Carwyn Leopold Utrecht

“That’s all you did?” Issac whispered, his hand covering his mouth. “You just asked? Still, for my sister to get a meeting with the Elders just three days after asking? I’ve got to hand it to Mai. That’s impressive.”

“Yeah, that’s all I did. What was I supposed to do? Paraglide from the roof and kidnap your sister? She seems to like me. What can I say?”

That earned Dorian a scowl, but he didn’t mind. Just as Mai had promised, she quickly made good on her declaration and arranged a meeting with the Elders. At least, he thought he was speaking to them. He didn’t know what he expected them to be. It certainly wasn’t this.

Two big, chunky block computers sat at opposite ends of the room. They had the same square shaped, moving face that the robot Avery carried the day they left had, but their bodies were large and covered with dust.

There weren't computers this retro in any museum on Lugus. He had heard them speak before, so he could tell they were a planet wide intelligence. Planet, even sector spanning AI, was available in your kitchen blender now. For the computers to be this heavy. Dorian didn't want to think how old they were.

“We have called you here because you say you have information that benefits us. I suggest you speak it now.” One elder made a kind of motorised noise as various coloured lights blinked across its front. “We do not take kindly to being deceived.” Its voice was low, clearly directed at Dorian.

“I don’t intend to deceive you. It’s just that I might have information for you regarding your predicament. You want to bring the Saviours here, right?”

“We do.”

“I might know how to do that.”

“Why must you lie?” The computer’s voice was shrill and loud. Dorian almost needed to cover his ears. He resisted. He wasn't about to show weakness. “We have scanned the databanks of the Droid you stole. You are not who you claim to be.”

“Come again? I've never claimed to be anything. If I remember correctly, It was everyone else that was ranting and raving about how special we were. I tried to tell you otherwise. That's why you threw me in prison.”

“We know you are not a Saviour. We also know that you don't know any of them. We know that you are telling a lie.”

“I’m not!” The room was starting to get oppressive. The heat from the large computerised overlords was enough to boil Dorian's insides. “You wanted people with the technology to help you! I know some.”

“We…Know those aren’t the correct people.”

Now it was Isaac's turn to be confused. “What do you mean? How could you know those aren't the right ones? We didn't even know there were people here until Dorian and Avery came.”

The Elders fell silent. Issac watched as their formally blue faces blinked orange “It was not important information. The information is new.”

“The hell do you mean? You were getting new information? While no one was on the planet?”

“The information is not for public consumption.”

It was very much unlike Issac to lose his cool. At least Dorian hadn’t seen it yet. His eyes looked like they could burn a hole through the Elders. Nobody enjoyed being kept in the dark though, it was a simple thing to understand. “If it isn’t for the public to know, why are you telling us?” Dorian asked.

“Because…We have been…conversing.”

“With these people? For how long?”

“Not people, person. There is only one person on this planet besides us that has the technology to converse.”

Dorian was so confused, his head throbbed. Had they used Mai’s good intentions to trap them here? If so, why?

“Did you have any intention of listening to us at all? Do you really believe everything they say? They could be lying, too. There’s no way to tell.”

“We have verified the information. It is genuine.”

“Bullshit!” Issac yelled, finally losing his temper. “This is another one of your games, isn’t it? You old bastards wouldn't know how to be truthful if a Saviour appeared! You can do nothing but vague riddles, empty promises and threats! That's why you haven’t thrown us back in prison or whatever. You can’t.”

“We have been instructed not to harm the human.”

“Me? The mystery person knows who I am?”

“Yes.”

Trying to think in this heat was impossible. Dorian's head throbbed with a continuous dull ache. He was hearing what he was being told, and he was trying to figure it out, but for once, his brain was failing him. He knew he needed to solve this problem, but the only thing on his mind right now was fresh air. Oxygen first, problem solving second.

“Do…Do you think that I could speak to this person? He would need to know that I am safe.”

“That is acceptable.”

“I’d like to do it alone, if I may.”

“Yes. There is a portable computer over there on the desk, it is connected with the person in question. You may leave the room, but you will be watched by surveillance.”

“Dorian…” Isaac made a move to reassure him by trying to place his hand on his shoulder, but Dorian moved away.

He was let out of the room by guards and taken to a space that was nothing but a white square. Something about it almost seemed ethereal, clean, as if everything had been moved out just for him. The guard said nothing and quickly left the room. Dorian looked down at the pad. On the screen was a green “Call” button and a name Dorian recognised.

Carwyn Utrecht.

A Union noble family?

It made sense that a Dome named after a noble family would have privileged access to them. How else would they be able to survive? Dorian knew that the Utrecht family was notoriously secretive. They preferred to conduct their business through intermediaries. Besides, all the noble families lived far outside of Lugus communication range.

