The Dome 01: Out Into the Wasteland

"Let me come with you!" Joining the trader would solve Xero's immediate problem of survival. Worried that he'd sounded too desperate, he ran his fingertips over her nipples and added in more controlled tones, "You said yourself, it gets lonely out here. Imagine doing this every day!"

She hesitated, but didn't brush his hand away. "You're not out here by choice, are you?"

He froze. No, I was sentenced to death by exposure. For endangering the Dome, they said. He didn't say it out loud, though, and after a moment she took his hand and guided it up and down across her chest.

"You're about as far as most Domers make it out here. In the lowlands... well, there are more people for you to run into." The unspoken warning was plain.

"Part of the profit from the boners is yours," she went on. "I wouldn't have caught them without you." She let go of his hand, but he continued the stroking motion by himself. "You can tag along until I sell them."

"Really?" Xero was unable to keep the elation and relief from his voice. A week in the wasteland has made it very clear that he was at the mercy of whatever he encountered.

She smiled sourly at his enthusiasm. "A temporary arrangement only, kid. You'll get your share, and I'll try to teach you a thing or two along the way. And don't think it's because you're such a good fuck. It was good-- alright, it was very good," she added as he started to protest. "But this is about what's fair, and what might save your life. I'm not a slave to my passions." And she bared those razor-sharp teeth at him. "Don't stop stroking me, though. You might want to try a bit lower, too."

As Xero shifted his attention from her nipples to the mound between her legs, his mind was racing. Despite Raurri's assertion, she seemed to be very interested in the pleasures of the flesh. From being alone, hungry and thirsty, desperate and afraid, he'd gone to having a companion, a measure of security, and a delightful way of distracting himself from his fears. He buried his pleased grin between Raurri's thighs.

===

It was black when he woke from a deep slumber. With food in his belly, and relaxed for the first time in more than a week, he'd crawled under the blanket that Raurri lent him and fallen asleep.

For a long moment his mind grasped around, trying to decide where he was. Gradually his eyes made out the silhouettes of the basin's walls, a more solid black than the sky above, unbroken by stars.

His gaze was drawn to a ring of bright spots. They made an almost perfect circle, and once his mind cleared he realised that it was suspended above the Dome.

During his flight across the wasteland he'd been too preoccupied with survival to notice much of this strange world around him. Even when Ollie and Yek had been alive, at night they'd huddled down in what shelter they could find, rising before dawn to make the most of the coolness.

The Dome had been behind them, and if he'd even seen this bright ring it hadn't registered as anything unusual. Not a source of food, water or shelter, and too far away to pose any threat.

Now he looked up and wondered. The ring seemed too perfect to be natural. At the same time it wasn't entirely symmetrical. If it was manmade, if it was part of the Dome, why were the stars off-centre?

He rose, pulling the blanket around him against the night's chill. Careful not to disturb Raurri he moved to the edge of the basin and gazed up at the ring.

They weren't stars, he realised. He could just make out their form, like the planets that appeared in the sky. They were larger than the tiny pinpoints of light that were stars.

Very well then, they must be manmade. Or at least placed there by humans, in an age gone by, when people had a reach that extended from the surface of this desolate planet up into the skies and beyond.

For an instant he marvelled at such power. Even inside the Dome, surrounded by all the conveniences of a civilised life, he'd seen nothing that even hinted at such capabilities. And out here in the wasteland it seemed humanity -- if that was even the correct word, he thought, remembering Raurri -- had returned to savagery.

"They're weapons." Raurri's voice was soft and low in his ear.

He let out a squawk and spun round, clutching the blanket around him, as if it could protect him. Heart pounding in his chest, he took a deep breath. "I didn't hear you approach. I tried not to wake you."

She shot him an amused look before returning her gaze to the bright ring. "They're the Dome's weapons. As soon as they see a threat, they send killing rays to destroy it."

"What threats?"

"Out here? Anyone getting too close to the Dome." She turned away. "It's quite the spectacle. If you're not the threat."

Xero gaped at her as she crawled back under her blanket. In moments her breathing was deep and regular.

