Rupture | Bellamy Blake ² [Discontinued]

❉| chapter twenty-one

❝we're all very good at survival. but many times, we sacrifice important parts of what it is to be human just to endure.❞

-glenn close, actress

♛

CALEB'S HANDS TOY WITH the broken dropship wristband absentmindedly. I watch the metal twirl between his fingers lightly, dancing around his skin in an almost graceful manner. He's clearly trying to ground himself with something to do.

Because the distant screams from Raven had begun to make our heads spin, we'd asked permission to use another room in order to continue whatever it was that she had been working on before she was possessed. The new space is small yet somehow glamorous, with more fur blankets strewn around the vicinity and low candlelight making everything seem more intimate.

"Niylah said we could work in here," Clarke says to the two engineers and one mechanic sitting in front of her. A sigh puffs out of her lips. "So, how do we do this?"

"We think Raven wanted to use this wristband to generate an EMP," Sinclair responds, staring at the band as Caleb twirls it again. "Which is... freakishly brilliant."

"Meaning what?" Bellamy questions from behind Clarke. His arms are crossed over his chest, and I can tell he doesn't like being here. Just a few minutes ago, Clarke had to forcibly remove him from the same room as Niylah so he'd lower his guard.

"Meaning a big zap of electricity, short circuits, goodbye chip," Caleb answers. His voice sounds strangely disconnected from his body, as if his mind is somewhere else.

"Right," Sinclair agrees. "We could use this to send an EMP along Raven's own nervous system. Just need to reverse the polarity, wire for external input, and attach a battery."

"Is it safe?" I ask, almost fearing the answer. Caleb wouldn't be doing this if it meant Raven's life would be on the line, or would he do anything to get her back to normal?

"Don't worry," the older man assures me, "EMPs don't affect our bodies. But we don't know the mechanics of how this chip integrates with her brain."

Bellamy's eyes now watch where Caleb is now worrying his thumb with his teeth. "This was Raven's plan. She wouldn't do it if it was gonna destroy her brain."

Caleb, seeming to realize that it was meant to reassure him, glances up and pulls his lips into an exhausted, close-lipped grin. It doesn't reach his eyes.

"Depends how bad she wanted it out," Octavia says out of nowhere. She suddenly appears from behind the curtain separating this room from the one adjacent to it, which she had been using the fireplace in. Her expression is somewhat smug as she glances between her brother and the mechanic.

Caleb goes back to worrying his lip. I frown at Octavia. Why would she say such a thing? Not only because Bellamy had been the one to reassure Caleb, but because she has to know that we're all incredibly worried enough as it is.