AN: I changed the years in space to match the books more because it simply never made sense that there would be a civilization on earth with several different new languages and cultures after simply a hundred years after the nuclear annihilation. That simply couldn't happen in such a short amount of time so I added 2 extra centuries, like in the books…
It was surreal, not in the nearly 290 years of the arks existence had this happened before. Sure they had outbreaks before but not like this one. This illness was an unknown and silent killer, a sniper in the night. The moment you knew he was there it would already be too late, death was imminent.
The only residents of the ark who seemed to have any resistance against this silent killer, able to hold of death after infection, seemed to be children under the age of 10. But even then most would perish unable to endure the seemingly endless pain, unbearable fever and worsening care.
Care for the infected started out just like any other patients this turned out to have been a grave error as the disease swept through all the arks stations, sparing none from its wrath. The council tried quarantining the infected but this was a difficult task with limited space and flow of care personnel.
A month in they seemed to be persevering and the end of this dark chapter seemed near as some of the children seemed to have recovered fully and were able to return to their homes.
192. 192 was the number of deaths, not counting the currently infected. A big loss for the ark, especially considering its limited population and gene pool. Not to mention the grieving families left to mourn the dead.
It all took a turn for the worst on day 35 of the outbreak.
DAY 1
''Mommy, aren't you going to tuck me in tonight?'' a small boy asks looking towards the door opening.
Cough
Cough
''Of course I am baby'' Smiling Veronica walks over to her sons bed, tucking the blanket tightly around him ''Sleep tight and don't let the space bugs bite.''
Giggles fill the room ''Mama space bugs don't exist!''
''Really? Then what is hiding here on your belly?!'' Tickling her sons belly as his innocent laughter fills the room, she wonders what she had done to be blessed with such a sweet boy.
Petting Well's forehead as his eyelids droop, closing ever so slowly she thinks about her day at the shelter. The children in the shelter who have been forced to let go of their innocence as the harsh reality of being a ward of the ark set in. An orphanage should be a temporary solution not a permanent home, it's been proven that fostered and adopted children flourish while their shelter counterparts more often than not end up in the skybox.
The problem isn't that families aren't willing to take on an orphan, the problem is that if they do so then they won't be allowed a biological one because of the one child policy. And the council isn't willing to amend the law to allow this because they say it will open the door to siblings on the ark.
''If you'd simply consider it, it would improve these children's lives immensely and having family ties deters people from breaking the law!''
''While we respect your opinion Veronica, you seem to be too young to understand the difficulty and impossibility of what you request of us today.'' Chancellor Morett refutes looking at her with condescension as if she is a mere child.
''With all due respect sir, I demand it be put to a vote. For I may be young but I do know the laws of our world and they state that a chancellor may have final vote, however this vote does not way heavier than any other in the council.'' Eighteen year old Veronica stood her ground, earning the admiration of a certain observant young man. Even though the council voted against her motion to amend the law, she earned a grand ally.
''Miss Veronica, your charge is asleep yet you seem to be dreaming more than him'' Thelonious whispers teasingly from the doorway.
''Mister Jaha, I do not dream… I plot.'' Veronica smirks, extracting herself from her sons bed.
Enveloping his wife in a tight hug he smiles, the smile falters though when she starts coughing. Rubbing her back he asks ''Are you alright sweetheart?'' whilst sitting her down on the couch in the living room.
''Yeah, ahem yes I am fine just a small bug. It's running rampant in the children's home.'' She smiles sadly.
''You should put forth your proposal again, you know I support it.''
''Theo, I've put it forward on 5 different occasions with 2 separate chancellors and councils. I think you'd be the only yes amongst a sea of no.'' Veronica sighs despondent.
Grabbing her head gently Thelonious looks at his beautiful wife of 10 years, ''I know Jake would support it wholeheartedly for one and another thing being that now you aren't just a passionate eighteen year old, you're also the life partner of the current chancellor and even if it shouldn't it does carry some weight. Why not use that for something good?''
Calming brown eyes meet blazing ones as he and his wife lock eyes ones more. ''Have I said how much I love you recently?''
''Of course dear wife, now let me show you how much I love you.'' Theo picks up his giggling wife as he carries her towards their bedroom.
