Chapter 11
Warmth. It was a feeling so alien, it took a moment to comprehend what it was. She opened her eyes slowly. A blurry orange glow appeared before her. She thought of the glow stick and suddenly flailed wildly, kicking against the water. But there was no water. She stilled after a moment, gasping and she heard movement nearby. She rubbed her eyes and they stung.
"Easy there, Commander," a calming, honeyed voice said.
She glanced towards the sound, seeing a shape moving towards her slowly. She shook her head, blinking to try to clear her vision. The shape resolved into a familiar face.
"Luna," her voice cracked with lack of use and strain.
Luna smiled and gently pushed her back to rest against the makeshift bedroll by the fire.
"Lexa," she said. "You're safe."
Lexa relaxed, letting out an exhausted sigh, and slumped back against the soft bedding.
"Took you long enough," Luna said with a grin.
Lexa managed a weak smile.
Luna dropped another bit of garbage collected from the Arcadia ruins to the fire and settled her gaze on Lexa. She was thin, cheeks hollow, eyes red as if burned. She had cuts and bruises at various stages of freshness and her dark hair, usually in immaculate braids, was loose and disheveled.
Her eyes tracked back and met the weary, bloodshot green eyes of her old friend. "Did you find it?" she asked, quietly as if afraid to ask.
Lexa reached to her belt and pulled out a thick glass cylinder filled with a black, oily liquid. She cradled it reverently in her palm and swept her thumb gently over one end. She glanced up at Luna, who was staring at the strange vial. Lexa tilted the end towards her, and revealed in the firelight the symbol in stark relief on the vials end. The symbol of the Commander.
Clarke glanced up at the sound of shouting. Occasionally skirmishes flared up, but it was rare enough for her to leave the lab to investigate. Raven and Bellamy met her in the hall as they all moved towards the shouting. In the massive room that served as the main entrance, a crowd had gathered, including Kane and her mother.
"What's going on?" Bellamy demanded loudly and the voices died. The crowd parted, revealing Luna, her dark eyes instantly finding Clarke's.
Clarke clutched her shirt as her heart lurched in her chest. She searched Luna's face for some sign, anything.
After a moment, Luna's lips spread into a smile and instantly tears spilled down Clarke's cheeks.
The glass vial stood in the centre of the table in the medical lab. The black liquid a sharp contrast to the start white surface of the table.
There was silence as Kane, Abby, Bellamy, Raven, Monty, Luna and Clarke stared at it.
"What is it?" Monty asked, his eyes still on the vial.
"She didn't know," Luna answered. She glanced towards Clarke. "She's hoping you would find out."
Clarke glanced from Luna back to the vial, not speaking.
Raven reached for it, holding the heavy glass in her palm. Everyone seemed to hold a collective breath. She held it up to the light, spinning it, watching the liquid slosh around inside.
"We'll have to analyze it. See what it's made of, if we can," Abby said.
"Do you think this is what she could have used?" Kane asked. "Some kind of injection or ingestion of a liquid to boost radiation immunity?"
Abby shook her head, "I don't see how… but we'll have to analyze it."
Monty shifted next to Raven, studying the contents against the light as well.
Luna leaned closer to Clarke. "She was a little worse for wear but she was mostly back to herself by the time she left," she said quietly.
Clarke glanced at her and gave her a weak smile. "Thanks."
"She told me something else," Luna said, drawing Clarke's eyes back to hers. "She said, 'Oso gonplei nou ste odon nowe. Yu gou.'"
Clarke smiled gently, feeling the tears threatening to return.
Only a loud shout shocked her back to reality. Everyone was reaching towards Raven and she quickly opened the vial and before anyone could stop her, she dumped the contents into a bowl, with a splash and a faint clink.
"What the hell are you doing?" Bellamy said.
Raven ignored him, still staring at the contents. She reached in, the group collectively sucking in a breath. She pulled her fingers out slowly, drops of the black liquid clinging to her fingers, and between them, a small, silver chip.
"A data chip," Monty whispered in amazement.
Raven's lips split into a grin and she glanced at Clarke. "This is it," she said.
