SOLDIER; the 100 (1)

1.03

Chapter Three:
Pilot
(Part 3)

THE weight of a lifeless head felt heavier than Vivienne imagined as it rested upon her boots. Yet, despite her trembling legs, she managed the strength to stand, carefully nudging the boy's head to the floor and it rested with a soft thud. Blood seeped through his auburn hair, tangling knots in it and creating a puddle around him as his eyes stared blankly up at Vivienne, entirely stripped of life.

Finn Collins, the boy who'd wasted a months supply of oxygen on The Ark, hurried over, kneeling at Vivienne's side. His eyes were somber as he moved a steady hand towards the deceased boy, delicately placing his finger's to his neck, hopefully searching for any faint sign of life.

"Is he breathing?" Clarke called over from where she knelt by another body, with Wells stood beside her. "Finn! Is he breathing?" she urgently repeated, her eyes wide as she waited for a reply. Though one wasn't needed; the boy lay lifeless, his eyes hollow and empty of a soul, robbed of any chance to set foot on Earth. An unsettling shiver sped down Vivienne's spine whilst Finn was frozen, his focus remaining on the body, his eyes drifting to the blood staining the toes of Vivienne's boots. A sudden wave of guilt washed over him.

"The outer door is on the lower level!" A voice shouted up the ladder, driving Clarke into a panic that rushed her down, joining the others of the ground floor of the dropship. Finn and Wells, quickly followed suit yet Vivienne stayed, knelt at the dead boy's side as he fingers gently traced the smooth, cold skin of his eyelids. With a slow touch, she closed them, allowing him eternal rest.

Her heart was heavy and sorrow lingered painfully in her chest, but Vivienne tore her gaze away from the boy and stood before beginning her descent down the ladder, joining the remaining 97 teenagers below.

She only clambered down a few steps before stopping, keeping a tight grip on one step above her for a clear view over the crowd of teenagers. There was a large, industrial door at the front- the only thing separating them from whatever was left of Earth. Standing imposingly before the door, keeping eager delinquents back, was an older boy clad in an ill-fitting guard's uniform making him stand out amongst the others.

He was considerably larger than most other boys in the ship and his hair was oily with gel, slicking it back against his head. And, wrapped soundly in his arms was a younger girl, her face buried in his chest whilst his rested in her dark, long hair, inhaling her scent.

"That's Octavia Blake!" a girl called out from the crowd, sparking murmurs. "The girl they found hidden under the floor!"

As according to the Gaia Doctrine, written long before Vivienne's time, harsh population laws were enforced upon The Ark in order to keep things under control. Among these, the law stated that no individual may have more than one child. The laws were strict and this was no exception, breaking them was met with death or imprisonment. And Octavia Blake faced her punishment as anyone else, for the mere crime of being born.

Attempting to lunge at those who whispered about her, the youngest Blake was held back by her brother's strong arm around her waist. "Let's give them something else to remember you by," he told her, his protective hold unyielding.

"Yeah, like what?" Octavia asked through gritted teeth.

"Like being the first person on The Ground in a hundred years."

Releasing his sister, the guard wrapped his large hand around the lever to his right and, with a slow pull, he eased it down, the rusty door clicking and creaking as it craned open.

This was it. Either freedom or death.

Vivienne had partially forgotten the whole reason they were there during the landing, but now, here she was, remembering that word again. Expendable. No one knew what awaited them on the other side of this door but these kids were deemed worth sacrificing.

Then, as the door fell open, creating a path down to the dirt ground, an overwhelming and sudden gust of fresh wind engulfed the ship, filling Vivienne's nose with the smell of damp mud. She took in a deep breath, inhaling the purest air she ever had until her lungs pressed uncomfortably against her ribs.

Gradually, Octavia made her way down the metal ramp and Bellamy held an arm out to keep everyone else waiting inside, watching his little sister in awe.

Earth was vibrant and green, with the trees stretching far beyond Vivienne's sight and their branches reaching high above the dropship. Shadows were cast over the sunlit grass. Birds chirped endearingly in the breeze, welcoming The 100 on their arrival.

Earth seemed fully recovered and oh how Vivienne longed for her mother to have been there with her.

Finally, Octavia's boots hit the dirt ground with a quiet thud, and she inhaled deeply.

"We're back bitches!"

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