atlas ↠ b.blake

8 ↠ a commander's word

     The Commander motioned for Lane to sit down at the chair that had been pulled out for her around the middle of the table, "Are you ready to tell me about your very long and complicated story now?"

     Lane nodded as she sat, "Yeah, but I don't really even know where to begin."

     "Start with the sky people. How did you end up with them?"

     Lane began her illustrious story of waking up in an unfamiliar bunker to unfamiliar people. She explained to the Commander about how her life before the bombs was different and simple, but some of it was still not coming together. She talked about her father being a scientist involved in the ALIE project and how she too became involved when she got older, and that was the root of all her problems. 

     The Commander didn't say very much. She just listened with openness and nodded occasionally. Hagen also seemed intrigued by Lane's unique life story; her story of survival. Some of it must have sounded crazy to people who still believed in magic, but Lane knew her life was riding on how well she told this story. 

     After she finished, her heart was pounding, awaiting the Commander's judgment. Did she make it sound like she wasn't some magical psycho granted with eternal life? 

     "You are a very interesting person, Lane Sawyer," the Commander said. "My people are not very familiar with the science of your time, but I can tell that you're not a liar. No one could make up a story that complex unless they were absolutely crazy, and I don't think you're crazy."

     Lane let out a silent sigh of relief, but it was strange how easily the Commander believed her, "So, that's it? No intense interrogation? You just... believe me?"

     The Commander smiled slightly, "Yes, I do. I can tell that you're a very resourceful person with knowledge that could really help my people. Hagen and I have been talking, and we would like to invite you to stay here in Polis as an advisor."

     Lane raised her eyebrows, "Not to be ungrateful or anything, but why the hell would you do that? For all you know, I could be a spy or something."

     "You've been back in this world for three weeks, and most of the sky people were happy to see you go. That's not much of a making for a spy, is it?" The Commander had a point, but none of made any sense, "Besides, if you left here today where would you go? Back to Skaikru?"

      Bellamy flickered across Lane's mind, but he probably didn't want her to come back either, "I don't know where I'd go," she answered honestly.

     The Commander nodded, "Your home is gone, Lane Sawyer and this new world you're in is vicious and people that don't pick sides end up dead."

     "So that's what you want me to do? Pick a side? You or the 'sky people'." Everything finally clicked in Lane's mind. She figured out the game that the Commander was trying to play. "I started to think that you were different from the people in Arkadia, but you're not. You're all just concerned about sides and talking about peace but never actually want it. You just want someone to kill so you continue to feel superior over everyone else, and I really don't want to be part of this stupid war that could easily be prevented if everyone would just stop acting like a bunch of two-year-olds that can't stand to share anything."

     Hagen seemed amused by Lane's speech, but the Commander kept her same emotionless expression, "You must pick one of us eventually, and I'm just trying to explain to you how the world works down here. If you stay, the sky people will never forgive you, and if you go, you'll be labeled as Skaikru from now on to my people. You can't avoid this decision."