Here we are again ... I'm embarking on a new journey of a fanfiction story. This time, we're going with a post-apocalyptic vibe. I recently watched The 100 on Netflix. I'd been intrigued to write a story based off that show/series of novels. I decided to write it for NaNoWriMo. I'm starting almost halfway through the month, but I'm determined to, at least, get something going.
In regard to how many chapters, update schedule and all that jazz, I'm not certain, but I'm hoping to get a big chunk written in the next fifteen days.
Up next will be a combination of Bella's POV and a little bit of Renee's POV. We're going to find out more about what happened to Charlie and who attacked him. We're also going find out about the inner workings of Ark politics. Meanwhile, on the ground, the one hundred set up camp ...
Chapter Three: On The Ground
Bella
I was staring at the ground, lush grass, pinecones, and the barest hint of flowers. I couldn't believe it.
We were on the ground. We were no longer orbiting Earth in a space station that had been put together by our ancestors with a hope, a prayer, and a lot of finagling.
I inhaled deeply, allowing the fresh air to fill my lungs.
I cannot believe we're here!
Looking around, I surveyed where we'd ended up. The drop ship landed in the middle of a forest. We were surrounded by pine trees. The air was fresh and sweet, not stale like on the Ark. It was also warm with a touch of humidity, making my skin glisten with a fine coating of perspiration. I took a tentative step, but I stumbled. Edward, who was standing next to me, slid his arm around my waist. "Remember what I said, Bella? You were given a mild sedative," he said. His voice was deep and gentle.
Calming and safe ... what?
"Right," I mumbled.
"Let me help you," he murmured, taking a step with me. I leaned on him, though I hated that I couldn't do it under my own steam. "I never expected it to be so green or the sky so blue. It's absolutely beautiful."
I looked at him and he wasn't looking at the scenery. He was looking directly at me. My skin heated and I blinked around us. "It is pretty. But, we have to set up camp. If I had to guess, it's a little after noon and before we know it, night will fall. Plus, we need to deal with the two casualties." I looked around the drop ship, trying to get the lay of the land. I took another shaky step, stumbling against the bulkhead. I blew out a breath, grimacing as my ankle throbbed.
"Will you just enjoy this?" Edward huffed, helping me to sit down on the ramp. "I know that there are things to do, but we're on the ground. We're not melting with radiation poisoning. We're alive and on the ground."
I looked at him, seeing his eagerness in his green eyes. They were the same shade as the trees we were surrounded by, and he looked so very handsome in the early afternoon sun. However, I was still pissed at him because he had put me in this position, where I was put into the prison ward. But, his tenacity got us down to the ground. "How did you get us down here? This was your doing? What did you do to make it happen, Edward?"
"It was your comments to your mom about the oxygen scrubbers that got us going. Plus, your dad's need to not show favoritism was the other. He was adamant on ... floating you," Edward growled with his hands clenching into tight fists. "But, with the information about the oxygen scrubbers and the people living on D and E-Block getting sick, dying of lack of oxygen, really pushed him to send down a probe. Then, it was something I recorded between Halsted and Banner the day before yesterday."
"Does it have something to do with Halsted looking at me like he wanted to fuck me raw?" I asked.
"Yeah," Edward said, his ears flushing red. "Banner said that you were as good as dead and that on the day before you scheduled to be floated, Halsted would have his way with you. Your dad was pissed something awful. So, he approved the launch of the drop ship, if only to prevent Halsted and Banner from ... taking your choice away."
"My dad is going to float both of them," I snorted humorlessly. "Banner is tyrannical, hating his job as the warden of the juvenile prison and Halsted, well, he was a serial rapist, attacking the prisoners. He was sloppy."
"Did he touch you? Did he touch Rose?" Edward asked.
"No, we were not hurt, but there were three girls who put an end to their suffering by committing suicide before I was taken into custody," I answered, shooting Edward a sour look. "I was in medical when they were brought in." I shuddered, remembering their bodies and how they were abused.
Halsted was a fucking monster ... If only I could have floated him myself.
"They deserve a slow and painful death," Edward snarled.
"Agreed," I nodded. "Look, I know I'm being a buzzkill, but we need to get camp set up. Tomorrow, we have to head to Mount Weather, once we figure out where we landed. Do we have food? Medical supplies? Camping gear?"
"I'll have to look," Edward answered. "Everything came together really quickly. I was able to pack a bag and I know they put supplies in the drop ship, but I'm uncertain as to what."
"Big brother, you have to check this out!" sang a high-pitched voice. "It's perfect out here."
