Prologue

Set in 2149, 97 years after a nuclear apocalypse has devastated the surface of Earth, the only survivors were approximately 400 inhabitants of 12 nationalspace stations that were in orbit at the time. Three generations have survived in space. The Ark has strict measures, including capital punishment for those over 18 years old and population control, the leaders of the Ark take steps to ensure the survival of the human race.

The Council is the governing institution that makes executive decisions for the Ark. It is headed by the current Chancellor Thelonious Jaha. Below the Council are the general Officers who make up the Ark's bureaucracy and the Guard who maintain security and law enforcement.

*** V - POV ***

Waking up, the first thing that greets me is the same grey ceiling of my cell that I've been seeing for the last six years. It's been six years since I've been locked up in solitary for killing a guard. One day, when i was eleven years old, and my father and older brother were away at work. A guard sneaked into our home trying to rape my mother.

{FLASHBACK}

Hearing noises and shattering glass, I softly tilted the floor panel so that I could see what was going on. I saw a men in a guard uniform lying on top my mother. Trying to tear of her clothes. Although I was only eleven years old, I knew that the guard was doing something bad to my mother. Standing up, I charged towards the guard.

"Uwwaaaa, let go of my mother!" I yelled while running towards him with fists raised. Planning to give him a good beating.

I saw surprise flash across his face, not expecting to see a little girl appearing from beneath the floor. Although the surprise quickly melted away and he backhanded me against the floor.

"Valerie! No, you basterd. Don't hurt my child!" I heard my mother scream at the guard while trying to escape his grasp.

"Hehe, just stay still it will all be over soon. nothing will happen to her if you just work along." the guard replies to my mother with a vulgar grin on his face.

Trying to stand up, I almost fell over again. I was dizzy and could feel something wet on the side of my face. Succeeding to stand up. I once again rushed towards the guard in anger. This time I stayed quiet and he didn't see or hear me coming. Jumping on his back I stomped him as hard as I could with my fists.

"You little bitch! Get of me before i will hurt you next." the guard screamed at me. While I was on the guards back, I got a good look on my mothers face and it was swelling on the side, tears were also pouring from her eyes. For a split second we looked in each other eyes, and what I saw was helplessness and anger. Seeing this I got even angrier.

Seeing that my fists didn't work. I leaned down and bit the side of the guards neck as hard as I could. Feeling the soft flesh give way, I chewed even harder. Blood came spurting out of the wound I made.

"AAH, AAAH, STOP BITING ME. LET ME GO!" the guard screamed in panic and pain. Although I could hear him, I didn't stop. He was hurting my mother. No way I'm going to listen to him. No matter how hard he tried to pry me off I didn't let go. After two minutes he stoped moving and I got of him.

Looking at my mother I saw her looking at the guard in horror. When she noticed me looking at her she quickly rushed towards me and held me in a tight embrace. I could feel her crying as tears were falling on my face.

"I'm so sorry honey, I'm so sorry." my mother kept repeating as she held me.

Looking up at her, I held my hand to her face and said "It's okay mommy, don't be sad. The bad man won't hurt you anymore." Hearing what I said, she began crying even harder.

[BAM][BAM][BAM]

"We are the guards! Open up!" A man's voice yelled from behind the door. Hearing the voice I looked at my mother who had a resigned look on her face. She looked towards me and gave me a small but loving smile. Letting go of me, she reached towards her neck and loosened her necklace and put it on me. It was a beautiful necklace of a silver wolf with ruby eyes.

"Little V listen well, don't be a picky eater. Just eat a lot so you can grow up big and strong. And make sure that you bade everyday and stay warm to. Also don't stay up to late, make sure you get plenty of sleep. Don't forget to make friends as well. You don't need a ton of them, okay? Just a few is fine, as long as they're ones you can fully trust. Your dad, brother and me can't look after you anymore so you have to stay strong. Don't ever forget we love you and are proud of you no matter what you do." Mother said to me with tears streaming down her face. She gave me one last kiss on the forehead and walked towards the door. Opening it, guards came storming into the room.

On the same day I got dragged towards the council room and got sentenced to live in solitary till my eighteen birthday.

