𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐚 ➪ 𝐛. 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞 - 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞.

It's been 97 years since a nuclear apocalypse hit earth, leaving the planet simmering in radiation. It was said we'd need another 100 years for it to be survivable.

Apparently, that didn't matter. Not to the ones in charge; not to the Chancellor. I couldn't understand what was happening when guards had rushed into my cell, pulling out a box of wristbands. Here I thought they were coming to float me early, but when they snapped a wristband around my wrist and ushered  me out into the hall, where all the other juvenile delinquents were lined up, I was proven otherwise. I hadn't left the Skybox, where I had been residing, in 2 years. Things on the Ark were complicated. You commit a crime over the age of 17, you're floated. You commit a crime under the age of 18, you're imprisoned in the Skybox until you turn 18, where your crime(s) will be reviewed.

In my case, I was locked up at 14 years old for 'acts of violence.' I knew once I reached 18 and my time came, I had a good chance of being appealed after my case was to be reviewed. The circumstances on which I was locked up were for my survival- self defense. Rotting in a cell for 3 years wasn't ideal, nor what I thought my future would hold, but the system is fucked- so there's not really any surprise.

Taking a quick look around of the outside of the cell, several other kids were being gathered and herded down the halls, being told what section we'd be in when we had arrived. Were we all being floated to save rations for the privileged and innocent? Or was this some grand scheme-

A shoulder roughly rams into mine from behind me, causing me to jolt out of my panicked thoughts. "Watch it." A tall, slicked back haired, younger looking man grunted, pulling a girl along. His coat proved he was a member of the guard, which only made me scoff louder. "Asshole." I mumbled under my breath as I rubbed the affected area before being told to climb the latter to one of the sections.

At this point my heart had begun to hammer inside my chest; I had no clue of what was going on, where we were going or why. Why teenagers, and children? Why were there no adults in sight? "What's wrong red? You look scared." A boy chuckled from beside me. My head whipped towards this gravely voice, finding myself staring into greyish blue eyes. He laughs a little as I curl my lip at the same old 'red' I hear time and time again. "Lighten up, I don't think you're the only one." He remarks as my eyebrows furrow, clearly not humored by him. "I'm Murphy, John Murphy." He said winking to me. "I remember you, you're Astoria right? From Earth skills?" He asked, turning his head fully. "Yeah, that's me." I replied as I broke our eye contact to examine the room.

"Do you know what's going on?" I had asked, voice cracking from the anxiety rising inside of me. "Earth. They're sending us to die, the less the better, right?" He scoffs, hitting his head back against the seat.

A loud noise comes from below, and the ship shakes before lights and tv's turn on around us. "Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now. You've been given a second chance, and as your chancellor, 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. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others."

"How considerate." I mumbled, causing Murphy to chuckle. "Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable." Expendable.

"Your dads a dick Wells." A guy shouts from across us, causing me to draw my attention to the Chancellors son, who sat next to a blonde, looking just as scared as I probably do. The rest of his speech was drowned out as I shut my eyes, pushing my head back against the seat. More chatter erupts, and that's when I notice a boy- Finn, who I had known before being locked up floating around in air, followed by two others. The blonde was shouting something, and before I knew it, the boys were thrown and sparks flied.

Gasping, I had started to feel sick to my stomach, wanting to be anywhere else but here, even if I had nowhere else to go. Shutting my eyes again, shouts erupt around me; the ship shakes so violently that I was sure it would explode- but then with one last violent shake, we had crashed. Slightly opening an eye, the lights had begun flickering, the noise from the machines starting to deactivate.

That's when I decided to open my eyes fully, looking around me. "Listen, no machine hum." A familiar boy standing next to another had said. Once our seatbelts had unbuckled, I was scrambling out of the seat I had been strapped in. I tried to catch my breath though my heart was pounding ferociously. One by one, we scrambled down the ladder, hearing the same arrogant voice that shoved into me say, "Just back it up guys."

"Stop!" The blonde across from me had shouted, pushing past me. "The air could be toxic." She states, face to face with the man. "If the air is toxic, we're all dead anyway."

"Bellamy?" A brunette speaks from the ladder, climbing down to meet him. Whispers surrounded us, before he interrupted them. "My god, look how big you are." They embrace each other, continuing to talk as I once again zone out, focusing on the pain the wrist band was inducing onto my wrist. "Toria?" A voice came from over my shoulder; I turned to find this voice, looking to the same boy who I had recognized earlier, and his friend who stood next to him. Both seemed to be searching for a reaction in my face. I simply couldn't give one. "Don't you remember us A? From biology? We were 12, we turned Mr. Garrett's paper green?" The one with goggles said. Realization struck me, and my eyes lit up. "Holy shit- Monnie and Jasp!" I excitedly said, looking from one to another. "You guys look so much different- I didn't even recognize you!" I hadn't wasted a second to embrace them, to which they did the same.

"No one has a brother." A voice shouts from the crowd, causing a whole bunch of chatter to erupt, bringing our attentions back to the front. The Guard reaches for the lever, causing the muscles in my body to tense. "What do you say the odds we all die right now are?" Jasper whispers to the two of us as our eyes remain glued to the door. My fists ball as I slightly shake my head. We either die now, or we make a legacy. This was it. Taking one big inhale, I ready myself, and then he pulls it.