The Greek Gods and the Apocalypse

Chapter 16 (Edited)

It is morning and surprisingly enough I finally slept fairly well. It had been so long that the first thing I noticed this morning was how well-rested I felt. No headache, no body aches, no anything unpleasant. I lay there and just enjoyed that revelation for a moment. Then the importance of a speedy solution to our ever-growing problems reminded me to get a move on. I was up and out of my barracks in thirty minutes still very unsure of what this day would bring.

I arrived at Shimmer's barracks to find a sealed note attached to her front door. The contents read 'Meet me at the entrance/exit door to the dome as soon as you get this note.' Surprised, I headed for the only way into or out of the dome at least to my knowledge.

Upon my arrival, Shimmer was there waiting. "Aurora, I want you to accompany me outside of the dome. I think I know how we should proceed; however, I need to ensure that what I saw late last night in the restricted area of the library is correct."

I looked at Shimmer with a curious expression. "What did you find?"

"I do not wish to discuss it here."

Shimmer continued as if I had not interrupted her. "We need to go now while everyone is still in their barracks or eating breakfast. I do not wish to explain our actions to anyone else at this time."

"I can understand the hesitancy to tell others until after the fact. We do not need a community-wide panic."

Shimmer entered the code into the panel by the door and we left.

I realized very quickly that I had missed being in the open air, missed everything about it. The sun on my face, the sounds of nature itself, absolutely everything. Shimmer's voice brought me back to our reality.

"I want you to take a walk with me. Partially as a sounding board, partially to clear our heads, and partially as reconnaissance. I saw a picture in a book I was reading from the restricted area at the library last night. The picture showed a dome that looked like ours and then well beyond that another much larger dome. If the picture is accurate who placed the larger dome around us? I believe it may have been the original gift to us all from the gods."

Shimmer continued, "My mind is going crazy with the implications. First, why did I even find this picture? I was reading about the architecture of the oracle meeting places the ancient Greeks used. I was trying to find out what Shaneel would need in the near future. This picture was out of place to me, but there it was on the page in front of me."

"I have found that things are not always what they seem as of late, Shimmer."

"It could mean so many things. That the gods have been protecting us this entire time by locking the rest of the world outside of our sanctuary, Community. It implies that among other things the gods have been providing food for us this entire time.

"How so?" I ask.

"Think about this Aurora. Have you ever not had a successful hunt?"

"No, in fact I don't think anyone has."

"Well, how is that possible? Everyone has a bad day."

"I suppose that is true," I say while mulling over her words in my head. "With how much game we have taken from the area over so many years if the game could not migrate to us naturally, we should have run out of game to hunt."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Shimmer interjects.

"Yes, we are hunting farther out than in the beginning but still. I do not know why no one ever stopped to think how unusual it really is that everything has fallen into place at our home so seamlessly."