An Oblique Sky

Preface

"The world has changed. The world you knew as Earth is gone. The world you want, the world you crave... It's been torn to shreds." his hands part to pick up a glass of water, it's much less transparent appearance had become a valid point of argument. A most uncomfortable silence fell upon the crowd of journalists and newscasters, half of them wearing masks. "Our proposal is not absurd, thoughts of such drastic change were spoken far before the first Fog War. We only seek to redefine what's already been adapted entirely. I hope you adhere to such a heartfelt devotion like mine. I will not back down from this life altering opportunity." The crowd murmur amongst each other, cameras click frantically as the President of America withdrawals from the stand. Within 15 minutes, he is escorted away and the hordes dismiss in different directions. The elevators or the doors.
There is a noteworthy difference between the elevators and the doors. The city and the sky. The rich and the poor. The masked and the free. The President is correct, the world has changed. There is no longer equality among classes, it was no longer a "man's world". Life had become dependent entirely upon your ability to deceive, con, or steal. Before the first Fog War, there was a strive for better. Mankind wanted to preserve their precious Earth. They created agreements and declarations to rid blue beautiful skies of contamination.
It began on November 17, 2025. Thousands of chemical leaks triggered globally by an unknown terrorist nation. After years of studying the art of murder, directly killing humans became boring. They longed for a international affect. Oil spills and national fires were a stepping stone. Soon nations turned against each other and the physical world fell apart. Nuclear warfare was no longer a serious threat, generals sent 'Ash Bombs' over cities to blind their targets.
By Spring 2027, all humans were instructed to wear gas masks outside of their homes and install a water filter to every sink. By Summer 2027, the air and water quality was entirely ruined. The government funded luxurious apartments in 3,000ft skyscrapers where the residents are legally allowed to live outside of their masks. Each apartment connected to the next with a small yet pleasant neighborhood platforms were the rich would spend most of their life. By the Winter 2027, no upper class ever left their apartments, the world below them was obsolete. On January 1st, 2028, a law passed forbidding anyone living below to ever take off their masks. The sun had become entirely blocked off from the fog layer. Countries were once peaceful again but the world was destroyed.
It is now July of 1938, 13 years since anyone below has breathed truly fresh air. The streets are destroyed. The Gather Of Man; a union for the president, leader, dictator, etc. of every nation on the earth has just convened for an emergency summon by The President of America. In the back of city hall stands a woman that should not be there. Her name is Malory. She will make the change.