Chapter 2
Clarke sat outside the radio tent. Lexa sat beside her. Gustus was just off to the side, silently standing guard. Raven and the others were still listening. Clarke knew that it wasn't going to be an easy task. She just hoped that Emerson could convince them to take the deal.
"Hodnes?"
"Sha, Leksa?"
"Do you think that they will actually do as you ask?"
"I don't know. Cage will try to deny it, but Dante will try to make him look at the bigger picture. I am offering them sunlight and the ground. It is something that their people have seen in almost a century without death. I am offering them to live on the ground. I am sure that Cage is going to try to spin this somehow so that he gets to rule all of the ground, but I'm prepared for him."
"Sha, Prissa, and how will you make him meet his fate?" Gustus asked as he moved slightly closer.
Clarke turned and smiled up at him in the failing light. It was almost time for her to make her transmission to Mount Weather. She knew that he was keeping a tighter watch on Lexa since they'd gone to the Mountain, and she understood. He was afraid for Lexa, and he should be. It was his job. He was her personal guard, and Clarke loved him for that. Him being big and burly only served to make him look more menacing to those who didn't know that the giant of a man was really a teddy bear, especially when it came to Lexa. But, Clarke knew that he was also extremely lethal, and he would do anything to make sure that Lexa stayed in power. She knew that he was afraid of her and what she could do with the power of Wanheda, but Clarke didn't want to rule. Gustus knew that, and he could see it in how she gave Lexa things to do that would make the Kongeda better. She was proud of him for asking, and it showed.
She looked deeply into his dark eyes and held them. He was looking for answers, and she wasn't sure that she had them for him. She'd try though. She knew enough about Cage and the Mountain, that she had guesses, theories, and she hoped that her planning would work...this time.
"I've already promised that he will meet his fate in Polis upon a tree, Gustus. The People will get their blood. They are owed and not even I as Wanheda would deny them that. Cage isn't the only one that will be on a tree, Gustus. There will be more with him."
"Do you think that it will be enough though, Prisa kom Skai?" Gustus inquired. (Princess of the Sky)
"By your standards, Gostos? No, it won't. But, I will not condemn an entire people for their leaders mistakes. Those who are guilty will pay. Jus drein jus daun will be upheld. But, I am afraid that there aren't enough souls in the Maun to satisfy the blood that has been lost," Clarke told him. "Rest assured though, Gostos, the Maun will fall. Blood will be spilled to appease those lost in the Kongeda. I guarantee it. My only problem now is how much blood will be spilt. There are innocent children in there, Gostos. Children I have a mind to save. It is up to their elders for that to happen."
"Then, I will pray to Keryon that they do what they must to protect their children," Gustus replied.
"Sha, Gostos, ai tu." (Yes, Gustus, me too.)
Clarke turned back to the horizon. Dinner was done. The sun was gone from the sky. She'd deliberated long enough. It was time to give them the list of names. She'd given them enough time to talk things through after Emerson returned. She knew that Lexa was going to follow her into the tent. She went inside. Raven was there beside the radio.
"Where's...?"
"Sinclair and Damon are in the computer room. We're linked to them with video. Damon is already inside their mainframe and ready to reek havoc should they try something again. Sinclair is monitoring their radio frequencies and cameras. I didn't want them to be able to see us, so we only have audio for now. I wanted them to think that we were still working on getting set up," Raven told her.
"Clever girl," Clarke replied. "That's why I always pick you first, Little Bird."
"That's because I'm fucking awesome," Raven replied.
"Sha, Striksora, yu laik," Lexa added. (Yes, Little Bird, you are.)
"Has there been any more issues from the Mountain?" Clarke asked as she sat down.
"Nope. Seems Daddy put Cage on a leash. He's locked down in his own rooms. They got two semi-skilled jerk wads chasing little ravens through their programs trying to find me, but they won't. Damon is leaving a trail of false breadcrumbs. He is have way too much fun with them without me, though. But, the Princess needs me, so here I am," Raven fake lamented.
Clarke smiled. "So, she does."
"I've got the radio ready whenever you are. From what I can hear on their normal chatter, Dante and Emerson are a little nervous and waiting as patiently as they can. It isn't like they know how to contact us yet, so they can't reach out."