Does this mean I can never go home? Xero hadn't given any thought to his future beyond immediate survival. But at a very basic level he'd assumed that one day he'd return home. Prove his innocence somehow, or find forgiveness. Be taken back.

Now that idea had been torn from him, and his stomach lurched as if part of him had just been ripped out.

He sat with his blanket wrapped around his shoulders until dawn.

===

Ro-Gara knew as soon as she stepped into the underground temple that she wasn't alone. Likely it was Tulon, coming to meet her for their regular parley. But her people had been watching the surrounding area for a day, and reported no-one approaching the stone entrance in that time. She'd been sure she was the first to arrive.

Her eyes scanned the darkness. If Tulon had already arrived, he would have activated the ancient lights. Wouldn't he? Silently she flexed her fingers. If he was planning to ambush her, he wouldn't find her easy prey.

Moving away from the wide stone staircase that had brought her down from the barren surface, she stepped lightly into the round space. The light flooding down at an angle from the entrance above barely reached three paces into the room. The walls and the high, vaulted ceiling were left shrouded in darkness.

With seeming casualness, Ro-Gara moved forward until she reached the edge of the light, then another step took her into the shadow. She blinked rapidly, trying to get her eyes to adjust as she peered around. All the time she kept quiet, ears pricked for the slightest sound.

There it was! A scuff of leather on stone, behind her, close. Before she could turn, a solid shape struck her hard and carried her to the floor.

Tulon, she knew instantly, even before his scent hit her nostrils. He was strong, but she was fast, and she jabbed a sharp elbow into his midriff, slithering free the moment she felt his grip relax. Almost she succeeded, then a large hand wrapped itself around her knee and held her. She tried to kick with her free leg, but standing awkwardly she couldn't bring much force to bear.

Another hand seized her leg, around her thigh this time, and a throaty chuckle rose up from the dark floor. Instead of trying to wriggle away, she dropped forward suddenly, bringing her elbows down on the source of the sound.

The chuckle turned into a grunt and she seized the advantage by clambering over the prone man's wide back, levering her leg free as she went. He was on his feet in an instant, and she jabbed her fists into his back before he could turn to face her.

A soft grunt was his only response, and a fist caught the front of her jacket before she could dance out of reach. "Got you," the shadowed face above her growled. She was lifted off the ground as if she weighed nothing, and she felt his free hand grope at her thigh and arse.

A swift kick caught him in the ribs. This time he gave an audible "Oooph!" and dropped her. She fell awkwardly to the floor, scrabbled to find her feet, got her hands underneath her and was just about to rise when Tulon's weight fell across her. "You'll stay here," he breathed in her ear. His bushy beard scratched at the bare skin of her skull and neck.

Struggle as she might, she was unable to slither out from under his bulk. He chuckled at her attempts, one hand pressed between her shoulder blades while the other ran down the curve of her waist and over her arse.

"I'm going to have me some of this," he hissed, and forced his massive hand between her legs. She squirmed and squeezed her legs together, but to no avail. "I can feel how hot you are," he continued. "Even through your clothes, I can feel it."

She made a final attempt to push him off, actually managing to raise herself off the floor, but all it accomplished was to let him slide his hand beneath her body. Immediately he began plucking at the string tying up her trousers, then his fingers found their way under the material and across her soft skin.

He winced as one of her heels kicked him in the back, and shifted his weight until he was sitting astride her thighs. One hand was still pressing her down onto the cold, hard floor, while the other now began to tug her trousers and undergarments down across her muscled buttocks.

Her hands and feet flapped helplessly as she felt her flesh being exposed to the cool air of the temple, then hotter air as Tulon leaned forward and slid his tongue across her skin. "You bastard," she gasped, doubling her efforts.

But in moments her trousers were bunched around her knees and her arse and slit were naked before him. A thick finger probed down along her crack and between the folds of her pussy, sliding along slowly, exploring and teasing. Then it disappeared, and she realised he was lifting the kilt he always wore.

His weight shifted forward, and she felt his hot swollen head where moments before his finger had been. It rubbed along her slit a few times, spreading moistness, then it pressed against her entrance.

