High-Voltage Forest

The High-Voltage Forest is an open wasteland formed from dense ranks of transmission towers. Steel frames stretch to the horizon like tree trunks, while layer upon layer of conductors weave a canopy beneath the starless sky, leaving almost no clear horizon between tower bases, insulators, and transformer equipment. Electrical hum rises constantly from the damp gravel. Loose lines and damaged components sway in the wind, occasionally throwing blue-white arcs toward neighboring towers. Lightning is extraordinarily frequent here. Flashes rip through the same sky in quick succession before spreading along the conductors and tower frames. Each burst of light leaves branching white afterimages, while the following thunder and low-frequency vibration travel through the steel and ground, causing dizziness, blurred vision, and loss of balance until travelers can no longer tell which direction they are moving. The air is always heavy with ozone. Puddles, exposed metal, and hanging cables may become energized without warning, making this treeless forest more dangerous than a natural storm plain.