A Dramatic Turn: Chapter Eleven: In Which Our Heroes Approach their Destiny
Title: A Dramatic Turn: Chapter Eleven:
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: don't own them.
A/N: Co-authored withmarzipanilla and nvgvup
Summary: The gang approach the lab.
Bill, Laura, and Kara were glad to see the majority of the cops were barricading the perimeter of the campus, so once they crossed through that, it was easy to move about. Knowing Cain’s unit was in Laura’s office, the gang was careful to avoid that area. Fortunately, that was very easy, as the campus was divided by department. Baltar’s lab was part of the STEM department, on the opposite end of campus from Laura’s office.
Laura suspected the area surrounding the lab would have minimal police or CSTCA protection, at most. Cain wanted the lab to blow up; the last thing she would want would be to risk foiling her plan. So, aside from Baltar’s stringent security, which Kara would have no problem getting through, they should have met with few obstacles. The party had been walking toward the STEM building where Baltar’s lab was for a few moments, when Zak caught up with them.
“We’re gonna have company soon,” Zak said to the gang.
“Okay. We’re nearly there,” Laura said. She had expected that news. As apprehensive as Laura was about their safety, she was comforted by the fact that only Cain and Zarek were expecting them to go to Baltar’s lab, and Cain certainly wouldn’t share that information.
The party walked in silence. Both Zak and Bill were armed, so they had that going for them, but both men would be hesitant to open fire. Laura felt conflicting emotions about that. She had always been opposed to violence, particularly to guns. Paradoxically, she had always loved boxing, having gone to many matches with her father. But guns were a definite no-no for her. However, Bill, Zak, and Kara were practically her family at that point. The idea of losing any of them, made her reconsider her position on guns. She’d gladly shoot one herself if it meant keeping them safe. And knowing the men in her party were noble, filled Laura with even more concern. Their hesitancy to open fire could very well cost them their lives. Laura wasn’t sure she could live with any more loss.
They had lucked out. They arrived at Baltar’s lab and were under enough cover that they’d avoid being seen until Kara could get inside. It was all up to Kara at that point. But Laura knew she could count on the young barista and hacker.
She felt an affinity for the young woman she couldn’t explain. On the surface, they seemed to be nothing alike, but they had always gotten along. Of course, the shared secret between them probably brought them closer together. Laura found out what Kara was up to accidentally. She just happened to have been walking in the student lounge-it was the only place on campus to get a decent cup of coffee without going to the Green House. As she was walking, she happened to see Kara working at her laptop. Laura didn’t know what Kara was doing, but spending half her life in education, enabled Laura to sense trouble immediately. Laura took Kara aside, and brought her and the laptop into her office. Kara came clean immediately. Later, she said she felt Laura would know if she lied, so she didn’t bother. As it turned out, Kara didn’t like the idea of Baltar having a super secret lab on campus, and she wanted to find out whatever she could about it. Was it her fault that Baltar wasn’t as smart as he and everybody else seemed to think he was? Laura couldn’t argue with that-and found she really didn’t want to. Someone with Kara’s drive and ability could do the worlds a lot of good-possibly more so than Baltar. So, Laura kept Kara’s activities to herself, and they’d been friends ever since-as much as two people of different age groups and temperaments could be anyway. Unlike most dignitaries on campus, Laura always had Kara’s respect.
It seemed Kara’s hacker skills had increased in the years since Laura caught her. Within moments all of Baltar’s security systems were disarmed and they were ready to go inside the lab. Laura had no idea how Kara had done it. While she certainly didn’t share Bill’s extreme fears against technology, her knowledge of the technology she used every day was very limited. She was reminded of the story her late grandparents had told her every time she’d seen them: When Laura was little, before her sisters were born, her grandparents were watching her, while her parents had gone out for the evening. Laura had a favorite video she loved to watch before she went to bed. Her grandparents had no idea how to work their vid screen, but they watched amazedly, when Laura leapt off of the couch and had it on and playing within seconds. She felt like her grandparents must have felt watching Kara work her magic. If there was ever a time she was glad she went against her better judgement, it was at that moment. She snuck a look at Bill and Zak; they were equally impressed and just as confused as Laura was. Maybe one day they’d ask Kara how she’d done it, but they probably wouldn’t.
With nothing preventing them from entering the lab, the gang approached the door. Bill grabbed Laura’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Laura noticed Kara and Zak were holding hands too. She wondered if a double wedding was in their future.
