C James - Dome Six

The people lining the rad were most likely second shifters who got up early just to see the infamous saboteur of Dome Six. Frankly, he might’ve done the same, if only for the novelty of it. Most just stood in silence with judgmental looks on their faces, arms folded defensively across their chests. Some made remarks to people nearby and sniggered.

Oh well. At least fruits and vegetables were too precious to throw.

Eventually they arrived at the Quietus Center, where he’d been arrested for at Art’s ceremony. Downing had already laid his trap by then, but Hideki’s reaction played right into his hands. Just another example of an unhinged lunatic, railing against the Dome’s century-old norms.

One of the guards opened the door to the Box and he walked inside. The place was completely empty save for Tosh, Byron, and Dee. He didn’t have many friends, but still.

Tosh looked like she might hyperventilate. He wasn’t sure if she really believed him about the red Macros to begin with, let alone the idea that the device around his neck would protect him. There in his plastic cell, with Listeners probably coating the walls, he spared the details that might have reassured her.

Perhaps he should’ve proclaimed his innocence more vigorously, but would it have changed the outcome? Not likely. Whatever Downing was up to, this was the capstone. If he somehow walked out of the Box unscathed, it could give them an advantage. They’d have a window of time during which Downing would no longer be focused on him, and they could use that window to figure out what he was up to.

The guards positioned him in front of the door to the Box and turned him around to face the meager crowd. Downing, hands folded imperiously behind his back, meandered over and stood so close he could feel his breath against his cheek.

“It’s your big day,” Downing said softly. “Although you’re probably not as excited as I am.”

“You could use a scrub,” said Hideki.

He smirked. “Washing my hands of you will have to do.”

“I cleared my schedule for this,” said Hideki. “Let’s get on with it.”

Downing nodded, clearly relishing this. Elle stood behind him and off to the side with her back to Tosh and Co.

“Hideki Yamamura, the Authority Council of Dome Six has heard the evidence against you and finds you guilty of sabotage and theft. For these crimes, the Charter prescribes death by Quietus. Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?”

“We both know who the real saboteur is,” he said. “It should be you standing here.”

Downing smirked. “Guards?”

The guards opened the outer door and shoved him inside the little room. The outer door had a small window but not the inner door. Dek turned back around to face out, trying his best to give Tosh a reassuring look. Byron had one arm around her and the other around Dee, who was scrunched up against him, crying. He gave them a wink.

“You guys won’t even know I’m gone,” he said.

“Wait,” Downing said. He stepped forward into the antechamber and stretched one hand out toward Hideki’s neck, his fingers tracing his hemp necklace down to the ring that dangled down behind his shirt. “What’s this?”

He thought this might happen. He couldn’t let on how important it was or Downing might rip it from his neck out of spite. Then he’d be dead.

“It’s just an old bearing ring I found among my father’s things. I’ve had it since I was a kid. Ask anyone.”

Downing turned the ring over in his hand and rubbed it with his thumb. “In other words, it belongs to us.”

“Let him have it,” Elle interjected. All eyes flew to her. “We’ll get it later.”

Downing was at least as surprised as Hideki to hear from Elle. Whether it was some kind of gesture Hideki couldn’t have said. Downing looked at her, then searched Hideki’s eyes for a moment before finally tucking the pendant back behind his shirt. He patted it and smirked.

“Fine. Speaking of dear old Dad, you be sure to say hi for me.”

He backed away. One of the guards closed the door to the antechamber, leaving Dek alone. The door behind him clicked and swung open and he stepped inside the small, square room. It was exactly as Owen had described — literally a cement box, as befit its nickname. He turned back one last time, long enough to see Downing’s face through the thin window in the outer door. Downing raised his hand to the window and waved, and an electric motor engaged. The inner door began to slide shut.

As the gap in the door narrowed, Hideki had a very odd feeling, like a mild current running through his body. For a fleeting moment, he worried that the device around his neck might have already depleted its tiny battery, which was at least as unreliable as any other battery-powered things in the Dome. But then the door sealed, and the silence was as absolute as the darkness.

Watching Hideki disappear behind the heavy inner door of the Box was like a dagger to Tosh’s heart. She wouldn’t know for hours if his little device protected him like he said it would, during which time she was expected to teach as usual. If he survived, IDA would know the moment the door opened, and the Authority would move heaven and earth to keep him quiet.

It was maddening to have learned so much but know so little. She knew her parents disappeared in the same place her father had gone just days before. She knew that whatever happened there troubled him greatly, and that Downing almost certainly gave him an eraser Macro as a result. She even knew what Elle had done — or more to the point, what she hadn’t done — to cement her place in the Authority, and that she now felt just as trapped as anyone else.

The question was what to do with all this new information.

She stumbled out of the Quietus Center with Byron’s arm around her and Dee’s hand clinging tightly to hers. Tosh’s recent classroom discussions had Dee and Vi pretty keyed up about the Authority. Even Byron was aggrieved about Dek, but she couldn’t tell him the truth just yet. Not until she had a concrete plan.

Byron hugged her goodbye outside and left for work, saying he would come by at the end of the day. Tosh and Dee took their time walking down Rad 2 back to School 2, about a kilometer away.

When they reached the door to the classroom, Tosh was reluctant to open it.

“What’s wrong?” asked Dee.

“I can’t do it,” she said. “Not today.”

“Sure, you can. You do it every day,” Dee encouraged. “Come on.”

Dee pushed the door open and all eyes swung to them. Randy was mid lesson, failing to notice or care that everyone’s eyes were glazed over again. The students sat up hopefully upon seeing Tosh and tried to read her face.

“Everyone continue with the reading,” Randy said. “I need a quick word with Ms. Yamamura.”

He strode purposefully over to her, passing Dee as she returned to her seat. Tosh backed out of the door and waited for him to come through. He eased it closed behind him and pulled her over near the wall.

“What are you doing?!” he hissed.

“I just watched my brother die. Now I’m just waiting for you to stop talking so I can teach my class.”

“I see. And what do you intend to teach these children? Because I know it’s not the approved curriculum.” Apparently, her detour from the Authority gospel had thrown flags after all. They must be watching her every move now. “You want another monitor in here?”

“I engaged them, Randy,” she replied, blinking away the tears that had started afresh. “I’d think you’d want the same thing.”

“And you think you know better than the Authority.”

“Look around you,” she said, gesturing grandly. “How much longer do you think we’ll survive here? Ten more years? Twenty? What happens to those kids if they can’t think for themselves?”