Warrior ‣ Bellamy Blake

Forty-Eight

Raven was patching up some pieces of metal in what was considered Arkadia's temporary "refrigerator" and teaching Archer the ropes when Aella and Bellamy walked in rolling a cart of meat in vacuum sealed bags.

"Two meals a day for people working as well as ours, we won't be making any friends," said Bellamy, flipping a bag of meat in his hand before placing it on a shelf. 

"We happen to have a good crew of friends already," Aella replied. "Besides, they've had to ration on the Ark before, so they shouldn't complain too much. When those doors close, it'll dwindle down to one a day."

"Try one meal for every other day," Raven chimed in. "Hunting parties are coming back with less and less."

"Radiation must already be scaring away the animals or maybe we've hunted every last one," she murmured. "The smart bet's the first one."

"We're still getting some in, at least, thanks to Niylah, but without a way to make water, we won't be able to grow protein like they did on the Ark and we'll drop dead by not getting correct nutrients or starve." Raven turned to Bellamy. "Remember that when you want to complain about being starved."

"I won't starve because I won't be inside," Bellamy responded.

"What?" Archer murmured, lifting his welding hood up to reveal his face contorted in confusion.

"Yeah, what the hell does that mean?" Aella asked Bellamy, touching his arm lightly. "You're gonna be inside when the radiation hits. We'll all be inside."

"Fat chance of that," Raven murmured before looking apologetic. "Sorry. I don't lack faith in you, I'm just...pessimistic." 

"I'm still exploring the options. Clarke's in medical right now doing blood testing, but my blood has a short window time, so if I disappear once every couple of hours for a couple of minutes, you know why. Science is weird."

"Well, did you make the list yet?" she asked.

"No. How's the drinking water levels?"

"Don't change the subject. We need to know who'll be inside."

"Not now, Raven. We're still working on other solutions and if there's even a chance that everyone outside that door and beyond can live, I'm not giving up. So, no list. Not now."

The radio attached at Aella's hip began emitting Clarke's voice as she said, "I need you down at medical, Aella."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"You won't believe who's here. My mom and I were working on what you asked me to work on when we got the call. I convinced the guards to let them in, but we need all hands on deck."

"I'll be there in a minute. Over and out." She nodded to Raven before she ran to medical, finding Abby, Clarke, Jackson, and Luna's oil rig crew.

"Acute radiation sickness," Abby explained when Aella entered the room. "Not airborne, but from bad fish."

"Radiation levels in fish were already dangerous, but it was probably carried by ocean currents," she murmured in thought. "Did the fish happen to die later?"

"Nyko claimed there were dead fish reaching the horizon in every direction."

"If it's not airborne, that's good, but I recommend going light on the seafood. What's unsettling is that things are starting to die now."

"They're getting worse," Clarke whispered, her eyes scanning the few survivors.

"Raven's got the meds on lockdown."