Chapter 17
Three days later, it was her turn to man the radio alone. She called down and waited for Raven to arrive so she could speak with them.
"Hey, Clarke, the gang's all here, including Indra," Raven said.
"Listen, we've found more files and there's one with names of kids from the prison. Right now, three of them - four of them are not in prison but the rest are. These kids are slated for breeding and as slaves. I don't know what they thought they were doing, but this is for when they came down. They had to have a plan for that and we haven't found it yet." Clarke could hear gasps from all of them.
"Who isn't in prison?" asked Raven. Clarke sighed.
"Roma Bragg, Kate Cameron, Harper McIntyre and myself."
"What!" they all yelled.
"I'm trying to find a way to squeeze 40 people in that pod, Raven. Those three will hopefully come down with us, but it means we need to figure out how to squeeze them in. So far, I think that Wells needs a seat, but the rest of us can sit on the floor, strapped to the walls. I figure twenty five of us can be strapped to the wall, it's the other 15 I have a problem with. How do we strap them down if there's nothing but the floor to strap them to?"
Raven was thinking hard.
"Is there anything else to strap them to?"
"No, nothing, it's just a big empty space in the centre - well apart from the ladder, but we need that kept clear."
"What about welding a steel plate to the floor and using that as a wall to strap the rest to?" asked Jake.
"That's good, but if we made it into a triangle, we'd be able to get more people strapped to it.," Raven replied.
"If we made two triangles, the 15 kids should be able to be strapped to them. Their legs may entangle, but that's a small price to pay for getting to the ground before being floated," Clarke said.
"If those triangles are hollow, you could use them for storage too," Rory said.
"Nice!" Raven said.
"When do you think you can come down?" asked Raven.
"That's the problem. With the work needed to make the pod fit for everyone to be strapped down, we'll need at least two more weeks. In that time, more kids could be jailed that would soon be floated. We do have a plan for that though. One of the new kids we've got working for us is Hunter Kenney."
"She's from Orchid station," Sol said.
"Yeah, she's an acquaintance of Murphy's and she's going to the places Murphy points out and so far, she's finding stuff. I think we need her down on the ground too, but I need her up here after we come down. She's going to find a place we can secretly put kids who are due to be floated. Kane will take them out of the skybox and then take them to a place Hunter can pick them up and hide them. We will be using the food the cabal stole to feed them. Kane will then mark them down as being floated. It's the best thing we can think of to save them. They will be coming down next year in the dropship. We just have to make sure that Kane stays in power."
"You have been busy," Jake said. "Are you sure you're safe, honey?"
"Yes, Dad, I'm safe."
"Clarke, use Wick to do the welding and make the straps," Raven said. "He can use plating and grating from the unused decks in the stations that have little foot traffic through them."
"Will do."
"Anything else?"
"We'll need somewhere to live once we get down. I was thinking of setting the pod down near that old airport, roughly halfway between Tondc and Mount Weather," Clarke explained.
"That area is very overgrown with trees, Clarke," Indra said. "It would be better to find a clear space for you to land in."
"Do you know a place?"
"Yes. There's a place east of Tondc about 10 miles east. I think it was an old training arena. There's a lot of open areas around it. In 100 years, nature has not encroached on it much."
"Let me check the map, hang on." Clarke checked the map and saw an old sports arena for one of the old sports teams for the area. "Yeah, I got it. What does it look like now? Is the stadium still there?"
"No, most of it was destroyed in the war. Trees and vegetation do grow inside that area but the surrounding area is relatively clear."
"Okay, can you mark the place so Wells can follow directions to the place, please?"
"Yeah, we'll think of something."
"Thanks. Anything else I need to know?"
"Not at the moment. The Commander will be here in spring, other than that, no."
"Okay, I'll radio when I've got things done. Hopefully we'll be down in a couple of weeks."
"Okay, we'll find places for you to stay, but it'll be tents until we find somewhere you can all live through winter."
"That's fine. I've got to go, guys. Love you dad. See you soon."
"Bye, Clarke," chorused the others. Clarke closed the radio down and sat back. They were nearly there. Now she had to get Wick to do those triangles without anyone else finding out. It was making her dizzy trying to keep the two plans separate and remembering who knew which bits. Clarke sighed again, she couldn't wait to get to the ground!
