Prisoner 198 (The 100 Fanfic)

After effects

Finn was leading the way down a steep incline with the rest of the group following him.

They all picked their steps very carefully, avoiding rocks and the roots of the trees that reached so high that they couldn't see the top, until they reached the bottom of the incline where the ground leveled out.

"You know what I'd like to know," said Finn. "Why did they send us down here today, after 97 years? What changed?"

"Who cares? I'm just glad they did. I woke up rotting in a cell, and now I'm spinning in a forest," Octavia said holding the trunk of a thin tree with one hand and spinning around it.

"Maybe they found something on a satellite," said Monty. "You know, like an old weather satellite or..."

"It wasn't a satellite. The Ark is dying." They all stopped and turned to Clarke at that ominous pronouncement. "With the current population level there's roughly three months left of life support. Maybe four, now that we're gone."

"So that was the secret they locked you up to keep?" asked Finn. "Why they floated your dad?"

"My father was the engineer and he discovered the flaw. He thought the people had a right to know. The council disagreed…my mother disagreed. They were afraid that it would cause a panic. We were gonna go public anyway, when Wells..." Clarke trained off.

"When he what? Turned in your dad?" asked Monty.

"Anyway, the guards showed up before we could," Clarke pressed on. "That's why today. That's why it was worth the risk. Even if we all die…at least they bought themselves some more time."

"They're gonna kill more people aren't they?" Jasper asked worriedly. Clarke didn't answer, which was answer enough.

"Good," said Octavia, "After what they did to me I say float 'em all." She said without remorse, taking the lead.

Finn put his hand on Clarke's arm. "We have to warn them," he said.

"That's what my father said." Clarke replied back, keeping her feelings bottle up.

"You don't really mean that." Monty said to Octavia – a fact, not a question.

"You think I don't?" Octavia said defensively.

"You're angry, but you're not cold. Trust me, I've seen people who are, and you're not."

"Oh my God," Jasper's excitement  snap them both out of their conversation as they catched up with the rest, staring in amazement at what they we're seeing. "Amazing, there's so much of it."

Clarke and the boys were making their way to the break in the trees that Octavia had already reached when she bumped into Jasper who had stopped suddenly and was staring ahead with his mouth open. "I love Earth!" he said.

Clarke looked ahead of Jasper and saw what had him so dumbstruck.

Octavia was at the top of a rise of rocks stripping off her jumpsuit until she had on only her red shirt and underwear. "Octavia what the hell are you doing?" Clarke called out.

Octavia turned and smiled mischievously before diving into the river.

"Oh my God," Clarke said, having a reaction to seeing so much water in one place, moving slowly, smoothly and endlessly. Octavia was a short distance away from the shore with only her head above water.

"Octavia, we can't swim," Monty called out to her.

"No, but we can stand," she replied, laughing. She stood up showing that the water only came up to her chest. "Come on in."