Surface Tension: Delta P (ΔP)

Elias and Eliza, a couple paired through the Population Sustainment Protocol, struggle to reclaim their autonomy. The remnants of humanity now exist in enclaves, each a terrarium with pre-fabricated habitats. Some are lush biospheres glowing with neon chlorophyll and flowing with opulence. Others are drought-dominated dunes, frosty cavernous alpines, burping bogs of swamplands, and thrashing pyroclastic fields. Yet, the one sole truth each inhabitant knows to a certainty is that humanity must thrive above all else no matter the circumstance. Each enclave must allegedly survive and continue production no matter how exhaustive. If one fails it will all collapse, "for the greater good," or so we are told. The year is unknown, yet time continues. The Sentinel Overwatch arbitrates every aspect of the Human Enclave Project (HEP) with a zero tolerance policy for failure in its ultimate mission. Many believe that this is really God "in carne," despite it being an original human creation. The Sentinel Overwatch surveils every blade of grass, every atmospheric change, every organism, and every word ever uttered.