Marty Anderson is a high school teacher driving home from work. While stuck in heavy traffic, he sees a man with glasses and a scar on his hand on a billboard. The billboard reads: “CHARLES KRANTZ […] 39 GREAT YEARS! THANKS, CHUCK!” (98). Marty is unfamiliar with Chuck Krantz but supposes he must be a popular employee at Midwest Trust, the bank where the billboard is situated.

The world is on the brink of collapse. Many animal species are dwindling, and the Internet has suffered frequent interruptions for several months. In the United States, three devastating earthquakes have sent parts of California into the ocean. The country can no longer produce food at a sustainable rate.

Marty reaches home just as his ex-wife, Felicia, a hospital nurse who looks after people who have experienced suicide attempts, calls on his landline. They catch up on each other’s workdays before talking about California. Marty quips that Chuck Krantz’s retirement billboard points to hope in dark times. Felicia indicates that she hasn’t seen the billboard, but recently heard a radio advertisement with the same message. Marty wonders how Chuck’s ad is able to get such wide coverage. He later tries to watch a television show on Netflix, but the app interface is briefly replaced by a pop-up advertisement for Chuck Krantz’s retirement before the Internet connection disappears entirely.