The Reality
“Twenty-four hours. Less than twenty-four hours and this is already hopeless,” Clarke groaned to herself. They had landed some fourteen hours ago, in the middle of a forest with no idea where they actually were and no clue where to go from there. Clarke’s memories are hazy, mostly due to the lingering tranquilizer in her bloodstream, but she could swear her mother told her to head for Mount Weather. The only problem was, Clarke had no idea where Mount Weather was. “I have no floating idea where I am, let alone some mountain that’s supposed to hold our salvation,” Clarke said under her breath. The other delinquents were all too busy in their fascination with the surrounding plant life to worry about their next move. That one girl, Octavia, had already taken off chasing after a glowing butterfly of all things. “Hopeless,” Clarke repeated.
“Hey Princess, where you headed?” came from her left. Turning around to meet the eyes of the daredevil that got two delinquents killed before they even breached the Earth’s atmosphere, Clarke glared. “That’s really none of your business spacewalker. Go waste someone else’s oxygen yeah?” Clarke replied. Stopping her attempt to walk away with a hand on her wrist, Finn pleaded, “Look I’m sorry about that, I am. But we were all locked up; we’re all criminals, so you have to stop acting like you’re better than any of us Princess.” Wrenching her arm out of his grip, Clarke cried, “I know I’m not any better than you. You’re the ones calling me Princess. I just want to do what we were sent here to do, before night falls and we’re forced to spend the night here.”
“Leave her alone!” Wells yelled. Clarke couldn’t help but to roll her eyes; she didn’t need his help, not now, not ever. “Go away Wells. I don’t need your help. I learned that the hard way.” Stalking away from both boys Clarke didn’t hear Wells’ whispered apology, or Finn’s “Damn, I think she might hate you more than me.” She needed to find some way to locate Mount Weather. She needed to find some way to get them all to Mount Weather. “God knows what secrets this forest is hiding, it’s been soaked in radiation for a hundred years. That can’t be safe for anyone,” Clarke thought.
She heard the footsteps before she saw the person following her, not that she had to guess who it would be. “Jesus Wells! What part of leave me alone is so hard for you to understand?!” Hands held up in a gesture of surrender, the person replied “Not Wells. Number two on the Princess’ most hated people list here. I’m Finn. Finn Collins.” “Yeah, I know who you are. We all know who you are. Your little excursion cost three months of oxygen for the Ark, you’re pretty infamous buddy,” said Clarke. Using the knowledge from her classes on the Ark, Clarke determined that Mount Weather had to be somewhere to the east of where they landed. She remembered her mother saying that they were setting the dropship course to land as close as possible to Mount Weather, but with the failure of the communication system Clarke had little hope that the other systems remained functional. All she could do was hope that they weren’t too far away. “I need higher ground,” Clarke mumbled.
“We just fell out of space, you’d think you would want your feet firmly on the ground they just discovered,” Finn replied. Whipping her head in his direction, Clarke rolled her eyes and answered, “What I want is to ensure that I survive on the ground for longer than the fifteen hours or so we’ve been here. In order to make that a reality we have to find Mount Weather. In order to find Mount Weather, I need to be able to see Mount Weather. Do you see where I’m going with this yet spacewalker? Or do I need to spell it out for you?” Chuckling at the overwhelming sass practically radiating off of Clarke, Finn asked, “Well how do you propose you accomplish that then Princess?”
Clarke wasn’t sure. Looking around it became clear she only had one option. “I’m going to climb a tree.” Finn just gaped at her. “Do you have a better idea? Daylight is waning and unless there’s a ladder or a jetpack in your back pocket, I don’t have a lot of options. We have to find Mount Weather, or we’re as good as dead out here. So either make yourself useful and spot me so I can climb this monstrosity, or go back to camp with the other idiots.” Shaking himself, Finn stepped forward and laced his hands together to create a step for Clarke to reach the bottommost branches of the tree they stood under. “Have you done this before?” Finn asked. “Is he serious?” Clarke asked herself. Looking down at him as she attempted to lift herself into the tree she told him, “Yeah, I had a tree in my backyard on the Ark, you know, since I’m a Princess and all.” She made sure to push off of him harder than necessary, barely suppressing her giggle when he stumbled and fell to the ground.
Clarke shifted her focus to each movement she made while she climbed the tree, carefully reaching for each branch, forcing herself not to look down because despite growing up in the stars, heights weren’t really her thing. Finally making her way to the top of the tree, Clarke steadied her feet as her head breached the collection of branches shielding her from sunlight shining down upon the Earth. “So this is what direct sunlight feels like. It’s even better than I dreamed it would be,” Clarke reflected. Shaking herself out of her momentary stupor, Clarke turned her head from side to side to observe her surroundings. Looking out over the expanse of woods that seemed to stretch on for miles, Clarke caught sight of a mountain in the distance. “Found you Mount Weather!” Clarke shouted.
