Chapter 68 — The Routine Breaks Time inside the orb had stopped meaning anything. At first Jack had tried to keep track of it. He taped a small calendar to the purple wall beside the hatch and crossed off each day with careful precision. One X. Two X’s. Three. Weeks passed. And then, Jack skipped a square on the calendar. Time had slipped through his fingers The orb slowly filled with the evidence. Empty cans. Jack sat slouched in the chair now. The warm yellow lights hummed above him, flickering sometimes. In his hand was a glass of liquor from the reserves he had once promised himself he would save for emergencies. He stared at the surveillance screen beside the door. CAM 01 — BASEMENT Jack raised the glass and took a slow drink. The burn of it filled the quiet. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Nothing on the cams,” he muttered. Silence. The air filter hummed. A bottle clinked as it tipped against another. Jack exhaled. Then BANG. The entire hatch door shuddered.