The Domes (independent story)

"The world is orderly. There is no more chaos, no more randomness, no unequality. Or rather, there isn't, inside the Domes. The Domes are the names given to the surface entrance to underground bunkers, built around the end of 2012. No one leaves them, and no one enters. Everything inside them, is controlled. Money, air, water, items, everything. But I'll tell you more about them later. Let me start at the beginning.

2012 Anno Domine was the year of many changes. The largest of them was the production of of the Domes, in the hopes that humanity would continue. 'But why would it end?' You ask. Well, a lot of people have asked this. What few people know, is the truth. Some say it was fate, some say it was chance, but I don't believe in those. What happened was the worst set of mishaps to ever happen. War broke out in the summer, and millions were killed. Cities were leveled, nations destroyed, beliefs shattered. The Americas, both North and South declared war on the Eastern countries. Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, all besieged by the Americas. You see, South America had been secretly gaining in technology, developing weapons, advancing computers, discovering new physics. Everything. They contacted North America, an arranged a treaty. Technology for land. Now, you might ask 'How can continents contact each other? Continents are broken up into countries.' And you would be right. However, the countries in South America united under one flag, in secret, and had the countries of North America do the same. The names of the individual countries are lost to the sands of time, but the names of the continents stay, pressed into our collective minds like a red hot piece of steel pressed into the palm of our hands. But I'll get to them later. The countries of North America were desperate for technology, anything, anything at all to help them understand the universe, to break away from their basic origins as immigrants, was like a drug to them. They strove to learn, and that lead to the war.

South America needed land, and they had not yet discovered how to live underground. So they set their sights on the other continents. Why? We don't know. Not anymore. I'm not sure anyone did. But that's doesn't matter now. What matters is what happened. South America and North America planned an attack on every major countries capital, to cut off the head and then deal with the body, so to speak. Some attacks went smoothly. The Detonation of Britain, The Chinese Fire, the Russian Crumble, all examples of smooth and swift destruction and neutralization of a country. However, others, weren't so smooth. The French Resistance, the German Retaliation, the Japanese Reversal are all examples of how things could easily go wrong.

Everyone was outraged at what the America's did, and the countries that could stay cohesive, launched an attack on the America's. This is the war. Millions upon millions of boats and aircraft converged on the two continents, intent on revenge. However, the South American Union and the North American Republic were ready. The coastlines were littered with cannons, mines, anti aircraft guns. The military bases in Europe were attacked and destroyed, but they were empty, the personnel having been evacuated long before the attacks, leaving behind volunteers to give the impression of a garrison. The oceans, they say, were red with blood and black with oil.

The war waged on for months, each side unwilling to give an inch. Eventually, both sides stopped fighting, but not out of horror, or weariness, but out of necessity. Eyes turned skyward saw asteroids, rocks the size of cities and larger, flying towards our planet. Nothing could stop them. Nuclear weapons were used, all of them, so there was no way of redirecting or destroying the rocks. All that could be done was prepare for them. The people on both sides called for peace, but the leaders were blind to the people and did nothing to help the other side prepare.

Weapons were scraped and turned into tools. Soldiers became workers. The Domes were built, and the land beneath them was carved out and turned into artificial mountain along the sides. It is said that the space under a dome is larger than the ocean is wide, but we have no way to tell. Anyway, the Domes were built to survive the impact of the rocks, to shelter those lucky enough to get inside them. There was no way for everyone to fit, none at all. Some countries had riots over who could get in, further adding to the chaos. But in the end, most had to stay outside.

When the rocks hit, the land shook with anger. Buildings collapsed, bridges were destroyed, towns were leveled. Dust filled the sky, blocking out the sun. People panicked, fought, ran, hid, and died. Few survived. But we did. We survived. Those who did waited at the tops of the Domes', to show that they had lived, but they didn't open. People worried again. 'Did they die? Was another disaster approaching? What was going on?' Panic spread again.

What happened between then, and now, is a mystery. The stories were altered, distorted. The truth began to blur. The only reason we know what happened way back when is because those are the most common aspects. No one alive today knows what really happened.

