It had been three days since the workers began their relentless task of creating a waterway. The biting cold of winter made everything harder, but the workers had no choice. The brutal wind whipped at their faces, and the earth they dug was frozen solid in many places, making even the excavator struggle. They knew they had to finish before dawn, or they would be left exposed in the cold—an easy prey for the undead.
The base, a distant dome-like structure, seemed so far away, yet it was the only thing keeping them alive. The workers were caught between the freezing wilderness and the rigid control of the government. There was no escape, only survival through obedience.