Short Version of Story

A story about a man confronting his hedonistic and escapist tendencies and taking action in the world around them, a post apocalyptic American west consumed by civil war and a violent climate.

• Post Apocalyptic/American West/Basin and Range Region
• Following 100 years of cyber war,  societal colapse,  Environmental Disaster and Resource scarcity,  remnants of society (some 10-15 percent of current populations) are trying to restart civilization.
• Collapse of western civilization onset by cyber war.  Food systems,  production, medical crippled by a series of cyber attacks and eventual war.
• A global cyber world war and then prolonged civil war have exhausted military infrastructure.  Production of oil, batteries, weapons ETC came to a halt after the end of the World War and what was left of equipment has been used up.  Rudimentary rifles, handguns  and  improvised weapons are the primary weapons.
• Nationalists are trying to regain order and reinstate a system similar to the corporate sponsored democracy of the 21st century.
• The Rebels see no point in trying to fix a broken system and instead are promoting a more simple,  agriculture based system.  They’re conflict resembles the civil wars of Central America in the 80s and the NeoZapatista Movement. Their tactics resemble that of guerrilla warfare.
• Exhausted by lack of resources and tired of a century of conflict, The fighting has reached somewhat of a stalemate with defined borders, with the nationalists sticking to the west coast and the rebels living in decentralized villages throughout the mountain regions.
• Constant fires from drought, global warming and enormous thunderstorms dominate the dramatic, mountain environment.  To the east,  the coal and tar sand deposits burn, ignited by nuclear war.  Towards the west, the Nationalists are trying to rebuild their society.
• Particulate from the constant fires, enormous thunderstorms and lack of petroleum fuels keep traditional aircraft on the ground.
• Airships and hang gliders sail the extreme winds and thermals from the constant fires, ruling the sky.
• Technology is very simple with most electronics falling victim to years of electronic warfare and the decay of over sixty years since the end of wide scale industrial manufacturing.  Cars and other petroleum powered vehicles have broken down and what fossil fuels are left are used for other things. From the rubble of war and the once great western civilization,  the rebels and the nationalist make due by ingenuity and simple, proven technology.  Communication is done via notes and carrier. Weapons are very simple, primarily made up of cashed weapons, reloadable rounds like shotguns and small caliber pistols and rifles, and improvised explosives.