Previous episodes:
More than dreams (Part 1)
More than dreams (Part 2)
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More than dreams (Part 3)
Squinting against the brightness I turned to look at the dome. The door had already closed behind me, there was nothing on the outside to re-open it with, no handle or button, no lever, nothing. The immense structure arced away from me in either direction. Above me the opaque glass curved away out of sight.
My eyes quickly grew accustomed to the new brightness and I turned my back to the dome and surveyed my new world.
It was just like in the dreams. Long grass waving gently in a warm breeze. Close by, the trees I had seen in my sleep, reaching up almost to the clear blue sky. Brightly coloured birds chirruped and chirped as they flew from branch to branch. Winged insects hummed by. In the distance I could see green, tree-covered hills. And above all of this, shining down on it all, the bright, yellow, life-giving sun.
The dreams had shown me all of these things, and the sounds they should be known by, but the dreams could never have prepared me for the overwhelming beauty of it all, the sweet fragrances of it all, the musical sounds of it all.
I sank to my knees in the long grass, and for the first time in my life, I wept.
I wept with an all-encompassing joy, tears did not exist inside the dome. I let the salt liquid roll down my face and laughed and wept at the same time, laughter did not exist inside the dome either.
* * * * * *
Many cycles passed, these are known as “days” according to the dream voice in my head. I soon fell into the routine of sleeping in the dark hours, where the dreams continued, revealing more and more of this world, and food gathering and exploring during the light hours.
I had discovered a large cave set into a nearby hillside and made a comfortable bed of branches and foliage inside.
Hunger had gripped me not long after leaving the dome. Of course there was no food queue to join out here, no dining area. The only thing I had ever eaten in my whole life was the protein mix supplied twice daily by the food servers.
I had seen some of the small creatures eating the colourful fruits that hung from the trees, and driven by desperation I had finally plucked up the courage to take a bite from one. I almost fainted from the sheer sweet taste of it, nothing could have prepared me for the sensations I experienced as I ate. Eating was for sustenance, for work energy, and now it had become a pleasure, a delight, another gift to treasure from this beautiful and wonderful world that I now lived in.
Over the many following days I tried other fruits and plants, and soon learnt which ones to eat and which to shun.
Despite the legends of ferocious creatures, diseases, and the other dangers which I didn't understand the meaning of, radiation and mutation, during my exploring and wandering I never came across anything that would be thought of as a danger. The insects and birds were a joy to watch, going about their lives, busily, diligently. The largest animals I see are furry creatures less than half my size, they also eat the vegetation, and scamper away if I try to get too close.
It had become my custom to cross the long grass and visit the dome occasionally, I don't know why, maybe I have some inner need to keep reminding myself of where I came from. Or maybe I was feeling another emotion that also doesn't exist inside the dome, loneliness.
Today was one of those days. After walking between the trees gathering fruits I made my way back to where the grass began, and stood looking at the dome from a distance, enjoying the sight of the sunshine glinting off the structure while I ate.
A small movement caught my eye.
My gaze returned to the base, the door was open...
I watched unbelievingly as through the opening stepped a group of people, six whitesuits, two bluesuits and one of the redsuit elders. Nine in all, four brothers and five sisters.
As I walked towards them they all looked around themselves with the same wonder that I had when I first stepped outside. Each of them smiling broadly, each of them fascinated by the feast of colours, sounds and scents that flooded their senses.
I came to a standstill a few feet from the group.
“Why do you leave the dome?” I asked the redsuit.
“I have been having strange dreams.” He answered, his gaze flitting around, drinking in the beauty of his new surroundings. “We all have.”
“What is your number?” One of the bluesuits asked me.
“I no longer have a number, I have a sound instead now, a name, as you will too. The name I go by came to me in a dream. The name is Genesis.”
The newcomers followed me through the trees to my hillside cave, and began learning of life in their new world.
Apart from myself, they were the first people to ever leave the dome since its creation.
I didn't know it at the time, but soon many more would follow.
The End.
©2012 Stephen. J. Green.
I liked the notion of crying out here because tears had not existed within. That's a neat bit of sentiment.
ReplyDeleteThanks John, my thoughts were that emotional extremes would not exist inside the dome, as in their bland society there would be no use for them, what met him on the outside was something far beyond his experiences.
DeleteI'm glad he found his peace and that he's no longer alone. Man is made to thrive, not simply survive. A nice piece as a whole, Steve.
