Falling

Earth

The Ship

The woman wakes up after they leave. She has been awake this entire time. She climbs out of her chamber watching through the window as they fly away. She goes back to the cryo room waking a few others. A man approaches her.

"What now, boss?" The man asks staring at her as she looks out.

"Now we go home." She looks at him and then earth again. She smiles as she stares at the small ship. They do not know what is coming for them. Not yet. 

The woman has their pilot fly the transport ship towards earth. Towards home. It's been years since they have been home. They arrived to find the planet barren except for a patch of green. Everyone they knew, everyone they loved, gone.

They land in the valley, walking out with oxygen masks. The woman and her men look around before taking their masks off. She smiles, breathing in the air. She looks around when she see's a vehicle driving down a hill towards them. She smiles, watching as it grows closer.

"A vehicle. I guess some things did survive." The man approaches her.

"Find out where it's going." She says to him. "Bring back whoever is driving it."

The man nods smiling as he calls to some others. They set out moving into the bushes to find the survivor. The woman stands there, watching, waiting to find out what has happened to this world. 

Clarke POV

Madi sits beside me as we drive towards the ship. I feel nervous the closer we get. He's here. He's home.

I drive pass some rocks when a huge log falls in front of me. I press the brakes really fast. Madi almost goes flying. I place my hand on her chest looking at her. Her breathing is laboured as she looks up at me, shocked and frightened. I place my hand behind her head making sure she is alright before looking at the log. I try to back up but I am caught in mud.

Mud flies all around us. I stop, turning the rover off. I take my gun out looking around. That log didn't fall by its self. Someone else is here. I step out, telling Madi to stay here. I look around, gun out when someone tackles me. I fall into the mud looking up at the man. He smiles down at me.

"You're pretty." He pulls me up. I look at the rover as he pulls me through the forest. Who is he?

We get back to the village. More people are here. How are they here? So many questions fill my mind as they push me to the ground. I look up as a woman in a brown jump suit approaches us.

"Good job, McCreary." She says to the man before kneeling, her face inches from mine. "We have a lot to talk about." I stare up at her wondering who she is and how she is here?

They take me into the main building. It has a fountain that no longer runs in it. They tie me to a chair as the woman stops before me. She just looks at me, tilting her head to the side before opening her mouth.

"It was surprising to us to find out that the home we once knew is gone." I look pass her trying to to listen. "It was also surprising to us to find another space craft floating above space, only for them to board us and steal our fuel. Do you know where they are?" I look at her. That's how they came back down. They saw their ship and took some fuel to get back down. I have to get out of here and find them before they get hurt.

"No matter. It's just a matter of time before we find them. My first question is how did you survive?" I look away. How can I tell this stranger how I survived? I can't.

The radio crackles on.

"We found someone." That man, McCreary says. I look at the woman to see her pick the radio up.

"Hold." She looks back at me. "Who's out there?" I keep my mouth shut again. She holds the radio to her mouth. "Whoever is out there shoot to kill."

"Roger that." He says.

She keeps the radio on, setting it beside her as she tries to get me to talk again. I barely listen to her as I stare at the radio. It has to be Madi. She must be leading them away. They soon get closer. I start to panic. If I speak then they can get information out of me. If I stay silent she could die.

"Wait." I finally speak. She looks at me. She stares at me picking the radio up.

"She speaks." She stares at me. "How many are there of you?"

"It's just her and I." She raises the radio to her mouth.

"Don't stop."

"Please. There is no one else. Before that other ship came down, it was just us." I beg her. "She's leading them into our hunting grounds. There are traps there." She finally radios for them to stop and come back.

"Thank you." I exhale.

"No, thank you." She stands up looking down at me. "As long as you cooperate you and your little friend stay alive." She moves to another person speaking to them before coming back to sit in front of me. "Those people that came down. Who are they?"

"Old friends." I look down. I look back at her to see her staring at me.

"How did the world end?"

"Which time?" I ask.