The Dome

The squeak of grinding gears, tall cylindrical humming and blinking lights filled the laboratory. Dr Fisk worked at a computer with tensed nerves and a sweaty brow as he breathed exasperatingly.

It will take no more than three days for the dome to breach, he thought. A man in a white lab coat put a hand on Fisk’s shoulder. “You have been working for six straight hours, Dr. Fisk.”

Fisk looked up to his colleague. “You’re right Dr. Smith. What will we do to protect us when these solar flares keep bombarding our only defense-not to mention we are the last four-thousand humans on this planet!”

“I know, doctor.” Smith pulled at his chin. “We just need to find a substance to reinforce the dome.”

Dr Fisk stood, rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I need to sleep. I will be back at my station at 7 am. Goodnight, Dr. Smith.”

That night, Fisk had a puzzling dream. He was in some kind of astro dome with periodic table symbols lighting up the concave screen. Suddenly a set of atomic symbols was displayed in a bright, blue glow. He realized he was witnessing an epiphany for some reason.

He awoke with trembling jubilation. “If only I could remember what I saw!” he said. Fisk grabbed his head. “Whatever I saw it came from my noggin.”

He rose and dressed then left his room into a narrow wall with metallic halls, much like the inside hull of a submarine.

Fisk went to his seat and started back working on his computer. Hours of calculating and calculating went by with no progress at all.

Suddenly Fisk noticed a young woman stare with a broad smile at Fisk. He rolled his eyes. “Spare me the religious nonsense, Jill. No amount of prayer will save us.”

Jill neared Fisk and clasped her hands “You had a special dream last night, didn’t you.”

Fisk jolted to his feet. “Wha…how could you know that!”

“God told me He would give you a glimpse of hope in a dream.”

Fisk shook his head. Do you know more of the dream!-like what the symbols were that lit up!”

Jill chuckled. “I do not.”

“What was the purpose of this dream if it was from God?”

“What has begun now and what will follow, is for you to believe.”

“You sound like a prophet, if I ever heard one.”

“In a way, we all are. It’s all about spreading the good news.”

Fisk looked down and smiled slightly. “You mean the gospel.”

“Precisely.” Jill tilted her head. “How did you know that?”

“I went to Sunday School. I grew out of it.”

“What about now?”

“If God could fix our situation, why doesn’t He!”

“God wants your faith to be tested so you might believe in Him.”

Dr. Fisk sneered and jerked his attention to the screen. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Jill lowered his head and walked away.

Over the next period, Dr. Fisk was still at a loss. His attempts seemed futile. He shook his head and grabbed his scalp. “Blast it!” He reached to refill his coffee mug, but Dr. smith stopped him. “That is your fifth cup.”

“I need just one more.”

Dr. Smith tightened his grip on Fisk’s wrists. “You need to relax.”

Fisk sighed. “Okay.” The tired man sulked down the metallic hall and entered a hatch to his right. He lay on his cot and rested his head on his hands. He ran his palms down his face and stared at the ceiling. “What are we to do?”

After some time of worrying, Fisk fell asleep. He was mind stricken as he found himself in the same astrodome. This time he was not alone. A man with a staff who was in shining robes stood before Fisk.

Fisk stared, mystified with wide eyes.

“I am Gabriel, messenger of God. I have the answer to your plight.”

Fisk kneeled in respect to this awesome being. He dare not look up as he spoke. “Do you mean…the…dome?”

“Yes.” Gabriel walked right up to Fisk and put a hand on his forehead. “I have put the elements in your mind to make a substance to save those in the dome.”

It was like no other thing he had felt. He could only liken it as if he had passed through a electrifying yet peaceful cloud.

Gabriel raised Fisk to his feet. “Go now and do as you are meant to do.”

Fisk awoke in the night and jumped to his feet and bolted out of his room and down the hallway. He burst into the lab with a beaming face. “I know what to do!”

Dr. Fisk went to the computer and punched in some calculations and there was it-a new element strong enough to resist the blistering heat and radiation had bee found!

Dr. Smith’s jaw dropped and he reeled back. “My word! What should we call it?”

“The compounds are colorful. Let’s name it Chromium for the Greek, chroma, for colorful” said Fisk.”

“You’ve done it Fisk! Your name will go down in history!”

“It was not me. I believe it was…God.”

“Jill has gotten to you?”

Fisk smiled. “Yes, she has.”

It took about a month to produce enough chromium to weld it to the domed ceiling. Towering cranes raised technicians, metal workers and architects to correctly bond the element to the dome, especially in the more deteriorated spots.

Seven months after the project was done, Dr. Smith, Jill and the whole myriad of scientists, civilians, and all who worked on the dome, stood applauding Dr. Fisk.

“Thank you all. But, as absurd as it may sound, it was God, who gave me the idea.”

The crowd murmured and glanced at each other.

Dr. Smith shook hands with Fisk. “If that is how you want it, we will support you.”

When all had dispersed, Jill approached him. “Your biggest achievement was not the dome, but your new faith.”