To the Ground

1.2 Deadly Discoveries

"Thank you."

She was just as bad as him.

*

The teenagers sat around a fire Aster had built. They rummaged through rations, picking out their favorites and eating what they could. Aster spent most of his time in his dropship but joined them once he recollected himself and his thoughts. The sun was beginning to set below the green horizon. The sky had faded into a blue-black terrestrial, the bright moon and stars revealing themselves from their past home. They felt elated as they watched their first sunset. It was a concept only in vintage fairy tales and novels, but seeing it in person meant more. If only Milo Merridew was there to see.

"Listen, it's getting late, and tomorrow we're going to have to explore. We each have our own tent, so there shouldn't be any arguing about who gets what." Aster stood to his feet and dusted off his joggers.

They all remained silent as they stared at him with glares. Eventually, Rarity spoke up.

"You're not leader, you know."

"President Zaiden left me in charge." Aster quickly retorted.

"Of course, he left your ass in charge!" Blaire yelled, "Who else would he choose? The fact of the matter is that Zaiden fucking Volt is not our president anymore, so we don't have to follow his orders!"

Aster clenched his jaw, brows furrowing as his cheeks reddened.

"Fine! Who wants to be leader then? Any volunteers? Because as far as I'm concerned, nobody is willing to step up!"

Jasper raised his hand without a thought, turning all heads. Being in the spotlight terrified him, nearly causing him to put his hand back down. Dahlia gave him a reassuring nod that convinced him he was doing good. With her help, he felt encouraged to lead. She had the voice and extroverted personality that he lacked.

Aster's tone softened, "What's your name?"

"My name?" Jasper panicked, "It's -- uh -- Jasper."

"Alright then, Jasper." Aster could tell the shorter teen was intimidated. "What's your first call as leader?"

Jasper sheepishly played with his fingers and cleared his throat several times.

"Let's do a headcount."

Everybody agreed, everybody chipping in to count each person they saw. In the end, they came up with just twenty.

"We're missing people." Jasper's brows pulled together. "Why are we missing people?"

"Maybe they got separated earlier," Dahlia replied.

"What do we do?" A boy asked.

Once again, they all turned to Jasper. He nervously chewed on his inner cheek before replying.

"We'll look for them in the morning. They can't be far." He took a slow, calming exhale. "For now, let's get some sleep."

The tents weren't spacious, but they managed. Jasper grew anxious being out in the open, surrounded by others. Regardless, he wasn't able to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Milo Merridew's blood. What haunted him most was the fact that he certainly suffered a horrible death, and the thought of helping didn't cross anybody's mind. Jasper felt as if he let a person perish.