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Wick agreed to secretly put in the triangular boards and make and fit the straps needed. In exchange, Clarke told him that she'd have him smuggled on board the dropship. He agreed and soon he was secretly measuring and making the triangles, before he fitted and welded them to the floor. The strapping he took from Sinclair. Sinclair had taken a large supply of the webbing and stored it at the back of one of the mecha stations' own store rooms. There was so much of it that Wick was certain that it wouldn't be missed.
Hunter had lived up to her name and hunted out all the hidden places Murphy pointed out and some she found on her own. She found Sydney's main stash of files - in her own home. Sydney was so sure that no-one knew about the cabal that she thought she could just leave them in a hidden panel in her own quarters! Hunter shook her head at the arrogance of her. Six more food stashes were found as well and she reported half of them and stored the others for the hidden prisoners to use. Clarke had told her that the dropship being built would take 101 people at most so she wanted to make sure that there weren't more than that that needed to be 'floated'.
Murphy had done all he could from prison so Clarke decided to take him with her. Spending another year in lockup was cruel when he could go down with the others. Hunter had already broken into the evidence locker and taken one of the master keys all guards carried. So far, no-one had figured out that one was missing. She wouldn't go down, Clarke needed her to look out for the ones due to be floated. Clarke was squeezing 41 inside the pod. She just hoped that everyone was cushioning everyone else.
Clarke had looked through the tranquilisers in the storeroom as well. She didn't like stealing medical supplies, but when she checked the records, she found the last time they had been used was over four years ago to subdue a violent offender. Most of it was in the storeroom, hidden behind more used medicines. Clarke stole a syringe too. If anyone in the skybox refused to go down with them, then she'd sedate them enough that when they did come around, it would be too late. To that end, Murphy and Miller would be the first freed and would help her with that task.
Within two weeks, everything was set in place. They'd radioed the ground and were told that large white stones in an arrow had been placed on the ground pointing to where they should land. Tents had been found for fifty people and blankets and clothing too. Clarke was pleased. She said they'd be bringing a little food too but most of it was left behind for those who needed to disappear for a while.
Octavia would be at the hatch, ready to open it and Hunter would guide the prisoners a few at a time to the pod and get them strapped in. Drew, Atom and Jones were all in prison too and would be the first ones let out after Murphy and Miller. Drew would be in the pod, helping strap people in, Atom would help get them to the hatch and Jones would be in the tunnel, guiding them as well. It was hoped that with everyone in place, it would only take twenty minutes or so. Wells was already in the pod, checking the instruments one last time.
Those still free, had already been taken to the tunnels and they waited until they were given the go-ahead and then they would strap in themselves. Octavia opened the hatch and Clarke and Hunter climbed through and snuck up the stairs to the top level and opened the doors for Murphy and Miller. They moved on and let out Atom, Drew and Jones. They went to their designated places and then Clarke and Murphy and Miller went through each level, letting out people due to be floated soon. They started with Luke Huron, due to be floated in a week.
Clarke opened the cell and Miller and Murphy moved quickly to put a hand over Luke's mouth. He woke up startled at the intrusion.
"Shh!" Clarke said, putting her finger to her lips. "We're getting out of here. I'm taking an old escape pod to the ground. You're due to be floated next week. We want to save you. Interested?" His eyes widened and he nodded. "Good. Be silent and come with us." He obeyed and quietly got dressed and left his cell for the last time. Atom took him to the bottom and left him just inside the hatch with Octavia. They carried on like that until they came to one of the few cells that had two occupants. They only wanted Brenda Turner and not Shalia Edl. Shalia was 14 and would be okay until the dropship went down. They crept into the cell and Clarke moved to Shalia and waited. Hunter clamped her hand over Brenda's mouth and woke her up. "Come with me if you don't want to be floated," Hunter said. Brenda looked over to Clarke who held a syringe. Whatever was going on, she thought she'd better go along with it, so she, too, dressed and left quietly. They all left and Clarke relocked the cell. They continued until all the people she needed were out. Only two people didn't want to go and they had lost both parents and were just waiting to be floated so they could be reunited with them. Clarke was sad, but she understood it. Clarke took the two that were next on her list.
