What happened in Shift

Shift Chapter Summary

Chapter 1

The chapter introduces Congressman Donald Keene as he waits to meet with Senator Paul Thurman. Keene studied architecture and city planning in college and was recently elected with the Senator's endorsement. In their meeting, the Senator asks Keene to design an underground bunker next to a proposed nuclear waste containment facility, ostensibly as an emergency shelter but implying other secret purposes. Keene is hesitant but feels obliged to take on the task due to the Senator's prior support. The Senator says his daughter Anna, an engineer, will assist Keene in the bunker's design.

Chapter 2

In Chapter 2, Troy wakes up after being in stasis and undergoes a medical examination. The doctor tells him his strength will return over time. Troy takes a pill that leaves a bitter taste. He remembers his orientation and that he did not volunteer for these shifts.

Troy rides an elevator up to the cafeteria and sees people in different colored overalls. He recognizes no one. An older man approaches and makes small talk about the view of the outside world on the large screen. The landscape is desolate and scorched. Troy leaves, disturbed by the view and wanting to be alone with his thoughts.

Chapter 3

In Chapter 3, Congressman Donald Keene returns to his office after meeting with Senator Thurman. His secretary Margaret tells him Anna Thurman, the Senator's daughter, is there waiting for him. Donald finds Anna setting up a new computer monitor that the Senator sent over. Anna mentions she will be working with Donald on the underground bunker project and wants to meet weekly to review plans. Donald is hesitant about meeting often due to his past romantic history with Anna. He suggests collaborating remotely instead. Before leaving, Anna playfully fixes Donald's wet hair, making him uncomfortable.

Chapter 4

In Chapter 4, Troy arrives late for his first day overseeing Silo 1. His supervisor Merriman briefs him on his responsibilities, which mainly involve monitoring the other silos and intervening if any problems arise. Merriman advises Troy to be judicious about freezing problematic workers rather than jumping to that solution.

As Merriman's shift ends, he and Troy ride a lift to the medical wing. Merriman undergoes a procedure to put him into stasis until his next shift. Troy considers visiting the cryogenic storage area to see his frozen loved ones, but Merriman cautions against it. Troy returns to his office, hoping the next six months will go by quickly. He feels unprepared but resolves to do his best in this strange job overseeing the silo network.

Chapter 5

In Chapter 5, Donald works late into the night on the secret bunker plans, losing track of time. He calls his wife Helen to apologize for calling so late. She is worried about him working with Senator Thurman's daughter Anna, whom Donald used to date. Donald assures Helen nothing will come between them.

Donald's friend Mick Webb stops by, seeing Donald's new computer setup. Donald tries to hide that he's working on the classified project. The Senator calls, revealing he knows Mick is there and telling them they'll work closely together going forward. But he reiterates they should not share project details. The Senator makes an ominous joke about Donald killing Mick if he leaks anything. Donald and Mick head out for a drink, with the secret plans still on Donald's computer.

Chapter 6

Troy goes through the cafeteria line and gets his meal. He notices a heavyset man in white overalls watching the workers. A young man in green overalls hands Troy a pill, which he swallows bitterly. Looking for a seat, Troy realizes he feels a constant sadness and emptiness.

An older man named Hal sits near Troy and makes small talk. Hal comments on people sitting facing the viewscreen, trying to remember, versus those like him trying to forget. Hal says it's the bad memories that slip away, leaving people feeling rotten inside. After he leaves, Troy stares at the viewscreen, feeling the ache inside that he can't name.

Chapter 7

In Chapter 7, Donald walks to meet Senator Thurman at a bookshop. Thurman shows Donald an old French book with intricate binding and asks his opinion on it. Thurman then asks about Donald's sister Charlotte, who has redeployed overseas. Thurman offers to contact Charlotte to help with her battle fatigue, but Donald declines, saying medication made her forgetful.

Thurman tells Donald that his friend Mick will join him on a trip to Atlanta to inspect the construction site for the secret underground bunker project. Thurman wants them to check on the staging of materials and crews and meet with the governor of Oklahoma who is handling deliveries. Thurman implies Donald and Mick may take on more responsibility in leading the project. Donald feels proud but also concerned about the increased time commitment. After the meeting, Donald feels relief being away from Thurman's intense scrutiny.

Chapter 8

In this chapter, Troy conducts Marcus's induction exam into Operation Fifty. Marcus answers questions about his training and protecting the Legacy. When asked if he has a girlfriend, Marcus says he is engaged to Melanie in IT and is awaiting approval. Troy gets emotional during the exam, needing to wipe away tears.

When the formal questions end, Marcus asks if everything in the Legacy books of history is true. Troy says yes, thinking that while the Legacy contains truth, it does not contain the whole truth. He reflects on the lies embedded in Silo One's mission that its drugged inhabitants carry.

Chapter 9

In Chapter 9, Donald and Mick travel to the construction site in Atlanta to inspect the progress on the secret underground bunker project. They are dismayed to find the project is already two months behind schedule. Donald worries about his role in designing such an enormous facility.

They meet with Governor Rhodes of Oklahoma who is overseeing deliveries. The governor tells them about Senator Thurman's history in sponsoring a bill that made cryogenic freezing illegal. Thurman had previously invested in a cryo company, so the bill saved his reputation.

Donald notices a discrepancy in the amount of fiber optic cable ordered versus what his plans require. The governor brushes this off as typical government accounting and tells them to sign for the delivery. After wrapping up the inspection, Donald and Mick head to the airport so Donald can fly to Savannah to celebrate his anniversary with his wife Helen.

Chapter 10

In Chapter 10, Troy plays solitaire to distract himself from his depression and the sadness he feels working in Silo 1. His colleague Randall comes by with reports on the other silos. He says Silo 6 wants to formally induct a new head, and Silo 32's population is growing too fast, likely due to defective birth control implants. Troy decides to speak with Silo 32's second-in-command alone to get to the bottom of it.

As they discuss potentially removing Silo 32's head, Saul rushes in panicked saying they are losing Silo 12. Troy, Randall and Saul rush to the communications room, where it's revealed that the entire Silo 12 may be collapsing.

Chapter 11

In Chapter 11, Donald and his wife Helen are out to dinner at Corner Diner celebrating their 15 year anniversary. Donald notices the diner is much fancier now with cloth napkins and sea salt. Helen reminisces about their first date in the diner's back booth, which someone else now occupies.

The conversation turns to Donald's work on the secret bunker project with Senator Thurman. Helen worries Donald is working too hard and that the project is taking time away from his congressional duties. She also expresses concern about Donald working with Anna, the Senator's daughter and Donald's ex-girlfriend. Donald assures Helen he set up the project to minimize contact with Anna.

When Donald tries to change topics to his friend Mick's involvement, Helen accuses Donald of deflecting. The waiter interrupts to take their order. Helen presses Donald to confirm he has no lingering feelings for Anna or regrets about their life together. Donald strongly denies any doubts or second thoughts.

Despite the tense conversation, Donald reflects on how little Helen has changed over their 15 years together. He resolves to complete his work on the project soon so he can leave it behind and focus fully on his marriage and other responsibilities.

Chapter 12

In Chapter 12, Troy and others in Silo 1 rush to the communications room when they learn that Silo 12 is collapsing. They listen helplessly as a deputy in Silo 12 reports that a mob is breaking through the cafeteria door to the airlock. Troy tells the deputy to lock himself in a holding cell, but it's unclear if he makes it. The outer airlock door opens, and Troy orders poison gas released to kill the escaping residents.

Troy reflects that such collapses are inevitable, though he questions the Order's prohibition on intervening. He tells his team not to inform other silos yet and to research the cause. Alone in his office, Troy breaks down sobbing, feeling the weight of his oversight job. He marks Silo 12 with a large X on a schematic, despite the permanence of this action.

Chapter 13

In Chapter 13, Congressman Donald Keene visits Senator Thurman in a nanobiotech chamber at the RYT Dwayne Medical Center. After going through intense security checks, Donald enters the chamber where Thurman is undergoing nanobiotic treatment. Thurman reminisces about knowing Donald's grandfather and says he wants Donald fully involved in a secret contingency project.

Thurman speaks cryptically about invisible weapons that target DNA, referencing Iran and Israel's work in this area. He gives Donald a book titled The Order to study as a "bible" for the project. Before Donald leaves, Thurman implies the nanobiotic treatment released nanos into Donald's body as well, shocking him. Donald hurriedly exits, disturbed by the meeting's implications.

