Results tagged “history” from City Eternal

We were seven hours into our trip. It was two o'clock in the morning, but I couldn't sleep, so I joined Michael on the upper deck to keep him company. He seemed to appreciate it, as nights were typically a lonely time for him. I leaned on the railing, letting the wind blow through my hair. We were making good time so far, having traveled nearly a hundred miles already. If the wind continued to cooperate, we could be there in a week.

Thanks to the lift system as well as the ship's natural water faring ability, we could take a direct route over the great lakes. We hadn't reached them yet, but I was overjoyed at the thought. The ocean water near the refugee camp was treacherous to put it mildly, so I couldn't help but imagine how beautiful the calm waters of the lakes must be.

The scenery so far had been drab. We occasionally came across remnants of towns and cities. Trees too, but they were exceptionally rare. The harsh elements, dark days, and significant wind across the planet had killed and eroded any plant life, except for the occasional hardy grass or weed. All of that, while depressing, was nothing compared to seeing destroyed villages, where signs mentioning evacuation areas and bunkers littered the roads. I could only imagine the number of people who had died trying. Over the hundreds of years that had gone by, erosion had left little for us to cherish of the old world, but also served to protect us from the horrible scenes after.

"Makes you wonder what life must have been like back then, doesn't it?" Michael asked.

"Peaceful, I would imagine."

"Call me crazy, but I'm somewhat glad I was born into this post-apocalyptic Earth. Not the Earth that was."

"Why?"    

"When you're born with so little, you learn to appreciate making do with what you have. But for those who lived during the event, it must have been deeply traumatizing. Having your perfect life ripped away from you in an instant? I can't imagine living through that."

"We're not so different. When I was pulled from my family, taken into the genetic farm, I was traumatized as well," I pointed out.

"You're right… I guess we do share something with our ancestors, in that regard."

"I don't think anyone's ever asked… how did you end up in the farm?" I asked curiously.

"I was in a hospital, suffering from a severe viral infection. One night, when I was asleep, they whisked me away. At the time, the farm was little more than your typical lab. They told me they had found a cure for the virus. I don't know what they gave me, but at first, I did feel better. But as I got better, I was more aware of what was going on. I soon realized I was trapped, and I wouldn't be seeing my parents again. They convinced my parents that I had died, and that my body was being disposed of to avoid contamination. After that, well, you know the rest."

"Their choices never made sense. Why were we selected?"

"I don't think we'll ever discover the answer to that."

"What do you think we'll find out there, in Wisconsin?" I asked after a brief pause.

"Unless those records lied to us, there's probably another dome out there."

"Do you think they're friendly?"

"I don't know. You're being really inquisitive tonight, is something wrong?"

"Just a bad feeling. But it's been with me for a while now."

"What's that?"

"Ever since we made it out of the dome the last time, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was only going to get worse."

"Just relax, we're not in any danger out here. You should try to get some sleep."

"I know," I replied, but stayed where I was.

I ended up staying with Michael the whole night.

The next day greeted us with a magnificent "sunrise". The clouds seemed thin that day, almost peeling away to reveal the sun itself. Although the dark dust in the clouds dimmed out the color, it wasn't hard to imagine what it must have looked like before the event that ruined the sky. Jon was the first up that morning, still in his pajamas.

"Mornin'" he called to us with a yawn.

"Bit cold out here to be walking around in PJs, don't you think?" I reminded him.

"Meh, a little cold air in the morning wakes you up!"

"Surprised to see you up, figured you'd be the last."

"Oh, Sienna's up too, she's been doing her hair for a while now. Told her it was pointless due to all the wind up here, but she insisted. What is it with you women and your hair, anyway?"

"I guess some of us don't enjoy looking like death warmed over in the morning," I joked.

"You don't look so hot yourself there miss!"

"Oh, thanks." I said with a glare.

A week passed, of peace and quiet. I mostly kept to myself, watching the dim rolling hills and plains of stone and sand. Lake Erie turned out to be just as amazing as I imagined, with an amazing thunderstorm off in the distance crashing down on the lake. We spent our time playing cards, swapping childhood stories, and going over the possibilities for what we might see in Wisconsin.

On the first night of our second week, I was rudely awakened to the ship violently swaying. I was tossed out of the bed and onto the cold steel floor. Slowly pulling myself up, I heard warning alarms blare over the PA system. I rushed my way up to the top deck, emerging into violent rain and winds. The ship shook again, as the lift system attempted to keep the ship upright.

I didn't know a thing about how to pilot this ship in such nasty weather, so I ducked back underside to figure out what was taking the others so long. I found Jon and Sienna next to Michael, who was sitting down, eyes closed, with a cable running to the ship.

"What the hell is he doing, sleeping?" I yelled over the roar of the storm.

"Pretty much, we can't wake him up! He must've shut down his systems to charge faster." Jon replied.

"Jon, you need to get your ass up there, this storm is going to kill us if someone isn't flying this thing," I commanded.

"Okay, I'm on it," he said loudly, and scurried up to the top deck.

"Michael's the only one who knows how to get out of this storm," Sienna told me.

"Have you tried unplugging him?" I asked.

"Is that a good idea? What if it turns him off for good?"

The ship moaned loudly and tipped dangerously far on its side. We grabbed whatever was closest and held on, trying not to fall over again.

"Well it's either that or we crash and burn at the hands of Jon's piloting!" I called back to Sienna.

She sighed loudly, and grabbed the power cable. I grabbed it as well.

"On three," she said. I nodded. "One, two, THREE!"

The plug came out cleanly from his back, and we closed the door. Michael suddenly snapped awake.

"What the hell are you two doing? You could have damaged my charging circuits!"

The ship rolled violently once again, tossing Michael to the floor.

"What the hell was that?" he asked in shock.

"That would be the reason we woke you up! The weather outside is crazy! The ship apparently can't compensate, and Jon's not doing too well either." I informed him.

Michael clambered up to the top deck, and we followed reluctantly, stepping back out into the wind and rain.

"About time you woke up, Mike, I can't get the stupid sails down! The ship's sail controls are locked up, and I can't manually override it!"

Michael pushed Jon out of the way of the control panel, and he typed furiously, attempting to fix the problem. I grabbed onto the rail, trying not to fall over, and looked up at the sails. They were starting to fray at the corners from the incredible stress, threatening to tear completely. The wind changed directions without a moment's notice, and the ship couldn't align the sails fast enough.

"It's not locked up; the stress is so high on the gears that they can't move. I'm going to initiate an emergency detachment of the sails." Michael told Jon.

With that, Michael punched in the code, and the sails suddenly disengaged, disconnecting from the masts. They swooped over the deck, the mainsail just barely passing over my head, and were carried off into the storm by the wind. The ship seemed to sigh with relief, as the lift system relaxed, no longer fighting the torque placed on them by the sails.

"Everyone below deck, there's nothing left to do now but to ride this out," Michael called out.

We all hurried back under, and rushed to our rooms to change into some dry clothing. After that, we joined Anna who was sitting in the den, comforting her as she gripped the couch's arm so hard that her hands turned white.

We rode out the storm for the next few hours in the living area, the wind rocking us just enough to keep us from attempting sleep. Jon and Michael discussed the issue with the sails, while Sienna tried to comfort Anna.

"The ship's computer says the gears still aren't moving…" Michael called over to Jon from the interior controls.

"You mean it wasn't just the constant stress?"

"I think the gears are stripped, actually."

"Can I make some new ones?"

"Probably, but we can't get to them. You'd have to melt down the whole mast and internals to get to it."

"Without understanding how that stuff's pieced together, there's no way I could just melt that down and back together. This isn't good."

"I know."

I walked over to Michael, and put my hand on his shoulder.

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

"Well, we're only about 100 miles away now. Without sails we have two methods of movement: the jet and the lift system. The lift system is abysmally slow, it maxes out at around 2 miles an hour over land, and it can't sustain movement for extended periods. The jet engine on the other hand maxes out around 50 miles an hour on this ship, but has limited fuel. If I optimize the jet's speed for maximum fuel efficiency, around 35 mph, we're looking at about 300 miles of range. We only had a month's worth of food to start, so even if we start back right now, we'd be cutting it really close."

"Then we keep going and hope there's a dome in Wisconsin where we can stock up and repair." I explained.

"Well, that is an option, yes…"

"No, that's what we're going to do." I demanded.

"Wait a second, I'm still captain of this ship, it's my decision!"

"That's fine, I'll go by myself then," I said, storming off towards my room.

"Oh, and how do you plan on crossing Lake Michigan?"

"I'll swim of course."

"Even with your speed, you'd die of hypothermia, or cramp up and drown before you got to the other side."

"Fine, I'll go around. It'll only take me a couple extra hours at full tilt."

"Oh for the love of… why do you want to go so bad in the first place?"

"Because they might have answers, Michael."

Michael ran his hand through his hair, obviously aggravated with my stubbornness.

"Okay, we'll keep going. It'd take you months to find it without the ship's scanning equipment, anyway."

I flew through the hallways of headquarters, finally reaching the camp side. I burst through the entrance to the stairs, and climbed as fast as I could. What floor was he on? I couldn't remember. I checked every floor starting at 100. Finally, breathlessly, I burst through the door where the culture festival had occurred. The area had changed rapidly since then; most of the decorations and booths were now gone. But the one building that mattered most still sat there. I ran up to the entrance, when I noticed it was dark inside. There was a note pinned to the frame of the entrance. I looked at it, and saw it was addressed to us, everyone who had visited that day. It read as follows:

I regret that I must leave, but I have overstayed my welcome. I hope that our talk was fruitful, and that you all find what you are looking for. If you are reading this it means you must have realized that everything I said was the truth. My intent was not to deceive. Hopefully my motivations might become clear at a later time, but for now all I can do is wish you all luck. I wish that we might meet again, but I hope that we do not.

I will leave you with one last piece of advice: do not trust your past experiences. The basis by which we live our lives now is a farce. I hope the truth will become evident in your travels. I am sorry I cannot explain further, but I pray you will understand soon enough.

Fisher

P.S.: Please keep watch over Anna.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? I ripped the note from the frame and stuffed it in my pocket. Michael needed to see this.

I sat on a bench outside the restaurant, and gave my poor legs a chance to recover. After a few minutes, I fell asleep. I was rudely awakened hours later by a phone call. It was Michael.

"Yukari, we're almost finished down here, you need to start packing. We leave in four hours."

"I found a note at Mr. Fisher's place. You need to hear what he said."

"Bring the note with you when you come down. I'll read it then."

"Okay, I will. Can't believe we're leaving so soon."

"I know, seems like we were just finally settling back into routine around here. Welcome to the RDF," he chuckled.

"See you soon," I said.

"Make it quick," he replied, hanging up.

Four hours later, I was in the docking area, baggage in hand. I saw Anna and Sienna sitting against the wall at the back of the dock. I walked over to meet them.

"Hey Yuki!" Anna greeted me, jumping up and hugging.

"Ready for your trip?" I asked.

"Yep! Mikey and Jon are getting the boat."

"Gotcha. Where's Tobias? Is he not coming?"

"No, he's going to be our contact while we're traveling, keeping track of our route and keeping a close eye on us," Sienna answered.

