It was frantic whispers that woke her up.
Outside, the sun was rising, and a few golden rays pierced the curtains to fall on the figure of Cassie who remained lying in the bed.
Anya had left the sheets and Cassie recognized her whispering voice nearby. The other voice, familiar, however, did not remind her of anyone.
She opened one eye to find Anya with her back to her, standing in the doorway of the room. In front of her, the Commander and the bald man were conversing with her.
"... She is annoying, reckless and way too talkative. I don't know if I would be able to take it any longer," Anya was saying.
"Come on, Onya," the Commander replied. "Yet it seems to me that she appreciates you, and since you did not kill her, I could tell that your friendship is mutual."
Anya groaned.
"I didn't kill her because she can do it very well on her own. What good is killing her if she keeps trying to take her own life?"
Silence followed her statement and then the Commander's icy voice rang out.
"I knew you having more compassion, Onya."
"You're not the one who had to put up with her chatter for over a week."
"Still, I saw you less callous."
Anya looked down, ashamed, when the bald man's voice, deep and sinister, intervened.
"If this woman is truly from the sky, she could pose a threat to your authority, Heda."
A little silence ensued, Cassie squeezed her eyelids so as not to be spotted.
"If she is a heir to Becca Pramheda ..."
"No one will ever bow down to this stranger," the Commander hissed. "I am heir to Becca Pramheda and if you hear anyone attempt to overthrow me in the name of this Skaigada, then you should deal with them yourself, Titus."
Titus. Bald and With A Broom Up His Ass was named Titus.
Nonetheless, Cassie couldn't help but withhold the information she had just heard. She recorded them, waiting for the moment when she was alone to analyze them and draw the conclusions she needed.
"In the meantime, you will have this stranger in your charge, Onya. And you will do everything in your power to keep her alive until we know Skaikru by heart. Do I make myself clear?"
"Absolutely, Heda," Anya replied, bowing slightly.
"And try to relieve her suffering."
Anya turned to give her a look and Cassie didn't have time to close her eyes. Surprising her awake, the Grounder strode over to her, going to untie her hands from the headboard.
"I'm not a threat to your authority, Heda," she announced as Anya untied the knot holding her handcuffs to the bed.
The Commander shrugged her chin.
"That's what you say."
"I don't know your first Commander. I am not from her people."
Anya paused for a second on her task to give her a look.
"How–"
"'Pramheda'. 'Heda' means Commander, I got that. 'Pram' looks like 'premier' in french or 'primero' in Spanish. I bet it means first. I told you, I love languages."
She craned her neck in the Commander's direction.
"I told you, I don't know this Becca you're talking about. Whoever she is, I have nothing to do with her."
The Commander nodded.
"Maybe you don't, but there are people who will do anything to knock me down. Including using a Skaigada to challenge my authority and reclaim my title."
"Azgeda," Anya hissed.
"Who's Azgeda? You know what, nevermind, whoever they are, why would I listen to them? It's not like I even want to live."
"That's enough. I do not care about that," the Commander interrupted. "What I care about, Cassie kom Skikru, is this place you call the Ark."
The Commander crossed the room and sat in a chair facing the bed, Titus standing in front of her. Anya remained seated next to Cassie, keeping her hands tied together.
"How do they survive, in the sky?"
Cassie took a deep breath.
"You know, you couldn't have been better to answer your questions. I'm a schoolteacher, I'm used to anything and everything. Why the clouds are white, why we have red eyes in old photos, how we can stay in the air without falling— "
Anya slapped her on the back of the head.
"Answer the question."
"Alright, alright," the young woman sighed. "So, it's kinda complicated. Basically, the Ark revolves around the Earth by artificial gravity caused by the rotation of the ring station. The most important one is Go-Sci station, or the Ring. I know," added she said in front of the somewhat confused looks of the Grounders, "it doesn't make any sense."
The Commander and Anya exchanged a look that told Cassie that they were wondering if the young woman was lying to them.
"Honeslty, I just learned enough to explain it to the kids," Cassie added. "My Raven, she is incredibly smart, she would be able to tell you everything."
"Who is the leader of your people?"
"Uhm, his name is Thelonious Jaha. I know, his parents mustn't have liked him very much, poor man," she said. "On the Ark, there is a council, composed of Officers, from the most important parts of the Ark, like the Engineer, the Medical, the Senior Environmental or whatever. They take most of the decisions on the Ark, like its former Council which introduced the capital punishment."
"Capital punishment?" Anya repeated.
"Yeah. Resources are scarce and we can't risk wasting them. Which is why there is also the Only Child policy, where couples can only have one child. Having a second one puts you at risk of capital punishment. Which is basically when you are released in space, where there is no oxygen, and you suffocate to death. It's called 'being floated'. They can't waste precious resources on felons over eighteen."
"Why eighteen?"
"It's legal majority. At over eighteen, you are considered an adult and you are no longer under the tutelage of your parents. If you are arrested before eighteen, you are locked in juvenile prison , the Sky Box, and there is a reassessment at eighteen, where they decide if you are released or floated. "
Anya and the Commander exchanged another look.
"Will you leader be a threat to us?"
"Well ... I don't know. I don't think so. But I know other people from the Council who would be dangerous," she whispered, looking down to her knees.
"Who?"
Cassie pursed her lips, still, looking determined not to answer. Anya gave her a surprised look.
"Scott Morgan," she finally muttered. "He's an Officer at the Council. He's a bad man, but not only dangerous for you but for everyone."
She didn't add more. The young woman carefully avoided their eyes.
"Is there any chance that other Skikru members will fall from the sky like you did?"
Cassie shook her head.
"I don't think so. Like I said yesterday, they don't know the Ground is survivable. They will probably wait another hundred years before returning to Earth. If they don't die of boredom first."
The Commander slowly nodded.
"Good. We will share your testimony at this morning's council. In the meantime, maybe you should ... Change."
Cassie glanced at her clothes, and winced when she saw that she was covered in dust and mud, memories of being dragged across the floor by Anya.
"Onya, you will make sure she is presentable for the council," the Commander declared as she stood up.
Anya just groaned in response.