It is the weekend and I have been writing a lot (nearing 106 pages and 28 chapters now). So you will get a couple of chapters before the busy work week starts.

Sending much appreciation to all of the persons who have commented and encouraged me to continue. Your feedback means a lot to me. I hope this chapter brings you some sweet, soothing and happy moments before we go into the darker chapters.

Chapter 12

Helena was taken away from her reverie by a voice calling her to attend a lab meeting. Research was continuing at a very fast pace, but as all of the artifacts were getting analyzed and taken apart, almost molecule per molecule, there was not much more to be learned from them, just confirmation of what they already knew. Helena's translation seemed to be holding all of the new information. She made copies of the decryption of the first tablet and handed the text to everyone to read. Translating was a tedious work and it was progressing slowly. As she was getting deeper into the life of these ancient people, she was forced to reflect on her own. Everyone who read the translation came back with their own excitement, and heated discussions, about planets and where those could be located. Surely her translation would be the object of an intense scrutiny from historian to politicians, who would eagerly analyze the story written, speculating on its origins. Helena knew there would be some who would even doubt that this was a true story. They would equate this to a very ancient myth, a fantastic story, sort of odyssey of the stars, which ancient populations once wrote. And without direct physical evidence of their space travel, it would be easy to interpret it as such. But Helena knew this story was factual not fiction, it really happened, not only because of the compelling evidence, but also because of the true voice of the woman writing. Laura's feelings were expressed in a simple yet honest voice coming from the heart. Determined to find more elements to the story, Helena asked to see a topographic map of the region to look for possible locations where remnants of this civilization could possibly be found as well as their settlements. She also requested access to satellite surveillance data from the region. She had spent a couple of hours looking at the satellite pictures and trying to identify settlements. They did not have enough resolution to explore these valleys and she could not even visualize properly some of these settlements. There was simply not enough data available on that region. Maps were imprecise, and some of the dense rain forests on the East sides of the Uluguru Mountains were said to be impenetrable and unexplored. Dr. Inoue said that he would find topographic maps for her and place a request for satellite imaging of the region. He mentioned that authorizations were in the process of being negotiated to gain access to these remote valleys and mountains, and the UNESCO and the UN had contacted the Tanzanian government to that effect. She could not wait to meet some of the local tribes and ask about their legends and tales. When she returned from the meeting, Helena went back to her laptop and continued her translation.

"Bill did not come back for several weeks. I missed him, but I was very busy. There was so much to do to settle into this new life. Men began to build solid constructions out of concrete, the first ones being the City Hall, its first stone laid by Baltar on founders' day. Life had changed: from our survival mode to something more domestic, working, feeding ourselves, building homes, teaching the children. For the first time ever, people were allowed to look back on our journey, grieve their dead, and reflect on the future. I thought of Bill a lot, and how much I missed our conversations and our friendship. The memories of that night spent together under the stars had been fogged by alcohol and the weed we smoked. I did not know how he felt about it, if, sober, he regretted his actions. Oh yes, I forget, Bill does not do regret. That makes me want to laugh! I had no regret. We had been happy and shared a moment of deep communion, closeness, understanding and intimacy. Days flew in a rush, busy as I was with the teaching. I took a few more walks up the hill, gathered more weed and rested by the lake, often enjoying the peace allowing me to catch up with the writing. I have not been writing each day, as I mostly come back to my tent, eat a bit, and then fall asleep."

