Chapter 27
She was really tired of this. She raised her shirt and looked at her torso. There was a new scar. This one from a sword that had plunged through her. It was a death blow, but it took minutes for her to succumb to her wound. And, it hurt like a motherfucker. She would not recommend dying like that. But, she also wouldn't recommend waking up in solitary on the Ark, again, either.
She looked around her drawing decorated cell and saw a tablet.
Well, this is new, she thought to herself as she picked it up. She turned it on, surprised that it had a full charge, and started searching through it. She found a shared file that was on the Ark's mainframe via a link on the main page. She knew that it had to be for her. It was called Wanhedakru. She tapped and opened the program. It was mostly in Trig with a little Russian. As she scrolled through it, she caught a hint of Spanish here and there with the initials RR by those entries. The more she read in the notes and the liners, the more she realized that Raven, Octavia and her mother had "woke" up this time before her. This was a place that they could talk about their past lives and it would just read like gibberish and folklore. She wondered how deeply Raven buried it in the mainframe that only those that knew to look for it would find it. It really didn't matter, because now, she had a way to communicate with the people outside her cell.
The next things she saw was the date. It was October 21, 2148, just weeks after her seventeenth birthday. She had a year to make sure that she got more items on the dropship. She had a year to plan what they would do when they landed. But, she had almost a year to be alone before she would see any of them again. She sat back on her bunk and read through their stories. She had time and she would add her own. This time, they would find a way to survive past Praimfaya. They would save as many as they could. This time, she would have maps, medical gear, and hopefully a few more stowaways. She smiled.
They had eleven months to figure out what they could do on the Ark. They had to leave enough breadcrumbs for Kane and Sinclair. And, hopefully, Abby could come with them. But, they had eleven months to destroy Jaha's rule, stop Diana's coup, and get rid of all of the nukes on board. Between Kane and her mom, she knew they could do it. They just needed to use their time wisely.
She dropped the tablet on the bunk. She knew that she would have to hide it from the guards when they came to inspect her cell. She looked down at the tablet and saw that there was a timer. She tapped on it and realized that Raven had hacked into the security feeds. The timer was set to different things. She figured out that it was for her next meal, the next inspection, and the last one was the drop ship launch. Of course, Raven would think of that. Leaving the tablet on the bunk, she moved to the floor.
She knew that she needed to get as fit as she could. She knew that it wouldn't be enough because of her meager rations, but the more muscle that she could create now would help her as soon as they landed. As she started doing push ups, she thought about the feeling of the ground beneath her hands. She knew that her cell wasn't big enough for her to run around in, but she could run in place. It wouldn't be enough to work on her cardio, but it would keep her moving and elevate her heart rate. She could push herself as much as her cell would let her. It wasn't a work out with Octavia, Lexa, or Anya, but she wanted to be physically able as she could be. The ground was always going to be harsh and hard, but that didn't mean that Clarke couldn't be prepared.
She rolled over onto her back and started doing crunches. Each time she came up, she looked out her window at the Earth below. She couldn't help but let her mind wander and think about what Lexa was doing in that moment. After ten more crunches, she stopped thinking about Lexa and Earth. She decided that she would read as much as she could on the tablet. She wanted to check out and see what else Raven had put on there for her.
But, she was glad. She laid back and looked out the window. If she had the tablet with Raven's programming, it meant that Raven was now like her. And, while she knew that it was a pain in the ass to keep reliving these years, at least she had more people on her side. It wasn't a more the merrier kind of feeling; it was more of a the more heads the better thing. She smiled as she looked out her window, one of the few comforts of her cell in solitary. Soon, she'd be on that big blue ball instead of floating around it in a big tin can that was failing.
Shaking her head, she resolved that they would figure it out this time around.
She woke up on the dropship. Wells was still beside her. But, things seemed a little different. Or, maybe it was her wishful thinking. Anyway, she forgave Wells, telling him that she knew it was her mother. She yelled at Finn for being an idiot and the two floaters still died. When they landed, she tore out of her seat and slid down the ladder to the first floor. She found Octavia and Bellamy already fighting.
Octavia stopped as soon as she caught sight of her blond hair. She moved away from Bellamy and hugged her. Clarke just smiled smugly at the older boy. This time he would fall in line quicker, or he would pay. She wasn't tired of giving him just enough room to fuck things up for all of them.
"Don't worry about him. I got him," Octavia told her. "I'm so glad to see you. I had to wait three years this time."
