Satellite Call - Sara Bareilles
Octavia waited for a brunette figure to come into focus on the screen in front of her. Her hands were tightly clasping each other trying to fill a space that someone else’s fit perfectly. She didn’t know the specifics of it all, but when Monty frantically called for her and Clarke, she knew it couldn’t be good. Behind her sat an equally angst-filled Clarke, who was fighting her impulse to break into a frenzied pace.
Eventually, a fuzzy picture consumed Octavia with worry and excitement. “Raven,” she breathed out as a smile lazily splayed across her face. Despite her best efforts, Raven couldn’t hide the sadness in her eyes when she greeted Octavia with a smile of her own. “What’s wrong?” Octavia immediately asked. The mechanic said nothing, only stared at the woman she loved with intent and sadness in her features. The camera went out of focus momentarily and when it corrected itself, Lexa was sitting beside Raven. Octavia took that as a cue to motion for Clarke to sit beside her. The two couples stared each other until Raven swore under her breath as the camera went out of focus. Octavia looked to Clarke nervously, thousands of thoughts swimming collectively between them. From what she could tell, Clarke figured they were in a drop ship of some sorts, but couldn’t quite figure out why. The two brunettes came back into focus and murmurs could be hear from their side; as soon as they realized the sound was back, they immediately stopped.
“Lexa, what’s going on? Please…” Clarke tried not to sound so desperate, but couldn’t keep the concern out of her voice. A timid Lexa looked to Raven before releasing a long sigh.
“Diana Sydney is what happened.” There was a pregnant pause before Lexa continued suddenly acutely aware of the limited they had. “Raven found out that she was going to launch the Exodus Ship with members chosen by her leaving the rest of us behind. As if that wasn’t problematic itself, that ship is connected to the main power grid. Launch the ship and --”
“You take away the Ark’s main power source,” Raven finished. Octavia and Clarke sat baffled. The Exodus Ship had always been more of a legend than an actual plan. Something their parents told their children about wanting them to hope for a life on the ground.
“It’s real?” questioned Octavia while Clarke sat processing the new information. Both Lexa and Raven nodded solemnly. The realization dawned on Clarke before it hit Octavia. Lexa knew as soon as Clarke sat up a bit straighter.
“No,” spoke the blonde quietly at first. “No,” she repeated both louder and angrier.
“What do you mean no?” asked Octavia. Clarke took a deep breath, trying to gather up the courage to break the news to the youngest of the four.
“How much longer?” Clarke ventured, not wanting to pre-emptively share her revelation.
“A few minutes give or take,” replied Lexa. The dejection in her voice was palpable and didn’t go unnoticed by Octavia. “This one took her time rigging this up.” Lexa motioned towards the camera and shoved Raven playfully eliciting a small smile from the mechanic.
“Will someone please explain what’s going on?” Octavia’s raised voice surprised them all; Lexa and Raven exchanged looks, but before a mental conversation could be had, Clarke bluntly broke the news.
“They are being executed.” Emotions ranging from anger and hurt flashed across Octavia’s face. She looked to Raven for some indication that this was a joke, but saw nothing but sadness and anger. “Sydney didn’t take too kindly to them finding about her plans. She would have had them floated, only that is too public. This is easier, she can say that they built a pod and it failed on the way to earth.”
The youngest of the four sat baffled to say the least. Angrily and clearly shaken she blurted out, “But the bitch needs Raven to fix the ship, she is the best mechanic the Ark has had in 52 years!” Octavia emphasized the 2 in 52, clearly proud of her girlfriend. “Plus,” she added desperately trying to change an already solidified decision, “Lexa is the only person who can teach ‘Earth: A History’! The kids love her and...” she trailed off, not bothering to hide the multitude of emotions in her eyes. Raven smiled as did Lexa, thankful for Octavia’s fighting spirit.
“You know I love you, right O?” Octavia vehemently shook her head, refusing to accept the new information.
“All of the pods are a piece of junk, how can’t you two break your way out of them? Raven, use your mechanical skills,” she pleaded. Raven responded with a sorrow-filled smile.
“I wish I could but our lovely council woman has blowtorched all possible exit points of this metal can.” Lexa scoffed and Clarke remained silent focused on a memory.
“Do you remember that time we snuck you out Octavia? For the Unity Day masquerade.” Clarke paused and bit the inside of her cheek not yet wanting to cry despite the lump in her throat. “Raven got Jackson to take her shift and Lexa finished her lesson early so we could all meet up and see the moon break over our line of sight?” The three women smiled fondly, “It was your first real time out of the room. We set up blankets and everything.”
“First time we kissed too,” added Raven. Lexa and Clarke smiled fondly remember the giddiness in their two best friends.
“But then the guard stormed the deck and caught all of us. Locked Clarke and me in the skybox,” Octavia finished.
“We visited though,” Lexa lightly defended.
“And it was appreciated,” Clarke finished.
A comfortable silence formed and within that, Octavia’s mind began to settle as much as it could. “Kind of seems like the four of us were always doomed, huh?” There was another pause before Octavia quietly added, “I love you too, Raven.” Raven felt heart warm at the sheer sincerity of the statement.
Clarke looked directly at Lexa who was now a compilation of pixels. Neither woman dared let the words “I love you” leave their lips, not until it was time at least. A hard knock rattled the four women, effectively breaking the moment. A momentary look of panic washed over Raven as Diana’s voice could be heard. Raven and Octavia both mouthed a final “I love you”.
“Clarke,” Lexa smiled at the sound of the name.
“Lexa,” the blonde responded before communication was shut off.
Raven let her hands trail over the cool metal that ran the length of their final prison. Lexa closed her eyes, breathing out her last “I love you” to Clarke. Both women knew that their respective significant others loved them and took solace in that fact. A jolt momentarily rattled them from their somber thoughts and soon heat encased them.
Clarke and Octavia stood watching the sky from a nearby clearing as an object fell from the sky. From the campsite, they could hear a few “oohs” and “ahhs” from those thinking it was a shooting star. Two smaller streaks descended across the sky in a more horizontal trajectory complimenting the heavier object hurtling toward earth. Tears wrecked the two women on the ground. “I love you too, Lexa”.