The Dome

It has been seven days since everything I knew and loved had been taken from me. Since the village I was born in was burned to the ground. Since my mother pulled me into our shack and sent me on my quest for the Dome.

The panic on her face and the tears in her eyes were still burned into my memory. I could still smell the smoke of the burning timbers when I thought of it.

“Take this.” she pleaded. “The world must be reborn, and this has the power to do so. You must find the Dome.”

I did not know how to respond.

“Please Tokken, you must hurry.” she continued. “All questions will be answered when you find the dome.”

It was at that moment the pounding started on the front door.

“Tokken!” my mother called.

“Yes. Mother, I hear you. But what is the Dome” I asked.

“There is no time.” she said between the thundering of boots on the other side of the door, placing something in my hand. “Tell me you will do this. The fate of humanity rests on your shoulders.”

I nodded once.

“Yes. But what about you?” he asked.

“I’ll fight them off as long as I can.” she said as she made her way to the storage closet on the other edge of the kitchen. She pulled the door open and removed a loaded pack, tossing it to me.

“Take that. It is loaded with some provisions. Enough for a week. Maybe more if you ration carefully.” she explained.

I watched her in total shock as I pulled the pack onto my shoulders. This could not be happening, I thought.

“Take this as well.” she said as she tossed a leather wrapped bundle to me. I recognized the hilt of the short sword as soon as I laid eyes on it.

“Hurry Tokken!” she snapped.

With shaking hands I unraveled the twine that held it within the bundle, studying the scabbard that encased the deadly blade it contained. I had often fantasized about wielding this blade, riding off into battle with my steed against the savage raiders of the North as my father did before me.

“Take this as well.” she said as she walked towards me with fathers service rifle.

“There are rounds in the pack for it. But only use it when necessary. It is rather loud and may attract the attention of the Remnant.” she said as she gently placed it within my hands.

I stared at the weapon with my mouth agape.

“Tokken.” my mother said calmly.

I raised my eyes to meet hers.

“I love you son. If I had more time to explain, I would. But there is no time, you must go.” she told me. “Now. Go. Seek the dome.”

That was the last time I saw my mother, or the rest of the village for that matter.

Since then I had walked what must have been hundreds of miles, camping only when I could no longer force myself to move forward. When I could no longer stand the silence of my own thoughts.

This day, however, that would all change.

It was midday as when I first came upon the boot prints. One set was large and the circular imprint next to them may have indicated a walking stick or cane. The next set was smaller in size, but I had not honed my tracking skills well enough to determine whether either set was male or female.

I doubted they belonged to the Raiders, for they used wheeled machines and horses and only went on foot when necessary. It could not be the Remnant, they only left their dusty tombs at night or when something drew them out. That and they were typically barefooted.

My only other conclusion was other travelers, but to what purpose? Were they other survivors from my village? Monks from the temples of the east? I knew the dangers involved, but I was consumed with grief and loneliness and desperate for human connection. So I quickened my pace. My mind raced with the thought of companionship, consuming it to the point where I lost my focus and walked right into the stock of a hunting rifle. I recall the white light upon its impact then falling onto my backside. I lay there staring at the sky for a moment before a shadow fell over me. That was the moment I saw her for the first time. I recall staring into those deep blue eyes at that moment. Her hair was contained under a leather cap save for a single red strand.

It took me a second to realize there was a rifle only inches from my face.

“I said who are you, and why are you following us?” she said as another figure approached. Much older and hunched over, his face covered with the wrinkles of many years that too few in this world get to see.

“Calm down Lyla, he does not bear the marks of a raider clan and is clearly not a remnant.” the old man, who I would come to find out was named Raymond, said as he grasped the top of the rifle and tugged it away from my face.

“We are strangers here, grandfather. How do we know he will not bring us harm?” she asked.

“I see it in his eyes,” he replied. “But tell me young man, why are you out here?”

“I seek the Dome.” I replied.

“See, he shares a common goal.” Raymond said.

She growled her distaste, but offered me a hand after a moment.

I then told them of my quest, to find the Dome and seek the help of the Ancients. The old man was more than willing to walk with me, and after some convincing, his granddaughter reluctantly agreed. As we walked, I felt the despair I felt earlier begin to dissipate. Even just being in the presence of others was enough to calm the storm within my heart.

