Elara's Story

"Read it again!" Elara exclaimed, smiling up at her mother, Celeste.

Her mom let out a quiet laugh, "Elara, you need to sleep! It's past your bedtime."

"But I'm not tired." The young girl pouted.

Her mom shook her head, "You need sleep. Once I leave the room and turn off the lights, you'll be asleep faster than I can say Robin Hood."

Elara smiled. "I'm gonna be just like him when I get older."

Celeste gently smiled at her daughter, "I love that you want to help those less fortunate. But you can't be just like him because you'll be breaking the law."

"Well the law is stupid. Poor people need our help and the rich don't need half the things they have!"

Celeste tucked a stray piece of hair behind the girl's ear. "That may be true, but maybe find other ways to help people."

"Alright mama." The young girl sighed.

"Now. Bed." Celeste placed a chaste kiss on the girls forehead, "I love you Elara."

"I love you too mama."

*_*_*_*_*_*

Elara quietly makes her way towards her boyfriend's place. Once he opens the door she smiles brightly. "Hey Atlas." She gives him a quick kiss then makes her way inside. "I need your help with something."

"What's up?" He asks, sitting next to her.

"I need you to make me a master key card so that I can get into every apartment on the Ark."

"I can't-" Atlas starts.

"Don't even try, you can't hide anything from me. I know that you're a great hacker and I'm not going to turn you in or tell anyone. You're the only one I trust to make me this."

Atlas sighs, "How did you find out?"

Elara smirks, "I have my ways." Atlas opens his mouth to protest but once again Elara speaks, "I love you Atlas. The less you know the better it will be. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me. I already didn't want to ask you to make me the key card but like I said before, you're the only one I trust."

A small smile makes its way onto Atlas's face, "Alright, I'll do it. But please be careful. I don't have to be a genius to know that whatever you need the key card for is not something legal."

"I'm always careful."

*_*_*_*_*_*

Just a week after Elara got the master key card from Atlas, she noticed a change in her best friend, Nova. She tried on multiple occasions to talk with her and see if she was okay but the girl kept pushing her away.

Then one day when she got home from her medical training with Abby, Elara noticed her parents looking upset. Elara quietly shut the door to the apartment and sat down next to her mother and father, "What's wrong?"

Her parents exchanged a look, both unsure of how to break the news to their daughter. Finally, Celeste spoke, "Nova was arrested."

The words hit Elara like a truck. Her mouth fell open but no words came out. She shakes her head then chokes out, "What? What happened? Why was she arrested?"

Jacopo decides to answer this time, "Marcus told us that she assaulted a guard. Though we were hearing some talk that she was caught stealing."

Celeste gently grabbed her daughters shaking hand, "I think we should believe Marcus, there is no reason for him to lie to us. We wanted you to be aware about the things others are saying though."

Elara nods, her eyes staring at the empty space in front of her. "I can visit her though, right? On the Skybox visiting days?"

Jacopo sighs, "Unfortunately no, Marcus also told us that she is going to be put in solitary. He is still going to be visiting her though so if you want to say anything to her or give her anything let him know."

The teenager slowly nods. "Okay, I think I'm going to go to my room."

"Are you alright? We know this must be hard-"

"I'm fine mom." Looking at her parents' faces she speaks again, "Really, I'm fine. I just need to process it." Her parents nod and watch as she walks out of the room.

*_*_*_*_*_*

Elara walks the halls of the Ark just making her way back from helping Abby with a birth. She politely smiles at the other Ark residents. When the hall is empty she pulls out a key card. The same master key card she got from her now ex-boyfriend, Atlas, two years ago.

She puts the key card in and steps through the door, silently closing it behind her. "Okay, let's see what I can get today."

The room that she is in belongs to one of the councilmen. She starts searching, making sure that she puts everything right back where she found it. She quickly finds some jewelry that she can trade for rations.

She grabs some, not enough that it's noticeable, and quickly leaves the room. She heads down to the main part of the Ark, not wanting to waste time in trading the pieces.

She makes her trade and then heads down to the factory station. Each week Elara changes the working station that she helps. She makes her way to the less fortunate people in the station and quickly gives out the rations. Everyone she helps thanks her and tries to offer something in return. Though they should know by now that Elara always refuses.

She doesn't do this because she wants something in return, she does it because she wants to help. She wants to make a difference. Over the last two years she learned that even the littlest bit can help. She's learned how to sneak around without being caught and knew not to tell anyone how she was getting the rations.

The working people knew not to question it, though they all had their suspicions. They wouldn't say anything even if those suspicions had been right, after all, Elara helps them more than they could hope for.

*_*_*_*_*_*

After a long day in the medical bay with Abby, then helping the mecha station with getting some extra rations, Elara returned to her room.

"Hi mama." She says entering the room and kissing her mother on the cheek.

"Hello. How was your day?" Celeste replies. A smile on her lips as she looks at her daughter.

"Good. I got to help Abby with some checkups. Before her mom gets to reply a knock is heard at the door. "I'll get it." Elara stands up and makes her way over to the door.

When she opens it she sees three Ark guards standing in front of her, "Elara Sinclair?" The first guard asks, though she's pretty sure he knows it's her.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" She politely asks the guards, though she didn't need them to tell her that she was caught.

"You're under arrest for breaking the Ark laws." Elara bit her lip as the guard turned her around and to put her in cuffs.

Celeste looks on in shock, "What? What law did she break?"

Elara looks down to avoid her mom's gaze, "She stole numerous items from different councilmen."

"What proof do you have?" Her mother asks.

"We have video footage of her breaking and entering and stealing jewelry."

"Elara..." Her mom trails off, hand pressing to her mouth to stop a sob.

Elara looks up as the guards start pulling her out of the room, "I'm sorry mama."