r-o-o-k-i-e

The spirit and the man breathe below mandatory masks; ones casting a holographic veil. This holo-cast makes a face no matter how disfigured, more pleasing to the eye. These veils are cast across all the flickery, poorly-candled forms of a malformed citizanry. Who once yearned to be transhuman figures of interstellar flight and beauty. Yet mass gene manipulation turned them instead into failing monstrosities. In the land of the Unified Grounds, the inhabitants hide distorted faces behind holo-beautifiers and try to survive increasing poverty and a nationwide crumbling. As the hallowed ones in Vandelier live as one. In their small but advanced city where they mine a colorful, artificial sun for energy. Where white, lantern-like flowers glow due to jellyfish genes and lamped trees sleep during the day and awaken to light up their streets in the evening. They are all joined together under a cell-repairing machine that grants immortality.