In the fourth and final serialized installment of Apocalyptica, book one of Ran, our heroine is just about fed up. Between dealing with new arrivals looking for a safe place to live, figuring out how to stay one step ahead of the zombies who wander across the land, and coping with the cannibalistic Reavers who have all of the intelligence of human beings and none of the mercy, she's at the end of her rope.
Challenged by betrayal, the need to survive, and the difficulty getting even five minutes alone, Ran has to come face to face with the question: