Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica belongs to Ronald D. Moore and the Sci-Fi channel. Margaret Vestry is mine.
Chapter 9: Change of plans
The Quorum had voted to keep Baltar confined in the laboratory, in hopes of making an improved Cylon detector as community service. Roslin suggested that someone ought to work with him, supervising him in a way. She waited after the meeting was dismissed, hoping for a volunteer. As she prepared to walk out along with them, Margaret approached her.
"Madame President, do you have a moment?" the blonde woman requested.
"Of course, Margaret, what do you need?" Roslin inquired with a polite smile.
Margaret returned the smile. "First, how are you?"
"I'm quite well, thank you," Roslin replied, knowing the Margaret would continue.
"I haven't told you what my job was when I lived on Picon. I was a biologist, working for the military base there. I do not mind keeping an eye on Baltar, if it means that we can invent a better Cylon detector. I have a few theories that could be worth testing," Margaret mentioned.
"Could you follow me to my quarters and we can continue this discussion?" Roslin offered. The other woman nodded and they walked to the admiral's quarters.
The president offered her guest a glass of water and the two women sat down on the couch. "Humans have certain scents that they give off when they sweat," Margaret began, "and I think that the Cylons might not have been able to replicate our sweat glands. If I can test this theory, then all Baltar and I have to do is design a device that can pick up certain odors."
Roslin's eyes widened. "That sounds extremely simple, and it could save time as well as resources."
"Which is what I was thinking," Margaret added, talking a drink of water.
"I do have one question though," Roslin paused, studying the other woman. "Why would you possibly want to work with Baltar?"
Margaret stared down at her hands for a moment and then took a deep breath. "Do you remember when you asked me about Tony's father?"
Roslin nodded. "The topic seemed to bother you."
The other woman crossed her knees and folded her hands. "I few years back I attended a conference for scientists on Caprica. I met him there and we chatted about biology and things of that sort. The conference itself was terribly boring. Then we went to a bar and got rather drunk. I honestly don't recall much after my sixth glass of some orange concoction. In the morning I woke with a splitting headache, in a room that was most definitely not my hotel, next to the man I had talked to the previous day. Both of us were shocked and agreed never to discuss the matter again after he let me use his shower."
"Is Baltar Tony's father?" Roslin questioned, sensing where the conversation was drifting.
"Yes, and my son will never know that," Margaret responded.
"I certainly won't tell anyone," Roslin promised.
Margaret smiled in gratitude. "You can tell the admiral if you want. Whether or not it was on purpose with me, that man is a womanizer and I'd like to keep an eye on him to make sure that he doesn't ruin another woman's life," she explained.
Adama met Roslin in their quarters in the afternoon. "We've been scanning the planet and it looks like it has a decent food source," he mentioned, kissing her on the cheek.
"Something other than algae?" she asked hopefully.
He chuckled. "And I thought you were starting to like that stuff. From what our readings tell us, it can support actual vegetables and it might also have animals. If there's a ship in this area, it'll be on that planet."
"You haven't told me yet about this supposed other ship," she reminded.
"I think the commander is Bernard Falkner. We're hoping to find the Cassiopeia. It disappeared after our first few jumps following the attacks on the colonies," he explained.
"And 'Artemis?'" she added.
He sat back and smiled. "That's her call sign because she was always good at hunting things down. Actually the phrase I use, 'good hunting,' comes from her. She's an old friend of mine and Saul's. I think she'd be about forty now. Diana is what we know her as. Colonel Diana 'Artemis' Genoa was a great pilot before her knee got shattered. She's… not the easiest woman to get along with, but she's worth knowing."
"I think I'd like to meet her," Roslin remarked.
"Hopefully you will," he stated.
A file fell off the desk and Roslin walked back to pick it up. Seeing that it was the Quorum's assessment of Baltar, she was reminded of her guest that morning. "Margaret stopped by earlier. She is willing to work with Baltar on inventing a better Cylon detector."
"Why?" Adama inquired.
"I asked her the same thing. She doesn't want him to be a womanizer anymore," Roslin mentioned.
He eyed her incredulously. "I suppose I've heard of stranger reasons. Does she already know him?"
The president took a deep breath. "In a way. She told me that it was alright if you knew. Her son Tony is the product of a one-night stand with Baltar."
Adama put a hand up before she could say anything more. "That's all I need to know. And I thought our story was complicated."
"They should be starting tomorrow. A new security camera was installed in the lab and I'd like to watch them interact," Roslin stated.
Adama nodded in agreement as he glanced at his watch and stood. "Jack will be looking for us."
"Let's go then," she added.
