The cement floor of my cell was cold against my legs, the sensation searing through the fabric of my jeans. I had sat here many times over the last few months, visualizing myself being blasted into space. It was a morbid thought, but one I could never seem to shake.
My cellmate Octavia let out a heavy sigh, pulling me from my thoughts. I examined her, lying across her cot on her stomach, her feet swaying back and forth in the air as she reread one of the few books she had for the hundredth time.
As I watched Octavia, an alarm began to sound within Skybox, causing Octavia to close her book and sit on the edge of her cot.
"What's going on out there?"
I stood from my place on the ground, making my way over to our cell door. Peeking through the bars, I noticed guards piling in the main doors, opening cells and dragging people out of them.
"The guards, they're removing people," I spoke, my voice shaking.
Octavia stood up. "Moving people? Moving them where?"
I shrugged. "I have no idea."
We both watched the guards remove more and more people before finally, two reached our cell. Octavia and I stepped back, allowing the guards to enter. The first guard to enter carried a case with him.
"Prisoners 395 and 530, stand facing the wall." One of the guards said.
Octavia and I complied, as the other guard asked us to extend our dominant hands. Octavia extended her right arm, while I extended my left. The guards reached into the case, pulling out large metal wristbands and placing them around our wrists.
"What's going on? Neither of us is eighteen yet."
Eighteen. That was when we'd be up for reevaluation, the council deciding whether or not we'd be floated.
"No questions." One of the guards responded, pulling me away from the wall. "Let's go, both of you."
Octavia and I exited our cell, the place we'd called home for nearly a year now, entering the chaos that was Skybox. There were long lines of teenagers, most younger than myself, on each side, on all levels. We followed the line all the way out of Skybox, into a long corridor.
"I want to speak with my father," I said, turning to face the guard behind me. "Marcus Kane, he's on the council."
The guard stared at me, his face expressionless. "Keep moving."
"No," I spoke, a glare appearing across my face. "Where is my father?"
The guard pulled out his shock baton, extending it. "I said, keep moving."
Not wanting to go through being shocked again, I took a deep breath, turning back around and continuing to follow the line. Eventually, the guards who had taken Octavia and I disappeared, more guards lining the path to wherever we were going.
The further I get down the line, I finally see it. One of the Ark's guards were scanning identification cards before ushering them onto... a dropship?
A dropship.
"Holy shit," I mumbled to myself. "They're sending us to the ground."
...
"Prisoners of The Ark, hear me now." I listened on as Chancellor Jaha appeared on several screens within the dropship.
Octavia and I had been separated, sent to different levels of the dropship. Looking around, I didn't recognize many faces, only a few from Earth Skills.
"You've been given a second chance, and as your , it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself." He continued. "We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable."
The sound of booing filled the dropship.
"The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, was a military base built within a mountain. It was to be stocked with enough non-perishables to sustain three hundred people for up to two years. If you survive this mission, your crimes will be forgiven, your records wiped clean."
Chancellor Jaha continued on, though I began to tune it out. All I could think about was my father. Did he know about this? He had to have known, him being one of the Chancellor's closet allies on the Ark.
As the thought of my father's involvement drifted from my mind, the dropship jolted, sending my head forward, then back against the seat with brutal force. The dropship continued to shake, as screams filled the air.
"What's happening?" A girl called out.
I had the same question.
The shaking lasted several minutes before finally, the dropship crashed. Everyone remained silent, unsure if we'd actually landed. After a few moments, people began unbuckling themselves, rushing towards the dropship doors.
I was one of the last to unbuckle myself, wanting to avoid the rush. By the time I had arrived, nearly everyone within the dropship was surrounding the door. As I peeked through the crowd, I spotted Octavia standing by the door, next to a taller boy I'd never seen before.
"Where's your wristband?" I knew that voice.
Octavia spun around to face someone out of my view. "Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in over a year."
While sharing a cell with Octavia, she'd told me many stories about her brother Bellamy. I almost wouldn't have believed she even had one, if she didn't bring him up so often. It was sweet though. I'd always wished I could've had a sibling.
That was against the law on the Ark.
"No one has a brother," someone spoke.
"That's Octavia Blake, the girl they found hidden under the floor!"
