The stretch of irradiated dust and skeletal machinery separating the two hives is called the Ferric Expanse or the Charnel Mire — a storm-torn desert crossed only by smugglers, scavengers, and the desperate.
Hidden beneath are half-collapsed tunnels — ancient rails and transit arteries linking the hives in secret. Rumor says the Expanse hides “The Underspine,” a buried megastructure connecting the two cities through long-sealed levels.