Chapter 106 -
- James -
The wires were old. Burnt orange with age, stripped and re-twisted like brittle limbs from a forgotten machine. I had to wrap them twice around a cracked screw from the back of the box television to get the connection stable.
The smell of dust and warm metal filled the room as the screen lit up again. The TV flickered again, flashing lights buzzed with a low electric hum.
This time, I didn't jump. Last time, I was afraid I would get shocked. Now I just watched. This was the fourth time I'd rewired the antenna. The copper had corroded inside, probably from moisture damage or neglect. But it wasn't the TV's fault. It had done its job once before.
All I needed was for it to do it again.
I adjusted the coat hanger acting as the leading receiver and tapped the side of the TV. The old thing buzzed, spat static—and for a split second, the screen blinked.
A gray bar. A white shape.
Something outside.
Then it cut again. I reached for my pliers.
"…Come on, almost got you."
Another fuse adjusted. A jolt from the wall. I twisted the dial.
Click.
This time, a fuzzy face hovered behind the static. The image pulsed—glitching in and out—until a pale man with deep, sunken eyes appeared trapped behind the glass. He didn't speak. Or maybe he did. His mouth moved, slow and deliberate, like someone underwater trying to shout through ice.
I leaned closer. The screen crackled.
A news anchor from our local reports came across the screen.
The screen became a bit clearer than the last time. It wasn't clean, but it was better than anything else we'd picked up so far.
The signal steadied.
- Reporter -
"—It is unclear what has caused the blackout in this sector of the city," the woman was saying, voice clipped and formal, eyes darting slightly off-camera. "Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the dome-like pyramid structure is the result of a targeted terrorist attack or a catastrophic failure from recent construction projects scattered throughout the area."
I gasped. "This is it! I did it."
The dome... she said? We now have a name for this thing.
This was what the outside was thinking. Someone outside was finally talking about it.
"Hey, everyone, get in here—now I got it to work."
Footsteps thundered from down the hallway.
The screen didn't glitch this time; it held steady as the new anchor continued. Her posture was poised, but her tone sharpened with every word.
- Reporter -
"According to the emergency briefings, the Force Regimens' national guard unit is acting under order from the world bureaucracy. The international urban defense protocol has officially been triggered. This global policy is designed to isolate and monitor strange or catastrophic urban anomalies, such as the phenomenon currently surrounding Kaze no Miyako, the heart and home of Jiyu Kaze.
I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. An international policy? So they were prepared for this...
She continued, voice now distant and eyes studying, as if even she was unsure of what she was reading.
- Reporter cont. -
"Military officials have confirmed that the dome is permeable from the outside, but anyone who has entered has not returned. One reconnaissance helicopter was dispatched earlier this morning to conduct an aerial sweep—but after entering the dome, all communication was lost. No signal. No visuals. It is unknown whether these individuals have been lost or... cut off."
The others crowded behind me, drawn by the severity of my voice. Josh was first, as he was already beside me, skidding his bare feet across the polished wooden floors. Then came Evan, who was nosing around with the items that were stored in the back of a closet. He stood, crossing his arms as though not to show himself as unnerved.
But he was.
We all were.
The TV hissed, but the image remained clear and kept just enough clarity that we could still make things out. The logo of CEN 7 World News was hard to imagine, but it was real. A real station, a channel with real people. This wasn't some hallucination; it was the outside.
I stepped back to let everyone see better. No one said a word as they listened.
- Reporter -
"The dome is dangerous to anyone who enters, as they do not return. While the cause of this anomaly is still being investigated, some have drawn attention to warnings issued just hours before the event. According to residents, a man locally known as Uncle—a baker and community figure—allegedly spoke out about a gas leak in the area, calling for locals to evacuate. He was reportedly joined by a group of teens seen frequently gathering at his shop in the downtown plaza."
My heart dropped.
Micah flinched, grabbing my arm, I believe, for comfort.
- Reporter -
"It remains unclear whether these warnings were coincidental... or coordinated. With recent events of him opposing protests to stop the local beautification of the city."
"What!" Josh slammed his fist on the table. "Coordinated? You've got to be freaking kidding me—"
Becky shushed him.
- Reporter -
"This group was last seen at a public demonstration earlier this week—voicing opposition to recent zoning developments pushed by the governor, who, according to government officials, is now believed to be trapped inside the dome with no current form of outside communication.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the demonstration or the blackout is connected—but the group's proximity to the epicenter, along with their forewarning, is now under formal review."
The screen shifted to a prerecorded blurry image of Uncle's Bakery. It was a past clip of Uncle's interview, in which he waved to the cameras with flour on his apron, surrounded by a few familiar shadows of the regulars.
"Shit, Josh swore, not discreetly, under his breath.
I could see Evan's jaw muscles clenched.
As for my stomach, it twisted with uneasiness. It wasn't just about the dome anymore.
They were building a story, a false conspiracy, a narrative.
But who is staging this?
What was the cause of all of this?
And why was Main Uncle the face of their threat?
---
Micah finally broke the silence. "They're looking to be setting up to blame my uncle...aren't they?
I nodded, slowly. "Things would look that way."
That's when I realized this thing wasn't just about getting a signal. It was about hearing a warning, not from the dome, but from outside it.
The people were scared and may have been manipulated.
They didn't know what this was, so they were looking for someone to blame. Someone to look at for answers.
And if we didn't figure out what caused this—and fast—
Uncle might not be safe to live in this city or any other city.
It's time we visit the governor and get some answers.