It was then I found out that Raymond was a historical scholar from a settlement to the south, who sought the Dome for research purposes. He told me wild tales of the time before the Ending, where the once great nations of man destroyed each other over some archaeological discovery. He told me of the sky towers and flying machines, and other wonders of what he called technology. He then explained that the Dome may contain answers to the world's problems. As night fell and we made camp, his granddaughter finally began to speak to me. Turns out her parents were also taken by raiders two summers before that. We talked late into the night before sleep finally took us. Over the next several days we journeyed into the wilderness, each day our discussions filled the time between campsites, and I almost forgot the horrors I had witnessed just two weeks before. Although one night I awoke from a night terror where I actually witnessed my mothers death. I awoke screaming, only realizing after I shook away the fog of deep sleep that Lyla was cradling me, telling me it would be okay.

I told her about the night the Raiders attacked my village. She told me the tale of her own parents' demise at the hands of the Remnants near her home village, and said she barely escaped.

The next two days we walked closer than usual to each other, which was comforting.

On the third day we saw a massive white dome. As we approached, we saw the remains of what must have been a great battlefield. Raymond told me the ancient metal statues and wheeled machines were once weapons of war. He also identified specific helmet structures from various factions adorning the skeletons of the fallen soldiers. He said it was a marvel the Dome was intact. As we sought an entrance to the Dome I saw what appeared to be a thick metal post next to one of the walls bordering the remaining defensive walls. As I drew closer I saw there was a shape in the post that resembled a heart.

I instantly remembered the small pouch my mother had given me and fished it out of my pockets. I carefully opened the drawstrings and dumped it’s contents. It was a small heart shaped pendant of sorts. I placed it into the slot. Just then the door appeared and opened into the dome. I called the others over. As we entered lights began to shine over the spotless white surface of the walls and floors. Raymond laughed in triumph as he ran forward, seemingly unaware he was not using his cane. We laughed as we followed the old man. We passed room after room, but something seemed to call us into the center of the dome. Before we knew it, we had entered a grand chamber of sorts, vast in size. The lighting on the walls resemble circuitry.

“What is this place?” Lyla asked as we spun to study the details.

“This is my home.” came a hollow toned voice from some unknown source. Me and Lyla raised our rifles.

“Please, do not be afraid. I am only here to serve my purpose.” the voice said.

“Which is?” asked Raymond.

“Restore the world to its proper order.” it replied. “Once someone inserts the key I can begin the process of restoration.”

“Restoration?” I asked, thinking back to the night of the raid.

“Yes. During the peak of the Last Great War, it was discovered that the world's systems as a whole were beginning to fail. Whether it was the after effects of ongoing pollution or fallout from the weapons being used by various nations was never determined. In light of this, one of the nations pooled its scientific resources together to develop a solution. Thus, Project Rebirth was born. After several years of struggle the Domes were developed. The technology contained within them would be able to spark an event that had the potential to breathe new life into the atmosphere and through the process of engineered pollination that would restore crops and other plant life to their natural cycles and promote growth. Also, contained within this facility are samples of animal life that have long since left this world, and could be repopulated.” it explained to us.

“Sounds too good to be true.” Lyla said.

“It is true, miss.” the voice spoke again.

“If you have that power, then why not activate it? Why not restore this world before now?” Raymond asked.

“Because what power I have in creation, I also possess in destruction. At the end of the war when word was spread about the project, various military factions sought to control the Domes for their destructive power. Most of them were destroyed from within, the scientists not wanting the technology to be placed in the wrong hands. My creator, however, thought there was hope for mankind, and gave the key to his granddaughter in the form of a heart shaped locket. He believed when the time was right, it would return here. Now, tell me, which of you possesses it?” it asked.

“I do.” Tokken answered.

“Then the power lies with you. You hold the power to restore this piece of the world, and in time, the rest will follow. Or so it is hoped.” it said.

“And the rest of the world?” Lyla asked.

“Unfortunately, the dome's effective range will only cover this land mass. The others will remain the same, though with time, it can be restored as well. This is just a spark.” it replied.

Tokken stared at the locket, in thought.

“Alright.” I said. “Let's do it.”

“Excellent.” it replied. “Just place the key in the pedestal, and it will begin.”

Just then, a pedestal rose from the floor with a heart in its center.

I placed the locket in, and watched as the Dome breathed life into a dying world.