Love and Ezra passed through the Inner City streets in comfortable silence.
Unlike the Outskirts, the air was clear and breathable here, with bustling shop fronts and quiet city residences. The streets were clean and free of litter, after all, the city council gathered such things and quietly dumped them into the incinerator at an Outskirts factory. The acrid smoke further polluting the sky and adding to the distinctive and invasive smell.
With the end of Summer approaching, the artificial sun hung low, casting prisms of light through the shimmering, dome barrier that encompassed all three Inner City Zones.
In the foreground, Love spied the ancient clock tower across the wide river that marked the position of the Military Academy, and a large hydroelectric dam built into the back of the 2nd Inner City wall, powering the city.
"Ez, where are you taking me?" Love asked in curiosity.
