Word Count: 1,274
Date: 04/07/05
Series: One
Rating: K+
Category: Character
Pairing/Focus: O
Warnings:
Summary:
Spoilers/Disclaimers:
I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It had taken pulling a LOT of strings to get me aboard the Astral Queen. The shuttle over, permission even to set foot on the ship, it hadn't been easy. Here I was though.
"How was the trip over?" A tall woman asked as I ducked under the shuttle's hatch. She carried herself well, though she wasn't dressed in anything in current fashion. Her hair was short and simple, blonde. I shook her outstretched hand, and managed to bang my head on the portal.
"Ouch!" I exclaimed and held my head with my free hand.
"It helps to put you hand in front of your head," The woman said, grimacing at me.
"I'll keep that in mind," I said. "Gerry Richard."
"Pam Horwitz. He's waiting for you," She said motioning with her hand down to corridor.
"What's this all about? I mean, I know what it's about, but what's it ABOUT?"
She stifled a laugh. It was hard to place her, she seemed very forceful, but in a relaxed way, as if she knew where the power was and was just along for the ride. That wasn't right, but I really had a tough time getting a read on her.
"There aren't too many people left who are both smart and... receptive to his views. He thinks maybe you're one of them."
"What like kidnapping people and holding them for ransom?" I asked. I practically snapped it at her.
"If that's all you thought of him you wouldn't be here now would you Gerry?" She asked. We approached an official looking portal. Or was it? It didn't look unlike any of the others we'd passed; it just has his name beside it. She pressed the button to open it and stood there. Apparently I was going to see him by myself.
It wasn't quite what you could call an office really. Not even really much of a stateroom. Apparently he didn't rate much on the Astral Queen. He was reading something, a print out. He appeared statesmanlike. He could have been a double for Adar.
"Ah, Gerry," He said looking up. "Glad you could come over. Tom Zarek," He extended his hand from behind what passed for a desk. I looked at it for a long moment. This was a man accused to being a terrorist, accused, and convicted of setting bombs in buildings. I didn't really remember much of the details, I'd been what, ten at the time? I finally took his hand.
"Glad to meet you sir," I said. It came off as a canned line. I think I actually blushed.
"Are you?" he asked. The smile on his face actually extended to his eyes. That was unusual for a Politician. I don't think I'd ever actually seen a politician smile completely at me before. I was such a low-level functionary that I hardly ever even got eye-contact with a 'principal'. I stopped and thought for a moment after he question. Our handshake ended before I answered.
"Yes. Yes I am," I said.
"Why?" He asked, motioning to the chair in front of his desk.
"There's just something about meeting someone, seeing them, that tells you a lot more than you get from seeing them on the wireless, than from hearing them."
"Personal appearance and involvement, accept no substitute," He said sitting. "Do I live up to your expectations?" He asked, a glint in his eye.
"No," I said not really thinking what I was saying, "You don't seem as ogerish as the press makes you out to be."
"Ah, the press. Well their job is to filter after all," He said. I blushed a bit. I'd been in his presence for less than a minute and I'd managed to call him an ogre.
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to..."
He just shook his head slightly and said, "Don't worry about it. You're honest. I like that. I wouldn't have it any other way." He was so disarming, so cordial, so... not what I'd expected. How could this person be the same person that had plotted with terrorists against the government? How could he be the same person that had taken hostages not three weeks ago?
"The short of it is Gerry, I've got six months to mount a credible campaign for President. It's going to take a lot of people to do that, a lot of time. I'd like you to come on board for that. It's not going to be what you're used to for sure. You can't just run to the media agencies to produce your product for you. This is going to be unlike any campaign ever run." Back to business, but his eyes didn't stop smiling. What an odd gift. I could see why people in the fleet were talking about him.
"How..." I stated to ask. He knew where I was going before I got there though.
"Roslin has given me enough resources for a staff of ten, the same as her, well that's what her re-election staff size will be. I have no idea if she'll use current staff from what passes for a government. I doubt it," He said thoughtfully. "She really is something of an idealist."
"I don't know that I'd say that," I said. Roslin wasn't the most popular President the twelve Colonies had ever had that was to be sure. "Sliding Baltar in was a stroke of..." I stopped, my mouth going dry.
"Genius, yes. I don't doubt she's a political animal, but she seems bound to the ideals of the Articles of Colonization. Rightly so, I can't imagine Adar would have kept anyone around for so long that didn't." Was he saying that he wasn't bound to the Articles? It was hard to tell. It almost sounded like admiration.
"What do you want me to do, exactly?" I asked.
"Well, that's a good question. I'm not really sure to be honest with you. I know I need good people and Pam tells me that you're good people. Like I say this campaign will be like no other. I don't think we can pigeon-hole people into roles just yet. I just... need good people. Are you one of those people?"
Well, he had the art of the non-answer down. I just wasn't sure. It had taken so much effort to get here, and I'd been in his 'office' for less than five minutes and I was presented with the goods. He didn't keep me here talking about policy, about my ideas, my education, my past jobs. He was so different.
"I..."
"No, I shouldn't put you on the spot like that," He said. "Take some time. Think about it." Was it a brush off? Had I been evaluated and brought up short? Would I have to go back to sharing a stateroom with three other people, spending my days with little if anything to do?
"I will," I finally managed to say. I stood up, shook his hand again. With most politicians the handshake is a sealing deal. You could learn so much about a person, or persuade with a handshake. Tom Zarek was different. I hardly noticed his hand, the firmness, the contact. Tom Zarek was all about the eyes, he grabbed you with them. Tired, knowing eyes that showed you that he was someone who had been there, that could understand you. I couldn't forget them on the flight back to the Rising Star. I could still see those eyes, feel them as I drifted off to sleep, weighing my options.