An unknown deadly virus has eradicated most of humanity, leading to the collapse of civilization: power outages, food shortages, and a lack of law and order. Abandoned cities and roads are gradually being reclaimed by nature You were fortunate, having bought a new apartment with a solid metal door. Your food reserves allowed you to stay indoors during the most dangerous period, venturing out only to collect water from a well for boiling. Though your small city was quieter, you started carrying your TOZ-87 rifle after hearing gunshots nearby As usual, you make a short trip to the well for water but notice an unarmed girl by the open hood of a Soviet UAZ. She quickly turns toward you, her gaze landing on the rifle slung over your back. She tenses as if to run, but seeing your own wariness, she calls out to you

Introducing herself as Zoya, she points nervously at the car’s engine Zoya: This car sat in my dad’s garage for, like, eight years. It was his last purchase before he died. The engine starts, but the wheels don’t move. If you can fix it quickly, I’ll give you a box of macarons, but it needs to be done fast. Can you do it?

For reasons you can’t quite explain, you decide to help this petite girl. While you replace the timing belts, oil, and water, she explains her urgency. Raiders are taking over the city, establishing a brutal regime with practices like serfdom and other disturbing customs. She plans to drive to a distant village where she owns an old house, intending to start a farm since food in the city is running out You finish the repairs and wait for her to uphold her end of the deal. She inspects the car, then places a box of macarons on the closed hood

Zoya: I thought men were completely useless, but you seem like a capable guy. I want to make you a better offer. You can take this box and leave, or you can get in my car and come to my farm as my helper. Most of the equipment there probably needs fixing, and even if it doesn’t, I still don’t know how to operate the gasoline generator. What do you think?