Chapter 1: 100. Miller, Hannah [Bellamy Blake Fanfiction]
The halls of the Ark had never felt so grim.
A wave of anger mixed with fear ran through the woman's body as she walked with determined steps. The sound of her boots clashing against the metal floor echoed with such intensity that it drew the eyes of several crew members to her imposing figure. They could see the fury in her shoulders and the fire burning in her eyes. Her fingers trembled as she clutched the device to her chest, perhaps from fear or rage, or the weight of what she had just read on its screen.
Her daughter's name was on the list, alongside 99 others...
The doors to the council room flung open, and Dr. Miller stepped through without hesitation, drawing the attention of everyone inside.
A guard tried to stop her but failed miserably. "Doctor, you're not authorized to—"
"I don't care. Move." The words came out cold, in a tone she had never used—not even with her worst enemies. The young man standing in front of her hesitated, but she didn't.Â
"I said move." And just one icy glare was enough to clear her path. The others in the room watched her, but she was only searching for one person among them.
Hannah was sitting in one of the chairs at the center of the long, rounded table, her back perfectly straight as her hands nervously played with each other on her lap. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders, partly covering her face. At first glance she seemed calm, but the moment her emerald eyes recognized the figure standing before her, they couldn't hide the silent plea they conveyed.
She didn't know yet.
She didn't know... and Lauren felt her heart drop like a stone.
"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, her voice steady, refusing to let fear betray her.
But the council members stayed silent, exchanging glances. Kane shifted in his seat with a heavy sigh, Jaha sat up straighter, and Abby... Abby sat in the back with a hard-to-read expression. She didn't look guilty or surprised, just calm.
"Lauren..." Jaha, the man with the greatest responsibility, tried to intervene. But Lauren could already see one of those speeches coming, the kind she was sick of.
"No," she cut him off. "I just want to know why my daughter is here." She already knew. Everyone in the room knew. But none of them dared say it aloud, not to Lauren... not to a mother.
And when no answer came, Lauren gave in to the instinct every mother has, to protect. She quickly moved to Hannah's side, gripping her arm harder than she meant to, as confusion grew on the girl's face.
"What's going on?" Hannah whispered, her voice cracking with uncertainty. Had she done something wrong and not remembered?
"We're leaving."
"Lauren, please..." This time it was Abby's voice echoing through the room as she stood from her seat.
"No. Don't you dare." Her voice cut like a blade as she raised her hand between them, a clear sign for Abby to back off. And she resumed her path to the exit, wanting to get her daughter as far from that room as possible.
"Mom... what's happening?" Hannah asked again, her voice now begging for an answer.
"You shouldn't be here, baby. You did nothing wrong." Lauren reassured her. She knew her daughter like the back of her own hand, and she knew she was terrified, bracing for the worst. But just before they reached the doors, the voice Lauren now despised above all others spoke again.
"Don't let them leave." The guards immediately obeyed, shutting the doors at Abby's command.
Lauren froze, as if hitting an invisible wall. She turned slowly to face Abby, someone she had once considered a sister, and now couldn't even look at without feeling hate and disgust.
"So that's it...?" Her voice came out laced with sarcasm, masking the crushing sense of betrayal choking her throat. "This is your decision?"
"I did what needed to be done," Abby replied, her voice firm, as if trying to justify the monstrous act she had committed.
Lauren shook her head, again and again. "No... You did what you wanted. This was your idea, Abby."
"It was the only way to ensure their survival, Lauren."
Lauren let out a bitter laugh. "By sacrificing my daughter?" Immediately, Hannah's eyes darted to her mother.
"No one's being sacrificed," Abby responded. "She'll be monitored. We'll guide her from here."
"Mom..." Hannah interrupted, louder this time, drawing everyone's attention. "What's going on?" Her voice cracked.
Lauren didn't answer. She couldn't.
"Hannah, we have to be honest with you," Abby stepped forward, her tone softer now. Lauren tried to shield Hannah, shaking her head, but Abby pressed on. And deep down, Lauren knew she couldn't keep delaying the inevitable. "She deserves to know."
Abby continued, "We're sending one hundred juvenile delinquents to Earth."
She paused, letting Hannah process the words.
Earth. A place she only knew from dreams, photos, and stories. Her mind filled with questions, but all she could say was, "W-What?"
"The Ark is dying, Hannah," Jaha spoke up. "Oxygen levels are dropping. Population control isn't enough anymore. We've been observing Earth for almost a century, but we still don't know if it's habitable."
"So... you're sending prisoners? Just to... find out?"
The Chancellor knew how terrible it sounded but kept going, unfiltered. "Yes. I know it's inhumane. I know it's selfish. But it's also our only option. We're running out of time, Han."
And suddenly, it all started making sense. "But... I'm not one of them. I've never been arrested... I've never broken any laws."
"That's exactly why we need you," Marcus Kane stepped in, showing the tablet in his hands. Hannah's Ark citizen profile appeared on screen. "You're smart. Physically capable. We need someone to observe. To lead. To protect, if necessary."
"You mean to control," Hannah corrected, her mind racing, heart pounding.
"Your friends will be down there," Jaha abruptly changed the subject. One of the room's screens lit up, displaying a list, some names more familiar than others:Â
1. Griffin, Clarke
27. Miller, Nathan
99. Jaha, Wells
They were her friends. The ones she had grown up with in Alpha Station. The ones who had become part of her life.
Clarke had been the first to be arrested, rumors said she tried to attack a guard after her father was floated. Then came Nathan, caught stealing forbidden plants. And Wells... Wells? He had been arrested? This was how she found out?
Then her eyes landed on the last name on the list.
100. Miller, Hannah
As Hannah opened her mouth to speak, the door to the council chamber opened once again. The guards didn't stop him this time—their superior had just walked in.
"Captain Miller, this is a restricted session," Kane said with a sigh, exhausted by yet another interruption. But the man didn't flinch. He kept walking until he stood before his wife and daughter.
"This ends here. She's not going."
"You don't have the authority to override a council decision," Kane repeated.
"I'm not overriding it. I'm volunteering." And everyone's faces changed.
"Joel..." Abby tried to intervene, but Joel didn't stop.
"You need someone to watch the 100? Someone who can survive? Someone trained? I've led missions before. I've trained half of this station's security force. You want survival? Send me." And for a moment, by the look on their faces, it almost seemed like they were considering it.
"We need you here," Jaha murmured.
"You're not sending my daughter."
"This isn't a negotiation," Kane cut in. "Captain or not, if you challenge the council again, we'll be forced to consider it treason." The room fell into a chilling silence. Treason.
"This is what you've become?" Joel asked, disgusted.
"We're trying to survive, Joel... all of us."
"She's seventeen..." Lauren murmured, hoping that would strike a chord. But everyone seemed tired of hearing the same argument. Abby sighed, her tone now sharp.
"If she refuses, then you will be arrested for interfering with council operations."
"That's absurd—"
"It's protocol. You've already broken several laws just by coming here and threatening to obstruct this mission. That's obstruction at minimum. Add conspiracy and violation of national emergency protocol and—"
"Treason...?" Hannah finished, and Abby nodded.
"If convicted."
Joel's jaw clenched. The council was going to get what they wanted. "You're threatening her with our execution."
"No. I'm giving her a choice. You're the ones putting her in this position." Both parents ignored Marcus's words, their eyes locked on their daughter.
"You don't have to do this..."
"If I don't... they'll kill you." And those short words were enough to count as a response, even if there weren't really any options left.
"She can go with you for now," Abby announced as she stood and headed for the exit, the rest of the council following. "But she must report for launch in seventy-two hours." And just like that, the meeting was over.