The Boy from the Bunker - Season 8

Episode One, Part 1:

Episode One, Part 1:
The Invaders 

Please, just give me something for the pain 'cause my heart 
softens to your name. And when you're gone, I come 
undone. I need someone to wake me up. 

Sol clutched onto the radio in her hands, pressing it under the base of her chin as she held it close, listening to Dreea and Chessca's voice fill the small room of the Bunker's office. It had been six months since she had seen them last; since she had seen any of them in the second bunker, and although their evening radio calls were rooted deep into their routine, there were still moments that felt like she was trying to comprehend being away from them for so long...

It was one thing to be away from Dreea; she had done it before, despite it being the result of her memories being erased, and she knew that Dreea could protect herself just fine and survive anything that was thrown her way - not that there had been any enemies to face with all of her people safe in the bunker. But being away from Chessca was an entirely different fear of hers altogether. Even now, months after leaving The City of Targo behind, Sol still felt the urge to make sure every door was locked behind her or to call out for Chess when she went to bed to make sure she was safe in her own bed, just around the corner from hers... Sol couldn't do any of that from where she was, and though she knew Dreea loved Chessca and would guard her with her life, it still left a gaping hole in her chest to know she couldn't be there, and the anxiety slowly crawled it's way back into her heart each night.

"I can't wait to see you again, Riv," Chessca murmured into the radio. Her voice was soft and coated in sleep and Sol knew that their conversation would have to come to an end soon. "Dreea said something about us trying to leave the bunkers? Is that what Atlantis reckons?"

Sol sighed, recalling the conversation she and her sister had, had with Dreea. "Atlantis is trying to figure out a way to test if the water levels are decreasing on the ground," she told her. "She's getting a little worried about us all being underground 2 months longer than her and Bas predicted because of food and water supplies. We're fine here because our Bunker is so empty, but there's over a hundred people in yours..."

"Yeah," Chessca chuckled. "I have noticed that our rations have been decreasing, and it hasn't been a subtle change, either."

"I'm sorry," Sol apologised, unable to recognise that it wasn't her fault. "I wish I could be there with you... Hopefully it won't be too much longer."

"It's not your fault, Riv," Chessca assured her. "And you're right. It won't be long until we're together again."

They were miles away from each other, but Sol could still feel her smiling down the line. "I love you. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Love you, too," Chessca repeated back, shortly afterwards cutting off the radio and returning to her life away from Sol.

Too afraid to be left with her own, hollowing thoughts, Sol picked herself up and trudged out of the office, retreating to the living room of the Bunker where the others were all waiting. Liam was snuggled up close to Fenn; Quill was flopped over one of the armchairs with his legs dangling over the edge; Atlantis was already in bed for the night; and Wynn was hogging one of the larger couches, seemingly waiting for her and watching as she entered the room, a smile plastered across his face.

Sol smiled back in exhaustion, gratefully falling into Wynn's open arms, almost ready to fall asleep right then.

"Everything okay?" Wynn murmured, tucking her hair behind her ear as he looked down at her, and she looked up.

"Yeah, just talking to Chess," she told him. "She has hope that we're gonna get out of here soon, but I don't know... It's hard to hold onto something that feels so far away."