The town square outside the Viroqua Public Library buzzes with life for the first time since the collapse. As neighbors gather for a community meeting, the stakes become clear: rebuild, reconnect, or fade away. With Joy Luebke leading the charge and Cronauer revealing the return of a long-silent radio signal, the path forward starts to take shape — cautiously, but with purpose.

A stranger rolls up with diesel smoke and warnings, carrying news that might just change everything: a meeting, a familiar name, and whispers of movement on the Mississippi. For Cronauer and the crew, it’s the first step toward whatever comes next — and maybe the last chance to build something before it’s all too far gone.

Cronauer didn’t remember falling asleep — again. First the dream, now this. Outside, the signal was warming up, and inside the shack, so was the fight.

In the stillness of night, Cronauer is visited by a vivid dream — a rush of memory wrapped in warmth, music, and a quiet goodbye. As the past fades, he’s left with a reminder, a call sign, and a feeling he can’t shake.