When Lin Sanjiu stopped outside the observation deck and turned around to look back, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be searching for. Everything around her was new and strange, making it hard to identify anything unusual.
She wanted to ask the tour guide some questions to probe further, but the other group members had already started filing out of the observation deck, lifting the curtains as they exited. Between regrouping the tourists, giving a brief introduction to Lin Sanjiu, and continuing with the tour, the guide didn't leave any opportunity for a private conversation.
"Did anyone see anything interesting?" The tour guide had reverted to her cheerful, professional demeanor. Any trace of the tension she'd shown while glancing behind Lin Sanjiu earlier had completely disappeared.
"I think I've been mentally scarred," one plump woman joked. "Why are there so many weird-looking things down there? I saw something straight and tall—probably a plant—but how can a plant look so offensive?"
The group burst into laughter, sharing their vague impressions of what they had seen. No one managed to peer through the smog to glimpse the ground below, let alone spot any living creatures. Surrounded by their chatter and laughter, Lin Sanjiu almost felt as if she'd traveled back to a time before the apocalypse. Was it really possible for people to relax and enjoy a carefree holiday, even in the aftermath of doomsday?
1
Instead of heading toward the Michen Road the guide had mentioned earlier, the tour group crossed the plaza inside the building and made their way toward another window that led to the skywalk. Most of the tourists, likely long-time residents of the Twelve Worlds Centrum, seemed unfazed by the bustling market stalls and bizarre sights around them, passing by without stopping. Lin Sanjiu, on the other hand, was constantly glancing around to take everything in, making it a challenge to keep up with the group.
"Meandering Path is one of the first skywalks built in CBD," the tour guide explained as she climbed out of the wide-open window. "Everyone, please follow me. Pedestrians keep to the right side of the walkway. Look up as we walk. What makes this path famous is that its unique construction has turned it into the largest biological park in the area."
The Meandering Path was a broad walkway, about ten meters wide, with two lanes in the center reserved for traffic. Among the unicycles and bicycles, Lin Sanjiu spotted all sorts of transportation and cargo-hauling contraptions, ranging from solar-powered skateboards and motorized wheelchairs to a person riding a massive teapot. Even a white paper horse, which looked like a funeral decoration, trotted by without drawing much attention.
Lin Sanjiu glanced around but didn't see any dog sleds. On either side of the walkway, pedestrians, both posthumans and ordinary people, moved about, mingling as if this was completely normal. Falling a step behind the group, she looked up—and gasped in surprise.
"Are those... birds?" she murmured to herself.
The canopy of the Meandering Path was formed by a chaotic network of interwoven branches, thick and thin, crisscrossing at varying heights. The natural and unruly structure seemed out of place compared to the polished appearance of the CBD.
But what truly amazed her were the creatures perched among the branches. Beneath the fragmented patches of blue sky, there were clusters of rounded bellies—dark blue velvet-like stomachs, plump white-feathered abdomens that drooped slightly from the weight of their owners, and pale pink feet dangling lazily in midair. One bright yellow bird, which bore an uncanny resemblance to a duck, rubbed its beak against a branch while catching Lin Sanjiu's eye. Its black gaze seemed to disapprove of her staring.
This was the first time Lin Sanjiu had seen such a diverse array of birds in the doomsday. Strangely, despite the abundance of humans in Cloudwalk Heights, it wasn't until she saw these unfamiliar creatures roosting above her that she felt the unmistakable pulse of life, vibrant and resilient, throbbing through this vast world.
"Cloudwalk Heights managed to preserve so many birds! Good thing they added a protective barrier," said the plump woman walking beside Lin Sanjiu, gazing upward. "It's fascinating, sure, but I wouldn't want to get covered in bird droppings."
"What do they eat?" someone in the group asked.
"Primarily human-generated waste," the tour guide replied. "Here in Cloudwalk Heights, things like bones, cartilage, scales, or wilted vegetable leaves that humans don't eat are usually fed to the birds. Of course, vegetable leaves are quite valuable, so no one would let them rot on purpose. The birds also forage in the upper layers of the smog for plants and seeds. There are even regulations around collecting their eggs..."
As the tour continued down the Meandering Path, listening to the guide's explanations, the plump woman beside Lin Sanjiu suddenly sighed when another unassuming ordinary person walked past the group.
"Cloudwalk Heights really excels in this regard."
"What do you mean?" Lin Sanjiu asked.
"Their ordinary people," the woman said enthusiastically, tilting her head upward. "Aren't they remarkable?"
Lin Sanjiu gave her a blank look.
"You're not from the Twelve Worlds Centrum, are you?" the plump woman asked, quickly piecing it together. With a friendly slap on Lin Sanjiu's shoulder, she added, "Oh, I see. You really just joined the group for sightseeing." ŕΆŊȏВΕ𝓢
"Well... isn't that what you're all here for?" Lin Sanjiu glanced around at the others in the group.
"This one-day tour has a big highlight," the woman explained. "The last stop on the itinerary is the Housing and Hiring Exhibition. We're all here to either settle down in this area or hire some help."
"Help, as in..." Lin Sanjiu paused. "Ordinary people? But don't other parts of the Twelve Worlds Centrum have ordinary people too?"
"You don't know?" The plump woman chuckled. "Cloudwalk Heights does this exceptionally well. I think the rest of the Twelve Worlds Centrum should adopt their model. Here, society has always been divided into classes. Posthumans are the upper class, while ordinary people are... well, the ordinary class. For them, posthumans are superior beings—more capable and more valuable to the world—so class divisions are seen as natural. Serving the upper class is just as natural. Of course, their politeness, professionalism, and loyalty make their labor quite expensive. Finding a truly good servant is no small feat."
1
She exhaled and continued, "You see, by all accounts, Cloudwalk Heights isn't exactly an ideal environment. These elevated structures constantly need maintenance, reinforcement, and expansion. They also require patrols and defenses against duoluozhongs, and transportation is inconvenient without aerial vehicles. Developing farmland or extracting water resources is even more challenging. Yet Cloudwalk Heights has managed to become one of the Twelve Worlds and maintain such a well-ordered society among the transient posthumans. That's because the most valuable and abundant resource in this world is their ordinary people."