CHAPTER SEVEN: Revelations from the derelict

"Commander!" Annan called out, "I'm getting a transmission from the CEREBRUS".

"I'll take it", Cain replied. Annan gave him the headset commlink.

"This is Home Plate Actual, go ahead", Cain said.

"This is Engle", was the reply, "The team is in Engineering. We've got the auxiliary energizer up and running, and the environmental controls are back on line".

"That's good news, Captain", Cain acknowledged.

"We've still to complete the survey, and we are yet to get up to CIC, but so far, things are encouraging. One thing though: there were lethal levels of carbon monoxide gas in the air when we came on-board. The environmental controls had hoses from the carbon monoxide exhaust directly attached to the atmospheric regulator".

"Deliberate carbon monoxide poisoning?" Cain inquired, "any idea why?"

"Until we get up to CIC and read the log, Commander, its all just speculation at this time", Engle replied.

"Okay. Good work, Captain. Please put me on to Nebula-Five", Cain ordered.

"Handing you over now, Commander", Engle concluded. A pause, then a new voice said, "Nebula-Five reporting, Home Plate Actual".

"Lieutenant", Cain said, "I want you to get up to CIC as soon as possible. If you can get the scrambler communications console activated, then contact me through the Alpha fleet protocol".

"Understood, Commander", Souster acknowledged.

"Anything to report from the survey so far?" Cain asked next.

"The port-side landing bay has enough viper II's to form two squadrons, plus there are three FTL-scouts of the Javelin type. All of them look okay, but all of the escape pods and the larger passenger shuttles are gone", Souster reported.

"What about the crew?" Cain asked.

"There are a few preserved corpses that we have found. Not many. The most that we have found so far are a half-dozen in Engineering", Souster reported, "The auxiliary energizer was found in a SCRAM-ed state, and we had to use the equipment we brought with us to bring it back online. The two primary energizers are in a pretty bad condition. Engle reported that without a dry-dock, they probably won't be able to be repaired".

Cain nodded at that. It meshed with the reports on the CEREBRUS' last battle report about the battle damage inflicted before it vanished. Speaking of which…

"Any further information on the overall condition?" Cain asked.

"We've gotten the damage control console back up and it printed out a report. Boiled down, the engines are off-line thanks to the damaged energizers, moderate exterior damage though the internal atmosphere has not shown any breaches as a result, and the weapons systems are non-operational", Souster reported, scanning through the initial report, "we'll transmit the full report to you soon".

"Very well", Cain acknowledged, "put Lieutenant Hunter on please, Nebula-Five".

After a pause, Hunter's voice came on over the link: "Hunter here, Commander".

"How's the condition of the bird?" Cain asked, referring to the peregrine.

"A-ok", Hunter replied, "she's in bay six. Coffin is looking after her".

"You get a chance to look over the vipers and javelins?" Cain asked.

"Just a superficial look at a couple of them, Commander", Hunter answered, "they look good. A pity that the launch tubes' power only came through the primary energizer. I would have liked to have tried one out".

"If the primaries were operational, Hondo, there wouldn't be any vipers for us to salvage", Cain reminded him, "still, it is good news so far. Once CIC is secured, check out the starboard landing bay".

"Will do, Commander", Hunter acknowledged.

"This is Home plate waiting for receipt of the damage control report. Communicate again once you've reached and surveyed CIC", Cain concluded.

"Will do, Home Plate. Sending the report over now", Hunter acknowledged. He gestured to Engle, who had a data solid containing the data downloaded from the Damage Control console.

Hunter took the offered data solid, and then inserted it into a slot on the wireless relay transmitter. Activating the DATA TRANSMIT control, the information was downloaded into the transmitter, and then sent out via the peregrine's wireless to the PEGASUS.

After the message TRANSMISSION CONCLUDED flashed on the readout screen, Hunter shut down the wireless relay.

"I guess we'd better head out to CIC, El-Tee", Hunter said to Souster. Souster nodded.

