Survival in the context of "The Road", an end to the basic ecologic mechanisms that support life with little or no hope of it ever getting better, is difficult thing to wrap the head around. Trapped in a snowstorm or hurricane it is simply a matter of hanging on and letting the event pass. Stranded in a wilderness or desert or after your boat sinks at sea you can hope to make your way to safety.

But what if the disaster starts out at 'as good as it gets' and it is all down hill from there with no realistic hope that it will ever get better.

I'm reminder of a situation related by a friend who did cave rescues. He got called in to find a couple of cave divers who got lost but who, in the last few minutes realized how deep in the cave they still were. The hopelessness of their situation. They realized that they were deep in the cave and that all the air tanks together wouldn't get even one of them out.

They could have fought over the air available. Both men had knives. As it was they continued to swim toward the entrance, knowing they wouldn't make it but hoping that somehow they had miscalculated. Perhaps hoping for a miracle. They continued to swim calmly and when one was completely out of air they shared the last of the air until it was gone.

What happens when survival isn't just a situation you get through? In that context is how you manage a consideration? If the end of the story is 'everyone dies' does it matter. Is there any point to being the last one standing? Or is maintaining your humanity the more important issue?