Welcome to the year 1930, thirty years ago we had the first winter that lasted more than 6 months, 2 years later we started to notice that snow just wouldn't stop falling any time soon.
People dropped like flies over the ever lower temperatures and those that did not die were tending the frostbitten, but we humans are resilient and with our coal driven machines and hope we built cities out of a white landscape.
Using technology born out of genius minds we found warmth near giant generators in the center of cities, the people of noble status lived near the comfort of the machines but those that weren't so fortunate had to live in life threatening temperatures working in coal mines only to sometimes receive a meager payment.
I am Sigmund son of one of the three most powerful mafias of New London, but unlike the other mafia overlords (or inheritors) I live in a coal camp, the reason for that is the massacre that my family was victim after a enemy of my father bribed our most trusted lackeys and killed all my brothers and sister, I escaped with the help of my best friend but not long after he was killed in front of me, now I am forced to labor at this cold and filthy place in hopes of hiding.
Today is my third day at this camp and again I wake up at the ungodly hour of 6am, I pick up my round aviation glasses and put on my now black jumpsuit and yes it was orange before but the coal tints a man's clothes as it blackens ones mind, the unnaturally loud alarm tells us that we are to make our way to the mine, I leave my residence that looks awfully like a hole in the ground (maybe because it is a hole in the ground). But i can't complain, I mean, it keeps me warm right?
I see all kind of people leaving their holes and going the same direction, we all take the pickaxes from a pile with dozens of tools on the frozen ground and make our way inside the humid and closed space called Black Hell or at least that's what we affectionally call it, each miner looks for a spot, the ones that are weaker and younger go deeper into the mine where there is less oxygen and less light, as I am both younger and weaker I find myself with my fellow miners fighting for every bit of oxygen and light from the torches.
As I was listening to the usual rambling of my colleagues I hear a loud explosion coming from the direction of the surface, all those around me look shocked I can't see myself but I imagine I must look the same because I know that if something goes wrong up there we are the last ones to get help. We all run desperately only to find that the mine is collapsing and the exit is blocked, our only choice is to wait for help but until then we will already have run out oxygen or buried beneath these rocks.
At this time of hopelessness I remembered my promise to avenge my family and how pathetic my death will be if I don't do anything, in a act of desperation I start to try to push the rocks in front of me, I use all of my strength in hopes of saving myself but only achieved looks of pity, just when I was about to give up I see a woman coming from the back, she is about the same height as me and has short hair, the one thing that stands out is her deep blue eyes that seem to entice anyone that looks at them, she looked at me and said
[You are the son of John and should not die here, I have the power to save you but only if you agree to working with me]
I looked speechlessly at her and somehow managed to squeeze out
[Please I will do anything just get me out of here]
She just nodded and right after a drill like tool popped out of her strangely real looking mechanical arm, she used the tool with such mastery that we were able to escape that prison in 5 minutes.
After leaving the entrapment we were greeted with cheers from the many miners that were able to escape, kids were reunited with parents and the mood was cheerful. I looked at the short haired girl and asked
[How do you know who I am? And what do you want me to do to repay this debt?]
She just looked at me with those deep blue eyes and answered
[You will find out soon enough, come with me]