The forest, it's trees and plants was something that had always sticked with him during his youthful time as a cadet.
Daloka weren't always one to talk during that time spent on reaches soil, yet he couldn't say for some, like a certain cadet, Jorge-052... Daloka's lips faltered at just the mere thought of his Spartan brother.
Considering his character, Daloka knew that 052 would likely find pleasure here, on this variant Earth, seeing as how, despite everything that he and the rest of the twos went through—from boot camp as cadets to becoming a full-fledged walking tank—he would find time to appreciate the life around the planet's surface.
"Hey man, you okay?" Monty asked poking his head out and in between Jasper and karteria.
"Yeah, I am." Daloka replied back stepping over a log and knelt down to pick a flower.
Karteria sees this and made a drill of slight humor. "A Man person of flowers I see."
The Spartan glanced over at her. "Yes, but not by much."
"Not by much... What do you mean by that?" Octavia inquired, noting that she wasn't the only one with that thought.
Daloka was tempted to lie to them, yet after observing the children, he could see that their attitudes resemble those of some he considers non-hostile. "Someone I knew, two of them. They'd love this place, the man. I'd say he favors flowers over guns any day or time."
"Two." Clarke butted in for she tried to ignore the small chatter between the two but couldn't help herself and asked out of curiosity. "That must mean, there was another person?"
"Yes." Answered Daloka.
"And I take it that they're something like you?" A Precise karteria asked receiving a nod from him.
"Yes." Daloka replied back nonchalantly. "Something like me."
"If there's one like you, does that mean there's another person wearing the same armor as ya?" Monty, ever so inquisitive, asked the question while his mind calculated that someone as tall as the Spartan was unlike anything he or anyone from the Ark had previously encountered or seen.
"Yes." Daloka uttered back in slight disturbance, his mind rarely ever fitted with being spoken to by individuals who asked questions that they shouldn't.
Perhaps if these people weren't too intrigued by matters he considered classified, the Spartan would've mind adhering to their insistence in asking him questions.
"I do have a question of my own though?"
His head veered over to the side where karteria was walking alongside them. "Ask away."
"With you and your people far more distinct then that of ours. Where do you all come from. Or where yall from another ark?" the inquisitive karteria inquired.
"We aren't from around here." He said answering her, pleased to have always been prepared for issues like this. "And we definitely aren't from another one of these Ark you've mentioned.
"Then where exactly are you all from?" an intrigued fin spoke.
"That is a matter you aren't going to get from me, nor am I telling you." Daloka told him with a straight yet firm tone of voice.
Jasper brought both arms up in a universal sign of surrender as he made a jest. "No need to get defensive big man. We're just asking."
Daloka in the midst of his stroll veered his helm over to the young boy. Just the simple turn of his head made the kid suddenly rethink his choice of words, as if he thought what he said was wrong.
I wasn't trying to be defensive; I'm simply mentioning matters I considered private."
Monty seeing his pal trekked over and nudged Jasper by his side."Woah man, it looks like to me that you were about to crap your pants. Did the big bad robot scared you?"
"Enough jokes you two!" Clarke told them slightly bothered by their lack of attention to the surroundings.
"Whatever you say captain!" Jasper jested as he gave a mocking salute to the girl.
....
For a while the six youngsters including Daloka were striding across the forest, fin being the ladies man he is knelt down and plucked a flower from the dirt soil of the ground.
The Spartan and the others watched as fin slowly moved the side of Octavia's hair and slid the flower in between her ears.
"How'd you like it?" fin smiled receiving half a smile from the girl.
"How'd I like it. I'd say it's nice to get something from earth, instead of lab grown plants on the Ark." Octavia responded twirling her hair with a finger.
Jasper slapped Monty lightly on his shoulder and made a comment on the duo's. "Now that my friend, is romantic."
Monty with an indifferent look just walked along as he replied back. "No, that my friend is poison sumac."
Upon hearing Monty's six words, Octavia gently removed the flower from her ear while addressing Fin, who was apologizing for his mistake.
"Relax, that flower isn't poisonous, or contagious. They won't harm you in a way you think." Monty stated reassuring the slightly panicked octavia. "Chill, they are medicinal calming and actually helps in many ways."
