I sit with my face pressed to the glass. Below me, lush-green trees litter the rolling hills. Waterfalls cascade down sharp rocks, and streams of water cut through the landscape. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Fog spreads over the glass, and I wipe it away. Only just audible over the chatter of the other students, a monotone voice-over plays in the background.

“The protected area,” it says, “is the only part of our country, and one of the only parts of the planet, left to remind us of what was. Uninhabited by man for decades now, it is protected by the Guardians. It extends in a border around Nuovo. Under the leadership of the Establishment this shows what we can accomplish when man is separated from earth . . .”

Ash’s voice distracts me from the monologue. “You better be careful,” she says.

I look…