CAPRIMART DISTRIBUTION CENTRE
SERENA VALLEY, THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES
CYLON OCCUPIED SCORPIA
The three Raptors touched down in the truck yard under the cover of darkness. With their hatches open the Hermes' Marine detachment stormed out of the small vessels in full Nuclear, Biological and Chemical or NBC suits, their weapons held poised and ready. Their primary objective at this point was to establish a perimeter around the site and set up observation posts or OPs as they were termed in military parlance. No sooner had the Marines disembarked then the Raptors began to lift off back into the air. The three craft howled as they lifted up before terrain masking their way out of the valley to jump away. The temptation here was to load the first group of Raptors up with supplies but without securing the site first that could spell disaster for the operation if Cylons were in wait nearby ready to ambush a group of Marines who were concentrating more on carrying a box of Aurora bars than watching the line.
The Marines were lead by a Lieutenant named Nester Adrastos. Before they dropped down onto the planet he had briefed his men extremely thoroughly about what the positions they were to take once on the ground. They each examined the photographs taken by 'Magma' and Burmeister to the point where they could draw a rough sketch of the site purely from memory. Adrastos knew that even the faint signals from the short wave personal wireless sets could bounce off the atmosphere and be picked up by a nearby Cylon listening post. The sixteen men under his command had to know exactly what to do the moment their boots hit the ground without his direct orders. Radio silence was to only be broken in the event of enemy contact.
Within fifteen minutes they had established their OP's and Adrastos and his Gunnery Sergeant, John Calisto, made their way from point to point checking on each position. John Calisto was every bit the stereotypical 'gunny'. Built like a tank and possessing an air of invincibility that reflected on those in his unit he was as much feared by his subordinates as they feared the Cylons and this drove them to do their best. But one thing they could all count on was that he would never let them down in a fight. Adrastos was forever thankful for having someone like him under his command. He was only twenty five years of age and had been in the service for three years, not much compared to Calisto's twelve years. When he first came aboard Hermes he felt that Calisto was 'carrying' him somewhat but he liked to think in the last year he had come into his own and was finding that he was relying less and less on Calisto in the decision making process.
After confirming that the last OP was secure the two of them slumped down between two articulated trucks for cover. Calisto checked the hexagonal tag on his arm for the radition level. It would turn all black if the radiation levels had reached dangerous levels but right now it was almost perfectly clear.
"We're doing alright in this valley Gunny!" said Adrastos through his respirator that covered his face. "Most of the radiation has been blown out to sea."
"Yes sir" growled Gunny Calisto through his own mask. "But I still want to make sure that my testacles aren't producing two headed little Johnnies!"
"Don't worry! Your NBC gear will cover you for the most part. If the radiation levels do rise then we will just have to resort to radiation meds!" explained Calisto as he took out his map and leaned over with his small red flashlight to study the surrounding terrain. Red filters were used on military flashlights because they didn't affect the human eye's natural ability to see at night so if the light was flashed in someone's face accidentally then they wouldn't have to wait another fourty minutes for them to readjust. "Listen...Gunny!" said Adrastos as he put the map back in his jacket. "Now that we're on the ground I have to reveal an important piece of information to you that was made available to me shortly before we departed. For the time being this information must, and I stress the word must, be kept compartmentalized! You are not to reveal it to anyone without direct authorisation from myself, Commander Bowman or Major Adonia. They are the only ones who know what I am about to tell you and Bowman has ordered that it be kept that way. The reason will be obvious."
"Sir!" interupted Gunny. "Do you mean to say that I am not to inform the men?"
"Precisely!" said Adrastos sensing Gunny's disgust at keeping his men out of the loop. "But they're Marines! They know as well as us that we can't be privy to everything the 'Man' knows and usually for a very good reason. Before we left Hermes I was called into a meeting with Bowman. The latest Intell is that the Cylons have begun mimicking human form. Now for what purpose isn't clear as yet but no doubt that's how they infiltrated our defences. I have been given standing orders that any non-crewman we encounter, beit civilian or military, we are to initiate prisoner-of-war protocol and act accordingly. I am revealing this information to you in case I am incapacitated. While I trust the men I don't want them getting trigger happy with any genuine survivors thinking they're Cylons."