But still…

As much as he hated it, his curiosity got the better of him. He pressed the call button and nearly choked on his own saliva. Sitting there at his desk behind bottles of expensive spirits and a robot maid at his side, was the last person in the universe he wanted to see.

“Yeah? What do you glorified fax machines want now? Don't tell me that the order is going to be delayed a- Ah, Dorian, what a pleasant surprise. I see you can still follow instructions, it seems, even after a taste of freedom. That’s good to know.”

On the opposite end of that call, a new name aside, was the Mayor of Lugus, Therion Neeves.

***

“Oh, come now Dorian. Don’t be so surprised. I would’ve caught up with you, eventually. Nothing ever escapes my eyes, nothing. You lasted, what? Two days? Three? Now, if I’m brutally honest with myself, which I rarely ever am, as you know, I do need to thank you.”

Dorian’s eyes with fixated with total contempt on the screen. This wasn’t the Mayor he saw the day he left, self serious and composed. No, this was a man at complete ease with himself, lounging on the couch, bottle of wine in hand. Dorian tutted loudly. “I thought you be glad to see the back of me. Getting needy aren’t we?”

“What are you talking about, dear boy? You called me!”

“No, I called Carwyn Utrecht.” Dorian realised how stupid he sounded just after he said it. Of course it didn’t take a genius to work it out. “That’s how you could access Union tech, how you always had the best of everything in your house when the Mayors of other villages didn’t.”

“Bingo! He finally got it! Yes indeed, you are speaking to Carwyn Leopold Utrecht, third son and black sheep of the noble house of the same name. At your service, Master Pepper.” The Mayor gave a small mock bow as Dorian’s hands tightened around the data pad.

“So it was your Droid that Avery stole?”

“Yes, it was. He's always been a bit too soft hearted, that boy. He saw a little piece of scrap like that in trouble and nearly lost his freedom to save him. How noble! I gave it to his father as a gift. He really bought into the propaganda hook, line and sinker. Sometimes all you need to do is give people a little push.”

“A little push!? His wife was killed!”

“And it was very sad. We've really started to go round in circles here. Let's try to get back on track. Where were we? Oh yes, I needed to thank you.”

Dorian really didn't want to know the answer to the question, but he needed to ask it to end this hell. “Why?”

“I’m so very glad you asked! Before you left, remember I told you there was an embargo and we couldn't get goods? Well, that was because for Thirteen years the Dome had been unreachable. Those little drones were slaving away, producing things, and I couldn't get to them. So sad. Unfortunately, that meant that all the equipment went rusty and our lovely little paradise took a downturn.”

“I’m guessing there's a but?”

“But, when you had your little rebellion and triggered Executive One on my little helper, the power was so great that it restored communications! And how happy I was to find that there were plenty of artworks and rugs and other lovely bits and pieces for me to grab. They worked so hard, bless them.”

Dorian was going to be sick. All the hard work of the people of the Dome, all of Mai’s self doubt and chasing of success, everything this second life, however short it might be, was made from a lie.

And yet again, this bastard was at the centre.

“I'm sure you're happy ruling over your kingdom without us there. I won't tell anyone about this conversation. Can't you just leave us alone?”

“Yes, but I'm not going to. You see, I've gained a lot of respect for you. I know you're not a simple rebellious teenager Dorian. You have ambition, and you have at least some idea of how to achieve it. I bloody hate people like you.”

“Oh, come on. You can't even use the ’I don't have any legs excuse.’ You've got no reason to be angry at me when you can turn your spinal cord on and off like a light.”

"See? This…This is why! I had to work for years Dorian, years! Just to get people to notice me, to pay attention to me even a bit. Despite my enthusiasm, despite my obvious talent, despite my desire to make the Union a better place. Everyone still looked over me! You have no idea how that feels, everyone just… You had the will to do whatever you wanted. You actually escaped, and I…”

Dorian whistled. “So…you’re jealous of a fifteen year old? You couldn't have the life you wanted, so you decided to watch it all burn instead? Weird.”

“it doesn't matter what you say. I know where you are now. Thankfully, Satoshi’s little punching bag is good for something. With the Dome back online, your location has been broadcast to me non-stop. I can't have you telling people what you've seen. I can't have you ruining everything. Members of the guard, including Satoshi are on the way to bring you home.”

Dorian smirked. “It’s going to take you days to get here. I’ll be long gone before Captain Jackass and his bootlicker friends get here. You can’t hold me.”

“Oh, actually. I can.”

Therion grinned a shit eating grin and pressed a button on his desk. As soon as the call cut off, flashing red lights and blaring sirens sounded around the building. Dorian watched as the Dome became a prison in seconds. Quickly getting up, he ran to the door, only to find that it, too, had been automatically locked.

He was trapped.