Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull
Searching for the reasons,
was essentially pointless.
How it all started?
Well, at the end of that question
what you hope to find is a person to blame.
Someone who messed up the party for everyone else.
Some guy high up the food chain who pushed the button.
And if that doesn't work,
a force of nature or some higher power comes in handy
as an excuse.
At least so we can tell ourselves that we weren't to blame.
It wasn't for any one reason the world came
to be what it is now.
In the end,
we were all guilty.
When you pass the tipping point there's no way back.
When devastating sickness drives the world
into a war involving almost every nation that is left.
When families maul each other over the last drop of water.
When society has given up.
Then there's only one thing left, I.
No us,
no we,
no they,
everyone for themselves.
Which leaves no other option,
than each one against the other, I suppose.
Back to the survival of the fittest,
seems like only a few turn out to be fit enough
to begin with.
I don't know of anyone else who made it.
I don't need to either.
Life has changed,
one might say for the worse but I'm not the judge.
You have to earn your survival.
You gotta eat, build a fire and defend yourself.
Because no one else will do it for you.
You learn things quickly,
you have to.
Success and failure, life and death,
more connected than ever.
You're the first person I've seen in months.
I don't even know how long it's been.
What day it is.
But who's keeping track, right?
It's the 27th,
August,
Monday.
You counted, smart.
So, what's your story?
Is this your trap?
Yeah.
Found a bunch of them right out-
You've eaten rats?
What?
Kid, you can roast them black.
You'll still die of infection if you eat them.
You don't think I know that?
Jesus, man, how do you think I survived in here?
Those traps are there to protect me.
- Where are you headed? - What do you care?
Hey, you're Mr. Cheerful.
I'm headed to a shelter.
I don't know what your plans are,
but I thought maybe we could team up.
I know where to find water.
Where?
Well, if you follow that line
- of trees out there- - Show me.
Hey, you got a map!
Must have come a long way, huh?
I'm a bit more of a camper myself,
till I ran out of supplies.
Anyway, it should be right around here.
No, I'm not going there.
I only move in this direction.
Yeah but, you know there are people there.
I'm not going there.
Don't you wanna find anybody?
More mouths to feed.
Jesus, man.
So then what?
That's it?
Look, kid, I'm heading in this direction all the way down
to the river source.
No discussion.
I hope to find water there.
Now, if I were you, I wouldn't go this way.
You won't find anything or anyone.
There's nothing there for you.
Good luck then.
Hey!
Last chance, kid.
You always get up this early?
No, sometimes earlier.
My God!
My name is Joshua by the way.
Alexander.
Well, then good morning.
Someone might be able to help you get your things organized.
Lend you an ear...
- Yeah. - That sort of stuff.
You really only get that in a group.
Look, all I'm saying is that I've heard
that there are people at that shelter, and I think we,
what is it?
Alexander!
Hey, Alexander, over here!
Up ahead!
Will you shut the hell up!
Come on, we gotta pick up the pace.
What the hell is your problem?
My problem is I don't wanna get killed out here.
By what?
We're being followed.
Who do you think is following us out here?
It's not a person, it's something else.
I've seen it kill someone.
Now move!
What the hell is wrong with you?
Listen, there's some kinda creature out there.
It caught someone I've been traveling with
and injected poison into him right here.
You don't wanna get caught by this thing, I don't.
I'd rather kill myself.
You have a gun, why didn't you just shoot it?
Yeah, my guy had a gun too.
It didn't save his life.
Look, if you wanna survive out here,
there's some things you gotta learn.
Never go back.
Never stand still.
- Lead the way... - And stay quiet!
Drink something.
It's all I got.
Save it then.
We are going to a well, remember?
How do you know it's not dried up, like everywhere else?
It's a gut feeling.
We're here.
Here?
Must be somewhere around here.
I can't see it.
So help me find it.
Alexander.
Alexander!
Tell me, this wasn't complete bullshit.
Fuck, I knew we should've gone the other way!
Why didn't you listen to me?
- Keep your voice down. - What?
You expect to find water?
Just like that?
A nice, clean fountain,
- or maybe with a rainbow? - Cut it, kid, shut up.
We need to find supplies!
I have survived on bottled water only.
I haven't seen a single fucking drop out here.
So what makes you think, you're so much better at this?
It's the source, all right?
