"Bellamy. Bellamy! Hey Blake, wake up!"
A pair of sharp chocolate-colored eyes shot open from underneath tousled waves of brown hair. The haze of slumber still lingered for a moment in the young man's eyes as he registered what was going on. With a furrowed brow, he sat up from the desk he had been quietly dozing on. He ran a hand through his dark mane as he blinked away the last of the sleep from his eyes. He clearly wasn't pleased to be woken up. His eyes eventually settled on the source of the voice, a boy standing a few feet in front of him.
"What is it, Jasper? This better be important. You know I'm still getting over the jet lag from last week," he said curtly.
The shaggy haired boy smirked at him from across the room. A pair of bulky black goggles were perched atop his head, pushing some of his hair back from his forehead. Underneath them, his eyes were glimmering with mischief.
"Well good morning to you too, Sleeping Beauty. I came here with good news, but it sounds like you don't want to hear it. I suppose I'll come back later..."
He swiveled on the heels of his feet and started heading towards the door. The doorknob was already in his hand before he heard a loud sigh coming from behind him.
"Wait. What 'good news' are you talking about?" Bellamy asked curiously. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was being left in suspense. He liked having control over any situation that affected him. Being kept in the dark about even the tiniest details left him feeling powerless. He stared expectantly at the boy across from him, his eyes anxious in anticipation.
Jasper turned around and smiled, sauntering back over to his friend. He seemed to be reveling in the moment. It wasn't often he got to see Bellamy Blake squirm like this. His eyes danced with amusement as he leaned on the wall next to where Bellamy was sitting. He took a moment to pick up some of the knick-knacks on his desk, toying with miniature souveniers from all over the world. Behind the desk, he could tell Bellamy was simmering with irritation. He spun a small globe around on its axis as he spoke.
"I mean, I suppose it's not that important. You've only been waiting a few years to hear news like this..."
"Spit it out, Jasper. I'm not in the mood for this today," Bellamy replied in a stern voice.
Jasper gave a chuckle in return, raising his hands up in surrender before his boss. A big, jester-like smile was plastered all over his face.
"Ok, ok. Whatever you say, Big Boss Man. I figured you might want to know that I just got off the phone with Jaha Pharmaceuticals. They're searching for an herb called 'Lightland Ivy'. Thought maybe you could lead an expedition to find it. Their supply dried out recently and they haven't been able to grow enough in their greenhouses. I think the guy from corporate mentioned that they wanted to find another source just until theirs grows enough to be useful."
Bellamy stared at him with a blank expression. This was what he was disturbed from his well-deserved nap for? Sometimes he couldn't believe what people came into his room asking for. Though he might be good at his job, he wasn't a miracle worker. What was he going to do, search the entire land and ocean floor for this plant? His clients expected too much sometimes.
"I've never even heard of 'Lightland Ivy'. As appealing as it sounds to go on a wild goose chase searching for this herb, it's just not logical. We don't know a single thing about it or where to start looking for it. Besides, the last expedition wore me out. I'll be fine with just giving a couple nice tours to some tourists over the next few weeks."
"Wrong! First of all, you and I both know you hate giving tours to people. It just pays the bills between expeditions. Secondly, we do know where to begin looking for the plant. Well, kinda. The guy from Jaha Pharmaceuticals said that the first batch came from the Arcadia Mountains. One of their botanists brought it back with him a few years ago, but he passed away last year, so there's no telling exactly where he got it from. Anyway, they just asked if we could..."
"Hold up, the ARCADIA MOUNTAINS? Are you serious?"
Bellamy's eyes widened and his pulse quickened, pumping a shot of adrenaline through his body. He could barely believe what he was hearing. The Arcadia Mountains had been nothing but a dream of his since childhood. He had heard the stories about them - how the flora and fauna spread across them without boundaries, how the peaks of the mountains scraped the clouds themselves, how the clear springs and brooks babbled relentlessly throughout the terrain - but the idea of ever visiting them had always been far-fetched at best. Not only were they extremely remote(he heard they had barely even touched by human hands), but the expense of getting to them was off the charts. There was no way he could save up enough to travel to them on his salary. But with an investor like Jaha Pharmaceuticals, perhaps that could be possible.
Jasper's face lit up and his smile grew even wider than before. He nodded fervently at Bellamy, confirming his wildest dreams.
"And before you even ask, they are willing to cover it all. Transportation, supplies, you name it. I guess they're pretty desperate for this ivy stuff."
