Station Eleven

On the road, Kirsten, Dieter, and August discuss the Symphony’s motto: “Survival is insufficient,” taken from an episode of Star Trek (119). They walk for most of the day, trying to get as far away from St. Deborah by the Water as possible. In the heat, the older members of the Symphony tell those too young to remember about air conditioning.

While setting up camp, a Symphony member discovers Eleanor, the girl who followed Kirsten around St. Deborah by the Water, stowed away in one of the carriages. She pleads with the conductor to let her stay, explaining that she was pledged to become the prophet’s next—and fourth—wife. She tells how the prophet and his followers took over the town after the mayor died of sickness. She also confirms that Charlie and Jeremy headed for the Museum of Civilization in Severn City, where the prophet came from originally. The conductor allows Eleanor to stay.

The next day, the Symphony comes to an abandoned town. Kirsten and August, along with two others, scour a nearby school for anything useful; they find some rosin and a mouthpiece for a flute. They also find a skeleton in the bathroom, and August offers a prayer of respect.