It's just dried up.
What is it with you?
We need to go back!
There are people at that shelter and there's water.
There, that direction.
Go ahead and die then, genius.
Wait, wait, wait!
Wait.
It's getting dark.
I say we lay our heads down for a few hours
and see where we're at, all right?
There's a gap in the rocks up there.
Seems like a pretty save place to me, what do you say?
You found water.
So we found your water.
I'd say we go back, to the people.
- Not today, of course. - We got water.
That's what I said.
It's just enough to reach the larger lakes up North-East.
I've already marked it, here.
I came here with you.
And I only ask for this one thing...
I wasn't shitting you earlier.
There is something out there.
Even if there is something out there,
what are the odds of walking into it?
With you?
You can take your share of the water.
You'd just let me go, huh?
You tell me, there's this horrible creature
and that I die if I go out there
and you just gonna fucking let me go?
All I'm saying is, you're a free man.
Yeah, thanks for nothing.
I'm staying.
Make sure it's closed.
Fuck!
What are you doing?
I told you to close it.
I did close it.
Look, it ate right through.
What do we do now?
We're not gonna make it.
We still have our bottles.
The lakes are too far.
We have other options, you know?
We could still go back to the shelter.
This was you.
This was your plan!
You son of a bitch!
Why did you do it?
Do you know what you've done?
Do you have the slightest idea what you've done?
I didn't do it, it was a fucking rat!
Prove it!
This was my water, too, okay?
You know that doesn't work.
You said so yourself.
You can roast them black.
We should go back.
How do you know we'll find water?
It's a gut feeling.
Is that a Geiger counter?
You're always busy with that thing, what's it for?
That thing out there I told you about.
Somehow this has proven reliable on detecting it.
Saved my life a couple of times already.
You got batteries for it?
One, in here.
You think it could power my phone?
Your what?
You got someone you wanna call, kid?
No.
I have some pictures on there, that's all.
Sorry.
You don't like talking much about yourself, do you?
You got a family?
Where are you from?
You must have someone who misses you.
None of your business.
I was part of a group.
That's probably why I'm still alive.
We were staying at that storage place,
we had food and water.
Why did you leave?
We used it up eventually.
We were three people.
The other two were lovers.
They met after all this.
They fell for each other I guess.
Wouldn't you know it, that's my luck.
It's the end of the world.
And I meet possibly the last woman on earth,
and she's taken.
You know, sometimes you forget what they look like.
The smell,
the hair,
the other guy was an alpha-male.
He wasn't into sharing.
Can't say I blame the man, but why did you leave?
Well, lovers have a way of sticking together.
Down to the last can of macaroni,
that's what got them, food poisoning.
It turns out expiration dates,
are more than just a marketing scheme.
After she died, we had a fight, split up.
You don't really see much of anyone anymore around here.
I went back, eventually.
So you found him then?
Dead, yeah.
Probably starved or something.
Did you eat him?
No!
I'm messing with you, kid.
All right, listen, I've been doing all right,
given the circumstances.
I don't need to hang on to any group or leader desperate
for guidance or whatever.
I move where I move and I don't search for people.
I've made my point by staying alive this far.
We'll set up camp here.
Find some wood.
What was that song you played?
The song you played.
Chopin.
Nocturnes.
You a musician?
No, not really.
Is that the only one you know?
Couple more.
Jesus, Alex, if you want me to play more, just ask.
You all right?
How do you survive on so little water?
Here, suck on a stone.
You're kidding me, right?
It stimulates the saliva.
Doesn't change anything but it helps with the thirst.
It's all right, I cleaned them thoroughly
- Doesn't work. - Give it time.
My mouth is all dry.
You need it.
Take it, I'm good.
Thanks.
The damage a rat can do.
Hey.
Hello!
Last warning, kid!
Hey, stay behind me.
Fuck you!
If we'd come here sooner they would have been alive.
This was suicide.
And what do you think you would have found here?
Why do you think they killed themselves?
You think they were having a good time?
You think they had water
or anything else you'd hoped to find?
Here.
They'd be alive.
You stupid piece of shit!
Hey!
You idiot, that's the thing!
Hey!
What the fuck!
Fuck.
Fuck!
- Alexander! Alexander! - Calm down, calm down.
What the fuck!
Tell me! Tell me, where is it?
- Where is it? - It's behind me!