Now, back to the Domes. We don't know what really goes on inside them. We can't get in. Only one person ever emerged from one, and he was on the brink of insanity. He spoke of order, and anyone who attempted to break that order was killed. Nothing was unequal, everything was shared, everyone was happy, he said, or so it is said. What was told sparked religions, conflict, almost another war, but it was still distorted.

How does this have any impact on today? Well, this man, with his final words before dying spoke of one thing so profound, it applies to this very day.

Those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it."

=The man leaned back in his chair, and looked at me again with those steel colored eyes of his=
"You may be wondering why I told you this. Well, here's why. You are the second person to emerge from a Dome. But, you have amnesia, certain things are forgotten to you. I'm tasked to help you remember."

=I looked at him, curious=
How do I not have a name? Everyone has a name.

=he nods=
"Yes, but you have forgotten yours."

=i shake my head and suddenly remember=
Shen. Shen Yolar. That is my name.

=the man looks me up and down=
"Interesting. You did not know this before. What else do you remember?"

=i think for a moment=
I am male. I know how to use a gen-sword. And I am alone in my life.

"Hmm...perhaps my job is easier than I thought. Perhaps I ca-"

=the man freezes and blurs before fading out. I sigh and turn off the projector. The game had been giving me trouble all day. It always froze right before I got to the actual game. I looked at the quantum core, checked the programming, but I couldn't find the error. I decided to call in a technician to repair it while I was out. I went over to the holo-com and powered it up to the message center=

Code:

Date: 4th - 31st - 2353
User: Sehn Yolar
MSGCNTR:

INBX:
(2)
[N] Deril | Hey! | 4-30-53
[X] Jasen | Orders | 4-30-53

TRSH:
(553)

CMPSE: [X]

=i selected compose, and addressed it to "technician," knowing the next available one would get it. I typed it out quickly, and sent it, not bothering to wait for a reply. I stated to just arrive and get to work. I didn't have much, being a soldier made sure of that. Out of home often, in the countryside a lot, average pay. It wasn't glamorous, but it was needed. I grabbed my gen-sword and headed out towards the base, going down the stairs and out the apartment building=

=i headed out towards the base, passing the odd pedestrian who didn't want to use their boots. The boots were electromagnets that could be used to fly a short distance off the floor in any direction. They also had this property of turning on when you lifted your foot, so the weight was counteracted as you stepped. I had mine on, the heavy footwear clunking as I walked. I didn't use mine as it interfered with the gen-sword I carried around. I've been meaning to get it checked out, find out why it was like this, but I haven't had the time. Maybe today I'd be able to look, but that'd have to be a secondary thing=

=Gen-swords are interesting technology. I don't know who made the first one, or even how they are made, but they are invaluable to armed conflict. The way they work is this: a small fusion-core is place in the handle, and attached to the blade, which is made of several plates of specialty-made-polyurethane-coated steel. Now, what happens, is this polyurethane vibrates and glows. The color depends on the dye used in the manufacturing process, but the vibration is all standard. The only way to change that is to change the power-to-blade ratio. The design of the weapon comes from the receiver. They dictate how many, and what all they can do. I've seen soldiers with elastic type blades, the steel blades loosely connected so they bend over other swords and extend slightly when stabbing. I've seen multi-blades, the panels begin connected in such a way that they can form anything from large square with a hole in the center, for protecting from ranged weapons while still being able to see where you are going, to two blades in a fork formation, for stabbing past a particularly hard guard. I've even seen some gen-swords be formed so they can be separated. The overall power of them being reduces, but able to surprise an opponent through the production of another blade from seemingly nowhere. Now, another thing to note about the gen-swords, they can't be destroyed, save for melted by radiation. Something about the mixture of steel and polyurethane prevents them from being broken apart. While this prevents the loss of a weapon in combat, it means that if a fault is found in a weapon, the only way to fix that fault would be to make a new weapon. The fault gen-swords are placed in a special vault far underground, where several thousand times the lethal amount of radiation is poured in. There, the swords get broken down, scrubbed, and then re-used. I've heard it's a bitch on those who have to work there, but it pays well=