"No, that is true, but after their little stunt earlier, I'm sure that Dante and Emerson have realized that I mean business," Clarke stated.
"Did you not always mean to do this business with them though, Clarke?" Lexa questioned.
Clarke smiled again and shook her head. "Sha, Leksa, I did. It is just a figure of speech. They know now that I wasn't lying about the fact that we could end them without having to step inside. Raven has already turned off their missiles and changed all the launch codes. She and I are the only ones that can do anything about those now. Dante doesn't even have access to his own self-destruct."
"Nope, turned that off, too. Cowards way out and murdering all those children. Bad form. Just pure bad form," Raven added.
Lexa looked at them and wondered what they were really saying but she knew it didn't matter. Clarke was two to fourteen steps ahead of those in the Mountain. She still had Octavia, now in TonDC, waiting to strike if needed. Clarke was prepared. This was a battle that she knew the outcome of regardless of the savagery. She was hoping for a good outcome, but that largely depended on a group of men that thought they deserved the Earth for themselves.
Honestly, the more that Lexa thought about it, the more she realized that she would have offered help to the Mountain if they hadn't acted with violence first. They could have learned from and leaned on each other. They could have been an ally to the Trikru and then the Kongeda. But, instead, they thought that they were better just because they had technology and fayagons. Lexa didn't need that. She had the Fleim and ideas. Ideas that led her to being the first Heda to unite the clans and make the Kongeda. She gave them a democratic monarchy. It wasn't flawless, but it worked. (Especially with Nia gone.) She could have offered them a place in the Kongeda and gave them more chances at life.
Hindsight is always 20/20. Lexa knew that, but she also knew that if the Mountain had joined her, they could have paved the way in other lives for Clarke, too. She wouldn't have to carry the burden that she does. She wouldn't have become Wanheda. And, that is why the Mountain must fall. For Clarke to reach her "potential" with the masses and the Kongeda, she has to fell the Mountain. Lexa being by her side and "authorizing" it, will only help them both maintain power and some semblance of control over the populace as they race to get the rest of the bunkers stocked and ready for their five to six year plus isolation. Yes, hindsight was 20/20, but that didn't mean that Lexa couldn't use her knowledge to change their future.
"You ready to give them the names, Clarkey?" Raven asked breaking their silence.
"Yeah, might as well. I would hate to keep them waiting any longer. I wonder who will talk to me this time, Dante or Emerson?" Clarke mused.
"My bets on Dante. He's closing ranks, keeping an eye on the kid, and making sure that no one knows what's going on. He'll be the main man tonight."
"But, Emerson is his head of security, his main general, correct?" Lexa asked them and Clarke nodded. "He will let him continue to talk to you. Emerson already has a rapport with you. He will want to maintain that until he can find a way to insert himself."
"How so?" Clarke inquired.
"He is their defacto leader, yes?" Lexa started. "He needs to maintain that position. He needs to find a way to either ingratiate his way into your circle to maintain some sort of control over his people or he needs to find a way to get you out of the way."
"You're right he will. My age is going to bother him. He isn't going to want to deal with what he thinks is a child. He is going to demand at some point to either talk to my mother or Kane, thinking that he would be able to overpower me and get what he wants."
"It'll never happen. Mama G and Kane aren't going to rollover for him. Mama G just might shoot him for asking, and Kane would arrest him and hand him over to Lexa first. The man's got no chance and he doesn't even know it," Raven stated.
"He will soon enough, Raven. He will, and he will be more dangerous then. I might have to do something drastic to make sure that doesn't happen."
"Drastic how? Good? Bad? Evil? Diabolical? Or we talking we might get fucked over drastic?" Raven questioned as she ticked off each on her hand.
"I might have to give Cage the cure before I want, but we'll have to keep him in a cell here afterwards to make sure that he is given to Heda publicly for his execution. He is going to be a problem no matter when we do it, so we...I have to be careful."
"So charge him with something," Raven suggested.
"Like what?"
"Breaking the peace or something. I don't know. Get with Kane on it. Have Kane and the guards arrest him. Then, it won't look politically motivated on your part but more like a security issue on his. Dante would have no choice then but to acquiesce to your demands when it comes to Cage."
"Damn, Raven, I love you," Clarke replied as she reached over and hugged her Latina friend. "Remind me to never piss you off."