"Bastard," she whispered again, and she felt his cock move up along her crack.

"Don't you want it there?" She could almost hear his grin. "How about I put it here then?" And the hot meat nudged against her arsehole.

A whimper was all she could manage as she felt his cock slide back down to her pussy entrance. She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against the stone floor as it pressed insistently, then eased off, only to press forward again, each time entering her a little further.

"You bastard!" she wailed quietly. Forcing her body to relax, she waited, knowing that his concentration was on his cock and her pussy. There! The hand pressing her down lightened up ever so slightly, but that was all she needed.

She pulled her knees forward until they were underneath her and levered herself up off the floor. With a cry of surprise, Tulon was pushed back off her.

On hands and knees, she looked back over her shoulder. Tulon was half upright, his cock sticking out from under his kilt. The meagre light gleamed on his shiny head, glistening with her arousal.

"No more playing!" she said harshly. "Just fuck me. Hard!"

She saw him grin ruefully, then he took hold of his cock and leaned towards her. "You know the foreplay gets you hot," he grumbled, then they both gasped as cock met pussy and slid inside.

At last! It had been three new moons since their last tryst. She felt him fill her up, as if his cock had been made specially for her. For a moment they held still, then they both began to move, rhythmically easing back and forth.

Tulon placed his hands on her waist, gradually picking up the pace as they thrust at each other. Their breath was rasping as the urgency overtook them. Ro-Gara felt the heat build up inside her gut, a knot of fire that grew and made its irresistible way down until it reached her pussy, then it exploded through her entire body. Tulon made a strangled sound and she felt his fingers dig into her skin, felt his body stiffen, felt him swell up inside her and release.

They collapsed, Tulon's heavy body pressing her down onto the stone floor like it had before. She gave a small laugh as he kissed her neck and ear, then groaned. "Get off me," she grunted. "I can't breathe."

He rolled away and she rolled with him to lie against his body. He tugged at his kilt, trying to pull it down, but she stopped him. Instead, she took his flaccid cock in her hand and idly played with it. Her own trousers were still around her ankles. She wasn't done with him yet.

"Talk to me," she said. "What's the news?"

He was still for a moment, either gathering his thoughts or enjoying the touch of her fingers. "Eirag's people saw a herd of runbirds near the edge of their lands," he said then. "Don't know what brought them down from the high plains." A pause. "The river is running high. Good news for the boaters. Bad news if you want to catch worms."

She grunted in response. Valued for their meat and their tough, leathery hide, the worms lived in the toxic mud on the shores of the great river that cut through the lowlands. The tribes roaming the area would lower people down by rope to lie in wait and catch them as they emerged from the muck. A high river meant less mud, and that meant fewer worms -- and a greater risk of being splashed by the poisonous waters.

Tulon was waiting for her to share what she had learned since their last meeting. It wasn't much. "Another runner from the Dome," she said. "Probably dead by now. And my sender picked up some activity from the Dome. Could be what brought the runbirds down, if it sent its killrays their way."

He nodded slowly. "A trader brought us a live boner two days ago. She shared the pay with a Domer -- maybe that runner of yours. If so, he's still alive -- or he was then. Raurri has little patience for fools." He noticed her interest. "I told them to seek you out if they wanted to sell more. I figured you'd want to speak with him."

"Did you learn anything from him?" she replied.

"Didn't really ask. But he might be useful for your plans. He's sure to have some kind of information about getting in and out."

Ro-Gara lay back, still running her fingers idly over Tulon's thighs and cock. She didn't want to ruin the mood, but this was big news. She sensed the large man's apprehension, and knew he was wondering where she was going to steer the conversation. Deciding quickly, she filed the information about the Domer away for later, and instead reached up to nibble at Tulon's neck. "How was the boner?" she asked in a husky voice.

"Trouble!" he replied with feeling. "Old Enjy bought it. I had to threaten to take it off him if he didn't stop using it on everyone who came within reach."

