"No." It's a quiet little sound, a moment between Howard and himself. Even a few days in the FAYZ can be a death sentence, because things change so quickly, because new threats arrive without warning. Boom, plague. Boom, fire. A seasonal flu could kill a quarter of the population in a weekend.

And all he has to go on is Jack's promise that maybe Bishie Boy and the Bunny can get them back soon, if they sign on to fighting the forces of evil like some Saturday morning cartoon.

Howard wants to cry. He wants to laugh. He wants to run through the streets and count every adult and non-starving child he sees. He wants to just die so there isn't the illusion of free will.

"But getting us back home isn't your top priority. Saving this place is."