Pancakes

Good morning, Annie! Pancakes are ready.
Jack takes his hand off her shoulder. She pushes herself up from her bed and looks around in confusion. James is driving the bus on a surprisingly very intact highway through a seemingly endless landscape of sand and sparse vegetation. The sun is already high up in the sky and yesterday's mountains are in the distance far behind them. Jack goes to wake up Michelle, then he tells James who stops the bus and turns off the engine.

Annie swings her legs out of bed to sit up straight. She stretches, gets up, and walks shuffles? over to the table. Jack puts a large plate with a pile of pancakes in the center and grabs plates for everyone. He also places a few jars on the table: Honey, Chocco TODO: Add an advert for Chocco somewhere earlier in the story. It's the in-universe equivalent of Nutella., and cinnamon with sugar Is that combination as ubiquitous worldwide as it is in Germany? If so, does it have a proper name?. James gets up from the driver's seat and Dora follows him, wagging her tail. They all sit down around the table, including Dora who sits on the floor and macht große augen.
What is the English command for a dog to lay down?

Michelle asks: So when are we gonna reach the <mining company> pit?
Jack looks at James. James tilts his head slightly and shrugs.
Like five hours ago?
You're kidding.
Didn't wanna wake you up.
Uhh... Michelle is at a loss for words.
James grins.
She says: Can't even be mad... But doesn't that mean that we're way ahead of time?
James shrugs again.
Jack glances at his watch and says: About two and a half hours give or take. With a bit of luck, we'll be even more ahead when we arrive. We've had some quite favorable winds.

The four finish their meal and James feeds Dora. Afterwards, they do quick work of the dishes. Annie washes them, Jack rinses them off in a bowl of clean water, James dries them, and Michelle puts them away. Jack goes to the back of the bus to sleep. The others go to the front.

Michelle sits down in the driver's seat and attempts to start the engine. Nothing happens.
James says: Oh yeah, that's been an issue.
He grabs a wrench and a jumper cable. Michelle lets him out and he heads to the back. They hear him opening a panel followed by arcing noises and the engine starts cranking. Michelle turns the key and it fires up.

James returns inside and yawns.
The idea of a nap is very entising spelling? right about now...
Michelle says: Well, you've earned it.
Thinking about it but not yet...
He sits down behind Michelle and leans forward. Mention at some point before this that there is no wall between the driver's seat and the passenger seats behind it. Maybe they removed it for some reason, maybe it wasn't there to begin with, The engine roars as she accelerates the bus and they continue their way.