Chapter 7 The new world

Chapter 7 The new world
I spent the whole night sleeplessly wondering what the following day would have in store for me. The plans for the next morning were simple we were going to get some food and leave immediately.
Once morning finally came I jumped out of bed and started once again for the cafeteria. My stomach churned a little. I wondered what it was like outside the dome now. I was especially interested in the “mutants” that Terry had told me about the day before. She had said that some of them were dangerous. My mind played images of horror movies I had seen when I was younger, showing images of grossly deformed monsters and such. I shuddered. I hoped that the real “mutants” would prove to be a little less gruesome.
I retraced my steps from the day before, to my surprise I actually made it back to the cafeteria, and I only got lost twice. By the time I got there the others were already waiting.
“You sleep in again” Gohn said with a smile. “ I swear people from your time are sure lazy.”
I laughed. “Sadly your right.” I replied, only half kidding. Terry pulled me aside for a moment.
“ Are you sure your ready. I mean I don’t want to force you to do something if your not…. Feeling up to it.” She said with concern.
“ I will be fine.” I assured her.
She smiled, “Good” She said starting to walk back to the group. Then she turned walking backward she beckoned me to follow her. “ Come on. They already think your lazy you had better start stepping it up”
I laughed. Then I saluted sarcastically and said. “ Yes ma’m.” I really did feel like things would be ok. I had only known these people for a day now and I already felt like they were close friends.
We ate quickly. Again it was the same cracker that I had had before, but as good as it tasted I really didn’t care if that was the only thing I ever ate again. Which it very well could be. After we had finished our “meal” we started for the exit. The exit from the dome was on the bottom floor and took several lift rides and vessel transports to get there. I still couldn’t believe how huge this dome was. Especially, considering it was alive.
When we had finally reached the bottom floor we were approached by several men in black suits. They lead us to a room to be “prepared” to exit the dome. We were given several shots and then lead into a heavily guarded room. The room was guarded by 5 men armed not to the teeth, but with teeth. There were hundreds of teeth like protrusions hanging from a long tube that resembled Gohn’s arm. It appeared the tubes would shoot the “teeth” at a high speed toward any opposing target. It kind of reminded me of an old fashioned Gatlin gun.
A tall guy approached us from another room. He must have been important because the guards straightened a little more as he entered. Like I said he was tall. At least as tall as Caulin. He appeared to be the same age as all of us. His wore a very sharp black suit, consisting of a long jacket that resembled a trench coat, but more classy. Underneath he had a perfectly tailored tuxedo like attire. Though calling it a tuxedo wouldn’t be quite right. I guess it was more of a military uniform only it was all black with no ribbons or anything. His brownish black hair was slicked back in manner reminiscent of the 1950s or so. Covering half of his face was a white mask. That seemed to contrast with his all black suit, but also seemed to have a kind of ceremonial appeal. I had to admit the guy had an almost essence of importance exuded from all around him. He walked up and immediately started what I decided must be some kind of briefing.
“ Well as you all know a new species was sighted in the 32nd sector.” He started very authoritatively. “It doesn’t appear to be very dangerous, but it is unclassified nonetheless.” he drug on about the details of this stuff for a moment or two then kind of relaxed. “ I hope you all are doing well” he said politely. “ Be careful out there. You can never know for sure that every thing is as it seems.” As he was talking his eyes drifted to me. “ Ah. You must be the one Terry told me about. I am very sorry about what you have had to experience, but I hope that you are finding our world to your liking.”
I nodded a little uncomfortable at being the center of attention from what seemed to be a very important individual. “ yes this place is really amazing.” I mustered.
He smiled in approval. “ Good to hear it.” he said. “ I wouldn’t worry to much about anything dangerous out there. In case you didn’t know it your with the best excursion team we have in this dome. Not to mention the fact that if you guys run into any real trouble, which is unlikely my men are pulling patrols twenty four hours a day so we will be able to take care of anything.” I felt a little reassured by what he said. “ Where are my manners? I’m Commander General Janus Arachnosh.” I was mildly surprised. A general at his age? I shrugged it off and introduced myself.
“My name is David Homer.” I said as confidently as I could. “ It is an honor to meet you.”
“ Thank you, I’m glad to meet you as well.” He said. “ Well, I have to return to my troops good luck.” With that he exited the room through the same door he had entered from. The guards escorted us down a long corridor into a large room marked by an enormous door.
“ So exactly what was all that about?” I asked as we walked.
“ Janus is the head of the dome’s defenses. He commands all the troops. We have actually got a small army that patrols around the dome to make sure that no mutants can attack or break into the dome.” Caulin said rather proudly.
“What’s with the mask?” I asked then.
“ His face was burned by a mutant that spit acid a few years back during one of his patrols.” Caulin answered.
I raised my eyebrows in shock. “ a mutant that shoots acid?” I said. What had I gotten myself into. “I’m not so sure I’m ready for this after all.”
Gohn laughed. But Terry reassured me by saying, “ don’t worry there aren’t any acid spitting mutants in the sector we are investigating.”
“Well the new species we are looking for might spit acid,” Caulin said “ you never know.”
Terry sighed and rolled her eyes, Scyll elbowed Caulin. “ We are trying to make David feel better.” Scyll said Caulin.
Caulin winced. “ oops” he said and kind of laughed. In spite of my new “acid anxiety” I decided to continue with them anyways. I had to otherwise I would have felt like a coward or something like that.
We approach the giant door. It seemed to grow as we neared until it became impossibly tall and wide. I wondered to myself why on earth they would ever need a door this big. One of the guards walked to side of the door and inserted a special mineral card. Slowly the incredible door slide open. The light from the sun outside flooded and everyone in the room had to squint to keep from being blinded. I had forgotten how bright it was outside.
As the doors widened I got my first glimpse of the “new world” Everything was different. The first thing that my eyes were drawn to were the trees. They were tropical looking, to match the wet heat that now surrounded me, they had vines and huge palm like leaves, but unlike the tropical trees I was used to these were enormous. When I was a kid my parents had taken me to the redwood forest in California. The trees there had been amazing towering high like skyscrapers, and they were so big around that you could drive a truck through them. But compared to these trees the redwoods were nothing. I couldn’t even attempt to see the tops of them. The vines hanging from them alone were larger than anything I had ever seen.
As my eyes followed the immense trees down to the forest floor I caught a glimpse of the low-lying plants. Though clearly choked out by the huge trees, the underbrush was still daunting to look at. Its thick mangling bushes reached out from the forests and seemed to play across the landscape like some sort of disease. Different types of mosses, smaller trees, and bushes seem to battle for whatever remained of the forest floor. Most of them cramped together or even growing on top of something else. To be honest, it struck me as unnatural. In all my studies of biology in college I had always noticed a sense of balance in the natural world, but here there was no balance. Even just looking at the plant life I could see that this new world was a war zone. Everything fought for their right to survive in this new place. Which was, what I decided, exactly what we were going to have to do.