Wanheda

The beginning

Jake Griffin

"Jake, we need to talk about what you found out." His wife said about entering their quarters.

"Abby, we talked about it. The life support systems are failing. We need to work on solutions for survival. We need our people to help us."

"Jake, the council has already ordered you to be silent on this issue. I know you. You want to tell everyone. They will float you, Jake. Think about Clarke."

"I am thinking about Clarke Abby. I want my daughter to have a future, children. I want my daughter to keep breathing. Everything I do, I do for Clarke. You know that, Abby."

I walk away, angry. I don't understand how they could order silence. We are dying, and they want to hide that fact. We have brilliant minds on this Ark, but the best the council can do is hide from the truth. I walk into my workroom and continue going through the archives. There must be something we have missed. After the 13th station was blown up, we scavenged what we could from the debris. There were computers and equipment, but most just ended up in the scrap heap. No one could access them because of the security, and most wouldn't connect to our systems because they were too advanced. There must be something here. This has always been a pet project of mine. When life didn't make sense, I came here. As an engineer, I have the computer capabilities to manage, but building a way for this system to connect to a portion of our is satisfying. I have been combing Becca Franco's files. She was incredible. She was a neuroscientist and inventor. She created ALLIE, which was supposed to help humanity, but something happened. She became afraid of her project, so she decided to continue working on ALLIE in space.

As Jake reads through her research, he finds reference to night blood and an AI chip. "I can't believe this. We could program this chip for everything, but we would need to make the night blood too." Jake mutters to himself.

"Jake, we need to talk about this." Abby interrupts him again. "I don't want to lose you due to something reckless. Please, reconsider this. Continue working on a solution, but please heed the council."

"I will give them six months, Abby, but then I will go public. If we don't find a solution in those six months, we will need to alert the Ark, and hopefully, all of us working together will be able to find a solution."

He decided then and there he was going to make the night blood and the chip. He would continue working on the life support systems, but he needed something to take his mind off things. Plus, he always did better when he had something to putter with.

6 Months Later

He finished his letters to Clarke and Abby. He was going public. Nothing changed, and the council refused to offer more help to a solution. He walked into Clarke's room. She was asleep facing away from him. What if this doesn't work. He thought to himself. It has to. He injected her with the black serum he made using Becca's research; in 24 hours, he would implant the AI he created and uploaded with everything she could need. He also added an adaptability component to it. Hopefully, it would help in faster learning, muscle memory and increase her eyesight, hearing, speed, and reflexes. His idea was crazy, but it was the only thing he could think of to save his people, to save his daughter. He had to give her the best chance at survival. It was all he had left to give.

The next morning as Clarke was sleeping, he implanted the AI into Clarke. After she left for school, he gave one of the letters to Abby and watched while she cried. He knew she would turn him in. She was never one to betray, but she wouldn't see this as a betrayal. "I understand. Please follow what I suggested in my letter. It's the only thing we have left. I love you, Abby." He whispered. As he hugged her, he said, "I forgive you. I only hope Clarke will. She knows Abby. I told her." He watched her fall to her knees as they drug him away.