Chapter 14

In Chapter 14, Troy is reviewing the reports on the collapse of Silo 12 while off his memory-altering medication. He is overcome with guilt and grief over ordering the death of the silo's inhabitants. Troy closely analyzes video footage of Jason, a young man shadowing the head of IT in Silo 12. He sees evidence that Jason was self-harming and realizes the IT head knew something was wrong but couldn't bring herself to eliminate him.

Troy writes up a report questioning if anyone, especially at Jason's susceptible age, could truly be ready for the harsh truths revealed during the shadowing process. He believes periodic madness leading to silo collapse is inevitable. The psychiatrist Victor comes to collect Troy's report and gives him more pills, but Troy secretly spits them out, tired of the induced forgetfulness. He decides that he wants to remember.

Chapter 15

In this chapter, Congressman Donald Keene returns home to Savannah, Georgia after meeting with Senator Thurman in Boston. Donald speeds home, disturbed by implications from his meeting that nanomachines may have been released into his body.

At home, Donald tries to explain his concerns to his wife Helen that invisible, world-ending weapons are being developed. He references weapons under development in Iran and Korea and says "very bad people" are working to build machines that could turn into an unstoppable virus. Helen is skeptical and worries Donald is paranoid from stress.

Donald insists the nanotechnology is real, comparing it to the discovery of radiation that was first used for medicine but became weaponized. He fears the Senator is building similar nanoweapons for an imminent attack, referencing coded plans to have Donald and his wife Helen attend an event in Atlanta. Though Helen tries to calm him, Donald remains convinced of coming catastrophe that only they know about or can prevent.

Chapter 16

In Chapter 16, Troy is struggling with the side effects of secretly not taking his memory-altering medication. He has developed mouth ulcers from hiding the bitter pills under his tongue during meals. Troy is also suffering from insomnia and bouts of sadness as memories start to return.

At lunch, Troy notices a pattern of most workers sitting facing the viewscreen, but he no longer wants to look at the outside world. He spots his acquaintance Hal but doesn't catch his eye. Troy worries about being watched by the doctors, wondering why they are scanning the room.

Troy finds the food awful but forces himself to eat. He accidentally drops his napkin containing the hidden pill and scrambles to retrieve it, feeling all eyes on him. Troy regains composure and goes to refill his water, trying to act normal. He returns to his seat facing the screen, hiding the pill between his legs, hoping to survive the remaining month of this torment.

Chapter 17

In Chapter 17, Donald meets Anna for dinner at a restaurant while they wait for Mick to join them to discuss revisions to the secret bunker plans. Donald's wife Helen calls while he waits, concerned about him having dinner alone with Anna, his ex-girlfriend. At the table, Anna reveals the medical board has made a last-minute change to remove the elevator and consolidate all access to a single central stairwell, supposedly for psychological reasons.

Donald is frustrated by the change, but Anna insists they comply. Their conversation drifts into why Donald and his wife don't have children yet. Anna theorizes that people today feel they have endless time and no longer see children as their legacy. She implies her father, the Senator, has similar aims for longevity through his nanotech treatments.

When Donald steps outside to take a call from Mick, he learns Mick never got the dinner invite and is just leaving a movie. Realizing he was alone with Anna by mistake, Donald feels uneasy but tells Mick it's not important. As he watches Anna's car pull away, Donald resolves to leave certain things in the past.

Chapter 18

In Chapter 18, Troy is working on repairing an exercise bike in Silo 1 when he is called to the medical office to authorize putting a man named Hal into cryogenic stasis. Troy recognizes Hal from the cafeteria and is disturbed to see him restrained and drugged, screaming that his name is Carlton. After signing the forms, Troy helps the doctors wheel Hal to the stasis chamber. There, Troy sees cryopods labeled with women's names like Helen and Helena. Overcome with memories, Troy collapses between two pods. As a doctor injects Troy with a sedative, he struggles to remember his real identity before passing out.

Chapter 19

In Chapter 19, Congressman Donald Keene and his friend Mick Webb visit one of the underground nuclear waste containment facilities that Donald helped design, located in Fulton County, Georgia. Mick insists on taking Donald inside to see his work firsthand. Donald is reluctant, having avoided going underground after the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Inside, they see workers unloading supplies down the central shaft to stock the facility. Though it looks similar to Donald's original designs, he notices some differences, like large screens being installed. Mick leads Donald down several floors to one of the prefabricated apartment units to talk privately.

Mick tells Donald emotionally that he loves him like a brother, is proud of Donald's accomplishments, and wants Donald to remember this moment. Mick implies he turned down an opportunity from Senator Thurman that he now wants Donald to have instead. Donald is confused by the conversation but touched by Mick's sentiments. They leave the apartment and facility, both eager to get above ground.

Chapter 20

In this chapter, Troy wakes up early in the morning feeling disoriented and struggles to remember the previous night. He takes an elevator aimlessly, not sure where he wants to go. A mechanic gets on and they make small talk about their work shifts. Troy gets off on the medical level, drawn there for some reason he can't explain. He sneaks past a man watching TV and tries his access code on a couple doors. One opens to a room with cryogenic pods. Troy feels compelled to enter but can't remember why. He notices a sore on his arm and realizes there are gaps in his memory that have been cut off. Troy uses his code to open another door, sensing there is something inside he needs to see.

Chapter 21

In Chapter 21, Congressman Donald Keene waits at the top of a hill overlooking a convention site that will later become an underground nuclear waste containment facility he helped design. His friend Anna Thurman, the daughter of Senator Thurman, approaches him. They discuss the large crowds gathering for the convention and the facility being built.

Donald is uneasy being alone with Anna due to their past romantic involvement. Senator Thurman arrives and tells Donald to stay near the Georgia stage with his wife Helen, who is running late. The Senator implies momentous events will occur that day. A surprise visitor is expected to arrive soon. Thurman wants Donald present for the national anthem and a military flyover scheduled at noon. Donald agrees, although he doesn't fully understand the Senator's veiled references.

Chapter 22

In this chapter, Troy wanders through the cryogenic pods, struggling to remember his past identity and life before working in Silo 1. He recalls being given memory-altering pills and that the women were put in the pods for safety before some calamity. Troy starts to remember that the disaster was not an accident but something orchestrated as a "controlled explosion."

Troy recognizes one of the women in the pods as someone who wanted a romantic relationship with him. When a doctor finds Troy in the pod room, Troy realizes he will be put away permanently since the pills no longer work on him. The doctor says some are allowed to remember because they know they are doing good work saving the world. Troy is resigned as he is prepped and injected to be embalmed permanently. His last thoughts are of his wife, who he senses is dead and waiting for him in Tennessee. But before he can remember her name, Troy forgets everything as the injection takes hold.

Chapter 23

In 2052 in Fulton County, Georgia, Congressman Donald Keene waits by the Georgia stage at a large political convention with his sister Charlotte and his ex-girlfriend Anna. Donald is eager for the convention to end so he can spend time with his wife Helen. Suddenly Charlotte arrives, surprising Donald. Anna implies she arranged Charlotte's visit.

Donald gets a text from Helen saying she's in Tennessee, though he expects her to arrive at the Georgia stage. Before he can go look for her, Anna takes his keys so he'll stay for the national anthem. As a young girl sings, Donald runs up a hill trying to spot Helen, but Anna chases him down.

Just then, nuclear bombs detonate over Atlanta. Anna shields Donald's eyes from the flashes. They hurry back down the hill as crowds panic and take shelter in tents. In the commotion, Donald remembers Helen is still out there. He tries to fight the crowd to find her, but is forced underground. Donald realizes he will drown without Helen. Though he understands what's happening, he is powerless to stop it. His old world is gone, replaced by a new unknown one.

Chapter 24

In Chapter 24, Troy wakes up from cryogenic stasis feeling disoriented and weak. Doctors tend to him, removing IVs and giving him bitter liquid to drink. Troy tries to speak but can only cough at first. He feels numb all over and has trouble moving his limbs. The doctor says it's still early when Troy asks what year it is.

Troy vaguely recalls being buried and sees shadowy figures moving beyond the frosted glass of his pod. As the lid opens, Troy struggles to fully open his eyes which feel frozen shut. The doctor and assistant help Troy sit up and start removing tubes and wires. Troy tries to drink some liquid but has difficulty swallowing at first.

When Troy asks again what year it is, the doctor avoids answering. Troy realizes he doesn't recognize either man helping him. He feels even worse than the last time he was woken up, sensing he was frozen longer this time. Troy remembers his name isn't really Troy. The men tell him they need his help because another silo is having problems. They try to give Troy some pills but he refuses them, no longer wanting the induced forgetfulness.

Troy recognizes the Thaw Man, the one who wakes the frozen people. The Thaw Man says sadly that "it's only begun" when Troy asks if it's over. Troy is helped into a wheelchair, feeling weak. He hopes he slept through the worst of whatever calamity had occurred. But the Thaw Man indicates things have just started, filling Troy with dread about what's to come.

Chapter 25

In Chapter 25, the main character Mission Jones climbs the staircase as a porter carrying a dead body to the farms where he grew up. It is the day before his 17th birthday, which also marks the anniversary of his mother's death. He reflects on the cycle of life and death as he struggles under the weight.

Mission's friend Cam wheezes as he carries the other end of the body. They pass graffiti between the stairwell levels with slogans lamenting the inevitable end coming for the silo. Mission thinks of his father, a farmer who believes each generation wrongly feels they live in special times. He remembers leaving the farm after a fight with his dad, despite expectations to work the family land.

As Mission labors under the body's weight, he feels the back of the corpse's head touch his own, pondering the connection between birthdays and deathdays. Though he left the farm angrily, Mission now questions if he was wrong to blame his family and the land for his unhappiness. He climbs towards his childhood home on the day before his 17th birthday, carrying more than just a physical burden.

Chapter 26

In Chapter 26, Mission Jones carries a dead body as a porter to the farms where he grew up. It's the day before his 17th birthday, which is also the anniversary of his mother's death. He reflects on the cycle of life and death while struggling under the weight. His friend Cam helps carry the other end of the body.

They deliver the body to the coroner's office and get paid extra chits. Cam leaves, but Mission decides to carry something else up rather than head to the farms empty-handed. He gets a large water pump from the maintenance man Winters to haul up. On the crowded stairwell, Mission passes a mother singing to her crying baby.

At the farm, Mission sees fewer kids than when he was young. His childhood friend Frankie now works the security gate. They chat about illegal vending stalls popping up and the cafeteria starting to grow its own food. Frankie implies the mayor has lost control. He asks Mission to say hello to their old teacher Mrs. Crowe. Mission agrees but thinks his messages between friends don't weigh as much as his own dark thoughts.

Chapter 27

The main character Mission Jones carries a water pump up to the farming level where he grew up. He passes his childhood friend who now works security at the gate. Mission's father and half-brother Riley are working in the corn rows. His father complains the cafeteria is starting to grow its own food rather than rely on the farms. Mission remembers playing in the dirt as a child before he knew the dead were buried there. His father invites Mission to lunch but he declines visiting his friend Allie, not wanting to get tied down to the farms. Mission reflects that everyone is trying to be more self-reliant in case violence returns. He wonders if this isolation will prevent people from getting along.

Chapter 28

Mission waits in the dark stairwell with a group of porters, holding knives and preparing to cut a rope lowering a generator. They are impersonating porters, which is forbidden. When the generator comes into view, they cut the rope, causing it to crash below. Mission reflects on rules against having children and his own birth to a mother who hid her pregnancy, for which she was sent to clean. He joins the fight against the farmers above who were handling the generator. Mission thinks not of consequences, only of the fight at hand.

Chapter 29

The main character Donald wakes up after being in cryogenic stasis for over a century. He is disoriented and weak as doctors tend to him. Donald vaguely recalls being given memory-altering pills and that something catastrophic had occurred before he was frozen.

Donald is taken to a small room by orderlies. The Thaw Man, an old man Donald recognizes, tells him that Donald needs to remember everything from his past. The Thaw Man gives Donald a report to read when he's feeling better, saying it might jog his memory.

Alone, Donald starts to remember his wife Helen and the bombs that fell. He recalls that he helped design the underground silos where people now live. Donald signed the report under a false name, Troy. Overwhelmed by the returning memories, Donald collapses, realizing he helped cause the apocalypse that ended the old world.

Chapter 30

In Chapter 30, Donald wakes up after being thawed from cryogenic stasis. He is disoriented and has trouble remembering details from his past life. A doctor named Dr. Sneed examines Donald and brings him food and water. Donald asks where the doctor is from, but Dr. Sneed avoids answering.

The Thaw Man, whom Donald recognizes as Senator Thurman, enters and speaks with Donald. Donald starts remembering his role in designing the underground silos and the apocalypse that led to people now living in them. He accuses Thurman of ending the world, but Thurman insists they saved it.

Thurman says Donald has resistance to memory-altering drugs and that's why he remembers. But Donald reveals he simply stopped taking the pills and spat them out. Thurman claims the amnesia drugs are actually in the water. Donald feels sick at the thought of being unknowingly drugged.

Thurman says someone thinks Donald stumbled onto something important in a report he wrote. He wants Donald to meet with this person before being refrozen. Donald reluctantly agrees, hoping it's not a doctor. Thurman refers to the person as "she," intriguing Donald. He rests, disturbed by his returning memories and Thurman's claims of drugged water.

Chapter 31

In Chapter 31, Donald is kept in a room in Silo 1 with no way to tell time. He reviews a report he had written during a previous work shift, recommending that the age for shadowing IT heads be raised. Donald is taken by Thurman to a supply level with military equipment and meets Anna, Thurman's daughter. Anna has been awake for almost a year trying to contain an outbreak of silo failures. She shows Donald a map where 11 silos have gone dark. Anna reveals that Victor, one of the original planners of the silo project, wanted Donald awake to help but recently committed suicide. Donald is disturbed to learn of mounting problems in the silo network and that Thurman has a mysterious boss overseeing things.

Chapter 32

In Chapter 32, Donald wakes up from stasis and meets with Anna, the daughter of Senator Thurman. Anna reveals that Victor, one of the original planners of the silo project, recently committed suicide. Donald is disturbed to learn Victor blamed himself for the first silo failure that occurred on Donald's oversight shift.

Anna shows Donald a map indicating 11 other silos have since gone dark. She asks for his help convincing her father not to simply terminate the inhabitants of the problematic Silo 18. Donald agrees to assist, hoping it will allow him to stay awake and access computers to research the fate of his wife Helen.

When Thurman arrives, Anna tells him Donald will work with her to solve the silo failures. She requests another computer and cot be brought to Donald. Thurman seems reluctant but does not refuse. Donald is shocked but pleased that Anna wants him to remain awake. He hopes to uncover answers about his past life and the larger purpose of the silos.

Chapter 33

In Chapter 33, Mission Jones visits Mrs. Crowe, an elderly teacher, in her classroom "The Crow's Nest" on the school level of the silo. It's Mission's 17th birthday, which is also the anniversary of his mother's death. Mrs. Crowe was like a grandmother to Mission growing up and consoled him when his mother died. She asks about his bruised face from a fight the night before but Mission brushes it off. Mrs. Crowe complains about doctors taking her blood and implies they may be trying to figure out how to kill her.

Mission assures her they are just looking after her health. Mrs. Crowe gives Mission a letter to deliver to his childhood friend Rodny, asking him to hand it directly to Rodny rather than security. As children arrive for school, Mrs. Crowe reminisces about being beautiful when she was young. She tells Mission an "Old Time" story about how the world used to be beautiful too before some unknown calamity. Mission enjoys visiting Mrs. Crowe and hearing her stories despite having heard them many times before.

Chapter 34

The main character Mission Jones visits his former teacher Mrs. Crowe on his 17th birthday, which is also the anniversary of his mother's death. Mrs. Crowe gives Mission a sealed letter to deliver in person to his childhood friend Rodny, who now works in IT. At the IT department, Mission sees chaos and crowds trying to get computers fixed after a power outage. The head of security, Jeffery, agrees to let Mission hand-deliver the letter when he takes Rodny his lunch.

In the IT facility, Mission is shocked to see Rodny looking disheveled and exhausted. They have an awkward reunion, and Rodny seems in a hurry to get rid of Mission. When Rodny is briefly called away, Jeffery implies that Rodny is in serious trouble. Mission hands over the letter, noticing Rodny discretely pass him a folded note inside during their handshake. Mission leaves perplexed by his friend's cryptic behavior.

Chapter 35

In Chapter 35, Mission Jones is delivering a letter from his former teacher Mrs. Crowe to his childhood friend Rodny, who now works in IT. At the IT department, Mission sees chaos from a recent power outage. The head of IT, Mr. Wyck, approaches Mission and offers him 200 chits to discreetly transport a package, implying illegal activity. Mission is hesitant but tempted by the money.

When Mission is allowed into the IT office to deliver Mrs. Crowe's letter to Rodny, he finds his friend looking exhausted and disheveled. As they briefly chat, Rodny covertly passes Mission a folded note. Mission leaves perplexed and reads the note, which simply says "Help me" in Rodny's handwriting. Disturbed, Mission destroys the evidence but can't stop thinking about his friend's plea for help.

Chapter 36

In Silo 1, Donald searches the resident database for his wife Helen. He remembers her possible interest in the name Athena and finds a file for Karma Brewer. Donald discovers Karma married his best friend Mick after Donald was put in stasis. They had two children named Athena and Mars. Overcome with grief, Donald views the files of Mick, Athena, and Athena's descendants, realizing he missed their entire lives. Anna tries to console Donald and get him to Victor's funeral on time. But Donald is distraught to have missed being with Helen and raising a family with her.

Chapter 37

Donald attends Victor's funeral in Silo 1. He realizes it is not a real funeral, just body disposal, as the dead are stored in cryogenic pods with nanomachines preserving them. Donald helps move Victor's body into a pod, one of only five people present. He reflects on losing his wife Helen long ago and feels out of place.

Erskine, an older man with a British accent, implies he worked with Victor and discovered the nanotechnology threat. Donald remembers this is what ended the old world. Erskine says he wants to show Donald someone important. After Anna and Thurman leave, Erskine takes Donald to meet this mystery person.

Chapter 38

Erskine leads Donald through the cryogenic pods to show him his daughter Caroline, telling Donald they were trying to heal him and others of nanotechnology infections, not infect them. Erskine recounts discussions with Victor and Thurman about the danger of nanotechnology weapons escalating into an unstoppable plague if publicly known. He says Victor convinced them this would create hysteria and chaos, so freezing portions of the population to restart civilization later was the only solution. Erskine reveals that Victor regretted having to deceive and manipulate people like Donald who were kept unaware and repeatedly memory-wiped. But Victor felt it was necessary to save humanity.

Chapter 39

In Chapter 39, Anna comes to Donald's room late at night to comfort him. Donald is distraught after learning his wife Helen remarried his best friend Mick and had children after Donald was put into cryogenic stasis. When Anna embraces Donald in bed, he sobs uncontrollably, angry at Helen for moving on and finding solace with someone else. Though Donald tries to resist, he is weakened by a century of sleep and finds himself giving in to Anna's affections.

As Anna kisses his cheek, Donald realizes he has become the miserable person that Victor assumed he wasn't - wishing for his wife's loneliness so he could feel better about his own century of isolation. Donald feels trapped in the underground room full of guns and dangerous things. He whispers that he can't give in to Anna, but she shushes him and continues, leaving them alone together in the darkness.

Chapter 40

In Chapter 40, Mission heads toward Central Dispatch, feeling afraid for his friend Rodny who is in trouble with IT. He remembers helping deliver a cleaning suit to IT, which haunts him. At Drexel's apothecary, Mission picks up medicine to deliver down the silo. Drexel tries to get out of tipping Mission with a riddle, but Mission outsmarts him.

At Central Dispatch, Mission learns his friend Cam already picked up a delivery heading to Supply. Realizing Cam took the illegal job offer from the head of IT, Mission gets angry. He takes another delivery job heading to Supply, planning to beat Cam there and take the illegal delivery himself. Mission hopes this will give him a chance to see Rodny again and find out how to help him.

Chapter 41

In Chapter 41, Mission is rushing down the stairwell to intercept his friend Cam, who took a suspicious delivery job from the head of IT. There is suddenly a massive explosion below him that rips apart a landing. Mission helps some people heading up the stairs to safety. He continues down, searching for Cam, and finds the landing below obliterated. Across a gap, Mission sees the crumbled remains of an apartment. He hears people trapped and crying for help within the rubble. A woman in the crowd above accuses Mission of causing the explosion since he is a porter.

Chapter 42

Mission runs down the stairwell, fleeing the mob chasing him in the aftermath of the explosion. He realizes his friend Cam, who took the delivery job, is now dead. At landing 117, Mission sees shocked people staring at the rubble that tumbled past. He hurries towards Lower Dispatch, hoping to find safety from the mob. A person falls screaming past Mission from the unstable upper steps.

Mission moves to the outer rail, where he can run faster despite the smoke stinging his eyes. He realizes the smoke filling the air is not just from the explosion he left behind, but seems to be rising from below as well.

Chapter 43

Donald continues studying Victor's notes on his old report about Silo 12's collapse, hoping to find clues to help with Silo 18's violence. He and Anna fall into a routine of working, drinking, and occasional intimacy. Donald fantasizes about alternate realities where his wife Helen survived or they were buried together.

Using Anna's computer, Donald looks for his sister Charlotte in the cryopod records but can't find her. He accesses Victor's files and sees one ranking the silos, with 18 near the top. Donald wonders if the ranking signifies trouble or worth. He questions Victor's motives for everything, including the silos' existence. Studying the cryptic notes, Donald worries he may reach the same dark conclusions as Victor about humanity's future if he fixates too much.

Chapter 44

In this chapter, Donald makes rounds through the weapons storage room in Silo 1 as he tries to make sense of this strange new world he's woken up to. During his explorations, he discovers a launch lift and a hallway leading to dorms, bathrooms, and a room full of flight simulators. This triggers memories of Donald's sister Charlotte, who was a pilot. Donald realizes the facilities were meant to support pilots and crews who could operate the drones and weapons.

Thinking of Charlotte, Donald suddenly remembers taking prescription pills meant for her in the past. He realizes this is likely why the memory-altering drugs given in Silo 1 don't work on him. Donald is struck with a powerful longing to find his sister frozen somewhere in the facility's cryogenic storage. He senses Charlotte is a key to understanding the silo network's true purpose, which Thurman and the others have kept hidden through manipulation and deception.

Chapter 45

Donald demands to see his sister Charlotte, who is in cryogenic stasis, before he reveals to Thurman and Dr. Sneed why their memory-altering drugs don't work on him. Thurman takes Donald to a room with emergency personnel pods and shows him Charlotte's pod. Donald reminisces about Charlotte's PTSD and guilt from remotely operating drones that killed people during war. He reveals that he had been taking Charlotte's PTSD medication Propra to help him forget the implications of the Order. Donald realizes this likely explains his immunity to the amnesia drugs. Thurman remembers Donald telling him about taking Charlotte's meds. Dr. Sneed is concerned about complications and thinks Donald's immunity could explain similar effects in some other silos. Donald feels closure after seeing his sister, who he vows to visit again.

Chapter 46

Donald realizes Victor was interested not in Donald's immunity to the memory-altering drugs, but in the possibility that someone in the troubled Silo 18 remembers the old world before the apocalypse. Donald suggests calling Silo 18 to ask if anyone there fits the profile of remembering and sowing discord. He knows that if such people are found, they will need to be killed to stabilize Silo 18. Donald grapples with having to kill again to save the silo inhabitants, as he's done before. Thurman remains skeptical but Donald insists Victor wanted them to find these secretive people with memories, not Donald. The mystery shifts from Donald's own immunity to the chance some in Silo 18 remember the past and are sharing forbidden knowledge.

Chapter 47

In Chapter 47, Mission arrives at Lower Dispatch after fleeing the explosion, hoping to find refuge and help clear up confusion about the blast. He finds the dispatch office damaged by fire and smoke, with files being hastily removed. The chief Morgan is now in charge after the previous chief Roker was killed.

Mission learns the farmers attacked and burned the bean crops grown in dispatch. There is debate on how to respond and concern this violence is escalating. Mission worries his friend Rodny is at the heart of the growing unrest. He tells Morgan he needs to get above to help Rodny, who is being held by IT. Morgan is unsure how to respond to the attacks. The others look to him for leadership but Morgan does not yet feel prepared for his new role. Mission insists he must get above to his friend, even offering his vacation chits, feeling time is short to act.

Chapter 48

In Chapter 48, Mission realizes he needs to get in touch with his trusted friends to help his friend Rodny, who is in trouble with IT. At Lower Dispatch, Mission finds the computer is down so he tries calling other dispatch offices. He reaches Robbie at the upper waystation, who says everyone is looking for Mission and Cam. Robbie agrees to send wires to Mission's friends asking them to meet at the Nest.

Mission tells his friends Lyn and Joel that he needs to disguise himself to travel above. They find overalls for Security in white and black body bags. Mission offers to pay Lyn and Joel to help him haul a black bag as a disguise. He plans to sneak to the upper levels to reach his friends at the Nest and figure out how to help Rodny.

Chapter 49

In Chapter 49, Mission is being smuggled up the silo's stairwell hidden inside a body bag by his friends Lyn and Joel. He reflects on his past suicide attempt at age 15 and his ongoing struggle with feeling like a burden to others. As Lyn and Joel carry him, Mission thinks about his mother who hid her pregnancy and sacrificed for him despite his father's wishes. He cries inside the bag, confronting his fear of relying on others and sense of unworthiness since his mother's death. The ritual of being ported in this way surfaces dark thoughts on Mission's 17th birthday. He resolves to embrace life and death equally as his mother did.

Chapter 50

In Chapter 50, Donald searches the resident database of Silo 18 for someone with a similar psychological profile to himself - someone who remembers the past and is distrustful of authority. He finds a young shadow named Rodny who fits the criteria. Donald shows his findings to Thurman, who says this confirms his suspicions about the cause of the unrest in Silo 18.

Thurman has already initiated a "reset" in Silo 18, sowing chaos to flush out dissenters. Donald insists on accompanying Thurman to confront Rodny over the radio. With Donald listening in, Thurman masterfully manipulates the troubled Rodny, redirecting his rage to align with the silo's interests. By the end, Thurman praises Rodny, implying he will become the next head of Silo 18. Donald watches Thurman turn a dissenter into an ally, disturbed by his skillful deception and use of psychological tactics.

Chapter 51

In Chapter 51, Donald prepares to end his life after being awoken from cryogenic stasis in Silo 1. He showers, takes his memory-altering medication, and helps Anna clean up the war room where they had worked. Donald knows if he goes back into stasis, he will likely never be woken again. He decides dying is preferable to that endless sleep.

That night, Donald is intimate with Anna one last time, but feels only guilt afterwards. In the morning, Anna is gone and Donald neatly makes up his cot before going to the drone hangar. He puts on a plastic suit and crawls into the lift, jamming it open with a bin. When Donald kicks the bin loose, the lift door slams shut and he begins ascending rapidly. Wearing the suit and helmet, Donald has taken control of his fate and will end his life on his own terms, just as his colleague Victor had.

Chapter 52

In Chapter 52, Donald escapes from Silo 1 wearing a protective suit and rides the drone lift to the surface. He crawls out onto a concrete launch pad and looks out at the desolate landscape, spotting the ruins of the convention site where he remembers the bombs falling long ago. Donald scrambles down the tower and heads up a hill toward the site of his wife Helen's burial, hoping to see her grave before anyone can stop him. As he reaches the summit overlooking the concrete burial tower, exhausted and out of breath, Donald prepares to remove his helmet and gloves to end his life. But just as he takes off a glove, someone grabs his shoulder and pulls him back from the edge, thwarting his plan.

Chapter 53

Donald escapes Silo 1 wearing a protective suit and rides the lift to the surface, hoping to end his life. At the summit overlooking his wife's burial site, just as Donald starts to remove his helmet, he is grabbed and dragged back down by Thurman and others. Donald struggles but is too weak to resist as they force him back inside. Thurman has a bloody nose from Donald kicking him. Once the airlock seals, they remove Donald's helmet and suit and inject him with drugs that make him pass out. As Donald loses consciousness, he hears someone say it's a waste for him to die.

Chapter 54

In Chapter 54, Mission is smuggled up the silo's stairwell hidden inside a body bag by his friends Joel and Lyn. They stop at the landing below where Mission's friend Cam was killed in an explosion. The stairwell is damaged, and they pass grieving people. Mission nearly suffocates in the bag before they reach Supply and let him out temporarily. He cuts his hair to disguise himself from the authorities.

They continue the exhausting climb, passing more signs of fighting. Mission falls asleep but is startled awake. At Central Dispatch, he finds the place abandoned and riddled with bullet holes. In one room they find their friend Katelyn dead along with other porters. Overcome, they put Katelyn in the body bag to carry up. The lights flicker as if a fire is burning somewhere in the silo. Mission tells Joel and Lyn to rest at the way station as he heads alone to the upper levels to get help for his friend Rodny.

Chapter 55

Mission hurries up the stairwell through smoke, his throat burning. There are whispers of an explosion in Mechanical causing the blackout. Groups of new security recruits storm through, kicking in doors. Mission quickens his pace to avoid them. At the farms, he sees farmers armed with tools, realizing the wisdom in his father staying put. After more climbing, Mission reaches the school. His friends Frankie and Allie are there arranging desks as Mrs. Crowe sings. Mission tells them about the chaos below. Mrs. Crowe seems unconcerned, saying Rodny is with the old books and will hurt those who took the world from them. Mission insists his note showed Rodny was afraid, but Mrs. Crowe says she misjudged him.

Chapter 56

In Chapter 56, Mission and his friends wait in Mrs. Crowe's classroom for others to join them to help rescue their friend Rodny from IT. Allie reveals to Mission that his half-brother Riley has been killed in an attack on the farms. Distraught, Mission blames himself for leaving home and not being there.

Boots are heard approaching in the hallway. The door is forced open and Rodny enters, now dressed in a security uniform and armed. Rodny accuses Mrs. Crowe of manipulating them with her stories to make them angry and hateful. As he raises his gun towards her, Mission throws himself in the way and is shot in the stomach. Frankie tackles Rodny as more security men rush in.

Lying injured, Mission watches as Rodny shoots and kills Mrs. Crowe. With Allie crying over him, Mission reflects that he and Rodny were once just playing pretend as kids. Now Rodny stands over Mission, horrified by shooting his childhood friend. As Mission slips towards unconsciousness, he thinks of his mother and not wanting to be a burden. Mrs. Crowe's lullaby plays as Mission fades away.

Chapter 57

Three years after being shot by his childhood friend Rodny, Mission has settled into married life with his wife Allie in Silo 18. He comes home from a long day working in the fields and washes up for dinner. Allie has cooked a roast to celebrate that she is pregnant, though they are past the age limit for having children. Mission is relieved the pregnancy happened within the allotted window, so everything is legal. He suggests the name Cam if it's a boy, though he can't remember why he likes that name. During dinner, Mission reflects on the gaps in his memory from past trauma, like his birthday and the scars on his body. He resolves to make new memories with Allie and their child.

Chapter 58

In Chapter 58, Donald wakes up from cryogenic stasis confused and disoriented. He is attended by unfamiliar men who call him Mr. Thurman and treat him with great deference. Donald realizes he has been woken up because a cleaner escaped over the hill from Silo 18. The men seem in awe of Donald's knowledge about Silo 18.

Looking at the pod screen, Donald sees it's labeled with the name Thurman, not his own name. He starts to grasp that he is being mistaken for someone else important, likely Senator Thurman. Donald plays along, hoping to learn more about what is happening. He senses a shift in power dynamics where identities and roles are malleable. The men wheel Donald to meet with a doctor to be cleared for duty, confirming he is being granted some position of authority. Still struggling to shake off his long sleep, Donald resolves to use this case of mistaken identity to uncover truths about the silo network.

Chapter 59

Jimmy Parker is in class the day before a scheduled cleaning in Silo 17. His teacher Mrs. Pearson lectures on the rules in the Pact governing cleanings and relationships. Jimmy's mother suddenly pulls him from class without explanation, leaving his backpack and friends behind. On the stairwell, Jimmy realizes something is terribly wrong from his mother's frightened expression. A loud banging noise approaches from below. Jimmy's mother rushes him down the stairs away from the school level, despite Jimmy resisting, as he has grown nearly as big as his father. The alarming noises get louder, and Jimmy feels true fear in his bones, sensing the entire silo is in danger.

Chapter 60

Jimmy and his mother hurry down the crowded stairwell of Silo 17 as it shakes violently from some approaching danger. They pass injured and frightened people fleeing upwards. On the landing below IT, Jimmy sees a dead body with a smashed head. His mother rushes him towards the lower levels to get to his father. The stampeding crowd grows denser, with people shoving to get upwards. Jimmy's mother gets separated from him in the crush. Climbing on the inner railing, Jimmy searches for her, nearly falling into the crowd. He finds his mother who screams for him to get to his father before she's carried up by the surging mob. Jimmy falls off the railing and dangles over the crowd before losing his grip. He manages to catch himself on a stanchion, hanging above the packed landing. With an injured shoulder, he can't pull himself up and the crowd is too dense to help him. Jimmy lets go, aiming for the crowded landing below, hoping to reach his father on the lower level.

Chapter 61

In this chapter, Jimmy Parker is in class the day before a scheduled cleaning when his mother suddenly pulls him out, leaving his things behind. On the crowded stairwell, she rushes him down away from the school level as alarming noises approach from below. They pass injured and frightened people fleeing upwards. At the landing below IT, Jimmy sees a dead body. His mother tries to get him to his father on a lower level before getting separated from him in the crush of people.

Jimmy makes it through the security gate and finds Officer Yani in a panicked state. Yani grabs Jimmy, yelling for help, and drags him down the hall at gunpoint. Jimmy's father appears and shoots Yani, ordering Jimmy to hurry to him. They enter a restricted room full of servers, where Jimmy's father keys in a code and opens a trapdoor. Jimmy climbs down a ladder into a hidden passageway and control room below.

Jimmy's father follows, telling Jimmy this place has supplies to survive ten years. He gives Jimmy a lanyard with a silo key and shows him how to use the radio. On a monitor, they see Jimmy's mother trapped in the surging stairwell crowd. His father leaves to go help her, telling Jimmy not to open the door for anyone but them. Alone, Jimmy waits anxiously, confused by the chaos, hoping his parents return safely.

Chapter 62

In this chapter, Donald wakes up from cryogenic stasis confused about his identity. He is called "Mr. Thurman" by the operations staff, who treat him with great respect. Donald realizes he is being mistaken for Senator Thurman. He plays along, hoping to uncover what is happening in the silo network.

Donald is taken to the communications room where the staff show him video of a cleaner who escaped from Silo 18. The scheduled cleaning did not take place and now Silo 17 is mysteriously gone offline. The operations head Eren and the others look to Donald for guidance on how to handle this unprecedented situation.

Still disoriented, Donald tries to piece together clues about the shifts and what went wrong. He asks for files on the escaped cleaner and Silo 17 to refresh his memory, buying time while determining how to proceed. Donald remembers being outside in a suit himself once and questions where the cleaner was heading.

When Eren asks about sending a drone or shutting down Silo 18, Donald declines, saying the cleaner won't get far. The others accept his decision, assuming the man they believe is Thurman knows best. Donald resolves to solve this crisis, feeling empowered in his assumed role. He hopes to uncover the truth about the silo network's issues during this shift.

Chapter 63

Donald goes to the office of the head of operations, Eren, after waking up from cryogenic stasis. Eren treats Donald with great respect, believing he is Senator Thurman. They discuss a cleaner who escaped from Silo 18. Silo 17 recently went offline in similar catastrophic fashion to Silo 12's prior collapse. Eren looks up the records showing Silo 17 fell 30 years ago during Cooper's oversight shift. The cause is still unclear. Donald recalls no survivors from Silo 12. Eren says a few people briefly answered their call to Silo 17 before they shut it down. Donald directs Eren to contact the silos on either side of 17 in case the escaped cleaner heads that way. When Eren logs off the computer, Donald feels suddenly powerless without access. But he hopes to solve this crisis and uncover truths about issues plaguing the silo network.

Chapter 64

In this chapter, Donald wakes up from cryogenic stasis confused about his identity. The operations staff call him "Mr. Thurman" and treat him with great respect, believing he is Senator Thurman. Donald realizes he can use this mistaken identity to his advantage to uncover truths about issues in the silo network.

He tries to access the computer system but his old login codes don't work. On a hunch, he tries the name "Thurman" with his own passcode and gains entry. Donald reads recent messages, including a suicide note from his former colleague Victor, who expresses regret about their project to save humanity.

Donald also finds a strange message from Anna asking her father to wake her, implying they were both recently awake. When the head of operations, Eren, returns, Donald pretends to know what's going on. Eren briefs him about a cleaner who escaped from Silo 18 and catastrophic failures in other silos. The staff look to Donald, believing he is Thurman, to advise them on handling the crises. Though disoriented, Donald hopes to solve these mysteries and learn more about issues plaguing the silo network during this shift.

Chapter 65

In Chapter 65, Jimmy Parker is left alone in a secret control room between silo levels after his father rushed him there to escape chaos on the stairwell. Jimmy's father gave him a key on a lanyard and showed him how to use the radio and security monitors before leaving to find Jimmy's mother.

Jimmy experiments with the monitors but can't locate his parents among the crush of panicked people. He accidentally activates the radio and speaks with Deputy Hines, who asks for Sheriff Parker. Jimmy's dad gets on the radio and tells the deputy to stop the stampeding crowd before saying he's going after Jimmy's mom. He instructs Jimmy to stay put until they return.

Alone again, Jimmy hopes his parents come back soon. He wishes he could help but feels helpless in the hidden room. The radio continues to hiss as Jimmy waits anxiously for his parents to return and for the madness in the silo to end.

Chapter 66

Jimmy is left alone in the secret control room between silo levels after his father rushed him there during chaos on the stairwell. Jimmy watches the monitors as his father returns to the hallway outside the room's steel door. A group of security guards confront Jimmy's father and demand he give them the new entry code. One guard punches Jimmy's father when he refuses. Jimmy is forced to watch on the monitor as the guards shoot and kill his father. The guards then drag Jimmy's screaming mother into view. Jimmy is devastated and feels helpless alone in the hidden room while his parents are attacked right outside the door.

Chapter 67

Jimmy is left alone in the secret control room between silo levels after his father was killed by security guards outside. Through the monitors, Jimmy watches as the guards confront his mother and demand the entry code to the room. When Jimmy tries to open the door, the guards threaten to kill his mother if he enters the wrong code. Jimmy hesitates, remembering his father said the guards would kill them both. After Jimmy enters the wrong code, a guard shoots and kills Jimmy's mother. Devastated, Jimmy collapses sobbing as the guards yell at him through the radio to open the door.

Chapter 68

Donald returns to his room in Silo 1 and finds a bag marked "Shift" containing Thurman's personal effects - dog tags, a pocketknife, and a two-headed coin. He reflects on the disappearance of the old world and wonders about the Silo 1 staff who treat him as Thurman. Coughing into his arm, Donald decides to use his newfound authority to uncover truths about issues plaguing the silo network. He resolves to get answers to his questions about the silos' future as he reviews reports on the escaped cleaner and chaos in Silo 18.

Chapter 69

Jimmy is left alone in the secret control room between silo levels after his parents were killed by security guards. He is devastated and doesn't want to move from where he's curled up on the floor. The guards outside demand he open the door and yell threats through the radio. Jimmy dreams his dead parents are lecturing him.

When he finally gets up, Jimmy sees he's made a mess from crying and not using the bathroom. He goes down the ladder to the room below looking for food. Jimmy finds a headset plugged into a server that allows him to communicate with other levels. He talks briefly to someone on level 40 before the connection goes dead.

Jimmy tries level 1 but they accuse him of playing with things he shouldn't. The vents release steam into the room, making it hard to breathe. Jimmy passes out as the power shuts off completely. When he comes to, the power is back on. The light for level 40 blinks insistently so Jimmy plugs the headset in, hoping not to anger them further. He leaves the headset dangling so he doesn't have to hear their yelling. Jimmy hopes someone will come for him soon.

Chapter 70

Jimmy is alone in the secret control room between silo levels after his parents were killed. He goes down to the small apartment below the control room, looking for food. The pantry is stocked with canned goods to last ten years. Jimmy finds unfamiliar labeled cans but grabs corn and soup. He searches for a can opener and heats up the soup.

While the soup cooks, Jimmy looks at large printed sheets hung on the wall. They have schematics of circles labeled as silos, with some crossed out in red. Jimmy is confused by the drawings. When the soup boils over, Jimmy leaves the schematics to tend to his meal. He feels an ache inside that no food can satisfy after his parents' deaths.

Chapter 71

Jimmy has been alone in the secret control room between silo levels for almost a week after his parents were killed. He cycles through the security cameras but turns them off when he sees disturbing scenes of violence. Jimmy listens to angry voices arguing over the radio but doesn't engage. He has dreams of his mother and moves his mattress into the control room for company. Jimmy overhears men trying codes on the steel door but it stays shut.

Jimmy explores the room with machines and computers. He finds a book titled Order but it doesn't help his loneliness. Looking through the many books in metal tins, Jimmy discovers one called Legacy with glossy pictures, including a locomotive. Startled by a picture of a locust, Jimmy drops the Legacy book. He stays up all night looking through the incredible collection, realizing the silo contains more fiction and imagination than he ever knew.

Chapter 72

In this chapter, Donald waits in the communications room of Silo 1 for his first briefing with Bernard, the head of Silo 18. He watches camera feeds of Silo 18, feeling like a god observing mortals from the heavens. The operator in the room tells Donald the call is coming through.

On the video feed, Bernard appears behind a server cabinet. Donald questions Bernard's choice of Lukas Kyle as a new shadow, since Kyle was previously flagged as a "gazer" obsessed with the outside. Bernard insists Kyle just looks at the stars and is qualified. Donald approves Kyle and tells Bernard to get him studying the Legacy immediately.