Bellamy could hardly believe his ears. It was like he had never woken up from his nap, was still dreaming in the delightful abyss of his imagination. Except this was real life. Complete reality. A thousand thoughts were already buzzing through his head as he stood up from his chair. His feet carried him back and forth across the room, pacing without even being aware of it.
"You have to let everyone know as soon as possible, Jasper. Tell Octavia, Monty, and Finn we're having an emergency staff meeting. We have to find out what this herb looks like, how to harvest it, what to..."
"Woah woah woah, don't get too carried away there. We still have to let the company know that we're in, and they had a few stipulations for us to consider before taking the job," Jasper interrupted.
Bellamy's feet came to an abrupt halt beneath his body. His smile slowly faded as he registered what his coworker was saying. He raised an eyebrow suspiciously, eyeing the boy with a hint of confusion. He hated when they had to negotiate terms of service. Usually he was the one who ended up on the wrong side of the deal, and this occasion held the highest stakes for him. If he didn't agree to whatever they were asking, the deal was off. He would never see the Arcadia Mountains. He held his breath as he nodded for Jasper to continue.
"The first condition is that we get the job done in 3 weeks. Their investors think that time frame provides an ample amount of time for us to complete a thorough search of the land. After that, they are bringing us back here. Don't get me wrong, they seemed nice enough over the phone, but I don't think they like not getting their way. If we come back without that plant, I don't think they'll be standing there with a 'Welcome Back' party. They're a powerful corporation, Bellamy, who knows what they're capable of. Do you think we should take that chance?"
Bellamy mulled over the idea for a moment before looking back at his friend. His brown eyes flared with a look that was all too familiar to anyone on their team - determination. Bellamy's spunk and stubborn attitude was what made him such a great leader for their group, and once he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him. Bellamy flashed a quick grin before speaking again.
"We won't be coming back without the ivy, so that's not an issue. Nothing to worry about. I don't plan to give up until I've found it."
Jasper nodded in agreement, knowing Bellamy well enough to take him at his word. He was a bit hesitant to speak again, but he knew that the remaining conditions of the contract weren't as major as the aforementioned one.
"The second condition is that we must bring back exact coordinates of where the ivy is, along with a sample specimen of it. They seem to think there's quite a stock over there somewhere and want to be able to get to it without any problems," he stated.
"No problem. That'll be easy once we find the source. Coordinates have never been an issue for us," Bellamy shrugged.
"The last condition is that we must take some of their people with us on the trip. They are sending one of their corporate officers, their lead medical advisor, and an assistant to oversee the operation. I guess they don't think we'll get the job done right without a little help. I don't know what their deal is, but I did learn that they don't take jokes very well," Jasper said sheepishly.
At that, Bellamy's mouth formed a tight line. His body tensed up, more on edge than before. He hated that someone thought his team was so incompetent that they needed to be babysat. He felt a tinge of anger beginning to bubble up inside him. It was insulting enough that these people didn't think they could handle the challenge, but to think that their corporate clowns were more fit for the task was like a slap in the face. These people had probably never ever stepped foot outside their posh office buildings.
"Our team only works with our own people. We don't take tagalongs. You know that. That's about the only solid rule we have here. I'm not going to take some pampered representatives of a fancy company with us just because they want me to. Call them back and tell them that if they want us to do this expedition to find their precious herb, we're going to do it without any additional members."
Jasper grimaced, unsure of what to say next. He looked at his toes, not wanting to offend Bellamy with his response. "I know you don't like the idea, but maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing. Just this once? I mean, they have been pretty generous about offering to fund this whole trip. It would be shame if they backed out just because we tried to get picky about it."
Bellamy stared at him in disbelief. He had known Jasper for years and he had never sided with anyone else. Yet there he stood, pleading the case for a company that they barely knew.
"Jasper, don't you understand what this is? They are insulting us. Saying that we can't do our own jobs. Why even hire us at all if they think they can do it better than we can?"
Jasper shrugged, looking away from Bellamy's intense stare. "I just think it isn't worth the fight. They need us, they made it clear, but I don't think they will hesitate to take their business elsewhere if we put up a fight. They are just looking out for the best interests of their company. We don't want to miss this opportunity over something like this," he stated.
Bellamy clenched his teeth, pressing the palms of his hands firmly to his forehead. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think about his options. Jasper was right. Did he really want to miss out on this just because of a few additional people? A chance to see the Arcadia Mountains would never come around again. While he still felt the singe of anger sizzling in his chest, he slowly acquiesced to the concept of a few extra members on the team. No, not new team members, just a few more bodies following them around.
"Fine. Whatever. Do what you've got to do. Just let them know that we are doing this, and we are going to find their Lightland Ivy."
