Amy strode through the two sets of pressure doors and saw the chamber was filled with individual sleep capsules, which better enabled the individual sleepers to awaken and perform needed functions and then later return to sleep.

Captain Travers was glad to see all the capsules were in place. One group of technicians was hooking up the tubing to the capsules, while a second team was attaching the modified hinged covers. Work in this chamber appeared to be right on schedule.

Amy moved to a table at the side of the room and started reading over the progress reports and lists of tasks which still needed to be completed. As she reviewed the work, her appreciation for the rest of her team increased. Not only had they finished the two primary chambers and the main chamber on this floor, but the animal chamber was also scheduled for completion in a month and this chamber in two months. That would bring their work to a conclusion almost two months ahead of schedule.

She contemplated going to see General Fitch, but first, she decided to go back to the pit and check out the animal chamber.

RJ entered the command center and headed to the office. General Fitch wasn't there, and she soon learned from a technician at a communications terminal that he had retired to his quarters feeling ill.

RJ was looking over status reports when Travers came in from her inspections.

“How are things coming, Amy?”

Amy nodded. “Excellent, everything is well ahead of schedule. The animal chamber will be fully operational in a month. I went and checked it out, and things are looking good. Our sleep chamber is the last one to be finished, but it looks like it'll be done soon. How's everything else progressing?”

“Good. The underground fuel storage tanks are the last major piece of construction. Final deliveries are all scheduled. Most of the food will be here over a month ahead of time,” RJ explained.

“Sounds great, what about the animals?”

“They start arriving in five weeks. As soon as they're all here, we'll put them to sleep.”

Amy giggled, “Sorry, but talking about putting all the animals to sleep, just sounds wrong.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

DAY 5

Megan Tanner hurried from the gray Chevy pickup in the driveway to the front door of her one hundred and twelve-year-old farmhouse. She'd been delayed working at the bank, and now she was extremely tight on time.

She should have known she was asking for trouble when she'd allowed the Richardsons to schedule an appointment so late in the day. She'd assumed they would just fill out the loan application, and be on their way. If that had been the case, she would have been out of the bank and on her way home on time.