"Just don't do it, Blondie and we'll be square."
"Wouldn't dare, I know that you would make me go 'BOOM'!"
"Damn right I would," Raven stated with a laugh. "Here, call the bastards and let's get this over with. I want to check in with Damon and Sinclair again before I go to bed. Cause Lord knows, I'm not letting you go out there alone in the morning to pick them up."
"She won't be," Lexa added quickly.
"You're both right, I won't. But, Lexa, you still can't be seen. Nor can any of the rest of the clans. The Mountain has to believe that we are doing this alone and that we are against you in the beginning. I need them as ignorant as I can make them. Those that decide to stay in the camp will slowly be integrated into our way of thinking. I can't make them change overnight, Lexa. There is going to be a grace period for them. They need to learn how hard it is to work and live on the ground. By the time I'm done with them, they will be begging for your help and by then, Praimfaya will be upon us. We won't have a lot of time, weeks, maybe a month and then they'll really see what the ground is like," Clarke explained.
"And by then, Dante, Cage and the rest will be executed?" Lexa asked.
"Sha, ai hodnes, they will be," Clarke answered.
Raven reached over and placed her hand on Clarke's left knee. Lexa was on her right. She took the radio mic from Raven and got ready to cue the mic. Clarke took a deep breath. She knew that there would be push back, but she was adamant that Maya, her father, and Lovejoy were going to be among the first to be treated. The other two would be picked at random. She would let Dante even offer up others in their place. She would test him with this. It wouldn't be a pass or fail situation, but it would tell her how far Dante was willing to stay the course for his people.
"This is Clarke Griffin calling Mount Weather, come in Mount Weather," Clarke said into the mic.
She looked at the radio while she waited for them to answer. She wondered who would actually answer her as well. She already knew that Dante had Cage secluded. She wondered if it would be Emerson or Dante. She doubted that they would let such an auspicious things as her calling be answered by just a regular guard. She knew that they would want to keep the information locked down as much as possible.
She was going to keep Raven on standby to make sure that they cooperated, or she'd let Raven expose their leadership. She didn't want them to mutiny per se, but she wanted the people to know that their leader was the one killing them. She was giving them an out and he was refusing to take it. It was petty and somewhat cruel, but it was better than eradiating the entire Mountain.
She looked over at Raven before asking, "We have full access to their comms, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Might need you to make an announcement to them later," Clarke stated.
"No worries," Raven answered. "But, what about?"
"That is going to depend on Dante Wallace," Clarke replied. "Also, someone needs to find out how many suits we have that are kid-sized. I'm going to press him to send children after the first few initial waves."
"Sounds like a plan, Stan," Raven said as Lexa looked at her again trying to understand the Latina and her words.
"And, find some Sky Clothes for some guards and Lexa. They'll have to blend in if we don't want the Mountain people to know that we are already allies," Clarke explained and then turned to Lexa. "How do you feel about staying with me for a few days and wearing your hair down without braids?"
Lexa just gave her a strange expression and cocked her eyebrow. She didn't get to answer though. The Mountain finally did.
"This is Mount Weather, Clarke. Go ahead with your transmission. I have President Wallace with me," the voice on the comm stated.
Clarke smiled. She was going to test them both, then. Emerson and Wallace were going to be the ones talking to her.
"Good evening, Dante."
"Good evening, Ms. Griffin," he replied.
Clarke could feel his distain. She didn't care. She was trying to save lives. His wasn't one of them, but he didn't need to know that. She was also doing this to appease her conscience. She knew that threatening them point blank only ended in the massacre of the people in the mountain. Their blood was as much on her hands as it was his. She was still trying to cleanse hers, though. She doubted that Dante or Cage would try to clean theirs entirely.
"Has Emerson told you of my deal for your people?" Clarke asked.
"He has."
"And, what are your thoughts on it?" Clarke inquired. She was genuinely interested. She hoped that Dante would latch onto a peaceful resolution to their problem and not turn to violence. He seemed like a good man, but she knew a lot of good men that did bad things.
"I am very intrigued by your proposition, Ms. Griffin. It seems were are cousins after a fashion. My ancestors went underground and yours to space. You've returned home and want to help us. It is more than I could have ever asked for. Walking in the sunlight without burning has always been a dream of mine."