Beginning her descent from the tree, Clarke heard Finn asking, “So I guess you found the mountain we’re all supposed to head for Princess?” Craning her head back to see him, Clark stumbled and her foot slid from the branch she was on. With a none too subtle scream she fell, thinking only that “of course this is how I’m going to die.” Her landing was much less painful than anticipated, mostly because of what had broken her fall. Pushing herself up on her elbows Clarke grunted a half-hearted apology, which Finn met with a rakish grin. “If you wanted a throne Princess, all you had to do was ask.” Making sure to use his ribs as she did so, Clarke stood up and brushed herself off. “Let’s go Collins. We have to tell the others and get to Mount Weather.”
As it turns out, the others could not care less about Mount Weather, or the utopia it would allegedly provide. She was gone for maybe forty-five minutes and already that Bellamy person had turned half the delinquents into a mob hell bent on enjoying their newfound freedom, regardless of their supposed mission. Her pleas went unheeded by most of them, too caught up in exploring the forest around them and finally being able to be whoever they wanted to be. Bellamy, as the ringleader of this new circus, was encouraging them to remove their wristbands, to embrace their recently gifted independence. “Those wristbands are the only thing telling the Ark that we’re all alive right now. We have no radio, no communications system whatsoever, the dropship is practically fried. You take those wristbands off and the Ark will assume we’re all dead which means your families, your friends-they’ll all be dead too,” Clarke warned them.
Met with confused stares all around it dawned on Clarke that aside from her and Wells, no one knew about the life support system failure. “Not for my lack of trying though,” she thought. “They sent us down here for a reason. The Ark is dying. There is only enough oxygen to last another couple of months at the most. They sent us here to see if the ground is survivable, true. But only because the Ark isn’t anymore. Leave your wristbands on: it’s the only way they have to know that we aren’t all dead,” Clarke said.
Of course, it couldn’t be that simple. Bellamy still insisted that the wristbands were just another form of shackles the Ark was using to keep them prisoner. He was the first to remove his wristband. Others followed. One by one they marched up to Bellamy so he could remove their cuffs, each one resulting in another black screen on the diagnostic display in the Alpha Station control room on the Ark.
“That’s another three wristbands gone dark Abby,” said Jackson. “Eight in total.” Abby searched the screen for Clarke’s name, relieved to see her vital signs still being reported. “I don’t understand Jackson. This isn’t what we would expect for radiation poisoning. It’s too quick, and there aren’t enough of them showing up with no vitals. Some of them are in the average range, others are spiking. Almost like they’re…excited. Jackson! That’s it! They’re excited. That explains the increased respiratory rate and the quicker pulse,” Abby said. “But Abby,” Jackson responded, “that doesn’t explain the black screens. Or why more keep going blank.”
“I’m not sure what it means either Jackson, but until all of them are dark I refuse to believe it’s because the Earth is killing them,” Abby said. “Do what you can, find me a way to communicate with them, to send a message, something, anything. They’re all just kids Jackson, they need our help.” As Abby made to leave the room Jackson questioned her, “Where are you going? I thought you’d be sat here burning a hole in the diagnostic display from staring at Clarke’s vitals.” Meeting the concerned eyes of her assistant Abby offered a simple response, “I’m going to make sure that Clarke’s screen doesn’t join the list of black ones.”
Leaving the control room of Alpha Station Abby had a sole destination in mind. “I have to get to the ground. Clarke is all I have left and I will not leave her to fend for herself on a planet that hasn’t been inhabited in a hundred years,” Abby thought. Following the twists and turns to Mecca Station automatically, Abby sought out the only person she knew would be able to help her. She needed someone smart, someone quick-thinking, someone she could trust. She needed the youngest zero-G mechanic in Ark history. She needed someone just as motivated as she was to get to the ground. She needed Raven Reyes.
Finding her repairing an air lock in the hallway Abby approached her. “Your boyfriend, Finn Collins, he was in lockup wasn’t he? That’s why you were asking about the dropship launch that you shouldn’t have even known about,” Abby queried. Raven raised her head to look at the Council Member. “What’s it to you if he was?” she asked. “Means I’m not the only one with someone I love on the ground,” Abby replied. “I need your help with something. It’s dangerous, crazy, probably destined for failure. Oh and we might get floated for our troubles. But you’re the only person on this floating death chamber that can pull it off,” Abby said. “I always did love a challenge Doc, and with a sales pitch like that I can’t resist. When do we start?” was Raven’s only reply. “Now,” said Abby.
