Soft noises woke him from sleep. For a moment, he thought he had overslept the alarms that screamed across the fleet every thirty-three minutes. Then he realized it was dark all around him, the only light pale specks of stars outside the windows and the glow of Galactica's engines, not so far away. It had been three hours since the Olympic Carrier had disappeared. He lay on his makeshift bed for a minute, holding perfectly still and trying to locate the noise.
It was coming from the other side of the room, beyond the curtain that separated his space from the President's.
After only a moment's hesitation, Billy carefully peeled his blankets back and rose soundlessly. He was clothed only in his boxers, as he had no other clothing, save his suit. He drew the topmost blanket over his shoulders. It was thin blue-gray fleece, with the Eversun logo embroidered in the corner. He clutched it tight and padded past the edge of the curtain dividing their space.
He could make out Laura Roslin's outline on her chair-bed. Her red hair was dark maroon in the night, and it lay swirled across her pillow. The rest of her was hidden under several blankets. They rose and fell with jagged breaths, and he could just barely hear her crying softly.
"Madam President?"
