A story from Better Worlds, The Verge's science fiction project about hope.
Read it here.
--- The thing that had caught her clothes was a lever, like a walking stick, that was connected to something she couldn’t see. It was as scarred, scratched, and dirty as any other part of the Blocks, but the free end shone as if polished by every hand that passed it, bright yellow metal emerging from a blackish-green patina. On its side were the inscribed words:
WELCOME TO THIS PERFECT WORLD