Come on, Come on!
Come on!
Listen to me just this one time and shut up.
I will get us out of here.
We lost the map.
I'm sorry.
- I didn't mean to put us in... - We made it, all right?
- You saved me, man! - Whatever.
Next time listen to me.
You need to trust me.
I wanted to fix it.
I want to make things right.
Be a team, you know?
I put the rat in the canister.
I'm sorry.
I didn't know what else I could do.
Hey, Alex!
Hey!
Please, please, sir.
I already told you lady, I don't help scabs.
It's not for me.
It's for my daughter, two tickets.
What are you, deaf?
I ain't interested.
And you have no ticket.
How can you get on the ship?
I'll figure it out.
This is all I have, please.
Pure silver, you can sell for good money.
It is too late for me, but she still has time.
If she could only make it to the ship.
She looks scrawny.
She is strong.
She can keep up.
Well, she better 'cause I ain't slowing down.
Oh, thank you, thank you, sir.
Don't touch me, all right?
Let's go.
Lex, this is...
Cal.
All right, let's move.
Lex.
All right, we got to go.
- Mama! - Come on.
Mama!
Shit, are you all right?
Can you run?
- Mama. - Hey.
I said can you run?
- Yes. - Then you run.
Run!
Don't stop, keep running.
I said move!
They won't come into the valley,
until they've cleared the ridge.
Come on, let's keep moving.
We used to come here when we were kids.
That was a long time ago.
Yeah, this whole valley used to be some of the best farmland
in the country,
before you scabs showed up.
Bringing that disease, just ended everything.
Why'd you come here anyway?
My land is a (SPEAKS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) war.
My papa died, so my mama take me away.
Yeah, well, you brought that war here, didn't you?
You've taken our lands, our homes.
You've taken our lives away from us, you know?
You people should go back to where you came from.
Shit.
You know how to use one of these?
Point it at the thing you wanna kill,
then you pull on this.
We should be able to make it halfway by nightfall.
Come on.
So what happened to your father?
The Schebonya come to my village.
My papa fight them and was killed.
That sucks.
It was long time ago.
So how'd you get here?
When the Schebonya come for me and my mother,
we ran to the house of my uncle.
He give us tickets to the ship so we come here.
Hiding in ditches, bushes, fields.
You walked all the way here?
Yes.
You used to live in this valley?
Yeah.
Yeah, I did.
What was it like before?
It was beautiful.
There used to be a windmill.
What is it?
That's trouble.
Grab a stick.
A stick?
Grab something.
We call 'em bogeys,
on account of the boogeyman.
They are coming for us?
Yeah, but they don't like fire,
so they should keep their distance, unless...
Unless what?
Unless they're not alone.
Oh, boy.
You son of a bitch.
Back, get back!
All right, who wants it?
They are dead?
Yeah.
- Something else is coming? - Maybe.
I don't know.
You all right?
Yes.
Are you?
Yeah.
You should probably try and get some rest.
I'll keep a look out, it's okay.
I will be like them.
Soon.
I will change and I will become like them.
No.
You see, they got medicine on that ship.
It can cure you.
We're gonna get you there and you'll be okay.
You are good man, Cal.
You get some rest.
We got a ways to go tomorrow.
- We are almost there. - Whoa.
- What is it? - I don't know.
I don't know.
The ship is through this forest?
Yeah, but something's not right.
You wait here, okay?
- But what about... - Just wait here.
Be right back.
Shit.
Hey, come on, the coast is clear.
Come on, let's go.
Cal.
Oh, shit.
Run!
Run, Lex, run!
You goddamn scabs.
Fuck.
It's all gone, you happy?
This makes you happy?
Holy shit.
Cal!
Lex?
Lex, look out.
Lex?
Lex!
Cal!
Are you all right?
Am I all right?
How are you alive?
I swear I saw her shoot you in the back.
She destroyed the pack.
Oh, man, and you shot her?
It was a good shot.
It was a damn good shot.
Are you all right?
Well, I got shot in the back.
Holy shit.
Let me see.
Can you stand?
Yeah, I think so.
I thought you had left me.
No, I wouldn't leave you.
Here, you should have this.
Come on, let's get to the ship.
Do you see anything?
Nothing.
They must be down there, though.
I would assume.
How much charge do you have?
Enough for five shots, maybe.
