"There will be an after-this," the Soldier tells her, maybe an attempt at reassurance. "Even if we just have to kill them all. But I. Don't think we will have to. The hallucinations lasted two weeks. The gravestones lasted a set time. It may be like that. It may not, but it's a solid assumption."

And it's a hope, anyway. If it turns out to be a false hope, then they will recalculate their odds and make new plans. There's still a week and change to go before then.

"I don't think they want to kill us, anyway," they add. "Or not just kill us. Otherwise they would try harder to kill the sleepers."