With shots, explosions, and fire in the distance, the group agrees to forego rest and keep pushing on. Lauren uses an earring radio she took from one of their attackers and finds out that they must avoid the Bay Area, where the quake hit especially hard and spurred chaos. They decide to leave US 101 and circle around.

After resting, Lauren awakens to the sound of gunfire. One group is chasing another, and a fire is burning in the distance. A truck explodes and ends the fight. Bankole has disappeared. She and Harry go searching for him, but he soon finds them. He has an orphaned, three-year-old child with him. Later, Lauren kisses him.

The young boy, Justin, chooses Allie as a substitute mother. Jill explains that Allie had a child, but their father beat the boy to death. She says they burned their own house down to escape, but she still worries that he’ll follow them, even though his drinking means he would never make it that far alive.

The group passes the San Luis Reservoir. Finding a campsite, they’re able to rest, and Lauren talks with Bankole. She tells him about Earthseed because she needs to know if he’ll laugh at it.