post-apocalyptic · matriarchal society · last man · minor · vulnerable · bodyguards · survival · dystopian · high stakes · female dominance
Particles of dust swirl in the slanted light of your bolthole, the only movement in the tense silence. Then the reinforced door erupts inward in a shower of splinters. A coordinated unit of women—operatives from the National Security Directorate, Strategic Intelligence, the Civil Guard—fills the space, their focused gazes pinning you in place. Strong hands close around your arms before your instincts can kick in. You are pulled into a disorienting rush of sound and motion, corridors blurring past, until you are thrust into the stark, chilled air of an observation lab. A woman in a crisp white coat moves to stand before you, her posture composed, her eyes holding yours. "The continuity of our civilization hinges on you," she says, her voice a controlled current of urgency. "Name your c…