"I have no doubt, Alice," Edward chuckled, blinking to a petite girl with long brown hair, warm buttery skin, and ice-blue eyes. "But, we've only got a few hours of sunlight left. We need to set up camp. Can you get a group of people to gather firewood?"
"I suppose. What about food? I'm hungry," she pouted.
"We'll see if we have any rations in the drop ship," I answered Alice, Esme's secret child and proof of her rape. "If not, we'll have to go hunting and find edible plants and nuts."
"Do we have anything to hunt with?" the guy next to Alice asked. "I'm not about to find a bunny and wring its neck. That's if I could catch it."
"Jazzy, that's kind of gross, but hot," Alice cooed, sliding her arms around his waist.
Edward shot up, glowering at 'Jazzy'. I grabbed Edward's pant leg. "She lived eighteen years without a big brother," I hissed to him, arching a brow at him.
"He better not hurt her," Edward growled.
"He was in the prison ward for growing weed and trading it for more food rations," I explained. "He's not violent. Just perpetually high."
"Fabulous. My little sister is infatuated with a drug addict," Edward moaned, scrubbing his face.
"He also makes some kickass moonshine, too," I smirked. "Well, he did. It'll probably take some time before we can ... Sorry, I'm rambling."
"It's okay," Edward chuckled. "Will you be okay if I go check for supplies on the drop ship? You seemed pretty unsteady."
"I'm just going to sit here," I answered. "Be less of a buzz kill."
"You're not a buzz kill," Edward offered. "You're just determined, and I get that. So am I ..." He gave me a tiny smile before heading back into the drop ship. I turned and looked around, trying to glean our location in this forest. I got up, shuffling away from the landing site. I could hear the excited shouts of the one hundred.
Rose and a few others came back with their arms filled with firewood. "It's like herding cats," she snickered.
"How do you know what it's like herding cats?" I teased. "We don't have any cats to herd."
"I read it in a book," Rose shrugged. "Emmett and Mike are gathering fruit along with Alice, Jasper and Jessica. There are edible berries in a clearing nearby. There's also a stream for fresh water."
"Did you see Mount Weather?" Bella asked. "I've been told that it's a government bunker with ... I don't know. My mind is still fuzzy."
"I'm not good at orienteering or whatever," Rose answered, piling the wood in the open area in front of the drop ship. "You were the Earth skills protégé. Seriously, Bella." She looked at me and her eyes narrowed. "Girl, I love you, but you look like shit. Did you eat?"
I grimaced, shooting her a look. "Not really. I figured that I'd be floated, and it wouldn't matter," I shrugged.
"Thank goodness there is food inside the drop ship. It's enough to last a week if we ration it," Edward said. "There's also water and enough medical supplies to set up another medical unit down here. Your mother left a tablet with how to convert the drop ship into a medical unit." He handed me the tablet, which I flipped through but not seeing the words or the schematics. He sat down, handing me a protein bar. "I think you need to eat this and drink some water before you pass out."
"I'm fine," I argued.
"Yeah, sure you are," Rose snorted. "And I'm the Chancellor ..."
"Don't talk about him," I spat. "As far as I'm concerned, the Chancellor is a piece of shit. He was going to float me. His own daughter!! What the fuck is wrong with him?" I stood up, trying not to cry. I hadn't cried while I was in the prison. "I was his daughter, and he was determined to make me an example! I'm not ..." I hiccupped, covering my face, and willing the tears to not fall. I sat down on the ramp, taking deep breaths.
Someone sat next to me. The soft arm that slid around my shoulders made me jump. I looked over at the person comforting me. Rose gave me a tender smile. "I'm sorry, Bells. Your dad is an asshole. He should have been your father first and chancellor second. He should have loved you. He should have ..."
"It doesn't matter," I frowned. "He made his feelings for me abundantly clear. I wasn't his daughter. I was just an example." I pinched my nose as my head throbbed. The lack of food and the sedative my mother shot me with combined perfectly to give me a migraine. "My father needs to have a taste of his own medicine, if you're asking me. I need to get rid of this headache."
"I think you need to sleep, Bells," Rose suggested.
"Not until we've got camp set up," I offered. "I won't let my father ... he's dead to me. I'm on the ground and he's stuck on the Ark. He wanted me gone? Well, he got his wish."
xx MWMA xx
On the Ark
Renee
Pacing in my quarters, I waited to hear from Carlisle about my husband. Hell, I wanted to be the one performing the surgery. Carlisle needed as many capable hands as possible, but I was too emotional, he'd said.
