A drop of thick, red, mucus splashes onto the mossy rock. Strands of blood obscure the diffused sun, dripping from the nose of Muse. She kneels, defeated. Her muddied hair dangles and sticks to her skin. In front of her stands an armored guard, his cold mask as brisk as the surrounding air. Thick steam escapes from the gas filters in his jaw. Against her he holds a device, it emits dancing rays of heat which scan her scalp. Another guard stands behind her, rifle trained on her back.

She kneels in front of the entrance gate to the City of Eden, one of the last habitable safe zones on the continent, residing in the remains of the pacific northwest. More armored guards walk the top of the wall. The doors are within the confines of a plastic quarantine tunnel. The encroaching woods surround the compound. On the edge of the clearing stand a number of spinning spires, creating a barrier to the irradiated air and protecting those inside.

The guard reads his scanner. The small CTV screen displays a wealth of information, the largest of which reads “53% - UNWORTHY”. The guards all train their guns toward her. She jumps up, “Please! Don’t. I made a mistake, I’ll leave, just let me go.” A Geiger Counter starts to crackle. The guard stares at her. “Please… I didn’t know,” she pleads. The guard replies;

“Run.”

She jumps up, grabbing her effects and sprinting to the edge of the clearing, the guards never letting go of their aim. As she reaches the respiratory fans on the edge of the woods she throws on her gas mask before slipping into the thick.