I watched as Octavia lunged forward, Bellamy grabbing her arm. "Octavia, no. Let's give them something else to remember you by."
By now, I'd pushed my way further through the crowd.
"Yeah?" Octavia asked, looking back at her brother. "Like what?"
Bellamy smirked. "Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years."
With those words, Bellamy reached over and grabbed the dropship door's handle, pulling it down. There was a faint bang before the door slowly began lowering, creating a platform that led to the ground.
It was beautiful, more so than I ever could've imagined. The ground was covered in grass, just like I'd seen in books on the Ark. Trees surrounded us, nearly covering the clear blue sky above us entirely.
I watched as Octavia slowly made her way down the platform, looking back at her brother. He gave her a reassuring nod, and Octavia in turn took a deep breath before jumping off of the platform, her feet colliding with the ground.
We all watched her as she looked around, silent for a few moments. Finally, Octavia threw her hands in the air.
"We're back, bitches!"
Cheers erupted through the dropship, delinquents spilling out around Octavia and running through the forest surrounding us. I slowly made my way down the platform, bracing myself as if I expected to burst into flames the second I touched the ground.
Octavia looked back at me, smiling. "What are you waiting for?"
I jumped from the platform, my boots meeting the hard ground. "Oh my god... We're really here."
Octavia squealed, pulling me in for a hug. "No more tiny cells and uncomfortable beds for us."
"Well, I imagine uncomfortable beds aren't quite out of the picture yet." I laughed.
"You're probably right." Octavia shrugged with a giggle.
Octavia rushed off to catch up with Bellamy, while I stood in place, taking everything in. As I looked around, my eyes fell upon the girl whose voice I recognized earlier; Clarke Griffin, my childhood best friend.
Clarke stood by the edge of a cliff, staring down at the map in her hands. A tall boy with medium-length brown hair stood next to her. Based on the look upon her face, I figured I should head over there.
"Clarke?"
Clarke turned around, her eyes widening. "Athena?"
I couldn't help but smile. It had been a year since I'd spoken to Clarke, and she looked exactly the same today as she did then. I remembered hearing stories of Clarke being arrested, the reasons often varying, but I never actually thought those rumours were true.
"What's with the map?" I finally asked.
Clarke took a deep breath. "Do you two see that peak over there?"
Both I and the boy nodded.
"Mount Weather," Clarke said. "There's a radiation-soaked forest between us and our next meal. They dropped us on the wrong damn mountain."
"Please tell me you're joking?"
Clarke shook her head. "I wish I was."
"We've got problems-" Wells Jaha, the son the Chancellor, spoke as he reached our little group. He stopped as his eyes landed on me. "Athena?"
I blinked, confusion setting over me. "Wells? What the hell did you do to get sent down here?"
"Don't ask." Wells shook his head, before continuing. "We've got problems. The communication system is dead. I went to the roof. A dozen panels are missing. Heat fried the wires."
"Well, all that matters right now is getting to Mount Weather," Clarke responded, marching closer to the dropship. She spread her map out on one of the wings. "See? This is us." Clarke pointed to a spot on the map. "This is where we need to get to if we want to survive." She moved her finger across the map.
"Where'd you learn to do that?" Wells asked.
Clarke's face turned pale as she looked away.
Wells sighed. "Your father."
The two remained silent, as another boy with a pair of goggles strapped to his head approached. He leaned over Clarke's shoulder, surveying the map.
"Cool, a map." He spoke, looking Clarke up and down. "They got a bar in this town? I'll buy you a beer."
Wells lightly pushed the boy back. "Do you mind?"
"Woah." The boy spoke, holding his hands up.
"Hey, hands off of him." I turned to see a group of boys approaching. "He's with us." The rest of the delinquents were also gathered around us.
"Relax," Wells spoke, stepping back. "We're just trying to find out where we are."
"We're on the ground," Bellamy spoke. "Is that not good enough for you?"
"We need to find Mount Weather. You heard my father's message. That has to be our first priority."
"Screw your father," Octavia called out. "What, you think you're in charge here? You and your little princess?" She was staring at Clarke.
Clarke shook her head. "Do you think we care who's in charge? We need to get to Mount Weather not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we'll get and the harder it'll be. How long do you think we'll last without those supplies? We're looking at a twenty-mile trek. So if we want to get there before dark, we need to leave now."
