The 99

Chapter Ten: Bellamy

Bellamy was struggling to see through the explosion of dots that scattered over his vision. They formed a constellation, mixing with the flashing lights until he felt as if he'd entered some other galaxy, with black stars hanging against a curtain of red.

He blinked rapidly, in an attempt to clear it but didn't slow his pace, his momentum nearly pitching him over the drop in the duct he'd had to climb up. Bellamy didn't care, though. He barely felt it.

All he could think of was the guards that were coming, and he'd decided since the moment he'd squeezed the trigger that the only way those guards would lay a hand on him, was if he were dead.

The girl lagged somewhere behind him, but Bellamy didn't look back. When he spotted the exit to the air duct, he just sped up, tripping over his hands until he reached it and pulled himself out. His arm had numbed again, possibly from damaged nerves but maybe it was good the pain hadn't hit yet. It spared him the focus he needed to try and figure out escape, to find whatever semblance of freedom one could get in space.

but he drew up short, only pausing when he realized he had no idea where to go. They'd be sealing off this Station in minutes and Bellamy doubted the girl could fix him up in another storage locker. In the dark.

He turned around, just as her head popped out, face gleaming with sweat. She crawled out and rose to her feet.

"Did you get any further with that plan of yours?" Bellamy asked, having to raise his voice to be heard over the alarms.

She moved passed him, towards the only corridor that expanded out before them. "I know of a place," she shouted back.

"What place?"

But the girl was already running, and Bellamy had no choice but to follow after. He ignored the weight in his legs that threatened to pull him down. The flashing lights alone disoriented him and Bellamy stumbled, nearly losing his footing but he didn't slow. If the wailing alarms weren't enough to keep him moving, the growing sense of pounding feet and shouted orders soon would be.

They ran back down the corridors, out of Sci Gov and Bellamy breathed a small sigh of relief that it hadn't been blocked off yet. Then they were ducking back into Agro Station and he was tailing her blindly.

Now the numbness was beginning to ebb away and more stars erupted. Bellamy kept going, as they dropped down levels, away from anything that he recognized and he tried to call back the rotation times the guards would be on, but he doubted it would matter; they would've fled to Sci Gov at the sound of the alarms.

What Bellamy really wanted was to demand she tell him where they were going but he couldn't muster the strength to yell, tripping and staggering forward as they went down farther and farther, burrowing themselves beneath the underside of Agro.

Eventually the girl came to a stop and Bellamy almost slammed into her at the suddenness of it. He struggled to breathe, as he took in the door that stood before them. It was partially opened and Bellamy had the unsettling feeling that no one had been beyond this point in a very long time.

The girl didn't seem to notice, though, and she stepped forward, prying the opening back a little more, until it was wide enough for both of them to slip through.

It was one of those rare moments that Bellamy found himself speechless, like when the girl had hurt herself, and he stared at the empty room he found himself in.

"What is this place?" He asked, gazing around at the chamber. It was small, but clearly unused, indicated by the collection of grime that clung to the ground. Bellamy didn't know there was such a thing as unoccupied space on the Ark. The concept was as foreign to him as grass and blue sky.