=as I walked along, I glanced at my gen-sword, holstered on my left leg. It's color, when activated, was a deep deep black. It seemed to absorb light, rather than emit it. It's unique attribute is the handle opening which cases the blade to rotate 90 degrees. It allows the weapon to be used as a ton-fa style weapon. This does, however, expose the generator, the power core, to damage, but it's useful in a fight to change fighting styles. After a few minutes of walking, I arrived at the base. It was set up on the lip of a Dome Mountain, a ring of dirt the covered a Dome. Even with no hope of getting inside, we still protected our brethren from attack. The base over looked the city, a wondrous display of lights and holograms and solid light. So far, only simple pathways and door could be made out of solid light. Granted, that's not what it was really, but that was easier to say and explain than plasma controlled by magnets implanted into every individual at the time of birth. Every person has a magnet in them wired to their brain, allowing them to effectively control plasma within a certain radius of their bodies. Anyway, I climbed up the path to the base, and went to the barracks. A scouting mission was planned for today. Scout out the nearby cities, make sure everything was okay. As I walked into the barracks, a few heads turned to look at me. I wasn't liked a lot, mostly because of my gen-sword. While our species has grown technologically, a few spiritual aspects remained. The color one prefers, associates with, has an impact on how you are perceived, as well as other things. So, me with my black gen-sword, purple eyes, and white-with-blue-sheen hair didn't give the greatest impressions. It probably didn't help that I had three silver studs on my left side neck, a silver wire embedded along my right arm going from shoulder to fingertips in various spirals and patterns, and glow in the dark implants behind my eyes in the color of blue-white. Overall, I looked like an unpleasant person, and for the most part, I was. I didn't trust anyone but my friends, and the only time I make friends are for those who actively try to save lives, as in risk their own in the process. Those people are in short supply, so I didn't have many friends. Those who I were friends with thought I was a pleasant man=

=I walked into the briefing room, apparently just as it was starting. I took a seat in the back and listened=

"-you all should know, the neighboring city of Goulinden has claimed to be making progress on opening up a Dome. For those of you who don't know, you've just been told. Well, as of three days ago, they've gone dark, and the city's troops haven't let anyone in, and no one has come out."

=someone piped up=
"So, they've basically become a Dome, sir?"

"Effectively, yes. Our job is to find a way in, and see if we can't find out why they have gone dark. This is a Dark Op, none of you will be accounted as part of our military should you be captured or killed, and you are to leave no one behind to be captured. Non-lethal force is primary, only kill if you have no, other, option. I cannot stress this enough. Do not kill unless you ab-so-lute-ly have to. We start at 1500. Link up and get ready. We're starting today. Dismissed."

=i stood up and headed off towards the equipment area. Everyone had suits built that 'plugged' them into a network, allowing for GPS position of friendlies, objectives, markers, target distance and data, current health, and communications. The suit varies from person to person, but the functions all remain the same. You could also have a certain...upgrade programmed into it, along with the corresponding implants. Mine increased my reaction time and reflexes. It didn't increase my speed at all, just how fast I processed information. I entered the area and took off my current shirt and pants and underwear. The suit only worked for a special under-suit made of form-fitting something or other. As I took my clothes off, the implants on my back and legs were exposed to fresh air for the first time in a while and they cooled rapidly, giving me an odd sensation down my back. The under-suit fit would around those, as the implants were for the actual armor, as well as the ones in my legs, arms, and head. The under-suit had nano-muscles built into it that allowed the user to take it on and off easily with simple commands to the palm of the hands, but the only way for it to avoid covering surface implants was for holes to be cut in the fabric where the implants were. I put the suit on, feeling its familiar fit, then started with the leg armor first, it going up and over my knees, and the plugs on the inside fitting snugly into the slots on my legs. The chest piece came next. I fit my arms through, then pulled it up and over my shoulders, the plugs there also fitting in, and I felt the familiar buzz on my senses as the system was only half online. I reach behind me and grabbed the dangling cables, and plugged those into my leg armor. Small lights turned on as the connection was established, winking softly before going out. I could feel my legs as though they just came off of a numbing agent, feelings livid and vibrant in my mind. I put the arm armor on next, plugs sliding into place like normal. I took the appropriate cables and plugged them in, lights winking on then fading off, and the same feelings from my legs coming from my arms. I wiggled my fingers to make sure the armor worked, properly, and it did. Lastly, I took my helmet, and slotted it on. I adjusted the eye piece so it fit over my eye properly, and plugged it into the chest armor. It suddenly felt like I had been living under some form of sleep agent, and I had just woken up, getting full use of my body again. I practiced a few punches and tested the armor. It felt good=

