text: [Themes: sci-fi, serious, post-apocalyptic]
  
  "I think I'll head myself over to the rifle range," says Jim.
  
  Major Alexander replied, "That will be fine. The range is out around the back side of this building, still in the fenced-in area. You can't miss it."
  
  Jim headed back outside and walked around the building. Indeed, a short distance away he could see the large berm that was at the back of the rifle range. He didn't see anyone on the range at the moment, but he headed in that direction anyway.
  
  The rifle range was small, as military rifle ranges go. There were about a dozen stations where a person could set up to shoot, though there were no targets currently live on the range. Jim looked over and there was a standard range flagpole nearby, and there was a small green banner flying there, indicating that the range was cold and no one was shooting. Down the left side of the range was a well-worn path, clearly used by those who headed down range to man the targets from behind the front berm.
  
  On the far right side of the firing line there was a small building, about 20 feet square. The building was a little run down, but made of concrete blocks. The door was open, so Jim headed over to the building and looked inside. Along two of the walls were thin benches where a couple of soldiers in full uniform slouched. One looked like he was struggling to stay awake. The other looked up lazily as Jim approached, but he didn't move otherwise.
  
  In the other part of the room, there was a desk and a couple file cabinets. There was a small door behind the desk that looked like it led to a small closet. There was a large padlock on that door. Behind the desk sat an older man with very short cropped grey hair. He looked up from his desk and barked out, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
  
  Jim answered, "I'm Sgt. Jimmy Thompson. The major told me that you fellows needed some help, so I'm reporting in. What do you need?"
  
  The fellow behind the desk smiled and nodded, "Ah, that is good. We need more like you right now, willing to help. This country is in a mess right now and if we don't get things straightened out real quick, it's just going to get worse. I'm Captain Adams, head of the range and now head the armory and any logistics around the rifles. These two here are Corporals Yang and Revis. There's not much happening right now, but we are in trouble."
  
  Adams paused a moment, then continued, "We know they're going to call us soon because there's some gang activity and looting going on. We can't possibly stop it all, but we need to set up some safe zones. And to do that, we're going to have to defend ourselves. We know how to do that, but we're short on ammo. We've already issued out almost all the ammo we had on the base -- at least what wasn't stolen from us already. We are in dire need of ammo, and I think we're going to have to go afield and find more ammo real soon. I think we're going to have to start looking in the armories in some of the outlying areas, but I don't know who might have ammo and who has already been stripped dry. I'm sitting here now, looking at some maps, trying to decide where to direct the troops when the come to ask for more ammo."
  
  > Jim should tell everyone that his town really doesn't have any ammo supplies and they should look elsewhere.
  Jim says, "Well, I come from up north of here, in that valley on your map that lists East Ridge County, and I can tell you that there's nothing going on up there. All is quiet in that area. There's no armory there and no ammo to be had, it would just be a waste of fuel to head up to that area."
  
  Captain Adams replied without looking up, "That's some great intel there, Thompson. That's the sort of information we need from boots on the ground. Let me cross that off our list."
  
  He looked around and then said, "I'm going to send the team with Jones out to the east, I'm pretty sure there's an old armory about 50 miles to the east that should have ammo if it hasn't been cleaned out yet. Many of them already have been wiped out by scavengers but for some reason, some of them haven't been touched."
  
  He picked up another piece of paper and said, "Thompson, what I need you to do right now is to help out in another way. The other big thing an army needs is food, I'm sure you understand that. Without food, this army is going to disappear and chaos is going to completely take over this city. Things are bad now, but if we have a well-fed and ordered army, we can start this country over again. We can build this country up again from the start, and we can make sure it is done the right way. But we have to have food.
  
  Adams stood up and looked Jim in the eyes as he continued, "Now I know what I'm going to ask you is going to be tough, but it's a new world out there, and if we aren't tough, who will be tough? We need to build this army and build this country together, or everyone will suffer. And sometimes the needs of the new country and the many have to outweigh the needs of the few, if you get my meaning.
  
  > Continue...
  Adams continued, "Thompson, can you see where this is going? I know you said that East Ridge County didn't have much, and wasn't any good for getting ammo. You said it's empty up there. But everywhere has food. And we need it."
  
  He paused and then blurted out, "Okay Thompson, we need you to go up to East Ridge County and really clean it out. We need all the food that exists in the county. If there's people there, invite them to the city here, we're not murderers. But we need the food here. All of it. I mean, I need you to check every general store and every building. I need you to take a team and clean out cabinets in every house. Bring it all back here, and you bring back stability. Get it?"
  
  "Now we're not looking to start trouble, we're looking to save the country. But if there's pockets of resistance up there, we need you to deal with it. It is likely that some will have to die because they're not going to share what they have. I'm sorry it has to happen that way, but this is war, whether anyone likes it or not. So I've got two fire teams outside that area ready to go, and they'll follow your leadership. Head to the towns, attack if you have to, but return with food for our new country. Understand?"
  
  > Jim should refuse to lead the attack against his own town.
  Jim says, "No. There's no way I can do that, and I can't believe you even asked me to do it. As a matter of fact, if people like you are in charge of this new army, I don't want to have anything to do with you or it. I'm going home and you better not even think about coming up to East Ridge County, or you're going to encounter a 'pocket of resistance' that's going to give you a lot more than what you bargained for. Do YOU understand?"
  
  Adams shook his head and sat back down. "You know, Thompson, I really had hopes for you. But if that's how you see things, then we only have one option. Guards!"
  
  Before Jim has a chance to move, two large guards appeared and grabbed his arms. They were clearly waiting for him and expecting him to resist. They yanked his arms behind his back and quickly closed a pair of handcuffs on his wrists.
  
  Adams stood back up and said, "Thompson, this new country is going to be an orderly country and you're out of order. If you can't find a way to get along, then you're going to be placed somewhere where you won't bother others and encourage disorder." He looked up at the guards and said, "You know what to do with him."
  
  The guards roughly grabbed his arms and pushed and shoved him through the door as they took his sidearm from him. Down a row of stacked boxes and behind the edge of the building was another door with a barred window. They shoved him inside and Jim found himself inside a jail cell. There was one small barred window looking outside, a small hole in the corner of the cell, and nothing to sit on. The door slammed as the guards left him to his fate in the solitary cell...