Because Adama had missed her appointment due to the trial, she had scheduled a second one a few days later. Cottle walked over to them as he watched them enter Life Station, arms linked. "Usually I have to have someone drag you here. This week I can't get rid of you," he goaded Roslin.
"I want Bill to hear the baby's heartbeat too," she simply stated.
Cottle led them over to one of the beds and had Roslin sit. Then he retrieved the listening device, pressing the rounded end to her abdomen and handing the other end to Adama. The doctor observed his guests with interest. The admiral's usually stony reserve gave way to wonder, and then pride. Roslin blushed and smiled shyly before Adama reached for one of her hands.
He kissed her hand and then kissed her lips tenderly. Cottle watched as a look passed between them that he had not seen when he told her that she was pregnant. Great gods, they're in love. Funny thing is that I don't think they've realized it yet. Deities help us all when they do.
The doctor decided that his guests had been there long enough and should leave before anyone else in the room came to the same conclusion that he had. "Alright, you two, I've got other patients. I'll see you two at the next appointment," he stated curtly, attempting to throw them out.
Roslin giggled. "We're sorry to have annoyed you then," she teased, earning her one of Cottle's infamous glares, but then also one of his smirks.
The president and the admiral sat in a small room near the lab the following day, observing the black and white security screen. Baltar had arrived first and seemed to look around the lab, as if relieved to be back at his old job. He looked over his shoulder and seemed to be talking to someone, but no one was there. "I see he still has his invisible friend," Adama pointed out.
A moment later, Margaret entered the area and grabbed a lab coat. Baltar appeared startled as he turned and faced her. "Hello, Dr. Baltar. I'm Dr. Vestry and we will be working together to make a better Cylon detector."
He stared at her incredulously. "Excuse me, Madame, but what qualifications do you have to figure out something as complex as a Cylon detector? And what was wrong with the first one?" he questioned.
She smiled patiently. "I am a biologist and I do have a few theories that I'd like to try. And about your first detector, it was too slow and it used too many resources. We need to find something more efficient."
Baltar scoffed. "And you really think that you are more intelligent than I am in order to come up with a new device? Roslin and Adama are both intimidated by me because I'm the smartest person alive."
Roslin glared at the screen. "Why that arrogant pain in the-"
"Something tells me that your friend will keep him in check," Adama interrupted.
Margaret stepped over to a computer and began typing. "I can actually make you a diagram of my theory. It's not about intelligence, and I am not trying to insult yours, or look better than you. It's about the preservation of humanity and results."
Baltar raised an eyebrow. "So you're not trying to out-do me at all?"
"No," she said with a polite smile. "Now you've probably had the most experience with Cylons and therefore your input on my theory will be valuable. Cylons try to mimic humans biologically, true? While you've been around Cylons, have they ever emitted a different odor than humans when they perspire?"
He looked away and fiddled with a pen, deep in thought. After a moment he faced her again. "I never really paid much attention to that aspect, but I think I understand where you are headed. You think that Cylons and humans smell differently enough that you could, in theory, design a device to sniff out different odors."
She nodded in confirmation. "That's basically it."
"It's absolutely brilliant, but it will need work," he relayed.
"Does that mean you are willing to help me?" Margaret encouraged.
"I suppose so," Baltar replied. Adama and Roslin stood to leave, but they stopped at Baltar's next comment. "You look familiar, Dr. Vestry, very familiar. Have we met before?"
Margaret's expression gave nothing away. "No."
"Are you certain? Because I swear you look familiar," he pursued.
"Perhaps I look like someone you saw in a grocery store. I get that from time to time," she stated.
Over the next couple of days, Adama sent down scouting groups to investigate the planet. They relayed that an old Battlestar was on the planet. "Saul and I are going down there to check things out," Adama told Roslin as they prepared for another observation session of the lab.
"Bill, do you really think that's a good idea? What if something happens to you? Who's going to lead the fleet then?" she pointed out.
He put up a hand dismissively. "Everything will be fine."
They sat and watched the screen. Margaret and Baltar had been making progress, actually assembling the materials to build the new device. Baltar leaned an elbow on the counter and faced her. "You know, I could really use a friend. The whole fleet would sooner see me thrown out of an airlock, and you seem like a nice person."
He reached for her cheek and she took a step back. "I'm sorry, Dr. Baltar, but I don't make friends that way. I am unavailable."
Standing, he scoffed. "Fine, judge me like everyone else! You – why are you here anyway? You didn't say where you stood regarding my trial either. Do you think I'm guilty too? Is that it?" he demanded. "Wait, you're here to watch me, like some parole officer, aren't you?"