"Yes sir! said Calisto. "You can count on my discretion."
"I never doubted it" explained Adrastos. Adrastos looked as Gunny's head dipped to the side in thought. Even though his face was obscured by the mask he knew that Calisto was having the same thoughts as he had when he first heard that Cylons were mimicking human form. The biggest question of course was how? When he first heard it Adrastos had the rather comical mental image of a Centurion in drag. The only thing that was certain was that it was a frightening development. "Never boring, this job, is it Gunny?" Calisto looked at him and said, "Beats guarding those frakking refugees, sir."
"So say we all!" chuckled Adrastos.
"Sir? May I ask the six million cubit question?"
"Go ahead" said Adrastos.
"If Cylons are mimicking humans how can we be sure that Hermes hasn't been compromised?" Calisto's words struck home with Adrastos. In truth he hadn't considered that possibility himself even though it was so obvious. The truth was they didn't.
BATTLESTAR HERMES COMBAT INFORMATION CENTRE
Major Alex 'Griffon' Adonia's world had changed beyond all recognition. He stood in CIC looking around at the people as they worked, some of whom he had known for years, and saw them all in a new light for in his own mind he had convinced himself that any one of them could be a Cylon! It was extremely unnerving for him and he began to feel as though he was the one being watched and not the other way round. Suddenly he noticed that the eyes on the Marine guarding the door seemed to move suddenly as if the guard had realised that he was looking at him. Adonia tred to convince himself that he had imagined it but the possibility remained in his head like some vile odour that refused to be moved. What if the guard is a Cylon? Subconciously he now realised that he was staring at the Marine. The guard stood firm with his head facing forward but soon picked up on the fact that Adonia was indeed watching him and momentarily snapped his eyes to the side to confirm his suspicions.
Adonia's heart seemed to bang suddenly like someone was hitting a drum! His eyes widened. He hadn't imagined it that time. The guard was keeping tabs on him. What if he is a Cylon? He is in the perfect position if he is? A baseship could jump in and attack and at a critical moment he could turn his gun on the entire CIC staff. Hermes would be helpless and over five thousand people would be slaughtered!
The main door to CIC slid open beside the Marine who now had Adonia's complete attention. The Marine turned to see who was entering and stood to attention as the broad figure of Commander Artimus Bowman entered the room. Adonia wanted to act but didn't know what to do? Even he started to think he was being crazy. What was he going to do next - start accusing everybody of being a Cylon? Maybe even Bowman? As Bowman entered, Adonia watched the Marine as he in turn watched the CO's every move as he entered. A small act of a bored Marine that would have once gone unnoticed now begged the highest suspicion from Adonia. Adonia began to feel like he was standing in a room with a bomb that was about to go off at any second!
"SITREP Major!" asked Bowman as he stood beside the Operations Desk and glanced at the confusing return on the DRADIS thanks to the Erebus Belt. Bowman's eyes turned to Adonia as he realised he hadn't answered him. "Major!" Adonia seemed to snap himself out of a day dream as he broke his eye contact with the Marine who now looked positively uneasy at having Adonia stare at him for so long.
"Hmm?" mumbled Adonia. "Oh uh! I'm sorry sir! Uh, if everything is on schedule then the insertion Raptors should be making their return jump to Scorpia in a few minutes. Providing of course Lieutenant Adrastos and his men have secured the site."
"I am aware of the plan Major" stated Bowman picking up on the fact that Adonia's response was the act of a desperate officer trying to cover his negligence. "That's not what I asked you for! What's our status?" Adonia seemed totally taken aback like he was some schoolboy who had just been caught cheating on a math test by his teacher.
"I'm sorry sir!" he said sheepishly. "All stations reporting normal. No DRADIS contacts or passive ESM signals to report. Our recon Vipers are now two hours into their patrol. No word as of yet."
"Well!" said Bowman breathing in deep. "No news is good news I suppose."
"Yes sir!" uttered Adonia almost off handedly clearly giving away the fact that his mind was on something else.
"Something wrong?" asked Bowman in such a way that it demanded an answer other than 'no'. Adonia didn't know what to say. He now suddenly felt like he was being foolish in front of his commanding officer after all what evidence did he have that the Marine was a Cylon - he was looking at him! That was it! Even he knew it was idiotic and paranoid as he slowly regained his senses. "Well?" Adonia looked around the room to make sure that no one was eavesdropping before walking up to Bowman and speaking in a subdued tone.
