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The year was 2039. The world was devastated by climate change as melting ice in the Arctic has caused water levels to rise greatly, flooding many cities and taking thousands of casualties. Miami was the most recently lost, and the city has been evacuated as the land has become uninhabitable. As the available land became smaller and smaller and continued to become denser as more people seek shelter after evacuating their own homes, turmoil occured. All sense of the law was overthrown. People started breaking into stores, gathering as many resources they could. Murder rates skyrocketed, as some thought it was the best way to reduce the current population density and would benefit their odds of survival. This was just the beginning, though. 

Despite all of the chaos, something much worse came from the melting ice. Deep within the glaciers, a unique form of bacteria lay dormant. As the glaciers melted, this bacteria was released into the seas, where it began to be consumed by humans due to a lack of fresh water. The early symptoms were almost unnoticeable, and as a result, the infection could easily spread by people who didn’t even know that they were carrying it. This stage lasted for a week or two at most, before the body began to shut down. Slowly but surely, the bacteria spread, killing off a huge chunk of the population. Some caught it from strangers or loved ones, others gained it from the water, due to a lack of knowledge of where the bacteria originated from. Soon enough, the bacteria became known as the Frost Virus, despite being scientifically incorrect as it was a bacteria and not a virus. Scientists researched the bacteria furiously and eventually came to the realization of the origin of the bacteria, which caused all consumption of sea water very ill-advised. Nobody knew how this bacteria came into existence, or why it lay deep within the ice. Some of the wilder theories were that this bacteria was the reason the dinosaurs went extinct millions of years ago. Soon the world became like a ghost town. Only those who were immune to the bacteria lived, and they wandered the streets looking for others who had survived.

However, they weren’t safe. The Frost Virus didn’t kill animals, but still affected them. They mutated the animals’ genes beyond recognizable points, and soon even the immune became hunted. The immune eventually fell into war with each other, fighting for weapons and resources to survive. Aside from these tribes, some chose to live on their own, their nomadic nature helping them to avoid conflict with the new predators and other humans. These nomads were much more peaceful compared to the humans who grouped together, and they tended to have the belief violence between fellow humans was not the answer. Occasionally they would run into others also traveling alone, and in this case, they briefly travel alongside one another before parting ways once again.

“Welcome to Denver”. A hooded figure stood in front of the old, torn-apart sign for a moment. A short time ago, this was a heavily populated city. Now, he was the only one here. He had to be quick. He would grab some resources, and then depart for somewhere safe to spend the night. He wandered the streets, which served as a bed for the occasional corpse on the ground. Soon enough, he approached the store he was looking for: the local hunting store. He paused for a moment, glancing around to ensure nobody was nearby. Then, he picked up a worn-out bicycle balanced precariously in an adjacent alley, and tossed it at the shop’s glass window, shattering it into dozens of pieces. He sought cover, waiting for a few minutes to see if the noise had brought any unwanted visitors. He knew that this area was under the control of a tribe, so it was best not to encounter them. After sitting in silence for what seemed like forever, he emerged once again and entered the shop, where he packed a new knife and some more ammo for his pistol into his bag. He was known as Smug. He used to be a member of one of the largest tribes in the country until he was banished due to his inability to support their violent ways. Now he lived as an outcast.

As he took what he needed from the store, he heard a soft set of footprints outside. He paused for a moment to confirm what he heard, then drew his pistol and pointed it at the shop entrance.

“Don't shoot”, a hoarse voice from outside the shop called out. “I am traveling alone as well.”

Smug breathed a sigh of relief, then put his pistol back in its holster. With that, the owner of the voice emerged from the outside. To Smug’s surprise, it was a woman. She extended her hand and introduced herself. “My name is Terry”. Smug grasped her hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you. You can call me Smug.” The two nomads took a seat at a local diner and prepared themselves some food as they discussed their experiences, both before and after the Frost Virus. 

The pair finished their meal and left the diner. “It's always good to have some company”, Terry said. “Living on your own can be tough sometimes.” Smug nodded in agreement. As the two neared the edge of town, they began to say their goodbyes. “Well, I guess this is where we part”, said Terry as she turned to Smug. “It appears so”, he replied. Terry turned away and began her journey to the next city. After a few steps, she turned and smiled warmly. “Thank you for not shooting me when we first met…” 

Terry was cut off as she stopped to listen to her surroundings. It sounded like some leaves rustling in the vegetation surrounding the road. Smug and Terry exchanged nervous looks and then rushed to one another. Upon doing so, they turned to their backs and drew their weapons, aiming them at the vegetation. Without a second to spare, three large wolf-like creatures, deformed to the point they were nearly unidentifiable, emerged and charged at the nomads. They had six legs, the hind legs were thick with muscle, and their jaws stretched all the way to their necks. Their eyes glowed green, and they reeked of dead fish. Smug quickly fired his pistol, striking one of the creatures between the eyes, killing it immediately. His next few shots were less accurate and soon he was knocked to the ground by one of the monsters. He used his hands to ward off the jaws of the fearsome animal. Terry was less accurate with her initial shots, and while she hit the third wolf several times, none of the shots did enough damage to down the predator. Before she was taken to the ground alongside Smug, she managed to pull out her hunting knife from her pocket. As the wolf jumped at her, she drew her knife and placed it in front of the wolf approaching jaws, killing it. Smug still battled on the ground and was losing strength quickly as the creature continued its onslaught. Terry aimed her weapon slowly, lining up the shot perfectly. A lack of accuracy could result in her shooting Smug. She lined up her shot, her hand wobbling, and just as the creature prepared to attempt a bite at his throat, she pulled the trigger. The shot echoed for a moment, and Terry held her position while Smug got to his feet after pushing aside the dead creature. Breathing heavily, they nodded at one another.

