Shameless ~ Bellamy Blake

2~ The Landing

"Tatum." A voice floats around in my head, as I feel my head bobbling around. 

"Tatum. Wake up!" The voice becomes more clear and I can visibly hear the panic in it. 

I flutter my eyes open and am met with a stark compartment. Dozens of young people, other criminals, all sat harnessed across from me. 

"Clarke?" I ask seeing her sat directly across from me. 

"Tatum! Thank God you're okay." She says, a hint of relief flowing through her words. Clarke and I have known each other since we were infants, with both of our parents being Council members.

"Where are we going? I mean, what're we doing?" I ask her, a million questions flooding my mind. 

"Earth." Is all Clarke responds with and I feel my heart drop to my feet. Earth? No, it can't be. Earth has been covered in radiation, that's why we moved to living on The Ark. They're sending us there to die.

My anger is suddenly cut short as the ship suddenly jolts. A few screams come from the other passengers. 

"What was that?" I yell out.

"The atmosphere." Wells answers. 

I look around again, awe temporarily swamping anger, before another, even bigger jolt wipes it away. As if triggered by the bumps, video monitors around the cabin suddenly start flashing to life with a pre-recorded message. 

Chancellor Jaha appears in a suit. "Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now. You've been given a second chance."

Despite the group of people in this ship's universal resentment of authority, in this moment of pure terror, the appearance of the ultimate authority figure provides somewhat relief. 

"As your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but for all of us. Indeed for mankind, itself..."

"You're dad's a dick, Wells!" Another passenger from behind me yells.

Poor Wells' head drops slightly, the look of shamefulness crossing over his face.

I look up, observing more and more. The dropship, like the Ark, has been cobbled together. Three levels stacked from largest to smallest. Right now, the dropship is in free fall, sparks becoming flames as the heat shield meets the thickening atmosphere. I take my eyes from the windows and try to focus on the message Jaha was giving. 

"You have just begun the descent into Earth's atmosphere. I won't lie. We have no idea what waits for you down there... If the odds of survival were better, we would have sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you...expendable. If, however, you do survive, then those crimes will be forgiven. Your records wiped clean. No execution upon your eighteenth birthday. No review. No probation. A second chance."

I couldn't help but smile. I would be forgiven. I wouldn't have to die for something I never did. I would be able to live. 

"This is not, however, a waiver against future crimes. While unsupervised, you will adhere the laws of the Ark, or you will be punished under them. You have one job, ladies and gentlemen, one responsibility...stay alive. Two months. That's how long it will take to be certain that it's safe for the rest of us to follow.." 

My anger returns. How could they expect us to obey the laws on Earth? They were sending us there to die and still expect us to want to be okay and live peacefully?

Just then, a severe jolt opens a storage compartment. A few rolled maps spill out, floating weightlessly overhead. 

"In the meantime, some of you may be tempted to strike out on your own. Don't. Your drop site has been carefully chosen." Jaha continues.