Chapter 16: To the Ground!
'Thinking'
"Talking"
[System]
(P.A. System)
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- The Ark -
- 3rd person -
"Everybody gets oxygen now." Kane orders as him, Wick, and the other survivors force open the earth monitoring doors. "Sir... Sir, are you all right?" He says setting down the case taking one of the oxygen masks and placing it on Jaha's face.
"I gave you an order." Jaha says taking off the oxygen mask. "You're bound by law to follow."
"The people in this room are our best chance to save the Ark. Besides, a wise man once told me... I needed to learn when not to follow the law." Kane says grinning.
"Heh heh. A wise man... Thank you." Jaha says grabbing Kane's extended hand and pulling himself up. "So, what do we do now?"
After clearing up earth monitoring station and activating the oxygen filters in the room Jaha asked Kane. "Any word yet on casualties?"
"No. Sinclair still has teams out assessing the damage, but... whole stations may have been lost. I estimate no more than 1,000 survivors... At least 1,500 dead."
"Hey, guys, I found something." Wick says from the other side of the room.
"I'm sorry, sir. Mr. Wick has trouble with protocol." Sinclair says walking towards Jaha and Kane with Wick.
"What did you find?" Jaha asked.
"Data from the exodus launch. The monitor says that service hatch beta was manually sealed before the launch from our side." Wick responds.
"There was someone in the service bay." Kane says in realization.
"But are there survivors? People jumped ship at the last moment?" Jaha asked.
"Maybe Sydney threw them off. Maybe they were a threat. Could they still be alive in the service bay?" Kane asked Wick and Sinclair.
"Well, sir, if they hunkered down and got lucky, yeah, they could still be ticking, but they won't be for long." Wick tells him.
"Well, how do we get to them? How can we get to them?" Kane asked after seeing Wick and Sinclair hesitate to form an answer.
"... We could try the maintenance shaft. It's sealed on both sides, so you'd have pressurization." Wick says.
"And it's pressed right up against the fuel pods. Without power to the coolant system, it'll be hot as hell in there." Sinclair adds.
"I have to try." Kane says walking out of earth monitoring.
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"Hey...!" Kane hears Wick to his right down the hallway after reaching the maintenance hatch. "You'll need this battery to open up the door to the bay." he says handing the battery to Kane. "Good? Yeah?" Kane nods.
Wick grabs the hatch by the handles and struggles to pry it open. After doing so he shines his flashlight inside and turns back towards Kane.
"It's not that hot. Sinclair doesn't know what he's talking about. It's a little warm." Wick says jokingly.
"So, you're not gonna talk me out of going?" Kane asked. He bends down to enter the maintenance hatch but stops when Wick replies.
"Nope. When you die, can I have your shoes?"
Kane smiles and responds, "They're much too stylish for you."
Kane then crouches down and enters the maintenance shaft. Crawling down the maintenance shaft Kane can feel the heat increase the farther he goes. Kane accidentally bumped his elbow into the side of the wall causing him to yell and to get slightly burnt.
"AH!"
"Hey, are you okay in there!?" Wick asked concerned.
"Ah... Uh... Yeah I'm fine. It was just a minor burn." Kane responds continuing to crawl.
Finally, at the exit Kane crawls through and falls onto the floor of an open room. He walks over to a sealed door and shines the flashlight through the glass. Seeing people in there Kane walks over to a side panel and opens it. Kane then pulls out the battery and begins to connect them together.
*HISS*
*CREAK*
The door slides open causing the people inside to sit up in relief. Kane sees a body still laying prone against the wall in the corner of the room.
"Come on. Hey... Hey, wake up." Kane says striding over to them grabbing their shoulder and turning them around so he can see their face. "Abby? Abby, wake up." He says; causing Abby's eyes to open.
"It's so hot." she whispers leaning against him for support.
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- A Few Hours Later | The Ark | Councilor's Chamber -
- 3rd person -
"Every Simulation has been run. Every system modification has been made. The hard and simple fact is that in 51 hours, life on the Ark will no longer be possible. I choose to find consultation in one remarkable truth. The surviving members of the 100 have proven themselves to be more resilient than we could've ever imagined. Our legacy will go on, and for that... I am not only grateful... But I am proud." Jaha spoke to Marcus Kane, Abigail Griffin, and the representatives of the survivors on the Ark.
