| “ | We're the waiting ones... | ” |
– Slake | ||
Slake was the alpha male leader of a group of forgotten children and youths, known as The Lost Tribe, and to themselves as The Waiting Ones, who resided in a hidden oasis beyond an expanse of desert, called the Crack in the Earth. He was portrayed by Tom Jennings in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
Biography[]
Slake, portrayed by Tom Jennings, is the biggest, strongest and oldest of the Lost Tribe, thus the alpha male. As alpha male he was automatically looked upon as leader and primary decision-maker, although it is strongly implied that he took counsel from some of the others particularly Savannah Nix, the alpha female.
Slake is the first to have direct communication with Max, whom they believe to be the mythical "saviour" figure Captain Walker, come back to rescue them. He tells Max that they've "kept everything straight," that is, they recall the story of the events leading up to their arrival, and have stored an eclectic collection of artefacts from the old world, although for the most part, they seem oblivious of their function. In speaking to Max, he refers to the tribe as "the waiting ones,"
After Max is told the legend of Captain Walker he tells the tribe that there isn't any civilisation remaining anywhere and that he is not Captain Walker, "This Pox-Eclipse happened, and it's finished. It isn't there anymore." At first the children are disbelieving, and then disappointed and dismayed. This eventually leads to dissension within the tribe, and angry debate between a group who want to leave and see for themselves, led by Savannah, and those who want to stay led by Slake. Slake quickly adjusts to the version of events Max describes and accepts this as a new reality. He accepts Max as an elder and source of wisdom and tries to enforce his will when Savannah attempts to lead her tribe into the wastelands, where she still suspects Tomorrow-morrow land is to be found. However, while Max sleeps, Savannah and her tribe leave anyway. Max decides to go after them leaving the rest of the tribe in the hands of Slake once more.
Trivia[]
Slake carries a tribal spear fashioned from a World War II era M1 carbine rifle. Despite being used as a totem in tribal life, it is still fully functioning.
According to George Miller, the story of the tribe evolved from the back-story of the Feral Kid in Mad Max 2. The Tribe are Children that Captain Walker once tried to rescue as civilisation declined, and nuclear war seemed imminent. However, the jet plane that he had commandeered was forced to make an emergency landing in the desert. As much as the survivors of the plane wreck were, at first, overjoyed to find shelter in a nearby oasis, the adults grew restless. In small groups, or individually, all the adults eventually left The Crack in the Earth, ostensibly to seek help and rescue, but never returning. Others left in search of their lost companions but also never returned. Thus the children were left alone waiting in vain for Captain Walker to return and take them to Tomorrow-morrow land.