Chapter Eighty-Eight

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"What kind of people have a radiation fence?" Emori asked.

"The kind of people that want to keep something out." Clarke said.

"Beacon should be right up ahead." Bellamy led them towards the signal.

"What are we gonna tell Raven?" Clarke asked.

"He died a hero."

"Look, I do hate to make this about is, but--" Murphy started. 

"Then don't. Shaw just saved your life, Murphy." Clarke said.

"I'm aware." Murphy said. "I'm also aware that we just lost our pilot. Madi's still up there. You're not worried you're never gonna see her again?" 

Clarke turned and shoved Murphy. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy, easy." Miller and Faye stepped between them. "Ignore him." Miller said.

"Yeah. Your Red Queen is still up there, too, Miller. Who you gonna follow now?" Murphy said. Miller grabbed Murphy's collar.

"Hey. Hey! Miller. As therapeutic as it is to beat up on Murphy, Emori can fly." Bellamy said. 

"Sure. Yeah." Emori nodded. "I've had one successful landing in a ship I trained in for 6 years. No problem." They kept walking. "Guys, stairs." Emori pointed out.

"Easy." Bellamy said. "We approach slow, no hostile movements." 

They climbed the stairs and found buildings all standing in a clearing. 

"They have a castle." Murphy said. They all walked into the city and Murphy went knocking on the first door he saw.

The entire area seemed to be empty. 

"Hey.." Emori called out.

"Alie?" Echo asked when she saw the sacred symbol on a flag.

"I-- Becca did the tech for Eligius." Clarke realized.

"Right." Bellamy said. "Destroy the world, 200 years later, they put you on a flag. See? Hope for us yet." 

They all discussed the homes, how they were empty and nobody seemed to live in them.

Murphy kicked open a door. "Well, look at that. This one's unlocked."

Faye went to the sacred symbol that had been painted on the wall. "It's some kind of shine." She knelt on the ground, examining what was on the floor. "Blood." She saw small drops in a bowl.

"Eligius three." Bellamy looked at a picture hanging on the wall. 

"All named Lightbourne. They sent families." Faye said.

"Nice to be remembered." Bellamy said. 

"Or worshipped." 

"Yeah."

"A family." She grabbed the picture off the wall and wiped the dust off with her thumb. "Of Nightbloods?" She wondered. 

"Maybe." Bellamy said, but he couldn't be sure.

"Come on. We shouldn't be here." Clarke said to them.

"Hey, you want a music player?" Murphy asked Bellamy.

"Behave, Murphy." He put the radio down where Murphy had found it.

"All right." He got to the doorway and quickly went back for the music player.

Bellamy and Faye sat on the swings in what looked like a playground. 

"So any guesses where all the people went?" Echo asked, walking up to them. She leaned on the pole closest to Faye. "This place is too well-maintained to be abandoned."

"Maybe, but if they are gone, then there's enough room here for everybody on the ship." Bellamy said.

"Some of us are enjoying our stay a little more than others." Rich said. 

"Don't tell me you want to go home. We just got here." Faye said dryly.

"He just wants to know when we're bringing everyone else down." Echo pointed out. 

"Maybe." Rich gave a small laugh. 

Faye looked around and couldn't find Clarke. She went into a small building with its doors opened. 

"Hey."

"Hey." Clarke said. "I wish Madi could have gone to school." Clarke said. 

"My brother hated school, training, anything really." 

"He sounds like every kid on the Ark. Any luck with the radio?" Clarke asked. 

"No. But Bellamy's trying." Faye said.

"It's a little too familiar, isn't it? I'm gonna go watch the "Murphy Show."

"Yeah." Faye grabbed the children's book that Clarke had picked up. 

"You okay?" Bellamy asked, walking in. 

"Yeah. I don't know. I just feel kind of tired. It's been a long day." Faye opened the book to the first page. 

"The Red Sun Rising." Bellamy read the cover. 

"Trees and plants give us shade. We eat them every day." Faye read the first page out loud. "When the stars align and the forest wakes, it's time to run away." She looked up at Bellamy.

"Stars align. Clarke said the two suns were eclipsing. A sun is also a star." Bellamy said, looking at the pictures in the book.

People running away from their home and being chased by bugs. 

They ran outside and found Echo, Clarke, and Rich. They read them the same pages and showed them the pictures. 

"It's not a nursery rhyme. It's a warning." 

There was a distant rumbling and Murphy stopped dancing. "No. No." They all watched to see their ship being flown away.

"They're stealing--They're stealing our ship!" 

"Aagh! I won't let you kill me!" Emori screamed as she ran down the stairs of the castle. She stabbed Murphy. 

"Emori!" Echo ran to stop her.

"Stop, Emori! What are you doing?" John asked, trying to stop her from stabbing him again.

"Get off him. Miller, stop her." 

"Emori, you're gonna kill him."

"Let me go!" Emori cried as Miller and Echo pulled her away. "He'll do it to you, too. He'll do it to you, too! Aagh! No!" She screamed as they held her back. 

"It's in the air." 

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