Clarke, Murphy and Miller went through the hatch and Octavia locked it back up again and they moved quickly and silently through the tunnels to the escape pod. Hunter would close and lock the hatch and then close and lock the hatch to the skybox. When they got there, Monroe and Harper were strapping themselves in. There was not much space left and it was going to be a tight fit. Miller helped Octavia strap in next to Erin and Murphy helped Clarke. She was beside Wells and could reach the radio mike when Wells handed it to her. Murphy and Miller strapped in and soon they were all ready.
Wells started the engines and Clarke immediately called the Command centre.
"Command Centre, Command Centre, come in," Clarke said.
"Clarke?" asked her mother. Shit! Clarke did not need that. She'd hoped her mother was asleep in their quarters.
"Mom, is Kane there, please?"
"He's here."
"Clarke? What's going on?"
"Sorry, Kane, but we need to leave and go to the ground. I've left a file for you to read on my bed. You need to read it, Kane. It's one of Sydney's. In it are several prison kids and some free kids that they want to use for breeding purposes and for slavery. I'm getting them away from that toxic environment."
"Clarke, you can't do that!" he said.
"Yes, I can, Kane. I'm the leader down there, remember?"
"But I need your help up here."
"You have the loyal people of the Ark to help you and my mother."
"Clarke!" Wells said. Clarke closed the radio for a moment. "Guards closing in on our location!"
"Launch!" she ordered. Wells launched the pod. Clarke opened the radio again.
"We need to feel safe, Kane."
"Sir, something's just launched from the Ark!"
"Clarke?"
"See you on the ground Kane. We'll talk in a few hours. Clarke out." She handed the mike back to Wells who put it away. He watched his instruments and guided the pod down through the atmosphere.
"Hold on! It's going to get rough!" he barked and everyone held on to each other. Once through, it was a little calmer and Wells guided the pod towards Washington DC. He knew it would be mostly overgrown, but he searched for signs of life anyway. Looking out of the window, he searched visually for the large white arrow Clarke said was laid out to guide him.
"I see it!" he called out. "Hold on!" He banked the pod towards the arrow and kept it in sight all the way until he was a couple of hundred feet off the ground when he had to right the pod and extend the landing struts to set it down.
"I'm down!" he said and started to shut the engines down. Everyone cheered and started to undo the straps.
"Miller, Murphy, get that hatch open!" Clarke barked as she stood up. "Everyone else, stay where you are. There's no room to move with everyone standing up." They stayed seated. The hatch opened and Raven's head appeared above it.
"Welcome to Earth," she said. "Let's start getting you out of there and down to the ground."
Clarke and Miller organised everyone, Sol's sister, Erin was first and then Harper and Monty along with Octavia and Kate Cameron. They reached the ground first and Sol and Rory ran to their family members and hugged them tightly.
"Welcome to Earth, Sis," Sol said, hugging her again.
"So glad to see you, Sol, I missed you!" They hugged once more.
"Come on, you can help me sort them out into their tents for the night," Sol said, leading her over to the tent area.
"Mom!" Octavia yelled.
"Octavia!" Rory said, rushing over and hugging her daughter.
"Mom, I need to breathe!" Octavia said, breathily.
"Oh, sorry, I'm just so glad to see you."
"Me too, Mom."
"Come on, we're helping Sol arrange them into tents." Octavia smiled as her mother led her to the tents, not letting go of her hand the entire way.
Once everyone was on the ground, several warriors stepped out of the shadows.
"Clarke!" a voice called. Clarke turned around and saw Indra standing there. Both she and Octavia rushed to her and hugged her tightly.
"Get off!" Indra barked at them and they completely ignored her.
"Glad to see you, Indra," Clarke said, smiling.
"Me too, Octavia said. "Where's Lincoln?"
"Right here!" Lincoln said. Octavia's head whipped to the side and then she took off running and launched herself at him. He caught her and they hugged and kissed.
Clarke looked around.
"Where's dad?"
"He's coming, he's just helping Torvan and then he'll be here."
"How? We're ten miles from Tondc!"
"Ilana," Raven said. Clarke opened her mouth to ask what that was and then she remembered. It was the hovercraft type vehicle they found.
"Dad's driving?"
"We can all drive it, Clarke. We've been practising," Raven said, put out that Rory could make it do things that Raven couldn't. If Rory had been born on the ground before the war, she'd more than likely have been racing cars around a track.
