Now that most residents of the outskirts left for the Dream Realm, the vast human hives that had teemed with life and desperation stood mostly empty. There were still people living there, though — even if some dormitory towers only had a few dozen inhabitants instead of tens of thousands.
A family that had once sheltered in a single residential cell now occupied an entire block. Even then, the rest of the floor was empty.
In the dim twilight of the early dawn, a gaunt man emerged into a corridor and leaned on the wall, contorted in a violent coughing fit. His wife was already busy boiling water to hydrate packs of synthpaste for the kids — however, he had to put on his work uniform and depart for an early shift.
Wiping his lips, he stumbled toward the laundry room.
A few moments later, however, he froze and looked ahead in horror.