"The weather brutally changed, taking away the welcome, the soft heat and the innocence of the summer. Strong winds from the west started to blow and would not stop days at a time. They would bring incessant rains and cold chills. The weather pattern was different on this planet that it had been on Caprica. We had been there almost one year by our colonial standards, but clearly the orbit of this planet around its sun, made the actual astronomical year longer and we had yet to experience winter. I would say the season we were at now would be Fall. On Caprica, fall had been my favorite season. I could not stop marveling at the breath-taking beauty of the changing leaves, from gold to deep red. And I used to take long walks in forests, which looked like a painter's canvas. Often summer would come back for a few days at a time and bring back heat and sun before completely disappearing. This was when the season was the most enjoyable, with the sun reflecting on these gorgeous colors. But here, the wind forcefully stripped all of the leaves off in a matter of only a few days, leaving ghostly bare trees against cloudy skies. Within a short week, we passed from a glorious summer to a murky fall. The incessant rains turned the ground into a mud pool with running little streams of brown water. Several tents collapsed as thin poles were sinking into the soft ground and would not bear the additional weight of soaked fabric. Heavy rain added extra pressure, and wind pushed the tents over. The river swelled from a gentle stream to a dangerous mountain torrent, ferocious and murderous brown. Walking outside became treacherous, as we would fall and slip on the mud and had to fight rain and wind. But everyone came together to strengthen the tents' support and pull the collapsed ones back up. This is when our first disaster happened."

"I was woken up in the middle of the night by screams and cries of horror. I ran out and met the others outside under a beating rain. Everyone was in shock as they saw that the rain had generated a mudslide along the riverbanks and had taken at least three large tents. The river had left its banks and flooded several other tents. We could not see very well in the darkness the extent of the devastation. Armed with flashlights from some of the ships, we searched all night for survivors, following the waters downstream. We walked barefoot on slippery ground and called out but found no one. The rain and the wind masked our voices, and our flashlights were most inefficient in detecting anyone. When the pale sun rose, and the sky turned a bleak shade of violet, we really saw the damage done. Several tents were missing, broken poles and straps of fabric were floating on the violent waters, mud had covered a quarter of the village. I came upon a small doll covered in mud, as I was searching with the others for survivors. The doll's hair was plastered with dark brown mud and its face was partially torn, one arm was missing. I took the doll in my shaking hands and suddenly remembered Camille, the little girl, I sent to her death when I left behind the ship without FTL drives. Gods, will you ever forgive me? I never had the time to properly grieve for those we lost. There was nothing I could have done for Camille or so many others that died because of my decisions as a president. At the time, I made the decisions, which I thought were the best. Yet, these people will never leave me, like ghosts present on my conscience. They will haunt me for the rest of my life. I remembered with emotion of another disaster and the little piece of paper I slipped in my suit pocket with 'Olympic Carrier' written on it."

Helena wondered what a FLT drive was and how many ships these people had. There was an entire history she was missing.

"We continued searching for the rest of the morning and the rest of the day under a pouring rain in vain. When doctor Cottle saw me later that evening, he ordered me to go back to my tent and get myself dried. He was busy treating minor injuries and he barked at me to get on safe ground and take care of myself before I catch my death. How ironic, for someone who has battled cancer... I was too tired to argue with him and obeyed. My clothes were so wet; they were dripping muddy water miserably at each step I took, swaying from my body, as if I had fallen into the water myself. I was completely covered with mud, as I had slipped and fallen so many times while running along the water's edge. I was soaked and the cold wind was penetrating me to my bones. We had lost at least three full families and some people were still missing. I realized that if I were still on Colonial One, I would have to subtract twenty-two souls from our survivor counts. I bet Baltar has erased the board. Exhausted, I made my way back to my tent, heavy from the rain and from grief, when I heard the familiar sound of raptors approaching and landing. I knew then that Galactica or Pegasus had sent reinforcements and I was grateful for that. Without a doubt they would be conducting more searches and with the strong headlights of the raptors and flying low, they probably would be more successful than us. I could only hope they would find survivors."

"At my tent, I proceeded to build a fire in the stove to warm up and I did not even had a chance to get out of my dripping clothes when I heard rapid foot steps outside flopping in the mud. My tent, like many others, had been built on a wooden platform, which constituted its ground. Water would run on the fabric and drain below the platform keeping the floor dry. Often the wind would lift the fabric panels and I would have to go out and tighten up the straps holding the fabric together. I was so wet, cold and exhausted, that when the flap of the tent lifted, I thought for a second that the wind had caught it, but I immediately saw the shape of Bill in the shadows. He was also soaked, with a heavy jacket and a cap and carrying a large duffel bag.