{PRESENT}

That was the last day I ever saw my mother or family again. Later, I learned from a guard who was bringing me food, that they got floated. It is illegal to have more than one child on the Ark. So that was why my whole family got floated. The only reason they didn't float me, was because I was still underage.

Standing up from my bed, I did my usual stretches. 'Looks like I have to request some new clothes soon. These are getting to small again.' I thought while looking at my clothes. I was wearing a black sports bra with on top a grey hoodie, that I usually left open. With black jeans and combat boots.

Walking towards the small sink to wash my face, I looked into the mirror. Staring back at me was my reflection. I didn't change much from when I was younger. The only thing changed was the cold look in my eyes. My length is now 158 cm tall, with a slight athletic build from exercise in my cell and a face that became more beautiful the older I got. I had a pretty face and had blue eyes. My hair was chesnut brown usually tied back in a tight ponytail. I also had a small scar above my right eyebrow. Giving me a tough girl look. {AN: Look at the story pic, just no scars.}

Finishing the examination of myself I washed my face and returned to sit on my bed, waiting for my meal. 'They are late, they usually come fifteen minutes after waking up.' I thought with a small frown. Its been more than half an hour already.

Hearing the guards footsteps coming, I stand up from my bed and wait. Listening closely i can hear that there is more than one guard coming. 'What's going on? Why is there more than one guard coming towards my cell?' I looked warily towards the door.

"Prisoner 324, face towards the wall." I hear the guard say. Frowning I do as what I am told. The door opens and a guard comes in while another guard stays outside.

"What is going on? Why are you in my cell." I asked the guard. "And where the hell is my food?"

"Be quiet, move your right arm to the side." The guard says. Moving my arm to the side, I feel pain like someone is pinching me, flinching a little i looked towards my arm i see a bulky metal bracelet. 'What the hell is this for?' I thought while looking at this thing.

Taking me by the arm the guards drags me outside. Observing my surroundings, i saw i was not the only one who is getting dragged outside. Some people were resisting dragging their feet. While some were clearly knocked unconscious while being carried by guards.

We were all led to the same direction. It was an old part of the Ark. Almost no one comes here anymore.

"Are you killing us off or something?" I asked the guard in a cold tone, while looking at him sideways with a raised eyebrow. I saw his eyebrow twitching and almost grinned, happy that I managed to piss him off.

He never answered my question, I almost wanted to ask if he was deaf but we arrived at our destination. What I saw was a ship. A drop ship to be exact. 'No way, are they sending us to the ground?' I looked towards the ship with an disbelieving look. It looked more than 100 years old.

'No way we are reaching earth in that thing'I thought.

The guard led me to a seat and buckled me up and looked at me. "It is your lucky day prisoner, your going home." The guard said to me with a happy grin on his face. Certainly happy to get rid of me. The guards don't like me very much because I killed one of their own.

Once everyone was settled and buckled up, the gate of the drop ship closed. You can hear and feel the engine moving. Everything was spinning for a minute before everything ceased and the ship was shot in the Earths direction.

While I was looking around and thinking if I was going to survive this trip, I heard a conversation going on next to me.

"Welcome back." The boy said to the girl on his other side. "Look-" He attempts to say but the girl didn't give him a chance.

"Wells, why the hell are you here?" The girl said with a acid tone in her voice.

"When I found out they were sending prisoner to the ground, I got myself arrested" The boy said while showing the girl his bracelet. "I came for you-"

Out of nowhere the whole drop ship was beginning to shake. People were beginning to scream and panic. After a while, it stopped.

"What was that?" The girl asked after she calmed down.

"That was the atmosphere." The boy replied in a matter of fact tone.

'Wait, isn't that the daughter of doc?' I thought to myself. 'What was her name again? Claire.. no, Clarke, Clarke Griffin.' While I didn't have the chance to get out of my cell much. I did have a doctors appointment every month at least once. There I could exercise while the doc checked on my physical and mental health. My doc's name was Dr. Griffin, Clarke's mom. When I visited there always was picture of Clarke on her desk.

There were multiple TV screens turning on, those were hanging all across the drop ship.

