The lines hummed and buzzed with activity from the chasm below. Families awoke to the churn of the generators and the clinical amount of brightness originating from spotlights above. Some of the lights flicker as the silhouette of a man swings back and forth between two of the floodlights. His work was meant to be completed by the time that day returned, but issues with tshe deteriorating wire made his work longer. Soon they would have to return to the caves and extract more copper or the blacksmith would need to reform and spin the old wires the scavengers found in the upper radiated region. He felt burdened by the demands of the townsfolk to continue the day and night cycle, even though they lost their atomic clock nearly 30 years ago. He had no confidence in his makeshift system of switches and counters to keep an accurate assessment of the alleged sun above. Most of the townsfolk had no memories of the sun; he felt it was unimportant to continue holding on to the old traditions of day and night when there was constant work to be done in the town. He has been lobbying the leadership to relinquish the day-night system to conserve energy and reduce the strain on his wires but to no avail. The electrician sighed as he finished his work and slowly repelled back down to the surface. As he reached the surface, a young boy quickly approached him and advised him of a power outage in the western farm region. Even though the electrician had worked a straight eight hours on the light system, he must continue working if the town is able to save its crop yield. He quickly shuffles to the region and finds a radiated rodent gnawing on wires inside the control panel for the climate control of the farm. Luckily, he had his knife ready for such a situation and was able to dispatch the rodent swiftly. Another problem that required more wire, the electrician again felt the burden of work fall on his shoulders. He finished repairing the panel and restored the farm to its natural state. Finally, he returns to his residence close to the floodlight systems where he is woken in case of another emergency situation.

The corn, beans, and rye grown in the hydroponics farm fed the townsfolk, but barely satisfied their nutritional needs. In her early years on the surface she remembered learning about DNA reconfiguration and wondered if she could make plants grow that were previously incapable of being replicated in the clinical environment. Her farm in the western region had recently been invaded by radiated rodents, which the electrician and gunsmith dispatched while repairing the climate controls. She believed they had altered DNA which allowed them to survive on the surface, while they entered through small leaks in the wall system deep underground. Maybe if she could extract the stomach contents of the rodents she could find their food source and grow it in the farm for the town consumption. She travelled across the western region to the north region and descended to the graveyard of dead rodents to select a few specimens. The electrician provided her with a long wired light, as all of the batteries had died nearly 20 years prior. But it sufficed. Small roaches and rodents scurried away across the floor, shielding themselves from the bright light the scientist carried. She grabbed her specimens and returned up a ladder with rungs half-broken while the rodents carried on scurrying below. Now she must extract and study the contents of their stomachs if there is any hope for continued food development in the town.

They began in the north region over 10 years ago and according to their calculations, were on the verge of reaching the Amarillo town. Many of the borers had little hope for the survival of the town, as the Amarillo borers should have met them in the middle, so they were preparing for the worst case scenario. The last month of boring they were required to wear radiation suits in the case their calculations were wrong and they hit the Amarillo town preemptively. The lead borer heard a loud clang. The machine hit metal. He hurriedly motioned for one of the borers to return to the townsfolk and spread the news. The few stations along the way that the townsfolk established would then send their respective messengers back to the town. The borer knew that the news would excite the townsfolk but was uneasy with what laid behind the door and hesitated to spread the news. For now, his job must be dutifully upheld or else he jeopardizes his privileges in the town. Meanwhile, the team at the far end of the tunnel prepare to breach the metal shell and bore through another 10 feet of concrete. They turn the machine back on and slowly bore through the metal and concrete as lights flicker in response to the power drain the machine must use. Nearly 100 miles away, the townsfolk feel the heat of the generators increase and their power begin to fluctuate. They know what is coming even though the messenger has yet to arrive.