"And, I can help you achieve that dream, Dante. The question is: will you let me?" Clarke told him. "I am a leader among my people. I am young though, and I can understand if that causes you some...trepidation. But, I promise you that I only want what is best for your people."
"That is admirable, Ms. Griffin."
"Is it?" Clarke asked.
"Yes, because I am not sure if you knew that we were even here," Dante answered.
"I did. We did," Clarke started. "We knew that people went underground. We knew that we couldn't communicate with them, either. The radiation from all the bombs almost destroyed the atmosphere, but it did knock out most of the major communication arrays. You wouldn't have been able to contact us, either. However there were notes left in our governmental systems that told us of some bunkers that we were to seek out when and if we should come back down to Earth. Yours, Mr. Wallace, was among them."
"So, there might be others," Dante questioned.
"Yes, sir, there might. I've already established a few teams to go check them out. We wanted to know if there were more survivors out there."
"Are you not afraid of the Savages?"
"Savages, sir? I am afraid I don't know what you mean. Is that who killed your man, sir?"
"Man?"
"Yes, sir, it was someone dressed in a tan security uniform and a hazmat suit."
"Did the guard have a name?" Emerson broke in to ask.
Clarke smiled. She knew that she had them, now. They were going to try to play an "Us vs. Them" card.
"I'm sorry. The body and clothes were very badly damaged. We could barely make out the security patch on it. When we used our computers to clean it up and search through images, we realized that it was indeed from the Mount Weather complex. I decided to reach out to you first, even though I've already sent teams to check on two other possible locations. Being as we don't have a lot of vehicles, it is going to take my teams weeks to get there."
"We haven't seen any teams on our cameras," Emerson lamented.
"No? Well, how is the range of your cameras? Can you see our camp?" Clarke questioned.
"We can see your fence line and some of the crashed station, but that is about it. We don't have zooming capabilities to see everything though. You'll have to understand my reluctance to give in to your offer so quickly, Ms. Griffin. We know nothing about you, but you know everything about us," Dante answered. She knew all that and more, but he didn't need to know that. She was waiting on his counteroffer, now. "Why can't you just come inside our facility and give us the cure? Why do we have to send some out for it?"
"To be honest with you, Mr. Wallace, we aren't sure if we can trust you just as much as you don't trust us. We've also been in a tin can orbiting the Earth for over 97 years. We are celebrating being on the ground again. I doubt that I could convince any of my people to volunteer to go inside your bunker for the length of time that it would take for us to cure all of your people.
"We both have limited resources in which to work with, Dante. And, while my mother is an outstanding surgeon and doctor, we can't exactly guarantee that the procedure will work 100% of the time. There might be those among you who are resistant to our cure."
"And, what, Ms. Griffin, is your cure?"
"A form of highly advance DNA restructuring and blood altering," Clarke said.
Lexa stared at her. She didn't know what all that meant, but she was worried about the blood alteration comment. There couldn't be more night bloods.
Clarke must have sensed her apprehension. She put the mic down and held Lexa's hand. She could see the questions in her lover's eyes.
"I don't mean the same blood alteration that Becca created to make more Natblida, Lexa," Clarke told her and held her eyes until she knew that Lexa understood that she would never, ever give the Mountain people the black blood.
Lexa just nodded and Clarke picked up the mic again.
"You would send us the medical knowledge to review?"
"No, sir, I won't."
"Why not?"
"Because I will not give you knowledge that you might use in order to attack us for. I am willingly try to help you and your people. The only thing I'm asking is that you let us do it in our own facilities. I am giving you resources that you don't have inside your bunker," Clarke stated. "We can call it a measure of trust."
"Trust?"
"Yes, trust, Dante. I know that you don't trust me. I understand that, but I can do something that you cannot. I can walk around in the open air and on the ground without a suit. I have a cure for your problem. I am only asking that extend a little trust in someone that is trying to help you."
"You've also threatened us," Dante replied.
"I didn't exactly threaten you, Mr. Wallace. I told you a truth. I can end your people or I can help them. The choice is up to you."
"Say I decide to extend this trust in you?"
