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the hall.
    “We are ridding ourselves of the
disease,” Faulken continued. “It will only pollute the future and impede our
progress. And we are clearing the land so dish and cannon construction can
finally take place.”
    “We risk domestic revolt,”
Baldwin said leaning back while lowering his head and rubbing his temples.
“It’s sheer insanity.”
    "It is why everything must
be kept secret,” Faulken said again. "For as long as possible. Public
knowledge could topple it all."
    "We should abandon it
now," Baldwin said covering his face with his hands. "Before it
progresses further. Abandon it now and do our best to construct and enact the
technology. We have that responsibility. Not what you and your people
propose."
    Baldwin let out another long
breath. His voice lowered and his tone became even more grim.
    "It may no longer even be
an option. More domes than ever before are in construction, and it is no secret
that dome military is continuing to grow. We have done almost nothing to
conceal this. People are starting to know.”
    Faulken looked at Baldwin and
then down the presidential hall.
    “I don’t think it’s something we
can contain. Sooner or later, it’s going to get out."
    Faulken took one last pause
before turning back towards the door to the presidential office.
    "I agree," he said.
"The time is near. The world is at brink. It is in great danger of
slipping away."
    Faulken’s breath sounded loudly
through the barren halls and empty darkness.
    "It is the reason that we
are here today."
    Baldwin sat still in his chair
while Faulken turned from him and slowly walked down the corridor. His heavy
shoes scuffed loudly across the floor as he went.

Chapter 4
     
     
    "That kid you brought in,
he's been a coma since coming into the ward. I've talked to the case doctor.
They don't think he's going to make it."
    Dome Physician Jack Everson
watched his patient's body tense and waited a second before administering the
final shot of protective radiation serum. It was the last medication required
to clear his friend, John Kirken, for his prolonged outer-dome excursion to see
his stepchildren in the outside town of Beuford, Washington.
    "I'm sorry, John."
    "It's probably for the
best," Kirken said morosely.
    Everson jabbed the needle into
his arm making Kirken wince slightly. The serum coursed through his system like
a runaway fire. Kirken closed his eyes and waited for the pain to pass.
    "Yes, it probably is. They
identified the group he belongs to by a tattoo on his leg. They’ve been causing
problems on the outside for a long time. A lot of people just want to throw him
back out."
    Kirken nodded knowingly.
    "It's starting to get
really bad out there. People are starting to get desperate."
    "It's always been bad out
there, John. There's nothing new happening."
    "I know," Kirken said
swallowing hard. "Can you blame them?" He asked looking up at
Everson.
    "I can sympathize with
people feeling abandoned out there. I can also sympathize with the fright every
person must feel living out there trying to keep their families alive. But what
I can't condone is any attack on government personnel. We live in here for a
reason. We're trying to build a safer world. They can't fault us for
that."
    Kirken let out a disconsolate
grunt.
    "You disagree?"
    "Have you ever even been
out there Jack? Have you ever seen what living out there can do?"
    "Everybody makes do, John.
Just like everybody in here."
    "That's bullshit, Jack, and
you know it," Kirken said irritably. He remembered saying something
similar to Lt. Wagner before they were attacked.
    Everson looked away from his
friend’s face. Kirken stared down from the examining table at the rectangular
designs of the tile along the floor. The burning of unwanted tears settled at
the corners of his eyes.
    "Could you really live with
it Jack, the way they do? Could you watch your family slowly die from the
radiation sickness?"
    "I don't think I could
answer that question, John,