"I've got a better idea," Bellamy responded. "You two go, find it for us. Let the privileged do the hard work for a change."
Everyone around us cheered.
"You're not listening, we all need to go!" Wells urged. "Athena?"
Before I could respond, another boy spoke. "Athena Kane? You're Marcus Kane's daughter!"
"Your father floated my mother!"
"And my father!"
"Mine too!"
I looked at Wells, narrowing my eyes.
Wells shook it off. "We have to go, now."
"Look at this everybody," A boy stepped forward. "The Chancellor of Earth."
"You think that's funny?" Wells asked.
"No," The boy responded, kicking Wells in the leg and watching him fall to the ground. "But that sure was."
Cheers erupted through the forest, people begging them to fight.
"Come on, Wells." The boy egged him on.
Wells stood up, getting into a fighting stance. Before any swings could be thrown, the medium-length haired boy jumped from the top of the dropship, landing between them.
"The kids got one leg." He spoke to the boy. "Why don't you wait until it's a fair fight?"
"Hey, spacewalker!" Octavia called out. "Rescue me next."
People began to laugh, the crowd dispersing. Bellamy grabbed Octavia's arm, pulling her away.
"Uh," The boy spoke to Clarke. "So, Mount Weather? When do we leave?"
"Right now," Clarke replied, looking at Wells. "Finn and I will be back tomorrow with food."
"How are the two of you going to carry enough food for a hundred people?"
Finn looked around, grabbing goggles boy and another. "Four of us."
"Sounds like a party!" Octavia had rejoined the group. "Count me in."
"What are you doing?" Bellamy asked.
Octavia rolled her eyes. "Going for a walk."
Clarke suddenly reached for Finn's hand. "Were you trying to take this off?"
The wristband.
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, I don't know. Do you want the people you love to think you're dead? Do you want them to follow you down here in two months? Because they won't if they think we're dying."
Finn nodded. "Okay."
"Now, let's go."
"Wait," I spoke up. "I'm coming with you."
Clarke grabbed my hand, leading me away slightly. "I need you to stay here."
"Why?"
"Wells can hardly walk and I need someone to help him keep an eye on things here. I know it's been forever since we've talked, but I trust you a hell of a lot more than anyone else here." Clarke spoke, her eyes shifting to Wells for a moment.
I smiled. "I don't know if I should take that as a compliment."
She smiled back. "You got this?"
I nodded. "Be safe."
Clarke and I made our way back to the group. She grabbed a bag before looking at Wells, who sat on the ground leaning against the dropship. "You really shouldn't have come here, Wells."
With that, Clarke headed off into the forest alongside Finn, Octavia, and the two other boys I'd yet to meet.
I looked at Wells, frowning. "Let's get you into the dropship so you can rest your foot in peace."
...
A few hours later, I found myself returning to camp after going on a water run, my efforts having been futile. Just as I was about to reach the camp, I spotted Wells gathering sticks. He had also been searching for water the last I'd seen him.
"No luck?"
Wells looked up, startled. "No, you?"
I shook my head. "There's gotta be water somewhere."
"Just not anywhere near us," Wells sighed. "Want to give me a hand with these?"
I picked up a pile of sticks, following Wells towards the dropship. We began dropping them in an already started pile when footsteps came up behind us.
"Find any water yet?" It was the same boy who had tried to fight Wells earlier. I recently learned his name was John Murphy. He stood beside another boy, also named John.
"No, not yet-" Wells paused, his face going pale before he quickly pulled himself back together. "I'm going back out if you want to come."
I followed Wells' gaze, spotting something carved into the dropship: first son, first to dye.
"You know, my father begged for mercy in the airlock chamber before your father floated him," Murphy spoke, his eyes narrowed in on Wells.
Wells shook his head, pushing past the pair. "You spelt die wrong, geniuses."
I attempted to follow Wells, though both boys blocked my way. "Where do you think you're going? Don't think we haven't forgotten about what your father did."
Shaking my head, I took a step back. "That was my father's doing, not mine. The same goes for Wells. Feel free to take it up with them when they come down here though. I'll be the last to stop you."
Murphy looked me up and down for a moment before a smirk crept across his face. He didn't say anything, simply stepping out of my way. I took it as an opportunity to join Wells, who still stood just a few paces behind them.
