Adam knows his mother, a police captain, will likely be held on duty because of the outage, so he heads to pick up his twin siblings, Rachel and Danny, from elementary school. In the parking lot, Adam’s ’81 Omega is one of only two cars that start. He theorizes that a virus has disabled computers in modern vehicles through radio, GPS, or satellite signals. Todd and Adam see Adam’s crush, Lori, holding hands with Chad, an older student. However, Chad’s car won’t start, so Lori accepts Adam’s offer of a ride home. They find the main road completely blocked with stalled vehicles and confused people. Another old truck passes, and its driver waves at Adam. Todd remarks that the scene feels like a zombie movie.

Adam picks up his younger siblings from elementary school. He is beginning to suspect the power outage is part of a larger problem but does not tell the twins. All along the road, people are walking after abandoning their cars; many try to flag Adam down and seem angry when he doesn’t stop. Another working old car passes, and its driver confirms the outage extends at least 30 miles.

Rachel asks about their father, who was on a flight to Chicago, and Adam reassures her that he would have been on the ground when the event occurred. Dropping Lori off at her family’s farm, Rachel is excited about Lori’s horses and receives an invitation to come back and ride. They see Lori’s father working in a field on an old tractor that still functions, supporting Adam’s theory that older, computer-free technology is unaffected by the outage. Lori thanks Adam and touches his arm, flustering him.

Adam drives into his neighborhood, passing a gas station where a large tanker is stalled at the pumps, and worries that his car is low on fuel. At home, they are met by their neighbor, Herb Campbell, a retired government employee whom Todd jokingly calls James Bond. Herb invites the twins into his house, which runs on a generator. He tells Adam that he has used his old shortwave radio to confirm the outage extends to Detroit. Adam’s concern for his father deepens as he realizes airplanes would also be affected. Herb asks Adam for a ride to a pool supply store. His tone becomes stern as he instructs Todd to watch the twins, which both boys notice.

In the car, Herb speculates that the outage could last for weeks. At the pool store, he uses cash to convince the owner to open and buys $2,000 worth of chlorine tablets. While they are loading dozens of pails into Adam’s car, six men confront them, threatening to take the car. Herb shows a holstered pistol and calmly de-escalates the situation, persuading the men to walk home. After they leave, Adam expresses shock, but Herb claims he is a poor shot and was bluffing. Herb describes situational ethics, telling Adam how ordinary people can change in a crisis. He outlines the survival rule of three, explaining that someone can go without air for three minutes, without water for three days, and without food for three weeks. He tells Adam that chlorine can purify water when municipal systems fail, and Adam realizes Herb believes the crisis will last a long time.

At 2:30 am, Adam’s alarm clock wakes him, and he heads outside to check on Herb, who is guarding the entrance to their neighborhood. Herb reports that people have been walking home all night, some from the city. Passersby have described both acts of kindness and incidents of looting, mugging, and arson. Herb explains that people will panic when they realize the tools needed to fix the infrastructure are also disabled, warning that “[c]ivilized behavior is nothing more than a thin veneer” (47). Herb goes to check on Brett, the rookie cop patrolling the neighborhood, leaving Adam to guard in his place.

While standing guard alone, Adam hears someone approaching. He is frightened but recognizes Mrs. Gomez, a neighbor, exhausted and with bleeding feet after walking from the city. Adam helps her get home, where she has an emotional reunion with her family.

The next morning, Adam finds his mother, Kate, home with the twins, Herb, and Brett. An extension cord from Herb’s generator powers their kitchen. Kate reveals that some officers did not report for duty; either they live too far from the station or chose to stay home to protect their own families. Herb proposes a neighborhood watch using civilian partners and mobile patrols, but Kate initially rejects the plan because it leaves the rest of her district unprotected in favor of securing the neighborhood.

Adam offers to drive his mother to the station; Herb and Brett join them. However, on the way, they find a huge, agitated crowd at the local mini-mall. The crowd smashes a window at the supermarket and surges forward, looting. Kate and Brett rush in to intervene, and Kate fires a warning shot, temporarily stopping the riot. The crowd becomes hostile again, shouting about their right to food. Herb steps forward, addresses the crowd, and promises orderly food distribution, calming them. The store manager protests, but Kate asserts her authority and deputizes Herb. Herb devises a plan to sell only perishable foods, using a credit system so residents can pay the store back later. Shaken by the incident, Kate decides to authorize Herb’s neighborhood defense plan, assigning four officers to patrol that evening.

Back at the store, Herb and Adam ensure that the food distribution proceeds in an orderly fashion. The pharmacy and walk-in clinic conduct business from their doorways. The variety store owner attempts to price-gouge customers on essential items, but Herb and Brett confront him, using threats of legal action and community backlash to force him to lower prices. The bakery sells all its products at reduced prices. The Baskin-Robbins owner hands out free ice cream in paper cups as his generator fuel runs out, building goodwill. Adam notes how the crowd has calmed but also sees Brett’s nervous patrolling and remembers how quickly his neighbors turned into an out-of-control mob.

That evening, a meeting is held in Adam’s living room to organize night patrols. Four police officers, including Sergeant Evans, Officer O’Malley, Howie, and Brett, are paired with four civilian partners, including Mr. Gomez. Adam offers to be a civilian partner but is rejected due to his age. Sergeant Evans outlines the patrol plan, explaining that two civilian-manned checkpoints, armed with bats and clubs, have been instructed to observe and delay anyone trying to enter the neighborhood but not fight. Herb identifies the pharmacy and the gas tanker as high-risk targets, and patrol routes are assigned to cover the entire sector, including vulnerable back routes. Sergeant Evans warns the patrols that they have no backup and cautions them to avoid unnecessary risks. The eight men mount their vehicles, a collection of old minibikes, scooters, a go-kart, and dirt bikes, and head out. Neighborhood onlookers cheer as the patrols depart like a parade. Adam is optimistic, but Herb warns that things will either “get fixed or get worse” (74); he says that they must keep improving their defenses to stay ahead of worsening conditions.

The next morning, Brett reports the patrols had no serious incidents. Herb wants to take a drive to assess the situation, and Adam wants to check on Lori, so Herb suggests visiting her farm with Rachel and Brett. Adam asks Todd to join, and, while they wait for the group to assemble, Herb asks to see the ultralight airplane Adam and his father are building. Brett scoffs at the small craft, but Herb notes the plane has no computers and runs on regular gasoline, making it viable for transport. He suggests flying would be a “huge advantage” and gets Adam to admit he could “technically” pilot the craft.

On the way to the Petersons’ farm, they stop at the gas station, where Herb calmly persuades the nervous manager to let them siphon gas by paying cash. They learn that the station’s underground tanks can hold nearly 12,000 gallons and currently contain close to 10,000. While getting gas, Herb arranges for neighborhood patrols to help protect the station, solidifying a new alliance.