It wouldn't matter how gentle the transition could ever be: Blue is going from a sparse landscape to one of the past's most densely populated cities. It's turning on your mp3 player before realizing your earbuds were on max volume, turning the bathroom light on from pitch darkness at three in the morning, the taste of spoiled milk going down with your cereal...The way thousands of untainted, outspoken minds suddenly blare into life is all those things and a little more, and it freezes Blue to the very spot they're brought to.

The merciful aspect of this is their arrival is out of sight from the busy open streets – but not that merciful. A department store at midday still has a fair number of people around, after all.

With a pained sound, Blue's hands go to his head as he hunches down, teeth gritted and bared while he works to adjust to the volume all around.