Octavia still unsure of monty's words questioned him for she couldn't be sure if he was lying or not. "Are you sure your telling the truth or not?" Octavia told him doubting Monty.
Thankfully the Spartan came in at the right moment answering her for the Asian kid. "He speaks the truth." Daloka uttered gaining octavia's attention.
"How'd you know of that?" Karteria inquired intrigued by how the Spartan knew of it.
Yet to his response Daloka veered his helm over to her direction. "I've learned of different types of plants, during my cadet years. Ones that are helpful in case of dire times. Like that plant right there."
The groups of kids who all along glanced at a specific plant or flower. "What is it?" karteria asked.
"It is a plant called the pot marigold. It's used for medicinal options such as cuts, scrapes or even skin inflammation." the Spartan told them knowing that this small bit of information would help the group in future times.
"You know. I was hoping you weren't so smart." An exaggerated karteria said. "No offense."
"None taken." Daloka replied
Clarke Griffin paused in her stride before them, turning around atop the small rocky hill, which elevated her above everyone as she addressed the group. "Hey guys would yall try and keep up."
"Come on blonde." replied fun bringing both arms up. "How can you block all of this fun out."
"Well it-it's simple don't you think. I mean, haven't you wonder why we have not seen any animals since we've landed."
"I don't know." Spoke up karteria. "Maybe it is because they've all died due to the radiation poisonous."
"What if we are breathing it now?" inquired Jasper.
"If the radiation poisoning were to still run in the air right now, nearly everyone back at the landing site would have unfortunately passed away in under two hours." a nonchalant Daloka stated making everyone around him turned towards him. "In other words. You'd all be dead."
"May I ask if this suggests that there might still be animals living on Earth?" an intrigued Clarke asked.
The Spartan proceeded forward, his height nearly matching that of Clarke's head, who was on the hill. "Correct. And if there are animals still living on the planet, then that means there's also people, humans living on here as well." Responded Daloka making everyone drawn towards him due to his answer.
With this statement Clarke quickly made her way over to the Spartan along with the others."Wait, so what you are saying is that there might be a possible chance, that people might've survived the nuclear outbreak years ago?"
"Ninety seven years ago that is." Uttered an uncaring Octavia. "People did flew up to join the twelve space stations before the outbreak."
"Well, I may not know the sole reasons as to why that had happened. But with what the two of you told me, my answer would have to be yes. Let's exclude the people that took to the sky." Daloka said pointing one finger up at the mention of it. "While the outbreak may had transpired, others, such as the grounders or to put it simply, survivors may have built some underground bunkers deep into the earth's ground. From that point onward, people can and could survive without exposing themselves to the toxic air contaminated by nuclear radiation."
Once the genuine statement from the Spartan, known as the walking tank, was shared, people began forming their own thoughts regarding the surprising news.
On the other hand, Clarke, as well as that of karteria and fin were deliberately thinking of the issue. That maybe, if maybe what Daloka hit them with, was true or not.
While the matter might have been surprising to the six of them, Clarke proceeded ahead to meet the Spartan who was in front.
The girl slowed her steps when she closed in on him. However, the Spartan brought one hand up, armored forearm straightened into a fist. A military signed universally known by many of those in the military.
Clarke, curious about the reason, nonetheless followed the Spartan's signal as he gestured for her and the others to stop.
"What is it?" Clarke said whispering in silence so as to make sure whatever the armored giant found wouldn't hear them.
In response to her and the group, Daloka pointed forth. The six of them who's gazes followed after where he gestured were immediately shown in a mix of amazement, awe wonder and disbelief.
"There's your first living thing beside humans." Uttered Daloka watching as the kids were still transfixed by the appearance of seeing their first animal on earth.
"I Forgot the name of that animal though. What is it?" a lost Jasper asked as he got a dumbfounded look from those around him.
"It's a deer." Answered Clarke. "I've learned about one of earth's numerous animals during my time on the Ark."
"Then it's a good thing you did." Added Daloka.
"I wonder what gender it is?" murmured Monty.
"Aren't you supposed to be the smart one here?" a slightly dumbfounded karteria told him for she had expected him to be intelligent besides Clarke and their armored companion.