I pulled Anna off of me, and we sat down next to Sienna. We talked about Anna's schoolwork, Sienna's job, and the task ahead. For once I felt excited, instead of scared. We were going to travel to someplace new, somewhere no one around has gone. It was hard not to be excited.

An alert played over the PA system, announcing the docking of a ship. We looked to the docking bay door, and saw a large ship approaching.

"That's it! That's our ship!" Anna called out.

"What? That big thing? No way," I said exasperated.

"Yes it is! I can feel Mikey and Jon!"

"A little overkill, isn't it?" I asked.

"Jon practically begged the general to allow us to use it. That's all I know," Sienna replied.

"Great," I rolled my eyes.

The ship sailed in, narrowly avoiding the top of the giant gateway. It was a mammoth in comparison to the other small boats in the docking area. It featured a single TURING cannon on the rear of the ship, but also had the distinctive extended railings of all the City Eternal military ships. No doubt they were mad about missing this one. Also near the back was the second navigation pod. Besides that, the only other thing that came off the deck was the large room in the center, which I assumed led under the deck. The whole ship was a dark metallic color, but this room actually had windows. Windows were a rare sight, most ships didn't have any at all, for added protection. I immediately recognized that this ship was indeed special, even among other ships of its size.

As the landing gear took the weight of the ship, the docking bay grew quiet. I hadn't realized, but the ship's lift system was actually audible. A testament to its size and weight, for sure. A steep stairway extended from the side to the ground, and Jon peaked his head out from inside.

"Well, you guys going to just sit there or are you going to check it out?" he called.

Anna took off like a bolt. Sienna and I followed her, actually interested in this new toy of theirs. It had a majestic feel to it, something truly epic. We climbed up the steep stairs into the cabin. Inside it was far more spacious than I imagined. Pipes and machinery ran along the ceiling and various walls, but much of the cabin itself was open. The stairs led up directly into a bathroom with a shower. Beyond that was a kitchen. The oven was small but functional, and there was a large sink and a microwave as well. Cabinets lined the walls wherever they could be placed, while soft lighting gave it a surprisingly homey feel.

Immediately next to that, with an open counter separating them, was the living area, with wrap-around couch circling a low table. It had enough room to seat all of us comfortably. Past it was the stairwell, which went both up on deck, as well as below deck. The ceiling above the living area and stairwell was raised, providing space for the only windows on the ship. It let in a lot of light, and really made it feel less cramped. It was amazing how large the ship felt from the inside.

Along the opposite side of the kitchen, there was a simple pantry closet. Next to it was the navigation room. That room had many monitors and controls, and also contained the various computer devices needed to run the ship. The engine and lift systems were further below deck, but this room was still loud. Luckily it had a thick door to keep the noise out of the living area.

Michael lead us down the stairwell, to the next floor. The ceiling was lower here, to the point that Michael had to duck his head down to avoid banging his head on various pipes and cables running along it. There were five rooms total down here. Michael explained that him and Jonathan would share a bedroom, as he didn't sleep. The other three bedrooms were for us girls, which I was happy about. The final room was originally two rooms by the look of it, but were merged into one large living area, much like the one above.

Before we headed back up, Michael pointed out that the stairs continued downwards. Below the bedrooms was the engine room, where the jet engine and lift system was held. He mentioned that Anna was the only one who could actually stand upright in there, as the bottom deck was short and cramped.

Just before we headed back up, Jonathan and a couple of dock workers came down from above, carrying our luggage. I thanked them for the help, and we settled into our respective bedrooms. Once we were unpacked, Michael called from above over the intercom, informing us that we were about to get underway. I hurried out of my room up the stairs to the surface deck, and joined the others in saying goodbye to the refugee camp.

Anna waved vigorously to the crew on the ground, and we began to float out of the hangar. Michael handled the navigation this time, instead of allowing the autopilot the honors. Tobias also arrived at the last second to see us off.

"I'll be in constant contact, and monitoring your progress! You guys be careful!" he called out to us over the hum of the lift system.

"If we get lost, it's your fault!" Jonathan yelled back, laughing.

The ship emerged from the hangar, and proceeded to unroll the sails. It unfurled a magnificent main sail, which looked far larger than I thought possible. Once it had opened and grasped the wind, a headsail also began to open near the front of the ship, displaying the RDF insignia. It wasn't the first time I'd seen it, but I hadn't really paid attention to it before. The insignia featured three men placing a flag on top of some rubble. Michael walked up next to me, as I continued to look at the sail.

"That insignia came from an old photograph, from before the apocalyptic event. We're not sure when it was taken, but it was very inspirational. The RDF protects what we've built from the ashes and dust of the old world. It's fitting, don't you think?"

I nodded.

Michael walked back to the ship controls, and received final clearance for departure from the camp. The sails caught a strong gust, and the ship lurched forward out of the camp. I looked back at the camp one last time. My gut wrenched; it felt like this was the last time I'd see the camp. I could only hope I was wrong.

Weeks went by without much excitement after we made it back. Sienna was able to pull the glass shards out of my hands, and they were feeling much better now. Jonathan though, spent much of his time in and out of the hospital, recovering from his injuries. Michael was able to repair his batteries to working order. Once Michael was better, Tobias joined him in helping the RDF analyze the data we retrieved from the dome. Sienna herself was fine, of course, but she was so busy I barely had a moment to chat with her.

That left Anna, who had returned to school. She was far beyond her age in intelligence, so she was placed in the high school. It was challenging for her, which was good, because it kept her mind off of our recent mission. She enjoyed it though, and that made me happy to see. She was growing up rapidly, and I wanted her to enjoy as much of her childhood as she could.

It seemed though, that I was alone. Everyone else had a job to do. I did my best to keep tabs on everyone, and to check in on Jonathan's progress each day. I tried to help the RDF where I could, but I was just in the way. I eventually decided to head topside and do some walking, to clear my mind.

I walked out of the hangar doors, and ran out away from the hustle and bustle of the RDF's various nightly activities. Moments later I reached a rocky hill on the outskirts of the camp, and plopped down. Looking up into the ink-black sky, I imagined I was looking at the stars. It was the one thing I missed from the dome; at night, the false ceiling displayed a beautiful rendition of Earth's old night sky. I couldn't believe that at one time, hundreds of years ago, this rocky cold desert was once a great city. I'd long since forgotten the name, but the dome's name, City Eternal, was certainly a tribute to the majesty of what had been. I continued to lay there, but I wasn't able to sit still. I was restless, so much was running through my mind.

Who would have thought it would have turned out like this?

I fiddled with my new running shoes, tightening the strings. The shoes were specially designed for me. At the speeds I could run at, the average shoe couldn't withstand the impact. More importantly, it tore my feet up terribly. So I had two pairs created. The running shoes I had with me, which had less traction (if the shoes had too much traction, I couldn't slide, and trying to stop at 60 miles per hour without sliding was a painful and long endeavour) and more support were perfect for high speed. The other pair was for more parkour-style running. They had better grip, especially in the toes, where the sole contained a special no-slip grip that allowed me to travel up walls and slick surfaces much easier than I could otherwise.

I pulled myself to my feet, and took off running, full out. Without a real destination in mind, I decided to make a large loop around the outskirts of the camp. The wind whipped through my hair, and pounded my chest, as I forced myself to go as fast as I could manage. I felt like an animal that was finally released from its cage, given the opportunity to run free without restraint. It was the first time I was truly allowed to run in the open air, without be scared or angry. Just peaceful.

My sprint around the camp was short lived, it only took me about ten minutes to reach exhaustion. But when I finally collapsed to the dirt again, I felt happy, for the first time in a long time. Too tired and too uninterested in heading back, I pulled my jacket closed, and watched the dark clouds roll by once more, as I drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, I wasn't sure just how long, my phone began to ring. It startled me awake, and I quickly pulled it from my pocket.

"Jon, what's wrong?" I said breathlessly.

"I should ask you the same! It's 3AM, where are you?"

"Outside, taking a nap."

"Outside? Are you crazy? It's dangerous to just leisure about up there!"

"Seems pretty safe to me," I replied, confused.

"Will you get your butt back inside before Michael has a heart attack? He's practically ready to form a search party for you!" Jonathan said exasperated.

"Okay, okay! I'll be down in a few minutes."

Hanging up, I let out a deep sigh. It seemed my peace had run out for the day. Still, I came away from the time feeling refreshed, and I thanked God I had the chance.

Another month passed. Jon's injuries had finally healed, and the RDF's researchers had finished analyzing the disk. Jon, Sienna, and myself were called down to meet Tobias and Michael in the war room to discuss the findings. Jon and I were official members of the RDF now, complete with our own badges, so obtaining access to the war room was uneventful. Once we arrived, Michael had us take a seat at the table, while he turned on the projector. The table already had many other officers of the RDF seated. General Ratkins walked in moments later, with Tobias and Sienna directly behind. Tobias joined Michael at the front of the room, while Ratkins and Sienna joined us at the table.

"To begin, our research team has finished their work on the data disk obtained from City Eternal. We've processed every last bit, and unfortunately, what we found was sparse. It seems we were had."

"What do you mean, 'had'? We pulled that straight from their stupid computer!" I yelled, angry at the wasted effort, the pain and suffering we endured.

"It seems that the information contained within the CARMEL system was not quite what we expected. Very little of the military's documents and data existed in the system," Michael informed us.

"Then we went in there for no reason, what a crock of shit!" Jon yelled.

"Don't get too excited. We were able to obtain one small interesting piece of information. This was pulled from their dock itinerary of the past month," Michael said, pressing a button to advance the presentation.

On the screen was an activity list for City Eternal's external docks. Anything that went in or out of the city was listed there.

"We were most interested in this section," Michael added, highlighting a small part of the log.

The log seemed to talk about various military equipment coming in through the docks.

"This record shows an incredible amount of military equipment, far more than we ever speculated existed. Not great news. However, this log also had one other bit of detail to reveal to us," Michael spoke curiously. He eliminated the rest of the log, and zoomed in on a specific area of the military equipment record.

The record said, "Wisconsin Dome".

"Wisconsin Dome? What does that mean?" an officer in the back asked.

"That record reveals the origins of the equipment coming from the docks. This equipment here came from a place called the Wisconsin Dome, possibly the location of some military exercise. The research team was puzzled by the name, so they looked into it. Wisconsin, it seems, was a name of one of the 50 states of America, this country. Wisconsin's borders are far east of here, beyond the Appalachian Divide," Tobias explained.

"We're not sure what to make of this, but the research team seems to believe, and I concur, that this Wisconsin Dome is another dome, just like City Eternal's. We've heard much speculation about the existence of other domes, but City Eternal has had plenty of time to modify historical record, so it's not surprising that they could keep this a secret."

"So what if this is another dome, what does that mean for us?" another officer asked.

"Well, it could either be another area City Eternal controls, and uses for their military. Or, more likely, it's a dome that City Eternal is fighting," Tobias replied.

"If they're fighting City Eternal, then we could use their help," Jon said.

"Right you are, which is why I want to send a ship out to investigate," General Ratkins said, as he rose from his seat. "We've been lucky so far. Based on these records, City Eternal has more than enough firepower to destroy us without a second thought. But if they are at war, then it would explain their general disinterest in our various activities. And if they are at war, we need to talk to this Wisconsin Dome, if City Eternal hasn't already obliterated it. Michael, I want you to organize a small team to travel out east and find this Wisconsin Dome. If they're friendly, organize an alliance, and if they're not, report back immediately."