=i tried not to dwell on the feeling too much, it could easily become addicting. Many a soldier has become addicted to the suit, refusing to take it off, eventually leading to a mental breakdown. Depending on the suit, the damage that soldier can inflict can be anything from bad to disastrous. Some suits like mine could cause some some major damage if I lost it, a soldier with a gen-sword and enhanced reflexes is very close to hyper-lethal, but other suits, like one that has extended armor plating on the arms and legs to protect the user while they fire upon enemies, would simply be bad, as the suit only amplifies the user's protection, not their skill, like mine does. The time a soldier spends in a their suit is tracked and monitored. The time it takes until they snap varies from person to person, but usually, the longer per session the more likely. Either way, I wasn't going to let myself fall. I put on a few packs for food, water, repair kits, etc, and walked out to join the soldiers who were going. There was about 16 of us, including myself. There was no need for names or squads, if someone needed to say something, they'd just open a channel to that person and tell them what they needed. I rested my hand on my gen-sword, not grabbing it or anything, and waited for time to pass=

=the hours dragged on for what seemed like days. None of the people here I wanted to talk to, none of them were my friends. As soon as the time hit, we set off. The objectives appeared on our HUDs. A soldier with a long rifle, probably a solid beam rifle, started to bound forward with great strides. His armor had springs on the backs of his legs, and it looks like a cable went from his chest plate to his rifle, but with all his movement, I couldn't tell. I didn't draw my gen-sword, no reason yet, as it was still a few hours jog towards the city. One soldier has his gen-sword attached to his arm, his mod, if any, was probably an elastic blade. It looked a bit wobbly as we ran, but that could've been my eyes playing tricks on me. My whole body felt alive, charged up, like I was on adrenaline, but I wasn't. A hole appeared in front of me, too fast for me to avoid normally, but thanks to me suit, I was able to grab a nearby branch and swing over it. I smiled, and knew it was going to be a good night=

=after a few hours of jogging, occasionally taking a bite of a protein snack or taking a sip of water, we all made it to the city. The soldier with the rifle had positioned himself up in a tree, and was watching what was going on. A wall had been constructed around the entirety of the city. Soldiers, their rifles raised and gen-swords powered up, were patrolling the whole thing. Goulinden had been built around a Dome, as opposed to next to one like my city. I could tell it wasn't going to be easy getting in, but the soldier with the rifle had already started marking points on the wall, possible entrances. Someone decided to launch an oscillating flare at the wall, basically a flare that changes brightness rapidly and randomly to prevent visual filters from adjusting to them. Once it was launched, I ran at a tangent to the flare, as some of the soldiers had already started shooting. A targeting laser appeared on the ground next to me, and I saw the Knee Capper start moving towards me. It was a disk shaped mine, with a fan in the center. It hovered a few feet above the ground, and could only be controlled by laser guidance. While not lethal, they were fairly powerful. I adjusted my course quickly and started to run towards it. I waited until I saw it's explosives trigger to jump, the shrapnel going horizontal. The shock wave had pushed me up higher than I expected, and took my wind away., but I quickly adjusted, struggling to get a breath. I ran at the wall, and stopped underneath it, finally managing to get a deep breath of air. I took out my gen-sword and powered it up. I turned and jumped up the wall, stabbing my sword in for a hand hold, and then pulling myself up and pulling it out, and repeating it for a second time before I finally managed to get on top of the wall. I managed a quick glance before I was attacked=

