"We need more people," Adam Lander said to his father's back.
Kirk Lander was standing at the window of his office located on the top floor of a small building that had previously been occupied by a bank. The bank in question didn't exist any more; only a handful of banks had survived into the third month of 2035. The building's owner was only to happy to lease it to the new colonial government at a rock-bottom rate.
The government would have gotten an even better deal in one of the monumental skyscrapers that dominated the San Francisco skyline. Offices located above the fifth floor were being given away free of charge! The only thing the owners asked for was that the new tenant pay a share of the utility bill. But strict electricity rationing meant the elevators weren't working, and no one felt like climbing endless flights of stairs.