'Look who it is.. The man Jaha himself.' I thought in a sarcastic tone. Appearing on the screen was Thelonious Jaha. The current Chancellor of the Ark.

"Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now. You have been given a second chance. And as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this, not just a chance for you but a chance for all of us. Indeed, for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you out there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. But frankly, were sending you because your crimes have made you expandable."

"Your dad is a dick Wells." a boy shouted to the the boy next to me.

'Well well, so the whole time I was sitting next to Wells Jaha. The Chancellor's son.' I thought while looking sideways at Wells who was frowning at what his dad said.

"If however you do survive then those crimes will be forgiven. The records wiped clean" Jaha continued talking while almost half of the people stop listening to his bullshit.

I snorted silently 'Yeah right, as if it was that easy. Crimes will be forgotten my ass' I thought while staring at Jaha with a deep frown and cold eyes.

{Meanwhile on the Ark}

Meanwhile on the Ark, a crowd of people were standing outside the council room. Before them stood a lady of the council surrounded by guards.

"I saw a ship launch, no more than twenty minutes ago!" A man shouts at her.

"Who was on it?!" Another man yelled.

"Was it the prisoners?" A women asked in worry.

"They're just kids!" A women shout at her.

A woman pushes herself to the front. "Are they going to Earth? Has something changed?" She asked while pointing a finger at the council woman.

"As I said, at this time we cannot confirm or deny anything." The council woman said while holding a forced smile on her face, before turning around and walking away her smile falling from her face.

"Come on lady!" A man shouts getting angry.

"Was my son on that ship?" Another shouted.

{Back on the drop ship}

The drop ship is still on its way to Earth, and Jaha is now talking about our drop site.

"The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before The Last War, Mount Weather was a military base built within a mountain. It was to be stocked with enough non-perishables to sustain 300 people for up to two years. No one ever made it there. Because of that we can spare you no food, water or medicine." Jaha said. While he was talking on the other side of the drop ship, a boy was unbuckling his seatbelt.

"Yeah, Finn!" A girl yelled from somewhere.

"Spacewalk bandit strikes again." Another boy said while other people were cheering Finn on.

He lazily floated around until he stopped before our seats. "Check it out. Your dad floated me after all." Finn said to Wells, while I saw another two idiots who were trying to unbuckle there belts so they to can float.

Frowning at this scene I coldly looked at Finn "You should strap in before the parachutes deploy" I said to him in a cold voice. People were trying to imitate him and it can cost their lives. I have no patience for fools who enjoy playing with the lives of himself and others.

"Hey you two, stay put if you want to live." Clarke said to the two people who were almost out of their seats, but they didn't listen and still got out.

Looking at this I could only sigh and shake my head. I looked at Finn and said "They're lives are on you now." I commented to him with disinterested eyes before crossing my arms and looking away. I also closed my eyes because I no longer wanted to look at the fools who were throwing their lives away.

'I don't care anymore. It's not like I know them.' I thought to myself. A long time ago when I lost my family I decided I would only care for the people close to me. The rest could die for all I care. I was just trying to be polite. It is not that I don't care about human lives, I do. That does't mean however that I will shed tears for people I barely even know.

Feeling someone looking at me from the side, I opened one eye and saw Clarke staring at me with curious eyes. Tilting up an eyebrow I stared back at her. Noticing I was looking back at her she gave me a small nod and smiled before looking away.

'What was that about?' I thought curiously before looking away and closing my eye again. I listened to what people had to say. I was locked up for years so I had almost no one to talk to. The only thing I did in my cell was eating, exercising and sleeping. When the guards were patrolling I also listened what they were gossiping about.

Sometimes it was about everyday mundane stuff like he was punished for this or she cheated on him, but you could also hear about interesting stuff, like at the time a guard was saying that there was another girl found living under a floor. I was extremely shocked, that there was another person who also lived under the floor, while having to hide a great part of her live in fear of being found. I was curious who it was, but they didn't say a name.

Because of this I got into the habit of listening and observing what people had to say. Who knows what you find out when people are having louse mouths.

