Author's Note: This story is heavily based on the television show, 'The 100'. However, I will be making major changes so the story is more mine. If you do not understand some references, message me and I can explain.
Her eyes dazzled with anger as she shoved her pencil harder into the piece of parchment available to her, the material tattered and yellowed from age. When her mother had given it to her to help with her 'issues', she had told her to conserve the paper for as long as possible, so as to not waste it. However, considering Courtney Martinez was now jamming holes into it using the tiny stick of lead she had salvaged also from her mother, it was now completely done with. Although, you could still read the words in her curly, beautiful handwriting above the angry holes.
'It's been about over a year now since my arrest, since Dad's... Mom tells me I need to keep hope when it comes time for me to be reviewed when my eighteenth birthday finally comes. I didn't have the heart to tell her at my last visit that I wanted to plead guilty. I probably won't have to anyway since they didn't hesitate to float Dad for his betrayal. They needed to shut the secret down, so floating me as well is the only ticket in doing so. But, even with all of this going on, with Mom feigning hope when even she knew what was going to happen, with Dad's death still hanging off my shoulders, and with Chancellor McLean keeping everyone on the Ark in the dark...I still couldn't help but picture Trent still, his face of happiness turning sour as I dig my nails into his skull and repeatedly thrash his head into the wall. But even I knew I would suffer a worse fate than death for harming the Chancellor's son. I didn't care. Trent was the sole reason my father died. He deserved something worse.'
After that, Courtney substituted words for stabbings in the paper, ugly holes lining the bottom like bullets. She sighed and crumpled the slip of paper in her left hand, before chucking it across the small room. It bounced off the wall and rolled down the uneven floor, taunting her with its existence. Her feelings were her biggest weakness, she always felt.
Looking around as she pulled her knees to her chest, she sighed softly. The room(or cell, to put it more bluntly), was the same as it ever was. Considering Courtney's rather obsessive attitude, she constantly kept it as tidy as she could. Since she had limited things she could keep in there, it wasn't all that hard. The metallic walls were still blue, her cot made for her to have another night of uncomfortable sleep where she'd have countless nightmares of seeing her father's final moments. The ceiling, which was made up of a tiny window to see the shining stars as well as earth behind it, was dusty and untouched, but that was because Courtney couldn't reach it in order to clean it.
Courtney's eyes flew to said ceiling with a look of disdain, at least until her onyx gaze could fixate on earth. She was never one of those crazies she'd often see in her old classrooms who theorized what earth would be like or what it had been like. Of course, she was still entranced by the lovely planet, but she never gave much thought other than that. Perhaps it was because, before Trent's betrayal, her life had been absolutely perfect. And now...her life was a living hell.
SLAM!
Courtney gave a loud shriek as her door suddenly slid open, the emergency lights in her cell illuminating the room in a much more uncomfortable light. Two guards stood in the doorway, neither of their faces kind as they turned their gaze onto the young teenager. One of them carried a box of some kind while the other had their weapon out for protection.
"Prisoner 504, stand up and face the wall," the bigger of the guards demanded as he went to set the box down, opening it with ease. Courtney quickly obliged, not wanting to give them a reason to strike her with the painful weapon that seemed so simple, but she knew how painful it was, the electricity running through the stick able to stop anyone.
"Hold out your wrist," the guard demanded, unlocking something from the box before making his way over.
Courtney grit her teeth, but she did so, just before she let out a painful hiss as they suddenly clasped a metal bracelet into her wrist, tiny shards of metal entering her skin, but from the way it lightly buzzed, she could tell it was to diagnose her someway. She went to run her fingers gently over the metal instrument, but she was stopped by one of the guards seizing her from her underarms and practically dragging her to the still open door.
"Wait, wait, wait! What's going on?" she cried, stopping herself by gripping onto the railing right outside her door. She was on the fifth level of the Sky Box, or the prison others relied in from their crimes, no matter how simple or complex. On the Ark, any crime is illegal no matter how small. The punishment for all is execution unless you were under eighteen, so everyone in the Sky Box were children. From what Courtney could see as well, she wasn't the only kid being pulled from her cell. Everyone was being dragged out by guards, their wrists all encased by the same silver bracelet she was.