"I've already started preparations, I hope to leave tonight."

"Good. Take whatever supplies and equipment you deem necessary. This could be the breakthrough we've been waiting for," General Ratkins smiled.

"Okay, everyone, meeting's over. I'll be talking to each of you later to discuss our plans. Don't go too far," Michael instructed.

I couldn't believe what I had seen. Everyone else had begun returning to their stations throughout headquarters, but I was still planted in my seat. How could another dome go unnoticed for so long? And then I was reminded of Mr. Fisher. He said something during our meeting months ago, about the possible existence of other domes. Did he know something we didn't? I had to find out.

"Michael, I'll be back in a little bit. I need to look into something," I said anxiously, and took off for the door.

The dome drew ever closer. I zipped up my hoodie, and took one last look at the direction of the camp. I could just barely make out the glow of lights in the sky. Looking off to the left, I could see the trashlands, aptly named for being the dumping site for the city. It was hard to believe that this very ship came out of there. After diverting my eyes from that eyesore, I once again found myself staring at the dome.

My gut was wrenching terribly. Just the thought of going back there was making me ill. But if this information we retrieve could give us the upper hand, I had to try. There was no sense hiding; sooner or later they would be after us.

Then the moment finally arrived. We reached the dome. Alongside the boat, there was a massive gate, one of the many disposal gates. Michael came up from the cabin, followed by the rest of the group. He walked over to a small panel on the guardrail adjacent to the dome, and pressed a button. The rail lowered, and a platform extended over towards the gate. Michael took the initiative and walked across to the gate.

"Everyone ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Jonathan replied for everyone.

We walked across the platform in single file. Michael took one last look at us, as if to silently acknowledge that there was no going back now. He then touched his forehead for a moment, and the ship began to retract its platform and sail away to its preprogrammed destination.

Michael then began to study the gate. He looked up and down and all over.

"Something wrong?" Sienna asked.

"Well this is odd… I thought there was an access panel here." Michael said quizzically.

"You mean you're not sure we can even get inside? We did all that planning and preparation and we can't even get in the door?" Jonathan snidely replied.

"I was just through here last week, the panel should be right… here!" Tobias said, slapping a panel on the wall.

"If that's true, then let's see what's behind that panel," Jonathan suggested.

Tobias backed away from the metal panel on the wall, and let Jonathan approach. Jonathan then placed his hand on the panel, and it began to glow white hot. Seconds later, a hole appeared in the panel, revealing an access panel.

After Jonathan finished with creating the hole, Michael walked up to it and looked inside.

"Jon, you idiot! You melted the access panel! I can't do anything with it now!"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," I said exasperated.

"Fine, I'll just melt the entire bloody gate down, how's that sound?" Jonathan said agitated.

"No! No, don't do that. Not unless you want the entire city after us." Tobias cautioned.

"So what the hell are we going to do now?" Michael asked, eying Sienna and myself.

"Don't look at us; you guys were the one that planned this operation, you think of something!" I said defensively. I wasn't about to be blamed for their fuck up.

"Why can't Michael just use the access panel's wires?" Anna suddenly suggested.

Jonathan, Tobias, and Michael then looked at each-other with such a priceless dumbfounded look that I'll never forget it.

"You… you think you could do that?" Tobias asked Michael.

"I guess so… I mean, I've never tried it, but in theory…"

Jonathan reached in through the hole and carefully pulled out the remains of the access panel. He flipped it over and disconnected a cable from the back of the unit.

"Looks like a typical etherwire cable, you have a connector for this don't you?"

Michael nodded and reached under his shirt behind his back. He pressed something, and a panel opened. Jonathan took the cable and attached it to him.

"Ugh, that's disturbing on so many levels," I said, cringing.

We all stood there for a few moments as Michael worked his magic. He seemed to be concentrating rather deeply about what he was doing.

"What the hell? Tobias, I thought you said this area was going to be empty!" Michael said unexpectedly.

"I did! Is there someone inside?"

"There are two maintenance guys inside according to access logs. I'm trying to find them on surveillance."

I looked over at Jonathan. Sienna put her hand on Anna's shoulder and held her close.

"They're three floors above. We need to get in now or we're going to miss our window." Michael said.

"We're waiting on you!" I reminded him.

As if to shut me up, the gate lurched into action. While the entrance slowly widened, I took a peek inside. Inside was a dank dark hallway, and it smelled of fuel and trash. Certainly fitting of a disposal gate.

We waited for Michael to detach himself from the wall, and we stepped inside. He pressed a few buttons on the gate's access panel, and the gate slowly closed behind us.

"I'm never going to get the smell out of my clothes," Sienna complained, shaking her blouse and holding her nose.

I didn't notice from the outside, but there was the sound of machinery off in the distance. Although it was nearly pitch black now, I could see some lights at the end of the hallway. Tobias took the lead and we slowly followed. As we drew closer to the lights, I noticed that the area ahead seemed to be a sortation center for the trash.

"Someone… no… many people… are coming here!" Anna suddenly yelled.

We turned around to look at Anna, who had one hand in Sienna's, while the other was holding her forehead.

"The men are looking for us, I think… they're confused but determined…"

"We need to hide then, and fast," Tobias warned.

Jonathan suddenly ran ahead and pressed his hands against a wall.

"Jon, what are you doing?" Michael asked.

"There's a vent here. I'm going to open up the wall so we can hide inside, and seal the wall back up behind us."

"That… that will work," Tobias accepted, caught off-guard by the idea. "Here I thought we'd have to run like hell."

Jonathan concentrated on making an alcove in the wall for us to hide in. Anna continued to monitor the mysterious men. Michael tried to jack into the area's security system to look them up. Tobias stood behind Jonathan, apparently amazed at his handiwork. Sienna knelt down next to Anna and was talking with her about the men. I felt left out, and just stood around looking like a dork.

"I've found them on the security cameras. We don't have much time, Jon."

Jonathan simply nodded, not breaking his concentration on the wall. I walked over and stood beside Tobias, watching Jonathan form the inner room behind the wall. At this point, he climbed inside the newly formed hole, and created the small alcove where we would be waiting.

"Jon… you need to hurry," Sienna said. "Anna said that the men seem to have noticed our presence here."

"Alright, it's done, but it's going to be really cramped. Everyone inside!"

Jonathan ushered all of us inside, with him being the last to go in, to seal off the entrance. Slowly the small alcove grew darker and darker. We all kept readjusting, trying to find a comfortable position inside. Anna was the only one lucky enough to have enough space to sit down, while the rest of us were forced to stand or lean on whoever was closest.

Not a moment too soon, Jonathan sealed off the entrance, and we heard the sound of footsteps.

"Sir, we're picking up some strong heat readings down this corridor."

"Trace it to the source, and don't you dare lose them!"

"Yes sir!"

The footsteps grew louder, and it was now evident that there were a significant number of soldiers in the hallway. In the pitch black of the alcove I couldn't see the others' faces, but I had a feeling they were just as uneasy as I was.

"What the hell?" One of the voices outside exclaimed.

"What's wrong, Sergeant?" Another replied.

"The heat readings just stop here. There's no trace of where they went."

"Damn it! We're not going to lose them. I want a full search of the area conducted. Leave nothing unchecked. I don't care if it takes us all night, you hear? You know how concerned the General has been about the break-ins recently."

"Y-yes sir! You heard the man, split up and tear this place apart!"

The sound of footsteps scattered, and we all let out a small sigh of relief.

"Everyone just keep quiet, we're not in the clear yet," Michael said softly.

We kept still and silent for what seemed like an eternity. I do know it was at least a couple hours. My knees were on fire, and it was becoming incredibly stuffy inside. Michael kept us informed on how their ridiculous search was going, and finally gave Jonathan the signal to break us out of this prison.

Once the hole was large enough, we practically spilled out of it. We all immediately crashed to the ground, except for Michael who chuckled at our misfortune.

"Ha ha very funny, Michael," Sienna said snidely.

"What? It's not often I get to flaunt my metal knees!" He said laughing.

After we composed ourselves and were able to stand again, Tobias led us down the corridor and out of the sortation center. It was well into night time now, so the streets were clear of people. The city was much like I had remembered it from years ago. Although this was the industrial district, which surrounded the outer edges of the city, there were a few restaurants sprinkled around, as well as a hospital. The streets were spotless, with bleached white concrete. Cars were rare in City Eternal. Most people either employed the use of the public transit systems or rode around on motor scooters, and because of this most streets featured large walkways.

The buildings were new construction as well. It was easy to tell when a building was new at a glance. The new buildings all used new metal and glass construction, giving them a clean, open look. Older buildings, such as the hospital, used the bleached concrete like that of the streets, which was much cheaper and more plentiful to produce at the time.

Although there were a lot of factories and plants in the industrial district, it was nearly indistinguishable from the inner city skyscrapers. The government focused heavily on the look and feel of the city. They passed numerous laws governing the design and construction of various districts, to ensure that regardless of their purpose, they would all have a unified theme, of City Eternal.

I had to admit, being back inside the dome, and seeing the clean city streets, gave me a feeling of being home. The nostalgia quickly waned though. Putting my hands in the hoodie's pocket, I continued to follow Tobias.

We managed to make it the requisite five or six blocks without being noticed, before Tobias brought us to the old underground entrance. Jonathan stepped up to the rusty, reinforced steel door, and melted away the locks. Michael then shoved the door open, exposing us to a dark stairwell. There wasn't a single light in the stairwell, and I couldn't see the bottom.

Tobias reached into his pocket and retrieved a flashlight.

"Ready for some urban-style spelunking?" he asked.

"As long as it doesn't smell," Sienna replied staunchly.

"Can't make any promises," Tobias said with a grin.

With Tobias once again leading the group, we traveled down the stairwell. Jonathan brought up the rear, stopping to seal the door up again after we were all inside. Once the door was closed, we stepped down the stairwell a few floors. The stairs didn't loop around like typical stairwells did; they simply went down in one line. After a short while the walls ended, leaving only railings and the stairs themselves. For a moment I thought I could see some spots of light in the distance, but I thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me. Certainly this underground area couldn't be that vast.

Tobias then stopped us on the stairwell and briefly shut off the flashlight.

"Let your eyes adjust to the darkness, and you'll see why I mentioned spelunking," he instructed us.

Michael, who obviously didn't need any time to adjust his mechanical eyes, was the first to comment. "It's… incredible. I had no idea this was all under the city."

After a minute of standing there, my eyes finally adjusted to the dark, and I could make out what Michael was referring to. The reason I couldn't see the stairwell is because it was so amazingly long. Traveling down for what I guessed was at least 50 or 60 floors, the stairwell was dropping us right into the center of a massive underground city.

"Welcome to the old City Eternal," Tobias said.

It was an amazing sight. We were only seeing a glimpse of the top of this underground city, and already the scale was massive. The buildings seemed to go straight to the center of the Earth. I could spot the tram system we were heading for on a platform off to the side of the stairs below. It was only one of many such systems connecting the buildings, all suspended hundreds, if not thousands of feet above the ground.

