Alex surveyed the woman with interest. She wasn't half bad. End of the world wasn't so bad if he ended up giving a ride to a gorgeous blonde, right? Besides, he was famous and shit. Aw yeah, things were looking up for sure. "Nice to meet you, Sophia. You too, chica," he said with what was intended to be a disarming smile. With dismay, Alex realized he hadn't had time to snatch up a toothbrush before leaving the base. So much for the pearly whites that had briefly trended on Twitter after he had signed. Damn.

Still doing forty or so on the paved road snaking through the desert, Alex scanned the dash, lighting on the boxy display painted in the traditional olive drab. The handset rested tantalizingly in a cradle atop. Tentatively, not wanting to take his eyes off the road, Alex poked at what he assumed was the power switch. He grinned when the device obediently gave a warm orange glow. 

"Alright, well, this can't be too hard to use," he said. "I mean, it's meant for soldiers. No disrespect to boys in uniform, but it just makes sense to make it simple as possible, right?" He slowed down, not willing to stop entirely, as he lifted the handset and held down the SEND button on the side. Hopefully, everyone was tuned in on this standardized frequency. Taking a deep breath, he mentally organized what he was going to say. Just like leading a team.

 "Calling anyone who escaped from Camp Pendleton, any and all refugees on this frequency. We need to regroup. Get any weapons and supplies you can and meet up at, uh, head west towards the I-5. Where Las Pulgas Road meets the freeway. Over." 

Alex nodded to himself in satisfaction, then handed the handset to Sophia. "Somebody needs to take charge, right? Might as well be us. Okay, I'm going to get my bearings, then head for that place. I want you to count to sixty, then broadcast that same message. Every minute, got it? Las Pulgas Road and the I-5." With that, he gave the woman a clap on the shoulder, then surveyed his surroundings. Satisfied, he began to drive what he was pretty sure was west, towards the rendezvous spot.