Chapter 26 — The Last Seed Keeper

The Salt Arch is unlike any gate Khe Mien has ever imagined.

There is no double-layered disinfection chamber like the Green Dome, and no welcoming ceremony. Instead, a tall metal fence, covered with rusty iron spikes, surrounded the entire visible perimeter of the Dome, and at the only entrance, a rough concrete sentry post stood tall, two soldiers in dark gray overalls standing guard, weapons strapped to their hips not for decoration.

“Stop,” one of the soldiers shouted when the group was about fifty meters from the guard post, his voice echoing through an amplifier mounted on his chest. "Name and purpose."

Bach Lam stepped forward, his hands raised to show he was not armed, a gesture Khe Mien realized he had practiced carefully for this situation. “Caravan from the Green Dome,” he said, his voice clear and calm. "We just need to restock water and maybe some supplies, ready for a fair trade. We'll leave within a day."

The second soldier said something through the communication device attached to his shoulder, and an uncomfortably long wait passed before the heavy metal gate began to slide open, revealing a large courtyard inside, where three more soldiers stood waiting.

"Follow us," the first soldier said, no longer visibly hostile but not at all friendly either. "All supplies brought must be checked before entering the central area. That is the regulation."

Khe Mien exchanged a quick look with Bach Lam, and both understood the unspoken thing: the seed box, even though it was hidden well under the outer layer, would need an explanation if discovered during the inspection process.

"We carry some biological research samples, which have no commercial value to anyone outside of the Green Dome," Bach Lam said before the soldier could ask to open his luggage, his voice carrying enough confidence not to raise further questions. "We'd be happy to let you have a look, but please handle them carefully — they are very fragile if exposed to air for too long."

The soldier glanced at the shockproof box Khe Mien was holding close to her body, then looked at his superior standing nearby - a middle-aged man with a different badge on his shoulder, silently observing from the beginning until now.

“Let it go,” the man said at last, his voice hoarse and lazy as if inspecting a group of strangers was just a boring procedure he had to endure. "We don't have time to research the seeds of the Green Dome people."

Khe Mien breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, even though she didn't show it on her face, and the whole group was led through the gate and inside.

If the outside of the Salt Dome impressed with cold hostility, the inside impressed with something very different — a sharp contrast that Khe Mien had never been mentally prepared to face.

The area near the gate, where they were passing, was a row of shabby houses, the walls patched up with all kinds of recycled materials, and the roof so low that adults had to bow their heads when going in and out. The people - thin, with worn clothes, eyes sunken from lack of sleep or food or both - stopped to look at the passing caravan with both curiosity and wariness, no one dared to look directly into the eyes of the soldiers escorting the group of strangers.

Further towards the center, the landscape changes suddenly. More solid, carefully painted buildings appeared around a wide square with a large open-air water tank, the water glistening in the afternoon sunlight — a strangely luxurious sight compared to what Khe Mien had seen just a few hundred meters earlier.

"What is that?" she asked softly, pointing towards the water tank, unable to contain her curiosity even though her instincts told her to keep quiet.

“Central Water Depot,” the soldier who guided the guide replied, his voice devoid of any emotion, as if he were describing an inanimate object. "All Salt Dome water is filtered and stored here before distribution."

"How is it distributed?" Bach Lam asked, his voice trying to keep the natural tone of someone who was just curious to learn about the local culture.

The soldier glanced at him, hesitated for a moment before answering. "According to quotas. Each settlement has a fixed allocation, based on its labor contribution to the Arch."

Khe Mien felt a chill run down her spine when she heard that phrase — "labor contribution" — a euphemism for a system whose true shape she was beginning to envision.

They were led to a guest area, a low building near the central square, where an older woman wearing a more formal outfit than what Khe Mien had seen in the area near the exit gate welcomed them, introducing herself as the person in charge of welcoming commercial guests.

"You will meet the Lord of Hell this evening," she said, her voice monotonous as if she had repeated this sentence hundreds of times before. "All resource exchanges with outsiders must be directly approved by you."

"Damn Master?" Khe Mien asked, unable to hold back.

“Head of the Salt Dome,” the woman replied, her voice lowered a little, as if the very mention of that title required a certain amount of caution. "Mr. Confucius Ba Truc. He governs all water and food sources of this Dome, as well as all decisions regarding who can enter and who must stay outside."

That evening, the group was led to a large hall in the center of the Salt Dome's power district, where Confucius sat on an elaborately carved high chair, placed on a small platform raised above the floor, surrounded by dozens of uniformed soldiers — known as the Binh Diem, Khe Mien later learned, a separate armed force responsible for maintaining order and collecting royalties throughout the Salt Dome.

Khong Ba Truc was a man in his fifties, unusually plump compared to the thin physiques of most of the Salt Dome residents the group saw on the way in, his face carrying the lazy complacency of someone who was used to having all his requests met immediately.

"Green Dome," he said, his voice drawling with gentle contempt, as Bach Lam introduced the group. "I've heard you guys still have those silly old-fashioned rituals—harvest festivals, send-offs. Here, we don't have time for such luxuries. We only have work, and what it brings."

Khe Mien bit her lip to not react, remembering Bach Lam's instructions before entering the lobby - keep quiet unless absolutely necessary, let him handle the negotiation.

“We just need water, Master of Hell,” Bach Lam said, his voice holding just the right amount of respect without sounding obsequious. "We are willing to make a fair trade with the supplies we bring."

Khong Ba Truc waved his hand to signal an assistant to bring him the bag of supplies the group had presented for inspection, and flipped through it without much interest.

“Meager,” he said, tossing the bag back to the assistant. "But I will allow you to buy water, for twice the price of what you brought that would cover a five-day journey for a group of five people."

"That's an unreasonable price," Khe Mien said, unable to hold back any longer, even though she felt Bach Lam's warning gaze immediately.

Khong Bo Truc turned to look at her, his eyes truly stopping on her face for the first time, evaluating her from head to toe with cold curiosity. “Seed Keeper of the Green Dome,” he said, reading her role from the way the rest of the party looked at her, or perhaps from some information he had beforehand. "Do you think prices here are determined by reason? In the Salt Dome, prices are determined by who needs what from whom. And right now, you need my water more than I need anything you have."

The hall was silent for a long time, only the sound of Binh Diem's weapons clashing slightly as they shifted their guard positions, a sound enough to remind everyone of the power disparity in this room.

"We will pay that price," Bach Lam said finally, his voice final, before the situation could get worse. "But we look forward to leaving as soon as the transaction is complete."

Khong Ba Truc laughed, a short laugh, without any joy. "Of course. We don't welcome guests staying for long periods of time, unless they have something truly valuable to offer in exchange." His eyes glanced at the box Khe Mien was still holding tightly in his hand once more, and in that brief moment, Khe Mien felt a cold uneasiness spread throughout her body, as if he knew exactly what was inside, even though he couldn't say it out loud.