"There's not much we know about this old city. What we do know is this old city was scrapped in favor of the new one built above. We're not sure why the government chose to rebuild directly on top of these remains of the old city, but we believe it might have something to do with the lack of resources. Rebuilding on top of the old city saved a great deal of work creating a new dome, and there was already a reliable water supply.

We think that this is where the first refugees hid. However, it became far too dangerous to live down here. Buildings are in disrepair, and are constantly falling apart. Food is scarce, meaning they were forced to travel to the surface city regularly. The last real activity down here was when the refugees were forced out by the government after they caught on. Many thousands were left outside to fend for themselves, leaving us with the refugee camp as you know it today. An interesting factoid: our impressive power system was stolen from this very city. The government came down one day to retrieve it, and it was no longer there. The bastards went ballistic once they figured that out." Tobias explained.

As we continued to walk down the stairs, I couldn't help but look around. Above was a sky of metal, much unlike the holographic sky projection the surface city used. Immense beams and poles stretched from the ground and the sides to suspend the new city above the old. I couldn't imagine the engineering required to hold such incredible weight spread over such a large area.

Although the city was mostly dead, there were a few areas that still had light, areas that seemed to be relics of the construction of the new city. I really hadn't imagined things. The place was cold and damp, and with the sight of steel everywhere, it certainly felt like a cave. But those lights calmed my nerves, reminding me that regardless how lifeless this old city may seem, there was still a connection to the "real world".

Finally, after scaling down the stairs for what seemed like an eternity, we reached the platform for the tram system. The tram sat upon a large single rail, and featured two open-air cars. We each grabbed a seat as Jonathan and Michael went to work on trying to get the ancient thing running.

"The rail system should have power according to the reports Tobias gave us. It's just a matter of getting this thing up and moving." Jonathan told Michael.

Michael fussed around with the control panel for a few moments, obviously confused and frustrated. Then suddenly the tram lurched to life… for a second, and then went silent again.

"The blasted lift engine won't come start!" Michael yelled to Jonathan who had stepped off the tram and was looking under the front car.

"This engine is rated for 12 amps, what are the rails supplying?" Jonathan asked.

"8 amps, just like all the power systems up on the surface." Michael replied.

"Figures. It'll run on that, but it's going to take more than 8 to get it started."

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" I asked snidely.

"Shut up and sit down Yukari, last thing we need is some of your lip." Jon replied annoyed. I laughed.

After doing some strange electrical rigging with capacitors or something that I didn't really understand, Michael was ready to give it another try. Jon jumped back onboard the first tram car.

"That should do it, charge the capacitors and try it now."

Michael pressed a few buttons on the control panel, and the tram car lurched again, but this time remained floating just slightly over the rail.

"Alright, we're up! Time to get moving. Next stop, the CARMEL datacenter!"

The tram jumped a couple times, obviously stiff from decades of disrepair. But to the credit of her original engineer, the thing did move smoothly once it was up to speed.

"It'll take us about 10 minutes to reach the platform where the datacenter is. Just sit back and enjoy the view." Michael informed us, like a true tour guide.

I was more than happy to take the time to give my legs a break. Anna looked to be enjoying herself, as she kneeled on the bench in the back and looked down at the expanse below us. Her hair was whipping strongly around her head and she had to constantly push it out of her eyes and mouth.

Sienna was a bit smarter about it, though, and was allowing her hair to flutter behind her in the breeze. She closed her eyes and seemed to just try and find some peace in the rather hectic day so far. I only wished I was able to relax as she was.

For whatever reason, Jon and Michael were bickering over something pointless about the tram, while Tobias was looking over his notepad. I never really paid attention to it before, but I seemed to remember Tobias checking his notepad regularly. The leather-bound notebook had seen better days, as it was faded and falling apart in places. It didn't seem to bother him however, as he continued to write in it.

As I wondered about what Tobias could be writing, he looked up and closed the notebook.

"Michael, we're almost there, try slowing the tram down gradually so we don't make too much noise. I don't want to trip any alarms when we arrive."

Michael nodded, seemingly happy to finally break away from Jon's endless debating. He walked up the control panel, and pressed a couple buttons.

"Uhm, are we even slowing down? You don't have to be that gradual." Tobias remarked.

"Jon!" Michael yelled abruptly.

"What?!" he replied.

"We don't have any brakes!"

Over the course of the following days, Jonathan and I acquainted ourselves with our new home. Sienna took me shopping, of course, and I made amends as best I could with Jonathan. More importantly, however, we were educated on the new RDF espionage mission that we would be partaking in. There was a lot to learn, and unfortunately time was running out.

On the following Sunday afternoon, we arrived at headquarters to go over the mission plan one last time. Tobias was there, this time. He had been conducting his own espionage on City Eternal prior to the mission. Tobias was unique on our team, in that he was the only one without an ability. However, this did not limit his usefulness. Tobias was one of only a few members of the RDF that had retained possession of an active citizen ID card. As far as City Eternal knew, Tobias was an ordinary man living out an ordinary life as a baker. His identity would be key to the team getting inside, without being noticed.

"Alright, so let's go over this one more time," Michael said, pulling up a presentation on the mission plan.

Tobias walked over to the screen and pointed at the RDF's fourth defense line, the top of the camp.

"This is where we will depart. We have the 'Aeris Mk II' prepared to take us to the dome. Once we arrive, the ship will navigate to a preselected hiding spot in the trashlands." Tobias instructed.

"After we arrive, we will break in through this disposal system. According to Tobias's latest report this disposal system should be inactive for maintenance. Since we will be arriving during the night on a Sunday, the area should be rather bare." Michael continued.

"Unfortunately, breaking into the dome is probably the easiest part of the plan. From there, we will need to quickly locate the old tram system in the lower levels of the dome. If we're lucky, the system will have power, and we can ride it to the inner city district. If we're not, we'll have to walk along the line. In either case, we need to follow this tram line. I have discovered that, according to the schematics I was able to dig up, that this line should run directly past the maintenance shafts for the CARMEL (Computer Aided Residential/Metropolitan Electronic Library). The library system is where we'll be able to gather our information." Tobias explained.

"The CARMEL is more than the citizen information network, it is also used by the military for all of their records. Of course, getting to that information takes a bit more than a citizen ID card. Using the maintenance shaft, we should be able to access the system directly, which with my computer expertise, should allow us to obtain the information we need." Michael said.

At this point the General stepped up to the screen.

"And this is where we predict it will become the most difficult. Regardless of Michael's abilities, we're sure it will not take them long to discover that their system has been breached. You'll need to escape from there as quickly as possible. We can't plan for all the contingencies here, however I highly recommend you avoid taking the tram path back, unless it's powered up and operational. Tobias should be able to assist you all in making a quick escape." the General informed us.

"Once we make it out of the dome, Michael can wirelessly signal the ship to return. After that, we'll be in the clear." Tobias said.

"My only worry is, what if we are split up?" I asked.

"I've designated this location," Michael said, pointing at the map on the screen. "It should work to our advantage. It's a restaurant located on the outskirts of the inner city district. Lots of people who won't ask questions. If you get separated, try and find your way there."

"Now, remember each of your assignments on this mission. Anna, your ability will be vital. You need to keep your senses open so that you can warn the others if someone is coming. Stealth is the key." The General instructed.

"Yukari, you'll need to work closely with Anna. If necessary, you'll need to silence anyone who might notice us, before they have a chance to alert the military." Tobias said.

"Michael's job is rather obvious. You will be responsible for breaking into the various security systems that the city employs." The General said.

"Right, and I should be able to obtain a more detailed map of the area once we're inside." Michael added.

"Sienna, your job will be a support role. You and Anna should stay out of any conflicts that are going on. After all, if you are hurt, you can't help the others." Tobias pointed out.

"Jonathan, you're going to be my right hand man. If there's something blocking our path, I'm going to count on you to clear the way. You'll also be the weapons expert, although I hope it does not come to that." Michael said nervously.

"Finally, Tobias, being the most experienced member of the team, will be leading the way. You all will need to listen carefully to what he tells you to do. He knows his way around the city, and he's been an excellent spy of ours for many years. Don't get him killed." The General said with a smirk.

"Yes, please, don't," Tobias added. "I like being amongst the living."

"Beyond that, I believe we've covered the essentials. Working with Tobias and Michael this week we've tried to ensure there will be no surprises, but there is limited information available. Obviously this mission hopes to change that. You are to embark at 2100 hours tonight. I recommend you all head up to the 'Aeris' now, and prepare. We will be establishing full radio silence once you undock."

I nodded to the General, and looked at Michael. He grabbed a few papers from the table, and led us to the elevator. We were pretty silent up to this point, but Anna looked rather nervous.

"Anna, it's not too late to back out. We can handle this ourselves." I assured her.

"No, you guys need me with you, I can do it. I know you all want to protect me, but I don't want to be protected. I want to help."

"Even so," I explained. "There's no reason you can't stay here."

Anna shook her head and stood up tall. She was determined to go, although it did not calm my nerves. I still didn't think she belonged on this mission, but no matter how many times I brought it up, I was always shot down.

Finally we reached the top floor, and exited the elevator. Tobias led us down a couple halls until we reached a doorway to the outside. Once outside, I noticed we were still under some cover, of a large open-air hangar.

"Oh wow!" Jonathan said suddenly. "These are some serious ships! I didn't know we had this sort of fleet available."

"These are our prized possessions; the finest ships captured from the dome's military," Tobias explained. "We will be taking the smaller one down at the end."

Tobias pointed to a ship that resembled the one I had boarded the day I escaped the dome. However, I could tell it was thinner and had a larger mast.

"The Aeris Mk II is a Dasher-class recon boat. She's not armed, but she is the fastest ship in our fleet on sails. She's equipped with numerous sensor arrays and communications systems that make her an excellent stealth boat. She can run quietly, and she will keep us out of sight." Michael said.

"The boat you all arrived on was the Aeris Mk I. She's the same class, but she hasn't undergone any of the performance renovations like the Mk II has." Tobias added.

I wasn't too particularly interested in the details, but Jonathan seemed to be hanging on to every word, as was his nature.

"That explains the thinner profile of the Mk II then," Jonathan replied.

Tobias nodded.

After we finished gawking at the impressive display of firepower, Michael handed the papers he grabbed earlier to the facilities manager.

"Ah, so you're the special ops team. We're just finishing up the fueling procedure." The manager said. "I will need those with boat licenses to place their right hand here and speak your name into the microphone.

The manager gestured to a scanning device on the table, and the microphone.

"We use biometric and voice authorization on the Aeris Mk II. In order to access the navigation system or central computer it will need to be authorized by one of those methods."

Michael, Tobias, Jonathan (who had managed to get his license only the day before), and Anna stepped up to the scanner, and followed the manager's directions. Once they were all processed, he ushered us over to the Aeris.

Pressing his hand on the hull of the ship, the hatchway opened and a small stairway extended.

"Welcome aboard the Aeris!" The manager said, gesturing us inside.

Michael, being the tallest of the troupe, climbed onboard. He then offered his hand to Sienna, helping her on. I picked up Anna, and Michael took her and placed her on the stairs. Then I grabbed his hand and lifted myself onto the staircase myself. Tobias and Jonathan followed. I could tell Jonathan was rather upset about being the last onboard, and he kept urging us to move faster.

