“At the O-Oconuco dump. We were just leaving when I heard voices, so I hid. Some tech p-people came, looking for spare p-parts. They had an argument – some of them wanted to tell the tech b-bosses that they had seen this invasion on a server, but the others said it would only get them into t-trouble because that server was off limits. That’s all. They didn’t d-dig very hard and then they wandered off.”

Sorrel thought of boats full of people landing on the coast and chasing Bajacunis to the hills. They would be armed and well equipped – a kind of second coming, unleashing conquest and destruction like in the ancient times she’d read about in the History Module.

Sorrel rose to her feet. “We need to find out for sure what’s happening in the rest of the world.” She turned to Caroni. “I need the PlAK.”

“I’ve looked already. There’s nothing recent.”

Sorrel took a deep breath. “I can get into Level 3, maybe even Level 2.”

“What? Why didn’t you say so before?”

“I was afraid – I wanted something to bargain with back then. But it was good here, so I forgot about always looking out. About the world.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Rashelope said and Sorrel shot her a grateful glance. “Thing is, we have to leave Jiba soon. Where do we go? Are foreigners coming or not? How are they coming? From where?”

Everyone started talking together.

“We just need to find a new p-place to hide,” Lichen said, but her small voice was drowned out.

“If people are coming from Amerika, they can land those helicopter troop-carriers and some fighter jets – they don’t need boats or runways,” Sorrel said. “And they have drones that can blow things up from far away.”

“I thought helicopters and airplanes couldn’t fly when it got too hot – not enough uplift?” Rashelope said.

“Yes, I remember that,” Caroni said. “And the melted runways grounded all the commercial airplanes.”

“The Amerikans built huge walls just after the Convergence. And destroyed some of the runways to keep the refugees out, but maybe not all,” Sorrel added.

Caroni stood and lifted her hands for quiet. “Sorrel, come with me. Get some rest, people. We’ll call you if we find anything useful.”