1. Colonial One


The marble column is cold to his touch. Suits hurry past him, sending dust motes dancing in the sunlight. The Ministry is a tacky building, from a tacky time. And he is still in awe of it.

Billy walked past empty seats towards the forward cabin. Dust motes might be dancing in the fluorescent light. Desperate accommodations, for a desperate time. He wondered again whether it was crazy to put on a tie every morning – maybe even apocalypse could have a silver lining.

The office wireless was on.

"Morning, Nyota. What's the magic number?"

She smiled. "Still forty-seven-eight-ninety-nine."

"Good, starting the day off on the right foot."

Gray spoke without turning. "I think they got a head-start, Billy."

"… puppet Quorum that will rubberstamp every edict this power-mad schoolteacher will…"

"Talk wireless?" said Billy. "If we're going to rebuild civilization, can't we start with the good parts?"

"It could be worse," said Gray. "I heard a good one the other day: how do you tell a human from a Cylon?"

Billy thought about it. "I guess what makes us human is…"

"…fatuous gas bag who's made a fortune in kick-back deals…"

Gray sighed. "Time to relax in the Presidential Suite."

He went into Roslyn's office. Billy tried to ignore the broadcast.

He was almost succeeding when Tory stormed into the office.

"Attack?" asked Nyota.

"I wish. Just got a call from a Sagittaron contact, they've finished the vote tally. It's Zarek. They're announcing it any minute on the wireless."

Billy exhaled slowly. "Frak… There's no jumping away from that."

"Sure there is," said Tory, "just leave the Astral Queen behind."

Billy grinned. "I'll be sure to raise it with LR."

Gray and Roslin turned as he walked in.

"Excuse me, Madam President, you're gonna want to hear this."

#

"…Roslin and her confederates will no longer be able to ignore us. People of the fleet, look up – the winds of change are blowing. A new era is about to dawn."

Roslin looked from Gray to Billy. She certainly looked the mad school teacher now.

"That rabble-rousing populist. How did we not see this coming?"

"Laura," said Gray, "we don't exactly have a fully staffed office here…"

"I understand that, Wally. Which is why we prioritize. Zarek is a priority."

"Will you ask Adama for surveillance?" asked Gray.

"Proving Zarek right about the police state?" said Billy.

"I'm already the fascist, remember?" said Roslin. "We wait. Adama will be monitoring him for security reasons. Let's not add to Zarek's healthy sense of grievance until we have to. What of the rest of the Quorum?"

"Well," said Billy, "Perah Enyeto, the new Tauran representative, is waiting for an answer to her request."

"The answer is no," said Roslin, "Wally will talk to her."

"Understood," said Billy. "Also, Dr. Baltar won the Caprica seat."

"Like we need a celebrity playing politics," said Gray. "I hope he has the good sense to stay quiet."

"So say we all," said Roslin.

Nyota delivered a note to Gray. He scanned it and looked up.

"Zarek's office just called. They want to discuss protocol. They want to know whether you'll shake his hand."

"Everyone will be watching," said Billy. "Show them you haven't pre-judged him."

"This is post-judgement," said Gray. "Gods know he's done enough. Talk about shaking hands with the devil."

"I'll have to think about it," said Roslin. "Now, about the Quorum chamber. Why does it make me feel I'm on trial?"

"The prepcom insisted," said Billy. "They wanted it to resemble the one on Caprica."

"If they can't have all their powers," said Gray, "they'll start with the trappings. But we can't run on crisis mode forever – we'll need to wrangle with them on normalization."

"Delightful," said Roslin. "Thank you, boys, let's get ready for show-time."

Gray and Billy stood up to leave. Billy stopped at the door.

"Yes, Billy?"

"It's something Wallace said earlier. What would you say is the difference between human and Cylon?"

"I'd say the difference is a few billion in population, Billy. Our job is to keep that gap from widening."

"Yes, Madam President."

#

"… money is worthless. And yet we're all held hostage to the idea of the way things used to be…"

"Listening to that stuff will rot your brain," said Gray, walking into the office.

"That could help," said Tory. "Being right doesn't win you elections if everyone else is wrong."

"Cheery thought. We'll just have to be more persuasive. How's the draft mission statement coming along?"

"Food, employment, housing, education and healthcare," said Billy, handing him the folder. "But we need a storyline."

"I'll work on it tonight," said Gray. "What a day."

"Were you serious about not wanting to be VP?" asked Tory. "Not just being modest?"

"Absolutely," said Gray. "There were always people who wanted it more, and even a few who might be more competent at it. I'm not that modest. You kids are too young to remember Adar's career, that man was a machine - I guess that expression has a new meaning now. It's like the Leonese say: few people want to see how sausages are made. You need to want it bad, and be willing to let life take a backseat. I wasn't."

"What changed?" asked Billy.

Gray looked around. "What hasn't? We're less than fifty thousand. That's less than my hometown – the one I couldn't wait to get out of to join civilization. The pool is shallower. Street musicians are the best remaining performers in the galaxy. School teachers can become president, and maybe even advisors become advisees. Don't get me wrong, Adama and Roslin rose admirably to the occasion, and we're alive because of it. But suddenly there aren't that many better candidates around."

"Cheery thought," said Tory.

"How's the head-count?" asked Gray.

"Besides Virgon and Gemenon, Aerilon also declared for Zarek," said Billy. "The rest say they'll support us."

"Those frakking goat-herders really are a bunch of sheep," said Tory.

"And the wolf is lying among them," said Gray, standing up. "On that note, I still have work to do. Try to get some rest, tomorrow will be worse."

The two sat in silence.

"Thinking of her?" asked Tory.

"Actually," said Billy, "I was wondering how to tell a human from a Cylon."

"Easy," said Tory. "The Gemenese have a fail-proof witch-detection technique. You throw them out the airlock: if they're human, they're a martyr; if they're Cylon, they had it coming."