C James - Dome Six

Seeing the entire Dome gathered in the Agora was, admittedly, awe-inspiring. At any given time, about 70 percent of the population was either in the Towers or the FPC, which made the city feel smaller than it was. But with everyone crowded into the Agora it suddenly felt metropolitan. After generations together in the Dome, the ocean of faces had largely converged into the same olive hue.

Former students were everywhere, occasionally greeting her as they passed. It should’ve made her proud, but what she actually felt was closer to shame. She wanted a do-over for every last one.

The only hopeful expressions were worn by those too young to have seen all this before. The lessons they forced her to teach were designed to make the Time Before seem horrific — a time of excess and ignorance, unworthy of scrutiny or meaningful discourse. The Epoch was supposed to remind everyone why they were in the Dome at all.

Music started playing and the Dome’s UV shield darkened. Elle and the rest of the Council descended the Authority steps and lined up shoulder-to-shoulder behind the big podium that bore the Cytocorp logo, a stylized CC that suggested both organic compounds and the symbol for infinity. Elle stepped up to the microphone and conversations around them faded.

Tosh expected a version of the same speech she’d heard from Keane 20 years earlier. For all her faults, she was very good at this sort of thing.

“My fellow citizens,” she began. “Welcome to the Fifth Epoch.”

A smattering of applause. Dee looked up at Tosh, as though seeking her permission to be a tiny bit excited. Tosh just smiled back.

“None of us really know what life was like when the Originals came to the Dome. All we know is that they believed this life could be better. Not just for themselves, but for generations to come.

“Our ancestors plundered Earth’s natural resources and polluted the oceans. They filled the atmosphere with chemicals. Science warned them that only bold change could avert an environmental apocalypse.

“They ignored these warnings. Now, we can look back and see how wrong they were, but it’s easy to judge the past. In the Dome, we understand that our needs and our resources must be in balance. We know the satisfaction that comes from working for the collective good and knowing your neighbor is doing the same. None us have ever known hunger, or greed, or desperation. That’s been the case for a century.”

She paused dramatically. Get on with it, bitch, Tosh thought. And where the hell is Dek?

“When I was just 20 years old, I came to the Fourth Epoch, eager to see whether the outside world had healed. But I also wondered whether a barely habitable world was worth it.

“When I saw the data from the sensors and the footage from the cameras, I knew that these questions were the right ones. The air was still poisonous. The lakes and rivers were still dry. The Burn was still unsurvivable.”

She sighed and looked out over her flock. People were getting antsy.

“Before I share the live data from outside, I want to address the matter of our safety. We still believe there may be a saboteur in our midst. That person or persons know who they are. Rest assured, we will find you. I won’t stop until I can look every single one of you in the eye and promise that Dome Six is as safe now as it was for the Originals.”

Tosh was stone-faced. Around her, the adults stood stiffly, many with their arms folded defensively across their chest. They’d heard it all before.

“Without further ado, let’s take a look at the latest sensor data and footage from the Apex array.”

The UV shield darkened further, and an enormous projection came to life on the underside of the Dome. The first thing it displayed was data from the Fourth Epoch back in 2163. Elle went through it line by line — an environment so inhospitable to life that it might as well be Venus. Every measure was in the red.

“And now, the data recorded just yesterday.”

A new column appeared next to it and the numbers slowly faded in.

The number appeared and a knot formed in Tosh’s chest. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as Elle read the data aloud. No one over 20 looked surprised.

Everything was worse. The temperature alone would’ve been the highest ever recorded on Earth at the time the Domes began. If it was that hot at the 45th parallel, what did that mean for more arid regions of the world? Particulates and CO 2were even worse.

Byron’s face was grim. He took Tosh’s hand and rubbed it. Dee leaned against him. Owen’s face fell. Still no Dek, though. Perhaps he was lingering at the fringes somewhere.

“And now the footage of the outside,” said Elle. “For many of you, this will be your first glimpse of the outside world in 20 years.”

Children around her craned their necks upward to see. The numbers faded and video came up in its place. The high CO 2levels should’ve favored plant life, but it was too hot and dry for anything to grow. To the west was a vast and harsh desert as far as the eye could see.

The next angle was the southern view, which was more of the same. East and north, too. Murmurs, hugs, and reassurances rippled again through the throng. Little kids looked big-eyed up at their parents, unsure what to make of it.

Elle sighed. “As you can see, 20 years simply hasn’t been enough time to reverse the effects of…”

She trailed off. It was getting noticeably brighter — so much so that the images became difficult to see. Someone pointed up, then they all saw why. The liquid UV shield was losing pressure. Klaxons began to blare.

“Dee, get out your blanket. Right now,” said Byron.

She looked up at him pleadingly. “I forgot it.”

“The shield’s dropping. Deploy blankets everyone,” Elle said. “Quickly! This is not a drill.”

Panic seized the crowd while everyone fumbled for their reflective blankets. The Authority officials unfolded theirs and dutifully covered themselves, faces pressed to the stage. Tens of thousands of others did the same. Dee started to cry.

“Daddy…” she pleaded.

Byron unfolded his in seconds. “It’s okay, sweetie, we’ve got you.”

The commotion faded into the background of Tosh’s consciousness. She absently removed her blanket from her pocket and placed it in Dee’s hands, nodding that it was okay for her to take it.

Byron said, “Take Tosh’s blanket, baby. Lie down between us.”

Tosh’s eyes were fixed on the roof. The failing shield revealed a circle of deep blue sky with the high sun just below the hazy line of the shield. They only had seconds before its full brightness streamed through.

“Mom!” Owen yelled. “What’re you doing? Get down!”

“It’s okay,” she mumbled. “I need to see.”

Dee dropped to the ground and fell immediately prone. Byron covered her with his blanket then Tosh felt his big, rough hand on her right elbow. Owen grabbed her left shoulder. Their frenzied voices became a jumble as they tackled her. She toppled to the ground as they struggled to cover her and themselves with the shiny silver blankets. The cloth fell across her face, but she immediately yanked it aside.

Art dreamed of seeing the sky. She wanted to do the same. Maybe it was to honor his memory, or maybe it was just for herself. If the sun blinded her or burned her, so be it.

“Tosh, cover up!” Byron urged.

But the shield had already dropped too low. Naked sunlight, brighter than anyone had ever seen, bloomed into the Agora like a giant spotlight. Tosh shielded her eyes with her hands, squinting against the glare. She could feel Byron and Owen’s eyes on her, peering out through little tunnels in their blankets and thinking she’d lost her mind.

It was warm but not hot. Her skin didn’t blister and peel and her hair didn’t burst into flames. It was just the sky and the sun, as real as they were in her dreams.