Falling

I heard steps on the corridor leading to my cell, guards were going back and forward next to the door, I could almost feel down my spine that something unusual was about to happen.

"Thalia Schmidt – prisoner 63" – a males voice was heard from the other side.

The door opened violently and soundly, 2 tall men invaded that place I'd known as my own for the last months, ever since Clarke was sent to the solitary I've been alone. Clarke had been my company for what seems like an eternity, we easily became friends, not only for the close age but also for the thing we had in common, we both had been arrested because we tried to do what was right, we were only trying to help someone, either family or the whole Ark.

"Do not resist prisoner!" – one of them yelled as I tried to run to a corner of the cell next to the bed.

"You can't do this!" – I tried to move talk them out of the situation – "I'm not 18 yet, you can't float me this soon"

"Do not offer resistance or we may have to choose other methods to keep you still" – another spoke.

"I am going to die aren't I?" – I asked frightened.

"Don't worry and sit still" – compassion filled the young man's eyes. – "it will only hurt for a second" – he then took a weird device that somehow reminded me of a bracelet with spikes on the inside, the other guard took my arm firmly almost to the point of cutting my circulation hurting me for no reason other than laughing in my face. They rubbed alcohol on my arm and put on the device, I'd never seen anything like it before and I didn't understand its purpose at all, it stung like hell but was okay after a while. They then left.

"Has Clarke been floated already?" – I quickly started to make calculations and she still had a few weeks at least, she won't make out of it, even if she goes to judgement, none of the judge ones ever survive. People around here in the Ark do everything to keep their conscience clean I guess, this policy is probably a way of "not wasting oxygen" I guess, it was said that we would have air for centuries but one never knows and I won't be here to witness Arks decaying.

I sat on a corner of the room with my legs crossed and a sketch book Clarke wasn't able to take to isolation. She really had a hand for drawing, Earth had been her dream since as long as I can remember.

"She's such a dreamer" – I laughed alone as if I was mocking my friend. – "I miss her so much".

I rested my head back against the cold wall and felt a tear going down my face.

"I'm tired, when will this end?"

Suddenly the door opened again. An old man reminding a doctor came on the room, sat on the bed and gently asked if I could sit next to him.

"Hello young woman" – he smiled trying to make me comfortable.

"Tell me doc. is this it?"

"What is it? Worry not child, you are not dying today."

"So… I'm assuming it's tomorrow then" – the old man laughed soundly.

"No no no… Number 63 isn't it?" – I nodded – "Such an awful way to treat someone with a face so pretty as yours, may I call you Thalia?" – I nodded once more getting impatient. – "so, Thalia, I have great news for you, Chancellor Jaha decided to give a hundred of our teenage delinquents a second chance by preparing an expedition ship to Earth, so not only you get to live as you also get to be one of the first humans to set foot on Earth after almost 300 years!" – he sounded so excited that I couldn't contain a weak smile, Earth was probably still full of radiation, everybody knows it. as I said before, second chances here are not more than a relief of conscience to our governors, we were going to be sent to Earth so we could die of irradiation or in the best case exposition to any kind of foreign virus. It's a death sentence anyway.

"The expedition will be arranged by Jaha himself with everything but clothes, so you'd better pack up and be ready by tomorrow morning at nine a.m. when the guards are coming to your cell and they'll get you all in the ship." – he then proceeded to check the bracelet as well as my vital signs and left the room with a smile.

I was so nervous that night I could barely sleep so I kept starring and trying to somehow picture Clarke's drawings in front of me, all the trees and the assumedly blue sky, it was impossible, Earth couldn't be so perfect.

"On your feet!" – Someone screamed on the other side of the door. I jumped off the bed and got dressed as fast as I could, picked my bags and jammed the book on the backpack. I really am a girl who would think on getting all these things to die?

The chancellor Jaha gave a speech about how important our contribute would be and how grateful he was and everybody in the Ark applauded him and us like we were heroes, it was extremely painful witnessing the goodbyes and the farewells between parents and their delinquent children. And as soon as we entered the ship one by one a mix of agitation and astonishment filled the place. We were minutes away from our probable doom. I saw Clarke entering the ship and sitting a few roads of chairs behind me, she smiled and I waved my hand, I never felt so happy to see someone in my life.

"WE ARE CLOSING THE DOORS IN THREE… TWO…" – Jaha's voice echoed.

"STOP EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW!" – a new voice screamed. We couldn't move but we could see what seemed like a guard carrying a weapon and taking the Chancellor with him almost to the point of getting both inside the ship. Why would someone do a thing like this? It was almost worse than suicide and surely as deathly.

Silence filled both the room and the ship. Everyone was so silent it was almost like we were afraid to breathe. And then… bang! The gun fired probably by itself, at least evaluating by the man's reaction when we realized what he'd done. He entered the ship that closed the doors and we soon were floating in space with one more member in the space crew, so we officially were 101 teenagers from the Ark sent to die on the ground with radiation instead of air and the chancellor was dead for all we knew, just great, whoever decided this was a good idea must have been completely nuts.

Some of them took their belts off in excitement walking in space seemed fun, indeed but they soon repented when we crossed the atmosphere and everybody was pushed down by gravity it was a matter of seconds. There was already blood in the ship before landing, a guy was smashed against a wall and splattered everywhere, even my face. Just as I was about to clean it the ship crashed violently, it was smashed and shatters of it flew all across the area. I was projected against a tree, felt all the bones in my body crack and then, acute pain and completely lost senses.