This is part of the 52 stories in 52 challenge by ourwritingtherapy on tumblr. Week 10 : A story featuring a countdown
The Final List
The numbers kept going down. The harder Abby stared, the quicker it seemed to go.
12: 45: 23
12: 42: 12
12: 35: 47
There were still a lot of things to do before they launched the 100 dropship. She needed to go and help Jackson review all the bracelets one last time, send another memo to Kane so the man could make sure his men knew how to put them on. She would be there to supervise, of course, but... The more hands they had, the faster it would go.
Fast was a good thing apparently.
12: 31: 23
Twelve hour, thirty-one minutes and twenty-three – now twenty-two – seconds and the chosen misfits would be propelled into space toward an Earth nobody was sure was survivable. On her recommendation.
She was giving them a fighting chance.
What was the alternative? Purging the whole skybox regardless of age?
And what would happen to those who weren't on the list?
Exactly that.
But she would have at least saved those hundred. If her crazy plan worked. If…
The knock on the door made her look up. Earth Station was deserted for now. Monitors were already up and Sinclair came and went to check on something sometimes but it was usually quiet and the place had been a sanctuary of sort ever since they had started putting it up.
The door opened without her permission but when had Marcus Kane ever asked permission for anything? The same ball of hate, regret and sorrow burned hard in her throat at his sight.
"I have the final list." he said without bothering with hellos and how are yous. Just as well. Maybe he could learn after all. She had bitten his head off for less than that in the recent year. They weren't friends anymore, a concept he seemed to have difficulties grasping. He was a hypocrite and she hated him and…
12: 28: 14
She took the tablet he handed her with shaking fingers, wondering why he couldn't just send it to her monitor instead of carrying it all the way here. The project was top secret, yes, but still.
She was ready even as she lowered her eyes on the hundred names, ready to beg for Clarke to be brought on in exchange for any kid on that list, ready to argue her daughter was smart and top of her class and that she would be an asset, ready to beg and plead and promise everything Kane would want, be it Council related or personal favors…
She was stunned when the first name her gaze found was Clarke.
1. Clarke Griffin.
12:27: 36
She breathed out a sigh of utter relief. She had thought it would be harder than this, that she would have to fight, that she would have to…
"You put her on the list." she whispered, looking up at him. She wasn't sure what her tone was exactly. Disbelief. Awe. Gratefulness.
Kane avoided her eyes and shrugged. "If this crazy plan works, something I'm not entirely convinced of yet, her skills will be valuable down there."
He didn't believe in her Earth idea. He had argued against it from the start, argued that they would send the kids to a horrible death, argued that it was more human to do it gently right on the Ark…
She frowned. "Did you add my daughter to that list because you think she's going to die?"
His eyes darted up, alarmed. "Of course not." It was his turn to frown, or maybe it was more of a sneer. "Do you really think I'm that kind of monster?"
"I don't know who you are anymore, Kane." she retorted, stressing his name because she knew just how much it hurt him every time she called him that instead of Marcus. "Jaha made you do it, right?"
He stared at her for a moment, his jaw clenched and his lips pursed, irritation and arrogance burning in his gaze. "No. I did it. Because I know you believe in this project and because, contrary to what you seem to think, I just want to save our people. For those kids' sake, for Clarke's sake, I hope you're right. I hope I'm giving her a fighting chance."
"She wouldn't need a fighting chance if you hadn't arrested her." she hissed, the familiar argument lead on her tongue. She had lost count of the number of times they had had that fight. "And don't you dare say Jaha made me do it. You're a grown man. Take responsibility."
He opened his mouth, closed it and then shook his head. "And here I thought I was doing something nice for you that you would appreciate…"
He sounded bitter and she snorted. "What's the price, then? For my daughter's life? What do you want in exchange?"
"Nothing." he snapped, lifting his hands up in front of him. "Jesus, Abby… I love that kid too, you know."
She laughed at that, all bitter and twisted. "You don't love anything, Kane. You don't know how to."
He didn't flinch or look away, he stared her down, his lips pursing even tighter. "You'd be surprised."
He left before she could reply and she didn't know what enraged her more: that he got the last word or that he had managed to get to her.
Callie, she told herself, he meant Callie.
There was no other possible alternative anyway.
She refused to contemplate any other option.
12: 20: 47
She watched the numbers, anxiety receding a little.
Her daughter would be safe.