Warehouses with broken windows, and asbestos seeping into the air. Some dead place we could bring to life. It had never occurred to me this mission might be the opposite. Some newborn place we would destroy. We parked in front of a set of brand-new houses, each with construction stickers plastered in the windows. “Sold” signs sprouted out of the manicured lawns. This particular cul-de-sac was a replica of several others we had driven by. A virginal development, not yet broken in by the living. “What’s wrong with this place?” Even my feet hitting the pavement couldn’t disguise the panic in my voice. “I mean, I was happy when they built it.” Three sets of eyes narrowed at me. “Because of the solar panels on the roofs?” My head volleyed back and forth between them. “It’s environmentally friendly!” This was Wonderland’s answer to the energy problem. Citizens fed up with living like vampires in their houses were snatching up the new properties in less time than it took to build them.