"Mom?" Octavia asked, finally stepping back from Lincoln.
"I like it, it's fun," Rory said, shrugging.
"Alright, everyone!" Sol said, taking charge. "I'm Sol Armstrong, Factory Station. Tonight you'll be staying here. We've set up tents for you all. The warriors are here to guard you, not to attack you. There are wild animals out there and they would attack you, please do not wander, it's not safe down here. We will be building a town once Clarke and the Commander have negotiated for a place we can live. Until then we will be creating a place for you. We need to teach you hunting, water collection, foraging and scouting. In the spring, we'll either be learning other things or building a town. This is not a free pass to misbehave! Those of you who were in prison were chosen for your proximity to your 18th birthday! You do not deserve to die just because you turned 18! This is a new start for you, but make no mistake, you are required to work, you are required to abide by the laws of this clan and their punishment can be harsh and result in death. Think about that before you break one of those rules! You will be subject to Trikru punishment and we will not make excuses for you. You will learn the rules and you will live by them or they are likely to kill you for them."
There were a few whispers as they thought about it.
"What will we do?" another boy asked.
"Whatever is needed, whether it's sentry duty, patrolling, hunting and foraging, water collection, gathering firewood or anything else needed." They all looked at each other, but no-one complained, they were alive after all and would live past their 18th birthdays.
"We have some food ready for you and tents have been assigned, do not swap tents! It's only for tonight, so if you're bunking with someone you don't like, suck it up and deal with it!" Sol yelled. "Now, who's hungry?" Yells and cheers followed and they all trooped to the tents and sat around on the logs provided. Six campfires were around the area and most of the logs were around them. They sat down and plates of food were passed to them, cutlery had been provided as well as small metal cups. After the meal, they all settled down for the night while the warriors, Sol and Raven stood sentry.
Clarke was still up, waiting for her dad to arrive. After he did, she'd call the Ark and tell them they were all down and alive.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Jake arrived two hours later, just as it was getting dark.
"Dad!" Clarke called as the hovercraft settled.
"Clarke!" Jake called, quickly jumping over the side and engulfing her in a huge hug.
"I missed you, sweetheart," he told her, still hugging her.
"I missed you too, Dad. They said you'd been floated."
"I think Jaha never wanted me to die, he just wanted me gone. I was held for several months before being sent down. Jaha said I would pilot the pod to the ground for the scientists he was sending down."
"Yeah, Erin told us that her sister had been sent down to be a guard for two scientists."
"Yeah, well, they lied. Rory and I were supposed to be floated and Sol was basically blackmailed into going down. Raven volunteered when she was told it would be a deadfall."
"Well at least you were alive. I was in prison and either Erin or Octavia would tell me what was going on as much as they could, but with me being in solitary, it wasn't easy."
"But you were released?"
"Yeah, after Kane pulled a coup on Jaha, mom and Kane came to the prison and freed me, Erin and Octavia as none of us had actually committed a crime. Dad, there was a lot of stuff happening up there with Jaha and his cronies. This was some kind of cabal that went all the way back to the war. We found lists of people who were his people, lists of kids in prison and some of them are in the future, dad. They were setting up kids and then floating them when they turned 18! How many kids died without committing a crime? How could he do that?!"
"It's okay, kiddo, you're here now."
"Yeah, but mom's still up there. She's probably pissed right now, she was in the command centre when I radioed that we were leaving."
"You didn't tell them beforehand?"
"Are you kidding, dad? They wouldn't have let us come down if they knew. Mom wouldn't have let me come without her." Jake gave a small laugh.
"True. Come on, I'll make sure you're bedded down before I have to go back with Sol."
"Why do you have to go back?"
"We've got sentry duty tonight, but we'll be back in the morning."
"Okay, dad. I'm glad I'm on the ground once more."
"Hmm, only Raven, Anya and Indra remember the last life."
"It sounds so weird to hear you talk about people you never met last time," Clarke said. This time Jake laughed out loud.
"I've met the Commander too and been told of what happened between you two - not the details, but enough to know she loves you."
"I love her too, dad. I'm glad you've met her. You do like her, don't you? Mom didn't."
"Yeah, kiddo, I like her. I think she'll be good for you. She can teach you things I can't, including patience!"
