Word Count: 2,535
"You found Oriande?" Lance exclaimed, running into the room, eyes blown wide in Coran's direction.
Keith rolled his eyes at the teen's reaction, "Oriande is just a story, it doesn't actually exist." He'd known about the stories of that place for years, sure, it was real all right, right up there with Atlantis, Area 51, and why not throw in the North Pole for good measure?
After the breakout, people began talking about a secret government base that had been built somewhere just shy of Washington D.C. At first, most said that it was meant as a safe house for the president and just a few of his top advisors, and now that the president was dead it was being used to house the lucky survivors that were able to make it into their sanctuary in one piece. People also claimed in the beginning that they had managed to find a cure against the Turning that had others racing to safety. But as the years stretched on, the rumors grew more and more out of proportion. The last few Keith heard was that the base could now hold thousands of people, it was impenetrable by the undead, and that there was enough food to give a thousand people a lifetime supply of food, it was also armed to the teeth with weapons and guards at every turn.
Some thought it was above ground, while others thought it was below, but there was one thing that Keith thought they all had in common: it was a hoax.
"Ah, I first thought that too, number four, but that was before I found this," the man pulled out a dusty old radio, and Keith rose a skeptical brow, how was some old radio going to explain this?
Pidge seemed to understand though and she poked the small device hesitantly, "Are you saying that you actually found the right frequency to catch their broadcasted channel?" Pidge asked, pushing up her glasses, "I thought they didn't use radio waves to communicate."
"They don't, this-" he patted the radio fondly, almost as if he were patting a child, "-is my own little concoction. With enough power, I've been able to connect with stations that use satellites to communicate, it took quite a while, but I managed to set it just so to find the proper station."
"Satelite radio, that's genius, Coran!"
The man beamed proudly.
"So, what did you find?" Shiro sat on the edge of a nearby table, as he looked from the little radio to Coran and back again with a confused expression on his face.
"Well, that's just it, number one, there's no clear evidence of Oriande's location, just a repeating set of numbers."
"Numbers? Pidge repeated, adjusting her glasses, "could they be coordinates? Like longitude and latitude?"
Coran fingered his mustache thoughtfully, "Perhaps, there are enough numbers to suggest that it could be coordinates, but I believe you should have a little listen to decide for yourself," with those words, Keith watched the man finger with a switch before an earsplitting squeal had everyone reaching for their ears as Coran hurried to adjust the clunky dials and buttons on the thing muttering something about "my apologies." After a second of two of Keith tightly clutching his ears, the squealing died off, allowing a single repeating phrase to just barely be heard over the now dead silence of the room.
Keith's brows furrowed as he listened to the strange dialogue, it didn't seem to make any sense to his ears, but he noticed with a peak of interest that Pidge was scribbling madly into her notebook as the phrase repeated itself yet again. He listened harder and realized that, if they were numbers, that there were just too many for it to be a latitude and longitude sequence.
Coran turned the little radio off after a minute or two of hearing the same numbers and it was like the whole room was suddenly holding its breath, Keith could swear the room itself leaned in just a little closer to the girl kneeling on the floor, a small notebook on her lap, and a determined frown on her face as she scribbled like mad.
After waiting for what felt like only a few minutes the scribbling finally stopped, "Got it." Pidge raised her head triumphantly from the paper.
"What did you get?" Allura walked closer, as everyone else crowded in around her, Keith remained where he was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed comfortably on his chest, but he did find himself shuffling just a little closer to hear what was being said.
"It was actually a broadcasted message turned into a series of repeating numbers," Pidge explained, gesturing to her notebook with her pencil, "after I realized what it was, I was able to crack it using a simple decoding sequence that my dad taught me."
"Well, what did it say? Don't leave us hanging here, Pidge," Lance exclaimed, pushing closer to better see the notebook, but the girl only snapped it closed with a sigh and the teen visibly deflated.
"Well, it stated that the base was about a mile north of D.C. and that we need to bring the message with us if we want to get in, but we'll have to move fast, the message also gave us a password and warned that they change it every two weeks. Of course, I could decode the new password it if we waited too long, but it'd be best if we headed out as soon as we can. With how close we already are to D.C. it won't take more than a week an a half to get there if we're careful, maybe less if we hurry," she said, looking up at Shiro and Allura who both seemed as if they were having trouble with realizing what all this now meant.
"Well," Shiro stated after a pause, meeting the eyes of his teen with a small grin, "I guess we're going to Oriande."
That the was all the confirmation they needed, and in that next second Lance exploded, jumping in the air and pumping his fists. Keith watched with a slightly amused smile as the teen then grabbed Hunk by the hands and began to swing them in an excited circle. "We're going to Oriande, Hunk, can you believe it? We'll never have to scavenge or fight for our lives ever, again, we'll be free!"
"Well, I just hope they have a good kitchen," Hunk stated as they finally stopped spinning, looking off in the distance his eyes widened in thought, "I'd trade anything for a decent kitchen right now."
"So, when can we go, can we go right now?" Like the flip of a switch, Lance turned in Shiro's direction, the teen was practically buzzing with excitement at this point, Keith was surprised he didn't just float off the floor. He watched silently as Shiro slowly crossed his arms, a thoughtful look on his face that deepened even more before he finally replied, "I don't know about right this second-"
A boom of thunder shook the floor, emphasizing his point, "-but hopefully we'll be able to get packed and leave before tomorrow ends."
"Wait, I have to sleep one more night here?" The teen groaned his mood immediately changing, "Man, I'm tired of this place!" He groaned at the ceiling.
Pidge rolled her eyes, getting off the floor, and dusting her jeans off from sitting, "Lance, quit being such a baby."
