Surprise. An unpleasant surprise awaits you.

While you are sleeping, there are no long, colorful dreams in your mind.

Only vague fleeting images.

And memories of your past.

Your wife's worried face. Linda was not supposed to know about the secret aspects of your work for the US government. Violating secrecy requirements could have extremely negative consequences for both you and her.

The faces of your children. The twins Mark and Stephen were only 4 years old. They didn’t understand well why you, their dad, left for work so often.

Even in sleep you feel a feeling of sadness.

Memories of threats from representatives of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency.

You were threatened that your family's life would be made simply unbearable.

These... cruel people promised you that if you did not agree to separation from your family and participation in the Heirs of the Earth program, then criminal cases would be fabricated against your wife and you on charges of un-American activities, espionage and sabotage. You and your wife were threatened with imprisonment for many years. The fate of your children in this case would also be sad: they would be given up for adoption to a foster family.

That's why you decided to sacrifice yourself. Even knowing that, most likely, you would never see your wife and your children again, you agreed to participate in the "Heirs of the Earth" program, assuming that only in this way would you ensure a quiet life for your wife and children. Due to secrecy requirements, representatives of the Central Intelligence Agency informed your wife about your **** due to an accident during testing of an experimental type of new missile weapon.

However, what happened is like your worst nightmares come true...

Much more than 25 years have passed...

Human civilization is destroyed...

Ruins…

Dirty wastelands...

Aggressive savages...

This world is cruel and disgusting...

However, you have not yet lost the will to live.

You need to somehow survive despite all the obstacles.

Bam!

A loud sound interrupts your sleep!

You jump up, grabbing your supply bag and holding an automatic pistol in your right hand.

You forgot that there is not much free space here. That's why you slightly hit your head on the billboard. Luckily it's only a minor bruise.

Another loud sound.

This is clearly the sound of a gunshot...

You hear someone walking near your makeshift shelter.

Sounds of conversation.

A rough, hoarse voice: "Get that dead lizardmole here! Faster, motherfucker! You move like a slow fat whore who got fucked in the ass and can barely move her legs!"

The second voice answers in a mocking tone: “The fat whore is your mother, Kenneth! Shut your stinking mouth and check if there is anything interesting in this ravine, you shit-eater! I heard something, as if someone was hiding there..."

You hear the sounds of footsteps getting closer. Someone is going down into the ravine.

You raise your automatic pistol, aiming at the likely location of the enemy.

After a couple of minutes, you see a man of average height and a strong muscular build, who carefully approaches your “shelter”, holding a shotgun in his hands. You are straining your memory. From what you remember, this weapon is similar to the Remington 870 pump-action shotgun.

At short ranges, this weapon is much more dangerous than your automatic pistol.

The armed man is wearing a torn, dirty dark grayish jacket and dirty sweatpants. He has boots on his feet. This guy's age is probably about 25 years old. On this guy's left arm you notice a fabric bandage with the symbol of a white four-pointed star.

This symbol, the meaning of which you do not know, is carelessly painted on the dirty gray fabric.

If you look closely, you can see a bulletproof vest through his unbuttoned jacket!

This guy is clearly not going to be an easy target...

His face reflects attentiveness and readiness to use weapons. He notices you almost immediately.

His large chin is covered with stubble. On the forehead of his bald head you can see some old ugly scars. The unhealthy appearance of his white skin is not surprising - it is difficult to lead a healthy lifestyle in this area. There are some nasty yellowish pimples on his left cheekbone. The man's nose is hooked, as if this nose was broken in a fight.

His gray eyes look over you.

He probably didn't shoot because he was afraid that you might have time to shoot him with your automatic pistol. He clearly doesn't want to take any risks.

You also didn't shoot. The reason for this is simple: this guy has a shotgun and he has a partner who most likely also has a gun. Even if you kill this guy, you risk getting injured and killed by the second guy.

So you try your persuasion skills again.

You peacefully say in a calm tone, looking into the eyes of the owner of the shotgun: “Calm down, guy! I don’t want to hurt you... I suggest you just pretend that I’m not here..."

Bald man shouts, keeping the muzzle of the shotgun pointed at you: “Jasper! You were right! There's some cocksucker hiding here!"

This guy's finger is shaking on the trigger. The slightest mistake of yours and... a shot will occur. A shotgun blast from less than 10 meters away. You remember what wounds from this look like...

Thoughts in your head: “Fuck! The situation is getting worse!”

What should you do now?

Will you continue to try to resolve the situation diplomatically?

Or will you take decisive action... of a violent nature?