Drake was awoken by the sound of engines and creaking gears. He bolted out of the tent to see part of the Dome open. Out of this yawning maw came an airship, then another one, and another after that. They were dark grey in colour and advancing slowly as they left the gate. They were so low that Drake could see the machinery that was working hard to give these machines flight, four massive engines in all, two on each side, they pulsed a brilliant blue as they began to drift overhead. Others had awoken as well and they were pointing up and chattering away. Behind the ships came three sets of three shadows, for they were moving much faster then Drakes morning eyes could pin down. These shadows performed manoeuvres around the ships, zigzagging over the hulls. Focusing his eyes, Drake saw that they were Vector Units, similar in colour to those that flew over head yesterday.

“Must be training new cannon fodder” Drake overheard someone say.

“Yeah, probably going to send them to fight in those border wars they keep having.” Another replied.

“Not if the terrorists get them first” The first said back. Drake had learned of the Border Wars, but never paid them much attention. It didn’t seem like a big secret that the borders on the maps were very hard to define, and that the skirmishes were just tat for tat. The global powers craved compete control, but none of them did a great deal to get the control. The terrorists on the other hand, these were little groups that kept damaging the Empire in different ways, each with their own objectives. They were seldom united, at the same time most did want a fairer world. They were met with extreme retaliation.

Drake had kept him and his sister away from incidents, staying away from the towns where the groups took on supplies and away from towns that openly supported the groups. He had always been told that perspective played a part in many fights, his dad giving him that nugget of information. He sympathised with some of the issues but the war was not for him.

The airships were now fully clear of the Dome, which had begun closing up again. As the final gear went click, the ships engines roared even louder as their speed increased, quickly taking them away. The vector units must have disappeared along side them as all that was left now was clear skies.

“Why is it always noisy on the mornings?” Ava asked as she poked her head through the tent opening. “Did I miss anything fun?”

“Don’t you always?” Drake laughed as he walked away. “Will you be alright if I go join the queue? Earlier I stand in line, faster it will be to get us access to the Domes. The empire might be utter bastards but if they have your medicine, once you’re all better we can care more about our morals.” He had been a little long winded again, which drew Ava’s ire.

“All you had to say was we’ll stay till I got better! To answer your question though, I’ll be fine, I can get the tent down while you’re dying of boredom” She smiled. Drake reluctantly left her and went to the front of the office were a hefty line had already formed. To join it, he had to leave the grounds and walk down the road. It was slow moving and when he looked back after ten minutes of waiting, he saw that the line now stretched further back. A little discouraged, he put it out of his mind and looked forward again. He overheard a great deal stood there, of people’s reasons for making the trip and what excuses they would plead to be allowed access. It stood testament that despite what everyone had heard or were saying about the Empire that they still wanted to be on the inside. People could survive on the outside but it wasn’t an easy existence by any stretch of the imagination. Then there was the reports of control of the towns themselves being usurped, by either gangs or agents of the powers that be spreading influence. Drake had been asked by several towns he had passed through to stay with them and help build a future out of the wastes.

“Where you from them?” Someone said from behind, a man only a few years Drakes senior.

“Out east...” Drake wasn’t a big talker.

“Oh yeah? What town, I’m from Grey Dawn myself.”

“Never heard of that place. I’m from a small place near Rise View.” Drake wanted to be as blunt as possible in order to get the guy to move on. This didn’t work.

“Rise View... Rise View... Rise View? Rise View! I know that place, my sister and her family live out that way. Spent a summer or two there. Do they still get that lovely greenery at this time of year?” The stranger was even more curious it seemed, and had confidence enough to openly ask this stuff.

