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This is a short chapter... More will follow at the end of this week, which is a very busy one for me at work.

This chapter is rated M

Chapter 13

Another rainstorm started to beat up the Uluguru mountains coming from the East and the Indian Ocean. This region received a lot of rainfall and was feeding the Ruvu river, an important water resource for the population of this region, going all the way down to Dar es Salam. On the South and East slopes a dense rainforest with inaccessible valleys harbored wild life unique to this area, studied by biodiversity biologists for the past 50 years. The lower villages had been conquered by the German colonists, bringing Christianity with them, and later on been part of the odious slave trade. But the local population retreated in their high villages in the mountains, enclaves protected from the invaders by difficult access and rich in resources, rice, maize and cassava. Some populations remained completely isolated, with little contact with the outside world. Their language was described as an 'unique' dialect with no known origin, which was slowly disappearing as the younger population left to live in cities and only the elders spoke it. Helena needed to go there and she was hoping the weather would clear long enough for this expedition to take place without difficulties. Dr. Inoue was very careful in avoiding any incident and he was planning carefully in a way that was frustrating to the adventurous Helena. She decided to take the opportunity of another delay to focus on her translation. The more she knew, the better equipped she would be to talk with the local populations.

"A pale light of a gloomy morning woke us up. It was nice to be in his arms and I left myself drift happily between wakefulness and sleep, cradled against him. I kept my eyes closed, feeling his heartbeat against my cheek, his breath in my hair. But noises of the village waking up outside the tent grew louder and brought us back to reality. He gently took me from his arms and shifted me, so that he could get up.

'I've got to go and help with the rescue. Sleep a little more, if you wish. I will see you later.' I nodded and lifted my face to meet his lips for a fleeting kiss. He was all business soon and dressed. I got up and dressed as well in the clothes he brought for me: heavy canvas pants and warm jacket. He left and a few minutes later I met him by the river. The disaster of the previous day was terrible, uprooted trees, broken tent poles, and shredded fabric, debris floating on the roaring turbulent brown waters of the river. The riverbank had caved in and a field of fresh mud lay where the tents had once been. I watched him offering assistance to women and children, unable to help with the heavy lifting. I instead helped the women to move their things out of the way. Those who had been rescued needed to find new tents and were gathering the remains of their belongings out of the mud to carry them over to their new home. I saw Bill in the back with other men, clearing up some trunks and debris, and helping them move tents out of harm's way. That is when we saw the first body, bloated, floating downstream. Screams alerted us and Bill went waist deep with others in the dangerous waters to pull the body out.

It was one young man originally from the Pegasus. He must have been in his twenties. I closed my eyes and covered my mouth to prevent myself from sobbing. I did not see this young man, I saw Billy. I recalled Billy in this young face, just as he was in the morgue when I was saying goodbye to him, and the pain of his death hit me like a stabbing knife in my heart. Billy had been my closest family, the son I never had. I was going to teach him my work so that he can take my place when I died. Billy was the closest loss I ever had since this horror had begun. I saw his body, like I was seeing this young body brought back from the river; the pain of his loss came back to me. In space, death was definitive and clean; hardly ever bodies were recovered. Here this was different, as we recovered more bodies from the river, their features distorted and grossly out of proportion from their stay in the water, the tragedy of this mudslide started to settle in. Children were recovered downstream by the estuary, and brought back by the raptors patrolling the river. I watched as the men carried their little bodies back to the camp. My students. Young innocent lives taken. We gathered up on the hills, and graves were dug rapidly, as the bodies needed burial. A priest was brought in and Bill pronounced a few words for a rapid service. Families were weeping, holding each other in the rain and the wind of the storm. It was so terribly sad and I could barely just stand there, my face beaten by the wind and soaked by the rain. When it got dark, we all made our way down back to the tent village. Some were still missing, hope to find them alive was gone and their bodies likely had been washed out to sea. There was a fine rain coming down, not as drenching as the night before, but as penetrating. The weather seemed right for my spirit, gloomy, just as sad and full of grief. I was consumed by rage too, rage for allowing this settlement, for Baltar, who did not even bother to come to the funeral, for fate, rage at what our lives had become. All of a sudden, it just became too difficult. I was tired and cold; the grief never expressed since the attacks and the destruction of our world resurfaced in my heart."