"Prisoner 504, follow the others!" the guard demanded, suddenly shoving her forward to go after the others who were also on her level.
"Watch it!" she snapped, not releasing her hold on the railing as she turned to sneer at the both of them. "What is this? Where are you taking us? Are we all being floated?" They didn't answer her questions. Instead, they moved as though to shove her again, but she held on tighter, roaring in defiance as she aimed a kick at the both of them. She only stopped once she heard a familiar voice.
"Courtney, stop!"
The brunette quickly pushed back the guards to look behind them, letting out a cry upon seeing her mother striding towards her, as always holding herself upright to look more important upon appearance. She looked nearly exact to Courtney, what with the same onyx eyes and tanned skin. The only thing that helped others decipher who was who was the fact Courtney's mother had red hair as long as her waist.
"Mom? What's going on?" Courtney asked, her eyes widening. "You're reducing population, aren't you? To make more time for the rest of you... I knew it! I knew you were going to-"
"Courtney, Courtney, baby, calm down," her mother soothed, cupping each of Courtney's cheeks.
"Diana, she needs to keep moving. Chancellor McLean gave us strict orders-" the guard behind Courtney demanded.
"Just a minute, Jones," Diana snapped, before turning back to Courtney, brushing hair from her face so she could talk to her more face to face. Courtney still seemed worried. "Courtney, you're not being executed. You're being sent to the ground. Chancellor McLean issued it. You're being given a second chance, baby, all one hundred of you."
"What? The ground? But the radioactivity...earth isn't supposed to be survival for another hundred years," Courtney protested.
"Our research says different," Diana pleaded, "I love you so much, Courtney... Once you get down there, you will want to take charge, give a future to those kids...just like your father. Just please stay safe for me." Diana kissed her forehead, before giving a harsh shove. Courtney squeaked and landed straight into the guard's grip, his hands clamping down on her smaller arms enough to hurt as she was dragged away to follow the other prisoners, all looking as confused as she did.
"MOM! MOM, WAIT! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Courtney shrieked over her shoulder, her shrill voice echoing off the walls. Her mom slowly disappeared in the distance, however, not abiding to her daughter's pleas of stopping this crazy plan. The ground? Earth? This is their crazy idea of fixing the problem on the Ark? Even if earth was survivable, Courtney of all people knew she wouldn't be able to survive amongst a hundred delinquents, all in for different reasons. They were being sent down to die.
She gave another kick at the guard walking beside the one holding her down. He brushed it off, keeping a straight face as he stared straight ahead. She growled angrily, trying again to get out of his grip, snarling curses at him. It wasn't like he could place her under arrest for resisting. She was already a prisoner.
They walked after the other prisoners who weren't fighting against the guards to going wherever they were going. Courtney could only assume they were taking a dropship to the ground. It only made sense. They walked from the Sky Box, taking several different routes as though trying to avoid any passersby to see them. Courtney realized why just as she saw the open door to the dropship that would surely drop her to her death: they weren't telling the Ark. The parents of these prisoners...none of them would know their children were on the ground.
"You're all sick!" she hissed as the guard finally released her, sticking her behind a group of teenagers all looking around in eagerness, excited to be out of their cells and going wherever the guard was taking them. As far as Courtney could tell, they couldn't wait to get to the ground, no matter how much radiation might be coating it.
Giving up, she substituted to glaring at everyone instead, her hands curled into fists. Chancellor McLean was a sick bastard. He was sending children to the ground. CHILDREN. She wished he was here just so she could float him herself. Instead, she stepped inside the rusted looking ship, grimacing at the metallic smell that entered her nostrils. This was atrocious.
"You four to the fifth level, you three the third, and you six stay here," a guard instructed, guiding some of the prisoners to the ladder available that helped them weave through the different floors to the small ship. Courtney got to the front soon enough and the guard pointed to herself, then the ladder, "Third floor."
Rolling her eyes, she took ahold of the ladder and began to climb, having to go through two other floors before she found herself on the third level, prisoners already walking around and situating themselves into the seats available, all equipped with strong seatbelts that strapped on and wouldn't release until landing, no matter if you clipped it uncomfortably or not. Biting her lip, she looked over who was all on the third level with her. She didn't recognize any of them. They didn't appear so friendly either, considering their glares and sneers.
