Veronica had gone from a shamed teenage mother to a local celebrity when it became clear that her unexpected pregnancy nine years ago was one of the last few in the state. She was even in the paper, in between stories about the goings-on in Canada and the updates on dream enhancers that were announced monthly by the president and her chief medical officer from the White House lawn.

The MOMS had good reason to be suspicious. Veronica had only joined at the insistence of her friend Maggie McConnell, and she had yet to join in on any of their darker deeds. Like their latest plan to secure their future by any means necessary.

“Do we really think we can do this?” She was holding her coffee mug with both hands like a small child. “I mean, I’m just not sure I could.”

“We are all going to do this. Not one of us is hanging back,” Adelaide began with a sigh. “That’s why we gather in the first place: to take action where our woman president will not. I mean, come on. There’s a viable cure right there in our faces, and we’re just going to ignore it and keep lining up at the dispensary for her ridiculous potions?” She threw her hands up. “Jimmy doesn’t have time to wait around for her to grow a pair.”

“It’s just…” Veronica’s voice was as small as her grip.

Adelaide had had enough. “It’s just what, Veronica? Do you really want your child growing up in a world without art? Without literature? Without innovation? Because that’s where we’re headed. People can’t dream anything but these manufactured dreams, and the whole progress bus takes a detour to Broken Town. Maybe not as fast as people without the meds, but we’ll get there, sure enough.”

Veronica bowed her blond head and sniffed.

“Right?” Adelaide was leaning forward so far on the edge of her folding chair that the back legs lifted. She waited for an answer. She got one in the form of a reluctant nod.

“Good.” Adelaide continued, now that she held the floor. “Now, I think we need to talk about our home base again. I still maintain that the best possible location is my house. It’s detached, so there’s no worry about close neighbors. And it’s a quick drive to Walmart for supplies and the Super 8 for those who choose to stay close.”

Elizabeth Purdue cleared her throat. She had been sitting on the settee by the window, where the best light poured in this time of day. Her lavender pleated skirt fell gracefully to her calves. Her waist was cinched with a simple white belt, showing off an admirable figure for a woman nearing eighty. She still had her hair set once a week and wore lipstick to match her outfit. She was an Easter parade in the living room.

“Adelaide, dear, we’ve already settled this. We are making Shirley-Rachel’s home our headquarters. It’s located outside city limits. She has a pool house with cement walls and enough room in the main house for some of us to stay overnight.” She turned to Shirley-Rachel to make sure she took the note. “We’ll figure out a way to determine the order; those who stay there will not get priority over those who don’t. We’ll always wait until we gather. And of course, I will be staying at my own home. There’s just simply no way I could sleep out.”