Silent Moments: Book One (The 100)

Chapter 2

"Prisoner 216, face the wall," Officer Miller barked, his voice echoing off the sterile metal walls of my cell.

Confusion swirled within me as I turned, asking, "What is this about?"

"Silence!" Miller snapped, his fingers curling around a sinister-looking wrist restraint. "Extend your right arm."

I recoiled, fear tightening my chest. "No, it's not time yet. I'm not 18 for another year," I pleaded, my voice trembling.

"Arm. Now!" he growled, the threat in his tone unmistakable. Beside him, the second guard brandished a shock lasher, its electric tendrils crackling ominously in the dim light.

In the Ark, every infraction, trivial or grave, was a death sentence past your 18th birthday. Adrenaline surging, I lunged, pushing Miller aside with a strength born of desperation. I grappled with the other guard, forcing the shock lasher against his own stomach. His scream was muffled as the device jolted him, his body convulsing.

I dashed from the cell, slamming it shut, the clang reverberating through the narrow corridor. Over the railing, a chaotic scene unfolded below—guards dragging prisoners from their cells, their faces etched with terror and confusion.

"Prisoner 216!" a distant guard shouted, his voice lost in the cacophony.

"Kegan, stop!" another voice, laced with a haunting familiarity, called out.

I halted, heart pounding. It was Abby Griffin, the mother who had left me to this fate 17 years ago. Her eyes, a mirror of my own, were filled with a tumult of emotions.

"What's happening?" I demanded, keeping a wary distance as she stepped closer, her hands outstretched in a gesture of peace—or perhaps penance.

"They're not executing you. They're sending you to the ground—all 100 of you," she explained, her voice trembling slightly, revealing a hint of the fear she must have felt.

"To the ground? But that's... impossible," I stammered, disbelief coursing through me. "We're supposed to be reassessed at 18, not exiled."

"The rules have changed. This... this is your chance at life," she implored, her eyes searching mine for understanding.

But why would she care? I was nothing more than a reminder of her mistake, wasn't I?

"Your instinct will be to shield others before yourself. I've already lost your father; I can't bear to lose you too. Promise me you'll watch over your sister," she said, her voice cracking with a maternal desperation I had never heard before.

Her words struck a chord. Despite everything, she cared, in her way. Yet her plea was as much for Clarke's safety as it was for mine.

"You didn't need to ask," I grumbled, turning my face away to hide the turmoil within.

"I love you. May we meet again," she whispered, just as a sharp, unexpected pain pierced my back.

The world spun as I collapsed, only to be caught by Abby's surprisingly strong arms. "Earth, son. You're going to Earth," she murmured, her voice a blend of sorrow and hope.

Then, a blanket of darkness enveloped me. When consciousness returned, I was lying next to Finn, pain radiating from my wrist, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. The echo of Finn's laughter resonated through the cramped confines of the dropship, jolting me from my groggy state. "Hey, look who's awake. How was your nap?" he teased, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint in the dim, artificial light.

"Screw you," I mumbled, my voice rough with disuse. My fingers traced the unfamiliar, cold metal band clasped tightly around my wrist, an unwelcome reminder of our grim reality.

My bleary eyes scanned the interior, dimly lit by flickering lights, until they landed on Clarke. She sat a few seats away, her figure tense, engaged in a fierce argument with Wells. His face, a portrait of conflict and regret, piqued my curiosity. How had the Chancellor's son, Clarke's ex-best friend and our father's betrayer, ended up among the condemned?

"Look at that, it's the prince of the Ark," I said dryly to Finn, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

The pod shuddered violently, drawing our attention to the monitors flickering to life. Chancellor Jaha's image, stern and imposing, filled the screen. "Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now. We have given you a second chance," he intoned, his voice resonating in the confined space. His words, laced with an undercurrent of contempt, branded us as expendable.

"Your dad's a dick, Wells!" I yelled impulsively, the sentiment echoing among a few others. The screen glitched, distorting Jaha's image as he spoke of survival and a long-lost bunker.

Finn, the notorious Spacewalker, seized the moment to float weightlessly, his carefree demeanor a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere. His antics drew laughter and cheers, a brief respite from our bleak circumstances. However, the mirth was short-lived. The ship lurched, the force of the parachutes deploying hurling Finn and two others against the metal walls. Sparks flew like fireflies in the tumult, briefly illuminating the chaos before plunging us into darkness. The roar of rockets filled my ears, a harrowing prelude to our imminent descent.

The impact of landing jarred us all. Lights flickered back to life, revealing a cabin awash with apprehension and uncertainty. Monty's observation of the absent machine hum was a haunting reminder of our new reality, and Jasper's awed response underscored the surreal nature of our situation.

Unstrapping ourselves, we witnessed Clarke's concern for Finn, her voice laced with urgency. "Finn, is he breathing?" she asked, her medical instincts kicking in.

The moment of truth arrived as Bellamy prepared to open the cabin doors. His unexpected reunion with Octavia, disguised in a guard's uniform, added another layer of intrigue to our already complex narrative.

"Bellamy?" Octavia's voice was tinged with disbelief and a flicker of hope.

As he pulled the lever, the doors opened with a hiss, releasing a cloud of steam into the bright, unfiltered light of Earth. Our eyes, long accustomed to artificial light, struggled to adjust to the vibrant colors and expansive view of the untamed wilderness that awaited us. Octavia, emboldened, stepped out onto the drawbridge, taking in a deep breath of Earth's air.