Barricade- John Murphy

Chapter 57

Season 4

Episode 2:

Heavy Lies The Crown

The next morning I was talking with Lexa about how we would break the news. "Should we just do something quick? Or go through explaining all of it, then let them ask questions." I ask her and she hums. "I think it would be easier to give them all the answers we have first. Raven confirmed it, yes?" She asks me. 

"She radioed last night when I was going to bed." I nod at her. "So, let's run through it to each other one last time." She says and I chuckle nodding. "And me." Murphy chimes making me look over at him and smile. 

"Yes, sadly you." Lexa taunts and he gapes at her. "Okay. While in the City of Light, ALIE tried to convince us not to pull the kill switch." Lexa starts and I nod my head. "She showed us that the nuclear power plants that were destroyed by the bombs have started melting down. She detected this four months ago." I continue on.

"There are more than a dozen of them around the world. And 7 of them are currently burning." Lexa says going along the story. "Global radiation is rising. Within the next few months, 96% of the Earth's surface will be uninhabitable. Even for those of us born in space." I ramble off.

"Black rain will come first. Then there will be no drinkable water, Precancerous lesions will form." I list with a grimace about it. "When they ask why they didn't know sooner?" Lexa questions out loud. "She thought it would do more harm than good."  say simply.

"Perverse Instantiation... implementing of a benign final goal through deleterious methods unforeseen by a human programmer.... like killing 6.5 billion people, claiming it was fixing overpopulation." I scoff lightly. 

"As we said. The goal isn't everything. How we reach that goal matters." Lexa tells me. "We have confirmation from Raven that this is true. She has all the Data back at Arkadia. We can pass along the data somehow if we need to." I remind her and she nods.

"This will be okay. And we can have everyone send scouts to find a place big enough for us all. Or multiple places big enough for us to split." She shrugs and I sigh. "This is going to be a disaster. I'm calling it now." I say with a chuckle.

"It will all go as it needs to, Goddess." Murphy says walking over, wrapping his arms around me. "I know. I just worry." I mutter. "You always do. Just breathe." He tells me kissing my head. I nod my head as I sigh softly. He squeezes me to his chest as Titus tells us the others are heading inside.

"Let's get this war paint on you." Murphy says grabbing the container. I raise a brow at him and he waves his hand at me. I chuckle and pin my braids back into place. He swipes his finger into the paint and drags it over my face. I stare up at him, his face full of concentration.

"How many times do I need to say it? Quit that." He mumbles and I force my smile down. The amusement shines in my eyes and he huffs at me, a smile sliding onto his face. "There. Beautiful as always." He tells me and I take the mirror he holds out. "You, are amazing." I smile kissing his cheek.