The world didn’t end with a bang.

The world didn’t end at all.

Civilisation ended, though. It was fast, and none of the governments or armies really had time to react. The casualties were enormous.

Civilisation as we knew it went away, and when the dust cleared, those who were left looked around themselves, and knew that now, survival was more important than ever.

Some headed for the warmer areas, and started farming what they could. Others reverted to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, scraping a living where they could find it.

Slowly, a new society grew. The older people told stories about the world as it was, and the children, who had never known it, listened eagerly. Now the people grouped themselves into tribes, and traded with each other. There were quarrels, of course, and these usually involved the theft of food or other supplies.

War is a thing of the past. There are too few people left for territoriality to become a problem, and everyone is conscious of the need to preserve humanity.