𝐃𝐔𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐓𝐘 ── bellamy blake ¹ ✓

prologue, emily's letter

1.0. | EMILY'S LETTER

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November 3, 2149, the dropship.
The day after the battle.

WHEN I WAS little, my dad used to tell me stories about the Earth and its wonders. He'd tell me everything about plants, animals, life, and, as a visualiser, I'd always try to imagine the scenery. Of course, the thought of it on it's own made the young, naive child in me giddy with happiness, but at the same time so damn miserable. I knew I would probably never experience it, never smell the air after rain, play with snow or float in water.

None of us would. For three generations, The Ark has kept what's left of the human race alive, after a nuclear apocalypse 97 years ago killed everyone on Earth, leaving the planet simmering in radiation. We were told the Earth needed another 100 years to become surviable again, so I knew that the only thing I could do, was close my eyes and just.. imagine it.

Imagine myself running around in fields full of bright wildflowers with head-spinning scents, imagine hearing the sound of water both calmly flowing in a river or maybe even violently crashing against rocks. Imagine, because we were not returning to the ground any time soon.

We thought the people of the Ark would continue living their lives in space, following the same, exhausting routines and rules.

But, everything changed when I turned 17. Three of my friends were arrested - Finn Collins for an illegal spacewalk, Monty Green and Jasper Jordan for fooling around with herbs.

As for my last friend, Raven Reyes was probably the closest to me. Like the sisters we never had and never would, we cared for each other ever since I could remember. She was the youngest, most intelligent mechanic I had ever known, and she came from the Ark's Mecha station. I, being one of the privileged that lived on the Alpha station, had to always sneak around the Ark to be with her. Nothing could stand in our way, not even the drastic changes in the Ark's characteristic loop of events.

Well, almost. I had just turned 18 and gotten my official title of a nurse, when Raven's schedule supposedly became more busy every day. She began spending less time with me and started randomly disappearing off with the head of medical. Then my father started spending less time home and more with the council, always running around frantically and making barely any time for his family.

Citizens of the Ark had started filling my workplace showing symptoms of oxygen deprivation and I finally had an idea as to why my friend was working with Abigail, which I found out by eavesdropping. Sorry, Raven and Abby!

And, shockingly, I found out that a dropship had been sent to the ground, along with the lives of a 100 delinquents that also carried my three friends, my boss Abby Griffin's daughter and neighbor Wells Jaha.

Damn it, if only the dropship got sent down a just a little earlier, then my brother, whom I hadn't met after our oh, so tragic birth, wouldn't be floated before he had the chance to get to the ground. Yeah, twins, can you believe it? The one case no one found a solution for before it could happen. Our birthday passed four days before the delinquents were sent to Earth. We turned 18 and my brother was, undoubtedly, floated right on that day, as every bit of oxygen was important, which was the opposite from the lives of juveniles, at least in the Council's eyes.

(Don't mind this tear stain.) Crying over someone you've never met, but who was still a part of your life regardless the circumstances, is definitely silly in my opinion, but I couldn't help but spend my birthday exactly doing that, and, well, also right now. It's just, without my biological family, Raven Reyes was the last family member left on the Ark, except my jackass stepfather-- which I still loved dearly, don't get me wrong.

So, along with Abby and Raven, I worked on the grand plan to get to the ground. Dumb and reckless, I know, believe me. But, my determination tended to get the best of me when I had to take care of my friends. Still does.

And that was what I would do, whatever it would take and whatever would happen to me when I reached the ground. Our real home.

And now, I'm here. For now.

- Emily B. Kane.

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edited.