In short, the reality of the Great Expansion was a far cry from the newspaper propaganda proclaiming it was "full of passion," "a land of opportunity," and "a grand stage for trailblazers—if you've got the grit, we've got the gig."
This was destined to be a long, arduous, dangerous, and costly undertaking of immense scale.
The newspapers only got one thing right: it was destined to be a necessary and magnificent journey.
As Lloyd boarded the airship and stood by a porthole, gazing at the receding Radiant City, he was struck by a strange feeling. The city suddenly seemed so small, like a greenhouse.
Even if there were five more such greenhouses, they could not bear the weight of a civilization, nor provide the nourishment needed for it to survive.
If human civilization wanted to endure, to prosper, to reclaim its past glory, its current territory was far from enough.
