Hollow - The Herculean Challenge

Round 4: The Stakes

Conversation/dialogue:

Sem followed the camp leader into her office.

"Okay, so what did you want to discuss?" Eli poured him a drink before they both sat down. "Sasha's intended suicide?"

"If I wanted to talk about that I'd have requested something stronger." He gave her a sour grin before drinking from the cup.

"You made it sound like the subject of this little chat was going to be grim, but now you're making me doubt." Eli narrowed her eyes a bit.

"Oh, but it is grim. It's just that what I want to talk about no amount of alcohol will help." He emptied the cup and slammed it onto the table as if it had contained whisky instead of water. "We need to relocate."

Eli was just about to take a sip but stopped mid-movement. "Excuse me?"

"I know... We've been here for almost a decade. We've kept looters and raiders at bay. We got clean water, access to food—albeit dwindling—"

Eli huffed but remained silent.

"—good shelter... But as you might have noticed, the storms are increasing in intensity as they're coming further south. They're lasting longer before passing each time too. There will come a point where the radiation will poison our supplies or we will need to remain locked up for weeks at a time. It's not wise to stay here."

"So you suggest we just pack our stuff and leave? And go where? I don't need to tell you the world has gone to shit—this is probably one of the last safe havens out there."

"Aye, that we know of. Anything to the north is fucked. East or west is also no option—"

"But south is, right?" Eli finished for him.

Sem nodded. "Aye."

Eli folded her hands underneath her chin and leant on them as she peered into Sem's eyes. "This little village is already in the southern tip of New Zealand, do you think the remnants of Rakiura will be any better?"

"I was thinking a little more south than that."

Eli raised a brow. "Seriously?"

Sem nodded. "Antarctica should be quite habitable."

"Oh, that I don't question, but how do you think we will get there? Got an ocean liner in the harbour that I missed?"

"There might be a few offshore, but as those are all stuck on the ocean floor I doubt you'd want them."

A smile tugged at Eli's lips, but she managed to keep her gaze serious.

"We've got decent boats. If we pack light and leave when the weather is in our favour, it's doable."

"Doable..." She shook her head. "It's still risky. One storm and we're all dead."

Sem grinned. "One storm and we're all dead is exactly my point. One big storm hitting our community and it's all over." He leant back in his chair. "And if I may choose, I'd rather drown in the ocean than suffer like Sasha did."

Eli paled.

"If we all end up like Sasha, there won't be anyone to end our suffering. At least the ocean will be merciful."

Eli looked down at her cup, avoiding his gaze. "You may be right, but we might still be able to survive here for a few months without much trouble. If we take to sea we risk everything and we might all still die."

"Aye, but the longer we stay here, the worse the storms will become. The ocean will become more dangerous to cross. Staying here is guaranteed suicide. Trying to get to Antarctica may be risky, but at least there we have a chance to see the kids grow up to adults. Maybe it will even buy us enough time and that blasted inner sun will calm down."