"I've learned of many things up on the Ark, that doesn't mean I got the chance to gain knowledge on all different kinds of animals." countered Monty who nudges the young woman back.
"It's a male, if that is what you are wondering." The Spartan says putting a stop on the two of them before they could've berated each other on about an animals gender.
"What he says is true you two." Clarke told them as she pointed out at the animal. "From what my mother once told me, the easiest and best way for a person to tell the difference between a deer, are the antlers."
"Beside what the animal's gender being a male, what other words do people call's it?" Jasper asked speaking out of his own interest.
"Wait what are you doing fin!?" Clarke muttered speaking firmly yet loud so as to not exposed themselves.
"Relax, I just wanna get a closer look." Fin spoke to her reassuringly in a quiet manner as he quietly advanced forward.
Regrettably for Fin, as he proceeded quietly, his right foot landed on a twig, which snapped effortlessly in half. As a result of this unfortunate event, the deer raised its head and looked toward the group, causing them to gasp in surprise at the disfigured sight of the buck to which the animal immediately galloped off and away and into the other side of the forest.
"Nice job fin." Jasper said to fin though not so much as the two face head of the deer irked him in disgust.
"What happened to it?" Clarke consulted watching as the buck dissappear from the grassy sun light of the land.
Daloka provided his insights on the matter in response to Clarke's inquiry.
"Certain theorists from my home world have suggested that animals may have a higher likelihood of surviving or adapting over time in the event of a nuclear incident."
"Is that even possible?" Jasper asked him wondering if what the armored man said was true.
The Spartan stood up in his full height, glanced at the path the animal had taken, and then replied. "I Think the buck should answer your question."
Jasper glance to his right side and then back on the Spartan as he made a clicking sound with his mouth. "Okay, I guess you got a point on that."
"I Guess you got a brain after all." The humorous Daloka told him as he took a step back when Clarke strode passed him and Jasper.
"Come on you guys, we should get going while we still can."
Octavia looked between the Spartan, Jasper and the others. "I swear, that girl can be such a mood killer."
"On our current situation, I'd say it's worth it." Daloka conferred turning as he lifted the heavy bag Clarke ordered for him to carry. "Besides, it's better that we have people who are willing to step up for the wellbeing of others. Now come on, no time to stand around and talk."
"No time to stand around and talk." karteria said mockingly as she copied the spartan's words in the tone similar to that of a toddler.
Octavia along with Jasper Monty and fin chuckled at Karteria's actions following Daloka, as she gently nudged the young woman."For once I agree with you on that."
.....
The Ark, Two Hours Before Sof Made Land.
Orbiting within Earth's trajectory was the Ark, a space station comprising all twelve vessels that had been deployed prior to the nuclear catastrophe on the planet.
Although such a treacherous event occurred nearly a century ago, others found ways to survive before the outbreak, one notable example being the Ark.
Although that time has long passed, the knowledge and experiences gained by the survivors and their children continue to hold value.
However, the time for hiding on earth's space was slowly starting to dwindle down in not minutes, hours, days or weeks, but months. Specifically four months.
*Slammed*
"Four months, Callie, that's all we got before
Before this entire prison of a stationed finally collapses down onto earth." Abigail griffin told her friend frustrated of the impending doom that is soon to come for the inhabitants of the Ark.
"I know that." Cece replied to her friend understanding where she was coming from. "Look on the bright side, at least Clarke and the ninety nine other kids will be sent down to walk on the earth's soil."
"I Want to believe you on that Callie." Abigail says running a hand through her long gray silky hair. "Trust me, I truly want to. But I just can't help but feel like I've made a mistake for putting her on that dropship."
Callie walked forth and set one hand on her friends shoulder as she joined Abigail where they leaned their back up against the cold steel wall.
"On that I do agree." Cece responded knowing she'd be lying if she wasn't. "However, we still have time to observe whether the children proves that the Earth can once again be a place where we can all walk freely on its surface."
Abigail only shot her friend a genuine smile, appreciating Callie for her sincere honesty as well as her attempts at reassuring her in time of uncertainties.
