Bridger: a Dystopian Serial

The domes

Char stood squinting at the scuffed dust where the three Trea-Ess had stood moments before.

Message received, Na'odani.

Damned if she was going to show it, though. She turned to her alien escort. Beside Jezeen, Venn's brow had a deep furrow down the middle. Char paused and took note of this. Jezeen's face was placid and unconcerned as she turned to meet Char's gaze.

"Now that this is done," Jezeen said, "Jai will show us the city."

Char raised her eyebrows. "Um, yeah. Okay."

They exited the star-shaped compound via the large front gates that, like the other doors inside, opened without any door handle or lock. It revealed a wide thoroughfare made of the same yellow dust. The thoroughfare was bounded on either side by high, black metal walls with periodic round portholes. The walls curved inward over the street.

Venn caught Char's eye and pointed to the windows. "Living quarters. This is new. The city has grown." A faint frown crossed his face and disappeared beneath its placid surface. He dropped back and fell in step with Char and Seth.

Jai, a slightly shorter, bright-eyed Na'odani walked alongside Jezeen, talking in long strings of unintelligible syllables.

"How many people—uh, Na'odani—live here?" Seth asked.

Venn shrugged. "Many."

"Is this the largest city in Na'o?" Char tucked the tail of her scarf into her collar and took a deep breath of the hot air.

"It is the only city," Venn said. He frowned again. "It covers half of our world."

"Half!" Leander caught up to them. "For real?"

"Yes," Venn said tonelessly.

They were still passing along the flat black wall. Seth went over to the wall and laid his hand against it. His brow furrowed. "It's cool," he said. "I thought it would be warm."

"The city has grown so large that the planet can't sustain itself anymore." Venn's voice rung hollow. "This is why we bridge to other worlds. One day we will need a new one to inhabit, I suppose."

He sighed. "It's hot. I nearly miss Kaa."

Leander laughed. "But where are the people?"

"I asked Jai this too," Venn said. "They are inside, he says."

He stopped and bent down to trail his fingers in the dusty street. Jai and a few of the Americans walked on.

"This dust?" Venn said. "It falls from the sky. It's killing Na'o slowly. Last I was here, there were still plants growing along the street. Jai says plants only grow under the domes now."

"Domes?" Seth interjected.

Venn pointed.

Char could just detect a reflective glimmer in the sky a long way off. She squinted, and the faint outline of a massive, transparent dome came into focus. It might have been the size of a football stadium.

"Like your greenhouse, doctor," Venn said, standing up slowly.

Char swept her eyes over the black walls and the yellow dirt, then to the glassy dome in the distance. "So your world is dying, too?"

Venn glanced back at Jezeen. "Yes."

"That's why you need the other worlds." Seth's face twisted. "God, your world is just a parasite, isn't it?"

Venn's face was blank. He didn't answer.

Char met Seth's eyes.

"And Kaa?" Seth asked wearily. "How is Kaa helping you?"