Previous episode:
More than dreams (Part 1)
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More than dreams (Part 2)
In the dream I walked naked through soft, waist high green shoots, my outstretched hands trailing across the tips, savouring the texture. My upper body warmed by the bright yellow light shining down from above. The darker colour of shadows from the larger plants cut across the greenery. Tiny creatures scuttled up and down the rough, dark bases, others flitted here and there on gossamer wings.
Larger creatures flew from plant to plant, their many colours dazzling and beautiful.
For each new sight there was a sound, a voice in my dream, with words I had never heard before.
Sunshine... Grass... Tree... Insect... Bird...
Where these words came from I have no idea, but the dream was so vivid, so real, so inviting.
And all the time I dreamt, I felt happier than at any time in my life. I wanted to stay in the dream forever, to never wake up again.
* * * * * *
Slowly I returned to wakefulness and opened my eyes, the dream still fresh in my mind.
I looked around, everyone else in the dorm was still asleep, it wasn't time for our wakevoice yet.
The dream clung to me, refusing to fade. Suddenly the the idea overwhelmed me, flooded my senses until I felt I would burst... What if?
What would happen if I tried to leave the dome? Would I be allowed to leave? Would I be investigated?
Deep inside me I knew that I really had no choice, I had to try. The dreams had changed me, they were now the only true happiness I knew. Work no longer brought the pleasure that it used to. I no longer felt as though I were a part of my own society.
I climbed out of bed and pulled my whitesuit on, set off walking.
Each person I passed smiled and nodded, then looked at me strangely when the smile was not returned.
I ignored their stares and just kept on walking. I knew which direction to go, everyone knew where the exit door was. People would sometimes just go there to stare at it, some with wonder, some with awe, or fear.
It was a long walk but I eventually reached the door, the bluesuit on duty there smiled at me.
“Be happy in your work, brother.” He said.
I looked back at him, unsmiling. “I wish to leave the dome.”
He looked at me in astonishment, his smile almost slipping from his face. “Why brother? Are you not happy here? Are you not happy in your work? Come, accompany me to the remedial chambers, the physicians will restore your happiness to you.”
“I do not wish to have my happiness restored, I wish to leave the dome.”
“Brother, I would think you insane, but insanity was eradicated centuries ago. This behaviour is unprecedented, I must consult with one of the elders.”
He tapped a few buttons on a panel and a screen slid from the wall, and smiling down from the screen the benevolent face of elder redsuit number 4.
The bluesuit explained the extraordinary situation to the elder, who smiled thoughtfully as he pondered how to deal with it.
“Why do you wish to leave?” The elder said. “If you are unhappy, we can restore your happiness.”
“I have a disease, I am infected, and I wish to leave.”
“There are no diseases or infections inside the dome, what is this disease you believe you have?”
“I am infected with unhappiness, with dissatisfaction, with an overwhelming thirst for knowledge. There is no cure for my disease, nor would I want one if there were.”
“Where did this disease come from?” Asked the redsuit.
“From inside my head.” I replied. “I have been having strange dreams. No, they are more than dreams, much more. They have changed me inside, altered me, so that I now no longer feel as though I belong inside the dome. So that I no longer have any wish to belong inside the dome.”
“There are legends of fierce creatures that dwell outside, of terrible dangers, and even more terrible illnesses and diseases.” Said the elder.
“Yes.” I said. “I have heard of these legends.”
“And yet you still wish to leave? Even though it may mean your failure to survive?”
“Yes, I still wish to leave.”
The elder closed his eyes for a few moments whilst he gathered his thoughts and prepared his answer.
“This infection could spread to others if allowed to remain inside the dome, it could upset the balance and harmony of our society. The law does not prevent anyone from leaving the dome, only their return is forbidden, for fear of what they may bring back inside with them. No-one has ever expressed a wish to leave before, but that does not mean they should be refused. I hope you find happiness on the outside, you are free to leave, go in peace my brother.”
The elder's smiling face faded from view and the screen slid back into its wall recess.
The bluesuit punched a series of buttons on the keypad and the door hissed quietly as the seals opened and it slid sideways into the wall.
I stepped through the doorway into a small chamber, and began walking towards the opposite wall as the door closed behind me and resealed itself.
A large red button jutted from the wall, the only colour amongst all the uniform opaque whiteness.
I pushed the red button and a section of the curved wall slid silently aside, bright yellow light angled through the opening.
Shielding my eyes with my hand I walked forward and stepped outside.
Continued in :- More than dreams (Part 3)
©2012 Stephen. J. Green.
At least he put up with all their questions instead of getting into a pedantic bickering fight over them!
ReplyDeleteHi John, I'm not sure if the people of this society would be capable of pedantic bickering, after being programmed by generations of this lifestyle I don't think they would know how to. :-)
DeleteI also liked how he kept cool under the questions. And pleasantly surprised they let him go so easily, I suspected they would try gas him as soon as he was out of sight of the others. I forward to finding out what he finds outside the dome.
ReplyDeleteHi Craig, the MC always seems to have to fight his way out of these type of societies, and I thought it would make a nice change for their laws to simply allow him to walk free.