"Hey. You're the traitor who's been in solitary for a year." I hear Finn say to someone.

"You're the idiot who wasted a month oxygen on a illegal spacewalk." I heard Clarke reply back at him in a irritated tone.

'Interesting, a traitor straight to solitary huh. She must have found something the council wants to keep quiet about. So much so that they send her along with all us criminals to Earth not knowing we will make it or not.' Opening one eye while looking curiously at Clarke, 'What is it you found out girl?' Before closing my eyes again.

"But it was fun. I'm Finn." Finn replied to Clark's jab with a grin.

"-you have one responsibility, stay alive. Finally, I'm sure you're wondering about those wrist bands.." The voice of Jaha can be heard talking in the background. While the ship lightly began to shake and creaking again.

"Stay in you're seats." Clark says to someone, probably some idiot who wanted to die.

From nowhere the whole drop ship began creaking and shaking hard. I snapped my eyes open and looked around while holding my seatbelt tight in my hands till my knuckles were white. The boys who were floating in the air got thrown through out the ship. You could hear people screaming and grunting. And I could feel the ship falling to the Earth.

{Meanwhile on the Ark}

Meanwhile on the Ark in a room with monitors people were talking about what they were seeing.

Marcus Kane can be seen walking in the room, he stopped and walked in front of the monitors.

"What is the situation?" Kane asked while looking at the man to his right.

"Total system failure, that's what we're looking at." Sinclair replied to him while looking at the monitors himself. "All we know for sure is they were off course when we lost contact-"

"So tell me about communications" Kane interrupted him.

"Other than the telemetry from their wristbands, we got nothing. No audio, no video, no computer link. everything we programmed in to help them is gone. They're on their own." Sinclair said with a worried look on his face.

{Back on the drop ship}

The ship was still falling with a high speed towards the ground.

"The rockets should have fired by now." Wells said in a worried tone while turning towards Clarke.

"It's okay." Clarke replied while trying to remain calm. "Everything on this ship is 100 years old right? Just give it a second."

"Clarke, there is something I have to tell you." Wells said to Clarke with a serious look on his face.

"I'm sorry I got your father arrested."

Clarke turned towards Wells with a angry look on her face. "Don't talk about my father." She replied in irritated tone.

"Please I can't die knowing that you hate me." Wells says trying to explain.

"They didn't arrest my father, Wells." Clarke yelled at him getting angrier by the second "They executed him. I do hate you." Clarke says while looking Wells straight in his eyes.

While they were arguing, I was listing to them and also lamenting to myself that the last thing I was about to hear in my life was their lovers spat. I heard the rockets activating and I let out a sigh of relief.

Turning towards them I say "While it was entertaining to listen to you guys exchanging your last words to each other, I just heard the rockets turning on, so stop bickering and shut up please." I say to them with a bit irritation in my voice before turning away. Not looking to what their reaction was I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact that was about to come.

[BOOOOM] [SHIP SHAKING]

We landed, opening my eyes I looked around. Everyone was doing the same and trying to regain there breath. I could here nothing but silence and the heavy breathing of everyone.

"Listen, no machine hum" A asian boy who was standing against the wall said. "Whoa, that's a first" Said the boy with goggles on next to him.

As one everybody loosened their restraint and stands up. I of course do the same. Unbuckling my seatbelt I stand up. Looking around I see Clarke moving towards Finn. He was sitting on the floor looking at two bodies who were not breathing lying on the ground with guilty and sad eyes.

Letting out a sigh and shaking my head, I do some stretches to loosen my body.

"The other door is on the lower level. Let's go." A boy said while opening the hatch and climbing downstairs. More people also followed after him.

"No, we can't just open the doors." Clarke replied and hurried after them.

Walking towards the hatch I followed after them and climb down the ladder. Arriving downstairs I see everyone standing and pushing before the the door.

"Hey, back it up guys." A young man said he had black hair and i saw he was wearing a guard uniform. He was also looking older than everyone here.

'What is he doing here? A guard?' I thought while looking at him before shaking my head 'No, no way they would just send one guard with us. He must have sneaked in or something, but how? The guards were everywhere.'

