Dominentur: City of the Derelict
There were people in the Derelict.
The startling realization hit me like a thunderbolt. So many had disappeared within the Derelicts steel walls. Everyone had always assumed that they had died. But, what if they were here, in this strange place. I stared. And looked up, and up and up and up. It was a tower, bunt not like any of the thousands of dilapidated buildings I’d seen so far. Instead, it had been cleaned and refurbished. Large steel beams supported it.
“Hello!” Flint said, the excitement evident in his tone.
Then, I looked at the man. He was standing, and his head was jolting upwards as if he had only just noticed us. But, I had registered his existence previously, the beautiful sight of another human being was eclipsed only by the astonishing wonder of a building in the Derelict.
“Ahm. Hello there!” said the man, seemingly trying to mimic Flint’s enthusiasm.
“What are- I mean is- this place?”
A smile spread across the man’s face, and he looked genuinely happy. But the words that came out of his face were pale and monotone as if reading from a script. “Ah, yes. This,” here he gestured around him, “is Dominentur. It is our refuge. Though the Derelict stretches out all around us, here we are safe.”
I could see Flint grinning broadly. I was glad for him. But, I was not solely focused on him. Instead, I mulled over the word ‘Dominentur.’ There seemed to be a weight to it, a power. I didn’t quite know what I thought of it yet, however. I shivered, though not from cold.
The man continued, unperturbed by my actions. “To us here in the bastion of hope, it seems that many who enter the Derelict come here. We’ve recently started aiding those lost in these ruins. So, we have that beacon.”
There it was on a spire on the top of the central building. It was high up, presumably to shield the eyes of everyone below. It was bright, bright enough to be seen by both me and Flint when we were multiple miles from it.
“We here in Dominentur welcome all. We hope that everyone here enjoys themselves as we endeavor to carve out a prosperous life for ourselves in the Derelict.”
The man looked as if he was drawing breath to continue his long speech, but I cut him off. “Yes, that’s nice.” Flint nodded emphatically. “But, what do we do? Where do we go?”
“Ahm, yes. You’ll need to see the Registry first. I can take you there so that you can receive your mark.” The man’s demeanor changed slightly, and he became more brusque and official.
The Registry was a small yet prominent building off to the side of the refurbished skyscraper. The surrounding skyscrapers dwarfed that smallish building. Still, there was something about it that drew one’s eye. There was a presence about it.
We went up to the Registry and entered its doors. I saw a thin, bent looking women. Here fingers were all boney and knobbly.
“Another?” said the women. Her shoulders slumped, and a sight parsed through her months.
The man that had welcomed us gave a simple, yet succinct, nod. The women returned in kind. And then the man left.
“Well, hold out your arms.”
The women rummaged around in the back. She came back with a strange metal device ending in a needle. The woman pulled back a long sleeve, revealing a bare arm decorated with a tattoo with three stripes.
“Come on, whos first?” Asked the woman, impatient.
Flint was the first to go. He laid his bare arm on the table. Though he still was excited at the prospect of safety, Flint was far more apprehensive than he had been earlier.
“I’m ready. Um, what is this for?” Flint managed through chattering teeth. But the women had already set to work.
Soon the lady, whose name was Clara, finished. A single clean, black stripe now ran across Flint’s forearm. Flint was still wincing, though only slightly. It seemed as if it hadn’t been too bad. Clara had assured him that forearms didn’t hurt as much as other places.
Still, I wasn’t so sure. I wasn’t one to have blind faith just because some people promised safety. So, I expressed my feelings on the matter.
“Look, you need these stripes if you want to be a citizen of grand Dominentur.”
“What do they represent?” I gestured towards the stripes on both the Clara’s and on Flint’s arms.
Here, Clara winced. “Social status. One stripe represents the lowest tier, the serfs.” Here she looked a bit apologetic.
“Still, don’t worry.” The women assured. “You can, and will, climb the social ladder. There is an influx of new serfs every year.”
I hesitated.
“Amy, please.” Flint looked at me, his eyes pleading.
Against my better judgment, I let Clara give me a tattoo.
“Flint,” I said, wincing, “Do your best not to let me regret this. I’m doing this for you.”
“I know,” Flint said, with his sweet, small smile.
That made it worth the costs, I hoped.
We exited the Registry, only to be waylayed by the man who had first greeted us. There was a grim, yet somehow joyful, smile that distorted his already lined face. My apprehension increased.
“I can take you to your room now.” He said.
Wary, I looked over to Flint, who seemed either simply unaware or else purposefully ignorant. I sighed. After all, I was the one who led Flint into the Derelict. It was my duty to see to it that he was happy and safe.
“All right,” I said, my voice betraying my distrust. “Why don’t you take us to our rooms.” So, I slowly followed him up to the massive skyscraper that sat in the middle of Dominentur, dwarfing everything by comparison.
We were high up in the skyscraper, at least, I assumed so. We had walked so far up, down, and through the building. So much so that I had lost all sense of distance or perspective.
Eventually, the man led us up a flight of stairs and then gestured towards a battered wooden door. It looked as if it had been a strong, sturdy oak door, once upon a time. But it seemed that that time had passed. I opened the door.
Much to my surprise, the room was well furnished, if dusty. It was a nice, simple, and quaint little room. And, it was unlike the inhuman steel of the exterior skyscraper. If I was honest with myself, it felt a bit like home.
I looked around the room. The paint was a nice cherry red, significantly muted by time and by dust. The entire area had an air of being forgotten. I touched the wall, leaving a handprint in the dust. Reluctantly, I smiled at Flint, who smiled back.
“I’ll get you in the morning, do not leave the room.” I had almost forgotten that the man was there.
I turned and saw the door closing with a click. We would be let out in the morning.