“If you really want to know, the whole place was razed when a gang showed up and challenged the gang who controlled the town. They had scavenged Vector Units and took out the whole town before calling it a draw.” Drake said, really trying to get the point across in his mannerisms and words that he didn’t want to talk anymore. This time it did the trick. The guy behind mumbled an apology and went to bother the person behind him, some people just seemed to want to talk to someone as long as it meant not being on their own. Drake didn’t care, at least not at the moment.

 few hours passed and the sun was high in the sky, though the Orbital Ring was also visible, bringing with it the forecast of an eclipse. These were never long events and while it seemed history regarded proper solar eclipses with a sense of wonder and awe that they clearly deserved, these new versions, where the ring passed on front of the sun, casting a shadow on those under its band, were very occasional. Drake assumed he’d still be stood here when it happened. He’d moved forward but not with speed, and from where he was, he couldn’t see the end of the line now and wondered how long the people before him had actually been there for.

“There you are!” Ava’s voice had that tone in it the gave away the fact that she’d been sleeping. “You haven’t moved much...”

“No, I’ve moved loads just, I’m a nice person and let people go ahead of me.”

“We’re really not going to get in are we...” Ava was still worrying about what they would say, seeing how long the line was only made her worry more.

“Look, I already told you-“ Drake was cut off by a burst of static from partially hidden speakers in the buildings.

“Testing... Testing” A robotic voice droned on. The static was maintained but a more human voice replaced the other one.

“Good afternoon, thank you for showing interest in applying for visa to enter and be officially recognised by the Atlantis Empire. It is encouraging to see so many want to join and help us move forward. As you know, or may not, but only a set number can be granted a visa a day. We have just filled that quota. Congratulations Joshua Meadows, Dean Rani, Felica Goodman, Rea Demin and Zak Brooke.” Drake saw Ava’s heart sink, confirming her fears. There was always tomorrow yes but would Ava wake up tomorrow... The people in the line dispersed.

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“I...” Ava started to speak, her voice unusually timid.

“Ava, go set the tent back up. I’m going to get food.” Drake turned so he his sister could only see his back, and not his tear stricken face. Knowing that arguing against his choice would not be helping matters, Ava nodded, and ran as a wind started to blow sand and dust up, providing Drake with the perfect background to his anger.

He found himself heading towards the Dome itself, unsure of what he was looking for. What he did find was weathered metal sheets, and impenetrable walls. No signs of doors, hardly any signs that the Domes had been manufactured, whatever technology had created them was above the scientists of all the powers that be. Losing time, Drake did stumble upon something, a door half hidden by sand, the door itself slightly eaten away by erosion. Was this is his way in? He went to touch it when a voice shout out, accompanied by the sound of a bullet pinging off metal. Someone had just fired a warning shot that had narrowly missed him. Drake turned with his hands rising, finding the doorway had been too easy. There was four of them, three aiming rifles at him while the fourth and the closest one to him held a pistol that looked like it had just been fired. The man who held the gun was dressed in military garb but it looked more ornamental then the others. He looked to be in his late forties, a smile etched within the lines of experience in his face.

“Well so you listened on the first go! Normally you silvers play dumb or deaf...Mind telling me what you’re doing near a disused service hatch?” There must have been something about today that made people just want to start randomly talking to him.

“It’s obvious isn’t it?” Drake retorted, being called a silver had already got a rise out of him.

“Your right, it is obvious, and do you know what the punishment is for a silver to illegally enter any Atlantis Empire Dome or military base? I think you may just be clever enough to figure that out” The guy in charge laughed, waving his pistol near his conniving smile. Drake looked around for any chance of escape but only found the guards guns staring back at him.

“If your gonna do it then do it!” Drake said angrily.

“Now now, I’m actually on my way to the town, walk with us...” The guy motioned for Drake to follow him, and reluctantly, he did.

“You want a public murder?” Drake asked as he turned to see the Dome falling away as they headed back into the town.

“I was thinking something else, tell me why do you want to be in there? You know what they’ll do to you in there, how you’ll be treat. A lad like you would be better out here... “

“I don’t want to be in for me, I’m gonna get my sister the treatment she needs. “

“Oh your doing it for your sister?” The guys face lit up and Drake knew better then to trust whatever followed. “Well I may be able to help you, if you are willing to listen.”

“You can help her?”

“I guarantee it, providing you play your part. You see I’m on the look out for new recruits... You’ll be enlisted in to the Atlantis Empire military, part of our, ahem, silver bullet program...”

