Talking About the Future

34

It took him a long time to react. "Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"Yes."

Chris collected his thoughts, and his expression turned serious.

"Before I answer that question, we need to clarify one premise—humanity in the apocalypse is divided into groups based on different ideologies. So, the futures of these different groups won't be the same."

"Scavengers like David Stone make up a small portion. Currently, the largest group should be the Rescue Party."

"You and Anne are more aligned with this type. Stockpiling supplies, staying silent, and waiting for the military's rescue."

I nodded, though we were more thoroughly resigned to our fate.

"Of course, not all Rescue Party members stay in one place. If the gasoline issue can be resolved, a significant number of them would choose to actively search for the last human stronghold," Chris continued.

"The essence of the Rescue Party is the belief that there's still a functioning authority. Their goal is to find it or be found by it."

"Technically, Scavengers are also part of the Rescue Party, just an extremely selfish segment."

"How can Scavengers be part of the Rescue Party?" I couldn't help interrupting. "They're clearly the biggest enemies of the Rescue Party."

"Internal faction conflicts are no less than those between different factions."

Chris rephrased, "Think of it this way—Scavengers maintain their survival by looting others. But all food has a shelf life. And resources are limited. Ultimately, they're just trying to last as long as possible before rescue arrives."

"And all Rescue Party members face the same dilemma—over time, food resources will be exhausted."

"Staples like rice and flour have a shelf life of about two years. That's their final deadline."

"What if there's still no rescue after two years?" I asked anxiously.

"So just waiting isn't enough." Chris took a sip of his beer. "Before the two-year mark, the Rescue Party must prepare in advance."

"Prepare to become Base Humans."

"In the absence of timely rescue, Base Humans will be humanity's final refuge."

"Base Humans will rebuild rules and order, absorb as much labor as possible, and gradually restore material production starting from basic agriculture."

"If everyone chose to become Base Humans from the beginning, wouldn't things be much simpler?" I asked again.

He shook his head. "People don't easily change their stance unless driven to the brink."

"Though in the later stages, Base Humans, due to their strong inclusiveness, achieved a great integration of post-apocalyptic humanity. Even Scavengers could hide their identity and become one of them."

"But in the early stages, they were too fragile. Base Humans are like people holding torches in the dark—they can't appear too early."

"The choices you make depend on the stage you're in. Even knowing the historical trajectory, we can't skip any step, at most we can speed up its process."

The floor lamp cast a warm yellow glow.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Chris looked different from usual, serious yet somewhat relaxed.

"So which group do you belong to?" I looked at him intently.

"What do you think?" He threw the question back at me.

"Definitely not the Rescue Party."

Chris was too active compared to us.

Anne and I adhered to the principle: survive quietly, never stand out.

"And not the Base Humans either."

"Though you do seem to want to accelerate the transition, it doesn't seem like it's to become part of the Base Humans."

He wasn't keen on becoming a manager, let alone being managed. There was no place for Chris in the Base Humans.

"The order established by the Base Humans will ultimately benefit every individual in the post-apocalyptic society. You need it to help restrain other survivors, which is your common interest," I tried to articulate as accurately as possible.

"But you don't want to fully integrate into the group."

Chris was like this before the apocalypse, and he remained the same after.

"You're not in the game." I paused. "Chris, you're a free man."

He didn't respond immediately, just stayed still in his previous posture.

After a long time, Chris lifted his head.

For the first time, I saw him smile like that.

"I knew it," he said. "Helen, you understand me well."

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