"Stop, the air could be toxic." Clarke says to the fake guard while rushing to the front.

"If the air's toxic, we're all dead anyway." He replied while looking a bit condensing at Clarke.

"Belamy?" I heard a girl say from behind me. Looking behind me I saw a dark brown haired girl. I saw her looking at the man now named Bellamy with a disbelieving look. She walks forward and the crowd makes way for her.

"That's the girl they hid under the floor." I head someone say from the crowd. My eyes widened a little as i was trying to get a better look at the girl.

'So that's her? The girl who lived under the floor, just like I did? I wonder what's her name?' I thought to myself while curiously looking at the girl who just walked past me.

"Oh my god, look how big you are." Bellamy said to the girl with proud smile while she just embraced him.

"What the hell are you wearing? A guards's uniform?" I heard the girl asking Bellamy with disbelief and a little anger.

"I borrowed it to get on the drop ship, someone gotta keep an eye on you." Bellamy replied to her with a smile on his face.

"Where's your wristband?" Clarke asked Bellamy while they were busy hugging again.

"Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year." I heard the girl say to Clarke.

"No one has a brother" I heard a boy voice say from the crowd of onlookers.

"That's Octavia Blake, the girl they found hidden in the floor" a girl now comments.

While the rest of the people were also replying with their own opinions.

When I heard all the comments that got thrown to the girl now named Octavia, I got a irritated fast. They have no idea, absolutely no idea how it is to live in hiding for the majority of your childhood. The only contact in your live is your family, you can make no friends. And the only space you have of your own is just a small space were you can just stretch your legs. You can't even stand. Having enough, I felt something I haven't felt in a long time. Anger.

"Shut up." I mummer in a ice cold voice. Only a few people heard me and turned around to look at me. When they saw me they turned pale and got quiet fast.

"I said, shut up. Don't make me say it trice." My ice cold voice was now heard by all, sending a shiver down their spine. Everyone turned around and looked at me. One by one they got pale and some were looking at me in confusion.

"Why should we listen to you?" A boy to the left said bravely, while the girl next to him elbowed him in the side while whispering to him in a disbelieving tone "Don't you know who she is? That is Valerie Creed, that girl is a killer. She killed a guard while she was only 11 years old, biting him to death." because it was suddenly so quiet everyone heard her.

I also heard her and looked her way, my eyes were still cold. Feeling my gaze on her I saw the girl jump and look my way. "Eep-" She lets out a sound and averted her eyes from me while trying to hide in the mass of body's.

Snorting I crossed my arms and looked at Bellamy. "It's time to open the door don't you think?" I asked Bellamy with a raised eyebrow. He looked at me for few seconds before nodding and turning towards his sister.

"Let's give them something else to remember you by." I heard Bellamy say to Octavia who was still staring at me with a curious look in her eyes. Turning away from me she looked at her brother.

"Yeah, like what?" I heard her say with a skeptical tone in her voice.

"Like being the first person on the ground in 97 years." Bellamy says to her with a smile.

Bellamy turned around and walked towards the handle. He grabbed it and pulled it down. Everyone was now quiet and looking at the door, curious to see how the Earth looked like, while some were also nervous hoping there was no radiation.

When the door came down, I was blinded for a second and saw only white. Squinting my eyes I gradually got a better vision until I finally saw it. All I saw was green and a shining light that was the sun. Trees and plant life everywhere you looked. I looked at Octavia and saw here take a deep breath before walking forwards on the ramp. She got to the edge before taking a small jump forward, and landing on the ground.

'Yup, she is now officially the first to step unto the ground in 97 years.' I thought with a small smile on my face.

"WE'RE BACK, BITCHES!" Octavia shouted at the top of her lungs with her hands thrown in the air and letting out a joyful laugh.

Like a herd who just got cut loose, everybody screamed in joy and rushed outside. I also walked down the ramp and closed my eyes to take a deep breath. I enjoyed the feeling of wind blowing in my face, fresh air breathing down my lungs and no machine hum humming in my ears. I could feel a smile forming on my face.

Opening my eyes I looked into the sky, "It's time to shine" I said with a small grin on my face.