=the swing seemed to be in slow-motion, and seemed to get slower as adrenaline hit my system. I brought up my gen-sword and deflected the blow, sending the blade to the side. Both of our motions seemed to be in slow-motion, and it started to frustrate me, but then I remembered the suit, the increased reflexes and mental processing speed. As his blade went to the side, his stance shifted and he spun, intending to hit me with a backhand slash. I ducked under it, barely, and hit him in the side with my knee. I spun my gen-sword in my hand and flicked the handle open into it's second position. I spun it so it would slash downwards. He blocked it easily, but it was only meant to get his arm into position. I grabbed it with my other hand, and twisted it, forcing it out straight. I pulled and sent another knee into his side, causing him to collapse to the ground in pain. I delivered a boot to his chin which finally knocked him out. I turned, my sword held to block any blows that might be coming, and was shot at by someone with a Wrapper, a slingshot which fired two heavy steel balls with a cable between them. They were meant for crowd control, knocking someone on their ass, and tying them up in the process. If I hadn't had my gen-sword up in the way that I did, that would've been the end of the fight for me, unless someone got up here with me, which didn't sound likely. Luckily, though, my gen-sword cut the cable and sent the balls past me unharmed, save for a stumble from the projectile. I looked over and saw way too many soldiers for me to take on on my own, so I jumped down the other side of the wall and ran into the city. I expected a shot, but when I looked behind me, I saw that the guards were watching me, but weren't shooting. I kept running until I couldn't be seen, and then checked the status of the other soldiers who came with me. 2 were dead, 7 were injured, and only 3 others made it in with me, the others leaving with the dead and wounded=

=i sighed. Out of 16 soldiers, only a quarter made it to the objective. Granted, we still had to get out, but that would have to be worried about later, when it actually had importance. I deactivated my gen-sword and holstered it. I took a drink of water, and waited for the adrenaline to wear off. A few minutes later, I started to explore the city. I noticed that the doors were locked closed, metal plates being raised in front of the plasma doors. I could hear banging coming from the inside as well as some screams. That was my first clue that something was very, very off. Doors can only be locked from the inside of buildings, so anyone who is inside should be able to open them. Unless it was a quarantine lock, which would prevent any type of opening except for hazop personnel. I continued searching, letting my helmet record everything and transmit it to the other soldiers for them to see as well. I didn't bother adding notes or a voice comm, it was clear enough that something was off. I saw someone walking around, and they were not a soldier, ours or theirs. I walked cautiously towards them=

=as I got closer, the person turned to look at me, and raised a finger to their mouth in a shushing gesture, and then started to walk away, making a motion to follow them. As they turned, I saw it was a woman. I hesitated for a moment and made sure my helmet was recording, before following her. She seemed to pay no attention to the sounds from inside the buildings, if she even heard them. She appeared to have some type of equipment in and around her ears, as well as over her eyes and mouth. It was similar to my helmet, but the design was different. It didn't look like it was meant as implants, just protection and recording. She eventually lead me to a path entrance. Basically, these would emit a small amount of plasma per person, that would form around them. This could then be used for a form of pathway, which only appeared when your foot hit a certain magnetic level. It's really complicated, but the simple version is that the path only forms under your feet, saving on plasma needed and energy requirement. As we went up the path, I saw that it lead to a door near the top of one of the buildings. I looked around and saw no one else in the streets. I checked the positions of the other soldiers, and they were all still in the city, moving about. I put a marker at where I was going as well as the path entrance. Soon we arrived at the door, and stepped inside, the plasma flowing off of me and being channeled into receivers on the walls that would send it back down to the entrance. I looked around, and waited=

=There were about 8 or so people in the room, not including myself. They all had those same helmets on, ear, nose, mouth protection, cameras and microphones, but no implant plugs. I took out a piece of a protein bar and started eating, pulling the mouthpiece down and out of the way. A few of them stared at me while the woman talked with someone else on the other side of the room. Once I was done, they both walked up to me=

"What are you doing here?"

I'm here to find out why this city went into lock down, a Dome, for lack of a better term.

=the other person, a man, held up a hand=
"Please, don't remind us of that place."

Why? Is what's going on here related to that?

=they both nod=
"We managed to get through the first layer of protection, and had started on the second. Suddenly, one of the workers attacked another one, spouting off crazy things, rants. None of it made any sense. There was no provocation, no reason. Just...an attack."

=i looked at them both=
Do you have a recording of it?

=they shook their heads=
"Not on our rigs."