Margaret took a deep breath. "Where I stand is my personal opinion and I do not let it affect my professional opinion." She turned back to her microscope.
"How convenient for you. That's easy for you to say when people are actually honest with you," he retorted.
She sighed and looked up again. "We need to leave discussions like that elsewhere because it won't help either one of us. Now could you please hand me that Petri dish?"
Adama stood and Roslin turned her attention away from the monitor. "I need to head over to CIC. Those two are beginning to feel like a bad soap opera," he mentioned.
Roslin smirked. "He just doesn't know how to let things go. I'm coming with you to see what you've learned about that planet so far."
As the two left, Margaret headed into the storage closet. "We need to increase its sensitivity," she mentioned as Baltar slowly followed her. She stood on her tiptoes, moving a few things around one of the higher shelves. If I could only find-" one of the shelves had come loose and at that moment, a small centrifuge device slid off and hit her in the head, knocking her to the ground unconscious.
Baltar rushed over to her and looked around frantically as blood began to ooze from the gash in her skull. "No, no, no, this is not happening. What am I going to do? What am I going to do?" he began to panic.
"Now Gaius, you're just going to have to take her to Life Station yourself. You'd better hurry; it looks bad," his inner Six told him.
He gently picked her up and carried her, walking quickly to Life Station. She moaned and he realized that she was still away. "What happened?" she uttered.
"You were hit on the head, but I'm brining you to someone who can help," he explained.
"It wasn't your fault. I should have been more careful in the storage closet," she reassured him as people he walked by stared at him with suspicion.
Cottle happened to be walking by as he entered Life Station. "She was hit on the head," Baltar explained.
"If you did something to her-" Cottle began. He was interrupted by Margaret.
"It wasn't his fault," she relayed. Baltar set her down on a bed while Cottle continued to glare at him.
"She's got a bad concussion. I need you to say with her and keep her awake while I find a few things," Cottle instructed.
As the older doctor left, Baltar took gauze and tried to stop the bleeding. "I'm sorry I was so rude to you. I need to keep you awake though," he remarked.
"Could you make sure someone calls CIC? I need to speak with the president or the admiral," Margaret mumbled.
Baltar nodded. "I'll do that, just stay awake," he ordered, stepping aside to see a phone on the wall. While he called CIC, Margaret pulled out a picture from her pocket of her son that she kept with her. Seeing him would help her focus. Baltar returned and saw her studying the picture. "Roslin's on her way over here. Who's that?"
Margaret decided that telling him a little about the boy could not hurt. "This is my son. He's two and already he talks up a storm. He's a sharp boy and he likes Galactica…," she trailed off and closed her eyes.
"No, you can't do that. You have a concussion and I have to keep you awake," Baltar explained as he shook her shoulders.
"Tired, need to sleep," she muttered.
"No! No, stay with me. Come on then, for- for your son. Stay with me. Oh, come on, they're all going to blame me for this," he whined.
"Alright Dr. Baltar, what's going on?" a familiar voice behind him startled him.
"Madame President, thank goodness you're here. I-" she was not giving him an inch.
"What did you do to her?" Roslin demanded.
Margaret put up her hand. "It wasn't him. I was in the storage closet and I think something fell on me. He was on the other side of the room."
Roslin rushed over to the blonde woman and as she turned, Baltar took a good look at her condition. "Good god, it's true," he commented, noticing that she was pregnant.
She ignored him and attended to her friend. "Are you certain?"
"Baltar didn't hurt me. I think he can work on the device himself until I feel better," the other woman said lucidly.
Cottle appeared with a cart. "Okay everyone, I'm gonna see what I can do here. Now clear out," he stated.
Margaret grabbed Roslin's hand. "Please, can you take Tony somewhere until I'm out of here?"
The president nodded. "I'll watch him myself," she relayed.
"Thank you, Madame President," Margaret managed.
"It's 'Laura,'" Roslin mentioned before turning back to Baltar.
"Madame President, I swear I did not-" she cut him off again.
"I will be reviewing the security camera footage, but I trust Dr. Vestry enough to know that if she trusts you, then I can leave you alone for a while. However, you step out of line and you'll be back in your old cell, and I'll find a way to keep you there," the president told him firmly.
Then Roslin left for the day-care service. Adama had already headed down to the planet with Tigh and she decided to pick up Tony.
(A/N: I'm sorry that it took so long to post. I had technical difficulties with the website).
(My thanks to Mariel3, carolann, Izabella Black, csiAngel, Kiyani, Grammar Maven, and C and L 4eva for reviewing :D). (I'd also like to thank carmelapples and banana53080 for helping me post).
