The latch on the door clicked open, and Kira looked up in a rush, momentarily terrified about being caught before realizing that nothing they were doing was outwardly suspicious. Why wouldn’t the two newcomers be talking to each other? She only hoped no one had heard what they were saying.

Calix pushed the door open with her hip, carrying a pair of plates piled high with eggs and hash browns; both were liberally laced with red and green chili peppers, and after the chili last night, Kira got the distinct impression that whoever made the food around here liked it spicy. “You’re awake,” said Calix, setting the plates on a table by the wall—an oddly shaped remnant of the much larger conference table that once filled the room. She pulled forks from her pocket and gestured to the meal grandly. “Breakfast is served. And I invited a friend, if you don’t mind; I couldn’t carry everything by myself anyway.”

As if on cue there was a soft knock on the door, and Calix opened it to reveal a short young man with a broad face and a wicked grin. His arms were full of thick plastic cups and a hefty jug of water. “Thanks, Cal. Hey, guys, I’m Phan.”

“Hey,” said Kira. Her stomach growled audibly, and she grimaced in embarrassment. “Sorry. We haven’t had real food in months—this looks delicious.”

Phan laughed. “No problem, dig in.” He unscrewed the jug and started pouring cups of water. Kira realized that despite his height he was about her same age. “Sorry to barge in on your breakfast, but you’re kind of the most amazingly interesting thing that’s ever happened here in the history of ever.”

Kira chuckled. “I could say the same about you. We’ve always hoped there were more survivors, but we’d never been able to contact any.”

“Sit down and eat,” said Calix, guiding Samm to the table with a light touch on his arm. “Don’t worry about us, we already ate.”

“Take turns eating so one of you can talk,” said Phan, passing out the water. “Start with how on earth you were able to cross the wasteland—none of us has even made it as far as Kansas. We figured if we ever found a settlement it would be west, across the mountains.”

Kira swallowed her bite of potatoes—incredibly spicy, but nothing Nandita’s cooking hadn’t prepared her for—and asked a question of her own. “Has anyone crossed them?”