=i sigh=
Okay. So, you were making progress on the Dome, and a worker attacked another worker. How does that lead to the whole city?

=they looked at each other=
"It spread. After the first attack, the second person started attacking people as well, within seconds. There was no biting or scratching or anything that might indicate a virus, just, a punch and a kick and then suddenly they were fighting together, and it kept going. As they attacked other people, those people also turned as well. It was chaos. Soldiers were called in to help, but something was off."

=i crossed my arms and looked at them=
Off how?

"Well, some soldiers used rifles, swords, explosives. The people who were attacked didn't seem to care. They ran headlong into swords and bullets and bombs. Then, some of the soldiers started to do it. They just dropped their weapons and ran at the other soldiers. It was very weird."

=i nod, pretending to understand=
Is that why you are all still wearing your helmets?

=they all nod=
"Too afraid to take them off. We don't know if we'll turn or what. The soldiers started to shoot at anyone who went too close to the walls, even the uninfected. We don't want to turn and start to attack our own protectors."

=i nod again=
Understandable. Give me a moment.

=i sent a text message to all friendly soldiers in the city=

Code:

FR: Shen
SBJCT: Update

BDY: There appears to be a virus of some sort in the city. The virus causes extreme aggression and appears to be transmitted via touch and appears to be airborne.

ADVISMENT: Keep helmets on at all times unless you absolutely need to eat or drink etc.  Keep an eye out for any other survivors. Treat hostile unless proven otherwise.

=once it was sent I looked back at the people=
Stay here. I'm going to go. See if I can't find any others, or find out what caused this. This location is marked to my friends. You'll be safe.

=they didn't look relieved, just worried and scared. I turned and went over to the door, opening it. I started to climb down the wall, having to slide and jump around to get down safely=

=i hit the ground fairly unharmed. A few stray poles hit me as I slid down, nothing too serious, but they hurt. I decided to check out the Dome, see if there was anything from there that could explain what was going on. Luckily, the citizens of the city also built their capital almost on top of the Dome, so, with any luck, I could also go to the head of the city and try to get answers. Granted, I might have to kill a few guards just to get in there, but it'd be something. I started jogging towards the 'mountain,' noting that some of the quarantine doors were dented. I was amazed at it, as those doors were designed to not be broken by anything smaller than a heavy duty breaching charge=

=i made it to the base of the capital building. I holstered and powered off my gen-sword. No sense in getting shot immediately. I walked through the door, curious why it was the only one not locked. I walked past a reception desk, empty of any receptionist or even a computer. Granted, it could be a holographic computer, which would explain the emitter looking devices along the edge of the counter. I tried an elevator, and found it was offline. I looked around for some stairs, found them, and then headed up. It took me a few floors, but I finally found the president's office. Each city had a president. Instead of states like the old countries had, it was based off of each individual city. It worked smoother for the country. There was a larger, governing body that linked all the cities together and helped maintain order over the vast majority, but any decisions were left up to the president of each city. I opened the door and found it barricaded, a large stack of desks and chair were piled up in front of the door. It took me a moment to realize there was a rifle pointed at me through the barricade=

"Name?"

=i was taken aback for a moment, so I hesitated=

"What is your name?! I won't ask again."

Shen. Shen Yolar.

"You aren't from this city, are you?"

=i shake my head=
No, I am not. Does that mean I get shot now?

"No, but you are to be placed under guard. Which city do you come from?"

One that I can walk from.

"A Dark Op? Figures. Do you have anyone with you?"

No. Now, mind letting me in?

"Up a floor. Door on the left. Knock three quick, two slow. If you fleck up, you will be shot, got it?"

Yeap.

=i close the door and head up a floor and knock on the door as requested. I'm lead inside at sword point, and taken to see the guy at the barricade, who I could only tell from his voice=
"Why are you here."

To see what's going on.

"And you brought 15 others to do that?"

Yawp.

"Don't be a smart-ass. What are you really doing here."

To see what is going on. This city went dark, I want to know why.

