Gullible Indeed

Returning to the Dome had been easier than Dorian expected. Issac had told him he would take all the blame when they returned. He didn’t realise just how much blame he would actually be taking, though the dressing down from his sister must've taken forty five minutes. Issac, entirely used to this by now, stood there unflinching and walked out casually when she was done.

Dorian, not wanting Issac to bear the struggle alone, waited for him. Upset that she tried in vain to scald her brother, Mai heaved a heavy sigh before exiting the room.

And bumping right into a so called Saviour.

“Oh my goodness, are you okay Dorian? I didn’t see you there.”

“Oh, no it’s fine. I was just walking past.”

“Past…My dorm room?”

“Yes! Sorry, I don’t quite know my way around yet. I got lost when we went to the poetry thing.” Bloody hell. Issac said to keep conversations to a minimum. He knew the revelations of the past few hours had left his partner in crime shaky. Dorian had declared that he would be fine. Evidently, he was not. “Is he okay?”

“Who, Issac? He’s…fine, he just likes to break the rules. He never fully adjusted to life, despite being born here. Sometimes I feel like he doesn’t fully understand our purpose.”

“If I’m honest,” Dorian said. “I don’t fully understand your purpose here.” Mai eyed Dorian seriously, and he instinctively threw his hands up in defense. “Not like that! I mean…I know you don’t need a reason to make things, but is your only goal really to have people come to take you into space?”

Mai’s eyebrow raised. “It’s the same thing you want, isn't it? We all want to be free. If beings much more worldly than you tell you the single way to your…I don’t want to be dramatic and say salvation. Dorian, this is the way we all get what we want. Trust me.”

He would have been inclined to do so had he not had his run in with Issac. He was so close to falling into the trap of being comfortable, so close to having a home, and so close to potentially being ensnared within it. He was a good day away from losing himself to a peaceful boredom.

“If that’s what you choose to believe, then of course I accept it.” Dorian did his best to put a brave face on. He remembered what Issac had said about the people of the Dome being easy to fool. Issac could read emotions better than any human could. If they were siblings, then…

“Thank you Dorian. I’m sorry I lost you before.” Dorian noticed Mai retreat into herself slightly. She had mentioned before that she struggled with praise because of her work. Dorian wondered if this lead to her wanting to be friends? It sounded like an odd conclusion to arrive at, but he had watched people crumble under the pressure of society before. He needed to reach out and make sure she was okay.

That’s what he was telling himself, anyway.

“Oh no, don’t worry about it! I'm just sorry our trip had to end early. I'm still not up for doing poetry anything. I really don't think that kind of hot blooded passion is for me. I want to help, though, is there some kind of other work I could do? Do the Elders need help?”

“Help? Dorian, they don’t need help from us. That’s why they’re in charge. We help by doing the tasks set before us.”

“I know that!” Dorian said, trying to remain upbeat. “I didn't mean you, I mean me.”

“I…suppose? Do you have information they might need?”

“I don’t know about that. I can use a lot of Union tech though. I don’t mean to be rude, but I see a lot of your systems are on the out. Tell them I want to talk to them about bringing them up to standard. You won’t be able to make things if your machinery breaks.”

“You want to do maintenance work? Oh no, I couldn't ask them that. I know you had a difficult time with poetry, but I really enjoyed the poem. Think about the good you could do here.”

“Thank you for that, but thinking about it rationally, wouldn't it be easier just to ask them for access to some form of communication? You may have everything you need, but surely they sometimes communicate with other people? Even if they don't, they might have the technology to do so.”

“If that were the case, wouldn't the Elders have just contacted someone when they needed to?”

“Maybe, but you didn't have anyone to contact before, did you? You thought that we all left. I assume they still think that's the case, considering that me and my friend aren't currently being held up as new Messiahs.”

“That’s true…” Mai knit her brow involuntarily. It was clear that she could understand the logic of Dorian’s point. Were this a normal conversation, he imagined this would be the end of it. That Mai was still thinking about it caused Dorian to curse himself.

“But you said yourself that you aren't a Saviour. Even if I wanted to help you, there is my reputation to consider. I can't just walk in and ask the people that run our home to let you have access to important information without reason.”

Dorian smiled mischievously “Oh dearest Mai! I do indeed have a reason. It's true that I don't have the mythological significance that you think I do, but I've still come from somewhere else, somewhere else on this planet.”

“You told us during questioning that you were escaping your home. That they tried to make you do stuff you didn't want to do, which is why you ended up here. Why would you want to contact them now? Why would you want to go back?”

“I don't. There are still people in my village who are sympathetic to me. Not many, mind you, but enough for me to want to let them know I'm okay. If that happens, I can see what I can do about leveraging them so that you can get the help that you need.”

Mai’s eyes became saucers. You didn’t tell me you KNEW Saviours!” Dorian could see she was bouncing on the balls of her heels. He felt terrible but…

Gullible indeed.

“Well, I didn't say that,” Dorian said with mock shyness. “Okay, I did. If anyone asks, you didn't hear it from me.”

“This changes everything!” Mai said, practically running round the room. “I’ll request a meeting with them this afternoon!”

“You can just do that?”

“Not usually, no. It seems that I've gained a lot of social standing within the community because of my glass piece. The Elders said I could ask for something in return, but obviously I was too shy to say anything. Now that I know this, though, this could be the most significant thing that has happened to the Dome since it's founding. I can't pass this up.”

“Oh, well, if you're sure… Oh, one other thing! May I please take Isaac with me?”

“My brother? Why?”

“When I was walking around earlier today, I heard some people making fun of him. They were calling him a grease monkey and a drone. When I asked them what that meant, they were all too happy to tell me he was good at doing. What did they call it again? Grunt work?”

Mai’s mood darkened. “You wouldn't remember the names of the people you were talking to, would you?”

“Uh, no. Anyway! If we bring him along and he helps me with discovering a way to bring you home, then that should surely rehabilitate him in the eyes of you guys, right?”

The artist’s eyes sparkled “Oh, Dorian! You’d do that for me?”

“Oh of course! After all, you showed me kindness when you didn't keep me locked in prison. I am grateful that you also tried to include me in community activities, even if I am a little shy. This is the least I can do to repay you. I'm quite good at talking, if you haven't noticed.”

Mai laughed. It was the first time that Dorian had heard her do so. It was bright and airy. It reminded him of his mother’s laugh when she’d had a little too much to drink. “Indeed, you are!”

Without warning, she hugged him. He was a little taken aback at first, but after a few seconds, he leaned into it. Despite knowing that she was a robot, Dorian was surprised at how warm she felt, how soft her skin was, and how her hair smelt of summer berries. He made sure not to stay there for too long. He was a lonely teenage boy, not a pervert.

“Lets keep it a surprise though, yeah?” Dorian said. “We don't want the entire place to be in a panic before we've even got a solution to the problem. I know you're going to be excited to tell everyone, but let's just get it done first.”

“Good thinking! This could be the best day of my life, Dorian! I don't know how I can thank you!” Dorian watched Mai walk away down the corridor and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad to prove to Isaac that he had been correct in putting his faith in him. Maybe now he could finally get some answers.

The anxious, guilt ridden feeling in his stomach told him he would have some questions of his own to answer eventually, too.