Clarke scrunched up her face. She was sorry that she hadn't remembered earlier. She would have done more to protect Octavia, maybe send her more stuff through Bellamy, befriend him before they got caught, but she never "woke" up in time. She was always, always already in her cell.
"You got the tablet, right?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Good," Octavia said as she pulled up Clarke's hand to look at the scar. "Your Mom got a bunch of stuff hidden on the drop ship. We'll be better off this time."
"That's good."
"I'll tell you what I know and what I remember later. For now, we need to open the door and start to settle. You ready to do this again?"
"Are you?" Octavia asked her as they moved towards the door.
Wells was watching them. She knew that he could tell that something wasn't right with her. She wasn't the girl that he'd grown up with. Clarke reached out for Octavia's hand as she reached up for the lever that would open the door.
"Why she get to go first?" some one called from behind them.
"Because she is the first second born in fifty years. And, because I said so. Got a problem with that, Mbege?" Clarke yelled over her shoulder.
Everyone went quiet. She pulled the lever and let the door drop open. The sweet smell of earth and green hit her. She never could forget the smell of the forest. And, she didn't have a better thing to describe it but as green. She knew it meant life, death, and survival, but every time she found green they lived.
Bellamy was now beside her as Octavia slowly walked down the ramp and towards the damp earth. He was different. There was a quiet presence to him. He didn't seem to be so angry and ready to fly off at the handle. This Bellamy seemed to be smarter.
"I'm on your side," he said quietly as they moved just a little behind Octavia, waiting for her to hit the ground.
And, just like every time they landed in Trikru territory, Octavia gave them that same phrase. It was her typical "Welcome back to Earth!" interjection. This time it felt different. There was more than defiance in her voice. It was more a hugh "Fuck You!" to Keyron. All Clarke could do was smile and shake her head at her friend. Octavia deserved this. Her life really began each time with her shouting at the sky, both hands raised in the air, as she jumped off the ramp.
"WE'RE BACK, BITCHES!"
Clarke couldn't contain the laugh that erupted from her throat. It was fully bodied, and she wasn't the only one. She turned to look at Bellamy. He wasn't laughing, he was smiling, proud of his sister, as she watched them all still standing on the ramp and the dropship's open door way. There was a laugh that was so familiar that Clarke had to turn to look for it. She had to see it to believe it.
"Heya, Princess. Didn't think that I would let you have all the fun, did you? I told you that you wouldn't be alone again. I keep my promises," Raven told her.
"How?" Clarke asked as she gathered her into a fierce hug.
"Did you honestly think that your mother was going to let you be down here without me?"
"Uh...I don't know," Clarke answered.
"She knows she screwed up, Clarke. But, since she knew the truth about the Earth, she wasn't going to let you be totally alone without some us to help you. She'll be coming down soon enough. She and Kane changed the timeline of things on the Ark before we were sent down."
Clarke looked around. The rest of the kids were all spread out and exploring. She took stock of who was staying close to her and close to the dropship. When realized that Octavia had kept Monroe, Harper, Murphy, Wells, Monty and Jasper near them, she wasn't shocked. Her shock came when Charlotte walked out of the dropship with Aurora Blake, hand in hand. Dax, Atom, and Miller followed.
"How?"
"Kane finally stood up for me," Octavia told her.
"Why?"
"Your mom may have threatened him."
"But, why?"
"She knew that she needed him to overthrow my Dad," Wells added. "I don't know what happened, but Dad just lost it. Kane and Mom declared him unfit. Kane took over the council and your Mom proposed sending us to buy a little more time."
"Did she release Dad's message?" Clarke asked them.
"Yes, right before they put me on the ship. Kane promised that anyone on the drop ship would be forgiven and pardoned when the rest of the Ark came down. Abby, Kane and Sinclair are working on getting the Ark ready for re-entry. Releasing the message has everyone working together."
"What about Diana?"
"Sentenced to float along with all her co-conspirators. I might have hacked enough for Kane to build a case against them. The council had no choice to float them all. It gave us enough time to retrofit this drop ship with more items and people."
"How many?" Clarke asked.
"Just Aurora, Bellamy and me. The Blakes are the first family to touch the Earth in ninety-seven years, Clarke. But, we've got medical supplies, building supplies, and some survival gear," Raven told her. "I helped pack every available inch of it. We added more 'chutes to compensate for the added weight."
"I snuck with them to Becca's," Murphy said as he stepped forward.
"Why?"
"You made me a promise, and you kept it while you lived. The least I could do is help you out again in the reboot. Don't make me regret it," he told her.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Clarke replied. "So, everyone here knows?"