"Then I would ask that you send five people to me in the morning. I will meet them out side the main door of the bunker. I will not, nor will any of my people enter your bunker. Your people will come back to my camp. We will treat them. They will be secluded while here. We will return them when the treatment is finished and we will trade out for more people. If all goes according to plan, your people will be cured and able to leave the bunker permanently by the end of the month," Clarke explained. "I am a patient person, Dante, but I will not wait forever. Nor will allow a possible threat linger that could possibly cause issues for my people. You choice is clear. Either you let me help, your people will never see the light of day."
"You drive a hard bargain, Ms. Griffin. I understand though. You are a leader and as such, we have to make the hard choices. I agree that a measure of trust is needed between us. I will agree to your five person detail for the first round of the cure, but should you prove false, I will have to do something in retaliation for abusing that trust. I am sure that you understand that."
"I do, Mr. Wallace. I also understand that you have missiles. Which is why my team has already rendered them useless. I want to help you, Mr. Wallace, not punish your people for hiding in the ground for a hundred years. Will you take my offer?" Clarke asked him, point blank.
"You said that you are going to accept five people to start with. May I ask who they are? I am assuming that you selected them by looking through our files."
"I have, Dante. And, yes, I have selected five people from your lists. I will let you know that they are each from different aspects of your bunker."
"Who are they, then, Ms. Griffin?"
"First of all, are you accepting my help, President Wallace? I need verbal confirmation that you are accepting this treaty. I will not proceed without this."
"Yes, Ms. Griffin, we accept," Dante stated and then formally said. "I, Dante Wallace, acting President of the United States of America and leader of the Mount Weather Bunker Complex, accept your offer of medical help and freedom from our lives here buried in the ground."
"Good, Mr. Wallace," Clarke replied.
"The names, Ms. Griffin."
"Like I said, we've chosen these name because they work in different areas of the bunker. Once they are cured, they will help to spread the word and convince the others that we are here to help. First on the list is Maya Vie. I believe she is a nurse in your medical wing. Followed by her father, a maintenance work, Vincent Vie. I know that you want someone you trust, so we've selected Sgt. Eric Lovejoy. From your water treatment and fishery, we've selected Gail Harmon. And, from the kitchens, we've selected Sara Dover-Ball."
"I don't think that Sgt. Lovejoy will go without his son," Dante stated with a sigh.
"Do you have suits small enough for little William Lovejoy, Dante?"
"No, we don't."
"We might. We are still working on processing some small suits for your children. They will have to make the trek as well. If all goes well with these first five, we will send them back with some suits and we will start with families," Clarke started. "I know that you want to start with the medical staff and the guard, Dante, but they aren't as important as you think they are. I will pull equally from every facet of the bunker."
"I appreciate that," Dante answered. "Do you still want Cage to come with them? To speak with you?"
"He may," Clarke answered. "And, depending on his words, he might accompany me back to the camp. He will not be treated on this round, however. He will wait his turn like everyone else. But, I will make this one cavate for you, Dante."
"And, what is that Ms. Griffin?"
"You may send two other people besides Gail Harmon and Sara Dover-Ball. They cannot be from the guard, medical or maintenance, however. We will test them. If they are, they will not be treated and I will see this as a breach of trust. I will give two alternates if you wish, no more this round. After I interview these five, we will look at the bunker roster and pick the next round. Depending on the length of time it takes for the treatment to take hold, we might up to ten or more. Does that sound acceptable?"
"Yes, Ms. Griffin, that sounds reasonable."
"Good then, Mr. Wallace. Have a good night and we will see your five and Cage in the morning. I would inform them of what is going to happen before I see them. And, don't push my patience, Dante. Cage has already upset me. You don't want to see me very upset. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
"Until the morning, Ms. Griffin, goodnight," Dante answered and then line went cold again.
"Watch them, Rae. I want to know what they do overnight. I want to make sure that we are on top of this. He's going to try something. I know it. Cage is going to make him. We have to be ready," Clarke told her.
"We will be, Princess. I got your back. I'll have my best working on it."
"Good."
"Where will you be if I need you?" Rae asked her.
She looked at Lexa, Gustus, and then back at Rae. "I'll be in my quarters in the tin can. Gustus will be in the quarters next to us. I'll get with Kane for guards on us. Besides, I have a few people that might need a haircut before morning," Clarke answered.
"Good luck with that," Raven told her as they left the tent and headed for the main part of the Ark.