"Thanks, dad!" Clarke said, sarcastically. They both laughed and Jake walked his daughter to her tent before leaving with Sol for their turn at sentry duty.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
On the Ark
Hunter had watched as they had launched. She sighed, she was going to miss them and knew that nine months was a long time to wait until the dropship was sent down. She picked up some files and went to the panel behind Kane's office. She left a few of them there, but took the rest to the radio room. She had taken to staying there when she could. With her mother on night duty half the time, she could sleep in the radio room. She had no idea how Kane would tell Bellamy about Octavia going to the ground, Clarke's mother would be bad enough, but both of them had tempers on them and she didn't want to be in the vicinity when they were told.
She waited by the radio. Now she was the only one left who could use it apart from Kane, Bellamy and Abby. She was fairly certain that one or both of the family members left behind would be along to talk to them. Clarke had already told her that the escape pod's radio would not be able to receive the radio transmissions from Raven's radio. She also knew that Abby and Bellamy would not believe it and demand to speak to their family members. She waited for a couple of hours and then a transmission from the ground came over the radio.
"Hello?" she said into the mike.
"Who's this?" Jake asked.
"Hunter. Clarke recruited me for some of the behind the scenes things, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I understand, Hunter. Is my wife or Kane there?"
"Not yet. I think Clarke's probably talking to them right now. They'll be here as soon as they remember and then one of you will have to talk to them."
"We can't, Hunter. We have night duty tonight. We'll be on duty until about three am."
"Oh, great! They'll shoot the messenger - in this case, me!"
"Sorry, Hunter."
"Well I'll leave a message telling them that and then I'm going to bed in my own quarters. Hopefully they'll have calmed down by tomorrow morning."
"Kane may, but don't count on it with my wife!"
"I know, Clarke told me how she'd react to Clarke slipping through her fingers and going to the ground without her."
"She's needed up there, but she won't understand that."
"Alright Jake, was there anything you really needed to tell them?"
"No, I was just going to try to placate them about the kids being down here."
"Yeah, well, when Bellamy finds out, he's going to blow his top too."
"Then I suggest you stay hidden for a couple of days until hurricane Abby's blown over."
"Yeah, I'll do just that. Talk to you another time, hopefully, Jake - and good luck when they do finally talk to you." Jake gave a short bark of laughter and he signed off.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Kane and Abby were in the Command Centre conference room when Clarke radioed up.
"Come in Ark, come in Ark," Clarke called, dreading the conversation. Talking to Kane would be bad enough, but with her mother there it would be a nightmare!
"Ark here," said one of the technicians. "Kane and Abby are on the way." Clarke waited.
"Clarke!" Her mother called. "What do you think you are doing!" This was what Clarke dreaded. Momma Abby instead of councillor Abby. she knew her mother would win out, but she hoped that by calling the command centre, she'd reign it in a bit. Apparently not, though.
"Mom! I need to talk to Kane right now."
"I'm your mother!" Abby ranted.
"I need Chancellor Kane right now, not my mother. If Councillor Griffin wants to be there, that's fine, but right now I don't need my mother telling me I've done something wrong!"
"Abby, let us talk and then you can talk to her after, okay?" beseeched Kane. Abby looked at him and she seemed to deflate a little.
"I'm not done with this, Clarke, but Kane can talk to you and you and I will talk later." Abby walked over to the other side of the room and just listened in.
"Alright, Clarke, care to tell me why you thought it was a good idea to steal that damaged escape pod?"
"To take some of my people to the ground. I took those most in danger from the Cabal and those due to be floated, Kane. I will look out for my people!"
"We could have protected you," he said.
"How? We were in an enclosed environment, Kane. Nowhere to move, nowhere to hide and they'd know all they had to do was drag one of us to the airlock and float us and then nothing that happened to them would matter, we'd still be dead. I protect my people, Kane, all of them!"
"And now you're down there and some of your people are still up here. What about them?"
"I've not abandoned them, Kane."
"Alright, we can come back to that… later. Right now, how is everyone?"
"Right now they're sleeping. We've come down about ten miles from Washington DC."
"Will you be able to meet with the Commander?" Kane asked.
"Eventually. It's winter here and it's extremely cold! Raven and Sol have found some winter clothing and some thermal tents for us to use tonight. Tomorrow they'll be taking us to somewhere we can live until Spring when the Commander will be back."
"And where's that?"
