When the World Ended

Spoilers: miniseries
Summary: When the world ended, everyone was somewhere different.
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I don't own Battlestar Galactica, sadly enough. However, my birthday is on the 28th, so… I do own this story and all ideas contained within.
Author's note: In reply to some people who want me to continue stories or write longer ones, I do try. But so far, all the stories I've written are short one-shots, and they refuse to be longer. I am in the process of writing a longer fic, however; you may see it soon. I'll post what I have if anyone's interested. And thank you to PrairiedogRose for picking up on my Cyclops cabinet members.


When the world ended, Kara was in hack. She remembers thinking that, if not for Tigh losing control and kicking the table over and her punching him, she would have died. She wonders how he feels about saving her life, but she can't quite bring herself to ask him. She doubts he sees it that way, anyway, and if he does, he's probably hating himself. It's not as important as the other thing she thinks about. She thinks about the pilot she killed. It was her second time, the second pilot. She made sure to learn his name. Lt. Anders. The first was Zak.

When the world ended, Lee was in his father's old Viper. All he wanted to do was get out of it and back into his own, back to the Viper Mark VII with the words "Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama" written on the side. It wasn't until he got onto Colonial Heavy 798, after he'd destroyed two Cylon missiles, that he learned there was nowhere else he could've been and remained alive. If he'd died, he would have avoided a lot of things, but he would've missed many more. Seeing Kara's face when she looked up at him from working on her Viper. Getting a real, honest hug from his father for the first time. Seeing the people who survived. Hearing his father talk about Earth and believing him wholeheartedly.

When the world ended, Gaius was in his home, staring at the woman he'd been with for the past two years. A machine. A glorified toaster. The facsimile of a woman who'd just told him he would be responsible when the human race was obliterated, and then the first bomb hit. It hurt his eyes, and he had to turn away. He had to turn away from the destruction he'd caused by love that he wasn't quite sure could be called anything other than lust. He decided then not to feel guilty; it wouldn't help the situation and it certainly wouldn't help him. Besides, he hadn't known he was setting the world up to end. He'd done it out of love for the woman in front of him. By the time the explosion came and he hid behind her, he believed himself.

When the world ended, Laura was on Colonial Heavy 798, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on her. She was only off Caprica because no one else was politically unimportant enough to go to the Galactica's decommissioning ceremony, and because of that, she became the most politically important person in what was left of the human race. Forty-two people ahead of her. Forty-two people who had to die in order for her to become president. Forty-two deaths resting on her shoulders. Forty-two pairs of eyes watching her every move. Forty-two souls haunting her step. Forty-two reasons to learn how to be the best president she could be in the least amount of time.

When the world ended, Sharon was in her Raptor, watching people die. All she could see was the Vipers floating through space, and in her minds' eye, she could see the pilots inside, waiting for the death that was inevitable. On the wireless, she couldn't hear anything, but she could imagine some of them screaming as the Cylons opened fire. Some of them yelled and some of them stoically accepted her face. She could see the bodies flying out, and she could hear Helo telling her to leave. She left so many behind but somehow, she managed not to cry until she left him.

When the world ended, Helo was in a Raptor with Sharon, watching people die with her. The ending of the world didn't register until he was on Caprica, surrounded by fifty people who'd tried to bribe their way onto the Raptor and who would've killed if he and Sharon hadn't had their guns. It didn't register until he watched the Raptor lift off, watched Sharon's face as she left without him, watched her reach out for him. His heart left with her, and it took a long time for it to come back.

When the world ended, Adama was standing in CIC. He remembers seeing Lt. Gaeta's face when he handed over the sheet that said the world had ended and everything they knew had been destroyed. The hardest words he ever had to say were "Am taking command of Fleet." It was final. It was an ultimatum. He said it without pause, without hesitation. "To all Colonial units: Am taking command of Fleet. All units ordered to rendezvous at Ragnar anchorage for regroup and counterattack. Acknowledge by same encryption protocol. Adama." With those words, that simple collection of words, he acknowledged the destruction of the Fleet. He acknowledged that he was the commanding military officer, though he was only an old commander of the oldest ship. He acknowledged the end of the world.


please review? I'll love you forever! And if you've reviewed my other fics...I already do;)