7
Knott
A Day in the Life
[word count 1672]
The sun poured into the office, flooding the space with warmth and light. The white walls and tiles on the floor made Secretary of State Laura Roslin squint her eyes ever so slightly against the glare. The hovercrafts above hummed and whirred as men and women were wrapping up their business for the day.
Laura glanced down at her journal. As soon as this doctor's appointment was through, she was to fly exactly one hundred miles out of the atmosphere to convince one Commander Bill Adama to update the Galactica's computer system after twenty or so odd years. A networked computer system, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, was just common sense. It had been decades since the Cylons had attacked them and then fled for a new planet, and keeping outdated technology out of some antiquated fear of attack was simply foolish.
She began making little notes in her journal- no PDA for her- and hardly noticed the doctor slide into his desk. He was wearing some fancy cologne that immediately gave her a headache. His hair was styled, not cut, and his shoes cost easily as much as her last rent payment.
"I'm afraid the tests are positive…"
Laura nodded and smiled, not really listening to what he was saying. Why was the Commander so unwilling to upgrade? She'd heard him speak on several occasions and he seemed reasonable.
"I would recommend a daily regiment of pills…"
"No, I don't think I will…"
So why wouldn't he just update the computers? Why did he have to be a pain in the President's side? If he had just agreed she'd be home by seven tonight in time to watch the game. But no, she was flying into space on some asinine mission at the request of the President.
"But if you decide to, there's no reason to think you won't be perfectly fine."
Laura smiled. "Well, good. If that's all, I have other things to attend to." She offered him her best political smile.
"Certainly, Madam Secretary."
She rose and shook his hand. Her heels clicked as she made her way to the door.
Thirty minutes later the aircraft was making its way out of the atmosphere. This was the part she hated, the sudden loss of gravity, the spinning sensation. She took off her glasses and rubbed her temples, willing the throbbing sensation to stay away just a little while longer.
"Madam Secretary?"
"Yes, Billy?"
"I need you to sign this. It's a letter from the teacher's union…"
Laura tuned him out and scribbled her name on the document before he could finish his explanation.
"If that's all…" She flashed a smile.
With a nod, he withdrew.
What would her mother say about her eldest daughter, Laura, if she saw her now? Would she be proud? Would she tell her to keep working? To take time off? What would the President say?
"Madam Secretary,"
"Yes, Billy?"
"This is the schedule for tonight's meetings."
"Thank you."
"I was wondering how your appointment went-"
Laura quickly stood and straightened her suit jacket.
"If that's all?"
"Yes ma'am."
She rushed into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Collapsing against the door, she unbuttoned her blouse and placed her hand just slightly lower than her pounding heart, willing it to heal, to be better, to stay with her a little longer. But as the tears threatened her vision she withdrew her hand and composed herself.
Two hours later Laura found herself walking around the Battlestar Galactica, a war vessel that was easily the size of several sporting arenas. Though a literature scholar, she had to admire the science and engineering that kept such a ship flying high above the planet. She wondered how the Commander could be so against new computers on the ship when at one point in time the Galactica was the world's foremost example of human technological achievement.
"Madam Secretary, if you'll wait here the Commander will be with you shortly." A small man in a crisp uniform motioned for her to enter a small conference room.
"Thank you,"
"Shall I get you some tea?"
"Coffee. If that's all,"
"Yes ma'am."
Billy paced nervously around the room. He crossed and uncrossed his arms. Sat down in a chair. Stood right back up. Walked around the table. Sat down again.
"Madam Secretary, your coffee."
The young aide practically ran forward and took the mug from the soldier's hands and placed it in front of Laura.
"Billy, are you nervous about something?" Laura wanted to smirk, but just the smell of the coffee was already melting away her headache. She took a large gulp and was rewarded with a painful sting. The hot liquid burned her throat and ran a hot path down her body, settling somewhere deep in her stomach. It felt good.
"It's the uniform. I don't know, cops, military, they all make me, I don't know, well, you know, nervous."
Another large swig. "They're just people."
"And you're just Laura Roslin."
Another coffee hit. "I'm more human and mortal than you think."
"Madam Secretary,"
A clean cut man with several medals hanging from his uniform jacket entered the room.
