In the movies it always happened suddenly.
No warning.
No signs.
In reality they didn't have that excuse.
They had all known it was coming as much as they had known the sun would rise the next day. Scientists had seen the signs and had given warnings to those who would listen.
They had finally succeeded in killing the planet. The human race in all its glory had completely destroyed any hope of preventing an apocalypse when they chose to ignore the warnings handed to them on silver platters.
Plants and factories had melted down and fallen to disarray. Resources and fuel had become non-existent except to those who knew where to look and whole cities emptied.
Society had collapsed.
Now Sam had never been more grateful for her job. Working in her field meant that she had been part of the group trying to raise the alarm when their machines and computers had finally told them what they had all feared was happening.
It only took her a few days to realise that people were not going to listen and in that moment she made her decision to leave. Hidden away in the forests of Minnesota was her cabin. Despite the ribbing she had constantly received from her colleagues Sam only ever felt truly at home when she was locked away in her cabin. She had spent years rigging it to provide everything she could possible need and when the day came for her to move it she had been immensely grateful for the fact that she had installed the solar panels to the roof and built the water pump and filter the previous summer.
The peacefulness of the cabin and its surrounding was like that of nothing else and Sam often found herself longing for the quiet and solidarity that it provided.
It provided and supported her comfortably for the best part of 4 years without incident other than one occasion where she locked herself out.
She couldn't then believe it when it turned out to be her father's radio that threw a spanner in the works. It had served her for many years and had never needed anything other new batteries but for some unknown reason that she had yet been unable to solve one day it just stopped working.
She had spent days muttering and cursing at the radio before she threw her tools down and gave in to the realisation that if she wanted to be able to listen to the emergency broadcasts and few scrambled messages that she managed to pick up then she would need to head into the next town for parts.
Runs where the one part of her current existence that Sam wasn't grateful for. The weather had become tumultuous since the end and it meant that winter for Sam had currently being going on for the last 6 months. It wasn't the prep work required for a winter run but that fact that she hated the cold. Her body armour fit nicely under her warm gear and she knew her rifle like the back of her hand and could strip, clean and reassemble it with her eyes closed. The fact that she needed to carry it with her still bothered Sam but she had forced that voice down on many occasions after she had encountered a rather hostile group on one of her first runs.
As winter had stretched on with no sign of lifting it become harder and harder. Snowfall meant that what had once been a 2 hour stroll was now a 4 trek. The paths that she had originally walked with no thought now required concentration and a map to make sure that she didn't wonder off into the forest.
By the time she actually made it into the nearest town the sun had risen properly and she had yet to come across another soul. Sightings of other travellers were few and far between but common enough that she knew they where out there. Making her way down the snow covered streets, she kept the rifle raised although she hadn't seen anything exciting except for what looked like recent deer tracks.
Finding the store she needed she made her way in, making sure to shut the door firmly behind her. She found herself going through the motions of clearing the building without a second thought, her mind focused on the items she needed to locate. Luckily for Sam when the looting had begun home depos and hardware stores hadn't been priority for people, she had no difficulty finding the parts she needed. After she had finished, Sam wondered around in the back of the store, searching through the leftover first aid kits and patting herself on the back when she came across a sled that looked almost untouched except for a small dent on one of the rails.
Loading everything she had collected on to it she pushed it so that it sat by the back door of the store, so that she could have one more last look around. Swinging her rifle onto her back Sam made to push her way through the separating door and stepped back into the main store when the front door crashed open. She dropped down and brought her rifle back up, her breaths forming small clouds in front of her as she attempted to move as quietly as possible to the edge the counter in front of her.
She pressed her back against the counter for a moment, attempting to hear how many bodies had entered the store. Hearing nothing she went to stand when all of a sudden harsh cursing and the sound of a body sliding down the wall caught her attention. She shot around the corner, her rifle already hanging by its sling as she went for a first aid kit attached to her backpack as she caught sight of the slumped over figure at the end of the neared isle.
"What happened?" she gasped as she slid to a stop in front of what she realised was a man in a heavy duty winter coat. She opened the first aid and pulled out several bunches of gauze and pressed them to the fairly obvious stab wound he moments ago had his hand pressed against on his abdomen.
"Turns out I am not as good at dodging knives as I used to be" the man croaked, one hand now brushing his hood back from his face and the other waving at something behind her.
"Don't move" he muttered quietly to Sam as she lifted the gauze for a moment, trying to assess the wound underneath. She froze, the reason why becoming apparent as she finally registered the growling behind her.