“You want me to fight for you?”

“Not for me.... For your sister! The pair of you will be treat a lot better then you would be in the traditional method... Do I need to mention you’ll be trained to be a pilot?” The guy leaned in close, as if becoming cannon fodder was a big secret.

“So I pilot your Vector Units and fight for you... You’ll treat her and promise she’ll be safe?” Drake was kidding himself that he had to make his mind up, this was the best chance he was going to get, even if died fighting someone else’s wars.

“I promise that as long as she’s in the hospital she’ll be fine. She will be better before you know it. You owe it to her, if you desperate enough to risk death just getting in...” The guy patted Drake on the back. “So what do you say? Are you going to let your dear sister die out here? Or are you going to suit up and fight under our flag... Come on, what are you waiting for?” He was right there was no choice, there was a catch hidden in there somewhere but he’d come all this way, travelled here for the purpose of helping Ava.

“I’ll... I’ll do it, I’ll fight your stupid wars. Just make her better... If you don’t...” Drake wanted to sound threatening but it was just laughed away.

“She’ll be fine, once you through the door and under the artificial sky, she’ll be seen by the best doctors, while you start a new life as one of the Vanguard.” Forcibly, the guy shook Drakes hand.

“I am Special Lieutenant Howard Tarn, welcome to the Atlantis Empire Special Forces...”

Melody laid back in the reclined bed, a hospital night gown covering her bruised body. She was passive in appearance, but only because this routine had been beaten into her.

“She’s clear” The doctor said as he stood up, after her examination. “There was some internal damage but I’ve patched her up. You’ll have to be more careful with what you let her do.” Inside Melody’s mind, she laughed at that remark, they had never let her do anything, everything was forced, hence why after every performance she wound up back here being checked over, some appointments worse then others.

“Fantastic, how long till she’s fully healed.” Darren said from where he was stood in the corner, smoking a smokeless cigarette.

“Three days, your assistant made it quite clear that she had more private shows...” The doctor was the same one she had seen for the past two years now, and about fifty appointments in that time. Still, he saw her just as others did, an object.

“They’ve paid good money for the privilege, speaking of which tomorrow morning will be a nice promo shot at Dome Zeus, we’ll be travelling tonight. I’ll drop you back to your accommodation... You’ll be given two hours free time.” Darren dictated the days events to Melody, and the feeling he gave off that he was being gracious in giving her two hours to herself. She nodded in response, she would have loved to have said more, done more. Being in a hospital room meant there was plenty of tools she could have used on Darren and this Doctor who knew full well what was happening and was complicit. These fantasies would just remain that way, she was powerless here. Even in her free time she would be watched, made sure that she wasn’t doing anything to damage herself, she had already tried that. There was something that she could do though, an act of rebellion that they so far hadn’t caught. The Rebel Broadcasts, made by those fighting against all the powers that be. They listed their exploits knowing that there was a media blackout in effect. To her observers she would be idling to music, one guard who had actually cared for her plight shown her how to access the broadcasts. Sadly the guard was posted else where and Melody never saw her again. Her name was etched in her memory, as one of few who seemed like a nice person, yet sometimes the name seemed distant. Tina... That was it, Melody assured herself, using the name retrieval exercise as a way to provide distance from the conversation around her, about her but not including her.

“When will you be putting her in the program then? I’m aware my colleagues in that division have found some potential breeding stock.” The doctor asked as he cleaned his glasses.

“I’ll send her over once I’m happy with the match ups, she’s one of the best we’ve had and I’m not wasting her on some hunches. She needs to be with the best... “ Darren replied. “Now if you’ll excuse us Doctor Redfield, she has to rest now.” Hearing that command Melody allowed herself to rise and followed Darren out of the door, then still under his watchful gaze, she got changed back into her casual clothes, almost a prison like tracksuit complete with serial number. A car ride later she threw herself onto her bed, listening to the guards footsteps in the hall outside. She put her headphones in and stared at the ceiling as she switched over to the Rebel Broadcasts, longing for strength in herself, like they had.