Shaking her head, she instead took a seat to herself that was well enough away from them, making sure she was comfortable before she strapped herself in. More and more people were coming aboard, she could tell, all of them more loud than the last as they exclaimed their excitements to each other, clapping each other on the back. Courtney ignored them all.
It took at least an hour before nearly the entire dropship was full. The only seat not taken seemed to be Courtney's right. She could understand why. While it never necessarily mattered to her, she knew she was one of the privileged and these delinquents still didn't like that. Most of these delinquents came from the workers. They didn't get their rations so easily, and they didn't have the opportunity to just lay around all day watching movies that are nearly centuries old.
She was ready for them to just take off when a ruckus suddenly began in the level below them.
"Owe! Okay, okay, I've got it!" a male voice cried out. Just then, another prisoner joined their midst, someone Courtney was sure she wouldn't see for another lifetime if they were going down to earth.
"Trent?" she sputtered, not expecting to see him of all people. He gasped once he saw her, just before he gave an excited smile as he tried to greet her just before the guard came up and yelled at him to get in the only available seat left, the one to her right. Making sure everyone was strapped in, he began to climb below yelling, "All set! Prepare for launch!" Courtney heard the door they entered close with a loud slam, the only thing she could hear now was the machine's hum and mingled voices of all the prisoners on board.
"Courtney-" Trent tried, but she didn't dare let him.
"Trent, why the hell are you here?" she demanded through clenched teeth. "I can't believe you even have the nerve to speak to me!"
Trent winced, before he spoke again, his voice incredibly soft and hurt, "When...when I heard they were sending the prisoners to the ground, I got myself arrested. I couldn't...stand you go by yourself, especially hating me. Courtney...I came for you." Courtney snorted in anger, rolling her eyes and turning away.
"You got my father killed and me arrested, Trent...I think you would've been better saying goodbye from the Ark to save yourself the embarrassment," Courtney growled, turning away again. She couldn't even stand to look at him. Thankfully, she received a better excuse when several screens suddenly flickered to life, Chris McLean's dazzling smile infecting them all as he stared at the camera.
"Hey, prisoners! What do you know? You guys are actually useful for something! In case some of you are still confused, I'm sending the lot of you to the ground! Yeah, yeah, I know you guys are all probably wondering the same thing now: the earth is radiated! New research has come in and it's been theorized that earth may be survivable!" Chris opened his arms out wide happily, his toothy grin shining down at them all. Courtney seriously wanted to injure him severely. "We would've sent others, probably those who could report back with more specific details on earth's condition, but we've collectively decided on you guys because your statuses have registered you all...expendable!"
"Your dad's a dick, Trent!" somebody suddenly chimed. Loud agreements followed. Trent shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to ignore them, still looking desperately at Courtney to talk to her, but she pretended he wasn't even there. She watched the screens carefully instead, wanting to hear anything important that they needed to understand once they got to the ground.
"Anyway! Coordinates have been set so you all land in Mount Weather, a safe place. It was built long ago to withstand radiation and whatever, and it's supposed to be stocked with food that aren't perishable, so you shouldn't be worried about eating something way expired. Man, would that be awful!" Chris chuckled a bit. "Good luck, prisoners! May we meet again!" With that said, the screen shut off and went black again.
"Your dad is a dick, Trent," Courtney growled.
Trent bowed his head, before looking at her again, "He's just...following the law."
"Well-"
Instead of replying, Courtney let out a shrill scream along with many others. The drop ship had given a nasty jerk, lights blowing themselves out with bright sparks. It continued to move rapidly, shaking as though an earthquake was happening solely in there. Courtney knew better, though. They were entering the atmosphere of earth, so they were that much closer. She hoped radiation wouldn't seep into the walls of the rusty ship.
She gripped her seatbelts with a hard grip, shutting her eyes tightly and trying to think of anything else. Her mother came to thought first, her sweet face as she smiled down at Courtney. Diana Martinez was a wonderful woman in the Ark. She was the best doctor on the ship, alongside her assistant Bridgette Pierce. Bridgette was around Courtney's age, and the two were good friends up until Courtney's arrest.