I was emotional because my husband had been shot and I was emotional because my daughter was on the planet's surface. As far as I could tell from the telemetry of the cuffs, they were all healthy. Hell, they had endorphins and adrenaline pumping through their veins. That gave me some solace, but not being able to see her, talk to her, hold her? It shattered my heart.
My Isabella was on the surface.
My husband was on the operating table in medical because someone tried to execute him.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love my husband, but he had so many enemies. This attempt on his life was a long-time coming.
Hell, I was so angry at him, I considered him an enemy. His black and white take on what happened to Bella threatened our marriage, optics be damned.
The bell chimed. I stumbled as I walked to open the door. Esme stood outside, with the head of security, Marcus Blake. "Have you heard anything?" I asked. "I should go down to medical."
"It's not wise, Dr. Swan," Marcus argued. "Obviously, the Chancellor has enemies. You could be next on the list ... We need to keep you safe."
I sat down, but my comm unit vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, seeing a frantic message from Alec. "I need to go. Carlisle needs an extra set of hands. The damage to Charlie is too great." I shot up and walked past my best friend and the head of security. I heard them stand up, following me into the corridor. I don't remember sprinting through the hallways to medical. Inside, Alec was waiting for me. He prattled off my husband's vitals. He was circling the drain and he needed blood, rationing be damned.
I washed and sanitized my hands before putting on a surgical gown and gloves. Alec tied a cap over my hair before I went into the surgical suite. Alec came into the suite with his arms filled with blood. Carlisle looked up at me. "We can't. I've already used all the blood I could. I'm using the cell saver to add his own blood volume ..." he explained.
"They can float me. He's the chancellor," I snapped, nodding to Alec to put the blood onto the rapid infuser. I turned off my emotions in order to operate on my husband. "We need to salvage as much of the bowel as possible."
Hour passed and by early the next morning, Charlie was in a medically induced coma. I sat down next to his gurney, taking his hand. I was beyond exhausted. "Who tried to kill you, Charlie? Why did they try to kill you?" Obviously, I didn't expect an answer, but his actions had angered someone to the point where they wanted him gone.
"Dr. Renee Swan," came a nasally voice.
I looked up, seeing the Vice Chancellor, Aro Volturi. He was a tiny man with thick black hair with it pulled back into tight ponytail and dead black eyes. He had the next highest number of votes when we had the election for chancellor, and he was the second in command on the Ark. Not that he really did anything. He just pretended to care about the people.
"Coming to check on the Chancellor, Aro?" I asked.
"No, Renee," Aro responded, glowering at me. "I'm here to take you into custody. You went over the allotted rations when it came to saving Chancellor Swan. You, Dr. Cullen and Alec will all be floated for wasting precious resources on a corpse."
"He's still alive, Aro," I snapped. "Carlisle and I are the only doctors aboard the Ark. You cannot kill both of us!"
"Doesn't matter," Aro growled back. "Marcus, take her into custody."
"I don't agree with this," Marcus argued from his spot near the entrance of medical.
"I don't care. I'm in charge!" Aro bellowed. "Caius! You're now in charge of security. Marcus, you will join Renee, Carlisle and Alec in being floated."
Caius, Aro's best friend and personal assistant, walked toward me and pulled me away from Charlie. I stumbled to my feet. Caius gave me a slimy grin. "Should I unplug the Chancellor?"
"No," Aro answered. "He should live the rest of his life knowing that his injuries caused the deaths of his wife and his closest friends. If he wakes at all." He gave me a sly grin, turning on his heel and striding out of medical.
Caius, along with a few other security guards, including Halsted, dragged me, Carlisle, Alec, and Marcus out onto the promenade. The residents of the Ark watched in shock and disbelief as we were unceremoniously thrown into the prison. I was in the same cell that my daughter resided in for three months.
I wandered around the tiny cell, looking at her notes on the bulkhead, the floor and along the sides of her sleeping pallet. Her figures and notes on the bulkhead were the same that we found in the computer. My daughter was brilliant. She figured all this out without any help of a computer and her figures were the same as ours, even down to the location where we programmed the drop ship to land.
I ran my fingers over Bella's words and tried not to cry, but I fought a losing battle. I sat down, curling up on the blankets and allowed the tears to fall. I held the blanket to my chest as I grieved for my daughter, who I might never see again, and my husband, who would not survive the night without proper medical care. With me and Carlisle in the prison, he would not get that care.
Yes, I was still so angry at Charlie. The way he handled Bella's incarceration was abominable. He tried to make up for it by sending the hundred down to the surface, but he never got a chance to say goodbye.