All right.
And we're sure there's meds down there?
It is a mobile clinic.
Okay.
You stay here.
If anything moves, you shoot it, understand?
Duh.
All right.
No,
no.
Bingo.
Hello, what do we have here?
Typical.
Oh crap.
Shoot them!
Are you all right?
No, I'm not all right, Lex!
That thing was two inches from my face!
You look fine.
I look fine.
I look fine?
You're not the one that had to stand face to face
with these
When I tell you to shoot, you shoot.
Got it?
Hey, got it?
You don't have to yell at me.
I'm not yelling at you.
I'm just saying you gotta listen to me,
when I tell you to do something, okay?
Did you find anything?
Not much, couple doses.
We have to keep looking, then.
Here
You all right?
Duh.
It's gonna get dark soon.
We should find somewhere to lay low.
Yes.
What you got there?
A picture.
From one of the bogeys.
Down!
That's far enough!
Hello, is someone there?
Turn the light off.
I don't mean you any harm.
Do it!
Yeah, okay, okay.
What do you want?
I just, I saw your light, I...
You what?
I just thought you might have some water.
Are you armed?
Yeah, I got a pistol.
Throw it to me.
It doesn't have any charge.
Do it!
Okay, okay.
Now take three steps forward,
then lie with your face down to the ground.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
Lie down.
Hands where I can see them.
Cal, she's not going to hurt us.
You stay here.
Do you have any water?
I'm so thirsty.
Sit up.
Lex, I said stay there!
She's thirsty!
Yeah, but you gotta do what I say!
Let her drink first!
Then you can ask questions.
Easy, easy, not so fast.
What is your name?
Taylor.
I am Lex and this is Cal.
Good to meet you.
- Cal! - Wait, what are you doing?
You know what, I don't trust her!
I'm gonna keep you restrained.
You can stay with us tonight.
Tomorrow, I'll set you free,
and you can go your way, and we go ours, got it?
- Got it? - Fine.
So, what are you guys doing out here so far from any town?
We're looking for meds, for her.
The clinics are running out of supplies.
I got a couple doses.
You can have 'em.
They stopped working for me a couple weeks ago.
Where do you come from?
Weyburn.
Weyburn?
How'd you get here?
Joined up with a mining crew a couple years ago.
Worked in the hills.
Then everything went to shit.
I got caught in the middle of it.
How did you become infected?
When the fighting broke out,
we got trapped in one of the tunnels.
Scabs, they gassed us, we all got infected.
I started working odd jobs for a few months,
but once you start to look like this,
people don't really want you around anymore.
How about you?
How'd you get it?
In my village, the virus was in the water.
We all drank it.
You know, there's supposed to be a cure.
Really, where?
In Voskos country, there's a city called Rama.
Rama, I have heard of this place.
That's where they cooked up the virus.
They say that's where the cure is.
Where'd you hear that?
I don't know, it's just a rumor.
Yeah, sounds like it.
- But maybe it is true. - Maybe.
All right, I'm gonna get some sleep.
You got the first watch?
What you got there?
It is just a picture.
Are these your parents?
No, I found it today, on a bogey.
You can sleep, if you like.
I will watch.
Thanks.
What's going on?
Taylor.
Taylor!
Get back!
- She is... - She's turning.
Help, help me!
There's nothing we can do.
Shoot her.
Do it.
Do it now, before she turns!
Lex, now!
Good.
That sound's gonna attract more of them.
We should keep moving.
You okay?
Duh.
Then come on.
- Hey, Cal? - Yeah?
You don't always have to yell at me.
Lex, I never yell at you!
Sometimes I say things that are important,
and I get a little louder, okay?
It sounds like yelling to me.
Yeah, well, it's not,
- it's... - It's yelling.
What do you want me to say?
I'm sorry?
Well, I'm sorry.
It's okay, I forgive you.
Thanks.
We should go.
No, too many of us are sick.
It's getting colder.
We're searching for a signal
that doesn't want to be found.
Then leave.
I'm not going home empty-handed.
Maya!
Are you hurt?
No, there's something stuck in my leg.
Where is my gun?
What do you mean where's your gun?
We found it.
You live here?
By yourself?
No.
Leora,
my daughter.
Where is she?
How long have you two been out here?
Since the solar storm.
Since the world went dark.
Seven years, Jesus.
How?
Hey,
chapstick, prevents infection.
Change.
Best restaurant of the trip, hands down.
I can't believe that thing actually works.
Haven't seen one of those in years.
We live east, 20 miles.
A gated compound.
Ever made it out that way?
East, west, up, down,
out there, it's all the same.
There's about 50 of us.
We work together to survive.
It's safe, always room for one more.
Leora likes it here.
Do you expect her back tonight?
Okay I have to ask,
how is it your generator still has juice
in it after all these years?
I mean, I thought all the solar panels burnt out,
during the storm.
Hey,
you don't look happy.
I want you to be happy.
I'm happy.
Happy that I'm at the best restaurant of the trip.
Look, don't worry, the lights stay on.
We have a portable fusion generator.
This is fusion energy?
You could power a whole goddamn city.
A city, at full capacity for one 1,321 days.
That was the idea anyway.
How the hell did you get your hands on a fusion generator?
What was it that took you 20 miles away,
from all that safety?
Hunting.
We were running low on food.
Well, if you're low on food,
doesn't make much sense if we joined you now, does it?
No, we weren't meant to live like this.
Maybe this is exactly how we were meant to live.
Which part?
The riots?
Chaos consuming humanity?
Children dying in the darkness?
We need to get back home and tell Marcus and the others
what we found.
Maya, Maya.
- Val, my leg is fucked! - Wait...
Sweetheart, don't tap the glass,
you're gonna scare them.
Listen to me,
we're not leaving here without his generator.
This was just a recon run.
Till it wasn't.
Maya, Maya.
He'll kill us.
Not if we kill him first.
Open your eyes.
Does it look like a little girl...
Don't leave.
I'll make us some dandelion tea.
Let the gun slide down your shoulder
and onto the floor, nice and easy.
Back up.
Val, pick it up.
Pick it up!
Where's your generator?
You lied to me.
You woulda rushed us out of here if I didn't.
Sweetheart careful, don't tap the glass,
you're gonna scare them.
I don't know what you're doing,
but say anything other than follow me
and I blow your fucking balls off, one at a time!
Follow me.
My name is Isaac
and I'm very happy to have you here with me.
I don't give a shit what your name is, keep walking.
What is this?
I'm taking you to see Leora.
Three years since our last generator died.
Three years living the dark.
Praying to an empty godless sky.
Praying we'd find a way out.
Praying we'd find you.
That's it.
I'm quitting life.
I'm gonna stay here with you forever, this is paradise.
Get on your knees.
Maya,
no one needs to die here today.
Sometimes, someone needs to die.
Thank you.
Maya, Maya.
I'm so sorry.
Don't keep Leora waiting.
Beautiful, isn't she?
Can you imagine waking up to this everyday?
I'm staying here with you forever.
Sweetheart, careful, don't tap the glass.
You're gonna scare them.
Can you imagine waking up to this every day?
God, this place is incredible.
That's it, I'm staying here with you now forever.
You're stuck with me.
This place is paradise.
Can you imagine waking up to this every day?
God, this place is incredible.
That's it, I'm staying here with you now forever.
You're stuck with me.
Please,
let me go.
Tell me you're having so much fun here.
I'm having so much fun here.
No, you didn't mean that.
You didn't mean that.
Mean what you say!
I'm having so much fun here.
It was a beautiful day.
We went for a walk.
Just goddamn it!
Just, please, just let me go!
Tell me you wanna quit your life and stay here with me.
No,
you could help people.
You're sitting on fusion energy.
You could rebuild this world.
But instead you just, you hide.
You hide in here behind a screen.
You're pathetic.
No different from how all of you acted,
before the world went to shit.
So you don't get to judge me.
You live out there in the dark
but you don't know what real darkness looks like.
Where's Leora?
The real Leora.
How'd she die?
She get sick?
She go out on a food run and never come back?
Did she die here?
She died here, didn't she?
She killed herself?
She killed herself, didn't she?
Please, my son.
My son Ethan was two during the riots.
They shot him in his leg.
He bled out right in my arms and he just, he held my hand.
He held my hand and he had the softest little hands.
And he was always happy.
He was always happy, even in the end.
He was always happy.
Leora, she was the one who...
Wait!
Wait,
wait.
You don't wanna end up like your son.
I don't have a son.
I made all that up.
Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull