Michelle continues driving the bus for a couple hours without further incidents. They pass a bunch of smaller towns, some of them being basically piles of wood and rubble while others have buildings that are still standing. "Look, over there!" Michelle points to the left. An undefined shape is visible in the far distance. She takes an exit onto another highway in that direction. After a short while, the undefined shape turns into the unmistakable skyline of a large city. The bus passes a large sign "Welcome to Nova Metropolis" and they reach the city outskirts. Many of the single family homes in the area are still standing, some of them even in remarkably good condition. The skyscrapers in the distance look like they’re all intact. The highway ends and transitions into a large road. Michelle decelerates the bus. "Why are you going so slow?" "Im going exactly 50 - perfectly normal city speed." "50 km/h? That's faster than the speed limit in . It feels so slow..." Michelle chuckles. "Well Jack was right about the wind - I managed to go 120 most of the time." The buildings around them get taller and taller. The mix of smaller and medium-sized houses turns into blocks of five-story buildings which in turn turn into blocks of even taller buildings until the sides are lined with sky scrapers with facades of glass, concrete, and steel towering over over the road. Annie points them out: "They all look like they were just abandoned." "You're right. Not even a smashed window..." "Over there?" "Okay, one smashed window." Michelle pulls up at a bus stop and parks the bus. "Time to wake up the guys." While enjoying a small meal, they decide to explore the time capsule that is Nova Metropolis. Well, all of them but Jack. "I thought sleep was for the weak?" Michelle teases him. "I'm just gonna own that one today." He throws himself diagonally into his bed. Through the mattress, they hear a muffled "Good night". "Jack is gone", Annie notices while entering the bus. She goes to the kitchen area. "There’s a note on the table: 'Will be back at 6:30'" Michelle looks at the clock on the dashboard. "It *is* 6:30." "I guess there’s nothing to do but wait. He’ll show up soon enough." James chimes in. They place their bags full of found goodies on the floor and sit down around the table. After a while, they hear a fast car approaching. Looking outside, they see an oldtimer by. A moment later, it returns, braking so hard that it leaves tire marks on the road. Jack gets out and waves at them through the window. He turns off the engine and walks to the front of the bus. Annie opens the door. "Where have you been?"