text: A father and son were driving through a tundra hellscape. With a blizzard raging outside, they couldn't see a half mile ahead of them; the temperature on the dashboard indicated 4 degrees as they approached a security checkpoint. "Hello and welcome to Dome City. Are there any weapons in the vehicle?" A security guard asked. "No, sir." "Is there any contraband? All alcoholic beverages, medicines, and food must be purchased within Dome City." "We don't have any of that, not at all." "Finally, please, no drones, ATVs, dirt bikes, or straws, no straws at all." The father turns his gaze to his two-seater smart car. "No, sir." "Welcome to Dome City: where the weather is always perfect, and the sky is the limit." The father and son drove beneath a large structure into Dome City, a futuristic metropolis covered by a massive weather dome. The dome blocked out dangerous storms and kept the temperature at a steady 72 degrees, making it one of the most highly populated cities on the planet. The son couldn't help but observe a crowded beach umbrella to umbrella, with people surfing and fishing off the breakwater as they drove through the city. "Dad, where did the sky go? Where does the water come from if there is no sky?" the son wondered, peering up at the dome above them. The father laughed. "Son, it's still there; the dome just covers it. Storms and precipitation are kept out by the dome. But, every night around 2:00 a.m., it rains just enough to provide water to the city below." The son seems confused. "How can there be waves, sunbeams, and fishing when a dome blocks everything?" The father smiled. "It's all fake! The sun is just a giant light on the top of the dome, but people are used to sitting around on the beach all day, so they get spray tans and do it anyway. The water at the beach is the world's largest wave pool, and the city has stocked it with fish so that tourists can continue to fish." "Why would anyone want to live under a dome?" "Everything relies on tourism. More tourists will visit the city if the weather is nice throughout the year. Dangerous animals can be kept out, and hotels and businesses can profit all year. Plus, did you know you can pay to watch a sunset, pay to see a bird fly, or pay to feel the wind on your face!" "Wow, I want to feel the wind on my face!" "Sure, we can do that; first, let's park. Oh, there's a spot for only $750 dollars," the father said as he parked between two dumpsters. The father and son strolled along the beachfront. They walked past a massive shopping center, where people were lined up to purchase straws made of recycled materials. "Can I have a straw for my drink?" asked the son. "Sure." Once they got the straw, the son took two sips of his soda, and the straw disintegrated. "Oh, my straw has already run out!" The father and son kept walking until they came across a group of people dressed in winter gear, tossing snowballs at each other right next to the beach. "What's going on here?" the son asked, perplexed. "It's an indoor ski resort. People pay to experience the snow, even though it's hot outside." "Don't they know there's free snow right outside the dome?" "Yeah, but it's too cold out there. It's fun to play in the snow here." They walked 10 steps from the snowball fight to a restaurant, where they were met by a hostess in a bikini. "Welcome to the Budweiser-sponsored Beachfront Grill! Table for two?" A buzzer went off while the father and son were eating, and the son looked at the father, confused. From above, a mist was sprayed. "What's that?" "Well, since everything is technically inside, sometimes it can get stinky in here, so they installed these spray mists, sponsored by Febreze, to keep Dome City smelling good. "Oh, cinnamon apple!" They walked into some of the residential areas after they finished eating. They came across a pharmacy with a drive-thru window. As people passed through, they received a shot in their arms. "You see, once you become a permanent resident, you must have weekly vitamin D shots because there is no sunlight under the dome." The son gave a concerned look as he rubbed his arm. They passed the local high school, "McDonald's High School for STEM." Followed by "Arby's Middle School for the Arts." "How come every school here is named after a fast-food restaurant?" "Because all of the food must be brought into the dome, restaurants recognized that by acquiring the name rights to the school, they could get exclusive rights to serve lunch at that school." "So those kids get to eat chicken nuggets for lunch every day?" "I believe they can order the Fish fila as well, but they never do." The father then took his son to the city's outskirts, where there was a forest. Look, a forest where you and your friends can play manhunt or build a fort." The son approached one of the trees, knocked on the trunk, and turned with a puzzled expression. "It's made of plastic, and the entire forest is a fake." "Of course it is; without sunlight, there is no plant life." They continued their tour past the police station, sponsored by ADT, the fire station, sponsored by Weber, a dog park, sponsored by Purina; and a for-pay water fountain, sponsored by Coca-Cola. The father and son took a seat as they arrived at a series of park benches sponsored by LazyBoy. The light at the top of the dome, sponsored by Philips hue, was setting, and the fake stars, sponsored by Disney, were starting to shine. "What do you think of Dome City, son?" "I guess it's fine." "What if I told you I landed a job as the head of Waste Management here in Dome City?" "So, when someone flushes the toilet, you would take care of it?" "Sort of, but this would mean that we would be living in Dome City. What are your thoughts about that?" "I'm not sure; I don't think I'd like living here without sunlight; the people seem a little tense. It's something about their eyes; everyone looks like they're about to snap." "What about the weather, though? It's always nice here?" "I think that's the issue; if the weather is always nice, you never appreciate it for what it is; you need bad weather to appreciate good weather." The father realized that the trip to Dome City had not convinced his son it was a good place to live. He decided it was time to leave for the day and try again sometime in the future. They could see a fake moon rising in the sky, sponsored by Dreamworks, as they strolled by a park with fake grass, sponsored by Gatorade, and a fake shooting star flashed across the sky, sponsored by NBC, advertising their Thursday television lineup. The father thought that maybe his son had a point; it's not natural to live without the sun, and perhaps they were better off in the real world.