"Bill and I walked silently back to my tent, both of us deep in our thoughts. I knew he would leave soon. I felt a sense of desperation grow inside me, a feeling of doom coming, like a rushing dark wave upon me, inescapable. Something was coming; time was running short. I closed my eyes only to see shadows, danger, fear and pain. Never, even under the Chamalla's influence, I felt that way. I shook my head trying to dissipate the feeling, but it persisted. I looked at Bill who methodically started to pack his bag, unaware of my distress. I came to him and took his arm.

'Bill, just hold me please.' He probably thought I was just moved by the deaths we had faced and I certainly was, but there was more. My voice was shaking and he never questioned me. He just took me in his arms and held me tight. With urgency, I buried my face in this shoulder, breathing his scent, as if he was my lifeline. Time was running short for us, too short, too fast. I needed him. I felt panic taking a hold of me. I needed to feel him against me. It was an oppressive need. I felt powerless in front of my visions of darkness and a foreboding fate.

'Something dark is coming' I whispered.

He looked into my eyes for a few seconds with an unspoken question.

'I feel it' I replied. And he pulled me back in his embrace and kept on running his hands on my back, soothing, as I clutched to him. A sharp crack of thunder startled me and the rain came down again pouring. Bill tightened his arms around me, as the rain hammered the fabric of the tent and deafening thunder echoed in the valley. Never in my life did thunderstorms frighten me, but that evening I was terrified. At the same moment, his wireless communication device rang and he bent to retrieve the bulky receiver out of his bag. The conversation was brief. His left hand rested on my shoulder while he talked with his team about the weather conditions. Then he put the receiver back in his bag and whispered in my ear. 'I am not going tonight, we will not be able to take off in this storm.'

I nodded in his shoulder. I was angry at the innocence lost, at the Gods that would allow little children to suffer, at fate. I was hurting. When his lips searched for mine, I opened to him with the desperate urgency of grief. As I kissed him deeply, he wiped my tears off my cheeks and my hands traveled under his jacket and his shirt to his back, which I held tightly, my fingers digging in his skin. We kissed with yearning and longing for each other, and pulled each other clothes off frantically. We wanted skin on skin, heart against heart, as if pressed together bare-chested, we could melt into each other's bodies. I found solace against my premonitions in his arms that night, merging, naked, with only the barrier of skin to separate our souls. I felt a sense of finality in our lovemaking. The pain of our absurd situation made us seek comfort in the tenderness shared, the burning passionate love we made, our senses not dulled this time by alcohol and weed. We wanted to fight fate with the desperation of those who know fate has no mercy. The storm was raging outside; the air was charged with electricity, the faint burning smell of lightning. We forgot our pain in each other's body, exploring and learning each other, kissing, tasting, and sharing gentle caresses. It was without doubt the most erotic moment of my life. When the storm abated, we slept in each other's arms, my cot so small it barely could hold both of us. I loved the closeness we shared, with the tight rain pouring on the tent, the receding thunder shaking the air, and our satiated bodies entwined as one. We had piled blankets on top and around us, against the penetrating chill of the wind. We felt good and comfortable wrapped in this warm cocoon, melted into one another, skin on skin, and souls united, peaceful finally. I would cherish the memory of this moment forever. The morning came, and time made no concession for us. And as we dressed quietly in the frozen morning, my fears and shadows came back to haunt me. I knew, they would not leave me at peace."

"Bill repeated his offer for me to go up with him to Galactica as the storms predicted a difficult winter. I declined sadly, reminding him that I would stay with my people and endure with them the difficulties of this life. Despite their choice, I would not desert them. He nodded with great respect. We ate a little. He told me he did not know when he would be back, as the weather might prevent him to fly back down easily. But he would bring back some supplies and food for the population before it got too cold.

'People will need heaters and blankets,' he said 'I will bring back some supplies for everyone.' We hugged tightly in the pained silence of separation and kissed one more time. He did not want me to come to the raptor, as the weather was still dreadful. So we said goodbye in the tent and I followed his frame walking in the light rain as far as I could see him, my throat knotted, my heart heavy from the visions I had and the fate I knew I could not prevent."

Thank you for reading... please, review... To be continued with sadly darker times of cylon occupation.