She elicited another cry as the dropship finally hit something solid, going completely still. For several long moments, nobody spoke. Everyone looked around frantically at each other, all the while shaking in their seats. Courtney noticed something interesting. The machine hum usually heard around them had gone out. That was a first. Even on the Ark, she constantly heard it.
"We landed!" a feminine voice cried out happily. "Let's go see the ground!" With that, everyone collectively released themselves from their binds, each racing to the middle of the level where a hatch laid, meant for them to climb through.
"Wait!" Courtney hissed, ripping off her own. Without even glancing at Trent, she quickly followed them. "Don't open the doors just yet! Are you all stupid?" She climbed down the ladder as quickly as she could, thankful that she was one of the first on the bottom level, going to grab at the lever that would open the doors to block anyone else from touching it. Someone, unfortunately, had beat her to it.
"Not so fast, Princess," a voice lightly taunted. It was an older male. He had light skin, blue eyes, and a makeshift piercing going through his nose. His hair was black and very messy, the tips of his bangs tinted a bright green. He was wearing what looked to be a guard's uniform, which surprised Courtney. None of the guard would ever accept a scoundrel like him. Nevertheless, Courtney glared as she backed up a few steps.
"Excuse me? Listen here," she began, her voice already high pitched. More and more kids got down to the level, looking between Courtney and this boy curiously. They all bounced on their feet, impatient to see what the earth looked like, but Courtney couldn't allow it. She wouldn't allow it. "The air could be toxic! If you open that door, it could kill all of us instantly! We need to wait and figure out how-"
"I'm gonna stop you right there," he snorted judgmentally, holding up a hand, "If the air is toxic, and that's a big if based on the chancellor's video, we're all dead anyway. Might as well get it over with. Now back up so I can-"
"Duncan?"
Everyone turned.
It was the last of the kids coming down, and it was a girl from what Courtney could tell. She had pale, moonlit skin with dark eyes that glittered like stars. She had short black hair to match with dark blue streaks here and there. Courtney didn't know makeshift dyes were even possible on the Ark, but that was off topic. Anyway, the girl finally jumped to the ground and slowly made her way to the front, staring at Duncan as though he were some kind of ghost.
"Hey," 'Duncan' greeted, smiling for the first time. He looked the girl up and down. "Damn, could've at least dressed better for Earth Day."
"Screw you!" the girl laughed, before throwing her arms around his shoulders in an embrace. Duncan returned it wholeheartedly, lifting her into the air. Courtney narrowed her eyes suddenly.
"Where's your wristband?" He didn't seem to be wearing one. However, this seemed to be the wrong thing to say since the girl released him and whipped around with a scowl.
"Do you mind, Princess?" she scoffed, "I haven't seen my brother in a year. Wouldn't kill you to just leave us be."
"What?"
"No one has a brother!"
Several people began to murmur aloud, interrupting the conversation completely.
"Hey, that's Gwen Myers! The girl they found hidden underneath the floor!"
Another wrong thing to say. Gwen yelled as she lunged for the crowd, ready to attack whoever said that, but Duncan saw it coming and pulled her back quickly.
"Gwen, no!" he grunted, turning her to face him. "Not down here... Forget about them." He sent a dark glare to the crowd before returning his gaze to her. "Let's try to get them to see you as something even better than the girl under the floor."
"Yeah? Like what?"
Duncan smirked.
"Like being the first one on the ground in a hundred years," he said, pushing her so she stood at the center of where the door was. Before Courtney could protest again, Duncan slammed on the lever and allowed the door to swing open, brushing them with the air on the outside. Instead of coughing and heaving because of the radioactivity killing them, they smelled...pine. And fresh grass. Courtney's eyes widened at the sight. There was so much...green. It was so open and beautiful. She couldn't believe it. Everything was so beautiful. Earth was...alive. No windows, no ships, no floating... It was just...freedom.
Gwen slowly began making her way down the fallen door, looking just as amazed as Courtney felt. She looked down at the ground beneath her, biting her lip and taking a deep breath before she leapt off, her boots hitting the grass gently and dirt colliding with the soles of her shoes. She twirled slowly on the spot, taking it all in. Finally, she faced the opposite of the delinquents once more. She slowly raised her hands into the air.
"WE'RE BACK, BITCHES!" she cheered, everyone eagerly following her lead.