After we climbed the stairs, we found ourselves in a hallway that seemed to run from the front to the rear of the ship, with another staircase at the ends presumably leading to the deck. I was rather surprised at the size of the ship on the inside. Although it was narrow, it was quite long. There were 3 bunks, a small kitchen and dining area (which I would later be corrected on as being a "galley and mess"), and what I assumed was the navigation controls.

Michael shuffled his way past us to the front and lead us through the hallway to the stairs in the rear of the ship. He then climbed the stairs, and opened the hatch to the deck. Once we made it up the stairs and out onto the deck, I took a deep breath. I wasn't one for close quarters.

Jonathan gleefully pushed past us now that there was enough space to do so. He noticed the various controls at the rear.

"What are those controls for?" I asked Tobias, who was now standing next to me.

"Those are the manual navigation controls for the boat, should the navigation system lose power or the computer goes on the fritz. They're pretty difficult to use."

Unlike Jonathan, I didn't have my boat license yet. Jonathan was able to simply take the test, but I needed to take some classes first. Up until now I didn't really have a reason to do so, since Sienna and I were the only ones who didn't have a license. My mind began to change over the time I was on the deck. I could feel the wind that was ripping through the hangar, and it gave me a feeling of freedom I hadn't felt in a long time.

"How come this one doesn't have a TURING cannon? The Mk I did!" Jonathan asked, obviously distressed.

"Our TURING cannons are in short supply, and since this is a special ops stealth mission, the need for armament is almost nil." Michael told Jonathan plainly.

Jonathan was disappointed, but the disappointment was short lived. He continued to bug Michael and Tobias about the various changes on the boat. I was growing tired of hearing his overenthusiastic attitude, so I walked over to the controls.

"How do you open the sail?" I asked.

"Here, I'll do it for you," Tobias offered. "Navigation, deploy the headsail and mainsail."

Suddenly to my surprise, a computer male voice responded.

"Deploying headsail and mainsail in stationary alignment."

Not so suddenly but still throwing me off-guard, a pole slowly extended from the mast. It sat about three feet above my head and extended out over the side of the boat.

"I never get tired of watching those telescoping booms," Jonathan said.

While the boom finished extending, I saw two sails beginning to unfurl from the main mast. A cable extended out across the front edge of the deck, pulling out what I assumed was the headsail. At the same time the mainsail opened up, the bottom corner being pulled along a track in the boom. It was certainly a feat of engineering; I hadn't seen anything like it. In 30 seconds flat, I was now looking at two amazing, large sails.

"Headsail and mainsail deployed in stationary alignment," the computer said, acknowledging the completion.

"Oh, that's amazing! They didn't just duplicate the sail plan of the Mk I, they added a headsail to make it a sloop!" Jonathan said excitedly.

"This isn't the full deployment either. It can deploy a second jig, a gaff, and a gaff topsail if necessary. This is what makes her one of the fastest sailing ships we have." Tobias said. "There is a downside, however. In case you didn't notice, this ship is only meant for a crew of three. Since we're only making a short trip to the dome and back, we won't need to make use of the facilities. This is why we're taking the Aeris out today anyway, instead of one of our larger vessels."

Tobias, Michael and Jonathan continued to discuss the various nuances of the ship's design, as Sienna approached me.

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" She asked.

"Not really," I admitted.

"How about you, Anna? You've been awfully quiet." Sienna asked.

"They're using a bunch of nautical words, and are talking about the kind of ship this is, I think," She answered shyly.

"So you're about as much in the dark as we are."

She nodded.

As the boys continued to discuss their new toy, my mind drifted to the impending operation. It seemed as though everything was happening so fast. I could barely keep up, I felt like I was constantly being dragged along. I just felt that we were rushing things, and I worried that we might not be prepared for what was in store.

Over the next hour inside, Michael detailed how we'd be approaching the dome and what to do in an emergency. The maintenance crew finished refueling the Aeris, and it came time for us to depart. For the occasion, we re-emerged from below deck.

"Navigation, authorize Michael McCormick," he requested of the computer.

"Michael McCormick authorized for the navigation system."

"Navigation, align sails for departure and plot course for City Eternal."

"Initiating sail alignment, course plotted. Winds from the east-southeast at 12 knots. Weather, fair."

The boom began to rotate along the mast, swinging the mainsail out to catch the wind. The headsail seemed to retract somewhat, as the cable moved along a track on the front of the ship.

"Navigation, proceed with unmooring and departure procedures."

"Powering up lift system," the computer responded.

A humming sound began to emanate from the bottom of the ship. Suddenly, the ship lurched and rose off the ground. At the same time, the ship began to slowly crawl forward out of the hangar.

"Lift system stabilized, retracting landing gear. Communicating intention to depart to traffic control. Traffic control acknowledges and authorizes departure. Landing gear retracted and secured."

I took a deep breath and waved goodbye to the maintenance crew below as we emerged from the hangar. As we moved further away from the hangar towards the camp's exit, everything grew dark. The sky was pitch black, not a star, nor the moon was visible. Only the lights of the Aeris and the scattered spotlights inside the camp offered illumination.

Only minutes later we reached the edge of the camp, and moved out into the open. With the camp behind us, we were shrouded in darkness. The only things visible were the random stations of the first and second defense lines, and of course, the dome of City Eternal looming off in the distance.

I took another deep breath. There was no turning back now. I looked over and realized that I had accidentally been squeezing Anna's hand rather hard.

"Oh, sorry Anna," I apologized.

"It's okay, I'm nervous too," she replied.

I had forgotten that she could feel our emotions. She must have been terrified. Then again, I think we all were, in our own way. Tobias, oddly enough, was probably the least concerned, despite having no abilities whatsoever to protect him. He had the experience, and an established identity in the dome. I'm not sure how I felt about that, but I knew he was on our side, and that was good enough for now.

Michael announced over the intercom that they were going to shut down the lights and begin radio silence, as the dome drew ever closer. The others went back below deck, but I remained up top. As the ship's lights turned off, I leaned against the railing along the rear of the ship, and closed my eyes. I took the band out of my hair, letting it fly loose. The wind was cold that night, and it whipped right through me. But I remained there anyway, enjoying the peace and quiet before the storm.

We talked for quite a while about the change, and what it meant for me. Sienna promised to do her best to teach me how to be more feminine. I promised to do my best, although I admittedly still was uncomfortable wearing the basics, much less being dressy and cute. I wasn't sure if it was because I simply hadn't had the chance, from living inside the genetic farm all that time, or if my male mindset was still holding me.

I was just starting to regain composure when I heard the door to Jonathan's bedroom open. Out he stepped, eyes squinted shut, as he stretched and yawned.

"Yaaahh… oh, hey Sienna, and g'mornin' Yuki." Jonathan said, rubbing his eyes.

"You! Out! Now!" Sienna suddenly yelled.

"Woh, hey, wha-"

"No talking, get out!" She interrupted.

"Uhm, okay? I guess I'll grab some breakfast at the cafeteria…" Jonathan said, puzzled.

"You do that," Sienna replied.

Jonathan grabbed a robe, threw on some slippers, and left the apartment.

"You know, Sienna, that wasn't necessary," I explained.

"We're not finished talking. I was thinking, maybe you shouldn't be staying here in the same apartment as Jonathan." She asked.

"I… well… I never really gave it a thought. We've been through so much together already as it is…" I replied.

"Yes, and you can't even so much as hold his hand. Don't you see the contradiction in that?" She pointed out.

"It's not like we're sleeping in the same bed or even the same room!" I cried.

"Yukari, listen. You're still seeing this from a guy's perspective. You've made it pretty clear that you see Jonathan as merely a friend. You see him more as a buddy, one of the guys, but you're not a guy anymore. Frankly, I'm not all that surprised he acted as he did, you're giving off incredibly mixed signals." She explained, thoroughly.

"Mixed signals? I'm not giving off any signals!" I said exasperated.

"So you don't find him attractive at all," She stated.

"Well, I mean, he's a nice guy and all, but I am a-"

"-A what, Yukari? A guy?"

I was caught off-guard by that, and sat still.

"I am not saying you should be looking for a relationship. You have plenty of time to decide on that. But you need to keep in mind that although you may feel, and even act masculine at times, you are a woman now. That is how people see you." She said.

After all this time I would've thought it would've hit me, but it hadn't. Whether I felt like a girl or not, everyone else saw me as one. I needed to be more aware of how others felt.

"What Jonathan did, was a mistake. But it was an honest one. He didn't know your feelings, because you hide them so much. Talk to him, explain how you feel, that you enjoy his friendship, but that is all you can offer right now. He is a nice guy, as you said. He'll understand." She explained.

"Alright, I guess I can do that," I replied, defeated.

"You do agree, right? I think he deserves at least a little bit of an explanation."

"I'll explain my feelings, but right now, my gender crisis is a secret, okay?" I clarified.

"I won't tell a soul," she assured me. "So, what's for breakfast?"

"I don't know, but Jonathan better bring back something good or he's sleeping outside tonight," I replied jokingly.

We both laughed.

"You know what? How about I help you put on something nice today. And maybe we can go shopping as well, for some better outfits." Sienna offered.

I accepted her offer readily, if for any reason then because it sounded normal, and that was something I really needed. Normality. I had to savor the usual, the typical, for I knew there wouldn't be many chances to do so.

The next morning, Sienna came by to visit. She had heard about the incident last night and wanted to see if I was alright. I reassured her that everything was fine, telling her that I was just not ready for anything right now, that I'm still under a lot of stress.

Unfortunately she didn't buy my story.

"There's more to it than that. Look, you've had a rough time, maybe you should go see the counselor." She suggested.

"A counselor? Oh come on, that's not necessary!" I pouted.

"Really, Yukari. I just feel like you haven't quite come to terms with what has happened, what is happening. I mean, come on Yukari, you bit at Jon for trying to hold your hand."

"I am not going to see a counselor. Jon just didn't know my boundaries. Now he knows. Everything is fine. Got it?"

"Yukari, are you sure? I mean, I'm worried about you. It's not even last night, so much as everything. You've always seemed a little stressed, unaware, and detached." Sienna said.

"Unaware? Detached? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Well, ever since the first time we met, you often neglected yourself. I'm not trying to come down on you or anything, but you don't really dress the part of a woman. Take now, for instance."

"What? What's wrong with how I dress?" I demanded to know.

"You're answering the door in a nightgown, Yukari," she pointed out.

I looked down, and realized I hadn't even given a thought to my clothes before answering the door.

"Okay, so I have some modesty issues. I'm not a perfect girl. Apologies for shaming the gender."

"That's more of my point, Yukari. It's almost as if you've never cared about anything feminine. To be honest, I was shocked you wore that kimono yesterday." She said.

This wasn't going down a path I was comfortable with. She was right about what she said, but it didn't mean I wanted to hear it.

"You know what? I don't care, okay? I don't need to be worrying about stupid stuff such as how my hair looks or if some guy is going to try and snap a revealing picture of me. I've got enough problems as it is."

Sienna, rather than responding, just put her arms on her waist, and looked at me intently. I stood there and glared right back at her for what seemed like forever. Finally, I sighed, accepting that she was right.