DeleteNicely done, Steve. I, too, was pleasantly surprised that he was (more or less) let straight out. The elder is right though, ideas of freedom and dissatisfaction could easily spread.
ReplyDeleteI like that although the closed society is obviously controlled and restricted it is not inherently malevolent (subject to any unforeseen twists, of course. ;) )
Thanks John, I did wonder if readers would accept that he didn't have to actually battle his way out of the dome.
DeleteI do like your analysis of the society too. And twists?.... Moi?
I'd have understood if the elder had just had him killed or 're-educated' but it's refreshing he didn't.
ReplyDeleteEven animals struggle to return to the wild so I'm a bit worried about what's going to happen to this domeborn guy...
Hi Peter, I do hope that I have added a smidgen of originality to an overdone storyline.
DeleteI think the MC would appreciate your concern over his welfare too, how does he fare outside?... Well, what happens is....
It seems the dreams may be memories more than dreams.
ReplyDeleteYou may be correct Tim, where would something like this originate from?
DeleteI enjoyed the psycological horror of this piece. Intriguing...
ReplyDeleteThank you Marianne, I hope the finale (Part 3) doesn't disappoint.
DeleteI'm intrigued by how trusting he is of the redsuit. I'm looking forward to next week's finale.
ReplyDeleteThanks Aidan, maybe the redsuit is worthy of his trust? or maybe not! :-)
DeleteThank you for not turning this into yet another Logan's Run. The elder's reasoning is smart -- sort of a self-selecting purge. The only equivalent I can think of is in THX-1138 when they stop chasing him when they max out the budget.
ReplyDeleteI'm very curious to know what's outside the dome.
Hi Katherine, it does have certain parallels with THX, a brilliant film btw.
DeleteI deliberately left it on the hanger this week, and am happy to see by the comments that readers' interest and curiosity are piqued. :-)
I would think it only logical to allow people to leave, knowing that it's a one-way trip. Dystopian societies are usually highly resource-constrained, so a safety valve is almost necessary.
ReplyDeleteThat's my opinion, anyway.
Hi Larry, your opinion is always welcome on here. :-)
DeleteI would agree with what you say about the logic/resources, it would make perfect sense, but that was not the reason he was allowed to leave.
I like how this is progressing, you paint the dome as peaceful, yet it is also fearfull of what could be. I'm interested to see if the outside matches up to his dreams. I'll be here next week to find out more. ^__^
ReplyDeleteThanks Helen, I hope the outside matches up to your expectations.
DeleteYes, like Helen said, peaceful but with sinister undertones. I half expected him to walk outside - the point of no return - only to find he'd changed his mind, locked out of 'paradise'. I wonder what will happen next? :)
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine, by the time he actually knows what he's facing on the outside it would be too late to go back. Whatever it is that awaits him, he'll just have to live with it. :-)
DeleteThe storyline also just makes me think of anyone stuck in a corporate job who leaves it to do something on his/her own, except he/she may be able to go back.
ReplyDeleteHi Richard, yes there is a kind of parallel. I think some people come across times in their own lives when they just decide to take a chance, whether they can "Go back" or not, for some it works out good, for others maybe not so good.
DeleteThis is nicely written and has options to be interpreted in different ways. I love where you ended it as well, wanting to know more!
ReplyDeleteHello Shen, and thank you. In last week's episode I engineered it so the post ended as he fell asleep and the dreams came back, in this one I purposefully left the story just as he stepped outside, if I had taken it any further then I think it would have been a bit of a spoiler for next week. :-)
DeleteI too cannot wait for next week's installment Steve! Will be checking the last posts to catch up.
ReplyDeleteHi Brinda, and welcome. Thank you for stopping by, I do hope that you enjoy the other parts of this story too. :-)
DeleteNeat story. I'm anxious to see what's outside.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eric, all will be revealed next week in Part 3. :-)
DeleteI have an awful feeling he's not going outside at all...
ReplyDeleteHiya Icy, all I can say is...
DeleteWhen have you EVER read a story on these pages where things were not as they appeared to be?
Mwuhahahahahahaha!.... MwuhahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
I find this story intriguing, not least the psychology of the people living in the dome. It was so easy for the protagonist to leave - probably because the possibility was almost unheard of, though not against the law. Even the elder could only acquiesce, since this was outside even his experience. These are just some of the thoughts I've been having about this story - I think it's a sign of a good story if it makes a reader think and wonder.
ReplyDeleteHi Joan, thanks for stopping by, and also for the very kind comment.
DeleteI think some readers will have their own views on what they expect him to find outside. whether they turn out to be correct or not I hope they still enjoy the final episode. :-)
His calm demeanor gives an interesting quality to the piece. I like that he's not raving mad or frantic to get out, he just decides it's time to go and there can be no other solution. Off to read Part 3!
ReplyDeleteThanks Danni, my idea is that the people of this society would be unaccustomed to extremes of emotion, their lives would be rather bland and repetetive, and anger would never be needed.
Delete