Raven Reyes was not one to follow someone blindly. She was meticulous, and level-headed; she was a rocket scientist, literally. Her decision to help Doctor Griffin was made before the question was even posed really. Finn was everything to her. Reaching down to stroke his name on her wrist, Raven couldn’t help but ask Abby where they were going. “You’ll see soon enough. Just hang tight,” Abby told her. Holding tight was all Raven seemed to be able to do anymore. After Finn was locked up she had to face facts: she was alone. No parents, no friends, and now, no Finn. If there was any chance she could get her soulmate back, she was going to take it. Even if it ended in her being floated for the attempt.
Abby led them both to medical, through throngs of sick Ark citizens, past a waiting room overflowing with people, to an abandoned bay holding what seemed to be outdated instruments. “Listen Doc, I don’t know what Sinclair told you, but I’m healthy as a horse. Well as healthy as I assume horses are since I’ve never actually seen one. So this little detour is totally unnecessary,” Raven sassed. “Reyes, shut up for a second,” warned Abby. Peeking through the small window in the door, Abby watched as Councilman Kane walked away from the medical station. “Okay, as for what Sinclair told me…the only pertinent information is that you’re the best mechanic he’s ever seen. That’s why you’re here. But first things first, the Ark is dying,” Abby started to explain. Raven cut her off, “What do you mean the Ark is dying Doctor Griffin? We’ve only been up here for ninety-seven years; we’re supposed to be here for at least another hundred. The Ark can’t be dying!”
“But it is Raven; there’s a problem with the life support system, there’s only enough oxygen left for three months at most,” Abby continued. “Life support system failure?! I can’t fix that Abby! I’m good, I’m fantastic even, but I’m not a miracle worker. Catastrophic system failure is just that- catastrophic. It’s called that for a reason. No one can fix that. So you brought me up here to tell me what? That we’re all going to be dead in a few months? That my soulmate was sent down to the ground as a sacrifice? For what? An extra thirty seconds of oxygen for Alpha Station?!” Raven yelled. Wrapping her hand around Raven’s mouth, Abby shushed her, “No Raven. Breathe. I didn’t bring you here to fix the unfixable. I brought you here for something much more important than that. Now are you done yelling at me so I can explain the reason I’m risking our lives here?” Raven nodded, silent. “Okay. This is what I need you to do…” Abby began.
“What I need you to do…” Clarke began, “is trust that I know what I’m talking about. Mount Weather is our only hope for survival down here. Look around you! We have no food, no water, and no means of obtaining either. The only thing we have is a nonfunctional space ship and ninety-eight teenagers! If we don’t get to Mount Weather we might as well have just stayed on the Ark to get floated as we turned eighteen.” Clarke could see that she was starting to get through to some of them. They weren’t all blinded by the excitement of being free. She could see concern in the eyes of many, fear in the eyes of some. “Mount Weather is about twenty miles east of where we are right now. If we leave now we should make it before dark,” Clarke said.
“And who died and put you in charge Princess? You think because you and Jaha over here are privileged that you just get to assume authority?” Bellamy questioned. “Ark hierarchy has no place on the ground Your Majesty, as far as I’m concerned you’re not my leader.” His remarks were met with cheers of agreement from more people than she cared to admit, but Clarke would not be deterred. “Do I have to remind you that we were all in lockup? That we were all sent down here because all of us are criminals? We’re all expendable in the eyes of the ‘Ark hierarchy’ Bellamy is accusing me of being a part of. My ‘privilege’ didn’t extend far enough to keep me out of solitary did it? Didn’t save my father’s life when all he wanted to do was warn everyone on the Ark that it was dying. This isn’t about being in charge. This is about survival. I won’t force any of you to come with me. Stay. Go. The choice is yours. But mine has been made. I’m leaving in an hour. Anyone that wants to come with me is more than welcome, the rest of you…all I can say is good luck,” Clarke sighed.
When the hour was up Clarke left the dropship, accompanied by four other delinquents. “Better than going alone I guess,” Clarke supposed. Her companions left much to be desired as far as she was concerned. She knew that Wells was going to come, whether she liked it or not it seemed that he was determined to make her life a living hell, as if he hadn’t already accomplished that once. Joining her former best friend was the spacewalker, the butterfly chaser, and some tall kid wearing goggles whose name she thought was Jason. Jacob. Jasper. Something like that. “What a motley crew I have going for me,” she thought. They set out heading east towards where she discovered Mount Weather to be, taking only what they could carry on their person.
