Timothy Path sat alone in a circular room watching the news. TVs paneled a large span of the rounded wall and were brought to life with stations reporting what the people thought of what other people did, in several languages. A skinny man with tufts of black hair that stuck out at odd angles emerged from a staircase and walked up behind him.
Timothy glanced at his watch and then said, “Sit down, Anthony.” The man obeyed and Timothy continued. “The new Pope will be an issue.”
“I sent him the note. He will not break the agreement.”
“Why?”
“None of the other thirty-some have. And there were quite a few ‘reformers’ among them.”
“We will have to be cautious. No more terminations for a few months.”
“Yes, sir. Besides England may soon go to war with Mexico and that will distract him. Speaking of England, Locton sent another letter condemning us.”
“That hypocrite. He is testing molecular weapons under the table. Tell him we know about that. See if that doesn’t make him think a little.”
“Yes, sir. But Locton is a stubborn one.”
“Send him a small sum too. England needs all it can get. That devil can only juggle the books for so long until people start to notice. Tell him we know that too.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Anything else?”
“Those American human rights groups are at it again. And now they are gaining some support in Canada.”
“Can’t they see that we are helping? Knowledge. That is worth the most. And what can be more precious than knowledge of ourselves? Well, anyhow, this nearing war will distract them. Send Venny in on your way out.”
“Yes, sir.”
Anthony descended the stairs and left Timothy alone once more. He sat with his hands folded and staring at the TVs. However, his solitude was short lived and Venny quickly entered and took a seat without being asked.
“Sum it up quickly. I have to speak with the defense consul of Mexico soon,” Timothy said, waving his hand at the wall of T.V.s where the formidable face would soon be appearing.
“I’ll try. Specimen A-503 in dome 45 is nearing the edge again. Quite the explorer. Should he be terminated?”
“No. Just run a river in his way. Make it deep and swift. What generation are they on?”
“10th.”
“Impressive. He is proving a rather good leader. But then so was his father. Has he any children.”
“His wife is pregnant. That will be their first born.”
“Good. Swap the child with another, who has unexceptional parents. I want to see if the leadership capabilities are genetic or taught.”
“I will arrange that.”
“Good, Good. Any other news?”
“The specimens in dome 703 have learned to make fires. They are only on the 25th generation. Our second fastest yet. They see it as a god and are burning flowers to please it.”
“How about the specimens in dome 694? Have they learned about fire yet?”
“No. And they are on the 36th generation.”
“Have a small forest fire start. Give them the idea. See if that has any effect.”
“Will do.”
“Dome 917 is almost completed. It replicates a seaside environment complete with the tide cycle. Start selecting the specimens to be transitioned to it. Dr. Kennedy has come with a new way to handle wiping their memory that I think we should try on them. He promises that it will end the dreams of their old life.”
“I’ll arrange that with him. Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you. The specimens in dome 39 have begun to develop writing.”
“Excellent! Cancel the plague. I want to see have this how this plays out under optimal conditions. Reschedule it for in about 20 years from now.”
Venny nodded and continued, “It looks to be a system of glyphs. Specimen Z-1022 is showing signs of very high intelligence and is really the driving force behind it.”
“He is a brilliant man. Has he any babies?”
“Twin boys. 3 months old.”
“Perfect. Swap on and leave the other. Dr. Kimberly wants more information about whether skills like his are genetic or taught. He will happy that we have two exchanges planned. Now I fear that you will have to return after my meeting.”
“No problem,” Venny said, standing. He walked quickly to the stairs, his shoes clicking and his arms swinging at his sides.
Timothy returned to gazing at the T.V.s, waiting for the stern face to appear. He drew one hand over his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Dread and grief settled in his stomach as it often did when he was alone. He hated being a custodian and preferred to think of himself as a martyr. He had given his life to the project and yet would never see it come to fruition. His purpose was to sacrifice and keep it going for the good of the future. But very few saw it that way. He told himself that they were lost in the moment and only he and Venny could understand how crucial the project was. They had their morality and piety and he and Venny had knowledge, or at least were gathering it.

Clara looked around at the generals who sat around the table. The musty smell made her feel yet more trapped in by the bookshelves, and the light flickered occasionally.
“We have to focus on the people,” Atman said, his face growing flushed.
“Yes. That’s why we will go after the incomplete dome. It will set them back the most. It is the most expensive yet,” Williams argued.
“But there are people trapped in the other domes. Why would we waste resources on an empty dome.”
“Because if we don’t it soon won’t be empty. More families will be divided to supply it and more people brainwashed.”
“But if we attack one of the other domes, it will also set them back. It will delay the construction on the new dome and also allow us to help some of the people.”
“We don’t even have enough doctors to deal with the people we’ve rescued already. How are we supposed to treat anyone else,” Fabrikant pointed out.
“There’s a class of doctors almost through training,” Smith said.
Clara bit her lip and said, “As soon as the training is finished, we are going to attack one of the inhabited domes.”