Apocalypsis 03 - Exodus

food,” said Peter. “I like the concept. Execution’s going to be difficult, but I think we’re capable.”
    “If someone had told me a couple years ago that I’d be riding my bike down south to live in a prison with a bunch of strangers to raise cattle and tomatoes, I’d have turned and walked the other direction, thinking they needed to be checked into the nearest mental health facility,” said Ronald. “It’s wild how much your life can change in such a short time.”
    “What were you doing two years ago?” I asked. “I mean, what was your life like?”
    “Well, I guess I have to think about that for a second.” He changed gears on his bike, pedaling through the clanking noises. “I was in high school, for one. Our dad was a pastor at our church, so most weekends I was with him visiting sick or elderly parishioners. There were always functions to attend, too. I also had a girlfriend.” He stopped talking, lost in his memories.
    “What happened? To your girlfriend?” asked Peter.
    I was worried about the answer and wished he hadn’t asked. They were loaded questions these days.
    Ronald took a deep breath and said, “She died. She was older than me by a few years.”
    I hadn’t been expecting that. “Wow, I’m sorry to hear that.”
    “Yeah, sorry. My sympathies,” said Peter.
    “Thanks. I appreciate it. It’s been a while now, though, so I’m doing pretty well. In the beginning, it was tough. Not just to lose her but our father, all the people from our church. There weren’t a lot of young people in the congregation, so we lost a lot of friends. A lot . It’s been a tough year for us. Sometimes I think my girlfriend was the blessed one, being taken with the others. Like maybe we were left here as punishment for our sins.”
    “I don’t believe that at all,” said Peter. “I may have had an impure thought or two, but I’m not a bad person who needs to be punished with cannibals eating my family members and trying to kill me, thank you very much.”
    Ronald looked at him in alarm. “I’m sorry, Peter. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry about your sister, I hope you know that.”
    I wondered how Ronald knew about her, but then realized Peter and he had plenty of time to spill their guts while we negotiated with Amazonian man-meat ranchers.
    “Yeah, I know,” said Peter, sounding stronger than normal where his sister was concerned. “No offense taken. I’m just saying … none of us in this group or in the swamp are being punished. We’re being given an opportunity to get things right. It’s our job to remake this world into the one it should have been.”
    “You have no idea how much you sound like the head Amazon over there in Cannerville,” I said, smiling.
    “She sounds incredibly brilliant,” said Peter, sniffing. “I wish I could have met her.”
    “Actually, she is incredibly brilliant, or so we heard from her gigolo. She was already in college and working with scientists on the cure to the virus that killed everyone.”
    “No!” said Peter and Ronald in unison.
    “Yep. She wasn’t the head scientist or anything, but I guess she saw what was going on from the inside.”
    “So it was a virus,” said Ronald, considering the idea.
    “Yeah. Brought on by people messing around with genetics or bioengineering or some crap I’ll never understand.”
    “So she’s talking about doing things different now, too?” prompted Peter.
    “Yeah. She’s going to help repopulate the earth with peaceful people.”
    Winky added from the front, “And if they don’t comply, she’s going to cut off their wieners!”
    Peter giggled until he realized we weren’t laughing with him. “She’s kidding, right?”
    I shook my head. “Nope. Comply or lose your salami. That’s the deal.”
    “Holy crap. Now I’m not so sure I like being compared to her.”
    “Well, her way is working right now. She’s got loverboy Alejandro fertilizing all their eggs, and a group of badass chicks there to protect the brood. Peace, love, harmony, and wiener chopping. Sounds perfect to me,” I said.
    “Where does love and companionship come into the mix?” asked Ronald.
    “Not sure that’s a requirement from the men,” I said. “They give it to each other. Girl power.”
    “That kind of girl power just gives me the willies,” said Jamal. “I like strong women, don’t get me wrong, but that strong? I’m not so sure.”
    Ronald laughed. “Who are you kidding? You were in