Kurt couldn't decide what was more depressing. The fact that he'd spent three straight days with no food, slow-cooking inside a rattling prison blimp that smelled like cheap engine oil, or the fact that the view when they finally arrived was actually impressive.
From up above, it looked like a massive country carved out of the desert itself. The buildings weren't the standard concrete boxes Kurt was used to.
Instead, they were dome-shaped structures made from pale sandstone baked golden from centuries exposed to the desert sun, and had rounded roofs designed to deflect the relentless heat and sandstorms.
He also spotted wind towers that rose from the rooftops, tall cylindrical structures with vents that caught the breeze and funneled cool air down into the buildings below.
When the blimp landed, Kurt got a better look at the population.
