We leave carrying two bags and keep going with no fixed direction until we find an enormous glass structure taking up almost a whole block.
Rhayne reads the sign.
Old Earth Conservatory.
Through the transparent walls you can see large trees and a density of green that practically doesn't exist outdoors anymore.
"Want to go in?"
This time she doesn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The change in environment is immediate once we're through the entrance. The air isn't only cooler. There's enough humidity to stick to your skin. The smell of wet soil arrives before the first trees, and for a few seconds even I have to adjust.
The place preserves species that disappeared from entire regions after the desertification. Small watercourses run through artificial channels, surrounded by plaques explaining recycling, condensation, and reuse systems.
It's an obscene waste of resources, and it's also beautiful.