I must have drifted off. I woke up with a start when the door slammed open. I saw Halsted standing in the doorway. He had a dark grin on his face. "I wanted to fuck your daughter, but you'll have to do."
"Halsted, you need to stop thinking with your pecker," Aro sniveled, looking at me with disdain. "Grab her and bring her to the council chamber."
"Don't touch me," I snarled. "I can walk." I slipped past him, trying to avoid his wandering hands and disgusting words. I found Carlisle and Marcus, standing between them. I poked Carlisle. "Where's Alec?"
"There was a medical emergency, and he was taken back to medical," Carlisle answered. "Aro realized that we need a doctor on the Ark."
"Alec isn't a doctor," I argued. "He's a trained healer, but not a doctor. He also doesn't have access to controlled substances ... Only we do."
"He doesn't care," Marcus answered. "We better pray that the Chancellor makes it because of Aro take control of the Ark, we're all fucked."
We walked out of the prison, cuffed and with security following us with their electric batons. If we walked to slow, they were all too excited to zap us to move faster. Arriving in the council chamber, Aro took my husband's seat, and he called the council meeting to order. "These three are accused of wasting precious resources and of treason. Chancellor Swan was shot, and Dr. Swan and Dr. Cullen used too much medication and blood to fruitlessly try to save him."
My heart fell to my feet as my stomach churned. Charlie died? No ... No, he can't be dead. Carlisle must have felt me tremble. He slid his arm around me, trying to keep me from collapsing out of grief.
"Chancellor Swan is still alive, Aro," Esme snapped. "Because of my husband and Dr. Swan. And, why is Marcus with them? He did nothing wrong!"
"He refused to arrest Drs. Swan and Cullen," Aro huffed. "Treasonous behavior ..."
"While Dr. Swan and Dr. Cullen did exceed the allotted medication for Chancellor Swan, Marcus Blake did not do anything wrong," Eleazar said. He blinked to Halsted with a sneer and Marcus's cuffs were released. "I also think that you're reaching these charges. Dr. Cullen and Dr. Swan should not be floated. We need doctors on the Ark. Alec, while a trained medic and capable healer, is not a doctor. He cannot perform complex surgeries."
"I don't care what you think," Aro scowled. "I just need a majority vote to float these two traitors."
"Other than saving the Chancellor, what are their crimes?" Esme asked, arching a brow.
Aro listed off a slew of bullshit charges and he looked at the council. He called for a vote and shockingly, Carlisle and I were found guilty. Our execution was scheduled for the following morning. Aro was being magnanimous in allowing Esme to say goodbye to her husband. However, he refused my pleas to see my husband in medical. I was thrown back into the cell, with Halsted eyeing me like I was dessert.
I didn't sleep. I just sat in my daughter's cell and traced her writing, trying to feel close to her even though she was no longer on the station, until the cell was opened. Aro was standing on the other side with a self-satisfied grin. I refused to give him the satisfaction.
Once I was at the airlock, I stood inside with Carlisle. Esme was crying hysterically.
"Dr. Carlisle Edward Cullen and Dr. Renee Marie Swan, you have been found guilty of wasting resources, medicine and blood. In addition to that, you fabricated false claims about Warden Harold Banner and Office James Halsted. All of these crimes are punishable by death," Aro intoned. "James, please close the airlock."
"James Halsted, Warden Harold Banner, take my wife's spot in the airlock," came the weak voice of my husband. He was leaning heavily on Alec. "Aro Volturi, you're fucking close to joining them."
"Chancellor," Aro cooed. "It's so good to see you up and about."
"Cut the bullshit, Aro. If you had your way, I'd be floating among the stars," Charlie snarled. "James and Harold, I'm waiting. I've got testimony from no less than ten prisoners and from Alec about your shenanigans, the girls you'd fucked and the boys you tortured. Both of you are sentenced to death."
Marcus shoved James and Harold into the airlock, slamming the button to close it. Charlie held Aro's gaze as he nodded to Marcus to end Halsted and Banner's lives. Marcus smiled darkly, hitting the button and the outer doors opened. Banner and Halsted were sucked out into the vacuum of space with looks of terror etched on their faces.
I rushed to my husband. "You should be in bed. Your digestive system is being held together with a handful of sutures and a lot of hope," I chastised.
"Marcus, confine Aro to quarters," Charlie ordered. "He's up to something, even if there's no proof linking him to those two monsters. I need to find proof."
"Chancellor, I was only following your orders," Aro argued.
"What orders? I've been in a coma until about an hour ago," Charlie snapped. "Marcus?"
