Killer // Bellamy Blake (1)

XVII

The kids from space - Delaney included of course - were done playing war and had moved on to playing spies. After Maya got sick, Jasper, Monty, and Delaney had gone to the dialysis room where they were treating her. After a long conversation and Jasper's stupid decision making, they did a blood transfusion. Dr. Tsing explained it had never been done, but things seemed a little fishy.

So naturally Delaney and her friends looked into it.

Delaney had shared her knowledge of the ventilation ducts that covered the entire mountain. Everyone sat down and drew them in on their own maps, looking to the one Clarke gave Delaney for reference. After a few short hours, kids were crawling through the ducts, making notes as they overheard conversations. They were on a two hour max rotation, so if anyone got lost they'd know.

Those who weren't in the ducts were making friends with mountain inhabitants. Sole of the Ark's children were sico of fighting and being paranoid. They agreed with Jasper that the mountain was a sanctuary and they didn't want to ruin it. Still their curiosity won and they snooped around a bit to learn some things from, let's say, locals.

Delaney was finishing up having a conversation with an eager twelve year old when Harper interrupted. The little boy was just finishing showing Delaney where his father worked in the barracks. She was happy to fill that in on her map when Harper ran up to her.

"I just heard- the president, he- the doctor-"

"Catch your breath, Harper." Delaney turned to the kid. "Thank you, Dylan. I'll see you at lunch to tell you and your friends some cool stories."

The little boy ran off, allowing Delaney to turn back to Harper. She had caught her breath, ready to spill all the information she just heard.

"I was in the ducts on level seven - where the President stays - and he was with his son and Dr. Tsing." Harper and Delaney walked as they spoke quietly. "The transfusion; it wasn't the first. The first from a space person, maybe, but not the first first. But the president didn't approve. He and his son had told her not to start blood trials with 'the kids'. And she said something about the play dungeon in the basement full of soldiers or-"

"Harper, I love you." Delaney kissed her cheek before running ahead. Harper, completely confused, followed.

"Why? Why do you-"

"The 'soldiers' are Reapers. You remember them? And the basement isnt even on the map, unless it's this." Delaney stopped, turning to Harper as they got to their room. She pulled out her map, holding it under a lamp.

Delaney had drawn in a rough sketch of the tunnels underneath the mountain. There was a lot of space between that and the supposed last level of the mountain. She was wondering how the mountain led to the tunnels, but if there was a secret level between the two, it made complete sense. They just needed to figure out where and how to get to it.

"We need to tell the others." Harper's eyes widened. "They'll all be ready to leave when they hear this."

Delaney pulled Harper back just before she could leave. She spoke softly, watching the hall as she did so.

"Harper, listen very carefully. You did a great job with this, really, but this needs to stay quiet." Delaney gave her a look when she opened her mouth to question it. "Don't interrupt. If the few of us who are still skeptical think we're going to be used as lab rats, they'll freak. They've finally got some stability right now, a breath of fresh air. Take that away and it will be chaos. You have to keep this quiet, at least for now."

"What about Miller and, and Jasper and Monty? And what about Fox and the others who agree with us?"

"Tell them. Don't be too loud about it, but go ahead and tell them. Just not the ones like Alastair and Lonnie who would rather stay than leave."