Elias adjusted the strap of his oxygen recycler. In the year 2142, "Checkpoint 1" wasn't just a location; it was a myth. It was the gateway between the Lowlands—a sprawl of smog and scrap metal—and the spires of the Upper Tier, where the air reportedly tasted like pine needles and the sun didn't look like a bruised orange through the haze.
As the doors began to slide shut, he looked back one last time. High above the gate he had just entered, a new sign flickered to life in a crisp, digital font: Continue para o ponto de verificação 2. The journey, it seemed, had only just begun. Continue para o ponto de verificação 1
A robotic voice, smooth and devoid of empathy, echoed through the plaza. "Identification required. Please proceed to Checkpoint 1." Elias adjusted the strap of his oxygen recycler