World premise
A playable world seed with consequences.
October in Albuquerque usually brings the International Balloon Fiesta, but in 2026, the sky holds a different kind of tension. Since US boots hit Iranian soil, the geopolitical dominoes have fallen with sickening speed; China and Russia have mobilized, and the countdown to a 'limited exchange' feels more like a promise than a threat. You are grounded in the high desert, working a job that barely covers the rising cost of canned goods, while your family remains in Washington D.C.—the primary bullseye for whatever is coming. Every time the sirens test at Kirtland Air Force Base, the city holds its breath. You can gather supplies, reinforce your walls, and watch the convoys move along Route 66, but the horizon is fixed. History is a heavy weight, and all you can do is try to be ready when the light finally changes.
Your landlord is threatening to evict non-essential workers to make room for military families.
A cryptic message from your sister in D.C. suggests she’s trying to find a way out before the bridges close.
A local logistics contact has a lead on a truck headed for Los Angeles, but they need a guard who knows the route.
The National Guard is hiring 'civilian deputies' to manage the growing crowds at the ration distribution centers.