"Sienna… alright! Alright! I have things I need to talk to someone about. But I don't want to talk to just anyone." I finally admitted.

"Then talk to me. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?" Sienna offered.

"I… fine. I guess you might as well come in." I said, and gestured her inside. "I'll go throw something on."

She sat down on the couch, while I closed the bedroom door and grabbed a t-shirt and pants. As I dressed, I thought about what I was going to tell her. I had been keeping these feelings secret, bottled-up for so long, I wasn't sure I could. After I finished, I sat on my bed a moment, still trying to find the confidence to go through with it. I reasoned to myself, that if I didn't tell someone, it might come out some other way. I knew I wanted to be the one to reveal the truth.

I finally took a deep breath, pushed the ever-increasing nervous stomach cramps to the back of my mind, and walked back out to the couch.

"Yukari? Are you okay? You're crying." Sienna asked concerned.

I hadn't even noticed that I was crying before. I nodded, and sat down at the other end of the couch. She pulled out a tissue from her purse, and handed it to me. As I wiped the tears out of my eyes, she asked the loaded question.

"What happened to you, back at the lab?"

I sat there quietly for a moment, looking down at my hands. Hands that, for many months, I refused to admit were my own. I finally gulped down the last bit of uneasiness in my throat, and began to tell her everything.

Three years ago, I was taken by the government to be placed in the experimental genetics laboratory. They refused to tell me what I was doing there, or what they planning. After sitting inside a cell for a few weeks, only seeing guards and food service, I was taken by the scientists to their operating room. There, they forcefully drugged me and put me to sleep.

From what I remember, the operation lasted 16 hours. I however did not wake up until four days later. I was able to open my eyes, and speak, although I was still extremely confused and unaware of what was going on. At that time I didn't notice what had happened to me. The scientists informed me then that I had been subjected to a DNA adjustment operation, in hopes of enhancing various parts of me, including my speed.

It wasn't until the next time I woke up that they told me that I had reacted strongly to the adjustment, and as such my body's DNA had corrupted itself. Apparently this was a common occurrence among their patients, but the results are always different. In my case, they told me, my DNA had reformed to that of a female.

The second time I had awoken, I was still a bit hazy, so I hadn't noticed anything wrong. I hadn't spoken a word yet, nor bothered to summon the energy to sit up. Well, after hearing those words, the haze immediately left me, and I sat straight up. I looked at myself. My chest hadn't yet developed, but there was certainly something missing down below. I immediately screamed hysterically, pulling at my restraints and demanding that they change me back.

It was no use, however. Not only were they unconcerned with the side effects of the modifications, but they saw this as an opportunity to retrieve data on other uses of the DNA adjustments that they had not considered. My situation was hopeless, and I felt as if my life had come to an abrupt end.

Sienna, who had been intently listening to what I was telling her, suddenly spoke up after hearing this. I lowered my head in shame, waiting for her reaction.

"Oh my God, Yukari! I didn't… I didn't know!" she said tearfully.

I nodded, still looking down at my lap.

"I was too ashamed to tell anyone. Hell, I still am. But these feelings were much stronger then." I said sniffling.

I wiped my eyes again, intent on finishing my story before I became too choked up to do so.

After a few days of constant checkups and lots of sleeping, they finally released me into the testing center, where I would spend the rest of my time at the facility. That first night was hell. Jonathan, who at the time was in the neighboring cell, attempted to talk to me, to calm me down, but I couldn't. I finally stopped crying, but I had not come to terms with what had happened to me.

All I could think about is how shameful it was, how embarrassing it was, how perverted it was for me, a man, to be living in a female body such as this. It seemed unreal, as if I would just wake up and be back to myself again. I couldn't take it. I attempted to kill myself. I took a sheet from my bed, tied it to the lamp in the ceiling, and tied it around my neck. I then jumped off the bed.

Fortunately, I only passed out, and the knot came undone. The guards found me the next morning, and had me put on a suicide watch for a month. That didn't stop me from trying again, the very next night. I had stolen a razor from the bathrooms, and smuggled it back to my cell. I held it close to my wrists for what seemed like hours, but I couldn't do it. The guards finally found me, still clenching the razor, and had me restrained to my bed for the night.

Ironically, it was that night that I consider to be the worst night of my life. Unable to sleep, I was forced to come to terms with the events that had occurred the past week. Without suicide, there seemed to be no way out. I just kept dreaming about how I would live my life, if I were to continue on as a woman.

"Those thoughts that night still haunts me today," I told Sienna.

She sat still for a while, looking at me with a concerned, sad, and even analytical expression. She seemed to think for quite a while about what I had told her. I just sat there quietly, not sure how to continue. She soon spoke up, however.

"I think I can see how you feel, and having to suddenly live your life as a woman, after living as a man for so many years… but what I don't get is… it isn't that bad, being a woman, don't you think?" She asked carefully.

"In a matter of speaking, no. But I cannot control these feelings of intense embarrassment over what is essentially daily life for women. I take a shower, and I feel like a pervert. I get dressed, and I feel like a cross dresser. I feel so vulnerable all the time, so weak, it scares me." I said, opening my soul to her.

"Yukari… there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed for. You did live your life as a man for a full 17 years. But you are a woman now. You didn't choose to be a woman. It was forced upon you. Anyone could understand that. No one could seriously expect you to behave any other way." She explained, as she grabbed my hand.

"It still feels as if I am somehow… dishonoring, or making a fool out of the gender. I don't know what I'm doing. I've learned the absolute necessities through brute force. I don't even understand what my body is trying to tell me sometimes. And it just brings back the whole feeling of vulnerability."

"And how would you know? Do you think that if I were suddenly to become male tomorrow, that I would know everything men need to worry about? You'll learn! It'll take some time, but I'll help you in whatever way I can. Okay?" She reassured me.

I nodded.

"I don't know how to explain it really, so that you can understand. It's… scary being female."

"Scary? I guess I don't understand. What is scary about being female? It couldn't be your period, you've gone through plenty of those by now for sure! What else is there to be scared of?" She pressed.

"Like I said earlier, I think it's this overwhelming feeling of weakness." I said, attempting to put my deepest thoughts into words.

"Weakness? Wait, you mean physically! I think I get it now! You're not used to being so delicate and short! Having gone from a tall, presumptuously strong man… it must be hard to deal with." she said.

"I… I guess so."

"Cheer up then, Yukari! We women aren't so terribly frail as you make us out to be! We can do anything a guy can, given time and effort." she said with vigor.

I sighed. I had figured that another woman might better understand what I was going through, but Sienna still didn't quite get… it. Perhaps it was just something that was me, something unrelated to gender, that I couldn't expect someone else to understand.

Sienna looked at me for a moment. She seemed to realize that she wasn't quite on target.

"I'm sorry Yuki, it's just… this isn't the kind of conversation someone has on a regular basis. I am trying to sympathize, but it's hard to try and imagine how you really feel. You must be terribly confused, with male and female thoughts conflicting all the time, right?"

She did have that much correct. I didn't even know exactly how to describe what I was feeling, as many of my feelings were new to me. Especially now, having escaped that wretched farm, I found myself opening up to feelings I had blocked out.

"It's not just physical weakness," I said to her in a sudden realization. "It's mental, too. The new feelings scare me. I don't know when I will just suddenly break down, or get angry."

"Yukari, our emotions and feelings, especially our awareness, understanding, and acceptance of them… I feel that is what makes us female. Men have a terrible time understanding how we feel. Perhaps you're just realizing that. After all, women are simply more in-touch with who they are. Men, well, let's just say they aren't always with it." She said grinning.

I smiled a little. "You might not want to try the 'Girls Rule, Boys Drool' speech. I was a guy for the better part of my life, remember." I said, chuckling to myself.

"Maybe not," she replied. "But it did get you to laugh!"

It was then at that moment, that I realized I might actually be able to do this. To make it in this horrible, unfair world. To live the rest of my days, in femininity. I was still unsure of myself, greatly so. Sienna was the first step towards accepting my situation, and a major step it was. However, for now, I was going to give it a shot. For years now I had merely survived as a woman. Now, I could learn to live as one.

We sat and ate. It was the first time Jonathan and I had eaten a decent meal together since arriving. While it certainly wasn't amazing, I wasn't one to complain. Anna seemed to love it, however. As we ate, we talked about various things; the current state of City Eternal, the politics, how the camp was faring, the basics. Mr. Fisher seemed to lead the conversation, and I felt that all of this was somehow building up to something bigger.

After we had finished, he confirmed my feelings and jumped right into the heart of the matter.

"Yukari, Jonathan, I need to warn you about something. Something very serious." Mr. Fisher said uneasily.

"What is it?" Jonathan replied.

"Michael and I do not believe everything is as it seems with City Eternal. Your mission, Michael has told me about it. Based off my past experiences, I don't think that reactor is their target."

"But if that isn't their target, then what is?" I asked.

"To be straightforward, I don't believe they're after anything at all. I think they're just too preoccupied with something else to truly take care of us once and for all."

"Preoccupied with what? There's nothing out here," I stated plainly.

"Or is there? Think about it. I told you my story, of how City Eternal started. With as much as all the countries bickered and fought over the last remaining inhabitable regions, do you really believe that they finally decided on this one dome? Also, why would City Eternal devote so much time and effort into a full-fledged army when their only enemy is a camp leeching off their trash?" Mr. Fisher suggested.

"But if City Eternal isn't the only city, then… they could be at war with other domes!" Jonathan concluded.

"That is the first idea that comes to mind, yes. But you'd think we would have seen some real proof of this. I know the camp's technology isn't quite the best, but I think we'd know if there was a war being waged only a few miles away from us." Mr. Fisher said.

"Okay, so then what do you think it is?"

"This is actually Michael's idea. He believes that there is a war going on, but it's incredibly one sided, in favor of City Eternal. He thinks that City Eternal is running out of resources, and wishes to expand. Assuming the other domes were not prepared for war, it could be devastating."

"If this is true, then this is larger than just us," Jonathan said.

"Indeed. The General couldn't tell you in the war room, but this is the real reason they wish for you to infiltrate their military computers. This mission is to be conducted under absolute secrecy, and even the General doesn't know who to trust," Mr. Fisher said.

There were so many questions, and so few answers. I knew then that I'd be going on this mission. I didn't have a choice. If there really were other domes, other entire cities out there, I had to know. I needed answers.

"Will you be joining us on this mission then, Mr. Fisher?" I asked.

"Ah, eh, no. I may be a decent historian, but I am no combatant. I'd only slow you all down," He said, grinning at me as he said the last part.

"Funny. I guess I'll go on this mission then. Hopefully we'll get some answers," I said.

Anna, who had been pretty quiet this time, suddenly spoke up. I didn't expect her to really understand what we were discussing, but as I would later discover, she was not to be underestimated from her age.

"If you're gonna go, I am too. My mother is still in the city somewhere, we might find her!" she said enthusiastically.

"Anna, you can't go, you're too young," I informed her.

"Too young? You need me for this! I'll be useful, and I won't get in the way!" She insisted.

"She's right, Anna, your father…" he paused.

"My father what? Died? I know he died, you don't have to be all protective of me! I can take care of myself! And I think he would have wanted me to help mother," Anna said.

"You should probably reconsider, Yukari. She'll be under much better care staying with you, anyway," Mr. Fisher interjected.

