Coughing and popping, the roadster lurches to a halt in the middle of the highway. You try to restart the engine but it refuses to run smoothly for more than a few seconds at a time. You are running over all the possible faults that could have caused the breakdown when suddenly you remember the comp-aid digipad that Cutter fitted to the dashboard while you were in Big Spring. He had salvaged the unit from the wreck of a ’99 Mercedes Malibu Coupé and modified it so that you could use it to run an automatic systems check on your roadster. Hurriedly you tap in your access code and immediately the unit’s LCD identifies the fault: ‘…Fuel Filter…’
It takes you an hour to dismantle, clean, and replace the fuel filter, during which time you must take two Drinks or lose 3 ENDURANCE points per drink missed due to dehydration.
The fault rectified, the engine starts sweetly the first time you touch the ignition. You accelerate away but within a few minutes you see something in the distance that makes you slow to a snail’s pace.
It is a girder bridge that carries the highway across the North Concho River. The bridge is intact and passable, but you are worried by the sight of a lazy plume of wood smoke rising from a spot near its approach ramp.
If you possess Binoculars or a Telescope, turn to 296.
If you do not possess either of these items, turn to 224.