When a truck pulls over next to them on the highway, Gary and Chay are overjoyed. The commune they want to join is miles north along the California coast, and they need to hitchhike to get there. The huge, affable trucker introduces himself as Diesel Stewart, and the three hit it off right away. After a while, Diesel offers them some of the drugs he uses to stay awake on the road. Chay takes a mild Dexedrine, but Gary accidentally swallows a pill of Methedrine, which is much more intense. As Chay descends into her trip, Gary waits for his, remembering the weeks the two spent together in San Francisco. Just before they left, they ran into another couple on acid in the bushes — the woman was giving herself an abortion while her boyfriend watched. Back on the road, they stop at a burger joint. By this point, Gary is losing touch with reality. It's terrifying. Even worse is the fact that Diesel offers him $20 to sleep with Chay. Throughout the rest of the drive, Gary's trip far outpaces those of his two companions, but he somehow manages to lie and obfuscate long enough to protect Chay from Diesel until they reach the commune. They kiss and give each other backrubs, but no more. Finally, Gary and Chay disembark from the truck and strip down to enter the commune, but Gary, just now coming down, cannot shake the feeling of being mechanical.