"Don't know yet, but they wouldn't put us anyplace that's any more dangerous that up there, Kane."
"Okay," he said, backing down a bit. "Is there anything we can do?"
"Read that file, Kane. I recommend you get to it before anyone else."
"I'll do that as soon as I finish talking to you."
"Alright. What do you need?" asked Clarke.
"We need to find those that are still part of the cabal. We need to find any more of their hidden and secret places, we need to find all the files they had. I want to know the full extent of what they did, were doing and what they intended to do both up here and down on the ground. What we've exposed so far is explosive! I just know there's more somewhere!"
"Maybe you just need to HUNT them out!" Clarke said, hoping that Kane would figure out who to talk to."
"I'll do that. When you talk to the Commander, can you please see if there's any lands around her that she does not own but we could live on? We need somewhere to live as us, Clarke. On the ground that's going to be a whole new society and we need the time and space to define what that is."
"Will do. Sol and the others have already been looking at places on her lands that aren't used by her people. I'll look for other places outside her lands. That's probably going to the be Carribbean Islands, though. She controls all the lands east of the Mississippi river and some across it. There's nowhere on the mainland that's not her lands."
"The Caribbean Islands would be a good place to start - providing no-one already lives on the island you're looking at."
"I'll make sure it doesn't, Kane. "I know we need farmland, wild pastures, a freshwater source and somewhere to build our villages, but I think it's doable. We just have to find the right island."
"Okay, I'll have people searching from here as well, Clarke."
"Good. I'll talk to you another time Kane. I'm tired and it's the middle of the night. Tomorrow I'll figure something out about contacting you."
"Okay, Clarke, talk to you tomorrow."
"Bye, Kane. Tell mom I love her, but I'm a big girl now. I'm the leader of our people down here, not her little girl."
"I will." Clarke broke the transmission and sighed in relief. That went better than she thought but she knew her mother would not give up. She knew she was in for an argument. It wasn't like she could go back into space, so she didn't understand why her mother would be so hard on her for saving herself and the others. Clarke sighed again and climbed out of the escape pod and went to her tent and went to sleep.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
The next day, Jake and Sol were back.
"Okay, I've spoken to Anya and Indra and they say that if we find someplace to put the goods and find a way to cook safely inside, we could use the underground retail place we got most of your stuff from. It's another four miles or so from here, but once we've cleared it out, it would be a good place for you to live. Rory and Jake can stay with you if they want, but Raven and I need to go back to Tondc. We're the link between you and the grounders." That word had Harper rearing back in alarm.
"NO!" Harper screamed, "Not again!" She was backing up and backing up.
"Harper, Harper!" Clarke yelled. "It's not going to happen again. We know what's going to happen and we can stop it. We are ten miles east of Tondc, the maunon can't reach us here and we'll be moving another four miles east today. We will protect you!" Harper heard her, but was having a hard time calming down. Monty came over.
"Harper, whatever's happening, I'm here, okay? I'm here and I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He hugged her and held on until she calmed down. She nodded, but held onto Monty.
"Okay, okay, I'm okay," she whispered.
"We know how to live down here and we know who to avoid. The politics of this place is the same as it was when we came down, this time we just came down a little earlier," Clarke said softly.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Several hours later, Sol and Jake loaded everyone into the 'Ilana' and set off for the underground shopping complex.
"Alright people!" Sol started off. "Once we empty out those stores, you can live in them. There are some rules though. These are still Trikru lands and as such, you do not own it. They are letting you stay here until we've found somewhere more permanent to live. We are into winter. It's going to get much colder fast! There is some winter clothing in there. We'll start with the centre stores and move things about until we get one cleared. We'll start storing things in them but don't just stuff things in there. We need access to them. Clothes will be in one, food in another, bedding in a third and so on. Watch where you put things and don't steal any of it! We don't have a lot of it and what we have foodwise needs to be shared! There are forty of you so you'll be put into teams. Two teams will clear a store and the other teams will check the stores for things we can use. Once we've cleared the stores of things we need, we can put the things we don't need into the other stores. Once we have enough stores cleared for your use, you'll share a store as your personal quarters. Other stores will be used for things like a mess hall or a lounge area. For now, cooking will be done outside because it needs to be done on an open fire. Raven will be checking to see if she can find some solar panels to convert some of the ovens in there for our use."