=the man sighs. His rifle was one I hadn't see before. It seemed to be a bullet based one, very old and compact. It had a carrying handle on the top, and a large suppressor on the front. It had a curved section on the back that I guessed was the bullet reservoir. It bounced as he moved=

=the man ran his hand through his hair=
"We don't know what's going on, to be honest. We got through the first layer of the Dome, and then all brimstone broke loose. People started attacking each other, panic spread, quarantine was put in place. There's nothing we can really do."

Leave? Take the survivors and just move?

=he raises an eyebrow=
"And leave a Dome?"

Oh, yeah, forgot about that.

"Exactly. We can't leave. We can barely leave this building without getting attacked, hence the barricade."

Yeah, friendly welcome.

"Anyway, we can't leave. We don't even know what this is. We can't ask the other cities for help, as that would just be getting them infected as well. This is our problem. We aren't going to spread it."

=i nod=
Understandable. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check out the Dome.

"No, you aren't."

Yes, I am. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I will if I have to.

=he rested his hands on his weapon=
"What makes you think you can?"

I'm rated at a Class D risk at mental breakdown from suit overdose. It amplifies my nerves and reflexes, as well as providing limited armor protection. My reaction time without the suit is slightly faster than average, and I can lift more than my own weight. If I want to leave, I will leave.

=a few of the soldiers tensed up when I said that. Class D's are rare. While everything is built around the soldier, few soldiers ever create a Class D. Class A's are the least of the psychos, capable of damage, yes, but if they do lose it, they are easily dealt with. Class B's are a little bit worse, and Class C's are a bit worse than that. As you go up, your regulation becomes more strict, as what would make sense. In the history of my city, there was only one Class E soldier, and he was only called up for missions once a month, according to the records, and only for 30min or less ops. It didn't say what he had, only what his regulations were. Anyway, the commander growled and made a motion of dismissal. I went down and out of the tower without incident, and started to make my way towards the Dome, worming my way down the Dome Mountain. It was slow going, I had to avoid some patches of loose rock that I'm sure would've caused a rock slide and disturbed what was down there. I wanted everything to be the way it was, so there was less chance of missing anything. I might not see anything, but when I send this back home, then maybe someone can see something. I checked up on the soldiers, they were all accounted for. One of them was guarding the civilians I found earlier, the other two it looked like were checking for others=

=i closed out of the window, and focused on getting to the bottom without disturbing anything. A few minutes of sliding and walking, I made it to the bottom, and double-checked I was recording. I holstered my gen-sword and took a look around. I didn't have a headlamp, or any form of illumination save for the implants behind my eyes and the various status lights on my armor. I went over to a cleared away section for work on part of the Dome. I swept my helmet around slowly and steadily to make sure I didn't miss anything=

=i found the section of the Dome that was being worked on. They actually had managed to get through the outer layer, but there apparently was a second layer underneath that. It looked like some kinda of liquid adhesive had been used to keep the two layers together. Some of the liquid was gone, evaporated, by the looks of it. I took a picture of it on my HUD. I couldn't do an analysis of it without any specialty lab equipment, but I could at least get a visual and physical sample. I looked around for a container of some sort, unwilling to touch it for fear of infection. The closest I got was was a thermos nearby, dried of whatever liquid was in it. I scrapped some of the bonding liquid into the thermos and hooked it onto my armor. I continued to look around, seeing if there was anything else of interest=

=I didn't find anything else of interest, but I had kept recording just for the sake of perfection. I heard some rocks slide become dislodged nearby. I quickly checked to see if anyone was near me, as in any other soldiers, and there weren't. I quickly spun around, and came to find at least three people, all of them looking particularly enraged. I slowly moved my hand down towards my gen-sword and spoke in a calming voice=

Hi there. Mind telling me what you are doing here?

=the people didn't respond. Instead, they just ran at me, yelling. I quickly grabbed my gen-sword and powered it on. I ducked under the clumsy swings of the nearest person and smacked them in the forehead with the hilt of my gen-sword. They stumbled back, but didn't stop. The next person tried to tackle me. I sidestepped and delivered a knee to the stomach. I followed up with an elbow to the head, which should've knocked them out, but didn't. I was distracted by that little bit of info, the person I just hit not going out like a light and instead fell down and tried to get up, and because of that was blindsided by the third person=