"2040."

"...It's 2025 here. And I'm guessing you didn't have the Bliss."

"Nnnnno? What is that?"

"So, seven years ago, in 2018, everyone aged 18 or older suddenly felt this overwhelming overpowering desire to take a nap. And if they did, they went to sleep and they didn't wake up. They don't need food or water, animals don't attack them, they stay alive remarkably well, they just... never wake up. We call this event the Bliss, because it seems like they're having happy dreams, and we call the unconscious people the sleepers."

"Oh - wow - that sucks a whole lot."

"It turns out that the Bliss was an invasion attempt on the part of an alien race. We don't know who they are or what they want or what they're capable of. One year after the Bliss they sent out drones to try to kill as many kids as they could find."

"The aliens touching our world-- changed it. In bad ways, and good ones. You've probably experienced the Something."

"The creepy thing at night? Yeah."

"At least it helpfully told us it existed! But yeah if you leave a door or a window open at night everyone in your house will get eaten by the Something. --We quadruple-check every night."

"...okay. Also there was a waffle buffet."

"Yeah! There are buffets that wander around the world. Usually waffles, but not always. Lots of kids would have starved if not for those."

"That's so random."

"The aliens are really confusing. --The other bad thing is that stores that are large enough to have forklifts are now defended by attack forklifts."

"Oh... yeah, somebody said something about forklifts."

"They're pretty scary but you don't have to worry about them unless you're a scavenger."

"Welp somebody told me that breastfeeding moms aren't scavengers."

"Of course not." He sounds mildly offended.

"So I guess I won't worry about forklifts."

"You wouldn't have to do it unless you wanted to, anyway. Scavengers usually volunteer for it, they get more time off the rest of the month."

"Oh."

"But we can figure out what your skills are once you're up to date on what the world is like."

"I'm not good at much. Like, I'm still in high school. I'm good at music but you can't like, eat that, and I bet you don't have a piano..."

"You're still in-- oh, right, no Bliss. Here we only do school until eleven."

"That sounds kinda nice."