"Come now council woman." Cece said getting up first while offering a hand to Abigail. "We gotta go see if the kids made land or no-
Just as Callie was about to finish her sentence, a sudden rumbling began transpiring around their position. During the shake, the metal table to their right started rattling, which caused the cup on top to fall and break upon impacting the metal floor.
The sudden occurrence prompted those nearby to respond quickly and with concern during and after the incident.
After cece had pulled the council woman to her feet, Abigail looked to where cece was pointing at.
"What the hell is that?" was all Abigail could mutter at the mere size of the behemoth that is the sister of fire.
The giant of a ship that is sister of fire can be shown slowly and gradually falling down, fire appears to come to life as it enters earth's atmosphere.
"Abigail, report to the control room. I repeat report to the control room." the familiar voice of a certain man said speaking her name
Already the two woman were rushing towards to path the control room was located in. Although it took some time, they eventually succeeded when they came upon a particular white and Greyish black room, two guards moved apart as they passed by.
Marcus Kane, a man in his early forties, specifically forty one years old of age. In his blackish flow hair stood along with his aid commander shumway.
"Doc, it is good to see that you are here."
"Seeing as how you are here before us, can you tell me why we just saw a ship, the size of a small citie flying by the ark!?" Abigail asked him, not expecting a hysterical response from him.
Marcus turned to face the council woman and made a sardonic comment on her inquiries."Oh I wish I had an answer for you Ms. Griffin. But as you can see, we are just as lost as you."
"What are the current status on the one hundred kids in that dropship?" Abigail asked with evident concern for her daughter, her thoughts returning to the last time she had held Clarke before the expedition.
Eric Jackson, Abigail personal aid quickly swiped and tapped his fingers away at the mere mention of his mentor's words. "A Hundred percent ma'am. But I wouldn't wanna jinx it yet." Eric added showing the council woman an image of the letters that he caught sight of the ship.
Abigail thanked her aid as she accepted the tablet from him. Once she and cece took a good look on what was on the tablet, the two of them were both in deep thought of the sof.
"How long did you all initiated the one hundreds to be sent down." Abigail asked fearing whatever it is that's on the unknown that is the sof.
For the moment Abigail received nothing but an empty silence from those within the control room, but evantually got an answer when Marcus nodded towards Nelson, one of his aids.
"Ma'am, we had just sent the dropship before an unknown ship appeared from what seemed like a wormhole." Nelson reported to the woman who only trekked past him and went to take a look at the large forty foot square inch screen on the Far side of the room.
Within the monitoring system, the screen she was looking at, it consisted of all the status of every prisoners of the dropship, displaying their vital signs as well as their heart rate.
One particular prisoner was the picture of a young seventeen year old girl. The council woman's eyes veered right at the person's name. "Clarke." She uttered and then turned to face the others behind her. "We need to warn them, inform them of the unknown spaceship that had just skipped the dropship. We don't know if the people that are on that thing is friend or foe."
Marcus Kane, who is the head of security on the Ark, stepped forward and gently raised his hand to reassure the woman."Calm down council woman. I'm sure we'll find out about them once the one hundred prisoners makes contact with our new guests."
Abigail strode forth, turned and stood next to him and glanced upwards at the man. "They are not just our prisoner Marcus. Those kids on the dropship could be our very best hope of finding out if the earth is safe for a possible chance of walking on the earth. For everyone on the Ark to live free from our impending doom."
"I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point, Ms griffin." Marcus countered turning to face Abigail, refusing to let the woman talk down on him as if he was some kid. "So I will say it this. Relax, calm down, we will see if the earth is breathable, and if it is. I'm certain the kids will report to us on what and who our new guests are."
.....
Not long since the group had since left the grassy hill of their first animal encounter, the seven of them were now traveling towards a direction of their supossed first river after their one day of resting and sleeping.
The peaceful stroll was momentarily broken when Octavia sighed dramatically and then spoke. "How long away are we from this mount weather. We've been walking, for what, hours."
"Three hours and thirty six minutes. Which means it'll take us a while until we reached our destination." reported the Spartan who received an eye roll from Octavia, a chuckle from Karteria, as well as the two boys, Jasper and Monty.
"You know." Octavia descends onto the dirt ground once more, her height barely reaching the armored chest of the giant. "You and Ms. Bossy here could probably match each other with the way you two seem to report everything that passes by."