After walking through the forest for a while the group came upon a break in the trees that led them to a clearing, through the middle of which a river was flowing. Mesmerized by their first sight of natural flowing water, all of them approached the river. The butterfly girl, Octavia, she was the first to start stripping. Shell shocked, half by the girls lack of modesty and half by the undeniably attractive shape of her legs and ass in those tight shorts, Clarke’s jaw dropped and sputtered, “What are you doing?!” Octavia merely grinned at her and jumped into the water. “Looks like she’s going for a swim Princess,” Finn answered. “You going to join her?” he asked. Clarke assumed his grin was supposed to be disarming, but she refused to be affected by it. “We don’t have time for swimming guys. We need to get to Mount Weather,” Clarke said.
“God Princess, chill out would you? We’ve had a bit of a rough day, dropped out of the sky and all. We can take a few minutes to relax,” Octavia replied. The others quickly started disrobing, ready to take a few moments to enjoy the wonders of the ground. As soon as Clarke reached for her shirt, she saw something move in the water. Something that wasn’t Octavia. “Octavia, get out of the water!” Clarke yelled. “Come on Griffin! Get in here!” Octavia screamed back. “No! Octavia get out of the water right now. There’s something in there!” said Clarke. Before Octavia could even process Clarke’s warning she was sucked under the water as the others watched in horror. Resurfacing about fifteen feet away Octavia called for help, her leg still trapped in the jaw of whatever terror lurked below the surface.
Looking around for a way to get Octavia out of the water, Clarke almost missed the splash of another person jumping in the river. When she turned back to the water she saw the kid with the goggles swimming out towards Octavia, a boy possessed, fearless in his single-minded focus on saving Octavia. Jasper beat the beast off of Octavia and freed her leg- half swimming, half floating to the rocks next to him, hoisting Octavia out of the water and out of harm’s way. Seeing the river monster coming back for another piece of them he launched himself towards other side of the river and crawled onto the ground at the side of it. Turning over onto his back, Jasper attempted to catch his breath. He then sat up and looked to the rocks where he had left Octavia, who was now being tended to with gentle hands by Clarke.
“Griffin…is she going to be okay?” Jasper questioned. Clarke met his gaze across the river and nodded while tearing off a portion of her shirt to make a bandage for Octavia’s leg. “Yeah thanks to you Goggles, she’s going to be just fine.” Satisfied, Jasper dropped onto his back and laughed. “So much for a relaxing swim!” he laughed. “Delinquents 1- River Monster 0!” Jasper cried. Getting to his feet, Jasper started to look around. They were heading in this direction when they came upon the river, so logic told him that Mount Weather was further ahead through the woods he was currently facing. Deciding to do a little exploring he made his way into the tree line, disappearing from the others’ line of sight.
“Not exactly what I had in mind for my first day on the ground, but at least it was exciting,” commented Octavia. Clarke merely shook her head with a small smile, “You could have died Octavia.” Octavia laughed, “Yeah, but did I? No. I call that a success.” After securing the bandage to Octavia’s leg, Clarke and Finn helped her off the ground, looking around for Jasper. “Where the hell did Goggles go?” asked Finn. Wells pointed across the river in answer, “There he is.”
Jasper stood on the very edge of the forest, calling out for their attention. In his hands was a large metal sign, one marked with the words “Mount Weather: 10 Miles.” “Hey! Guys! We did it! We’re almost there! First step: the river! Second step: Mount Weather!” Jasper yelled across the water. Clarke couldn’t stop the disbelieving laugh that fell from her mouth; she couldn’t believe they had actually succeeded. Maybe being on the ground really was going to be a dream come true. “Maybe we’ll all be able to be free and happy and alive down here on the ground,” Clarke thought. Jasper’s yell of “Guys, let’s go!” was cut off by a gurgle. When Clarke looked up she couldn’t believe what she was looking at.
Jasper was still across the river, still holding the Mount Weather sign above his head, eyes still fixed on the group of them making their way to his side of the water. The only difference was the spear protruding from his chest, and the trickle of blood running over his chin, clearly the source of the gurgle as he had tried to speak. Octavia screamed. Clarke felt all the blood in her body rush to her toes. Jasper remained paralyzed, his eyes as unmoving as the rest of him and the tree he was impaled upon. “I traded one nightmare for another. This isn’t a dream, this is reality. And this reality-it floating sucks,” was Clarke’s last thought before she was tossed to the ground.