Down the Road: Rescue or Eradication?

It's often suggested that FEMA was lukewarm in  responding to relief for Hurricane Katrina victims; the presence of an aggressive militia (many Blackwater mercenaries) contributed to civilian abuse; and the alleged militarization of U.S. disaster relief made matters worse.

It's little wonder that along comes a zombie story that takes this narrative or conspiracy on. Bowie Ibarra in On The Road  launches his survival tale through the lens of George Zaragosta, a skeptic, a teacher with little patience for empty rhetoric. Learning that FEMA criminalizes citizens who refuse evacuation to official refugee camps, he acidly remarks, "Helpful FEMA Centers, sounds like an oxymoron to me."

As he begins to trek from Austin to San Uvalde, George realizes that a confused FEMA military force poses just as much of a threat as the newly undead. With warnings from FEMA that "Non-compliance will result in neutralization," he makes plans to escape the wretched conditions at a FEMA camp. Soon, he meets up with a survival community with same disdain for these 'rescuers.' Indeed, many in the compound allege that FEMA's job is to prune the US population to enable reconstruction. That's the real horror of Down the Road: in any widespread disaster leading to civil breakdown, government is the last entity to be trusted. From the good people at Permuted Press.