When asked about the uprising in Silo 18, Bernard says Mechanical is barricaded but they expect to breach it soon. Donald notes several cameras are out and presses Bernard on if someone tipped off Mechanical about the cameras. Bernard denies it. After the call, Donald tells the operator to keep close watch on Bernard. The operator pulls up multiple camera feeds, scrutinizing Silo 18 and its inhabitants.

Chapter 73

In this chapter, Donald wakes up early and goes to the cafeteria in Silo 1. He reviews reports on Juliette, a sheriff-turned-cleaner in Silo 18 who refused to clean and walked over a hill out of sight. Donald relates to her defiance of authority. He also studies reports on the catastrophic collapse of Silo 17 thirty years prior, trying to piece together clues.

Donald notices one odd report - a young man in Silo 17 had asked about Level 40 right before it went dark. Donald realizes the person meant Silo 40, which he recalls was cut off by Anna during an outbreak of silo failures. Donald suspects Silo 17's collapse and the cleaner's escape may be related to Silo 40 still being intact. He decides to wake up Anna, who dealt with the silo failures before, to get her advice.

Donald heads toward the airlock, wondering if he could survive outside and go investigate Silo 17 himself. But he knows he'll need Anna's help, as he doesn't know how to wake her up. Donald resolves to get to the bottom of the mysteries plaguing the silo network, hoping Silo 40 and others are still alive so he can make contact.

Chapter 74

In this chapter, Donald goes to the cryogenic pod room in Silo 1 and visits his sister Charlotte, who is frozen there. He reflects on a past visit to the Holocaust Museum with Charlotte, which disturbed him with its depictions of mass death. Donald relates the museum's exhibits to his own role in designing the silos that entomb people. When Dr. Wilson enters looking for Donald, he claims the pod he was at contains someone he used to work with rather than revealing it's his sister. Donald agrees to meet with Dr. Wilson and a new technician for training, hoping to learn more about the silo's operations. He decides to wait before waking up his sister, so they can discover the silo's secrets together.

Chapter 75

In this chapter, Jimmy is alone in the secret control room between silo levels a year after his parents were killed. He has been marking off the days by scratching marks into the black server labeled "17" for his silo. Jimmy reflects on how he started counting sloppily but now marks the days neatly in rows. He has enough canned food to last 10 years but knows he can't stay isolated that long.

Jimmy thinks about going outside the steel door but is still afraid of the violent people he hears arguing on the radio. He wishes he could be brave enough to talk to them but feels helpless. With no way to tell day from night, Jimmy trusts his counting to mark the passage of time. He contemplates playing games or reading to stave off madness from the unchanging routine. But Jimmy expects he'll just stare at the ceiling until another counted day passes, struggling to fill the empty time alone.

Chapter 76

The chapter focuses on Jimmy, who has been alone in the secret control room between silo levels for over a year after his parents were killed. Jimmy has developed routines to pass the time, like marking off days by scratching into a server labeled "17." He eats canned peaches and pineapples for breakfast by the steel door, while listening to others trying entry codes to get in. Jimmy has figured out how to load and fire a gun for protection.

When Jimmy hears the keypad beep with incorrect codes, he waits anxiously, worried they'll guess the right code. He has calculated it could take over 400 days if they're trying all possible combinations. Jimmy reflects on his isolated life, missing the toilets and human contact, even though the people outside scare him. He longs for some normalcy but also dreads the danger from the day they inevitably get the door code right.

Chapter 77

Jimmy is alone in the secret control room between silo levels. The water has stopped working, so he resorts to going to the bathroom in the corner and drinking canned juice. One morning while eating peaches, the keypad outside beeps and the door unlocks - two days earlier than Jimmy expected. He grabs his gun, but isn't ready when a man opens the door. Jimmy shoots him, and then another man who charges in. A third man curses and retreats after seeing the other two shot.

Jimmy knows the retreating man now has the door code. He whispers the code, remembering it. When the first man he shot groans near his feet, Jimmy ignores him. He waits until the third man peeks out of a room down the hall, then shoots him as well. Jimmy cries, realizing he is now alone with two dead men, one in the room with him. He shoulders the heavy steel door shut as locks whir. The keypad chirps happily, awaiting another day.

Chapter 78

Donald visits Dr. Wilson's office in Silo 1 where he observes the process of waking someone from cryogenic stasis. He notes the familiarity of the routine as assistants prepare supplies and paperwork. Donald reflects uneasily on his past experience being put under and wonders what he would write now authorizing his own deep freeze.

At the pod room, Donald watches closely as Dr. Wilson and the assistants wake up a reactor technician. The process seems automated, making the doctor's role perfunctory. Donald asks questions about contingency plans if something goes wrong. Dr. Wilson dismisses concerns but says Donald could halt the process and put the person back under if needed.

When Dr. Wilson mentions personal locker items being retrieved, Donald realizes Anna's note telling her father to check 'locker 43' likely referred to a locker, not a locket. As the revived technician is wheeled away, Donald feels he may be close to uncovering some hidden truth about the silo's operations and Anna's cryptic messages to her father.

Chapter 79

In this chapter, Donald goes to a storage level in Silo 1 to retrieve personal items for a recently revived reactor technician. He comes across his old locker containing clothes he wore the day he entered the silo over a century ago. Donald finds his old wedding ring and cell phone, which triggers memories of his wife Helen. He realizes his phone didn't work properly the day the bombs fell, preventing him from contacting Helen.

Donald then searches for Anna's locker using the number from her cryptic note. He starts to suspect that Anna sabotaged his phone so he couldn't reach Helen, allowing Anna's father the Senator to implement their plan. Donald feels rage at the realization that Anna manipulated events to bring him to the silo so she could be with him, while his friend Mick took his place with Helen. Overwhelmed, Donald slumps against the lockers, grappling with this betrayal by Anna that ruined his life.

Chapter 80

In this chapter, Donald goes to the cryogenic pod room in Silo 1 and wakes Anna from stasis. He helps her out of the pod and gives her a spiked drink laced with a sedative. As Anna comes to, Donald confronts her about her role in manipulating events to separate him from his wife Helen so that Donald would be brought to the silo with Anna.

Though disoriented, Anna admits she sabotaged Donald's phone so he couldn't contact Helen the day the bombs fell. She says it was meant for Donald and her to be together. Donald is enraged at this admission. When Anna tries to warn him about dangers in the silo, he refuses to listen, only wanting the truth. As the sedative takes effect, Donald holds a fading Anna, recalling their past intimacy. She takes her last breath in his arms as he feels a mix of rage, grief and release at her death.

Chapter 81

In Chapter 81, Jimmy is alone in the secret control room between silo levels. He has been there for seven years after his parents were killed. Jimmy notices the canned food is going bad, with brown spots and odd tastes making him sick. The server room is filthy and smells from him defecating in corners to avoid flies swarming the designated area.

Jimmy decides it's time to leave the room. He prepares by gathering supplies, oiling his rifle, and loading lucky ammo he saved. Jimmy puts cans of food, bottles of water, a knife, and other items in a makeshift backpack. Before leaving, he checks the cameras but they still don't work.

At the steel door, Jimmy hesitates, both wanting to see if others are alive but also afraid of the danger. He enters the code and the door unlocks. With his gun ready, Jimmy prepares to step outside for the first time in seven years, expecting his world to expand beyond the locked room that has been his only refuge.

Chapter 82

In this chapter, Jimmy leaves the secret control room between silo levels for the first time in seven years. He hesitates before shutting the steel door, worried he won't be able to get back in. Jimmy tests the keypad code and it works, relieving his anxiety. In the hallway, he sees signs of past violence like ash marks, dents, and blood stains. The security office is empty and the stairwell landing is dimly lit and deserted. Jimmy finds a human bone on the grating, realizing someday his own bones may be exposed. Though the open stairwell frightens him, it's also a welcome relief from years of claustrophobic isolation. Jimmy senses this may be the day he finally dies after surviving alone so long.

Chapter 83

In this chapter, Jimmy continues his journey up the central stairwell of Silo 17 seven years after being left alone when his parents were killed. He encounters signs of past violence and chaos but no other survivors. Jimmy stops at the general store on level 19 looking for supplies but finds it picked clean except for a dead body. He continues upward, passing familiar places now decayed with age and disuse. Jimmy aims to reach his old classroom, hoping irrationally that going back there could somehow unwind events and lead to a different outcome. As he nears the school level, Jimmy feels the distant past reaching out, drawing him to the last place he saw his mother alive.

