On the streets of Giant Stone City, doors and windows tightly shut, rattled loudly in the wind.
There were no pedestrians in sight, only a line of ragged poor pushing carts of snow to dump outside the city.
In the slums by the outer wall, collapsed shanties were everywhere. Disheveled people braved the howling blizzard, searching through piles of snow for missing relatives and friends. Others stood numbly next to their fallen shelters or knelt on the ground praying.
Tilted by the wind, a wooden pole lay unattended at the entrance of the slum. Two loudspeakers, tied on with wire, intermittently emitted an annoying, slick tone.
"...Hello, dear listeners, hello there, this is Voice of Boulder City, and I'm your beloved host, Mr. Hauser."