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"They're sending you WHERE?"
A young blonde faced an older woman indignantly, asking the question in a tone that blatantly conveyed her disapproval. The older woman merely averted her gaze and continued packing her suitcase. She tied her light brown hair up into a ponytail after she tucked the last of her clothing into the bag. An argument with her daughter wasn't on the agenda for today, but she would have to deal with it nonetheless.
"Not me, Clarke. Both of us. They are sending us to the Arcadia Mountains to locate some Lightland Ivy," she replied to the teenage blonde. She said it in such a perfunctory manner, like the idea was already set in stone.
Clarke shook her head, folding her arms in front of her. There was no way they were going to tell her what to do. The executives at Jaha Pharmaceuticals might have her mother in their pocket, but they sure didn't have her. No one did.
"I'm not going and neither should you. It's ridiculous. Shouldn't they be leaving all this expedition stuff to that team they hired? Your job is to test and develop the herbs they find, not go on some harebrained mission to track them down. Just do what you've always done."
Her mother simply rolled her eyes in fake annoyance, smiling as she finally met her daughter's fiery gaze. The girl was practically immovable once she made up her mind, but her motherly instinct always guided her to win her daughter's approval. It wouldn't be easy, but she had already told her bosses at Jaha Pharmaceuticals that Clarke would be accompanying her on the trip. She made that one of the top priorities and an unwavering condition for her to go on this adventure. Without her daughter, there was no way she was getting on that plane to the Arcadia Mountains. The higher-ups in the company had reluctantly agreed, knowing that having Abby on the mission would be their greatest asset. She was loyal, knowledgeable, and tenacious, which was exactly what they were looking for. Now all Abby had to do was persuade her only child that this was a necessary endeavor.
"I'll never expand my knowledge base if I'm just cooped up here all the time. It's a tremendous opportunity, Clarke. Just think of all the possibilities this new land could offer us. We might be the first to discover a new herb that could be developed into an important medication. I've heard this place has barely even been encountered by humans. There will be so much to see once we get there. I bet you'll have plenty of incredible things to draw, too. And besides, you know as well as I do how desperately we need that Lightland Ivy. Why shouldn't we look for it?" Abby asked.
"Maybe because this mission could be dangerous? Did you ever think of that?" Clarke retorted.
"I prefer to look at it as a chance to learn new things. Nothing good is ever discovered by playing it safe. Besides, haven't you been hounding me all month about getting out of town? Think of it as a nice little family vacation before you run back to medical school."
Clarke scoffed at the idea, shaking her head in disapproval. Nothing that involved her mother's work could ever be considered a vacation. She remembered one time in the second grade when her mother was sent to Salt Lake City on a business trip. Abby had made it out to be a great adventure for just the two of them, full of so many wonderful things that Clarke had barely been able to sleep the night before. But when they got there, Clarke discovered it was nothing more than an average city. Her mother was so busy running errands all day that Clarke spent most of her time in the hotel suite, calling room service up on ridiculous errands just to see another person's face.
"This isn't even in the same realm as a vacation. Your job keeps you busy 24/7, even when you aren't at work. Couldn't you just tell them no this once?" Clarke asked. She looked at her mother with her big blue eyes, trying to hide the fact that she was actually concerned for her safety. If it had been just Clarke, she wouldn't have worried about going on such a trip. However, she hated to think that her mother might get wrapped up in something she couldn't handle. If Abby got injured on this trip, Clarke would never forgive herself for letting her go. She had already lost one parent and loathed the idea of losing the one she had left. Clarke kept her gaze firm on her mother, attempting to conceal her emotions behind a facade.
Abby was far too perceptive to fall for that, though. It just took one look at her daughter for her to see straight through her sheer mask. Concern was painted all over her face. Abby reached over and gingerly tucked a blonde curl behind Clarke's ear. She gave her a warm grin before she spoke.
"Honey, I know you're not crazy about this idea, but I really think you'll enjoy it once you get there. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and it's not like we'll be alone. We have each other to look out for one another. I'm certain we'll be perfectly fine."
She wrapped the girl in a warm hug as a sign of reassurance. Clarke accepted the hug and returned it hesitantly. When she released her mother, she gave a soft sigh.
"All right. What do I need to pack?"
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AN: And with that, the adventure begins! It has been ages since I've written anything, but I figured it might be worth a shot again. I like the dynamic between Bellamy and Clarke's characters, so I'm looking forward to writing about them. I know it started out a bit slow, but it should pick up in the next few chapters(I like to take time to set up the stage for everything). Anyway, read, review, and subscribe! I'll try to keep steady updates. :)