"You must be from off planet," Abby sighs. "That isn't how Adaptive works, you see? Living here is supposed to be more expensive than other planets. Cause of the clouds. I've heard there are places where you don't need helmets, and doors don't have airlocks."

The idea is mind blowing. Abby looks toward her own helmet, little better than a filter. "It's not easy, okay? When you lose one bit of your support, it can all fall apart under you. Some people? They get poor enough that when their helmets break they either cannot head outside anymore, or they die. It's simple."