" She swallowed. "With us. Even if you die tomorrow, the time we've spent together means the world."
Together. Together. The word rang through Nux's head like the aftershocks from standing directly in front of the War Rig's blaring horn. He wanted to take Capable into his arms and never let her go, but refrained. She'd been nervous the last time he made a sudden move.
Instead, Nux placed his hand on her arm and steadily drew close. They gazed at each other for a long moment, and Nux marveled at the vulnerability in Capable's eyes.
"I don't want to hurt you," he admitted. Capable blinked and reached up to trace part of the design on Nux's chest. He quivered under her touch.
"I'll be okay," Capable said. "We'll be okay. No matter what happens, I am with you to the end." She leaned in suddenly to press her lips to Nux's cheek. Before Nux could register her action, Capable had pulled away.
"To the end," Nux repeated numbly, trying to wrap his mind around what Capable had just done. He leaned back against the car's seat, and Capable did the same, sighing.
"So you're coming with us?"
Nux filled his lungs, staring up at the lovely sky with a newfound appreciation. "Yes." Because it didn't sound convincing enough, he tried again. "Yes. I'll tell Furiosa first thing in the morning."
Smiling, Capable rested her head on Nux's shoulder, and they watched the stars in silence.