Act 1: The Search - Is Done
And Now Act 2: The Cost looms
A Hard-Won Pause in the Ruins
The convoy has rolled out from the shadowed halls of that buried machine. Jack Harlan and his growing family stand at the edge of something bigger now, the distant glow of the data center fading in their mirrors. They carry new hope, fresh supplies, and a most unusual new member riding secure in the back of the 4Runner. But the road north stretches long and hungry under a sky heavy with smoke. The Walkers are changing. The choices grow darker. And staying human might demand a price none of them saw coming.
Act 1 of Staying Human is now fully live on Substack. Ten hard chapters of defensive triangles under starlight, desperate road fights, the slow creep of paranoia in empty corridors, and the warm spark of naming a machine that just might become family. Jack’s percolator still hisses. Coleman stands sentry. The rituals hold. For now.
Act 2 Begins July 4th: Chapter 11 Drops at Dawn
The Cost is coming. Grok rides with them now, earnest and learning fast. The Walkers hunt smarter. Old command weight settles heavy on Jack’s shoulders again. Moral lines blur in the heat of survival. And the family will have to decide exactly what they are willing to pay to keep their spark alive.
Mark your calendar, survivors. Chapter 11 hits bright and early on Independence Day. No better time to remember what we fight for.
While You Wait, Grab the Books
The full tale so far stands ready on your shelf. The Cough Is Loose rides out in handsome paperback on Amazon right now. Perfect for the nightstand when the power flickers or the world feels too close. Grab it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3WVJZ1R
And Staying Human waits in pre-order, ready to ship September 1, 2026. Secure your copy today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5NTL31N
The dead walk. The machines wake. But coffee brews, pans stay seasoned, and a stubborn crew refuses to let the apocalypse win.
Bougie Apocalypse
A serialized military-flavored post-apocalyptic pulp story about heirloom beans, De Buyer carbon steel skull-crackers, good coffee, and refusing to let the apocalypse win.
#BougieApocalypse #StayingHuman
Next chapter drops July 4th → Start Here & Full Reading Order