"Kelli, I really need to get to Colorado," Lana said. "My family is there."
"Lana, Mike won't risk sending anyone over there, not after the three who went and never came back," Kelli said. "And the soldiers say the same: don't try it."
"Please, Kelli. It's important I see my … my father again. He needs me," Lana begged. "I'll check all the receivers and make sure the town will have energy before I go. Just please ask Mike to help me get across."
Kelli's gaze went to the generator. At last, she nodded. Lana almost sighed in relief. All Mike had to do was get her across the river. The rest, she'd figure out when she got there.
"Mike'll be happy about this," Kelli said, smiling. "He said only a fed could turn this on. I'm happy he's wrong."
"Me, too," Lana forced herself to say.
"I'm going to let him know. You're welcome to explore the town," Kelli said as she started away.
Lana looked back at the generator, dread in the pit of her stomach. She trailed Kelli. Jack trotted ahead of them back into the town. By the time Lana caught up, he'd had been lured into one of the buildings by a little girl with a handful of uncooked rice. Lana stepped through the doorway, patting Jack.
"You must be Lana," a woman said, rising from the corner with a sleeping child cradled in her arms. "This is the nursery. We watch the kids during the day while everyone is working!"
Jack was obediently following the girl in yellow that fed him rice. She led him to the other side, where a group of toddlers were playing with toys carved from the forest's trees. Another corner contained crates full of sleeping babies while older children sat reading antique books in the center of the room. The children were monitored by a few teens, who sat in one corner laughing and talking.
Lana watched the toddlers greet Jack excitedly. They surrounded him, offering him whatever food they had and petting him.
"They love your dog," the woman said. She moved to the nearest empty crate and placed the baby inside it. "I was just getting ready to head over to get their midmorning snacks. Want to come?"
Lana nodded.
"I'm Melissa."
"Lana."
"You came at a good time. It's taken us a few weeks to get everything running smoothly. Well, mostly smoothly," Melissa said. "Still a lot of us trying to deal with not having light at night or our favorite foods."