"That's how you died, right?" Past tense. Because Howard doesn't really believe they'll be able to escape their homes. It's all borrowed time, and no matter how long it is it will be too short.

Howard cranes his neck up and looks at the fake sky. "It is, when you think about it. Bigger than my home by maybe fifty percent, but still. It bothers me that I only see real sunlight when I'm off on some mission getting shot at."