Weekend Special Short Tales California 2.2 Chapter 3

 

3.

The Archdeacon Claude Frollo had stood on the high balcony that formed a ring around the top of the dome. He had joined the Dome as an apprentice for over two decades and during that time he had learned and made cunning moves to ascent to the most senior position as the Archdeacon of the Dome. The Dome was not a religious establishment but the museum of the ancient. The head position should had been a curator but the designation was given the name the Archdeacon.

Claude had never known real life outside of the Dome for a long time. Two decades was a long time when you stared at the walls of the Dome which was a huge half sphere with a radius of a thousand five hundred feet, and height of two hundred and twelve feet with the sides of the wall done with concrete materials. The Dome held five levels with the ground with a ceiling of a hundred and twenty feet in height, and the other four upper levels at twenty feet with the attic at twelve feet. It was a narrow attic. There were the two levels at the basements. The ground level had rows of glass windows to lend light to the interior.

Claude was sent there when he was aged twenty five after spending his previous ten years then at the Reformed Academy. He was given that name to replace his birth name and told to learn on the finer qualities of life. During his tenure there at the Dome, he saw the downfall of three Archdeacons before he was elected to the position. In his ascent, he had destroyed twelve others of various ranks in those years, and a few others outside the Dome.

“Archdeacon, I have your carrier ready.” The Archdeacon heard the aide then took one more look at the outside of the Dome. He was looking at the road of twenty miles long leading to the Dome from the nearby city; the long straight road with its twelve arches to denote the different landmarks of the world since the last Destructive War then. It had been a hundred and eighty years later and the world had seen the long peace. It was a peace that was considered by some as social retarded induced dream. What they never tell you was the nightmare version but who does remember their nightmares to tell it to others. The road was the only access and the other area around it was the forest with ten walls of concrete materials spaced every miles. No one tread the woods for it was supposedly filled with traps and deadly mines. It was the refuge for the ones that not forgotten the war was over and it was their great grandparent’s war then but they live in that mode.   

“Get me changed.” The Archdeacon stepped back from the balcony and into his personal chamber. It was the privilege of the Archdeacon to have the prime accommodation. It was a spacious chamber that held the dimension of a huge court, with three sections; the bedroom, the personal study, and the meeting recreation area. The last held the huge vid screen that allowed him to view the forty camera vids on the Dome.

Or the road to the City.

“What will you prefer, Archdeacon?”

“The usual, please. I am going to the City.” The Archdeacon requested the usual drabs that he will wear to go there. It was the white tunic and dark pants with the red jacket and the leather shoes. He was a Mr. Smith at the City. Well, one with credits to spend.

“Keep my mask for me.” The Archdeacon handed the red faced half mask to his aide. The mask was to hide his identity. It was the Dome Mask with the red shades over the eyes, and the blue pecking nose cover on the white background.

Captain Phoebus watched the carrier which was a six wheeler vehicle designed for the four occupants at a top speed of a hundred miles and its safety assured with the self-driving automated device. The Archdeacon had not taken the straight road but the side road that was below the ground that stretched for over six miles before it surfaced above ground but hidden by the trees in the forest. After that stretch, the subterranean road will go through the metal door and surfaced to the unpaved winding road for the next four miles, and with its turns and rounds, it was an extra mile to dive before it took to the main road that will be the road to the City.

“The idiot is back to the City. He gets all high to see her wherever she turns up” Captain Phoebus sighed. He had served the idiot when he was Assistant Archdeacon then, and they strategize on the move to topple the Archdeacon. It worked for them after over two years of soliciting and removing the opposition. He had done it all for the Archdeacon to be and got to the position as the Captain but not to his emotional needs.

“Fuck you.” Captain Phoebus cursed. “I have worked hard for you but you never did appreciate me. I am to you just another wank. Spurt and you are done.”

“Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble done.” Captain Phoebus muttered their finishing words on a successful outing.

Archdeacon reached the City and had the vehicle parked at the designated area before he took to the apartment he had leased there. He was there briefly and had his drabs changed to the white shirt and red bell bottomed pants with the red shoes. He tied the green bandanna on his forehead.

“I am Marcus Luiz now.”