Part 35

Battlestar Olympus
Conference Blue

+27:04:19

(Mahn)

Children are both a true blessing and a constant trial; I knew this as well as any guardian or parent. Their innocence made them precious, something to be protected and loved above all others. Their often-boundless energy could test both patience and stamina beyond any training course I'd yet run. That they knew all this, and never failed to use their absolute dependence upon adults to their benefit, often left me to wonder which side was the more intelligent.

However, no matter what trials my siblings or Aurora set against me, I never never before thought any child to be a true spawn of the most depraved, monstrous demon from the deepest pit of the underworld. Never!

Cassandra Adama was making me seriously re-think that conviction.

After Aurora had rolled onto her back, Kasey had decided it would be fun to start 'flying' her Viper again, this time around the whole of the room. Aurora amused herself by slowly rolling onto her side and was even now struggling to her feet, a once-Herculean task for her that she had mastered. Paya thankfully remained asleep but doubtless would wake soon; of the three, she worried me the least despite her health concerns.

Aurora was a known quality. She was mobile, yes, but did not seem to have the usual boldness that toddlers exhibited. If anything, she studied her surroundings, with an intensity and caution I found unsettling for one so small; she would move only once she was satisfied there were no obstacles or challenges too great for her, a rare occurrence.

The Colonel for whatever reason, did not share my discomfort and never offered a reason for her calm acceptance of her offspring's manner. I could only presume her confidence came from knowledge of the child's father, who to date had gone unnamed and unremarked upon, at least by name.

I had known within minutes that Kasey would be the real challenge. What I had seen of her in the past hours left me wondering what sort of home life she had lived in to date. Her aggressive and demanding manner for one so small did not leave me encouraged. I interpreted it not as a sign of overindulgence - those signs I knew quite well enough - but of deprivation and neglect. She wasn't utterly emotionally cut-off from others, thankfully, as her unhidden concern for Paya showed. Her short description of her mother's passing told me a great deal as well.

My initial choice of 'toys' for them to play with was as much to sound out her reactions as keep her engaged. She wasn't hesitant about engaging in play and showed no negative reactions to military ships. Since her guardian - I tentatively concluded Delegate Adama was not the biological father of either girl based on appearances alone - was in the Quorum, she must have had ample exposure to the military end of their fleet. Her choice to play with Vipers interested me, as had her behavior back in the Colonel's cabin.

That was another thing I puzzled over. Delegate Adama's sudden arrival aboard aside, Kasey's abruptly throwing herself into the bedroom without invitation or permission had simply happened too fast for me to absorb, never mind comment. I couldn't help but feel embarrassed by my sloth, my perception and reflexes having apparently been dulled by the last year. I made a note to do something about that once we were home.

Kara's evident ease and familiarity with the child when she emerged from the back room suggested a prior association. There were large tracts of her history that were still unknown so her being friends with Kasey was certainly possible. The child's affection for Vipers was therefore at least partially explained.

However, the rest of it worried me, most especially her unrestrained attitude, which went beyond just a typical five-year-old asserting her growing independence. Dr. Creo's order that the children and their parents attend him at Life Station once the latter returned helped more than he might realize. It would allow a more comprehensive examination of these girls than I could likely manage however covertly, and perhaps address other concerns of their emotional well-being as well.

Unfair as it might be, I couldn't help but be angry with Kara just now for setting Aurora aside so heedlessly and not checking in once over the last five-plus hours. Yes, I understood the enormous significance of her people's arrival, and could just imagine the many complications and contingencies that would have to be ironed out. In that context, Delegate Adama's presence here was perfectly logical.

Surely, her priorities weren't thrown so completely askew she had forgotten her own child. Admiral Rice, Commodore Avery-Hunter, and Major Agathon had been checking in at semi-regular intervals. They were never demanding or sounding overly concerned, merely seeking reassurance all was well. Even Secretary Richards - who sounded as if he were personally overseeing every aspect of contact with the Colonials and was ready to collapse from it – had called in a couple times.

Yet from both Colonel Thrace and Delegate Adama? Nothing. It was most disconcerting.

I had called the kitchens, having a simple meal prepared and delivered for the girls. Fruit salad, unsalted crackers and lightly-flavored juice had kept Kasey occupied for the whole of ten minutes and was tearing off again; not once did she let go of her Viper while she ate.

Paya was slower in eating and frequently rubbed her eyes. Once she was done, she took herself back to the sleeping bag I'd laid out for her, but did not go back to sleep. This was a small relief, as I doubted sleeping so much for any child was a healthy thing. Instead, she simply sat down and watched the rest of us with a serious, nervous look. I took this for the warning it was and kept my distance.

Then there was Aurora, who was insistent upon holding her own crackers and sippy cup, but adamantly refused the fruit salad. If experience was any guide, she'd throw her spork and the salad cup with uncanny accuracy at my jacket. Deciding discretion was the better option, I set the salad aside and made sure she had her fill of the rest. I'd leave feeding her more substantial foods to her mother, who was in serious danger of getting a piece, several pieces, of my mind when we had a quiet moment.

The meal done, I divided my attention several ways: Kasey was racing all about and eyeing the tables against the wall; Aurora back to crawling-stumbling here and there; and Paya, who silently regarded the world with so sorrowful an expression I wondered if she had not been born with such a face.

"Kasey, stay away from those tables," I called out, moving close to Aurora, who in turn was making a beeline for Paya. The child naturally ignored me and continued eyeing the furniture. Aurora by this point had reach Paya and positioned herself to sit opposite her, all but mirroring her slightly hunched posture. Their profiles, from where I crouched, bore some passing resemblance - same basic nose structure, rosy cheeks, and thick mops of hair - making their competing expressions of innocent joy and deep sorrow all the more striking.

"Whosh! Whosh! Whosh!" Kasey breathed loudly, prompting me to glance her way for a moment. She hadn't managed to find a way onto the tabletop, but it was only a matter of time.

"Stop it," a new voice hissed. Turning towards it, I saw that Paya was batting Aurora's outstretched arm away. Aurora did not take offense and just leaned in again.

"Aurora," I chided sharply. "Do not bother Paya if she doesn't want..."

"Whosh!" Kasey cried as she jumped off a table. How the devil had she managed to get up there? Fortunately, for our collective hearing she landed somewhat softly, loosing her balance and tumbling onto her backside. She looked about momentarily confused, but otherwise was unhurt.

"Cassandra! I told you to stay away from there."

"I'm Kasey!" she shouted in reply, getting to her feet and preparing to race back to the table. I caught her in my arms, tossing her into the air and catching her easily. This served to both distract and dissuade her from another try, or so I hoped. She was no lightweight and I didn't wish to try it again.

"Again!" Kasey demanded, just as Paya batted as Aurora again.

I could only sigh. Sigh, and pray the parents of these three resurfaced soon from...whatever they were doing. Likely as not, it was some official debriefing of the Colonel.

But what kind of debriefing, however comprehensive, took over five hours?

TBC...on the next page!