“The End of the World Is Better with Friends”

A river runs through Austin, bisecting the north and south sides of the city with a horseshoe-shaped bend.

It’s dammed at both ends, which is why Austin residents call it “Lake Austin.”

As with any dammed river, they have to actively maintain it, adjusting the dam for rainfall and cleaning, and working to balance out the artificial ecosystem.

This story begins with that river.

In particular, it begins with that river in a post-apocalyptic Earth when the delicate ecosystem has been un...