The Beginning of The End

"The world needs her. She is our last chance at humanity. Protecting her is our highest priority. Our fate lies inside her."

They gave themselves new names. Baltimore may very well be the last woman on earth. She is the leader of a group of survivors that have gradually found one another within the last decade. One woman in a group of six men. They protect her like their lives depend upon on it.

It is the year 2031. Q is briefing the group on what they will more than likely run into along their journey. Based on stories from the past and their own experiences, there is a great possibility of trespassing into another groups camp and setting off old booby traps left behind. Before Q dismisses his men, he reminds them of their main priority, “Our fate lies inside her.” Baltimore sits on the ground with her elbows resting on her knees. She’s always scoping the area. She knows the drill.

"You know, you don't have to end with that every single time." Baltimore says, regarding Q's last and final statement in the evenings meeting. "We've all been traveling together for a while now, they know." Q organizes a few sheets of paper that he keeps in an old tactical 3-ring binder that he's had from before the years of the pandemic. Made with military spec materials, and a detachable shoulder strap, this tactical binder is Q's signature piece. If he were an action figure, that binder would be his main accessory, along with a pair of black sunglasses.

"Goals cannot be achieved without consistency." He says. "And now you sound like one of those motivational posters you used to see on the waiting room walls at the dentist office." Baltimore laughs, "But I know what you mean, and I respect you for always staying consistent." They are close. He knows her demeanor well, and she understands his misunderstood emotions (or lack there of).

They leave first thing in the morning. Each wearing full back packs with assorted items attached to the sides. Hampshire wears a compass that is attached to a retractable key chain. He is an excellent navigator and his ability to read maps was more than Q and Baltimore could have ever hoped for.

Mary (a man from Maryland) has become quite the hunter and wilderness guru over the last decade. He’s been with Baltimore and Q since the beginning of “the end”. He was a chef in his past life, well before the pandemic ever happened. He continues his role as culinary expert of the group. Even at their lowest points of hunger, Mary has always found a way to keep everyone nourished enough to stay alive.

Boulder used to own his own motorcycle shop in Colorado. His father handed the business over to him right before he passed away from cancer in the early 2000’s. Boulder is a man of many talents. Not only can he take an entire engine apart and then put it back together, he can also speak several different languages. He’s quiet. He’s very knowledgeable about the most random subjects, and he has perfect 20/20 vision. There is always a need for the ever so skillful, Boulder.

Basil (after his favorite bourbon) was a stand up comedian once upon a time. He keeps everyone laughing. He’s a big man, standing at 6 foot 7, and the last time he checked he weighed 380 pounds. He’s fearless. He lost his wife and children to the virus, so he’s not afraid to die. He’s not necessarily reckless, but his readiness to fight is something the rest of the crew keep an eye on. They don’t want to lose the big, funny teddy bear of the group.

Then there is Stark. The big kid. The Iron Man fanatic. The man who searches through every room, in every house, in every building, in every city, in every town, always filled with the hope that he will find it - an Iron Man comic book. “Surely, there must be one left somewhere on this God forsaken planet!”

It’s morning now. The crew have been traveling through New Mexico for days. The sun rises over the peak of the mountains. The morning is cold. Baltimore can see her own breath. Mary lays out an assortment of granola bars that he found at an old war veterans abandoned home back in Texas somewhere, in some neighborhood. The home hadn't been ransacked at all it seemed. There were still pots of food sitting on the stove. The front door was actually locked. There was even an old 1967 red Chevrolet Corvette locked inside the garage. The family photos hung on the walls. The pictures of grandchildren on the refrigerator. It's rare they ever come across a home that is still so well in tact. There were no bodies, or signs of any remains. It was like everything inside had just been put on pause. Stark set out on his usual treasure hunt, searching through every nook and cranny in every space of the house. Baltimore found an old army trunk in the walk in closet of the master bedroom. It was locked. Basil broke the lock, and they opened the trunk. Inside they found old photos from the veterans early days of service. They found what looked like a bunch of random pieces of the old mans past. Buried at the bottom of the trunk, underneath a pair of fatigues, was a small black notebook. Inside were notes, dates, and short poems. Baltimore was reading the notebook as she started to smile. It was like she had just stepped inside the pages and went back in time. There were small pictures of soldiers in their downtime, laughing and horsing around. There was a smooshed rose bud in between one of the pages, with a short poem written inside,

"Your eyes shine like emeralds in a cathedral. Beauty is an understatement. There are no words in the universe that could ever describe your amazement. For you are my gem. My enchantment. My ecstasy. No one deserves you. Yet, you choose me."

She decided to keep the little black notebook for herself to read as an escape. Basil noticed a creek underneath a rug at the end of the couples king size bed. The bed was still made. No creases in the comforter. The mountains of pillows were so strategically placed at the head of the bed. Basil moved the rug and noticed a loose floor board. "Hey guys! Come check this out!" Underneath the floor board was an old La Palina cigar box. Inside the box was a lot of money. "What the hell?" Said Hampshire. "There's gotta be thousands there." Said Boulder. "Let's count it." The crew found $20,000 underneath a floor board inside an old cigar box in the abandoned home of an old army veteran and his wife. None of them have seen money in years. Of course they decided to hold onto it just in case the world exists again.

Baltimore watches the sun rise, as she does every chance she gets. She thinks about her daughter. She remembers the way her fiancé would stand next to her and stroke the back of her neck. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, she holds it for two seconds, and then she exhales. She still fights back the tears of loss. She fantasizes about sharing the moment with her family when she sees beautiful sunrises like this one. "Hey you." She hears Q say from behind her, as he approaches with a granola bar. "breakfast?" She takes it from his hand, "Thanks. The sunrise is beautiful, huh?" Q wraps his arm around her shoulder, and in silence they stand for a moment, taking it all in. "I want you to get me pregnant." Baltimore says to Q without even looking at him. He stares at her, not sure what to say because he's wanted to create another life with her for so long. He responds, "Okay, B." She nods her head yes, and looks up at him, "It's time."

Hampshire has already mapped out the direction they need to go in order to make it to Silver City by late afternoon. There is no real ultimate destination. They have been traveling for years and not once have they met another woman. They have no idea where to go, except forward. No one knows anything. Survival-that's all that matters.

They make it to Silver City by 4 o'clock that afternoon. Later than they had hoped. The once vibrant city of festivals now feels forgotten. No one in the crew had ever visited this place before now, but as they walked through the historical downtown area, it was like they could feel the ghosts of the people in town crying out to be remembered. The art. The colors. The culture. There was so much life here at one time.

They find a hotel, The Palace Hotel. They do their usual search. Everything seems safe. The building had obviously been used many times over the last decade. But there are beds, and there are blankets. They decide to stay there for the night.

It's getting late. Each of the men settle into their rooms. Q knocks on Baltimore's door. She opens it, and lets him in. "Do you want me to stay in here with you tonight?" Q asks. "Yes." They've spent so much time together that neither of them feel there is any need for small talk. They are both sitting on the bed, then they lay down and face each other. He pulls her closer and kisses her. They kiss, they touch, they undress one another. It's been over a decade since either of them have had sex. They immerse themselves into each other. They go deep but their bodies want to go deeper. It's like they can't get close enough. There isn't much dialogue in between the moans and heavy breathing. They lay in the bed naked, hands touching each others stomach and chest. She rubs her hand across his face, and he runs his fingers through her hair. Baltimore closes her eyes and softly says, "thank you.” Q kisses her forehead and replies, "I'll be right here, always." He holds her close. They lay in silence, until both of them fall asleep.