"Commander Adama, I assume."
"Yes, walk? I enjoy walking and talking. Keeps you alive longer."
"Billy, you wait here. This won't take long."
The pair rounded the corner before they resumed talking. An armed guard followed behind them at a respectful distance.
"I'm not updating the computers."
Laura almost wanted to laugh. "You haven't even heard my side."
"I know your side. You're one of those types."
"Those types?"
"I've read your file. During your time as Secretary of Education you have pushed laws to give schools new technology, most of which passed through legislation with flying colors. Just recently you settled a teacher's union strike by offering even more technology incentives. I'll even bet the President's office is outfitted with the latest gear."
"As a matter of fact-"
"I know your type and I don't like your type. You want the easy way out. You're the kind of person who wants science to do the work so that the people can cop out of the back-breaking work that generations before them had to endure."
"Commander-"
"You're the kind of person that wants to take the medicine with a spoonful of sugar and forget the pain."
"Some might even recommend a daily regiment."
"Let me be frank, Madam Secretary, that might work for you, but it doesn't work on my ship. Linking together computers is malignant to my ship. No- not now, not ever. My men and women have and always will work on a network-free system. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good, now if that's all, I will see you at the flag ceremony."
After enduring another two hours of pompous military protocol and events, Laura was seated back on the aircraft that was to take her back to solid ground. She and a few high-level press members sat in first class while Billy and other secretaries sat behind. The plane gave a lurch and hurled itself out and away from Galactica's starboard side.
Against the blackness of space, it looked so large, so majestic, defying the laws of nature and science. A work of wonder. Some might even say a miracle. She wondered what it would be like to live on that ship, to walk those shiny silver corridors everyday, gun in tow, defending the billions of people living peacefully below.
Peaceful.
Speaking of peaceful, the plane had grown strangely quiet. The tapping of fingers on keyboards had stopped. The cart that was moving up and down the aisles had fallen silent.
Laura listened closer. If she wasn't mistaken, even the engines had stopped running. She unbuckled her seat and stood when Billy came up to her side.
"Madam Secretary,"
"There's something wrong, isn't there?"
"Nothing's confirmed, but some people are saying that there's rumors of a…" he lowered his voice, "… nuclear attack on the colonies."
She narrowed her eyes a fraction. Without replying, she turned around and headed to the cockpit.
Her knock was answered by a grave looking pilot. He was shaking, holding a note in his hand. Though he was looking at the words, he wasn't reading them, not really. Laura reached out and touched his hand, warm against her anemic fingers.
"May I?"
"Three million people in Caprica city alone." He whispered.
The report was short, obviously written in haste.
NUCLEAR ATTACK IN CAPRICA CITY CONFIRMED.
NUCLEAR ATTACK IN PICON CONFIRMED.
NUCLEAR ATTACK ON TAURON CONFIRMED.
NUCLEAR ATTACK ON SAGITTARON CONFIRMED.
CASE ORANGE.
The Secretary of Education had prepared for this. Her heart rate was even and her voice steady as she took charge of the current crisis.
"Case orange is an automatic message that the government defaults to in a time of crises, so I need you to send back my call number D-456-345-A. In the meantime we need to prepare this vessel to pick up any refugees that might have escaped before the attack. If that's all I will be I my seat, thank you."
Laura turned and left. The aisle seemed longer as she headed back. Collapsing in her seat, she removed her glasses and leaned her skull against the leather.
"Madam Secretary, is it true?"
"Yes, Billy, it's true."
He looked down at his feet, unsure of what to say.
"Billy, I need to tell you something."
"I know-"
"Billy, I don't think you do-"
"And I know you're not going to do anything about it either."
"Billy-"
"It's okay. I won't tell."
"Billy-"
She was interrupted by the pilot approaching. His face was a mask.
"Billy, excuse us."
"Certainly. Madam Secretary."
"No," the pilot said. "Not Secretary."
Billy stopped.
"How many ahead of you?" the pilot asked.
"Forty-two."
"Not anymore." He shook his hand and held out the latest report.
"Madam President,"
Laura reached into her pocket and withdrew her glasses. Nodding, she slipped them onto her nose and resumed her seat.
"Thank you. If that's all…"
7