They skirted another patch of woods and the many swamps left by the floods, then climbed to the top of a small hill. Before them lay an abandoned industrial park, more than half submerged in icy water. Even from afar, they could see that the district was covered in rust, and many sections of the railway tracks—the lifeline of the place—had collapsed. Several intact trains stood at the platforms, while a few that had not been completely dismantled had been patched together with burlap and sheet metal. Rusty metal sheets connected the trains to the platforms, forming a fairly decent shantytown. Through his binoculars, Revis could occasionally make out people moving around inside.
The floating islands in the industrial park that had survived the flood were enclosed by high walls made of scrap metal, rebar, and rusted vehicles, connected by hastily built bridges. The crane at the center of the park had partially collapsed, but there were still signs of activity atop it. Green waterproof tarps covered the drafts in the control room, while armed guards stood on the mobile platform, surveying the surroundings through monoculars.
"Look, see that?" The young man patted Revis on the shoulder and pointed at the distant settlement. "That's our settlement, Scrap Iron Fort."
"Is that wall for keeping monsters out?"
The young man shrugged, his face indifferent. "We're not really worried about monsters. Wall or no wall, it makes no difference to those beasts. The walls are only meant to guard against people. Raiders come by from time to time to shake us down."
"Raiders?" Revis was rather surprised. He had not expected civilization on the American continent to have regressed to such a state.
"Of course. Those lazy pigs are willing to put in the effort to modify motorcycles, make bullets, and rob