We bickered over it for a while longer, but it was futile. I knew that had I not invited her along, she probably would have found a way to sneak along with us anyway. It still left me feeling concerned, and worried. It was probably an omen of things to come. With that, we decided it was time to go. After all, there was the Asian culture festival! We said our goodbyes, and ducked out.

Anna absolutely loved the festival. She dragged us from one side of the place to the other, making sure to burn every single coin we had been graciously given by Sienna for the event. Speaking of Sienna, she also came up and said hello to us while she was on break from the hospital. I didn't want to admit it myself, but by nightfall, I even found myself enjoying the festival.

At the end of the festival, Jonathan took us to this small grassy hill near the entrance. I wasn't quite sure what he was planning, but he had us sit down on the hill.

"Sienna said this is the best place to watch," Jonathan said suddenly.

"Watch what?" Anna asked curiously.

Jonathan just grinned at us and looked up at the sky, or ceiling, or whatever they decided to call it at that time. I looked up also, just in time to see the first explosion of a beautiful firework. A moment later I heard and felt the explosion.

"Amazing!" I said, in awe. I had only seen an actual firework once before, as a young child, back in the dome. "But how are they firing off fireworks indoors like this?"

"There's no smoke… so it must be artificial," Jonathan pointed out.

"I don't care, they're really really pretty either way!" Anna said.

It really was a wonderful spot. The buildings were not obstructing the view, and it was far away from the bustle of the festival. We continued to watch the fireworks for a while, when I suddenly remembered something.

"Jonathan?"

"Yeah Yukari?"

"I thought you said the festival was on the 30th floor," I said questioningly.

"It is, why?"

"Um, Jonny? We're on the 46th!" Anna informed him.

"No, I think you're confused," he replied.

"Uh, Jonathan, Anna pressed 46, I watched her," I said, defending Anna.

"Yeah, so what? Fine, I forgot what floor it was on. Everyone makes mistakes."

"So what? If we'd followed you we probably wouldn't have ever made it here! You've never had any sense for direction, you know that?" I boldly stated.

"Ah, shut up!" Jonathan cried.

Anna and I giggled for a while about that, as we continued to watch the fireworks. It was even more enjoyable without the smoke blocking the view and smelling up the place, I decided. I was thoroughly enjoying the final shots, when I noticed Jonathan began to shuffle oddly.

I didn't give it much thought, but then his hand started to move towards mine. I glanced down at his hand for a fleeting moment, not moving my head. Unsure of what he was doing, I hesitated. Then he placed his hand on mine.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled at him, yanking my hand away from him like I was burned.

"I… I was just…" he stuttered.

"Nevermind that, I know what you were doing, just don't ever do that again, do you hear me?!" I said furiously.

"Yeah, Yukari, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to both-"

"Well you did," I replied flippantly.

Honestly, my reaction was pretty unfair to him and was completely uncalled for, but I had my reasons for acting that way. Reasons I would come to terms with the next morning, to even my own surprise.

"Excuse me folks, but we're not open yet," a middle-aged man behind the cooking area said.

"Actually, we're just here to talk to Mr. Fisher." Anna replied.

"Fisher? You're looking at him." The man replied.

"Uhm, are you the only Fisher? I thought that Mr. Fisher was an old man," Anna ask confused.

"Nope, definitely the only Fisher," He said.

"Alright, Mr. Fisher. Are you familiar with a doctor named Sienna?" I asked.

"Sienna? Sure! Oh… you're the ones she was talking about! I'm so sorry, my mind forgets things easily nowadays." He said.

Mr. Fisher walked out from behind the cooking area and shook our hands.

"Pleasure to meet you all! I've heard a lot of things, all good I assure you! Haha!" he said, casually. "So, what brings you to my restaurant today?"

Jonathan and I looked at Anna. To be truthful, it never dawned on me to ask Anna why we came here.

"Well, Sienna thought it would be a good idea for us to learn about the history of the dome and us. She said you were the best person to ask." Anna informed him.

"Did she now? Well, I'm not sure whether I should be honored or insulted! But I guess I'll ignore that for now, for old time's sake."

I wondered just what kind of old times Sienna and Mr. Fisher could have had, since she only escaped to the camp a year earlier. I didn't bother to ask right then, though.

"Well, if you want to hear the story of City Eternal, you might as well take a seat," He said, directing us to the stools in front of the cooking area.

As we sat down, Jonathan spoke up and asked, "So why does Sienna consider you to be so knowledgeable in the history of the dome?"

"Well, I guess that's a good place to start. I have an intimate knowledge of the history of City Eternal because I was there from its conception."

"That's impossible, the dome was built over three hundred years ago!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"Quiet! Are you going to listen to my story or are you going to psychoanalyze it?" Mr. Fisher replied, annoyed.

Jonathan apologized, and Mr. Fisher continued with his story.

"I used to be a scientist working at the US fission reactor plant. I wasn't high up in the ranks, but it paid the bills and the work wasn't too hard. Anyway, one day, I had just finished my shift. I was in the chamberlock, which was an airtight secure checkpoint between the inside of the plant and the outside. While they were performing the usual checkout procedure, there was a loud explosion and numerous alarms sounded off."

"You were there at the beginning of the reactor failure?" I asked, amazed.

"Yes," he replied. "After a few minutes, I heard an announcement that the emergency egress hatches had been opened. Unfortunately for me, there were no hatches in the chamberlock. I was trapped. Minutes continued to pass, and I could hear the sound of the uncontrolled fission reaction eating away at the infrastructure of the plant. There were a few more loud explosions, and finally a part of the chamberlock gave way, allowing me to escape."

"I ran my ass off to the parking lot. There was hardly a soul in sight, everyone had already taken off. I looked back for a moment, feeling the immense heat of the reaction. That's when the reaction finally hit the fuel deposits at the bottom of the plant. Those idiots could have prevented such rapid destruction if they had followed the emergency guidelines. Those fuel deposits were supposed to be neutralized in case of a reactor failure. Instead, in the heat of the moment, they were left alone. As I was running, I heard a rumbling. Rather, I felt a rumbling, deep in my chest. It shook me right to the core, and made it hard to think. I looked back again, to see the color of the reaction change rapidly. I knew then it had hit the fuel deposits. In the next instant, I was hit by a massive shockwave of air from the rapid increase of heat."

"I'm not sure how, but I woke up a few hours later, miles away from the plant. I was lying on my back, all my clothes burned off, but my body was in perfect condition. The radiation from the fusion reactor had given me eternal life. That, my friends, is how I can tell you this story better than anyone else," Mr. Fisher said, with a shallow smile on his face.

"Eternal life? That's impossible!" I said in disbelief.

"Impossible? Aren't you the one with superhuman speed?" he replied with a wink.

"I, uh, right," I shut up quick.

"Anyway, after the explosion, the country was a mess. And that wasn't all. The other reactors similarly exploded over the next couple months. The uncontrollable reactions continued to grow, causing incredible devastation to the world, not just to the ground near it, but to the air, and the weather patterns. The sky slowly blackened with soot from everything burning. Temperatures dropped dramatically."

"So what did they do?" Anna asked.

"At first we thought the reactions would burn themselves out. But it became obvious that they no longer needed the fuel deposits to sustain themselves; they had become self-sustaining. The massive size of the reaction had enough surface area to draw material to burn right from its surroundings. The governments, what was left of them, formed a pact to destroy all the reactions with an experimental nuclear detonation." He explained.

"Nuclear detonations? How in the world would that solve anything?" Jonathan questioned.

"It was a bit ironic, looking back. The one thing we all were sure would result in our eventual extinction would come to be the last hope for our survival. Unfortunately, this last ditch effort was not without its own side effects. What would happen is the explosives would separate the reactions from the earth, which would remove the reactions' fuel supply. It took a lot of nuclear explosives to pull it off, but they were able to finally starve the reactions. By that time, however, most of the planet was a wasteland. What wasn't irradiated by the reactions or nuclear detonations was frozen solid from the cold."

"So that's when they built the dome…"

"Yes. And it wasn't a smooth political process either. Despite the fact that most countries were reduced to populations smaller than some individual US states, they all believed they deserved the right to the remaining world resources to build the new dome shelter. Months of bickering and more lost lives finally resulted in New York City being the prime location. Not because they agreed, but because it was the only place left on the planet that was hospitable enough to build such a structure. Their bickering had dwindled their options down to only one city. New York City, like most of the planet, was also frozen over, but it had the most building material that could be recycled, it was close to the ocean, and it wasn't too irradiated yet," Mr. Fisher explained solemnly.

"What? Politicians arguing even at the cost of human lives? Color me surprised!" I said sarcastically.

"So then the dome was built. But there's only one government now. What happened after the dome was built?" Jonathan asked.

"Hold on, there. That's a whole 'nother story. Let's leave it at that for now. There's something else I need to talk to you and Yukari about."

"And Anna?" I said, curious.

"Just you two. She can listen in but it concerns your future here at the camp, and the resistance." Mr. Fisher said ominously.

Jonathan and I nodded, and I rubbed Anna's shoulder.

"You want to go out and play some of the festival games?" I asked Anna.

"No thanks, I wanna listen."

"Alright then, it's settled. Before I start, could I interest any of you in some Monjayaki?" He said with a grin.

"General!" Michael called out in the direction of a scruffy old man in a suit, looking at the main display.

Who I assumed to be the General spun around, and seemed happy to see us.

"Ah yes, the specials!" the General said.

"The young lady here is Yukari Yamamoto. The blond guy with glasses here, he's Jonathan Camden," Michael said, introducing us.

"Nice to meet you," I said, shaking the General's hand.

"Always a pleasure to see a fine young woman here in headquarters," the General replied.

Jonathan shook his hand next and nodded.

"My name is General Ratkins, I'm the head of the Rebellion Defense Force here. Has Major McCormick informed you of the basics?" he asked.

"I have, sir," Michael responded.

"Good. Let's go into the war room and I'll let you know what we're dealing with at the moment," the General offered.

We followed the General down another small hallway in the back of what I would later discover was the situation room. He opened a door at the end of the hallway, revealing a small room with a conference table, and a single large display. The General motioned for us to take a seat, and we did. He then flicked a couple switches, and the lights dimmed in the room.

"The RDF, or Rebellion Defense Force, has the primary mission of defending this refugee camp from the continued attacks by City Eternal," the General said.

The display turned on, and provided an overhead map of City Eternal and the refugee camp.

"City Eternal, over the past few decades, has moved away from their old stance of leaving us on our own. They now desire a technology that we have developed."

The display changed, revealing what I assumed to be technical data on the reactor Michael had mentioned earlier.

"Now that we have something they want, they've begun to attack us. Unfortunately for them, they can't nuke us out of existence without destroying the technology, so they're forced to conventional warfare."

The display reverted to the overhead map, animating to show various attacks the dome city had unleashed over the past few years.

"However, in the past six months, their attacks have strengthened considerably. If they continue this trend, we could be in serious trouble soon."

The display continued to animate, showing how over the next couple months, City Eternal's military would have grown large enough to break through the camp's defenses.

"This is where you come in. We want to take this on the offensive. Unfortunately a frontal assault is not realistic, and looked down upon by the population, despite their resentment," The General informed us.

