Hidden inside a sealed porter bag, Mission endures the climb upward in suffocating heat while Joel and Lyn carry him past checkpoints near the site of the blast that killed Cam. Repair crews are searching for a porter whose description partly matches Mission, but the taboo against opening certain cargo lets the group pass. Mission hears signs of fresh grief and destruction around the stairwell, which confirms that the silo is still in chaos.

When they stop above Supply, Mission briefly gets out to recover. Realizing his appearance could expose him, Mission cuts off much of his hair, and Lyn helps finish the rough disguise. He also cuts air slits into the bag and wipes out the condensation before climbing back inside, determined to keep going despite exhaustion and fear.

As the ascent continues, Mission drifts into a trance, replaying the day’s events: delivering a note for the Crow, losing Cam, and now trying to return to the Nest. He wakes near Central in a panic, struggling to breathe, and Joel opens the zipper slightly so he can get air. The moment underscores how desperate and physically dangerous their plan has become.

At Central Dispatch, Mission is let out and finds the main hallway eerily empty and scarred by violence, with damage in the walls and blood in the corridor. The group suspects Dispatch was either abandoned or overrun. Joel urges them to keep moving past the heavily watched levels, while Mission considers making a run for the upper levels on his own.

Lyn discovers a bunk room full of dead porters, and among them is Katelyn. Shaken, Joel and Mission load Katelyn’s body into the bag so Joel and Lyn can carry her back. During this grim task the lights fail, then return flickering, hinting at further damage or fire elsewhere in the silo. Mission separates from the others, tells them to use the waystation and check on Robbie if needed, and hurries alone toward the stairway and the Nest.