"Please tell me that is not a wolf" she whispered.
He smirked at her and shook his head. He waved his hand again and the growling stopped and Sam listened as whatever was behind padded closer.
"My dog, but given that she just watched me get stabbed, I don't think she is too fond of people she doesn't know getting to close to me right now" he joked, a wince forming as Sam pressed slightly too hard on the wound.
Sam smiled at the statement and turned her body slightly so that she was crowding over him less and made eye contact with what was quite possible the most beautiful animal she had ever seen. Its coat was so white it almost hurt her eyes and the way the dog pawed at its owner with a whine tugged at her heart.
"This is Sha're – she is a white German Shepard and my best friend" he explained, the hand that had waved her over now threading through the dogs fur behind her ears. Sam let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding and smiled at the obvious bond between the two.
"Is she the one looking out for you?" she asked, mind now back on the bleeding wound. He didn't answer for a moment, his thoughts seemingly focused on her attention to his wound.
"She does her best – but there is only so much one dog can do against 5 desperate lads" he explained a moment later. Sam looked up and regarded him.
"Is that what happened – one of them stabbed you?"
"They were scared – and decided that my bag of rations was their only option"
She sighed as she continued to wrap his wound, hands working steadily. Once she was finished she tucked his shirt back into the waist band of his pants and leant back on her heels.
"I'd ask what the world was coming to but you only have to look around"
He laughed, one hand pressed against his abdomen and the other placed on the floor to push himself back up against the wall better. Once he had finished moving he relaxed and looked at Sam properly for the first time. He couldn't say he was upset with the sight. With her cropped blonde hair tousled and her cheeks red from the excitement of the last few moments she was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"I think you just saved my life – and I don't even know your name" he laughed, his spare hand going back to Sha'res ears.
"I could say the same about you" she replied, the colour appearing back in his cheeks comforting her slightly.
"I'm Jack – Major General Jonathon "Jack" O'Neill, US Air Force"
"Sam – Professor Samantha Carter, EPA"
"Nice, trust me to run into one of the people that tried to stop all of this – I assume you were of the good ones at the Environmental Protection Agency " he asked, not for a moment surprised about the quality of his companion.
"I like to think so – I have always wanted to protect the world and I was never much one for the military life – no offense"
"None taken – I never really fit into the lifestyle but for some reason they never let me go"
Sam smiled as she packed away her disturbed first aid supplies and put it away.
"They must have seen something in you if you made it to Major General – they don't just hand that rank out to every Tom, Dick and Sally"
"I suppose they must have" he quipped, her movements spurring him to try and stand. It took him a few moments but he finally got himself to his feet, Sha're leaning against his legs so that he could rest his hand on her head.
Sam took a step back, before she beckoned him to follow.
"I've got to get my stuff from the back room but you should come back with me, that dressing won't hold for long and I have more medical equipment at my cabin" she explained. He regarded her for a moment before he shook his head.
"You have already done too much – you don't even know me yet you saved my life – I can't ask any more" With that he made to move back towards the front of the store. Sam scoffed, her gaze focusing on the white dog who was still staring at her. She gave a quick short whistle and watched the dog's ear perk before she trotted over to her and sat in front of her.
"Well that's new" Jack said as he stopped to watch the exchange.
"She is clearly the smarter of you two" Sam laughed before she reached down to stroke the dog who tilted her head to allow the contact. Jack sighed and made his way over to the two females.
"I don't want us to impose"
"It's no trouble – I have safety, water, heat and food – plus plenty of space for Sha're to explore whilst I take another look at that wound"
"Are you sur-"
Same cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"If you think Sha're can help my pull my sled then I can support you on the walk back – the quicker we set off the sooner we'll get there" she explained as she pushed open the back door to reveal her supplies that still sat waiting.
"I think we can manage that – she is a military dog after all – she's carried heavy weight than that"
"Fantastic – if we move quickly I can cook some food before it gets too late – I don' know about you but all the excitement has really worked up my appetite" Jack nodded in agreement and watched Sam hitch Sha'res harness to the reins of the sled and followed her out the back door.
"So you really have everything you said back at your cabin?" he asked, following a few stops behind her as she encouraged Sha're to follow with the added weight of the sled.
"As well as a functioning TV curtesy of my solar panels and about 15 seasons of The Simpsons on record – a guilty pleasure of mine" she admitted, rifle slung casually across the front of her body. With that Jack suddenly appeared next to her, back straight and smile on his face.
"Let's go"
Sam laughed.