Jack knew the easy life once. The memories fade day by day. Now, you play rough, or you go home. Dreckon, the city Jack had been born and raised in, had lost its source of oil-oil that ran the cars, the electricity, and practically the whole city. Dreckon had essentially collapsed, and Jack was rendered homeless by the oil depletion, along with so many others. Everyone has their own motives to smuggle Black Liquor, the illegally produced substitute for oil. For Jack, it's a matter of life and death, but it's not HIS life that he's concerned about. Entry for SciFriday.