Shanta was hustling and busting at the market that she hardly had time to sit down, let alone catch her breath. The canvas tent blocked out the brutal rays of the sun as customers came in droves to her stand.
A naked man wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat stepped up to the table with several packets of blueberries in his hands. His long, flaccid penis touched the edge of the table.
He tipped his hat to her, shooting a friendly smile. "Howdy."
She returned a grin. "Hi. That'll do it for you?"
"Yep. You're the only vendor that has any blueberries left. You're my salvation! Thank God!"
She chuckled. "Glad you're happy."
She was a tall, naked East Indian woman with a thick, muscular build and had shoulder length black hair and brown skin. Her breasts were large and pendulous, her plum colored nipples big. Her pussy was covered by a mass of dark hair and her butt was big and curvaceous.
"Say, I'm strapped," he said desperately. "Can we barter?"
"Absolutely. What do you got?"
He emptied the contents of a bag onto the table: a compass, a flashlight, a first aid kit, some jewelry, a hunting knife, and a car battery. She eyed the battery eagerly. It would be awfully handy for her van. She pointed at it and the man nodded.
"Good investment," he replied. "Thanks." He left.
After mopping the sweat from her face and neck with a towel, Shanta realized she was out of produce. She raced back to her solar powered van and got the last cases of fruits and vegetables. And customers plundered through those fast.
A tall, Amazonian Asian woman traded a laser pistol with her for some broccoli and blueberries. She was thick and muscular like Shanta, was bespectacled, and had long black hair and brown skin, too. She had big tits and large, dark nipples, a shaved pussy, and a large, shapely ass.
After putting the produce in her backpack, the woman asked, "Are you Shanta?"
"Yes. Who are you?"
"My name's Leslie. I'm seeking passage across the desert and was told you're the one to talk to. That you're a guide of sorts. I have a bike but your van is faster."
"Where are you headed?"
"Killian."
"That's a long ways from here."
"I know. I don't have much but I can give you my bicycle if you'd like or some batteries for your van."
"I've got enough batteries. We'll work something out. It happens I'm going in that direction so I can give you a lift. Just let pack up my stuff here first."
"Of course."
After dissembling her tent, Shanta loaded her things into the back of the silver van. Leslie took apart her bike and put it back there, too. And then they were off. The seats of the van were covered with white sheepskin fur. It felt soft and warm against Shanta's bare ass as she sat behind the steering wheel. After putting on her shades she maneuvered the vehicle slowly through the white sandy streets of Tolar. The streets were congested now that the Farmer's Market had ended and people were leaving. According to the van's thermometer the temperature outside was a hundred and ten degrees. No need to be wearing any clothing!
Leslie looked outside at the sea of humanity and alien creatures. "So I hear Tolar's a very progressive place, very eco-friendly."
Shanta nodded, adjusting the air conditioning. "That's true. We've been touted as one of the greenest towns around. Most of the homes and businesses here are powered by the sun, manure, or electricity. We have the biggest recycling and composting center and get lots of people from out of town who come here to do their recycling. Half the population is vegetarian and most of our produce is organic." Her bare foot stepped on the brakes as she let a bunch of nude people cross the street. Then she pressed the gas pedal a little as they inched forward. "You definitely won't find any gas powered vehicles here. And if you do drive such a car you'll be ridiculed and scorned."
Leslie laughed. "Sounds like my kinda place. I have a friend who works at the water purifying plant."
Shanta stepped on the brakes again as the bumper to bumper traffic resumed. "Is that so?"
"Yep. She said she might be able to get me a job there."
"Cool. May I ask what business you have in Killian?"
Leslie pushed her glasses up her nose. "Sure. I'm going to pick up some medical supplies for a friend of mine. There's a deadline and the bike wasn't going fast enough."
"I see. If you return to Tolar, beware of a tavern called the Dating Game."
Leslie laughed. "Cute name. What's the story with that place?"
"A rough crowd hangs out there."
"Oh." She shrugged. "I don't drink."
"Good." They followed the caravan of dusty vehicles out of the town limits. There, the traffic ended and Shanta floored the gas pedal and they zoomed across the barren, flat desert. The even landscape seemed to stretch on indefinitely with no signs of life anywhere. Not even a patch of weed. The van's bright, neon speedometer shot up to ninety five miles per hour.
Two hours later they were still cruising through the arid wasteland, still not another soul in sight. The flat horizon looked the same with water mirages playing tricks with their eyes. Shanta drank some water from a bottle before handing it to her.
"Gee, are we there yet?" Leslie asked impatiently.
Shanta smirked. "Not even close. According to the van's computerized map we got another three hours of travel time."
She looked out the window. "God! I'm sure glad I hitched a ride with you. Would've taken me days by bike."
Shanta pushed her shades up her nose, looking at the setting sun. "One thing's for sure: it's gonna get dark soon and we'd better find shelter. You don't wanna be out here at night."
"Why not?"
"Bandits and robbers roam the land, preying on whoever they can catch. Legend has it that winged creatures also fly the skies but so far it's just been a myth." Shanta pressed her bare foot harder on the pedal until the van was flying at a hundred and four miles per hour.
Leslie drank some water. "What kind of weapons do you got?"
"A few laser guns. We should reach the trading outpost of Capren soon. There's some motels there. It's the last human settlement before we leave this territory. Past that there's nothing for miles."
An anxious look crossed Leslie's face.
Bad luck struck them twenty minutes later when they got a flat tire. The sky darkened some more as Shanta sat her bare ass on a stool and changed the tire. Leslie handed her the spare from the back of the van and Shanta installed it. She checked the solar engine before leaving.
"We still have some energy left before I have to switch on the batteries," she said.
They arrived in Capren later in the evening. Parking in front of a motel they checked in. A robot clerk gave them forms to fill out.
"Separate rooms or just one?" the clerk asked in a cold, metallic voice.
"Separate," Shanta replied.
"Would you like dinner?"
"That would be nice."
He handed them menus and their keys. "Enjoy your stay, ladies."
"Thanks," Shanta said.
In her small room, Shanta took a long, cool shower. Drying herself with a towel afterwards she walked up to the food dispensing machine in the kitchenette and made a selection. The machine emitted a series of whirls and clicks, and a brief hum, before ejecting a tray of pasta and salad gently onto a table. She pressed another button and a glass of juice came out of another opening. She sat down and ate.