Quickly Kyer and I told the girls what life was like outside the Colony. It didn’t take long to convince them the best course of action would be to stay where we were and try to change the world around us, instead of leaving it behind for something new. I could tell by the look of disgust on Brin’s face when I described waking up covered in sand fleas that nothing short of an apocalypse would force her into a place where such bugs roamed at will. “All over you?” she asked with a grimace. Beside her, Lyra shuddered.
“That’s nothing,” Kyer told them. “You can’t stay outside during the day because the sun will burn your skin—”
“And the rain is acidic,” I quickly interjected.
Kyer continued. “And at night, the Regulators come and eat anyone they find above ground.”
“And there are no shower
