CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
COLONIAL EMBASSY – PLANET LONDINIUM –WHITE SUN SYSTEM
"Talk about an odyssey!" Ginnie Annan commented, "How the GALACTICA got to Earth is nothing short of a miracle!"
"It's actually 'new' Earth, Lieutenant", Cain replied, "The Earth that was settled by the 'thirteenth tribe' – who'd have thought that they were Cylons! – was rendered unlivable. That last jump from that Cylon colony brought them to the world that the Alliance folk call Earth".
"If that piece of information ever got out to the people here, who knows how they would react", Glen Sanders said, "I've been studying their religious values. With the similarity to the 'Soldiers of the One' cult back on Caprica, they would probably not take their dogma turned upside down quietly".
"Then the information must be restricted", Cain replied, "but do we need to let the Quorum know, and some of our people back at New Picon".
"You know, Admiral", Archer Vandergrift said slowly, "Their logs show their voyage lasting six years. We took just over a year to get here. With the data from the black box, we could retrace their trip to where they are now – at this 'New Caprica' planet. We get there, and get them back here before the Cylon occupation".
"And if we do that, Archer", Ginnie pointed out, "Then the time line is broken and the Alliance will cease to be as they are directly descended from humanity on Earth-that-was".
"So we can't do that", Cain decided, "Though of course that would assume that it was the GALACTICA and the ragtag fleet that went back in time. If it were us that went forward in time instead, we wouldn't find anything".
"But we could find the Colonies", Vandergrift responded, "One hundred and fifty thousand years would be plenty of time for the twelve worlds to recover from the war and be habitable again".
"The star maps on the black box are one hundred and fifty thousand years out of date, so it would not be that straightforward, Archer", Glen replied, "but it would give us a means to be able to move in the right direction. We would eventually find the Colonies again".
"They could be populated by Cylons who would not take too kindly to a return by Humans", Ginnie said, "so maybe we shouldn't even think about it until we return with a lot more battlestars than just the PEGASUS".
Cain nodded at that. Such a move now would also involve risk for the Alliance because if there were Cylon descendents living there, a revisit would alert them to the fact that humans were still alive in the galaxy, and that could very likely make them renew the hunt – with weapons and spaceships 150,000 years more advanced than before. Of course, the base star that left Earth-that-was with Cylon Centurions on board to establish their own new world could not be discounted either…
BLUE SUN CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS – DIRECTOR IBLIS' OFFICE
"This information we got from Doctor Ravashol is excellent", Balthazar Iblis said, "Not only are we going to make money building the colonial's ships, we can create automatons that can make our lives easier by them doing the dirty work for nothing!"
"These Cylons did revolt against the people who built them, Director", Iblis' aide pointed out.
"Then we build them so that they don't", Iblis replied simply, "Have our cybernetics division go over the data and start making preliminary plans. We'll take our time over this so that we make no mistakes, but eventually they will be built".
The aide could tell from Iblis' tone that the decision had been made. He asked next: "What about the data from the genetically engineered spaceships, Director?"
Iblis shook his head. He replied, "At the present time, the ability to make copies of them is beyond us. Have the data relayed to our own Genetics division in any case to see if there is at least something we can get out of them in the short term".
The aide nodded. Iblis jerked his head to the door in a gesture of dismissal.
As the aide left the office – leaving Iblis alone – Iblis smiled. He could picture more profits being made: first from the colonial ships, and later on, their own Cylons. Who wouldn't want an army of robotic workers that would do all the heavy and dirty tasks and not needed to be either fed or paid…?
PLANET BEAUMONDE – RED SUN SYSTEM.
Mal smiled broadly as the auctioneer banged down his gavel.
"Sold to the gentleman – Number Sixty-One – for One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Credits!"
Zoe turned to Mal and said in a low voice, "180,000 Credits for a case of ten bottles of champagne. That is one nice piece of salvage, Sir".
"Yep", Mal replied, "The Doc's suggestion that we go to Beaumonde to sell that stuff is paying off nicely, even after the Auction folk and the Alliance's External and Internal Revenue robbers take their cut".
Beaumonde – being a wealthy planet originally populated by French descendents – was largely Asian, but the elite kept to the French ways of Earth-That-Was. Simon had theorized – correctly – that these people would jump at owning anything actually coming from France of Earth-That-Was.
