The Elect § Bellamy Blake

 Introduction 



"Today, some of you will know what it's like to be a hero and the others will look for another job. You've taken a step of bravery by being here today and that bravery will not be forgotten. Whether you are chosen to be the elect or whether you remain here, you have made a mark. As you all know, earth may very well be uninhabitable and desolate. But there is a hope that this is no longer the case. You have been trained so that the five strongest of you can go ahead of the rest and begin a way of life for the remaining.
"You've been trained in combat; trained to climb, hunt, build. You've been trained in medical; trained to stitch a wound, to fix a broken bone and diagnose a sickness. You've been trained in culinary; trained to cook meat properly and distinguish which plants are edible and which are not. You've been trained in engineering; trained to fix a radio, a pod, even the damn Ark.
you've been trained to be leaders; trained to observe, asses, and take informed and structured action.
"You will be sent in a pod big enough for five people to live comfortably with food, water, clothes, and weapons. We pick only the strongest, most durable and trustworthy out of this group that have trained all of these years. You've worked hard, endured, survived heavy training where others have not...now you must do so on earth. Today, I stand in front of the remaining 36 out of the 60 that signed up for 15 years of training.
"Today, the elect will be chosen.
Today, for five of you, everything will change. You will be honored no matter the outcome but I believe the outcome will be life. For you, your families, the children, the entire civilization we've built within the stars.
"Ark, with nothing further to say I will now announce who we've chosen to be your elect.
"Shiloh Duran, Auden McCale, Harley Keller, Reese Hunt, and Armada Gage.
May we meet again."



"I knew it!" Harley laughed almost maniacally as she raised her fist in the air. "I knew it'd be us!"

"Yeah yeah you told me so. I remember, Harley." Auden rolled his eyes at her as he placed his bag on a top rack above his assigned seat.

"I did tell you so!" Harley sassed back with a smile. "I told you we'd be picked-" she pointed an accusatory finger at Auden but he cut her off.
"And that the whole Ark would know our names and never forget them. I remember that, too." He smirked knowing she wouldn't shut up anytime soon.

Armada rolled her eyes with a small smirk on her face at their bickering before she slung her own backpack onto a rack above her seat.
This was their pod.

It was circular with all the five seats lining the walls in circular positions side by side. In the center, there was a round communications board with 5 flat keyboards, and a tall round screen in the center for projection comms.
This was a way for the Ark and the elect to communicate; see and hear each other.

Their seats all allowed them to sit up and strap in while also being able to turn sideways and flat for a bed. Underneath every chair was a box containing clothes and blankets.
In between every chair was different sized boxes with their names on them.

They were filled with weapons that each elect specialized in, some first aid kits and medical tools, and food.
Although her heart was racing, Armada couldn't place whether it was excitement or fear. Maybe sadness.

Hours before this moment, their ceremony had been broadcasted throughout the Ark, they'd said goodbye to their families and friends, and they were briefed on the launch and land.
Everything she'd trained for was coming to be but spending 15 years not knowing if it would ever happen made it harder to believe that it actually was.

"Brave face, elect." Armada was cut off from her thoughts as she turned to see Reese strapping his backpack in beside her.
He gave her an amused smile as he saw he caught her off guard.

"This is my brave face." Armada told him, keeping her face expressionless.

"Hm." He nodded. "Strange. It looks like your happy face, too." He chuckled as Armada slitted her eyes.
"You should see my excited face." She told him.
"When do I get to see that one?"
"You're looking at it." She shrugged as her face stayed the same.

Reese chuckled and shook his head before his face became serious. "You ready for this?" He asked.
They'd grown up together. All of them had known each other since they were five. Trained side by side, mourned friends together, and now they were leaving the Ark together.

"I think I was more ready yesterday, actually." Armada crossed her arms.
"Why is that?" Reese asked.
"Hadn't gotten my period yet." She shrugged her shoulders.

Reese rolled his eyes. "Armada I'm serious." He raised his eyebrows at her antics.
"Me too. Aunt Flo has a twisted sense of humor." She brushed through conversation emotionless.
"Armada." He deadpanned, not taking his eyes off of hers.

Armada sighed as she watched Shiloh finally strut in and find his seat. Harley and Auden were still arguing over nothing.
"If I said no..then what? It's not like I'd get to go home, Reese. This isn't a day trip to Saturn - this is it." Armada told him as she forced her eyes to meet his.

"You're right." He nodded. "This is it. This is what we've trained for our entire lives. This is what we were made for. There were no mistakes made in their choosing of you and you know how I know?"
"My many expressions?" Armada asked sarcastically as she crossed her arms.

"No. Do you remember our first day in training with weapons? We were five and you bloodied Vera's nose with perfect form. I thought 'if she isn't going to earth than neither am I.' Now look at us." He smirked.

Armada let her eyes drift once again. "I just wonder what will be there to greet us. Earth is different than when we left. The plant and animal genetics could have been completely warped, the rivers could be acid, the air itself could kill us with contact. Who's to say we'll even make it out of this pod?" She asked.

"That's why we've been trained, Army." That stupid nickname they came up with when they were 10. "I haven't seen you act like this since we auditioned for roles. You wanted to be a leader so bad that it angered you to even think that they'd pick something else for you. They called you to be a hunter and now you can't imagine being a leader. It's fear that made you that way."

Armada gave him a sour look. "I'm not afraid."
"You are." He stepped closer to her. "You are and I won't have it. You are Armada Gage. You are a warrior. A leader. A medic. An engineer. A botanist. A hunter. You are one of the elect. That's the Armada I know and that's the one that was chosen.
So, brave face elect.
We're going to earth."

"We're going to earth, baby!" Harley shouted as her and Auden ran to gather the two in a hug.
"I can smell the dirt now." Auden grins.
"Space is hell for someone who likes plants." They laugh as Shiloh joins the hug.

