Chapter 58
After the attack, Onaria didn't say much. The shock of it shook him still as well, so he understood.
Society was devolving as people gave in to desperation. The robbery of the train made him wonder if he'd made the right choice in leaving the city.
The countryside proved only slightly better air quality wise. Even out here, the ravages of pollution affected the land. The greenhouses had been abandoned after it was realized there was nothing that could be done to stop the outbreak of red mold, a side effect of the chemicals used to grow bigger and better crops. The virulent spread forced growers to burn their plants, only to discover the soil remained contaminated and unusable.
The pastures were bare, animals long gone, dead of disease, starvation, and slaughter as people sought to survive. The only thing now left in those fields was the scrubby grass standing in tufts, inedible even when boiled.