Chapter 84

In this chapter, Jimmy returns to his old classroom in Silo 17 seven years after being left there alone when his parents were killed. He finds the room in disarray with most students' belongings gone. Jimmy's old backpack remains, and he transfers his few possessions into it. On the chalkboard, Jimmy erases profane words and writes a melancholy poem about being alone. Dissatisfied with one line, he erases part of the poem and rewrites it to say "I am Solo." Jimmy takes his old backpack and leaves the classroom and his childhood behind.

Chapter 85

In this chapter, Donald returns to Dr. Wilson's office after killing Anna. He feels numb and horrified by what he's done. Donald finds a folder left for him containing a memo about "The Pact" signed by Thurman and others. It reveals plans for 30 silos and two centuries of isolation, with only one silo allowed to survive. Donald realizes this is why the silos were ranked - to choose just one to emerge someday. He feels sickened that the inhabitants were never meant to be freed, but to kill each other off through controlled cleanings. Donald now understands Anna's cryptic note and Victor's regret over having to "pull the lever." He decides to wake his sister Charlotte to uncover more of the silo founders' secrets before it's too late.

Chapter 86

Solo explores the flooded lower levels of the silo, wading through cold water up to his waist. He hears a crying sound and follows it to an abandoned apartment level. Searching with his flashlight, Solo sees signs of past inhabitants but no people, just furniture overturned and rusting. Something stirs in the kitchen and he discovers a rat. Continuing to search for the source of the crying, Solo finds only empty rooms. He wonders if he imagined the sound or if it was another ghost in the silo that disappears when he draws near.

Chapter 87

Solo explores the flooded lower levels of Silo 17 and hears crying which leads him to an abandoned apartment. He discovers a living cat hiding in a cabinet and tries to coax it out with food. When Solo tries to grab the cat, it scratches him and escapes. In the darkness, he finds a flashlight but it stops working. The cat returns, climbing him in fear. Solo holds and comforts the cat, feeding it a ration bar. He decides to stop calling himself Solo and remembers his name is Jimmy.

Chapter 88

In this chapter, Donald has been holed up in his apartment in Silo 1 for weeks, surrounded by notes and reports as he tries to piece together the true purpose of the silo network he helped design. When Eren comes to get him for a Rite of Initiation call with Silo 18's shadow, Donald is confused at first since he thought that was the head's role. Eren explains the ranking officer performs the Rite, which is Donald since he's on shift.

On the way, Eren mentions the pilots are finishing up, so Donald requests the armoury be restricted to just him once they leave. Donald also tells Eren to stop the chef from experimenting with new foods like fresh bagels, as it brings up painful memories. In the comm room, Donald notices wear patterns on the floors and walls reflecting the long human habitation of this underground place. He feels a glimmer of hope from Eren's smile but knows the silo system is ultimately built on lies and misery. Donald resolves to uncover the truth before this fragile artificial world collapses.

Chapter 89

In this chapter, Donald and Eren initiate a new shadow named Lukas Kyle in Silo 18 over video call. They follow a scripted ceremony, asking Kyle questions about his duties to test his nerves and loyalty. Donald's thoughts drift as he goes through the motions, thinking about restricted access to the armoury and waking his sister Charlotte.

When the readings spike as expected, Eren takes over, asking Kyle about issues in the lower levels. Donald then asks if Kyle would've done anything differently. This makes Kyle nervous, so Donald talks about the pain of having to shut down a silo, relating it to losing thousands of children. Kyle passes the initiation. At the end, Kyle asks how the silos began. Donald reveals they orchestrated the apocalypse that forced people into the silos. Kyle deduces they caused it because they knew what was coming. Donald is impressed but troubled by Kyle's dangerous hope and curiosity. He warns Kyle to concentrate on what's below and forget the stars.

Chapter 90

In this chapter, Jimmy explores the upper levels of Silo 17 with his cat Shadow several years after being left alone as a child. He discovers the kitchen ransacked and fruitlessly looks for a can opener. Shadow leads Jimmy to a closed door where they find a room full of dead bodies that had been blocked off. Jimmy is horrified and barricades the door before fleeing back down with Shadow. He decides not to linger in the upper levels anymore after the traumatic discovery.

Chapter 91

In this chapter, Jimmy wakes up to find a stranger standing over his bed in the secret control room. The man attacks Jimmy with a metal pipe, but Jimmy's cat Shadow intervenes. Jimmy grabs his gun and shoots wildly in the dark, killing the intruder.

Jimmy realizes the power outage allowed someone to get through the locked door. He checks his gun and heads up the ladder, worried there could be more intruders. At the top, the door is open. Jimmy shoots another person in the hallway, who turns out to be a pregnant woman. Angry that they came to steal his food, Jimmy resolves to defend his refuge from these dangerous ghosts and strangers.

Chapter 92

In this chapter, Donald secretly wakes his sister Charlotte from cryogenic stasis in Silo 1. He prepares a wheelchair and supplies, using his access code to enter the pod room undetected. Donald has doubts but feels Charlotte's feisty spirit would want the truth rather than remaining ignorant. He follows the revival process, removing IVs and catheter tubing from Charlotte's pod. She is disoriented at first but Donald comforts her as he helps her into a gown and blanket. When Charlotte asks where she is, Donald says she's with him now. He wheels her out, hoping to uncover the silo's secrets together and find redemption through this bold act of waking his sister.

Chapter 93

Donald wakes his sister Charlotte from cryogenic stasis in Silo 1. He helps her through the disorienting revival process and tells her their parents have passed away. Donald must go up to the operations level to maintain appearances, so he tells Charlotte to wait in the old war planning room and promises to bring her breakfast. Donald checks in with Eren, who believes Donald is Thurman. They discuss the unrest in Silo 18 which may soon be contained. Donald rushes back to the lift, eager to return to Charlotte and uncover the truth about the silos with her help.

Chapter 94

Donald secretly wakes his sister Charlotte from cryogenic stasis in Silo 1. He helps her through the disorienting revival process and updates her about the silos. Donald reveals that the wall screens showing the outside are meant to discourage people from leaving. Some still try, like the recent escaped cleaner.

Donald and Charlotte uncover one of the drones to fly outside and see what's really there. Charlotte operates the drone from the flight simulator room. The drone lifts off and they view the bombed landscape on the monitor. But as they reach the edge of the silo region, the drone starts to fail. Before it crashes, the camera shows a glimpse of blue skies and green grass. Though the flight fails, Donald is elated to have confirmation that life may exist beyond the silos' desolate view.

Chapter 95

Solo explores the flooded lower levels of Silo 17, releasing a paper parachute into the airshaft and watching it sink. He reflects on his expertise in decay and how bodies and objects break down over time. Solo thinks about the bodies in the cafeteria that haven't decomposed like other corpses. He recalls discovering them years ago and being disturbed, then waiting for them to turn to bones, but they never did. Solo wonders what makes some bodies rot while others remain preserved. He delays heading up to the cafeteria again, reluctant to confront those lifeless bodies that still retain their eerie appearance rather than breaking down.

Chapter 96

In this chapter, Solo reflects on items he has found over the years in Silo 17 that he didn't know he needed until later, like a bin of razors and a machete. He releases paper parachutes into the airshaft and thinks about things his cat Shadow helped him find. Solo heads to the overgrown farms to harvest food, marveling that the crops continue growing with automated lights and water. He carries a burden to the dark corner of the farms where the lights no longer work. There, Solo finds a shovel when he needs it. He uses the shovel to dig a grave and bury the body of his cat Shadow, who recently died. Solo already misses his loyal companion who was with him for so many years. He reflects on finding Shadow before he even knew he needed a friend.

Chapter 97

Donald secretly wakes Senator Thurman from cryogenic stasis in Silo 1. He confronts Thurman about the true purpose of the silos - to whittle down humanity until only one silo remains. Thurman admits they orchestrated the apocalypse to reset the world and start over, eliminating dangerous knowledge. Donald reveals he is now in charge, not Thurman. When Thurman reaches for Donald's gun, Donald shoots and kills him. He decides to lead the silos without fear, hoping to restore order and uncover the truth about issues spreading between silos.

Chapter 98

In Chapter 98, the main character Solo explores the empty and abandoned Silo 17. He has lived there alone for many years after some unknown apocalyptic event. Solo goes through his daily routine of gathering supplies, climbing the stairs, and harvesting crops from the overgrown farms. He reflects on past events and how he has adapted to survive in the silo.

One day Solo finds signs of another person in the silo - a knife wedging a door open. He becomes afraid and runs back to his living area, barricading himself in. Solo hears someone following him and is terrified. A woman's voice startles him, saying she doesn't want to hurt him. Solo realizes he is no longer alone, that someone has found him after all this time. The woman seems caring and relieved to find him alive.