Markus sends Jeremiah and Kurdy to establish contact with a group headed by a man named Steve whom, they are told, almost no one has ever seen. They follow a pair of obvious couriers, only to be taken prisoner and blindfolded. When his blindfold comes off, Jeremiah is face to face with a young woman he had a torrid affair with some years ago.

The next morning, the prisoners are told they are about to meet Steve but when the blindfolds are removed they get a shock. "Steve" is Michelle, a fact known only to Doug, her second in command and a few close associates.

Michelle shows Jeremiah and Kurdy around her operation, where her skilled helpers mend broken things from the old society and barter them for food and other necessary supplies. She says she has no interest in an alliance with Thunder Mountain, which she terms an old boys club. Privately, Doug tells Kurdy that he and some others would like to cooperate, without Michelle's blessing. When Kurdy questions that idea, Doug says Michelle is actually stockpiling a private hoard for herself.

Having dinner with Michelle, Jeremiah meets Gabe, her five-year-old son and begins to wonder if he is the boy's father. Michelle says she doesn't know. In any case, she does not want the boy to count on anyone but her.

Kurdy tells Jeremiah of Doug's accusation and, reluctantly, Jeremiah agrees that they will follow her if she goes out that night. She does and retrieves two stashed duffel bags. When Jeremiah demands to see what she is hoarding, she shows him bags full of art, beautiful but of literally no value in the current world. Michelle has a small, secret cottage filled with these art pieces, saving them from destruction out of her own appreciation for beauty and in hopes that, someday, the world will once again appreciate such things. Abashed, Jeremiah and Kurdy make her an offer; they will provide safe storage at Thunder Mountain for her treasures and help her save more in exchange for some of her information and resources. A fragile partnership is born.