Wijmaids0 : Hi! Thank you for taking the time to give me your thoughts on this story, I really apreciate that! To answer your question, this story takes place roughly on to two years before the 100 come down to the Ground, with some ellipsises (I don't know if that's how you write it in English), and will continue through the actual event of the show. However, I hope I will have enough motivation to keep writing until that. I hope this answer your question. Again, thank you for telling me your thoughts!
"How did you come down to the ground?"
Cassie met the eyes of the Commander, who remained seated on her throne. Unsure, the young woman was silent for a short second, and Titus took this opportunity to make his opinion heard.
"The Skaigada lived on the moon, whose spirit is her mother. We think she was spat out from the sky when she made the mistake to try to take her own life."
Cassie looked up in his direction in surprise as Anya sighed, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"Oh yeah, okay, you don't go dead hand. Do I get a couple of superpowers along the way?"
Titus glared at her, but the Commander hadn't paid attention to the young woman's comment.
"Who says that?"
She turned her head, looking up in the direction of her Fleimkepa, who hesitated, uncertain.
"Everyone, Heda."
"Not everyone," Anya replied in a harsh voice.
"You do not believe in anything, Wormana, you always disrespected our ways," Titus gritted.
"Em pleni!" The Commander exclaimed. "Speak, Cassie kom Skaikru."
The young woman moistened her lips, adjusting her rope handcuffs around her wrists.
"Long story. So, uhm, I had access to some very old and secret plans, and I learned about the existence of the escape pods, which ... are useless, since it is useless to eject if Earth is not survivable. Anyway, I knew I couldn't get to it like that, no questions. So I waited for the outdoor work to finish, stole a suit and walked up to the pod pretending I was going to do some repairs. Then I ejected myself and miraculously landed here without too many injuries. "
A long silence greeted her statement. The Commander and Anya exchanged a look in which they seemed to have a silent dialogue. Cassie stared at them without a word.
"This is the only reason I had a suit when I came down. If I didn't have one, I would have died."
"You said your people execute your criminals by sending them to space. Why didn't you do that?"
"The opening of the execution locks can only be done from the outside. Once you're inside, there is a glass door separating you from the button that unalive people."
Cassie shrugged, thinking only of Ark's values that sought to keep as many survivors as possible. People couldn't afford to be suicidal.
"What was the real reason you tried to die?"
Anya scrutinized her with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Cassie sighed, avoiding her gaze.
"I told you, this life isn't worth living. I don't want to stay in this world a second longer."
The Commander and Titus seemed convinced, but Anya continued to stare at Cassie as if she didn't believe her. Yet she had witnessed her suicidal tendencies.
"I don't know why you survived and not everyone else who threw themselves off your ship into what you call a pod," the Commander continued. "I do not believe it matters. What matters is what you can tell us about your people."
Titus seemed to refrain from intervening to share one of his far-fetched theories as to why she survived. Cassie shrugged.
"As you wish, Heda."
"That's enough for today. You can leave."
Anya crossed the distance between them and grabbed Cassie by the arm, pulling her with her. They left the room, crossed the eyes of many corridors plunged into darkness by clouds. Cassie was looking absently out the windows when she stopped abruptly, stunned.
Drops were falling from the clouds, streaking towards the earth to soak the ground. Dumbfounded, Cassie was speechless.
"What is it?" Grumbled Anya. "Oh, right, you've never seen rain."
"This is rain?" Cassie exclaimed.
"Yes."
The young woman observed the landscape for a long second longer, motionless in the middle of passers-by with Anya. Abruptly, she turned to her jailer.
"Let me go outside."
"What?" Cried Anya.
"Please, Anya, I will do anything you want. You can come with me if you want, keep me on a leash, just please, let me go outside for a moment."
"Have you lost your mind?" Anya asked.
"Please, Anya," Cassie continued, serious. "I've never seen rain. I've never been in the rain. I've only seen it in movies. Please, let me go in the rain."
As Anya continued to stare at her as if she had gone completely crazy, Cassie exclaimed:
"You want me to beg? Fine, I'll beg!"
She threw herself on her knees, hands clasped, in front of Anya's bewildered gaze and those of passers-by.
"Please, please, please, Anya, I am begging you, let me go in the rain. I will do anything you want!"
"Stop it. Get up," Anya hissed, glancing around.
"Please."
"Fine!" Anya whispered. "I'll let you go in the rain! But get up, you're embarrassing me!"
A big smile on her lips, Cassie jumped to her feet, silent. Glaring at her, Anya ler her in the direction of the elevator.
The descent of the tower was a real torture for Cassie who had to refrain from jumping in place, overexcited. Anya didn't utter a word, occasionally sighing at her enthusiasm.
Finally, they crossed the ground floor and arrived at the door of the tower.
The rain was falling heavily from the sky, the raindrops pounding the ground and creating puddles of murky water. The market was deserted, the inhabitants having taken refuge inside the houses. Despite the downpour, the heat was still there and they didn't need to cover up more than before.
Cassie stood still, mouth open. She walked slowly forward, a blissful smile on her lips. Anya stayed in the shelter, her arms crossed.
Finally, the young woman put her foot on the ground and went out into the open air.
Water immediately streamed down her face, gradually soaking her clothes. Amazed, Cassie let the rain roll down her face, cool and soft. It was cold, it was good and it made her feel alive.
With a cry of glee, she spun around, leaping into the puddles and running in a circle, delighted. She burst out laughing, hopped as she felt the water splash her clothes and her body. The young woman opened her mouth, swallowed the water that fell into it, laughing.
Anya had remained under the ceiling of the tower, watching her peacefully. For once, her hard mask had cracked for a softer face. Smirking, Cassie trotted over.
"Are you done?" Anya asked, but her voice kept traces of amusement.
Cassie gave her a huge smile as she took her arm. And she pulled her sharply into the rain. Anya screamed furiously, pushing her away, but Cassie just laughed and snorted, soaking her even more. Her smile disappeared when she met the warrior's fierce expression.
"You will pay for that."
Cassie tried to run away, but Anya grabbed her by the waist, putting her arms around her, and dragged her towards the tower. She stopped at the edge of the first roof and, ignoring Cassie's squirming, laughing and cries, put her head under the trickle of water dropping from the gutter. Cassie squeaked, chuckled, screamed, but nothing to do, Anya held her with an iron fist until she was soaked from head to toe.
Finally, she released her and Cassie pulled away, shaking herself, screaming with laughter. Anya shook her waterlogged clothes as the young woman resumed dancing, laughing.
Anya almost pushed her into the bedroom, rolling her eyes at Cassie's chuckles. Sighing, she grabbed a rag and began to rub her face. The black that surrounded her eyes had run down her cheeks and was drawing dark streaks on her skin.
"You should change," she said to the young woman.
Cassie raised an eyebrow and Anya rolled her eyes.
"You are soaked, Natshanagada. If you stay with your clothes like this, you will get sick."
"Oh, right."
So Cassie painfully removed her clothes that clung to her skin and put on the ones she had been given, wrapping herself in an old shawl. Across the room, Anya had shed her war paint.
Her skin looked more golden, her eyes more almond-shaped and clearer.
"You know, you look younger without your war paint," Cassie commented.
"Oh yeah?" Anya replied absently.
"Yeah, you don't look like an old granny anymore."
The rag landed in Cassie's face.