Office Hours, Wednesday, After Breakfast
Laura sat in her office with the latest letter from Tory open on her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen. Her conversation with Bill earlier in the morning had set her thoughts adrift, wondering what had happened to the brave "Captain Apollo" who had once been her military adviser. Certainly, he had a point: Going back after the settlers on New Caprica might be a suicide mission. But how could humanity continue, knowing it had sacrificed more lives to the Cylons? How would it continue, shepherded by a race of machines whose belief system was so diverse from their own? The issue at stake here was not simply the survival of humanity, but also the survival of humanity's freedom. She smirked as she recalled one of the state mottoes she had recently read -- "Live free or die!" It seemed to sum things up perfectly for her.
She paused. What would she have done, had she been re-elected? Pretty much a moot point, isn't it, she thought. You wouldn't have colonized the planet to begin with. Yes, Bill had been right that rigging the election would have eaten away at her. There were times -- like now -- when she thought it might have been worth the torment to avoid their present circumstance. Things weren't horrible on New Caprica; the letters from Tory spelled out situations that weren't much worse than they had been before the Cylon occupation. Still, it was like living in a police state: Curfews; impromptu arrests in the middle of the night; long imprisonments for no reason at all -- all those many things from the novels that followed the first war.
Thus far, Tory had avoided all but the curfew. Laura hoped the trend would continue. And she also hoped Lee would come to his senses. Bill couldn't do this alone...shouldn't do this alone.
With a sigh, she returned to her work. The door was open slightly.
[Open.]
She paused. What would she have done, had she been re-elected? Pretty much a moot point, isn't it, she thought. You wouldn't have colonized the planet to begin with. Yes, Bill had been right that rigging the election would have eaten away at her. There were times -- like now -- when she thought it might have been worth the torment to avoid their present circumstance. Things weren't horrible on New Caprica; the letters from Tory spelled out situations that weren't much worse than they had been before the Cylon occupation. Still, it was like living in a police state: Curfews; impromptu arrests in the middle of the night; long imprisonments for no reason at all -- all those many things from the novels that followed the first war.
Thus far, Tory had avoided all but the curfew. Laura hoped the trend would continue. And she also hoped Lee would come to his senses. Bill couldn't do this alone...shouldn't do this alone.
With a sigh, she returned to her work. The door was open slightly.
[Open.]