The Heart Goes Last

A financial crisis has turned most of Northeastern America into a decaying wasteland. There are no job opportunities because businesses have moved west, and the people left behind resort to looting, crime, and violence to get by. Stan and Charmaine are a young married couple living out of their car—the only barrier between them and the dangers outside. Stan had previously worked in quality control for Dimple Robotics, while Charmaine had worked at Ruby Slippers Retirement home, but they lost their jobs and their home after the financial crash. Charmaine has managed to find a job in one of the few remaining bars, but they still struggle to afford gas and their next meal on her small paychecks. Stan cannot find work and feels like a failure.

Desperate for work and money, Stan goes in search of his criminal brother, Conor, whom he has not spoken to in years. Conor is living in a guarded compound and gives Stan $200, a prepaid phone, and offers him a job. Stan declines the job, unsure of what it would entail. As he leaves, a sleek black car with tinted windows pulls into the compound.