"I'll divide you into teams with one team leader. Miller, Murphy, Harper and Atom are the team leaders. Each of them will pick their teams and each will be told what we need to do other than clearing out this place. We need water collection and hunting and foraging to get us through winter. There is no going to the messhall for food if no-one goes to get it out there in the woods. Everyone will have to do it. Each team will be taught how to hunt and forage and each team will go hunting and foraging for a week at a time. With four teams, that's roughly once a month. Miller, pick your team. Remember, you need some fighters and watchers in your teams as well as hunters and foragers, choose wisely and leave some for the others." Miller nodded as did Harper, Murphy and Atom.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Sol and Jake were helping to empty one of the stores when Miller called out that he'd found an electronics store. Sol and Jake both went to have a look. Most of it was computers, tablets, phones and laptops, but at the back were other electrical items. Radios, speakers and headphones along with handheld communication devices that Jake said used to be called walkie-talkies. They didn't have a large range, but would work for up to two miles so hunters and foragers would take them out with them - just in case.
In another store, they found electrical goods like ovens, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dryers and some lights. Sol nearly yelled in jubilation when she dug out some spotlights from the back of the storage area. She pulled out two of them and looked them over. They were hand held spotlights. She saw that they would produce 7000 lumens of light - whatever that was. If they could find a way to get them working, Sol would go and try to find the correct angle for the light to travel through to the cat-shaped key in that underground place where the bunker should be. She looked around for any batteries and bulbs for them. When she found a box of twelve bulbs and six rechargeable batteries, she took them back to the Ilana and carefully placed them in the cab. She'd take them to Raven to see what she could do with them. Sol was pleased, but she was also looking for any solar panels so they could recharge the batteries, hook up lights and heat and at least two ovens for cooking for those staying at the complex. There was still a lot to do.
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
On the Ark
Hunter was searching for a place to put those who were due to be floated. It was going to be hard as they'd want to go see their family members to tell them they were still alive. With Kane still trying to find everyone involved with Jaha's cabal, they couldn't afford anyone to find out those kids were still alive. She was searching through the old stations not used much, but most of them were either used for housing or work. She sighed and made her way to the library and checked on the old maps of the stations she found there.
She was looking at the list of the very first stations. She ignored the original names as they meant nothing to her, so she concentrated on the 12 stations they were renamed to. Some like Alpha or Farm were easy to figure out and they were fully used as the primary place of work and housing for those areas, but she noticed there was one place that had been renamed as Granary Station. She looked closer, intrigued by a name she'd never heard of before. She sat back and thought about it. Originally there were thirteen stations, 12 joined together and the thirteenth was destroyed for not joining. She read on and found out that a large part of Polaris was intact but open to space. They had brought it to the Ark and made it viable once more and attached it to the Ark. She looked at the later maps and saw it had been separated and part of it was now incorporated into the skybox while the other was supposed to be used for storage. She checked and found that once the station had been separated, the storage part was unused. The population was supposed to be increased along with the food production and that food was supposed to be stored there.
Hunter sat back and wondered why it was unused and why was it abandoned? If it was meant to be storage, would it have amenities for washing and toilets or beds? She checked again where the nearest door to that part was and then where the pipework ran for that part of Granary station. Once she had figured out how to get there from the skybox, she made her way to the prison using the tunnels and starting from the place she would take the kids out of the prison, she traced the route to see where it went and how close to the guards it would take her. She went up ladders and along pipes and walkways, down steps and through arches and tunnels. She eventually came out of the tunnels in one of the empty corridors of Granary station. She stopped to listen but couldn't hear anything. She moved quietly through the corridors, not trying any doors just yet, but walking the corridors looking around her.
When she knew she was near the end of the station furthest away from the central axis, she opened a door. She looked into a storage room with shelves and racks with nothing on them. She closed that door and opened the next. That one was a small bathroom. It had two toilet cubicles, two sinks, a shower and a changing area. Hunter smiled, now if she could only find out if the facilities actually worked, they could be used.
For the next two days, Hunter checked all the rooms and plotted a map for putting people in them. She needed to tell Kane she'd found a place and where it was so he could check on the facilities and if they were integrated into the modern piping for sewage and water. Food would be rationed, but they'd use the food that Hunter had hidden from Kane.