'Oh my Gods, Bill' I could only whisper and walked wearily towards him. He dropped the bag on the floor and hugged me, water of our wet clothes slowly pooling at our feet. Then he sat down and removed his muddy boots and wet socks, which he placed by the entrance of the tent. That was when I started to shiver uncontrollably. I was not sure if my persistent shaking was from the cold, the exhaustion or just the relief of seeing him there. He removed his heavy jacket and cap and hung them on a side pole to dry. Without a word, he took in my appearance and he moved towards the stove continuing putting wood inside and lit it. 'We first need to make you warmer.' Soon the fire was catching and the warmth started to radiate from the small iron stove to the rest of the tent. Then he pulled my water bucket and poured water in the large metallic basin I used to wash and put the whole thing on top of the stove to warm up. Then he turned to me and gently helped me out of my sweater, heavy from the water.

'How long have you been out there?' he asked worried.

'Since last night' I replied as my teeth started to chatter.

He was wringing my sweater to remove the water and hung it to dry as well. Then he bent over and got a large fleece blanket, sweat pants and heavy sweat shirt out of his duffel bag.

'I did not think you would need to use these right away, I am happy I brought them for you.' He said as he handed me the blanket. 'Get out of your wet clothes'.

He turned to check the stove and the water warming up, while I was stripping off the soaked fabric of my shirt, pants and undergarments. I wrapped myself in the blanket, chilled to the bone, my skin blue from the cold and unable to prevent my shaking. He took a towel and slowly dipped it in the now warm water.

'Come here, Laura' I sat down next to the stove, welcoming the warmth of the fire on my skin. Very slowly and gently he started to wash the mud off my face. I do not know if it was his touch, caring and soft, my extreme fatigue, or the warmth of the water on my face, but I just could not prevent tears from flowing. He washed me carefully, precisely without talking or judging me, without making me feel embarrassed by my current appearance. Then he moved my blanket out of the way without prying at my naked body and ran the wet and warm towel along my bare back, scrubbing of the dirt off my skin with care. The warm water felt just wonderful. He washed my arms and bent down to wash my feet and legs. I started to giggle when he found a particularly ticklish spot by my knee and he looked up with a wide luminous smile. I was starting to warm up from the warm water and his tenderness, as he slowly massaged the aching and sore muscles of my calf and my legs.

'Laura, bend backwards.' He moved the blanket out of the way, settling on my chest and legs, and started to pour deliciously warm water over my hair with a cup and picked up soap to wash my hair. There was something deeply sensual about feeling his fingers rubbing my scalp, removing the dirt and grime of the day, clearing the cold and pain I felt, soothing me like no-one had ever done before. I was hugging the blanket around my bare body, starting to feel warmer and my shaking subsided. He rinsed me and the water bucket now contained brown water, the mud of the river that used to be in my hair. He wrapped my head in a towel and went out to pour the dirty water out.

When he came back, he handed me the pants and sweatshirt. 'Put that on, you absolutely need to keep warm.' I dressed and he retrieved a pair of warm fleece socks that he put on my feet, gently rubbing the arches of my feet and warming them up with his hands.

'Thank you' I whispered, the trauma of the day coming back to me as I regained memories of what happened. I also discovered that I was starving, and, dressed, I got up and recovered some food, which I had in a pot and placed it on top of the fire. It was a mixed of grains, vegetables and meat, very nourishing and not as bad as the food we had been eating out on the ships. It warmed up slowly as I was stirring it with a wooden spoon. My hair was starting to dry and I let go of the towel, pushing my damp hair out of my face and bent to taste the mixture out of the pot, bringing the steaming spoon to my lips, when I caught him looking at me with such an intense gaze that I almost lost my breath and dropped the spoon.