"So, what do we tell our constituents to do now? What do we do now?" One of the representatives asked.
"Look inside. Find your peace." Jaha says plaintively. "In the meantime, I'm releasing all available resources to the surviving citizens of the Ark. There will be no more rationing. What we have belongs to all of us." Jaha says slamming a gavel down onto the table adjourning their meeting. Everyone slowly files out of the Councilor's chamber except 3 people. Thelonious Jaha, Marcus Kane, and Abigail Griffin.
"Are you all right, Abby?" Jaha asked concerned. Marcus Kane turns back and looks at her.
"Yes. I have a patient. She was hurt in the bomb blast. I need to go." She says leaving.
"Sir, is it wise to waste rations when we don't know for sure?" Kane questioned.
"But we do know for sure." Jaha replies.
"Well, I can't just do nothing. I have to find a resolution." Kane says pushing his chair back and standing up.
"Hey, I know this is hard to accept, but if you'd like to spend your remaining time rerunning simulations, by all means, you can do that. I, however, will be spending my time with family and a bottle of 97-year-old scotch." Jaha says patting Kane on the shoulder and walking out of the room.
'Just because you and everyone else have given up doesn't mean I will.' Kane thinks to himself walking out of the room and towards earth monitoring.
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- A Few Hours Later | The Ark | Chancellor's Quarters -
- 3rd person -
Jaha was sitting in his quarters rewatching old videos of Wells and Clarke rehearsing for a Unity Day pageant with a bottle of 97-year-old scotch labelled 'The Baton' on the table.
"What are you two doing over there? Come on. Let's rehearse for the Unity Day pageant." Video Jaha said.
"The stations-..." A young Wells began.
"The other stations." Video Jaha corrected.
"The other stations saw this and wanted to be together, too." Young wells continued.
"That's very good." Video Jaha commented.
"When all the stations were joined, they called themselves the Ark." Young wells finished.
"Good job, Wells." Says Jaha as young Clarke claps her hands in congratulations.
"Daddy, how does the Ark stay in space?" A young Wells asked curiously.
"Good Question. By keeping out of the earth's gravitational pull." Video Jaha answers.
"My daddy says it's the thrusters." A young Clarke comments.
"Well, your daddy's right, Clarke. There are thrusters all over the Ark. Every station has them. They keep us spinning so that we generate our own gravity. They help us stay in orbit and they help us steer." Video Jaha says causing current Jaha to gasp in realization.
"Yes. That could work." He mutters to himself getting up and walking out of his room.
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- An Hour Later | The Ark | Earth Monitoring -
- 3rd person -
"Sir, we've run every scenario twice. There are no more options. I would really like to be with my wife-..." Sinclair says to Kane as he stares at analytical charts and failed scenario's. The door slide opens and Jaha walks in. "Chancellor on deck."
"At ease, Sinclair. Anything to report?" Jaha asked while carrying a rolled-up paper in his hand.
"No, sir. Nothing we've tried will save the Ark." Kane responds sorrowfully.
"Have you tried not saving it?" Jaha asked as Abby walked in.
"What is this about?" She asked.
"It's about going home. From where I stand, we have two options... Die in space or probably die trying to get to the ground." Jaha tells them.
"We have no more exodus ships, sir."
"You're wrong, Kane. There is one. We call it the Ark." Jaha says causing Sinclair to gape in shock. "Sinclair, please tell us what would happen if we use the thrusters that keep the Ark in orbit to propel us into the atmosphere instead."
"The Ark would break apart, first into its original 12 stations, then further as the violence intensified. 95% of the structures would explode on the way down." Sinclair answers.
"You think you're smart enough to pinpoint the 5% that wouldn't?" Jaha asked unrolling the paper which is now revealed to be a schematic of the Ark.
"Are we really gonna do this? Bring the Ark to the ground?" Kane asked Jaha.
"You have a better idea?" Jaha asked as Sinclair begins looking over the schematic. "What do you say, Abby? You ready to see your daughter again?"
