Chapter 3

Kara sat at a workbench with Starbuck going over the computers and the sensors of the damaged shuttle. As she worked on her calculations, Starbuck wanted to know more about her.

He glanced over at the name on the ship and requested, "Tell me about your home…About the United States of America."

"Land of the brave and home of the free?" she asked offhand. She looked over and realized he just lost his home and he was a refugee tasked with protecting other refugees from homicidal machines. She wanted to give him hope and started to speak in more detail. "There are fifty states. I come from New York State. We have a big city and lots of farms. We have many lakes with lots of fishing. We have four seasons: Winter, spring summer and fall. Fall is my favorite because all the leaves on the trees change color. Politics aside, it great place to live and once I get back home, I will make sure you have place in any state you want to live in."

"New York sounds like a nice place," he agreed as he assisted her. "Reminds me of Caprica. We have four seasons depending where on the planet you were." His mind wandered back, "I used to love to swim in the ocean under the twin suns."

"We only have one sun," she informed. "But we also have oceans too." She grinned at him, "Me casa is your casa. My home is your home." She brushed her blonde locks back from her blue eyes and continued to work on the computer.

"You have to be the youngest major that I have ever met," Starbuck mentioned.

"I am," she confessed. "I was one of those child prodigies that never liked cartoons. All my friends were playing soccer and I was learning to fly. All my friends were going to high school and teen dances and I was in college and learning physics. I was a boring teenager. I got my commission at eighteen. I flew through the ranks at supersonic speed and was given this opportunity to fly for NASA. It's a civilian organization. So, I left the Air Force and became an astronaut."

"How old are you?" he wondered offhand.

"I'm twenty-eight," she replied. "And you?"

"I'm twenty-five," he stated.

"That's young," she insisted.

"So is twenty-eight," he smirked.

"True," she agreed. She looked over the damage, "The shuttle will need major repairs if it were to ever fly again. The cosmic string drive crystals are burned. I'm not sure of the extent of the damage yet." She then made a projection on a sheet of paper, "I know what galaxy I'm in. We call it Andromeda. It's the closest galaxy to the Milky Way." She looked up and grinned, "We're actually very close."

Starbuck looked at the trajectory and then made the mental connection, "The closest galaxy to us is past the great divide. There's nothing but space between the two galaxies. It would take quatrons to cross going top speed for the Galactica. We can only go as fast as the fastest ship in the fleet which is half of Galactica's top speed. It could take 6 quatrons easily, maybe more."

"What's a quatron?" she wondered.

"Four sectons," he replied.

"What a secton?" she asked.

"Seven time cycles," he answered.

"And how long is a time cycle?" she wondered.

"From when you get up in the morning to when you get up the next morning," he explained.

"A day?" she asked. "That would be twenty-four hours."

"Time cycle," he repeated.

"We use hours," she reported. She placed the computer screen before him. "Look, each hour consist of sixty minutes. Each minute consist of sixty seconds. See the clock. Watch, it moves by minute every sixty seconds."

He looked at the computer and then at his wristwatch and realized they were in sync, "Micon and centon. Sixty micons equal one centon."

She grinned, "You know, our cultures nearly mirror one another. This is incredible!"

"One would almost swear you are the thirteenth colony," he remarked.

She asked, "Tell me about this missing colony."

"Well, according to legend the Lords of Kobol set forth thirteen colonies. Twelve colonies stayed together but one broke free and went to an unknown region of space."

"And since the twelve were destroyed you are looking for the thirteenth." she gathered.

"Right," he nodded. "But, honestly…I wouldn't mind going to your world and being an American. It sounds a lot like being a Caprician."

"Well, let's tell Commander Adama that we know the direction to go to get back home," she suggested.

He cautioned her, "It's a long journey, Kara."

She rebutted, "I came in a shuttle called Starbuck and I met a guy named Starbuck who needs a home. If that's not the Lords of Kobol talking than I don't know what is. I mean, talk about a flashing neon sign." She exaggerated with her hands, "It's like a big flashing arrow saying 'this way.'"

Starbuck placed a cigar between his lips and grinned, "I think you might be right on that."

Short Time Later

Starbuck led Kara to Adama's office. He entered with her to give her some support for he knew the journey to her home would be costly. Starbuck began, "Commander."

Adama looked up from behind his desk. He placed the handheld computer down and smiled at his guest, "I'm glad to see you again. Have you figured out where your home is?"

Kara noticed the simple furnishings of his office. A desk and a few chairs with a small sofa off to the side. The carpet was brown and walls were painted a cream color. She replied, "Starbuck and I figured it out. It's actually closer than you think."

Adama smiled, "Please have a seat." He motioned for her and Starbuck to sit on a nearby sofa. They gathered in the corner of the office on the sofa. Adama sat on a nearby chair and looked over at the pair.

Starbuck gulped and stated, "Kara thinks her home is in another galaxy."

"Oh," Adama sat interested.

She tried to explain, "We call my galaxy the 'Milky Way'. It's the closest galaxy to yours. We call your galaxy the 'Andromeda Galaxy'. Our galaxies are twin galaxies. They mirror one another. They are also moving closer and in a few million years will collide."

"Years?" asked Adama.

"Her time cycles are a little different from ours," Starbuck explained.

She spoke up, "I think they are actually very similar but we use different terminology. A micron is a second. A centon is a minute. I figured that a centar is what we call an hour and a time cycle is called day. I figured out a quatron is a month. Starbuck gave me the rate of speed the fleet is traveling at and I made the calculations and figured we can the Milky Way Galaxy in seven quatrons at the current rate of speed. You just need supplies for seven quatrons."

Adama informed, "When the Cylons wiped out our colonies they didn't give us any warning to gather supplies and good working vessels. This fleet is made up of whatever ships were left intact enough to fly. We gather what fuel and supplies we can find as we go. We don't have enough supplies or fuel to make it to your galaxy."

"Can you find the supplies and fuel you need?" she asked. "I know the situation you guys are in is pretty grave but you are also are my only hope of going home. And since you guys need a home safe and far away from those homicidal machines…I'm thinking that we should go together."

"It won't be an easy trip," he warned her. "And I need to convince the Council of Twelve to abandon finding the thirteenth colony and go to your home world."

She suggested, "I can talk to them if you want me too."

Adama asked, "Are you sure we would be welcomed by your home world?"

"Oh' yeah, they would love it," she grinned. "You see we don't have any colonies. We know we are not alone but we have not had any contact with aliens. You guys showing up and bringing me home would make ya all heroes. You would be like rock stars."

Starbuck asked, "What is a rock star? Do you throw rocks at stars?"

She grinned, "No! It's a term used to describe someone famous."

"Ah," he smirked. "We would be famous."

She nodded and spoke more to herself, "You guys would rock the house."

Adama assured her, "We don't wish to rock any houses or upset anything."

"I mean rock the house in a good way," she clarified still getting used to the difference in culture.

"We will bring the proposal to the Council of Twelve," stated Adama.

"So you guys are willing to take me home?" she asked hopeful.

Adama assured her, "I will do everything in my power to get you back home. I can't make any guarantees though. The council can be unyielding at times."

"Thank you," she smiled thinking for sure they would take her home.