ReplyDeleteThank you Danni, I wanted to give the human race a new beginning in a beautiful world, one where hopefully history would not be doomed to repeat itself.
DeleteI really liked this series, it encompasses hope for mankind - and for life regenerating even after some terrible event. This last part was touching, emotional and yet very uplifting. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you Helen, I really enjoyed getting my head inside this story, many of my flashes contain violence and end of the world scenarios, it has made a really nice change to write something that contains good news for mankind.
DeleteNice series. And I suppose we should expect an Exodus to follow Genesis. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Tim, I think the Exodus has already begun. :-)
DeleteI particularly liked the use of dreams as a method of awakening. Very evocative. I really enjoyed this series!
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy, I have left it to the reader to decide where these dreams may originate from, (God? Alien intervention? Mother nature? Or maybe genetic memories?)
DeleteWhatever their source, they were there to let mankind know that it was time to come outside and start again.
I like the way you treated tears and laughter. The inability to have one without the other. A nice closing to this sequence.
ReplyDeleteThanks Aidan, tears and laughter are emotions that humans need, inside the dome these would have been unused to the point of extinction.
DeleteI'd love to know why these dreams have started to 'infect' the suits inside the dome. Is this allegorical? Is there a greater being at work? I particularly enjoyed the earlier part of the series when he is still inside the dome:the descriptions of the life and drudgery were very interesting.
ReplyDeleteHi Justin, as I replied to Amy's comment above ^^
DeleteI have left it to the reader to decide where these dreams may originate from, (God? Alien intervention? Mother nature? Or maybe genetic memories?)
Whatever their source, they were there to let mankind know that it was time to come outside and start again.
In my own mind there would have to be something more to the dreams than "Just dreams" to give him the knowledge he needed, and almost definitely something more at work than just the human imagination.
This is a really nice way to end it. The descriptions of the new sensations, it was so vivid and clear.
ReplyDeleteHi Shen, and thank you for the very kind words. :-)
DeleteWonderful ending. Now that the Exodus has begun, we'll see large Numbers of them coming outside… ;-)
ReplyDeleteMaybe the dome itself sent the dreams — the danger is over, time to leave.
Thank you Larry, in my own mind this would be the start of the new beginning. Who knows, maybe one day mankind will get this chance to start again, on this world... or another.
DeleteI like your suggestion that the dome itself sent these dreams, I hadn't actually thought of that, but it could be logical that the dome was programmed to "Waken" the inhabitants of the dome to go back outside when the time was right.
A great ending, Steve, and a great story. Proving you don't need a 'dys' to make -topian fiction readable. They left one (limited) utopia for another utopia.
ReplyDeleteI find your list of possibilities for the voice interesting. Having said it is open to speculation, my own speculation doesn't appear on your list. I was thinking it might be some automated system, no longer understood by the tech level inside the dome, that detects when the outside world is inhabitable and starts priming the residents for their exodus.
I'm really glad you chose to expand the story, I've really enjoyed it. =)
Thanks John, I have really enjoyed writing this story too.
DeleteI like your idea of the dreams' origin too, I think you and Larry (Above) are thinking on the same lines. :-)
Steve -- I liked how we see the world 'through' his eyes and also that he now has company - more escapees from the dome. Eager to learn more about these mysterious dreams and what these rebels will now go on to do..
ReplyDeleteThank you Brinda, these people, and soon many more from the dome, will go on to build the new world.
DeleteBrilliant conclusion. I still wonder who planted those dreams, but maybe it was the dome itself because it knew the world was safe again? (Reading through the comments I see Larry and John thought the same!). Good delivery system :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Craig, yourself, Larry, and John, have all come up with the same idea as to the origin of the dreams. It's nice to know that people are thinking deeper into this story than just what the words provide. :-)
DeleteI read this waiting for the really horrible twist. I mean it all seems benevolent but I'm still not sure I trust the dreams!
ReplyDeleteMy paranoia aside, I too liked the idea of tears only existing outside the dome.
Hi Peter, sorry to disappoint, but unlike in many of my flashes there really is no horrible twist in this one.
DeleteOne would hope that this time mankind will take a bit more care of their planet. :-)
I'm so glad you gave this a better ending than the one I was expecting! Seems like the need for liberty is infectious...
ReplyDeleteHi Icy, yes, I wanted a happy ending for this one, I'm quite glad that it had one or two people guessing though. :-)
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