Surviving after the collapse of the United States is going to present some complex challenges. In today’s episode of The Changing Earth Audio Drama, Erika Moore faces the choice of blindly following orders she disagrees with and advancing or not and losing an opportunity for escape. Her mentor, Seargent Bennet, turns her rigorous training into mental exercises designed to test Erika’s ability to blindly follow. He knows there are times when following orders can save your life. Sometimes, teamwork is the only way to survive, and a leader’s orders must be followed without question, or people die.

All of us have also faced a recent decision to follow an order or think critically. No matter what your opinion, you were given the mandate to inject an experimental drug or not. Orders are supposed to take emotions out of decisions but are all orders meant to be followed? Recent horrors like the bombing of the Nord Stream Pipeline or the genocide of civilians in Ukraine make one wonder who could do such a thing? An individual following orders is responsible. Would you follow an order like that? How far would you go to maintain your lifestyle and your status? In a post-collapse America, the decisions will only become more challenging.

Erika’s story shows how orders saved the world for many but devastated the lives of others. Her mental and physical abilities are put to the test. You are going to need your body! If we were faced with living a life of less, the physical requirements would be much more demanding than they are now. You can’t be a weekend warrior. You need to train, train, train. Erika’s second season explains a verticle punch designed to save your hand in a post-apocalyptic fight. You must protect your small bones from being broken because you will still need to do critical tasks.

The last scene of Erika’s provides listeners with more critical information. You must learn what grows around you that you can eat in many geographical regions because you never know where you will end up. Since you don’t know where you will end up, it is also critical to make plans with long-range loved ones now so you will know how to find one another.

TJ Swenson’s storyline also focuses on government overreach, forcing large empires to follow their orders. However, even tyrants are beneficial for some people. TJ saves many of his favored teenagers from the infertilization procedure. While tyrants can do good things, it is usually at the expense of others, and even TJ is not immune to facing repercussions for his actions.

Leaders will face intense pressures, and since you are studying how to survive, it may very well be you. It is difficult to push an essential issue for your group while following the rules of others. This is one of the key reasons our government is faltering today. Even if you have the best intentions going into office, the only way to get things done is by giving others what they want. Things get muddied, and corruption can run wild in this environment.

TJ Swenson’s relationship with women highlights one of the opinions that breaks my heart the most. Many women have told me that in a post-collapse scenario, women would be nothing more than sex slaves and servants. Women are powerful creatures that can command as much power as a man. What will happen to you if you have already given up now? Women can defend themselves and have been known to use certain whiles to manipulate men. I agree that abusive relationships may be even more difficult to escape, but women are the glue that holds communities together.

Major Virgis’s story also focuses on orders. Virgis, Chappee, and Monroe are all facing the question of following orders vs. protecting the people of their country. All people deserve to be treated as equals. Eventually, it may become necessary to fight for that individual right. What are you living for? Is it worth protecting? Do you follow the order to become a consumer slave, or are you ready to stand for the people of this world?

Virgis’s story shows people surviving and thriving without government oversight. The ability to self-sustain and live freely is priceless. Could you survive without government handouts? You can’t do it without a community.