Survive for Another Time

Chapter 13

The councilmen of the Ark were seated in their meeting room, Chancellor Jaha, still weak from his operation was absent and the session was being presided by Councilman Marcus Kane, head of security of the Ark.

"Now that the day to day operation of the Ark have been seen to we should talk of the expedition sent to the ground. Councilwomen Griffin, is there anything new to report?"

Kane's eyebrows were crunched in concentration and disapproval at the woman who had wasted resources for the survival of a single man. Jaha might be the Chancellor but the rules applied to all especially those in power and in Markus' mind what she had done was against the law and she deserved to be arrested and her functions stripped away immediately. Yet he did none of it as a Council member could not be dismissed of their position without the approval of the active Chancellor and the Abigail was one of their rare, fully formed and experimented doctors. There were some others but all were old with trembling hands and worsening eyesight. Old age and its complications were one of the few things that even their genetic markers and correctors were incapable of preventing.

"As you all know a hundred delinquents were sent to the ground in an exodus ship equipped with vital reading and transmitting electronic bracelets less than twenty-four hours ago. This decision was taken by this council a year ago in order to determine weather the ground is inhabitable and safe for us to return to as the Ark is slowly dying. When we did this none of us truly expected for them to survive the radiations that are most assuredly still present from the nuclear war and were hoping that with a hundred less people to feed and provide with oxygen we would last long enough to find a better solution. To my utmost surprise and astonishment i can assuredly report to you that every single one of them is well and alive."

There was silence around the room as the members of the council took the time to understand what was being said and realized what it meant for them. One of them a balding man with greying curly hair cleared his throat.

"What you are saying is that the earth is inhabitable... Right?"

All could see a glint in his eyes, one that spread to every person present in the chamber as hope was rekindled in their heart.

"What i am saying, Saint-Clair, is that we can survive for a minimum of one day on the ground. We can't be sure of anything else."

As if to support Abigail's claim a man in a frayed shirt barged into the room.

"I'm sorry to interrupt the Council but Mrs Griffin gave me instructions to alert her of any changes with the ground."

The man explained as if afraid that his impolite entry would owe him a telling or worse get him floated.

"Well, what is it?!" demanded to know Markus Kane with impatience and febrility as he knew full well that the future of their people was tied to the one of the children now back on earth.

"One of the delinquents, Finn , had his vitals spike up five minutes ago, they have yet to get back to normal. All indicates that the boy is in pain and dying."

If the bracelets allowed the Ark to read the vitals of their adolescent explorers it did not indicate what they were suffering from and with no other evident reason than the radiations all in the room assumed the boy was dying a slow death poisoned by the radiations.

Just like this, the hope that had been born was extinguished.