hip lande

melled of disinfectant-clean, sterile, and with the refre

ed Kaelen out

er eyes caused her

lies the deep black of space, studded with countless stars. Beneath the dome

their routes precise, and they were spaced evenly apart. Below, the st

fish. Elegant,

, scrolling with advertisements and signs in various colors. The interplay of li

s eyes

was the first thought that flashed through her mind.

a few steps. Then she no

to make way for her. Pedestrians on the side of the road stopped to talk, their eyes follo

air. It stopped the moment it saw her, its hoverboard tilti

ed in and

of women in the empire.

nvisible membrane, shielding her from all potential offense and interfer

oticed som

ty is s

ors were too vibrant, almost artificial. She approached one of the flowerbeds and looked at it for

ch of grass. All the green areas were illusions created by ligh

ects scurrying through the humus. Those worlds, mostly destroyed aft

, "Aren't there

ned to look at her, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He

center. The soil is barren. All natural ve

. His voi

is a l

ry is a luxury. Plants are wealth. Whoev

information de

-meter-wide open space formed around Autumn. All the men maintaine

e steel jungle rushing by, her

barely activate a few seeds; in this world of barren so

ow plants and v

o much about it right now. First, she needed to r

out the window. Silent. Thought

unusual-he initia

be af

han usual, like a thin

ociation

e turned to him and gave him a small s

urned his head back, his jawline tense. But the

ain st

, wide steps, and a massive arched dome. The building's surface was

otection A

d above the entrance, bath

breath. A new life

challenge-high-tech physical examinations. Would her true iden

y side. He said nothing. But his presence was l

ofile was sharply defined. H

t to herse

an