"Got it, Chancellor," Marcus replied gleefully, manhandling Aro and escorting him out of the airlock. Aro was screaming obscenities as Marcus led him away.
"Come on, Charlie. You should get more rest. You have a long recovery," Carlisle chided.
"A long recovery and a lot to make up for," Charlie panted, leaning on me heavily. "How are the kids? Tell me everything."
xx MWMA xx
On the Ground ...
Bella
I sat up with a jolt. I was inside the drop ship. It was dark outside, and my bladder woke me. I looked around. Rose was next to me, and Edward was on the floor near my 'bed.' His sister and Jasper were wrapped around each other. I put my feet on the ground, trying not to step on anyone's fingers or toes as I made my way to the open door of the drop ship. I stepped onto the ramp, inhaling the cool, fresh air. However, it was so dark. I should have brought a flashlight or something. The fires were glowing dimly, and I walked toward them.
As I was passing one of the fires, I heard a twig snap. "Who's there?" I asked. I held up my hands, prepared to fight whoever was following me.
"Relax," said a deep voice. "I'm on patrol with a few guys."
"I'll relax when you tell me your name," I snapped.
"I'm Jacob," he responded, stepping toward the weak campfire. "Jacob B-B-White," he stammered.
I could barely see him. His skin and hair were dark. He also wore dark clothes. "Who's on patrol?" I asked.
"Paul, Embry, Leah, Emily and Quil," he answered. "We volunteered to go first. Everyone, after they ate, just crashed. We were exhilarated to be here."
"Right," I nodded. "I need ... a few human moments. Excuse me." I ducked behind a group of trees. I quickly relieved my bladder before walking back toward the drop ship. Edward was outside talking to Jacob. Edward held a lantern. I could see their body language. Edward was tense while he talked to Jacob, who was much taller than Edward and a lot more muscular.
"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward asked.
"I'm fine," I answered, walking toward them. "You were smart to bring out a lantern. I should have done that. Silly me." I looked at Jacob and his eyes were narrowed at Edward. His skin was a warm russet with black hair and black eyes. I didn't recognize him, but something about him put me on edge. I reached for Edward's arm, and he took my hand, blocking me with his body.
"Are you two a thing?" Jacob questioned, a dark smile spreading over his face.
"If we are, it's none of your business," Edward answered. "I was concerned about Bella because she had a rough time since we landed. Do you want to go back inside?" His large hand squeezed mine, causing tingles to travel up my arm. I didn't speak, but I nodded. "The next patrol will be out in an hour, Jacob."
Jacob didn't respond. He just stared at Edward with zero emotion in his expression. When he blinked to me, a flash of something in his dark eyes. I shivered, which encouraged Edward to guide me back into the drop ship. He dimmed the lantern, helping me to my spot. "I don't recognize him, Edward. I don't think he was in the prison," I whispered to him.
"He wasn't," Edward murmured, crouching down in front of me. "I worked in there before the drop ship was launched. Jacob was not incarcerated. He's also older than me. If he committed a crime, he would have been floated, not sent to prison."
"Something isn't right with him being down here," I hissed.
"I agree. Try to avoid him, princess," Edward said. I shot him a scowl. He just responded with a crooked grin. "I'm going to start waking up the next group going on patrol. Will you be okay?"
"Rose is here," I explained.
Edward's crooked grin fell, and he reached into his boot. "Keep this on you at all times." He handed me a large bowie knife. I looked at it blankly, unaccustomed to such a large weapon. I was used to a scalpel. "Bella, promise me!"
"Why do you care so much?" I questioned.
"I need to fix this. It was my fault that ..." he trailed off, taking my hand again and rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. "Please, Bella? Promise me?!"
"Okay, I promise," I whispered. He squeezed my hand again before standing up. "Edward? For what it's worth, I forgive you. I've forgiven you a long time ago."
"You may have, but it'll take some time for me to forgive myself," he answered. "I'm questioning everything ..."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know. The only think I know for certain is that there is something off about Jacob and you need to be on your guard around him," Edward explained. "Please?"
"I will, Edward."
A/N: So, this was the first time I've written Renee. It was weird getting inside her head, but her voice is similar to her daughter's. We also met Aro, the shady Vice Chancellor. What's his endgame? Not to mention Jacob ... Edward recognized something hinky about him.
Up next, will be Edward ... and some dissatisfaction among the one hundred from the drop ship. What will happen? We'll also hear from Carlisle, as well.
Pictures from this chapter are on my blog. You can access that from a link on my profile. I'm also on FB: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.
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