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T. J. NewmanA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
In the bunker, Marion listens as the engineers in the control room discuss their options. They have a pump that will clear out the water if the basement is flooded, and they plan to turn it on. However, Marion desperately interrupts them, telling them that starting the pump without water will cause it to burn up and render it useless. Unless they are certain that the basement is flooded, they should not turn it on. However, he says that there is no way to know if the basement is flooded without sending someone in and that that person will inevitably die from radiation exposure.
On the bank, the firefighters and R.J. debate how to help Dani and Connor. R.J. grabs a self-contained breathing apparatus that allows the firemen to breathe in smoke. Levon tries to tell him that this gear won’t work underwater, but R.J. insists that he will have enough oxygen to last for a few minutes. He dives into the water, following the line still attached to his truck.
Inside the van, Dani begins to panic as she realizes how hopeless their situation is. The open side of the van is facing down, and the windshield is too covered with debris to serve as an exit point.
By T. J. Newman