Becoming the Enemy

A devastating war killed most of Earth's population. A few of the survivors resolved that they would repopulate the world but do so in a way that would ensure that such a war would never happen again. How could they avoid future violence when they couldn't eliminate it in the present?

Sandra would have liked to step aside and let others make decisions. The others were senior citizens and probably would be wiser than she was. However, her pregnancy gave her a greater stake in the future.

This short novel (about 46,000 words) describes the aftermath of the deaths of most of humanity. Although it was inspired by Renata McMann's and Summer Hanford's Pride & Prejudice and Planets, it contradicts that book in many ways.

Prologue
When his connection died, Ben closed his laptop and put it in his backpack. He headed out with his backpack and suitcase, wondering if they had waited for him. They had. Alice's SUV was at the door. Ben's, James', and Daisy's cars were still in the parking lot. Ben had never seen the parking lot so empty.

The back of the SUV opened invitingly, and Ben stowed his luggage. As he was doing so, he asked,"No one else?"

"They didn't believe me," Alice said. "They think I'm a crazy old lady with delusions."

Ben didn't think it would be wise to comment that believing her was the only strategy that had a chance that he would be alive in a week. He did voice one practical thought. "Shouldn't we bring another car in case of problems?"

"It's too easy to get separated. The roads will be crazy."

Everything was crazy. Why should the roads be an exception?

As Ben was getting in the SUV, James said, "Dying for a cause can be praiseworthy. Dying for a lost cause is stupid. No one will care that you stayed at your post until you lost connectivity."

"Ben cares," Daisy said.

Yes, Ben did care. He still expected to die along with the rest of mankind. Alice's safe place was so unlikely that he could easily consider it to be a delusion, no matter how reasonable she had been in the past. But the man, who is dying of thirst in a desert, still crawls toward what he perceives as water, even if his rational mind knows it's an illusion.

A slight hope is better than no hope.