The domes

The domes ~ chapter three

The emperor kept looking at me, then he quickly turned his head away.  He grabbed his face with his old, scarred hands, and rubbed his white beard.  "I got these scars on my hands when I fought in the war." He said.  "I only fought in the last years, but people always cut at your hands.  Any cut could kill you, that's what they were hoping for."  "I'm sorry sir, I don't see what that has to do with anything."  I said, trying to keep a cool head.  "Oh Anthony-"  He began.  "Please sir just answer the question."  I said, it came across in my voice that I was upset.  "You have a lot of courage" He said.  "Talking like that to the emperor."  He chuckled.  "That's why I chose you, you know."  At this I became annoyed.  "Sir, I can't help but think that you are stalling!"  I said, raising my voice slightly.  "Alright fine!"  He yelled angrily.  He sighed a long breath.  "I'm sorry, but what green-coats are is classified."  He told me.  I was dis-satisfied with this answer.  I resolved in my mind to learn what the green-coats were, but I decided that I wouldn't pry further.  Quickly dismissing the subject he started to speak.  "You see son, this project has been running for a while now."  He said.  "And I - I just don't think that we can add another month onto the deadline, we're already behind schedule." He said.  

I understood that he couldn't put the life of these workers in front of everyone in the domes.  "I understand sir, but -"  I started to say, but he put his hand into the air as a signal for me to stop talking.  "Let's just say you've met  some of them." He said.  Under his breath he mumbled something, maybe regrettably, or forgettably.  He left the room with the screens and motioned for me to follow.  "Now, you need to go finish your work."  He said.  I walked out of the emperor's dome, no longer angry, simply perplexed.  As I left, the Rasiers rushed back into the room, and I heard the emperor yelling at them about something, I could make out the word green, but I decided it wasn't my place to listen.

 I went to see my father again, who had called me to his room.  I always felt strange visiting him, oh yes, I forgot to mention that he had me when he was relatively old, and he was in his eighties.  Because he fought in the war and was heralded as a hero, his room was guarded in case anyone from an opposing country held a grudge.  His guards were at a lower level than Rasiers, but were still government workers.  I was speaking to my father, who has a lot of memory loss when it comes to the war, but has recently begun to remember some of the things that happened.  He only had begun to remember some of the good things, and that's what he had told me.  I came today to ask him if he remembered anyone in the war that may have been referred to as a green-coat.  "Green-coats?"  He asked in his raspy voice.  "I do not remember anyone called that."  He said.  My father's doctors say that every day he remembers a specific portion of the war, in about three weeks he'd be able to remember the entire war.  This process is dependent on my visits with him.   With my father being a dead end, I was extremely disappointed.  I decided to listen to what the emperor had said and go to work.  

I walked back onto the site.  "Death count since I've been gone?"  I asked, cringing.  "Two."  Said a friend of mine, Gary.  I sighed in despair.  "How are we ever going to complete the work if the workers keep dropping like flies!"  I exclaimed.  "Millions of lives depend on this."  I said.  "I understand sir, can't let my wife and kids down you know."  He replied.  Gary nodded his head solemnly, and then set off to work.  I went over to the tools rack, and decided that I would have to obey the emperor, and wouldn't check all of the equipment.  "Help!!!!!"  I heard cried out, whoever it was sounded like they were in a panic.  Gary had left the hatch open, which allowed us to hear his screams.  The next thing I knew, we heard the clattering of his body hitting the legs, just as we had with many of the others.  Now, for the first time, one of the men I was close to, a man whose family I ate dinner with ... was dead.  Now- now it was very simple.  Not one more man would die on my watch, not one drop of blood would spill!  And there was no force in these domes - no force at all that could stop me.  The first step?  I was going to find out who the green-coats were.  If the emperor got in my way?  Well, I wasn't going to let him stop me.  I didn't care anymore.  Overcrowding?  All I cared about was my men.  I appointed Jeff as an unofficial leader in my place, and now I went to  speak to the emperor.