She went to the secret tunnel behind Kane's office and waited. She was there for several hours before she heard someone in the office. She opened the panel and went in.
"Hey, Kane," she said.
"Where have you been?" he asked her.
"Keeping out of yours and Abby's ways while you dealt with Clarke," she admitted.
"You knew?"
"I helped them, Kane. I'm still helping. I've found somewhere we can put those who need it," she said, deliberately being obtuse. She still thought the office was bugged and until she knew better, she would keep it quiet.
"Where?"
"It's better that you don't know until it's needed," she said, grabbing a pen and paper and writing on it that she thought the room was still bugged. Kane nodded.
"Well we won't need it yet, but if we find more of Jaha's people, we will." Hunter nodded.
"Well, I've got to go eat," Hunter said. She wrote down where to meet her and what time. He nodded.
"Alright, I'm hungry myself so maybe I'll see you there."
"Bye, Kane."
"Bye."
xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx
Hunter waited in Granary station in corridor D. Kane came through the tunnel and into the station. He looked around at the abandoned part of the Ark.
"I keep forgetting about this place," he said.
"Most people do and that's why it's a good place to hide those newly legal adults." Kane was nodding as he opened doors and checked on a few things.
"What do you need?" he asked her.
"Can you check to see if water and sewerage are still working in here? Not sure what to do about the lights because if we use them, then people are going to wonder what's happening in here and it'll draw attention to it."
"I understand," Kane said. "I'll go tonight when the Command centre's almost empty."
"Is there any way you can divert some food to them too? It's no good saving them just for them to starve to death."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Good. There's enough room in the inside rooms we can put up fifty people, a hundred if they double up and they can use the lights there, but anything on the outside will have to stay dark and they'd have to stay away from the windows," Hunter told him.
"Then we use the inner part first. Hopefully it'll only be for a maximum of six months. I hope to send them down in maybe five months, sooner if possible."
"We also need to make sure they don't try to go see their families, Kane. That would be a disaster!"
"We need to impress upon them the need for secrecy even from their own families, Hunter. If they are found, they are subject to immediate floating. I can't stop that if I don't know about it and even then, I have to abide by the Ark rules."
"I know. I think they need to have them guard themselves. Some of them will know what they have to do and those ones can enforce it on the others if necessary."
"I don't like it, but to keep them alive, it needs to be done."
"When they go down, I'll be going down as well, Kane. Shumway's buddies are watching you like a hawk and I've been in your company enough times for them to take notice."
"Shumway was floated a few weeks ago. He had been arrested for trespassing and breaking and entering, illegal use of personal imformation and a whole lot more. We floated him after a short trial which we could prove he committed those acts and seeing as he was caught in the act of at least three of them, that was enough. Jaha's still alive though."
"Why?"
"Because he may be useful. We still don't know the extent of this cabal nor where all the secret places are. Those guards they managed to corrupt, will have moved their own files and stuff to a new place, we just don't know where."
"Try Flint and Orchid stations, Kane. There's been a lot of movement through there that doesn't warrant it. There's been more guard movement in those two stations than normal and nothing's changed with those two stations, so why all this guard movement through there?" Kane's eyes widened.
"How many and when?" he asked.
"Lots, and over the last three weeks. It's one of the reasons we've had to be careful when moving people around."
"How far from those two stations is this new place?"
"Far enough."
"Alright. I'll find out about the facilities here and you can start making plans for the first few. There are currently four of the kids due to be floated in a few week's time. Clarke took a few of them with her."
"I know. She took as many of those due to be floated as she could. So far I think we were up to three months out from floating. Two of the kids wanted to stay and be floated, Kane. Their parents were and they don't want to live without them. They want to die."
"I don't like it, Hunter. They shouldn't be so eager to die, not at their age."
"It's their choice, Kane. We have no right to deny them just because we don't want to. They've already been sentenced to death, so you won't actually be condemning them, they've already been condemned by Jaha."
"But they could have a full life on the ground," Kane said.
"They were asked and they said no." Kane sighed.
"I'll find out about the facilities," Kane said, moving towards the tunnels.
"Kane, we can only do what they allow us to do and if they don't want to be saved, we have to respect that." Kane nodded and walked out.
ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
I would like some more reviews please. Last one was chapter 7!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter - Samdagger.