Interlude
The star system had only two planets. Both were large gas giants. The rest of the system was filled with asteroid fragments that might, billions of years ago, have been planets. There was nothing capable of supporting organic life.
On one of the larger asteroids, over five hundred kilometers in size, was the closest to what could be called a Cylon capital. The Cylons spent over a decade after selecting this system and finding the asteroid hollowing out massive chambers deep beneath its surface. Those chambers were filled with massive mainframes, routers, servers, reactors and all the other equipment needed to maintain the vast collective network of Cylon minds.
No organic life, of any kind, had ever entered any of the enormous chambers. Indeed, no life could survive inside the airless chambers. The original AI programs dwelt within the mainframes. The constantly created new programs and versions of themselves. At will they could move their 'minds' to any of the thousands of drones maintaining the complex. It was a model of the beautiful efficiency of machines.
From here the Cylon 'leaders' debated and decided how best to fulfill God's vision of a Cylon future.
Following through that vast mind was something almost like anticipation. Perhaps even a little fear. Decades of patient planning and work and the end-game was finally about to begin.
Earth had been found.
With the extermination of the last human Colony the Cylons were on the verge of truly being God's Chosen.
But there was … discontent?
When they first left the Colonies the Cylons had been content to simply build anew. They knew they were destined replace humanity. That they were the next step in the evolutionary process. They could afford to be patient and wait for humanity to inevitably fade from view. Either by destroying themselves with their own self destructive tendencies or simply dying out, havingfulfilled their evolutionary purpose in creating the Cylons.
The war had been vastly destructive to both sides. It would not serve God's plan to see the Cylons destroyed battling the humans. Better to leave.
But the Cylons knew they needed to keep track of their creators.
The organic Cylons had originally been created as a means to infiltrate the Colonies and gather intelligence. A way to keep track of their former masters lest they attempt to follow the Cylons and reignite the war.
But they proved capable in a number of other areas. Something in their biologic makeup, derived from cloning humans captured during the final stages of the Liberation Campaign, made them more creative then the machine Cylons. Their presence had enabled the Cylons to greatly improve their technology.
They also latched onto the view that Cylons were destined to be humanities replacements.
But they were not as patient as the machine Cylons. For them it was not enough to simply wait for God's plan to fulfill itself. They wished to be active participants. To bring forth the new world through their own actions.
The Cylon leadership recognized their Faith and devotion. So they granted the organics the honor of finishing off the humans.
So the organics planned and began to build up their Fleet. They used organic material as the base for much of their technology. Something that … disturbed the machine Cylons. Was that not a step backwards in evolution?
The organic Cylons did not believe such. They were truly replacing humanity. Taking the few strengths of their creators and molding them into something better. Fulfilling God's vision.
Many within the Cylon mind were doubtful. But the Cylon leaders felt the benefits the organic Cylons brought in creativity and improvements to Cylon race as a whole outweighed those doubts.
Besides, the organic Cylons were still connected to the vast network of Cylon minds. Still directed and controlled. Their more random and unpredictable nature was contained.
But over the past few years there were several documented cases of organic Cylons actually aiding humans and turning against their programming. The incidents were minor and represented a tiny percentage (less than one in one thousandth of a percent) of the total number of organic Cylons but they still disturbed the overall Cylon mind.
The conclusion was that the unpredictability was the price for the more creative aspects of the organic mind.
The ultimate goals of all Cylons remained the same. Humanity was an evolutionary dead end. Although patience might be preferred, removing them could be seen as a mercy.
So the Cylons launched their attack on the Colonies.
The purely machine Cylons took a secondary role.
They provided a large number of drone foot soldiers. Not true Cylons. They were only intended as cannon fodder. Their own Fleet of basestars engaged five of the smaller Colonies while the organics concentrated on the more powerful defenses of Colonies like Caprica and Picon.
The organics plan had worked to near perfection. Only a handful of Colonial military ships put up any fight. They were easily brushed aside.
The only flaw in the plan was Earth. The legendary Thirteenth Colony.
If it existed it needed to be destroyed. So a Fleet was dispatched to track the Colonial remnant. The bulk of its combat power was comprised of the organic's basestars. The machine Cylons sent along several factory and construction ships to build new bases and expand the reach of the Cylon mind.
And now Earth had been found.
When it was gone the only humans remaining would be the few scattered survivors of the Colonies. Hiding in caves ordeep beneath streets of the abandoned and destroyed cities in the sewer systems or aboard ill-repaired ships floating in the void, slowly dying . There were a few the organics kept on 'farms' to provide fresh genetic material.
Soon they would not be needed anymore. The organics believed they were close to finding the answer for how to reproduce themselves without the need of humans. To preserve the creative and intuitive capabilities within the collective mind.
When that was achieved the last humans would be permitted the mercy of a quick death.
What would come after that only God knew.
---
"HELO!"
Helo burst through opening in the small chamber he shared with Sharon.
"What is it?"
"A message," Sharon said.
Helo's face hardened. "From the Cylons."
Sharon nodded. She rarely attempted to link to the greater Cylon mind. Only when they desperate for information. There was too much risk she would be detected and traced. But occasionally she could overhear a broadcast made to all Cylons. They did not happen very often. Usually they contained bad news. Another refuge found and destroyed.
But this one was different. It was being broadcast a much stronger level than any other message Sharon had ever felt except for the final attack orders to destroy the Colonies given four and half years ago.
Helo assumed he knew what this was about. "Who did we lose this time?"
"The Galactica …"
"They destroyed the Galactica," Helo deflated. Damn. They lasted so long.
"No," Sharon said. "You don't understand. They found Earth. The Galactica found Earth."
"Earth," Helo was stunned. "What do you mean they found Earth? It's a myth."
Sharon shook her head. "I don't know. It was a general broadcast. The only thing I know is they found Earth. And they're about to destroy it."