I've been given no setup whatsoever.

I've been given an extremely vague idea of how bad it's going to get and how good it will magically become (supposedly), and the knowledge that I need to do something to save myself and loved ones. But I've been robbed of the ability to do anything to save them.

So basically, I've been given a ticking bomb and the knowledge of which wire to cut but no tool to do so with. I'm currently trying to gum my way through that wire, because my teeth were pulled out by the bad guys.

Doesn't mean I'm not doing everything in my power, it's just that realistically I know I'm incapable of doing enough and my/my loved ones' prospects are very grim.