The Spartan only stared down at Octavia, helm reflecting her face back on the teenager. "Noted." He says catching sight of the Blake girl face forming into that of someone being angry at the way he seemed to respond in a calm manner.
"Hey guys." Spoke Clarke breaking the intense scene between the two.
"What!?" Octavia responded as she saw Clarke and karteria pointing at their left side.
"Guess what. We've just found our first river!" an excited karteria replied back.
Upon hearing the news, Octavia's mood changed, whereas she quickly went to join the two of them on gazing at the river.
However, the moment of fascination they experienced while observing the river was abruptly interrupted when the rebellious Octavia cut past the two young girls and headed toward a small cliff.
"Octavia what the hell are you doing!?" Spoke clarke in mere apprehension of her rash decision.
Octavia ignored the questioning words of th Griffin girl as she began undressing, by removing her black leather jacket, following by reaching up and pulled her long sleeve shirt, leaving only a red shirt on, and that of her underwear.
After she had done so, the Blake girl faced the group and gave them a wave and made a comment before jumping off. "I Wanna go for a swim. You scaredy cats can stay up here and talk to each other for all I care. That is unless yall got the balls for some little water!"
"Octavia!" Clarke said uttering the girl's name only to watch her leap off and onto the river.
All five of the Ark kids made their way towards the spot the Blake girl was in, following by a the Spartan who was carefully keeping watch of their surroundings.
Once they stood by the cliff Octavia had jumped off. They looked down at Octavia who's top head could only be seen from the way she was in the water.
"Octavia." Uttered Monty in pure awe of seeing river for the first time in his life. "We can't swim."
"No." Octavia responded as she rose, with only her chest and stomach emerging above the water's surface. She raises both arms out and above it in a cross like formation. "But, we can stand."
"Wait guys. There isn't supposed to be a river here?" Questioned Clarke while everyone was in the midst of taking off their clothes for a swim.
Fin who was struggling to untie his shoes, hopping on one foot replied to her in an excited tone. "Well too bad princess. There is, so for once in a while. Stop being a party popper and take off your damn clothes."
While everyone was still changing, the Spartan walked over with his boots clattering and paused beside Fin and Jasper. Within his helmet, the visor's upper right corner showed a view of the river.
"Hold on."
At the moment Daloka was about to inform the group regarding the blinking red light on his HUD radar motion tracker, karteria looked up at the giant and did a quick slap at the side of his armored forearm.
"Please do not kill the mood right now robot." The slightly irritated woman told him wishing that he had stayed behind. "We've already have clarke as a parent, we don't need another."
Jasper, while removing his other shoe, paused upon noticing a small movement in the water roughly forty feet from where the Blake girl was. He then took two steps forth to take a clear look on what it is that was gradually moving towards the obvious Octavia.
When he eventually realized something was wrong, his mind registered the danger, and he immediately called out her name. "Octavia get out of the water!"
When everyone beside Daloka heard the sudden change in jasper's mood, they followed to where he was looking at.
However, the child sensed he might have been too late, as Octavia turned to understand what Jasper was trying to warn her about. Unfortunately for her, She saw too late, when a shadowy figure slithering it's way as it gradually moved closer, with the water above it forming an arrow-like motion indicating its approach.
"Octavia, get out of the water now!"
Octavia didn't had to be told a third time and immediately began paddling her way towards the groups direction. Her heart pounded with every beat that goes on every seconds, indicating her fear of whatever creature was chasing after her. But sadly, she came onto a stop near the walls of the six foot cliff she had jumped from.
Her heart rate began beating at a rapid pace, fear beginning to swell up as she watches the topside of the creature as it closes in on her. She inhaled and exhaled sharply in fear upon seeing the water snake, which was nearly as long as four adult men in length. It's void dark eyes shown, mouth opened out when it was four feet from her.
Everyone screamed out in a frantic, fearing for the Blake girl's life.
Luckily, for the Octavia, Daloka dropped his rifle and handgun, and leaped down towards the sea beast and clashes upon impact with the sea snake.
The splashing sounding like a cannon ball, causing Octavia and the others to look the opposite way.