"Like I told you both a while back, we don't want to hurt the general population. We still hold the military organization solely responsible for what has occurred," Michael reminded us.

"Alright, then if we aren't taking the dome on directly, what are you proposing?" Jonathan asked.

"We wish to create a special task force to infiltrate the dome and grab a copy of their military database. With that information, we could create a better defense for ourselves, and more effectively predict their plan of attack," The General replied.

"And you want us to be a part of that task force," I finished.

"Exactly."

I looked at Jonathan, and then at Michael.

"Are you going to be on this task force, Michael?" I asked.

"Yes. Also, Sienna and our tactical officer will be going," Michael responded.

"I'm in. Anything to stick it back to 'the man' is fine with me," Jonathan said enthusiastically.

I hesitated. While I too wanted to exact some revenge upon those sick bastards back at the genetic farm, I also didn't enjoy the prospect of venturing back into the dome city I had only a day ago escaped from. To be caught again was something I don't think I could take.

Michael looked at me concerned, I think he could tell I was worried.

"Why don't you sleep on it? You've had a rough day as it is. We've still got some planning to do before we can move ahead with this operation, so you've got a few days to think it over." Michael offered.

"Okay, I'll sleep on it," I agreed.

"Wonderful then. I do hope you join us Yukari, we're counting on your abilities. Everyone's abilities, actually. It's the one advantage we have over City Eternal, and I am confident they won't ever see you all coming," The General said.

"Oh, trust me, they wouldn't see me coming," I thought to myself. I gripped my katana's hilt tightly, and began to walk out of the room, for bed.

When I got back to my room, I undid my ponytail and looked in the mirror. A weary face, with misshapen brown hair and half-opened eyes looked back. I looked like Hell, and felt it too. I threw a nightgown on, and immediately collapsed into bed again. I had a feeling tomorrow was going to be another long day.

When I woke up, I noticed I was in a bright room with curtains all around me. I laid there quietly for a moment, waiting for the fog to clear from my head. Finally I remembered what had happened, and unconsciously reached with my right hand toward the bullet wound in my shoulder. There was a small bandage there, so I started to lift it.

"Hey, leave that alone," A female voice said from behind my bed.

"Hmm? Who are you?" I asked.

The girl stepped out from behind the bed to look at me face to face. It was Sienna!

"Sienna!"

"Hey, Yukari. I'm glad to see you made it out!" she said.

"I'm just happy to see you again. It's been hell," I replied.

"Yeah, I bet it was. Well, it's all uphill from here!" she said, smiling.

I nodded.

"Your bullet wound is all healed up. Anna actually did the hard work. You were losing a lot of blood, so she had to remove the bullet and stitch it herself before you got here. She did a really good job, I think."

"Yeah, it feels better, for sure. She sure seems to know a lot for a 10 year old," I remarked.

"Didn't Michael tell you? She's one of those gifted children, she only needs to see it once and she knows it. I wish I had that sort of mental prowess. I've been teaching her some nursing practices the past few months. I'm just happy to see her first human patient was a success!"

"…First?" I asked nervously.

"Oh, yeah. She'd only done stitching and such on mannequins up till now. But like I said, she did a fine job!"

My stomach was starting to feel a little uneasy again. It seemed this was going to be a familiar feeling for me outside of City Eternal.

"So anyway, if you're feeling up to it, Jonathan and Anna are waiting to see you," Sienna said.

"Oh, sure."

Sienna motioned to the wheelchair at the side of the bed. I slowly lifted myself off the bed and wobbled over to the chair. I was shocked to notice that the bullet wound didn't hurt anymore. Sienna's healing touch was truly a marvel. I was still a little groggy, however, from anesthesia. After carefully lowering myself in, Sienna pulled the curtains and wheeled me down the room. I saw a bunch of new faces. Doctors and nurses, kids with broken arms, people recovering from surgery, it was just like any hospital I'd ever known. I was shocked.

"I have to admit, this wasn't what I expected when I heard about a refugee camp," I said to Sienna.

"To be honest, it's only a refugee camp in name. It's more of an underground city."

"An underground city?" I asked.

"Yeah, hard to believe, isn't it? We're quite a ways down, too. This city is built like a massive underground building. There's somewhere along the lines of 250 floors, of varying heights," She replied.

"250 floors? How many people are there here?"

"Over a hundred thousand, I think. There's generations of people here who've never seen the inside of City Eternal. The situation is far different than the stories you heard about back at the dome."

I was stunned and speechless. How could so many people have lived outside the dome, and for so long? How could I have not known about all of this? I took a deep breath. It was going to be a long day, there was a lot to learn.

Sienna took me through a few more rooms, and up a floor on the elevator. The elevator doors opened, and she wheeled me out to the waiting room.

"Hold on, I want to walk in," I said.

"Are you sure?" Sienna asked.

"I was shot in the shoulder. I'm not crippled." I snidely answered.

It felt good to be walking again. I walked over to the door, opened it, and saw Jonathan and Anna talking. They lifted their heads and once they noticed it was me, they jumped out of their chairs. Anna rushed over and hugged me, while Jonathan grabbed me and kept me from toppling over.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Yuki!" she exclaimed.

"Heh, me too. And thank you for helping me, Sienna told me what you did!" I said.

"So, your shoulder will be alright?" Jonathan asked.

"Yes, it is already," I answered.

I looked around the room for a moment.

"Hey, where's Michael?" I asked.

"He said he was sorry he couldn't stay, he had business to take care of. He wanted us to meet him tonight at the rebellion headquarters." Jonathan replied.

"You should get some rest, Yukari. I'll show you both to your rooms." Sienna said.

Sienna took us back to the elevator, and we rode up a good 25 floors.

"Now remember, this elevator is just for medical, don't be using it all the time. You're just getting a free ride today because I'm here." Sienna reminded us with a grin.

The doors opened revealing a small hallway. Sienna took us to my room first. Jonathan opened the door, and I stepped inside. The apartment was amazing! It had a large living area, a fireplace, an eat-in kitchen, and two bedrooms. It was furnished with some old, but usable furniture.

"How in the… wow! This is better than my parent's house back in City Eternal!" I exclaimed.

"You can thank Michael for that. He's pretty high up on the RDF's rank, so he pulled a few strings for you and Jonathan. I hope you two don't mind sharing it?" Sienna said.

Sharing? To be honest, the idea that the apartment would be big enough for two people never entered my mind. But now that I saw this place, I would feel bad not sharing it.

"We'll, uh, work it out," I said.

Sienna walked over to the kitchen counter, and scribbled some things on a pad of paper.

"I have to go," she said. "But if you need anything, this is my cell phone number. Michael's is on here too, although he tends not to answer it. There's a computer over there, it can answer any question you have about the camp. Don't forget to look up a map for the rebellion HQ; this place can be a maze sometimes."

"Really, Sienna, thank you. I hope to see you again, soon!" I said.

"Oh, you will. God willing I won't have any more emergencies today and I'll meet you all at the rebellion HQ tonight. Now get some rest, will ya?"

I smiled and waved goodbye as she shut the door.

Over the next few hours, Jonathan cooked up some delicious Mexican rice, and we devoured all the information the computer could give us about the camp, and its history. It told us about how the camp started, how they survived off the waste of City Eternal, and about the recent rebellion movement. I was most interested in how they continuously dug deeper with this camp, expanding it as the years went by. It started out as just a niche inside an old subway system, and grew over the many decades the refugees have lived out here.

It talked about how the camp operates as its own city, feeding off of the rubble of New York City, and of City Eternal. They adapted thrown away technology, processed waste for water, and recycled materials for construction. The service elevators were used to move materials and finished goods up and down the camp. A tram system connected the camp to the rebellion HQ, as well as the 5 defensive lines.

The defense of the camp seemed to be the highest priority. All incoming and outgoing materials and people had to be registered and logged. The five defense lines (of which two were contained within the camp's perimeter itself) circled the camp. To date, only once had City Eternal attacked the camp, without reasonable success.

It was a lot to devour, and we were only at the tip of a very large iceberg. After spending a good three or four hours staring at the screen, Jonathan and I decided to take a quick nap before heading off to meet Michael. I went back into my bedroom, turned off the lights, and instantly went to sleep.

The world is facing an economic crisis. The final drops of the planet's oil reserves are fiercely fought over, with prices skyrocketing. Up to this point the world's scientists had been unable to come up with a true alternative power source. Nuclear reactors were far too unreliable and dangerous. Solar power was much too weak. Alternative oil sources such as biofuel required more energy to produce than they provided. Even hydrogen fuel was a dead end.

There was only one remaining source of power that could provide the energy the world needed. Sometime in 2197, the world's scientists finally cracked the code to nuclear fission. The fission reactors were so powerful, that one reactor was enough to power an entire continent. It was seen as the saving grace for humanity. The world's countries joined together and worked to rebuild the power infrastructure to make use of this new discovery.

Everything was wonderful for a number of years. The reactors ran clean, the fuel was plentiful, and the system continued to meet the growing needs of the world. But then the reactors' output reached a ceiling. Scientists immediately went back to work to discover why no matter how much fuel was added to the reaction, it would not output any further power. Work continued, while the governments considered the possibility of needing to build more reactors, at a prohibitively high cost.

It didn't take long until one brilliant scientist devised a method of creating multiple fusion reactions at the same time inside the reactor. It was retrofitted to the reactor, and everything seemed to be fine. After a short while, the retrofit was added to all the other reactors of the world as well.

Long story short, that retrofit lead to the catastrophe. We're not quite sure exactly what happened from this point on, but apparently it caused an uncontrollable fusion reaction to occur. It began to devour everything around it, like something out of a sci-fi movie. One by one the reactors failed. The world was in panic, as everything was swallowed up by these out-of-control fusion reactions.

The governments and scientists worked together and came up with one last idea to stop the reactions. Using the few remaining nuclear weapons, they were fired at the fusion reactions. Everyone knew it would result in devastation, but it was deemed necessary in order to save the Earth from being removed from existence, devoured by these man-made suns. It seemed fate had played a cruel joke on us; we were about to bring ourselves into a nuclear winter, not because of war, but for survival.

The nuclear weapons worked as planned. They counteracted the fusion reaction, puffing it out similar to how a flame dies without oxygen. Hot mass and radiation exploded for over a thousand miles in every direction, on every continent. In a matter of days, the world's population dropped from 9 billion to 150 million.

The world leaders (those that survived) met together, joining together and appointing a new world government. Everything that survived the explosion was gathered together in the one place that seemed to have survived the most, New York. The high-rise buildings protected the city in a way the rest of the world could not have been. Over the next few years, an immense dome was built over the city, and it was revitalized. The entire world's population was moved inside the dome. Inside, a new fusion reactor (without the retrofit) was created, the last remaining power source of humanity.

Still reading? Good!

Skip forward a few hundred years. The dome city, dubbed City Eternal, was thriving. Humanity had survived the worst disaster they'd ever seen. As our technology progressed, scientists discovered ways to revitalize the planet, to make it inhabitable again. Many reports about new "Geo Reformation" projects were made. However, nothing was ever seen of these projects. It was as if it was all a lie, but no one would dare question it. After all, what reason would the city have for lying, a city that up to this point had been peaceful and prosperous?

Of course, this is where my story begins.