understanding shown her, and smiles slightly. She hands the other girl her
tattered doll, and they make an exchange, laugh spontaneously afterwards at
the silliness of Tammy's gift, and run off together, the dome city girl in the
lead. Not a word has been spoken between the girls during this exchange.
Billy is right behind Tammy, and has watched this. He raises his face to his
mother Martha, standing behind him, sharing with her an unspoken understanding
that this is a good place. Ian is standing at the side, in intense
conversation with Jonah, but we don't hear their conversation. They have
stepped to the side as the rest of the group is crowding the entryway as they
enter the dome and react. Madge, the fat cook, comes in and stands stock
still, her perpetual frown refusing to be displaced on her face. Frank is
just behind her, raising his arms up with an ecstatic look on his face,
mouthing things we can't hear but what we are sure are comparisons to Atlantis
or other mythological cities.
_______________________________
It is very early dawn in the dome city, which has lighting controlled by
lights affixed along the dome wall on the upper pram level. These produce
intense carbon arc light, the equivalent of sunlight, and shine it on the dome
ceiling. This light does not go directly into the faces of anyone, due to a
long cone over the arc light itself, pointing upward. The cone is several feet
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long, wider as it fans toward the ceiling. The cones are painted the same
color as the dome ceiling, sky blue.
A man is walking along the upper pram, toolbox and stepladder in hand. He goes
from light to light, doing maintenance. Standing on the stepladder he turns a
switch alongside one of the lights and it turns off. Using a special tool he
quickly turns hooks up and down the cone shaped funnel so as to remove the
funnel. The tool is an odd, unique shape so that children can’t accidentally
remove the cones. The carbon points are exposed, and he adjusts each to move
more toward the center, toward each other, then measures the gap. Satisfied,
he drops his gap measure back into this pocket and reaches for the cone again,
ready to reassemble.
Sheep are grazing on the dome city lawn, in one section. A portable wooden
fence can be seen in the background, keeping the sheep in one section at a
time. The dome city does not use lawn mowers, as sheep crop a grassland close
to the ground. They can also ruin a grassland if allowed to graze too long,
reducing the grass to stubble.
A worker is seen folding the portable wooden fence like an accordion, and
walking across some lush grass to the edge of the next section. He quickly
unfolds the fence, used more as a guide for the sheep than a containment, at
the edge of the next section. He strides back, turns sharply when he reaches
the end of the small herd, and starts herding the sheep into the lush area,
talking softly to them.
Along the edge of the wall circling the garden areas there are occasional
doors to rooms where hydroponic gardens and other food production efforts are
contained. The walls are colored the same as the upper residential area walls,
so look at first glance like foundation walls, integral to the city itself. A
door swings open. The label on the door reads “Compost Consolidation”. As the
door swings back shut we see that a man pushing a heavily loaded wheelbarrow
has emerged. His load is rich, loamy earth swarming with earthworms. He has a
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pitchfork stuck into the load. He quickly pushes the barrow across the lawn
toward some grape vines on an arbor toward the center of the dome city
gardens.
As he crosses the lawn, a flock of banty hens and roosters come dashing toward
him, some flying, some running. They know this routine. Some hop into the
barrow, not waiting for their treat. The worker does not break his stride, as
all morning tasks such as this are to be complete before the residents awake.
He strides up to the grape vines and tips his barrow forward onto the roots of
the grape plants. The eager banty hens cover the pile, cleaning up the worms,
and scratching furiously for worms within the compost.
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-Helping Hands-
The evening meal is in process in the dome city. The roof of the top layer of
residences, the upper concourse, is a general pram area where exercise and
community activities take place. Tonight, due to the newcomers, a special
dinner is laid out, buffet style. Children run along the roof and down the
stairs on ramps that periodically descend to the center, chasing each other
and playing games. A home-town band is playing some music, a banjo and violin
and snare drum in an odd combination, along with a few singers who are
remarkably good given the circumstances. Some couples are dancing along with
the music, in front of where the band has congregated.
Jonah and Ian and Colonel Cage, seated at a table, holding and sipping from
their cups and chatting. Ian and Colonel Cage are trying to adjust to this
new measure of plenty and security. Ian is anxiously asking about security,
whether they have had any raids or intrusions. Jonah answers, in a matter-of-
fact manner.
This brings a frown to Ian's forehead. Have they walked into the enemy camp,
by mistake? After hesitating for a minute, he blurts out a question.
