The Reasons // Bellamy Blake - the 100 [Book 1; inproces]

CHAPTER 1

"I intend to live, not just exist..."

CHAPTER 1
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She was born in space. She never felt the sun on her face, or breathed real air, or floated in the water. None of them have.

For three generations, the Ark has kept what's left of the human race alive, but now our home is dying, and they are the last hope of mankind.

A hundred prisoners sent on a desperate mission to the ground. Each of them is here because they broke the law. On the ground, there is no law. All they have to do is survive. But they will be tested, by the Earth, by the secrets it hides, and most of all, by each other.

13 September 2149

She feels the sun shining on her face. Trees all around her. Scent of wildflowers on a breeze. It's so beautiful. In this moment she is not stranded in space. It's been 97 years since a nuclear apocalypse killed everyone on Earth, leaving the planet simmering in radiation. Fortunately, there were survivors. Twelve nations had operational space stations at the time of the bombs. There is now only the Ark, one station from the many. There is told the Earth needs another 100 years to become survivable again. 4 more space locked generations and man can go home. The ground. That's the dream. Her dream. But this is reality.

The guards open her cell door and come storming in with a lot of noises.

Her head shoots up in shock and within a second, she stands up straight. She immediately wonders what is going on and fears the extreme.

She had drawn a hibiscus flower on the ground in front of her feet. The pencils are spread across the floor.

"Prisoner 3-1-9, face the wall", the bald, black guard says clearly to her. Both guards have their weapons ready because they know this girl will take every chance she has to escape.

Reality sucks.

She does what he told her to do and turns her body away from them. Facing the wall. She stares at the walls as she wonders what will happen to her.

Usually, they just bring something to eat and drink, but now they're inside her cell. Somehow, she has an inkling of what is going to happen.

"What is this?", she asks confused. The guards hear the tremor of fear in her voice. And she is, because all the horrible things that could happen come to her mind one by one.

Am I going to get floated? Will I be transferred?

"Quiet", the bald, black guard snaps to her, "hold out your right arm."

Madison hears some rumbling behind her and doesn't trust it. She quickly looks back over her shoulder, seeing the guards opening a black box. Inside the box are a few metal wristbands.