"Atmosphere has been scrubbed of all toxic gases and the temperature has climbed to habitable levels", one of the engineers announced, "we can take off our helmets now".

"Testing", Souster replied. After quickly checking his hand-held analyzer, He unsealed his helmet and took it off his head. He took a cautious breath in while the others watched.

"A little stale-smelling, and rather cool – about fifty-five degrees, but it seems okay", Souster finally said, "You're all clear".

Thankfully, the others removed their helmets. The stale smell was no worse than a locker room and the temperature – while still cool – would soon rise to the standard temperature level of seventy-two degrees.

"Okay, people", Souster said to his marines, "we're heading out. Standard recon deployment. Corporal Simmons, take point. Captain Engle, please hand Simmons the digi-map".

"I'd like to keep two of the engineers here to monitor the energizer", Engle requested, "so can you spare a couple of marines to stay with them?"

"No problem, Sir", Souster replied, "Lance-Corporal Ubetcha, Private Aston, Private Turner, remain here and communicate with us every half-hour".

"Yes, Sir", Ubetcha replied. He gestured to Aston and Turner to stay with him.

"Michaels, Flannigan", Engle said to two of his party, "you two keep tabs on the energizer and contact me through the marine guards' commlink if there are any problems".

"Yes, Sir", Michaels replied. Souster coughed and gestured to Corporal Simmons.

Engle passed over the hand-held device that contained a layout map of the CEREBRUS – courtesy of the PEGASUS' computer files to Corporal Simmons. With Simmons leading, the party left the Engineering control room, leaving the two engineers and the three marines to monitor the newly reactivated systems.

Back on the PEGASUS, Annan announced, "the CEREBRUS damage control report has been downloaded, Commander".

"Relay it down to Major Thyssen so that he can look over the data, Lieutenant", Cain ordered.

"Yes, Sir", Annan replied. Cain then turned to face the helm officer.

"Helm", Cain asked, "what is our ETA with the CEREBRUS?"

"At this speed, three hours, Commander", Helm replied. Cain then turned back to face Annan.

"I want a report from Thyssen before the rendezvous on whether we can successfully dock with the CEREBRUS when we make the rendezvous", Cain directed.

"I'll relay that to Major Thyssen now, Commander", Annan assured him.

"Colonel", Cain said to Tolen, "you have CIC. I'm going to try and relax before the rendezvous. Major", Cain then said to Sanders, "Take this time to relax as well. I don't want you back here until the rendezvous".

"What about the probes?" Sanders asked.

"I think Colonel Tolen and Lieutenant Annan can handled that okay", Cain replied. Sanders nodded, then headed out of CIC.

"I'll buzz you when we make the rendezvous", Tolen assured Cain.

"If Thyssen gives the go-ahead, then you can go ahead and dock", Cain instructed, "See you in three hours". With that, he left CIC.

Twenty minutes later - on board the CEREBRUS – the recon party reached CIC. Thanks to Simmons, there were no problems in navigating through the long corridors and gangways that lay between Engineering and the forward section of the battlestar.

"Talk about old", Hunter commented as they entered CIC.

"I think the current occupants would agree with you", Souster dryly said, gesturing to the various mummified corpses lying around the area.

There were perhaps ten corpses in all lying around the spacious CIC area. The CIC was a bi-level complex. The lower level contained monitor console panels while the upper area consisted of a circular dais with two consoles. Behind the dais was a transparent battle map and running from behind the map – circling around the circumference of the CIC - was a walkway. Directly opposite the upper level was a large view-port that had its blast shield lowered.

"I think I've found Commander Tyler", one of the marines mentioned. He was gesturing to a corpse that was lying behind the map – in a large area that joined CIC with a conference room. The corpse was unrecognizable due to the mummification, but the uniform that it was clad in bore the rank insignia of a commander.

"Let's get the CEREBRUS ready to receive the PEGASUS", Souster replied after looking at the corpse, "we can mourn and honor the dead later".