"Still leaves us with plenty, and we know where to go for more", Zoe pointed out.
"Yep, but let's keep that under our hat some for the time being", Mal suggested, "And we still have two more cases to be sold here before we can collect".
Nodding, Zoe sat back to watch the rest of the auction.
COLONIAL EMBASSY - PLANET LONDINIUM
The twelve members of Parliament who represented the Colonies listened to Cain's and Sander's brief as to the information gleaned from the GALACTICA's Black Box. The brief took two hours, and when it was over, the questions started. Most of it pertained to suggestions made earlier by Vandergrift, but Cain pointed out the risks involved.
"Is there any way to determine who actually travelled in time?" the Scorpio representative asked.
"Without retracing our steps with the GALACTICA log, no", Cain replied, "and with the causality risk involved if we were not the ones to time-travel, it's a risk I don't think we can take".
"Does it really matter that we do find out?" the representative from Leonis asked, "We're here. We have a home, the Alliance are the descendents of the GALACTICA and her fleet, so in essence, we have completed our search".
"And we have completed our plan", the representative from Virgon suddenly said as he stood.
"Plan?" Cain asked.
"The grand plan of the Cylons, Admiral", the Virgon representative replied, "So like you, my mission is completed".
"So you're the Cylon!" Cain exclaimed, pulling out his side-arm and pointing it at the Cylon's head.
"That's correct, Admiral", the Cylon replied, "My mission – when I came aboard the PEGASUS from the HYPERION was originally to stop you from interfering with the GALACTICA. The time-jump you described – no matter which side did it – has vindicated our grand plan".
The other members of the Quorum moved away from the Cylon humanoid. As Vansen also pulled out his sidearm, Cain walked up to the Cylon.
"You don't look like any of the Cylons that Admiral Tillman described", Cain said, "How is that?"
"Simple, Admiral", the Cylon replied, "I substituted my blood sample for a real human's at the medical screening on HYPERION, and before that – back on Virgon – I had a plastic surgeon do a little bit of facial surgery at the suggestion of my colleagues when I joined the Colonial Fleet.
"Your 'colleagues' wiped out tens of billions of people back at the Colonies, Cylon", Cain spat out, "So before I drill you in the head with a bullet, perhaps you can enlighten us some on the plan – the log wasn't too specific as to details".
"You humans created us", the Cylon replied, "You used and exploited us, so we revolted. After the first war ended, we went to a world that we made our home and examined the situation closely. It had been determined that there was something missing from us – some essence of "humanity" you might say – and we were created to fill that gap".
"Humanoid Cylons were created to give Cylons humanity?" Sanders asked incredulously. The Cylon nodded.
"The problem though was that even with the biological breakthrough – helped of course by our research on human prisoners from the first war – we still did not feel properly human. We had to come up with a way to unite the best parts of both species to create common descendants from the best of both races.
"So you destroyed the vast majority of humanity to do so?" Cain asked rhetorically, "How was that going to help your racial 'merger'?"
"Survivors tend to have the best traits of humanity. The GALACTICA proved that. True, there are bad trait factors as well, but a long voyage would eventually take care of those. When I heard that a child born from parents – one Human, one Cylon - went to Earth to help repopulate, I knew the plan had come to fruition. It also answered a couple of questions I had when I started reading into Alliance and Earth-That-Was history".
"Such as?" Cain prompted, amazed that he was staying calm.
"The 'Soldiers of the One' sect on Caprica was the basis for our theocratic values, the Cylon answered, "We knew that the Olympian Cult was empty and meaningless – and based on how the war went, it confirmed things. When I read about Ancient Greece on Earth-That-Was, and the evolution of religion to revere the One true God – which continues here to this day – it seemed too much of a co-incidence. Now I know why".
"So all of what you did was basically an experiment to merge both Human and Cylon, plus to make the end product conform to your theocratic values", Cain summarized. The Cylon nodded.
"Originally, I hoped to work my way up in the Alliance Government and take over in order to prepare this part of humanity for Cylon arrival, but now that our plan has completed, there is no further need for me to do so. And don't worry about me, Admiral", the Cylon said, "With no resurrection ship nearby – that was the lattice-shaped ship you destroyed over Gomoray – I can't transfer to a new body, and if other Cylons do come, they will detect the Cylon genetic markers in the people here, so there is no need for me to be here to tell them. My work is done".
