BG02A - A Walk among the Stars
by VStarTraveler
Summary:
A very weak distress signal using an ancient Colonial code leads to Lieutenants Boomer and Brie investigating a derelict spaceship and its hidden secret. With that discovered, they come to the real question: what happened to those who abandoned the ship so long ago?
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Disclaimer:
This story is a work of fiction, written totally for fun and not for profit. This interpretation of the world of Battlestar Galactica is entirely my own, and Battlestar Galactica and all of its various components remain the property of their respective owners.
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Author's Notes:
Chapters 1 through 3 of this story comprised my entry in The Room forum's May Writing Challenge - PROMPTAPALOOZA! as Challenge 1: Mechanical Mayhem. A question came up regarding something in the story, so I decided to reopen the work to further explore that issue.
For those who may not be familiar with Battlestar Galactica or with Colonial units of time used in the original series, I have an article with some explanations at the bottom of my profile page. In the timeline of my series, this story fits in a few sectons after the end of my story BG02 - Officer with a Badge, or approximately 25 sectars after the Exodus from the Colonies.
Finally, thanks so much for reading my story. Your reviews and constructive criticisms are welcomed and appreciated.
Chapter 1: The Distress Signal
Under a myriad of stars that filled the almost impossibly wide view, each step was slow and steady. With the local but-distant reddish-yellow star called Kaylar behind him, Boomer would have ordinarily loved observing the stars, to see the blues, whites, and yellows, the oranges and reds, but not here, not now. He had to concentrate on each individual step.
He deliberately directed his view downward at his feet and the short, solid surface ahead. The metallic click of his magnetic boot getting a full purchase on the hull of the old vessel sounded inside the suit with each step before Boomer released the opposite boot to allow him to take another step forward. When involved in zero-gravity operations in space, a single misplaced step could result in serious problems or even death. As far as this ship was from the fleet, the Colonial Warrior was taking no chances. He was concentrating carefully on the task at hand; the intense, lustrous beauty of the expanse of stars around him would have to wait.
"Boomer, do you see it yet?" called Lieutenant Brie, his wingmate for the mission, from within the relative safety of the ship. Considering that it had no power, no air, and no artificial gravity, the relative part was primarily limited to being inside the vessel and not being able to immediately float off into space if one accidentally stepped the wrong way.
"Not just yet, but I'm crossing the side-to-top transition now and should be able to see what it is in just a centon or two..."
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About eight centars earlier on the Bridge of the Battlestar Galactica:
Peering over Comm Officer Marki's shoulder, Sergeant Omega studied her screen and nodded in agreement. Moments later, the two were reporting to Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh. "It was quite difficult to isolate, but she did it over a period of about four centars, allowing time to decipher the signal and triangulate its source. Marki, please tell them what you found."
"Yes, sir. The signal was not only very weak but it was also very old. It's actually of Colonial origin, but the code is over four hundred yahrens old and hasn't been used in over 380 yahrens. Its use was abandoned after the Cylons cracked it at some point."
"Very good, Marki," replied the commander. "What does it say and where is it originating?"
Omega brought her work up on the vidscreen around which they were gathered and then let her continue.
"It appears to be a distress call but it's so weak and degraded that we can't get any real details. However, by triangulating from position one, here, and a second position, here," she said, indicating on the screen, "and determining the relative degradation of the signal, I determined that it's coming from approximately here, roughly half way toward the opposite side of the system in its outer reaches."
Tigh spoke up, saying, "If we use drop tanks and make generous use of the turbothrusters, we could have a couple of Vipers there in about six centars, Commander. They could determine if it's a real ship that needs assistance or if it's just an old buoy that needs to be silenced before it attracts the attention of the Cylons."
"Or anything in between," agreed Adama. "Let's send two Warriors to check it out. If it is abandoned, they need to determine if it is capable of being salvaged in minimal time; if not, we must not leave any trace of our presence."
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In what was originally a small closet off to the side of Electronics Repair-Section Four, Boomer was enjoying his relaxing cycle off by spending a little time working on his remote controlled flier. His young helper had his own little project, too, on which he was working diligently. A mechanical daggit sat watching the boy, its servos causing its head to tilt periodically to get a slightly different view as it scanned and analyzed events occurring around it.
"Lieutenant Boomer, did you make a light control board like this when you were my age?" asked the young boy as he struggled to solder the wire to the board. "Oh, darn, it's stuck again!"
Boomer laughed, "Boxey, I was a whole lot older than you before I ever created my first circuits. In fact, I was more into cracking and disassembling them than into to creating them for a long time. And I still stick my iron to my work sometimes despite yahrens of experience. The key is letting it get good and hot and allowing the flux to draw the solder into the joint, like this," he said, demonstrating on his sample board. "And when you master this and basic electronics, you can move on to advanced circuitry with superconductors like we use in most of our working components."
Muffit's "Arf arf" caused Boxey to look around in time to see his adoptive father entering the section and coming toward the little room. "Father! Come look at my light board."
Apollo watched as Boxey pressed the first few controls, activating the lights in sequence, and then said, "Great job, Boxey! Unfortunately, I need to borrow your teacher for a while, so you head on back to class. I'll see you tonight, okay?"
"Okay, Father! Come on, Muffit!" exclaimed the boy as he took off with the robotic daggit chasing after him.
"No running in production labs or corridors!" called Apollo just before the boy left the room.
"What's up?" asked Boomer, chuckling at the sight. "Is my off-cycle about to be offed?"
"Afraid so, buddy," laughed his commanding officer, "but I think you might like this one. I need you to fly a mission to what we think is an old Colonial ship that may be abandoned and check it out."
"I know Starbuck's on patrol today, but why can't Sheba or Bojay or Jolly…or someone…take it?" Boomer asked.
Apollo grinned as he replied, "Because the mission may need your special skills. You may need to jimmy the lock to break into it."
Boomer shook his head glumly as he answered, "I knew I should never have told you about my hovermobile boosting days!"
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