Ro-Gara laughed out loud, burying her face in Tulon's neck. Enjy was reputed to be the oldest man on the plain, and his lecherous appetite seemed to grow worse with age. "Perhaps you should take it off him. Keep it for yourself... and me."

Strong arms pulled her on top of his chest. "No boner could make me harder than you do." Almost as if to prove it, his hard cock was pressed against her mound. She slid her hips back and forth, feeling his hard heat beneath her as they kissed passionately.

Suddenly she broke away and pushed herself up. The look in his eyes -- hunger, despair, longing -- was almost comical, but she was in no mood to laugh. Instead, she turned and lowered herself down again, this time placing her other lips on his mouth.

She was rewarded when she felt him explore her, tongue and lips licking and sucking like they'd been doing to her mouth moments earlier. She revelled in it, grinding down against him, then she turned her attention to the rock-hard cock pointing right at her face.

Taking it in one hand, she stuck out her tongue and licked up the clear drops that were already oozing out of it. A shiver ran through him, and she thought she heard him whimper against her pussy. Remembering how he'd teased her earlier, she decided to go slow, kissing and licking gently, tasting the traces from their earlier lovemaking on his skin.

His tongue renewed its onslaught on her gash, licking hard and probing at her entrance. His large hands were warm on her arse, pressing her down onto his mouth. She almost groaned aloud as his lips pursed around her button and sucked at it, then she gave a cry as his tongue flicked across it.

Abandoning her plan, she opened her mouth wide to take his cock in it. A perfect match for her pussy, it was almost too large to fit in her mouth, and her jaws gave a twinge as she stretched them as far as they would go. But she managed to take his swollen head inside her and forced herself down as far as she could before letting the hot bar of meat slip out again. The second time was easier, the third time easier still.

His hips were pressing up, thrusting his cock into her mouth, and she realised she was grinding down just as hard onto his face. The heat was building up inside her. Taking a firm hold of the base of his cock, she began to suck rhythmically. She felt him settle into a rhythm as well, and she knew their bodies were marching together towards their release.

Their grunts and moans were becoming louder, as if they were trying to outdo each other, then his head swelled up even more. She gave a quick tug, felt him stiffen, and hot cream filled her mouth. Another tug, another spasm, another jet.

That was all she needed, and her own body went rigid as her climax swept through her. She sucked harder each time a wave crashed over her, and more of his cream filled her mouth until it leaked between her lips, down his shaft and onto her hand.

At last she let Tulon's cock slip out of her mouth. Swallowing hard, she gasped, "Enough!" He complied, letting out gasps of his own, and she felt his hands ease off her arse. He gave her pussy one more kiss, then his body relaxed. Her own gave a last judder, then let herself go limp as well.

They made their private farewells in the underground temple, away from prying eyes, before mounting the stairs together. At the entrance to the ancient shrine they went through the formalities, agreeing to meet again after three new moons.

Ro-Gara walked away without looking back. Not that it was forbidden for two tribal leaders to be involved, but there was always someone eager to make trouble, to question her loyalties. And so for now she and Tulon kept their love secret.

Wrenching her mind deliberately away from the subject, she considered the news about the Domer. For too long -- for as long as memory went back -- the Dome had dictated the tone of life on the plains. If it detected any hint that someone was using technology -- radios, the ancient mechanical implements that were scattered everywhere -- it sent its deadly rays to wreak destruction.

Ro-Gara felt that it was time for this to end. The people of the plains, and those beyond, needed to unite to stop the Dome's tyranny. Essentially everyone agreed with her, but they baulked at the thought of the undertaking. The Dome was impenetrable, they argued. Before they came close, they'd be annihilated.

Yet Ro-Gara knew that couldn't be true. People fled the Dome from time to time. True, they usually perished within days, but because they couldn't handle the conditions outside. Not because the Dome slew them.

This latest Domer, for instance. It was rare for one to last this long, to make allies, like this one apparently had. She needed to speak with him. Clearly he was unhappy with life under the Dome, and he might be willing to share his knowledge.

Ro-Gara smiled to herself, allowing the lingering feel of Tulon's lovemaking to warm her as she made her way to where her people waited. Perhaps times were changing.