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- A Half-Hour Later | The Ark | Earth Monitoring -
- 3rd person -
"Here's how we bring the Ark to the ground. Stage one: separation from Go-Sci. Series of explosions sever the ring that we're now standing in from the rest of the Ark. Now, once we have separation, all port thrusters will fire, and our orbit will begin to degrade. Stage 2: Reentry. Reentry will be violent, and it will be very, very hot. Friction will break the Ark back into its original stations." Sinclair while showing the scenario on screen.
"Some of the stations... And we can't predict which... Will explode. And some of us will be on those stations." Kane adds.
"Which brings us to stage 3: Landing. All starboard thrusters on the surviving stations will fire. Acting as landing rockets, they will slow the impact even further. Now, our target speed for impact with the ground is 70 miles per hour. In all my simulations, anything above that is not survivable." Sinclair says causing the crowd in attendance to talk amongst each other in worry.
"No one said that this will be easy, ladies and gentlemen. Just that if we don't try it... We all die." Jaha says facing the crowd.
"So, how close are we gonna land to the kids?" Abby asked.
"As close as we can." Jaha replies.
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- An Hour Later | The Ark -
- 3rd person -
(Hydro Station, good to go.)
(Mecha Station, good to go.)
(Orchid Station, good to go.)
(Flint Station, good to go.)
(Factory Station, good to go.)
(Arrow Station, good to go.)
(Argo Station, good to go.)
(Power Station, good to go.)
(Chancellor Jaha, all stations are prepared for launch.) Sinclair says over the P.A system.
Jaha then presses a button on his microphone and activates the P.A system so that he is heard by all stations.
(In peace... May you leave this shore. In love... May you find the next. Safe passage on your travels. Until our journey to the ground... May we meet again.)
"May we meet again." Everyone through all stations responds.
(Sinclair.) Jaha says.
(Yes, sir.)
(Take us home.)
(Taking us home, sir... Initiate Go-sci separation... In 5... 4... 3... 3... 1. Separate.) Sinclair says while pressing a button on his data-pad. Everyone prepares in preparation but...
Nothing happens.
Kane and Abby look at each other in confusion until Sinclair activates a separate comm channel that only Jaha is on.
"Sir, remote detonations failed. We are negative for Go-Sci separation, negative for launch."
"Can you fix it?" Jaha asked sternly.
"Not from here, sir, no... Someone will have to launch manually." Sinclair making Jaha go silent.
Kane begins to unbuckle his straps, but Abby turns to him and asks, "What are you doing?"
"Someone has to stay behind, Abby."
"There has to be another way." Abby says looking towards Sinclair.
"I can go back and reprogram the system, but it'll take time. We'll miss the window for the eastern United States. We won't land anywhere near the hundred."
"Then we'll wait till it comes back around again." She replies.
"The Ark will be out of air by then."
"Salvation... comes at a price." Kane tells Abby as he stands up. Kane reaches out his hand to Abby, she grasps it firmly before letting go and allowing him to walk forward towards the door.
"How much air will he have?" Abby asked Sinclair.
"A week. Two weeks at most." Sinclair responds.
But then suddenly, an explosion occurs causing Kane to stumble to the ground.
"We're away?! We've launched." Sinclair exclaims in shock and confusion.
"How?" Abby asked.
(Godspeed, my friends. Godspeed.) Jaha says over the P.A system.
"Thelonious, where are you?" Abby asked activating the private comm channel.
"Right where I'm supposed to be. Hold on tight, Abby. You'll see your daughter soon." Jaha says inside of earth monitoring.
Jaha talks off the microphone and falls back into his chair and sighs a sigh of relief.
"And I'll see my son." He says to himself.
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- Dropship Crash Site | The Ground -
- Arthur Pendragon -
*BOOM!*
We all hear above our heads causing us to look up into the night sky. A giant ball of light descends from the heavens. Causing most of us to stare up at it in awe and wonder.
"Is that from the Ark?" A girl asked standing next to me and Clarke.
"That is the Ark." Clarke responds.
"So, they're finally here, huh? About god damn time." I mutter to myself.
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{P.S: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.}