“Ready, Laura?” Bill asked.
“With you, always.”
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: don't own them.
A/N: Co-authored withmarzipanilla and nvgvup
Summary: The gang approach the lab.
Bill, Laura, and Kara were glad to see the majority of the cops were barricading the perimeter of the campus, so once they crossed through that, it was easy to move about. Knowing Cain’s unit was in Laura’s office, the gang was careful to avoid that area. Fortunately, that was very easy, as the campus was divided by department. Baltar’s lab was part of the STEM department, on the opposite end of campus from Laura’s office.
Laura suspected the area surrounding the lab would have minimal police or CSTCA protection, at most. Cain wanted the lab to blow up; the last thing she would want would be to risk foiling her plan. So, aside from Baltar’s stringent security, which Kara would have no problem getting through, they should have met with few obstacles. The party had been walking toward the STEM building where Baltar’s lab was for a few moments, when Zak caught up with them.
“We’re gonna have company soon,” Zak said to the gang.
“Okay. We’re nearly there,” Laura said. She had expected that news. As apprehensive as Laura was about their safety, she was comforted by the fact that only Cain and Zarek were expecting them to go to Baltar’s lab, and Cain certainly wouldn’t share that information.
The party walked in silence. Both Zak and Bill were armed, so they had that going for them, but both men would be hesitant to open fire. Laura felt conflicting emotions about that. She had always been opposed to violence, particularly to guns. Paradoxically, she had always loved boxing, having gone to many matches with her father. But guns were a definite no-no for her. However, Bill, Zak, and Kara were practically her family at that point. The idea of losing any of them, made her reconsider her position on guns. She’d gladly shoot one herself if it meant keeping them safe. And knowing the men in her party were noble, filled Laura with even more concern. Their hesitancy to open fire could very well cost them their lives. Laura wasn’t sure she could live with any more loss.
They had lucked out. They arrived at Baltar’s lab and were under enough cover that they’d avoid being seen until Kara could get inside. It was all up to Kara at that point. But Laura knew she could count on the young barista and hacker.
She felt an affinity for the young woman she couldn’t explain. On the surface, they seemed to be nothing alike, but they had always gotten along. Of course, the shared secret between them probably brought them closer together. Laura found out what Kara was up to accidentally. She just happened to have been walking in the student lounge-it was the only place on campus to get a decent cup of coffee without going to the Green House. As she was walking, she happened to see Kara working at her laptop. Laura didn’t know what Kara was doing, but spending half her life in education, enabled Laura to sense trouble immediately. Laura took Kara aside, and brought her and the laptop into her office. Kara came clean immediately. Later, she said she felt Laura would know if she lied, so she didn’t bother. As it turned out, Kara didn’t like the idea of Baltar having a super secret lab on campus, and she wanted to find out whatever she could about it. Was it her fault that Baltar wasn’t as smart as he and everybody else seemed to think he was? Laura couldn’t argue with that-and found she really didn’t want to. Someone with Kara’s drive and ability could do the worlds a lot of good-possibly more so than Baltar. So, Laura kept Kara’s activities to herself, and they’d been friends ever since-as much as two people of different age groups and temperaments could be anyway. Unlike most dignitaries on campus, Laura always had Kara’s respect.
It seemed Kara’s hacker skills had increased in the years since Laura caught her. Within moments all of Baltar’s security systems were disarmed and they were ready to go inside the lab. Laura had no idea how Kara had done it. While she certainly didn’t share Bill’s extreme fears against technology, her knowledge of the technology she used every day was very limited. She was reminded of the story her late grandparents had told her every time she’d seen them: When Laura was little, before her sisters were born, her grandparents were watching her, while her parents had gone out for the evening. Laura had a favorite video she loved to watch before she went to bed. Her grandparents had no idea how to work their vid screen, but they watched amazedly, when Laura leapt off of the couch and had it on and playing within seconds. She felt like her grandparents must have felt watching Kara work her magic. If there was ever a time she was glad she went against her better judgement, it was at that moment. She snuck a look at Bill and Zak; they were equally impressed and just as confused as Laura was. Maybe one day they’d ask Kara how she’d done it, but they probably wouldn’t.
With nothing preventing them from entering the lab, the gang approached the door. Bill grabbed Laura’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Laura noticed Kara and Zak were holding hands too. She wondered if a double wedding was in their future.
“Ready, Laura?” Bill asked.
“With you, always.”