"We're not safe here, Athena," Wells whispered.
"No, we're not," I agreed. "There's nothing you or I can do about it, not until Clarke and the others get back. We just have to lay low, watch each other's backs, like the good old days."
Wells smiled. "I'd give anything to go back there right now."
I let out a small, shaking breath. "You and me both."
...
Wells and I spent the rest of the afternoon searching for water, with no luck. As we came closer to the camp, I stopped. Noticing my absence from beside him, Wells also stopped, turning around to face me.
"Can I ask you something?" Wells nodded. "What happened with Clarke? I heard stories in lockup but never from anyone who had actually been there."
Wells was quiet for a moment, kicking his feet around in the dirt. "Her father discovered a flaw in the Ark. That they're running out of air. He wanted to go public with it."
"But he didn't?"
"Clarke found out and told me, and a few days later her father was arrested."
My heart sank into my stomach. "You told your father, didn't you?"
Wells shook his head. "It wasn't me, but Clarke thinks it was."
"So he was floated?" I was having a hard time processing all of this.
"Yeah," Wells responded. "Clarke saw it happen, and then she was arrested too."
I shook my head. "I had no idea..."
"That was kinda the point," Wells mumbled.
I frowned. "You haven't told Clarke it wasn't you, have you?"
"I can't tell her, Athena," Wells said, not able to look me in the eye.
"Why not?"
Wells once again fell silent. "It was her mother."
My eyes grew wide. "You're sure?"
"It wasn't me and I'm the only one Clarke told. Do you really think she'd expect her mother to turn her father in?" Wells asked. "I can't tell her. It would break her, especially now."
"So you let her hate you..."
Wells frowned. "Better than her hating her mother."
I smiled softly. "You're a really good friend, you know that?"
Before Wells could respond, the sound of screams filled the air. They were coming from the camp. Both of us looked at each other before hurrying our way back. By the time we arrived, there was a large crowd surrounding the campfire.
We both pushed our way through the crowd, spotting Murphy prying off a girl named Fox's wristband. She winced as the wristband popped off, and Murphy tossed it into the fire.
"Who's next?" Bellamy asked.
"What the hell are you doing?" Wells asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
Bellamy smirked. "We're liberating ourselves. What does it look like?"
"It looks like you're trying to kill us all." I hissed.
"The communication system is dead. These wristbands are all we got. Take them off, and the Ark will think we're dying, that it's not safe for them to follow." Wells added.
"That's the point, Chancellor," Bellamy replied. "We can take care of ourselves, can't we?"
Everyone around them cheered.
"Do you think this is a game? Those aren't just our friends and our parents up there. They're our farmers, our doctors, our engineers." Wells shouted, looking around the crowd. "I don't care what he tells you. We won't survive here on our own, and besides, if it really is safe, how could you not want the rest of our people to come down?"
"My people are already down here," Bellamy replied. "Those people locked my people up. Those people killed my mother for the crime of having a second child. Your father did that."
Wells shook his head. "My father didn't write the laws."
"No, he enforced them, but not anymore, not here. Here there are no laws. Here, we do whatever the hell we want, whenever the hell we want. Now, you two don't have to like it. You can even try to stop it or change it, kill me even. You know why?" Bellamy's smirk only grew wider. "Whatever the hell we want."
"Whatever the hell we want!" Murphy cheered.
Everyone began chanting around us, repeating those five words over and over again. I couldn't believe it. How could they all be so stupid? So selfish? They were going to get all of us killed.
Suddenly, I felt a speck of water hit my bare arm. Then another, and another. Then, water began falling from the sky rapidly.
"It's rain," A girl called out. "Real rain!"
The cheering began once again, as I lifted my head to stare at the sky, letting the rain wash over my face. It was as if all of my previous worries washed away for a few moments.
"We need to collect this," Wells spoke up, yanking me from my bliss.
Bellamy smiled. "Whatever the hell you want."
AN: Hello, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter/episode. Each chapter in this story will follow a full episode from the series. We will be doing a diversion from the source material *slightly* once we hit season seven (for obvious reasons). I already have nine chapters written and I am working on the tenth right now. Updates will come 1-2 times per month! Please be sure to favourite and save this series, feedback is also very much appreciated 3
