Love and Monsters

I didn't really have your typical upbringing.

I mean, I did at first, but then the world ended.

I don't think anyone was really shocked.

We always thought it might, and then it just finally happened.

But how it happened, now that's where it gets interesting.

Agatha 616.

Yep, an asteroid heading straight for Earth.

I know. So obvious.

So, humanity came together, and we did what we do best.

We shot a bunch of rockets at it!

And we blew it up! And it was great!

But it wasn't. You see, the thing that makes rockets rockets...

chemical compounds, a lot of 'em.

Which rained back down on us, and everything changed.

And by "everything," I mean cold-blooded creatures.

And by "changed," I mean mutated and started eating us to death.

Ants, lizards, roaches, crocodiles. You name it. There's a lot of 'em.

Actually I knew this one kid who was eaten in his sleep by a goldfish he won at a carnival.

Man, Todd loved that goldfish.

And that cat.

So, for most of human history, if you wanted to kill a cockroach, right?

all you needed was a shoe.

Well, suddenly you needed a shotgun.

And sometimes even a tank.

And sometimes even that doesn't work.

Especially if you don't stay in the tank, Bob.

Eventually, the really big ones and our military took each other out.

We lost 95% of the human population in about a year.

That's a lot of Bobs.

And a lot of Todds.

Those of us who survived, we hid anywhere we could...

bunkers, caves, panic rooms, all around the world.

So for the last 7 years I've been living in an underground bunker.

It's not as bad as it sounds. Really.

It's a great group of people, and we all love each other.

You know it's kinda what I imagined college would have been like.

Are you sure he's asleep?

Who?

- Joel. Who else? - Yeah. He's asleep.

- Hang on. Shh. - He's not awake.

- Are you sure? - It's just you.

I just... I don't...

Joel. Joel.

See? He's not awake.

It's just you.

Dear Aimee, I am wide awake.

I've just gotten good at not really moving or breathing.

Being stuck in a survival bunker with a bunch of people

who have all found their soul mate is less than ideal.

Karen and Ray got together a few months ago,

so they're still kinda in their honeymoon phase.

It is super physical.

Good for them you know. They're both very attractive and apparently quite flexible.

Hey, life's short. Especially down here.

- Oh. Hey, Ava. - Hey, Joel.

- Joel. How's it going? - It's going good, Tim.

- How are you... How are you doing? - Yeah, good.

Cool.

- I couldn't sleep. - Yeah, we know the feeling.

Yeah. Probably not for the same reasons.

Y-You guys's, uh, door's open. Is that... Did you know that?

- Yeah. - Yeah, we know.

Okay.

After Tim's parents were eaten by a swarm of termites,

- he and Ava became inseparable. - Okay. Good night.

- In every way. - Good night.

That's the asteroid they named 616 Agatha.

And these are all the chemical bombs they sent up to try and...

So, pretty much everyone's coupled up down here.

Our first baby was born last winter. It was super emotional.

Welcome to the apocalypse, kid.

The food sucks. At least you'll never know what you're missing.

Kala and Connor got together after Carol died.

Carol was a cow who ate a box of laundry detergent.

And now we only have one cow.

Her name's Gertie.

Gertie is great.

Gertie's not our only food source.

We actually have a hunting party that brings back

whatever they can from the surface.

It was easier in the beginning, you know, before we ran out of bullets.

Facing down one of those things with a janky handmade weapon

is no walk in the park.

Or so they tell me.

I-I don't go on the hunting parties.

They need me in the kitchen. I'm kinda the, uh...

...the chef of the bunker.

Everyone likes my minestrone.

Being the only single person in the bunker has its perks too.

I get to hang out with Mavis.

Of course, she's not much for conversation anymore.

Her core battery's shot, just like every other Mavis, I'd imagine.

Actually never seen a working one.

Sure wish you were here, Aimee.

I'd love for you to meet everyone.

Oh, yeah.

Maybe we could do a little target practice together.

It's kinda my thing.

Well...

Sorry, Mavis.

Hustle, hustle, people. We gotta move.

Guys!

Guys! I got the weapons.

- Stay. - What?

- Get what you need, and let's go. - What's happening?

What's going on?

- We're breached. - Breached?

- Joel. - What do you mean? Like,

Inside the bunker breached?

That's what "breached" means, kiddo.

Breached.

Anna Lucia and I will engage. Anderson and Tim, flank us.

Flank 'em, yeah, okay. Where do you guys need me? You wanna come me to the rear, or...

I thought we were past this, Joel.

Past what? You need help. I can help.

- Let me help. - You gonna make me say it?

- Say what? - You can't handle it, Joel.

- You're shook. - Okay, yeah.

- So, you guys don't get scared ever? - We get scared.

We all get scared, Joel, but you get really scared.

- We're not trying to make you feel bad. - We love you, Joel.

But you're unsafe.

- You're a liability. - Even on supply runs.

Okay, why did that speech feel so rehearsed?

Connor.

Okay, 30 meters out. Let's move.

- Be careful, Connor-Bear. - I will, Kala-Bee.

Load out.

Go with them.

They're getting close.

Shit.

Oh, my God.

- It's got one of 'em. - What about the others?

They're coming back.

Joel!

They need help. I'm going.

Joel! Wait!

Connor?

Connor.

Did I shoot it, or did you?

What do you think?

You.

Oh, and I have a pretty severe freezing problem.

But I am working on it.

- How is it looking? - I think it looks really good.

- Does it look like me? - Yeah.

Are you sure that this pose looks natural?

- Yeah. - Yeah?

I think it's really good.

What are you doing? Don't move.

- Will you let me see it? - Don't... Don't move. Aimee.

I really wanna see it.

Can I see it?

Okay.

Okay.

- Ready? - Mm-hmm.

What do you think?

Why do I have a beard?

No, that's shading. I did the shading.

My head is... is so large.

- You have a big head. - And my hand is so tiny.

You have tiny hands.

I love it. I frickin' love it.

That's super sweet, 'cause it's terrible.

- I got you something too. - What?

I don't know if these are the right ones.

No way. These are the ones that I-I-I wanted to get.

- Really? - Yeah.

Ooh. Hello.

- What's happening right now? - Uh...

- Are you okay? - Yeah, I'm dancing with my shoulders.

- Oh, yeah. - Oh, yeah.

This has been the best summer of my life.

Mine too.

Uh-oh.

What are you doing?

- Do you know what time it is? - Uh, I think it's, like, 6:30.

Aimee, you're... you're scaring Crocodile Carl.

Okay, look away, Crocodile Carl.

Oh. Look away. Hey, I get it.

I get it.

We need to go.

I'm scared.

Dear Aimee, This week has been especially shitty.

We lost Connor to what looked like a really big ant.

Helps me to draw them.

I try to capture their essence,

scribble down some notes on how to kill them.

Sometimes I think it's the only way I know how to cope with these things.

This is 7045. Come in, 3022.

I repeat, come in, 3022. Over.

This is 3022. What is it now, Ray?

Hey, Janice. No, it's actually... It's, uh, Joel.

- Oh. Joel. - Yeah.

All right. Hold on one second.

Aimee, it's Ray!

It's Joel. Thanks, Janice.

- Joel! Hey! - Hey, Aimee! Hi!

- How are you? - Hi. Yeah, I, uh... I'm good.

- It's so good to hear your voice. - I'm so sorry.