It's been 97 years since a nuclear apocalypse killed everyone on Earth, leaving the planet simmering in radiation.
Fortunately, there were survivors.
At the time of the bombs there were 12 space stations already in space.
There is now only The Ark, one station forged from the many.
We're told the Earth needs another 100 years to become survivable again. Then man kind can go home, back to the ground.
The ground, that's the dream..
This is reality..
"Prisoner 319, face the wall."
Reality sucks.
"What is this?" I ask as a member of the guard approaches me.
"Quiet, hold out your arms." I don't, instead I put them behind my back.
"No... No. It's not my time. I don't turn 18 for another month." I plea but he doesn't listen. "Hold out your arm."
On The Ark, every crime, no matter how small, is punishable by death - unless you're under 18. If you are under 18 then you get locked up to await a trial on your 18th birthday, you will most likely be floated then.
I hit the guard in the stomach as hard as possible and ran out of the cell. The corridor outside of my cell is empty so I run, I don't stop until I see everybody at the unity day party. All of the guards are there and two of them are escorting a brunette girl out of the main hall and towards the cells. "Hey prisoner 319!" Another member of the guard call out and begins to run towards me, I don't retaliate fast enough and he catches me. "How did you get out? You were suppose to be moving to a bigger cell right now.. Meet your new cell mate." He points towards the girl and we are both taken to our new cell. He roughly puts us both in there and locks the door, it's just me and this girl.. Alone. "I'm Clarke Griffin.." I say to her, she sits on one of the make-shift beds and begins to speak, "I'm Octavia Blake, I've just been arrested because they found out I wasn't meant to be born.." What did she mean by that. "What?" She looks up at me I can see her eyes are filled with sadness, "I have an older brother.. Bellamy Blake." Ugh Bellamy Blake.. I've heard rumours about him, apparently he's the most toughest, emotionless guard there is on the Ark. "He and my mother kept me a secret for 17 years but I had to go and make Bellamy take me to the Unity Day parade didn't I!" She starts to shout and her voice echoes through the room. "It's okay." I say trying to comfort her as best as possible, "look, you've got me now, like a new room mate yeah? And Bellamy will be able to visit you once a week, so it's not all bad is it?" I go and sit on the bed next to hers and she smiles for about 2 seconds until the cell door opens and Shumway walks in, he's the head of the guard and he gets away with everything.. He's the one person I'm scared of. "Well well well Miss Blake." He says walking towards her and gripping her arm tightly, "ouch!" She shouts but he doesn't stop. "Wish you were never born yet?" He asks laughing loudly. I had to do something.. I can't let him hurt her. "Hey! Let go of her!" I shout and he quickly puts all of his attention on me. "Miss Griffin, weren't you locked up for fighting?" He says, he releases Octavia's arm and walks towards me. "Yes I was, I'm not afraid of you, I won't sit back and watch as you hurt Octavia." I say standing my ground, he begins to laugh, probably knowing that I actually am afraid, terrified in fact. "I'll see you later Miss Griffin when it's time for your shower." He walks out the room and O and I stand in silence. She breaks the silence by saying "Thankyou Clarke." I smile at her and reassure her that everything is going to be alright.. Although I wasn't sure if it was.
It's 6:00PM, time for our showers. Shumway walks in and escorts us both to the girls shower room, "you have ten minuets until the water shuts off." He explains to Octavia whilst handing us both a towel, I'm used to it now so I only take five minuets. I step out of the shower with a towel wrapped around me, I stand next to Shumway and I see him trying to catch a glimpse of Octavia in the shower, "pervert" I say under my breath but he still manages to hear it. "For your information lady I don't perv on anybody.. I simply accidentally see some of the girls whilst there showering. Not my fault." I see him trying to look again so I stand in front of her shower, "now there's nothing to accidentally see is there?" I say smirking, he doesn't look to happy about me standing up to him for the second time now. Octavia's shower shuts off and she steps out with a towel wrapped around her. We make our way back to our cell with Shumway escorting us again. Once we get back to our cells we get dressed and then a member of the guard comes in and hands us our rations, after he leaves Shumway steps in. "Night ladies." He says turning our lights out, we still had two more hours before lights out and we hadn't even finished our food. I guess this was Shumways way of saying he's not letting us get the better of him.
