INT. DAY. MANAGEMENT ROOM
MANAGER (to TOM)
Since your journey is an extraordinary event, and it sets a precedent, management has decided to assist you as much as possible. We will provide supplies, accommodation services, and transportation. Tomorrow, at dawn, you will depart on a flight to the farthest point in our center, about 45 miles away. From there, you will continue your journey into the desert. Prepare yourself for a small surprise. (A smile spreads across her face.)
TOM
Are the routes of your flights really that short? You must be arriving at such high altitudes.
MANAGER
From the start, we chose and constructed our supply centers within an area spanning 30 to 50 kilometers in diameter, and above them, we suspended the settlements in the air. Our aircraft were also specifically designed for vertical movement, prioritizing ascent and descent over lateral cruising.
TOM
Who would have imagined that humanity would be moving up and down instead of driving on vast highways or flying from one end of the sky to the other?
Restlessly, Tom stands up and approaches the edge of the curtain, lightly flipping it with his finger to catch a glimpse of the hall.
MANAGER
Initially, there was extensive connectivity between the centers. However, due to war and severe pollution, many areas became disconnected, leading to the development of almost autonomous regions where each region is governed and managed independently. Here, we have an android production center that supplies us with all our "human resources." It encompasses everything from unskilled labor in agriculture and maintenance to supply, flights, management, and service. We have several relatively clean water springs and varying levels of pollution in agriculture. (Pauses) The truth is, the only individuals who still move between our centers from time to time are supervisors who mainly accompany androids upon completing their tasks.
TOM
You mentioned a surprise for us?
The manager smiles.