1998

Diplomatic solutions to the world fail and war erupts as madmen press ahead with their insane dreams.

Originally they were just a us army engineer battalion. Constructing roads in the Arizona desert.  They didn't know why the apocalypse happened. They only knew that the politicians have finally ended the world. They took a federal prison as a base, and helped survivors defend their homes and families. And for that they earned a new name. The desert rangers.

104 years later. 2102. West Arizona. 

James was asleep in the back of a pickup truck as it was driving towards a large stronghold in the distance. Sam, the boy next to him, shook him awake.

"Dude.. dude wake up."

The boy said

"Wha.. huh?"

James sat up, looking at the landscape around them, noting rhe stronghold in the distance.

"We're almost there."

Sam Said.

"Bouta Mile out!"

Shouted another boy in a southern accent from the front car seat. 

James looked ahead, where the dirt road lead to a large walled off mountainside

"I thought it'd be bigger-"

James muttered to himself as they got closer

The truck stopped outside the wall entrance. a older looking ranger gestured for them to come inside. The 3 got out of the car and went inside. The area had multiple other rangers there, a water pump, and a merchant with a stand near a large blast door. They walked along a dirt road to what looked like a small graveyard, where a old looking man with a large hat and dusted clothes stood.

The man nodded to them as they approached, staring down at a casket labeled "ace". Four other ranger were burying the casket as they approached

"Appreciate you coming to Captain Ace's retirement party when you hardly knew the man. Appropriate too, seein' as how investigating his death will be your first duty as a Desert Ranger."

The man said, walking towards the group.

"Where was his body found?"

James asked

"His body was found at a radio tower east of here. It's not too far, about a days walk. Ill give you a map. You and your team are gonna go there, find whatever killed ace, and retrieve the package he had"

Vargas responded, handing James a map with the base, and the radio tower, marked down on it.

As they walked away, the 3rd boy, conrade, looked at the map Vargas gave them

"There's a mountain in the way, days walk my ass, this is gonna take at least 2."

Conrade scoffed, tossing the map back to James.

Sam looked at the map over James' shoulder

"We got enough water for that?"

"Hope so"

James doesn't respond to either of them, just looking at the map. He wondered why the first mission they were sent on already got a veteran ranger killed. He felt Sam pat his back

"Hey, c'mon. We gotta get going before it gets dark"

James put the map in his backpack, and t they left the citadel, into the blistering hot sun and dirt outside. 

"We couldn't have waited until winter to join up?"

Conrade said as they walked

Sam just looked annoyed

"We didn't have enough food to last us, how are you not used to the heat by now?"

"New Mexico wasn't that hot"

"Well we're not in New Mexico now are we?"

The rest of the walk was mostly silent, except for the dust and wind making almost inaudible noises as they walked through the desolate desert, the roads barely visible anymore over the weeds and sand that reclaimed them. As it turned dark, the group sets up camp, leaving James as first watch to make sure nothing attacks them while they sleep. The night is quiet. Until about 6 in the morning, where their radio crackles to life, and a urgent female voice can be heard