!-- page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --

Chapter 15: Hope's Savior


Laura woke the next day, leveling a gaze that could kill at Cottle when she was told where her husband was. She spoke little the rest of the day, worrying nearly everyone who knew her. Ellen brought her dinner, eating in silence beside the bed when Laura made it clear she wasn't going to speak.

So it surprised everyone when she came down into the hidden caves on the outskirts and demanded to know everything about Saul and Lee's transmissions. The men and women who'd taken over the Resistance immediately snapped to attention and gotten her all she needed.

Sitting there after two hours of silent analysis, Laura looked up at Tyrol with determination.

"If I told you I have an idea, what immediately comes to mind?" she asked.

Tyrol's lip twitched," Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"You're going to tell me something insane. And I'm going to follow it. Whats the plan, Ma'am?"

Laura sighed, then winced. He hand went to her bandaged temple, feeling the throbbing pain that medication simply couldn't allay.

"Get me Tom Zarek, first off. I need some advice about explosives. Then signal Felix Gaeta. I don't care if he has to blow cover to raid every bit of information from That Frakweasel, he just needs to do it. Get someone to protect him and deliver him here without being tailed." she said, looking up at him.

He smiled back and nodded.

"Yes Ma'am. One revolution coming right up."

_____________________________________________________________________________

Bill had never known such silence as he waited for his death.

It was unlike the silences he remembered. His sister's wake, his mother's memorial, Jaycie's bedside, the hours after Lee and Zak were born...those were calms between the dizzying action that had been his life since he was 7 years old. But this, this emptyness, was something entirely knew. He had nothing in the small grey cell to focus on visually, and even closing his eyes to draw Laura's image in his mind proved nearly impossible. He sighed. After all his years of service, a daughter, two wars, two sons, and two wives, this was how it ended for the eighteen year old Commander Nash had called Husker. Somehow, he thought his mentor would have been somewhat dissapointed.

Bill smiled. If Nash could see Laura, perhaps the rough assesment Bill imagined would change a bit. He could almost hear the old man's voice in his head. 'Damn, Husker. At least you did SOMETHING right.'

The sound of footsteps broke his thoughts. He raised his head as a pair of Eight eyes peered at him through the covered slat. The face moved away, and then the door opened.

She was wearing a grey dress cinched with a black belt. Her hair was curled at the ends, hanging loosely about her shoulders and twisting around her made-up face. Her face she kept carefully blank as she lowered a tray of food to the ground halfway between them.

He supposed she'd changed her outward style to fool him, but he never forgot one of his ''kids''. Besides, the food she brought—noodles with what looked like some kind of shellfish and herbs—gave it all away. Only one among the Cylons could possibly know to make his last meal his favorite.

"Thank you, Boomer," he said softly. Boomer winced, a muscle in her jaw betraying her feelings.

"Thank Caprica. It was her idea.," she replied, voice nearly emotionless but for a small hitch.

"That Cylon doesn't know what my favorite dinner is. Doubt she'd care," he shot back. Boomer, eyes never making direct contact with his, stood and turned away.

"You have two hours left," she said before grabbing the door handle. Her hand was shaking.

"I forgive you,'' he whispered.

Immediately, her back stiffened and she froze in place. After a moment she heaved a heavy breath, then another.

"A machine doesn't need forgiveness. And it's too late now."

"A daughter does. And it's never too late," he smiled," I should know. Thought it was too late to gain back a son or find a wife. I've done both, if you've noticed.''

Boomer turned back to him and finally looked his straight in the eyes. He felt his wounds ach just a bit at the sight of her, but he shoved it away, not for the first time since he's spoken to her wondering what on Kobol made him think he could talk her back.

"When I was lying there," he said. She tensed again, pain flashing through her eyes. He ignored it and continued, never loosing eye contact," I couldn't even open my eyes. But I could hear. I know Lee was whispering for me to hold on. I know Saul was barking orders. But all I remember in detail is you, screaming and crying like you'd just lost everything.''

She stared at him, eyes wide with tears glassing over her dark irises. Emotion. He had to smile. He'd wondered how she might have felt knowing that a program overroade everthing she'd naturally learned. Like she was overwritten. Helpless. A machine.

"Help me," he whispered.

She sighed, held her eyes closed for a moment, then turned and walked out the door. It wasn't the best reaction, but she was still shaking. He had to face that, cling to it with everything in his heart. Because when it came down to it, Boomer was his last hope left. And he liked hope.

Somewhere in space, Saul Tigh stood with both eyes wide in shock. Bill was running out of time. They needed to act now. He crunches the messages in his hand, nodding as he tossed them on Bill's desk. Time to step things up.

BSG, Airlock calling kryptor kryptor. Husker revealed. Hurry. Airlock ready. Boom boom boom.

Despite the now advanced rate of his heart, he couldn't help but smile at the gall of his best friend's wife. He'd hate to be a Cylon today.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not too sure where the whole Boomer thing came from. Possibly my desire to see Adama forgive her in series took over my figurative pen. I totally want to see her break out of her "im a killing machine'' thing.

And the end. That counts as irony, right?