Engle was busy getting the various consoles on the lower level activated. Several were non-operational due to battle damage, but the deep space scanners were operational. Engle quickly brought them on-line.

"I see the PEGASUS", Engle commented, "I'm going to relay the data up to the command console". He pointed up to one of the consoles on the upper level.

Hunter and Souster walked to the console and powered on its screen. A map representing the intermediate space around the CEREBRUS was clear, except for one thing: an icon bearing the IFF code for the PEGASUS closing in on their position.

"Looks like they are about two and a half hours away from the rendezvous", Hunter commented, checking the range scale on the display.

"That gives us time to get to the starboard landing bay and survey what they have", Souster said.

"How about the communications console, Captain?" Hunter asked Engle next.

"I've got Harding working on it. It should be ready shortly", Engle replied.

Hunter and Souster turned away from the console.

"If you like, I'll stay with Engle and the others while you do your survey of the starboard bay", Hunter offered.

"That's fine, Lieutenant", Souster said. Just then, Engle called out to them.

"I've got the ships log activated", Engle announced from one of the consoles.

Souster and Hunter went down to the lower level and joined Engle as the last log entries were displayed on the screen. All three of them looked at what had been entered.

"This definitely answers a few questions. Let's contact the PEGASUS and send over a copy of the log", Hunter suggested, "Commander Cain will want to see this".

"Harding!" Engle called, "are you ready with the communications?"

"Yes, Captain", Harding replied, "It's operational and ready to go".

"Download the data from the log and get it ready to transmit it to the PEGASUS", Engle directed.

"Will do", Harding acknowledged.

"I'll get the rest of us down to the starboard landing bay", Souster said to Hunter, "I'll leave Privates Costello and Abbot to stand shotgun while we're away".

"Okay then, and we'll keep tabs on things up here", Hunter acknowledged. Souster quickly brought his marines together and directed Simmons to lead the party down to the starboard landing bay.

Hunter watched them depart. CIC now seemed somewhat empty now that they had left. Apart from Engle, Harding, himself, and the two marines, there were only the corpses keeping them company. Hunter then headed up to the upper level dais and sat down at the command console.

"Harding, are you all set?" Hunter called out.

"I'm ready to send over the downloaded log, Lieutenant", Harding replied.

"Then activate the wireless. Use fleet comm-code Alpha", Hunter ordered, using the secure frequency between warships.

Over on the PEGASUS, Annan called out to Tolen.

"Colonel, I have an incoming transmission on the Alpha comm-code", she announced.

"Looks like the recon party have made it to CIC", Tolen commented, "okay, punch it through".

"This is CEREBRUS. Are you reading me, Home Plate?" Hunter's voice said.

"Loud and clear, Lieutenant", Tolen replied.

"We have got the undamaged portions of CIC powered up and we have the CEREBRUS log ready for transmission", Hunter reported.

"Excellent, Lieutenant", Tolen answered, "How is it over there?"

"Better than we thought, Colonel", Hunter replied, "however, there are about ten mummified corpses here, including Commander Tyler", he added.

"Go on, Lieutenant", Tolen said.

"As well as communications, the deep space scanners are online and we are monitoring your progress. Nebula-Five and most of the rest of the party are heading down to survey the starboard landing bay", Hunter reported, "things are a mess, but the old girl still has life in her".

"That's good", Tolen acknowledged, "Keep us informed on the progress of the rest of the initial survey, and you can go ahead and make the log transmission".

Tolen heard Hunter say, "send it, Harding", and then Hunter said to Tolen, "It's getting sent over now".

"I'm receiving the data, Colonel", Annan reported.

"Once its received, have a hard copy of it ready for the Commander to read when he returns to CIC", Tolen ordered.

"Okay, Lieutenant", Tolen said to Hunter, "Keep an eye on things and we'll be there shortly".

"Understood, Colonel", Hunter said, "CEREBRUS out".