"What? It's not my fault Shiro's not letting us leave."
"Would you rather walk out in the cold rain with no food and supplies?"
Lance crossed his arms and frowned at the floor, stretching the bandage on his cheek, "No, I guess you're right."
Pidge expertly pushed up her glasses, "Of course I am," she said, smirking before heading out the door with a little more perk in her step.
Lance grumbled something inaudible before crossing his arms and following her out of the room, Hunk trailing close behind, leaving Keith with the rest of the group. He shifted uncomfortably when Shiro looked in his direction, and Keith crossed his arms tighter to keep himself from leaving. He wasn't just going to walk out just because he was afraid to talk to him.
"Promise me that you'll at least try to help him along."
Well, he was trying, and it wasn't like he was just going to talk to be talking. Keith was smart enough to realize that this all could be some kind of trap, there probably wasn't any Oriande at all, and it was actually just a story to get people to move in that direction. Keith wouldn't be surprised if bands of survivors settled near that rumored, place, just to kill whoever came close enough to shoot.
He watched silently as Coran picked up the little radio, cursing a little under his breath when he dropped it onto the floor by accident, and Shiro leaned down to help with gathering the sudden explosion of wires that spilled out the back of the machine.
"Darn, this equipment," Coran muttered, "well, I suppose it's served its purpose, but I could have it back together within an hour or two." He grabbed the pieces in Shiro's outstretched hand and they both straightened up again.
"You don't have to fix it, we have the message and that's enough. I'm hoping we'll all be able to leave by tomorrow morning."
Coran chuckled, "Oh, no, number one, I have no intention of going with you."
"What?" Allura's eyes widened, "but, Coran, this has been your dream to find Oriande, and now that you have, you're not coming? Why aren't you coming with us? It could be your home-"
"My home is here, Allura. I may not be ten-thousand years old, but I am too old to make the journey with you in one piece," the man grinned, "besides, I can finally give this place a good scrub-down with everyone gone." And with the radio in one hand and the broken pieces of it in the other, he strolled out of the room, barely giving Keith a glance as he did so and humming quietly as he went.
Coran was barely gone for a second before Allura spoke, "If he's not going, then I'm not either," she stated firmly, crossing her arms.
Shiro's eyes widened in alarm, "Allura-"
"No, I will not leave Coran to fend for himself all on his own. Perhaps once you five have entered Oriande, you can come back with a vehicle and fetch us, but Coran is like a father to me and I will not leave him behind."
"Then, I'm not going either."
"But you must," Allura shook her head, "Lance and the others are counting on you to lead them through this, they'll be lost without you, Shiro. You cannot expect them to make it on their own without your leadership to get them there."
"But-"
"Shiro please," her voice grew softer, "You must go, we'll be fine here until you return but you must go with them." She grabbed Shiro's hand and encased it in her own, "Do it for me."
Keith watched as Shiro visibly deflated before finally saying in a much softer tone, "Okay, I'll go, but you better know, I'm doing this for you, I love you Allura."
"I know," Allura smiled sadly, before leaning up for a kiss, and Keith took that moment as his opportunity to leave without being seen. After what just happened, he doubted he could convince anyone else that Oriande might not even exist.
And besides, if Oriande really did exist, he could finally be free from this crushing apocalypse.
The thought had his steps faltering as he realized what this could mean. He could be free from this, all the running and starving, and killing like there wasn't a tomorrow to look forward to. Keith could finally have a future and a life instead of living in this bleak wasteland for the rest of his pathetic life.
He knew it wasn't much to hope for, and of course, he still had that doubt flickering in the back of his mind, but with the new insight rising to the front of his mind he'd be willing to risk it all if it meant he'd get just a little taste of freedom.
And with that, he headed towards his room to begin packing what little he had for the journey ahead.
...
The news that Coran and Allura weren't coming didn't go down well.
It was over breakfast when the two announced that they wouldn't be coming, and just about everyone but Keith looked as if they were going to go into an enraged fit, or get on their knees and beg that they come with them.
Of course, neither would get them to come, and the mood was far from joyful when they finally were forced to say their goodbyes. The sky was clear and the sun was bright when they finally stepped outside, but no one seemed to notice the bright cheerfulness of the outdoors when they were all about to leave behind two of their own. However, Coran seemed to be prepared for the departing and he went down the line of survivors, pressing a small device into each of their hands for them to have.
"These are communicators I've cooked up for you five, I haven't had a single moment to test them, but if they work, you will be able to talk with us whenever and wherever you like," the man smiled gently as he made it to Keith. He felt cool metal being pressed into his palm before he moved on. Once Coran passed on to Lance who was beside him, Keith looked down to see that it was a similar device to the one he had seen Pidge with weeks earlier: a small touchscreen device attached to a wristband with a small collection of buttons on the side.
With minor difficulty, Keith fastened the small device to his wrist and looked up in time to see Shiro slip the communicator into his pocket before pulling Allura into a tight hug.
"I'll talk to you every night, I promise."
"Please stay safe."
"I will."
The sun warmed his head and Keith adjusted the backpack on his shoulders, the sheath of his katana digging lightly into his back as he watched the others give their goodbyes while he stood awkwardly off to the edge of the group. He knew she should probably at least say goodbye to Allura, but he wasn't exactly the touchy-feely type so instead, he stayed back, letting the people that had known each other for years do all the talking.
Looking down to the ground, he startled when there was suddenly a set of arms around him, and he looked up to see Allura's white hair blocking his vision.
She smiled softly at him when she finally let him go, "Help take care of them for me, please."
Keith's stomach tightened slightly at the reminder of what he couldn't do for Chyra, but he swallowed that memory down and instead nodded.
"I will."