Date: 27 Dec 1998
From:  Sandra <sandra-a@iname.com>

- A New Life -

Story by Sandra Almeida

Based in "Battlestar Galactica"
By Glen Larson

     It was a small cot in the woods, about two to three hours walk to
the nearest town. Their closest neighbors, an old couple, lived fifteen
minutes away. They had moved there two years ago when they decided that
the town wasn't a good place to raise their baby boy.
     "He has grown so much!"  She looked at him playing outside. He was
seated on the ground, building a mud castle.  "I can't keep that boy
clean for one minute."  She smiled, then looked down and talked to her
belly.  "I hope you'll end up cleaner that your brother," she said
lightly. The new baby was almost here; one month and they would become a
family of four. Excitement and joy ruled in the house.
     "Talking to the baby again, honey?" he asked while entering in the
kitchen.
     "They say that babies can hear before they are borns" she answered
while gently cuddling her belly.
     He placed his hand near hers and accompanied the movement. He leaned
his head and talked to the unborn baby. "Enjoy while you can! Once you're
out of there, she'll stop talking to you. She'll just look at you
remembering how small you were."
     "Stop say those things to the Baby... Or he'll decide to stay there
till he's sixteen!"
     They both laughed. Then something changed.
     The sky darkened and loud blowing sounds were heard. They seemed far
away, and yet so close. The couple ran outside to see what was happening.
There were numerous craft in the air, but they did not recognize them. A
large dark column of smoke rose in the horizon. It seemed to come from
the town. Another loud sound come from the north, in their neighbor's
direction. They could see even more dark smoke rise in the skies between
the dense vegetation of the forest.
     They looked at their baby son, still sitting in the some place, but
no longer entertained in his castle building. He was staring at them and
at the sky.
     She ran and picked him up. "What is happening?"  Her voice carried
all her concerns and fear.
     "I don't know... It seems that the towns burning!"  He tried to
maintain calm, but was failing on that task miserably. He also feared for
his family. In addition, not knowing exactly what was happening was
making thing worst. He saw her face turn from fear to terrifying panic.
She gasped and tried to say something, but all she managed to do was
point in the town's direction. He looked at where she was pointing and
also felt horror and panic take control of him. A huge number of men, in
silver armor, were coming their way. They were armed and annihilating
every thing that dared to move or breathe.
     "RUN! RUN TO THE FOREST!"  He shouted at her.
     She started to run with her boy still in her arms. He ran inside,
took his hunting gun, loaded it and started shooting. The silver armored
men didn't stop, and brought the little cottage to the ground with
several light shots. She looked back and could see her small house
burning into flames. The armored men were catching up to her. She placed
her son on the ground and shouted at him to run as fast as he could. He
did so. The small boy did not catch the danger though. For him it was
just another game. So he did what her mother had told him. He was winning
that race. He couldn't see her any more; she had stayed behind. He
decided to play hide and seek, so climbed a tree and hid.
     Several hours passed and yet his mother was no where to be seen. He
was starting to be hungry, so he decided to return home. He climbed down
and calmly walked home. He had never seen the forest like this. There
were ashes everywhere and smoke filled the air. As he arrived home, he
was faced with a vision he wasn't expecting. His home no longer had walls
or a roof. The smell of the ashes was even more intense. Worst of all, he
saw his father lying on the ground close to the door.
     "Daddy? Daddy?"  he called, trying to understand why his father was
laying there. As he received no answer he moved closer and sat near him.
He shook his body, but still there was no response. He thought that he
was sleeping, so stood up and started to look for his mother. She seemed
to be hiding from him. He looked and looked for her. It passed half a
hour before he found her lying on the ground near some bushes.
     "Mommy? Mommy, I'm hungry!"  He pleaded in a very soft and low
voice. He received no reply.
      Two hours passed since the deadly attack. He stood up; he needed to
find something to eat. He was exhausted from the crying he did since he
understood that his parents weren't going to wake up anymore. He walked
into the forest. He had some knowledge of some fruits he could eat from
the bushes. He had more than once done that with his father. He collected
a fair number, climbed a tree for security and stayed there.
     It had now passed two weeks since it happened. He moved farther away
from home. When he passed through the house of the Greendells, he saw the
same devastation as had happened to his own home.
     He had now settled by the lake, and passed all the time he could in
the water. He was in his tree when he first saw her. He maintained his
distance, maybe afraid that she would die just as everybody he knew had.
One day, as he sat by the lake, she approached him.
     "Hi!" she greeted him cheerful.
     "Hi,"  he replied hesitantly.
     "What are you doing here all alone?" she asked.
     "Mommy and daddy, they didn't answer me any more. They were just
laying on the ground," he said, with tears stating to fall from his eyes.
    "You mean, they're dead! Mine died too. I know live with the 'Grand
Master.' He takes care of us. Come I'll take you to him."  She extended
her arm, and offered her hand to him. He looked a bit confused, but he
took her hand, and smiled at her.
    "Come little one. My name is Marza. Do you have one?"
    "My mommy used to call me Dillon!" 

The End