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Tiny. I would appreciate a ride, but I need something to eat. I ran out of food three days ago.”
     
    “I can help both ways, I’m David Russell.”
     
    They made a small fire on the side of the road, made a meal of canned ham and pancakes, and got acquainted.
     
    Tiny, was well over six feet, and a big boned man with a full beard. He was in route to a friend’s wedding in Reno on Day –1, and took shelter in a barn near Nashville. On Day 0, the barn fell down and crushed his Harley. The flood rushing out of the mountains washed away what was left of the town and he barely made it to high ground. He rode out the storm in the wreckage of a house, and started walking north when the salvaged food ran out. His family also lived in the Bay area, where he had an accounting firm.
     
    In less than an hour, the two men developed a friendship and agreed to work together to get back home. They drove on North up Highway 49 through the wreckage of El Dorado. When they reached Diamond Springs, they found a jack-knifed tractor-trailer blocking Highway 49 at the junction of Missouri Flat Road. Spray painted on the side of the trailer was the words: Trespassers Will Be Shot!
     
    The map showed a westbound on-ramp to Highway 50 from Missouri Flat Road, so they drove that direction. On the eastbound Highway 50 on-ramp was another will be shot message. Tiny commented, “looks like they don’t want any company.”
     
    “I guess they had trouble with looters,” replied David.
     
    Highway 50 eastbound was choked with wrecks and stalled cars. A few bodies were visible inside some of them. A sense of foreboding came over both men as they continued westbound.
     
    It was near sundown when they crested the last foothill. Instead of the valley and Sacramento stretching out before them, a vast Inland Sea covered everything.
     
    David stopped the truck, and gasped, “they’re all gone.”
     
    Tiny opened his door and stumbled down to his knees. With tears streaming, he exclaimed, “I can’t believe it. My family, all the people, why did I survive?”
     
    Both men sat on the ground on each side of the truck, trying to come to grips with the enormity of the situation. The day was ending when David spoke. “ With the water level this high around the world, we’ve lost the 80% of the people that live along the coast. This is truly the end of the world as we know it.”
     
    Tiny replied. : I don’t know about you, but I almost wish I hadn’t survived.”
     
    David stood up and said, “we can’t let our civilization collapse. Those of us left have to do what it takes to insure that the children of the survivors don’t live in the dark ages. We have to keep as much of the knowledge intact, so mankind can recover. To do that, we have to survive, and to prosper. I need you to be my partner, to help me make a difference.”
     
    Tiny stood, and embraced his friend, and said, “Your right. We better make some supper while there is some light left. Tomorrow’s not going to be any easier.”
     
    The next morning, they continued down the hill. As they approached the point where Highway 50 disappeared under the Inland Sea, David noticed something on a large building on the water’s edge. “That building has a big solar array on the roof. I’ll bet I can get some of it generating power.”
     
    They took the last off ramp and approached the building. It was a Best Buy warehouse electronics store, and the building appeared intact. In the same complex was a Furniture Warehouse, also mostly intact, and a Starbucks attached to a gas station convenience store, which were wrecked. The front windows in the Furniture store had blown out and a lot of the inventory in the front of the store had water damage. The offices and warehouse in the rear of the store were intact. There was a couch in one office, which Tiny claimed. David did not blame him, since his foam pad only was for one.
     
    “No problem, I’ll sleep on one of the beds outside.