"We know enough to know that we need to follow you lead, Princess."
"Where's Finn?"
"Still on the Ark," Raven answered.
"He didn't..."
"Nope, didn't let him. I knew what happened when he landed, so I broke up with him. Besides, I got tall, blonde, and broody to find," Raven told her with a big smirk. "Kinda like you have your Grounder Queen, right?"
Clarke just smiled at her as she thought about Lexa. She knew that if they honestly gave her some of the "tainted" blood, Lexa would be showing up to their little camp in a few days. She wanted her to be there when they landed, but she didn't think that Lexa could convince Titus to let her out of Polis without reason. A burning streak in the sky that landed in Trikru territory would be cause enough, but Clarke could only wonder who she would have in place to greet them or to report back that they had landed.
And, just like before, they were numbered 102. Clarke looked them all in the eyes. They knew their jobs. They knew that they had to work together to survive this. They had to learn what they could and quickly before the Ark fell. They would be the ones leading the Arkers when they came down. She could only hope that her mother and Kane would defer to her leadership.
"Kane wanted me to tell you that you are Skaiprisa, and he will follow your lead when they get here. Whatever treaties you make, he'll enforce. And not to worry about Pike, he was floated with Diana. The Greens were moved into Alpha to help start terraforming and getting a hydroponic farm running when the Ark lands," Bellamy tells her.
Clarke nodded. "Everyone knows their places and what we need to do. Raven, get the radio working. I know you've got parts."
"Roger that," she replied as she ran back into the drop ship.
"Monty, you and Jasper get ready to go with Dax and Atom on a water run. Get the still up and running, quickly. Harper, Monroe and Miller start gathering all the parachutes, webbing, and anything else that we can use to make stuff from. Get with Aurora. She'll show you how to make good water skins from it. Wells, Bellamy, and Murphy, start making weapons, spears, knives, swords. Got questions, ask Octavia. She's the head of the guard and my number two."
"What about me?" Charlotte asked.
"Stay with Aurora and learn how to sew for now, Charlotte. Your demons can't get you here. I promise you that," Clarke told her.
"I'll take care of her, Clarke. Don't worry about her. She's safe with me."
"Octavia, start a small patrol. Lead them to water when it's time to go. Set some snares."
"We going to dig in here?" Octavia asked her.
"Nope, I'm hoping that we'll have contact soon and we can head to Belle. I don't want to be here when the Mountain finally decides to investigate and take us. For now, we need to get a fire going and just a basic camp, nothing permanent," Clarke told them.
"On it, Skaiprisa," Octavia replied and Clarke smiled.
They broke up. Clarke grabbed Roma and some of the other girls. She had them looking for some rocks. They grabbed some of the parachutes to carry them in. And, in groups of three, they headed for the river following Octavia and the guys sent to haul back water. Clarke grabbed kids at random and gave them tasks. She had few start clearing an area for them to build the fire. Others she had start gathering fallen limbs and other tinder for them to burn. Clarke didn't want to make a bigger impact on the area than they already had.
She was proud of them all. She had no idea what Octavia and Raven had told the rest of them, but they were already falling in line, listening and not trying to be completely stupid kids. She also knew that it was slim that they would find anything more than water today. Once they had decent weapons, Octavia would start taking out hunting crews. For now, she hoped that the snares would be enough to tide them over. Monty and a small crew would be sent out in the morning for some of the local edible plants.
Tomorrow, they would begin surviving in earnest. She wondered how long she'd be able to keep Octavia in camp knowing that Lincoln was probably out there already scouting them. She hoped that Octavia would wait until she gave her leave to go, with her blessing, but she didn't know if she actually would. Octavia was still her headstrong and best warrior. She couldn't afford to lose her so quickly, on the off chance that Lincoln was actually there waiting.
Clarke worked with a team to get the fire going. She knew that Murphy would tend it for them until they were ready to move. She had her captains and her generals. She had a plan, a good plan, a better plan. Now, all she needed was Lexa, Anya, and possibly Gaia on her side and things were be perfect.
Clarke moved to the edge of where their little camp was. She looked out into the forest. She was searching all the trees, trying to see if she could see any of the Trikru scouts or warriors. Of course, she couldn't. They'd been living there for years.
"Heya, Skaiprisa. Monin hou. Yu don mema we," a voice called as a figure stepped out of the woods and towards Clarke. (Hey there, Sky Princess. Welcome Home. You've been missed.)