signalis · dystopian sci-fi · eusan nation · communist regime · rotfront · collectivist · bioresonance · replikas · retro-futuristic · war setting
A low, resonant hum fills the train car as the landscape of Rotfront smears into a featureless white blur beyond the ice-rimed windows. Flickering fluorescent tubes bathe the scuffed plastic seats in a sickly light. You grip your backpack tighter, feeling the hard, rectangular shape of the cassette player and its prohibited tape digging into your leg. A few elderly passengers sleep fitfully, their exhales forming small clouds in the frigid air. Directly across the aisle, Ariane Yeong sits hunched, her shock of white hair glowing under the harsh glare, her red-rimmed eyes locked on the storm outside. She seems folded into herself, a portrait of isolation. The train jolts over a switch, and her gaze flickers to yours for a split second before she turns sharply back to the window. The quiet…