'Do you do that often?' I asked playfully.

'What?'

'Give sponge baths to frozen women?'

'No. That was a first for me.' he replied and rose to meet me by the stove. He looked at me, emotion washing his face, and bent to kiss me. I hugged him tightly, overwhelmed by his heat, his scent and the comfort that radiated out of him. I buried my face in his shoulder and let him hold me as he spoke.

'I am so glad you're ok, Laura' he continued 'I came down as soon as I heard. The weather was so bad we could not land until now. We will use raptors and continue to search tomorrow during the day. One team is looking out now, but I am doubtful they will find anything with the rain and the darkness.'

I looked at him sadly and took out two bowls and spoons. We sat down in silence and ate at the small table, the only light, a candle between us, lightening the darkness and projecting shadows on the fabric of the tent like an Aquarion puppet theater. I cleared my throat, the warm meal and his soothing presence comforting me from the inside out. 'How long are you staying?'

He replied 'Baltar said we are allowed to help but should return to Galactica as soon as possible. I probably will be going tomorrow night, after completing the rescue operations. That is, if the storm allows us to take off.' He described methodically his rescue plan for the morning and told me that he had been assigned quarters by city hall.

I was so tired and eating gave me back a little energy, yet I could not prevent myself from yawning. We looked at each other and all was said without words, the fear, the cold, the pain of loss, our friends, families, some of my students, taken away by the mudslide. Without a word, he got up when we were done and placed the dirty bowls to soak in the soapy water I had for this purpose. The simple gestures of this evening, washing me, tending the stove, warming up the food, were so intimate and brought us closer, natural as if we had lived with each other for months.

'I should go' he whispered, yet he came back to me and helped me up taking my hands in his. 'And you should sleep'.

He looked at me determined, clearly something on his mind, suddenly worried.

'Laura, the planet's weather is unstable. Dangerous storms are heading this way, we should move people up for a while, evacuate them before another disaster happens.'

I immediately reacted as the president I once was.

'Baltar will never accept this, and you know it, Bill.'

'I know, Baltar does not want to bulge', he continued, 'he threatened to forbid planet access to me and my crew, if I spread what he calls –rumors-.'

I laughed, sarcastic, 'and how is he going to implement that? Shoot the raptors down?'

Bill became serious suddenly, a frown on his face. I had seen this expression way too many times in the middle of crises.

'Laura, I would like you to come back with me. The storms are going to get worse, you will be in danger.'

I turned to him, and put my hand on his shoulder.

'You already know my answer, don't you? I never let my people down, Bill, not before, not now, not ever. Thanks for asking, but no. I will stay here with everybody.' My people, I thought, even if they betrayed me, and chose Baltar, my people will always remain my responsibility, until I die. 'I will not abandon them'.

He was about to speak but I put a light finger on his mouth.

'Bill, don't…'

He nodded, accepting and respecting my decision. Then he got up and took his duffle bag, I thought he was going to leave, but he opened it and took another blanket and a warm jacket and pants out.

'Winter is going to be hard; you might need this. At least you will be warm.'

'Thank you' All of a sudden, the lack of sleep of this hard day caught up with me and I felt so exhausted I barely could stand up. I felt the pain of those we lost, the hardship of this planet, the worry of the months to come, as winter would make its way on us. Bill took one of the blankets he brought and wrapped it around my shoulders and led me to the bed. 'Go to sleep, we will talk more tomorrow.'

'The weather is bad', I said, 'It is still pouring. I really would like it if you stayed here.' I smiled a little, barely able to argue, as I was so exhausted. He hesitated only for a moment. Then he removed his shirt and in his tanks, he lay down next to me on my little cot and took me in his arms, wrapping the blanket around us. I put my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, happy and comfortable. His hand kept on running in my hair. I fell asleep listening to his heart and slept soundly in his comfort and warmth."

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