“We should stick together. It’s safer. You know how it is, and I can trust you”, Terry gasped. Smug smiled, then extended his hand. “Agreed.” They shook on it. Suddenly, a corpse next to them shook. The already elongated jawline of the creature ripped open and a man tumbled out. He was covered in some sort of goo and was barely breathing. He seemed heavily geared up, yet only carried a staff and a simple knife. Smug and Terry glanced at each other, then dragged him into a nearby shack.

Using a waterspout, they washed off the goo, then Smug got his heart rate up. Suddenly, the man spat out a stream of the disgusting goo and coughed hoarsely. He blinked open his eyes and wiped off the remaining goo. He leaped up when he saw the duo staring at him. “Who are you? Did you send those things?” he shouted.

“Relax. We just killed them ourselves. Then you came and surprised us. Props for that I guess”, Terry calmly explained. The man calmed down and sat on the bed. “I suppose I should introduce myself. I’m DDA, former leader of the Cyber tribe, until those creatures back there attacked, swallowed me, and ran off. I think I’ve been unconscious ever since.” Terry handed him a canteen of water and some berries. He gobbled them down swiftly and quickly emptied the canteen. Then, he blushed a little. “Sorry.” 

“No, it’s fine. I have plenty.” Smug said. “It’s hard to find fresh water nowadays but I’ve got enough to last. You seem to lack supplies. Do you want to travel with us for a bit?” DDA nodded.

The trio set out on a worn out road, on the lookout for creatures, other people, and supplies. As they left Denver, storm clouds began forming ahead. Soon, it began trickling. Knowing the dangers of rain that carried the Frost Virus, the trio dashed into a nearby mine. They shut the metal doors and sat in the darkness, listening to their own breathing.

Suddenly, a couple torches appeared at the far end, opposite from the outside world. Five people appeared, whispering excitedly.

“Could they be the lost ones?” a woman asked. “No way, don’t get your hopes up Jackie”, another chastised. “Oh, you ruin all the fun, Nicole”. 

In front of them, three men strode carrying spears. They had these necklaces with their names on them, which read Kipz, Dingo, and Cata, from left to right. They looked like guards, and the two women seemed like leaders. Dingo, the one in the middle, was dressed like an army leader. 

“This is the Subreddit tribe. You have trespassed on tribal property. Please reveal yourselves or we will send our Gerards and Hectors on you”, Dingo barked.

Silently, DDA muttered, “Goddammit”. Terry was confused. “What’s the matter?” The people seemed friendly enough. “I sent them this puzzle a few months ago. They still hate me. We have to bolt”, DDA whispered.

Before he could say anything else, one of the guards, Cata, saw his foot. He ran forward and dragged DDA out of the shadows. Smug and Terry were still unseen. DDA struggled against his captor, but Cata had a tight hold on him. His arms were soon pinned behind his back and his weapons confiscated by Kipz.

Smug and Terry knew they couldn’t just leave him to be captured when they had just saved him from death. As if their minds were one, they rolled out of the shadows and fired. Sadly, they missed. Quickly, they ran forward, firing shots as they went. Cata threw DDA against the wall and ran to join Dingo and Kipz. They threw up their cloaks, which projected some hologram shield. The bullets didn’t make a scratch.

Realizing their efforts were futile, they cast their guns aside and drew their melee weapons. Terry slid and kicked Kipz’s knees out from under him, and he toppled over, smashing his head on the ground and rendering him unconscious. Smug leaped on the wall and kicked off, landing behind Cata. He executed a quick succession of jabs with his knife, but Cata was able to fend them off. Cata rolled to the side and jabbed at Smug with his spear. It glanced off his side, making a cut, but not deep enough to hurt. If it did, he didn’t show it. Smug swung his knife, but it was a fake out. Cata tried to dodge it, but Smug kicked him straight in the face, then stabbed him in the thigh. Cata fell, howling in pain.

DDA slowly rose and saw Dingo approaching him. He turned to run, but faced Nicole and Jackie, each holding a gun at his face. He slowly raised his hands above his head, as if in surrender. Suddenly, he whipped out his staff and knocked the guns out of their hands. He spun around and caught Dingo in the chest, knocking him back into Terry and Smug. Terry jabbed at his back, and he crumpled like a knapsack. They quickly pulled out a rope and a cloth, chloroformed him, and tied him up, along with the other two. Nicole and Jackie glanced at each other, then ran. 

Panting, Terry, Smug, and DDA drank some water and ate a few protein bars DDA had on him. Silently, they stared at each other, as if they had each changed. Then, Smug broke the ice. All it took was a small exhale of breath. Then Terry started laughing, and Smug followed suit. Soon, DDA was laughing along as well, though none of them had no idea what they were laughing at. The tension between them cleared, and they had bonded over this struggle. If DDA had any doubts about these two, they were gone. Smug and Terry now knew the other was trustable, and all three of them realized: Today, they had made friends. In a world gone mad, they had made friends. Not a tribal groups or alliance, no. They had become friends.