"I'm sorry sir!" he explained. "It's just ever since I debriefed Miss Biers I have been...troubled."
"You're starting to see Cylons everywhere is that it?" said Bowman in an equally low tone not for anyone else to hear. Adonia's face said it all. He didn't have to say it out loud. "My advice to you Major is that you take the position of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt until we have evidence to the contrary. Us turning on each other is precisely what the Cylons wanted when they adopted this tactic. At the end of the day all we have is each other. Our worlds are gone. For us this is it!" Adonia felt that he was put in his place and was greatful for it. Having been left to his own devices Adonia had come up confused and it took Bowman's insight to put him on the straight and narrow path.
"What do you intend to do about Miss Biers?" asked Adonia.
"Let's keep her in isolation for the time being" said Bowman. "We're probably doing her a favor, keeping her out of the civilian accomodation."
"That's a nice way of putting it sir" joked Adonia regarding the 'slum'. Bowman again felt a bolt of guilt over his almost ignorance of the civilian population and turned away in an absent minded attempt to change the subject when he saw that Burmeister was once again away from her station.
"Where's Captain Burmeister?" he asked. "Shouldn't she be on duty?"
"We got word that she was in sickbay" said Adonia realising he had forgotten to follow up the report."But I haven't heard from her since."
"That's not like her" said Bowman. "Get a hold of sickbay and see if she is still there!"
"Yes sir!" acknowledged Adonia as he picked up the handest to contact sickbay.
Lt. Melissa "Aurora" Saunders walked into her quarters that she shared with several other officers. The bunk to her bottom left had its curtain drawn so the occupant could have their privacy and she turned her back on it to face her own bunk immediately opposite. She had just spent over two hours of intensive simulation training in one of the Raptors on the Hangar deck running emergency drills and learning how to jam Cylon DRADIS. The training would have continued longer if Chief Imlay hadn't cut it short in order to ready the Raptor for the resupply missions to Scorpia.
She unbuttoned her jacket and threw it down on her bunk. As she looked down at the jacket she couldn't help but notice the Lieutenant pips that sat on the collar. Even though it had been over twenty four hours since she had become a Lieutenant she still couldn't believe it was true and she smiled in childish satisfaction as she looked down at them.
Her smile suddenly dropped as she heard what sounded like the vague sound of someone sobbing from behind the curtain of the bunk behind her. She stood motionless and quietly as she waited to hear the sound again. Sure enough the sound returned and she knew that it was coming from behind the curtain from Captain Burmeister's bunk.
"Captain?" she called out as she walked towards the bunk. There was no response as she heard yet another sob. "Captain Burmeister are you ok?" There was still no response. Worried, Melissa slowly drew back the curtain to check that her fellow officer was ok. "Oh my Gods!" she gasped horror stricken as she threw her hands up over her mouth in shock.
Chloe Burmeister was indeed sitting behind the curtain. Her left arm was covered in blood from several deep wounds that dug into her flesh just below her shoulder. In her right hand was a knife. Burmeister didn't even look at Melissa as she stood there terrified at the sight of all the blood. In her own mind Chloe believed that she would be better off dead so what did it matter anymore if anyone saw her bleeding like this?
What did anything matter anymore...
AN - I would like to take this opportunity to point a few things out that you may notice over the coming days.
Firstly, after reading back on some of the earlier chapters I have noticed that my grammar has changed slightly eg. Dradis and DRADIS so I have decided to alter these earlier chapters to be more in line with the rest of the story.
I have also rewrtitten the prologue to the first chapter. After reading it again I have decided it is too cold and doesn't really fit with the rest of the story. No new information is revealed so there is no need to read it again if you don't want.
The rating is being modified from K+ to T as I think the story deserves this new rating the way it is going.
Finally the number of chapters will be reduced. No content is being removed. I am simply merging a few of the shorter chapters into one since they are only a few hundred words compared to the average of 2-3,000 of the others.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my story. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the story so far and continue to do so. We are almost at the end of the first installment of the story about a Battlestar named Hermes and the people who call it 'home' but their journey is far from over...