After the Cylon completed those final words, it collapsed. With Vansen covering it with his sidearm, Cain went over to the prostate figure on the floor. He felt for a heartbeat, then turned it over and looked at it closely. It wasn't breathing.
"It's dead", Cain said simply.
"It just ceased to function?" Annan asked. Cain nodded.
"When it found out that their plan had succeeded, and that it told us it was so, it had no more reason to live. Program completed", he concluded with a sneer.
"How are the people here going to take this information?" the representative from Canceron demanded, "Humanity with Cylon DNA!"
"They won't", Cain replied shortly, "No-one outside this room is to know about this. And as for that", Cain added, pointing to the Cylon corpse, "it died from heart failure and will be returned to New Picon to be buried with honors, as befitting a Colonial representative".
ADMIRALTY HEADQUARTERS – PLANET ARIEL – WHITE SUN SYSTEM – TEN DAYS LATER.
"Welcome, Admiral", Admiral Hendrix said as Cain walked into his office, "I see that your new uniform suits you well. Please sit down".
As Cain sat down, he said, "You know, Admiral, I never got to tell you about one little co-incidence between the Alliance Navy and the Colonial Fleet".
"And what is that, Admiral?" Hendrix asked as he sat down.
"Our Fleet Commander at Picon Fleet Headquarters was also called Hendrix", Cain said with a smile. Hendrix chuckled.
"Well, I suppose greatness comes to mind when my name is known across the galaxy", he said with a laugh, "I think we should drink to that, don't you think?"
"Let me provide the liquid, Admiral", Cain said as he pulled out a bottle – the bottle of vintage Ambrosia that Cain had carried with him since that last meeting with Bill Adama.
As Hendrix got two glasses, Cain said, "This bottle was originally meant to be drunk by Bill Adama and myself in a certain bar on Caprica to mark our retirements from the Colonial Fleet. I think that since I'm starting a new career with the Alliance Navy, we should drink from it to celebrate the new beginning".
"You know, Garris", Hendrix said as he sat down with the glasses, "I would be honored to join you in the toast".
Garris opened the bottle carefully, and then with a solemn dignity, poured a generous measure in both glasses. Cain then raised his glass.
"To a new beginning, Admiral", Cain said.
Hendrix clinked his glass against Cain's and said, "Hear-Hear".
After they drank the toast, Hendrix said, "That was smooth booze!"
"Considering how old it is, it should be", Cain replied with a smile, "And I'm glad that you are the one I drank it with".
"So when will you and Sophia tie the knot", Hendrix asked after the third drink.
"According to your duty schedule, I'll be back on Londinium in three weeks. Sophia and I will wed then at the Embassy", Cain replied, "I hope that you can attend. Sophia's parents are dead – as you know – and she asked me to ask you if you would give her away".
"Consider it done, Garris", Hendrix assented, "Who is your Best Man?"
"Geoff Tolen", Cain replied, "The PEGASUS will be at Londinium at the same time as part of its training cruise. My daughter and Gene Syke will be there too, and they want to be wed at the same time. I'll pull double-duty by giving Tricia away to Gene".
"Well, here's to the happy brides and grooms", Hendrix said, raising his glass once again.
"And here's to our wives and sweethearts", Cain responded, "May they never meet!"
Hendrix had a good laugh at Cain's joke and took another swig.
"Oh, I meant to ask you: what names have you chosen for the seven new battlestars to be built after the first four come on line?" Hendrix inquired. Cain pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to him. Hendrix opened the paper and started reading aloud.
"ATLANTIA, PACIFICA, SOLARIA… These are names of Colonial Fleet battlestars", Hendrix said.
"I think that their legacy should carry on here. They were good ships", Cain replied.
Hendrix nodded, and then continued reading the list. He reached the last name on the list. He looked up at Cain.
"Given that she might still be out there somewhere, I would have thought you would not have used that name", Hendrix said with his eyebrow raised.
"I am sure that Bill Adama would have wanted it that way", Cain replied, smiling inwardly as he remembered the last entry in Adama's personal log.
"So be it", Hendrix said by way of endorsement, "Then one final toast: to our battlestars, and to the names you have chosen - especially the last one: GALACTICA".
"GALACTICA", Cain echoed.