“Wow,” Oliver looked like he couldn’t believe it. “Ms. Ana, can we see one of those movies?”
“Well, maybe one day,” said Ana. “But, unfortunately, we don’t have any of those movies here. I don’t think. I’ll double-check, but we only have a few movies here. As you know from seeing Owl in the Numbers about seventy-three times.” Ana said the last part with a smile, indicating she wasn’t all that upset the kids had watched a movie they enjoyed so many times.
The kids continued to chit-chat throughout breakfast, and Davis picked at her breakfast. She wasn’t too crazy about those eggs. Spongy. Slightly chewy. An odd, off yellowish color. Weird green flecks. “So,” Davis asked in a moment of silence, “You just add water to most of this dehydrated stuff? Then it becomes eggs?” her nose betrayed her thoughts about the eggs and scrunched up as if she had smelled something terrible.
“Not a fan of them?” Quinn cut in, smiling. “Honestly, not my favorite either. But, good protein and some other vitamins and minerals. Oh, you know, there is a tiny bit of cilantro in them too. It’s a herb. Also good for you. I shouldn’t have used it, though. It’s very potent, and not everybody likes it. Here, wait.” At that, Quinn got up and walked to the kitchen. When she came back, she had a vibrant green leaf on the plate. “Try this; it’s just a cilantro leaf.”
Davis picked up the sprig and examined the look of it for a moment. She twirled the delicate stem in her fingers before biting it. Quinn felt terrible about Davis’s look after she tasted it, but it also cracked her up. Davis looked like she had licked a dirty shoe, spitting out the cilantro into her napkin and grabbing her water glass, drinking fast. She also picked up a strawberry with her free hand and popped it into her mouth the second she finished with the water. After, as if she needed to explain, looking at Quinn, she said, “I did NOT like that!!!!”
“I’m sorry; I’m sorry…” Quinn said, trying not to laugh. “I didn’t think you’d hate it that much.” Everyone else at the table was trying to stifle their laughs, but the kids laughed hysterically and with abandon.
“No, it’s okay,” Davis picked the chewed leaf out of her napkin and inexplicably smelled it; it seemed like she couldn’t believe the flavor existed. Her nose scrunched up again in disgust. “That,” she said in a very accusing way, “is very pungent.” As if to clear any confusion that could still exist, she reiterated, “I really didn’t like that. But it’s weird, I didn’t love the eggs, but they weren’t that bad! There is no way I could imagine eating that cilantro stuff in any way again, though.”
“Well,” said Quinn, “There is also onion powder, salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic and chives in the eggs. Those are also strong flavors, and I didn’t use much cilantro.”
“Ah…well, if it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll skip the rest of my eggs,” Davis said while she scraped the eggs to the side of the plate as if she was trying to distance herself from them.
After everyone calmed down a bit from the cilantro excitement and finished their breakfast, Ana helped Quinn and Brookshire clear the table. Duffy and Hernandez took a few items and declared they’d get the dishes done before heading out for the day. Audrey said she would help them and then drive them out. Namaguchi got up and went into the kitchen, oddly, without carrying anything in. However, after a few minutes, he returned out with a tray of water glasses and a full pitcher. He also had two wet rags, one of which he handed to Ringo and one he kept to wipe down opposite sides of the table. Ana busied herself and sent each child to the bathroom individually to brush their teeth, wash up, and get ready for school lessons. As they came back in, she lined them up against the wall and then escorted Mae to the restroom, little Mae toddling next to her, Ana lightly holding her hand. When Ana returned with Mae, she gathered the used wet cloths and asked if they needed anything else before school started. Everyone declined, and Ana said very kindly, “Okay, kids! School time—March!” Off they went, Mae still holding her mom’s hand as they made their way through the kitchen door.
“Wow,” Davis looked as if she was trying to find something to say. “It seems like everyone pitches in around here and does something.”
Ringo answered her as he started passing out the cups and filling them with water. “We try to split up the chores; it’s only fair and right. And it’s the only way a community like this can survive and thrive. But some people do specific things; Ana is the only one who teaches. I’m the only one who putzes around with the computers and hydroponics, although others sometimes help harvest the garden. Quinn likes to cook, and she’s quite good at it. So, we leave her to that for the most part.”
Davis nodded her head in silent agreement. She also looked as if she was thinking about something. “Oh, I see, that’s pretty nice… By the way, Duffy and Hernandez said they were leaving for the day, and Audrey said she’d take them. Why does she have to take them?”
Ringo’s response was light and tentative. He explained to Davis how they had to maintain a secure location and trusted everyone there. Still, if someone were to get caught, imprisoned, and given the brain controlling drugs, they might become persuaded to tell the location. Even if they were immune, they could get tortured to show where the location was. To protect the bunker and especially the children, only Audrey
