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City of Ember

When an unspecified global catastrophe looms, an underground city known as Ember is constructed to shelter a large group of survivors. In addition, a small metal box intended for a future generation of Emberites is timed to open after 200 years. This box is entrusted to first Mayor of the City of Ember, and each Mayor passes it on to their successor. When the seventh Mayor dies suddenly, the box is placed in a closet and forgotten about. The box opens by itself at the allotted time but goes unnoticed. Several decades later, Ember's generator begins to fail, and food, medicine, and other necessities are in dangerously short supply.

At a rite of passage event for all graduating students of Ember City School, Mayor Cole stands before the students as their adult occupations are assigned by lottery. Doon Harrow, the son of inventor and repairman Loris Harrow, is assigned "Messenger" while his classmate Lina Mayfleet is assigned "Pipeworks Laborer". Shortly afterwards, the two secretly exchange assignments and Doon is apprenticed to the elderly technician Sul. At home, Lina, a descendant of the seventh Mayor, finds the opened box and enlists Doon's help to decipher its contents. Gradually, they learn that it contains a set of instructions and directions for an exit from the city in the Pipeworks, left by the city's builders.

Later, after evading a gigantic star-nosed mole, they also discover that Mayor Cole has been hoarding food in a secret vault for his own benefit while the people go hungry. When Lina attempts to report this, the Mayor captures her and tries to confiscate the box, but she escapes during a blackout. Now fugitives from the Mayor's police, Lina and Doon, accompanied by Lina's baby sister, Poppy, use the instructions and assistance from Sul to flee the city via a subterranean river. When the repercussions of their actions trigger a panic in Ember, the Mayor locks himself in his vault, only to be devoured by the giant mole.

Lina, Doon, and Poppy eventually reach the Earth's surface, where they witness a sunrise for the first time. They also locate Ember through a hole in the ground, too far for them to call to anyone. Before they explore, Lina and Doon write a letter with instructions on how to get out of the city, which they tie to a rock and throw down to the city. The rock lands by Loris' feet, who picks it up.