Cough…cough…cough.
''Should we sent for a doctor?''
''Don't speak nonsense girl, it's a simple cold. Nothing to bother the doctor for.'' The matron of the orphanage says sternly.
''But matron yesterday they seemed fine, merely a mild cough but now they suffer from a fever and fitful sleep.'' A young carer says gently full of concern.
''Be quiet girl, you're making it out to be worse than it is. Now do your job and don't breath a word of this unless you'd like to lose it.'' The Matron snaps back sharply. Before departing with these words, ''I didn't bust my ass to hide these defective ones from Miss Veronica for nothing girl, I have a reputation to uphold.'' leaving the young carer in front of rows of beds filled with sickly children.
''Yesterday there were only 3 bedridden ones…''
''Daddy! Daddy look what I can do!'' John senior beamed as his son cartwheeled towards him in the hall.
He lifts his son onto his shoulders when he finishes his newly learned trick. ''That was amazing Murph! Where'd you learn to do that?''
''It's a secret'' the 6 year old whispers into his father's ear.
''A secret?! From your dear old dad?!'' John senior gasps dramatically flipping his son around so he hangs upside down now, ''Who are you and what have you done with my son?!''
''No! Daddy it's me I swear!'' Murphy giggles as his father carries him around the ark halls upside down, not minding the looks they were receiving.
Not from ladies admiring John senior, elders disapproving stares nor the laughing youngsters. In these moments John senior only had eyes for his son, the light of his life born from him and the love of his life.
''Get out!''
Oef
''Sniff. Sniff.'' A brown haired girl curls up in the hallway corner, her moms been drinking the dirty water which makes her mean.
She'll probably end up sleeping here since the guards rarely patrol these halls, and though it's rather cold here she hardly has another option since there is nowhere else to go to.
''Hey, you okay there?'' a small boy says hanging upside down from an old air vent.
''Yeah I'm fine!'' She snaps. She knows she shouldn't, It's not like it's his fault she's in this situation. ''Sorry, I didn't-''
''It's fine, you're just sad. I sorta heard you and your ?mom? earlier…''
''Oh.'' Raven sighs, ''She isn't always like that.'' Why she says this to the strange upside down boy she doesn't know, but she does so anyways.
''Okay, you want to have dinner with me and my parents?'' Finn asks jumping down from the vent.
''I'm not hungry.'' Raven lies but her treacherous stomach betrays her rumbling loudly, earning her a raised eyebrow from the boy.
''I don't have my ration card on me.'' Raven says hoping he'll leave her be now.
''That's okay just state your name at the desk and they'll check your ration points in the computer, it works trust me.''
Swallowing she whispers the truth quietly ''I don't have any ration points left, mom traded them.'' She doesn't dare look at the boy.
''Oh…''
And here it comes, no one wants to be friends with a ration-less loser.
''Well I guess we'll just share mine then, come on my mom and dad are waiting.'' The boy called Finn pulls her up pointing towards the end of the hall where a nice looking couple waits for their son and apparently her to join them for dinner.
''Why can't I go with you Bell?'' Octavia begs her brother as he is about to leave for school.
''You know why O.'' Looking at his sweet little sister. His sister is five and he is about to turn ten, the older they get the more he worries about his family and what is to become of them.
School has taught him many things thus far one of which was that there haven't been any second children caught on the ark since 2204, 86 years ago. A set of identical twins who shared one life, caught when one of the twins rushed their ailing mother to the doctor when the other was still at school.
They were only 14 when their mother was floated and the youngest twin was thrown into the skybox, the second followed his brother by committing petty theft. In a tragic turn of events the younger twin had died in confinement just before the second was arrested.
When asked for his plea at his 18th birthday he simply responded he did not wish to live without his family and would not beg their killers for anything much less a miserably lonely life. That's what his teacher said but on the tape of the sentencing he found himself in awe of the boy named James.
''I would rather die as a proud son and brother, joining them in the heavens than bow down and find myself in the ranks of people with bloodstained hands and lesser morals.''
James had said on the sentencing tape. And it had left Bellamy wondering if he could be as strong as James if the same were to happen to his family.
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