VII

The Present

Roberto and Marci Strathem had felt the decision to come to New Caprica was a no-brainer. After Baltar's election to the Presidency-both of them having voted for the enigmatic doctor and scientist, and being bone-weary of being stuck with their two children, Caleb and Marissa, aboard the Tauranian Traveller after the attack on home world of Tauron.

Life wasn't easy for them on New Caprica, but they both felt that having dirt under their feet, instead of running in space, was a better way to try and raise their children. The Cylons had ended that early contentment. At almost the same time, a strain of pneumonia had swept through New Caprica, and had killed more than five hundred people. The Strathem's had escaped unscathed from that horror.

Marci worked as a lab technician for Doc Cottle, even though there wasn't much in the way of equipment to run a proper lab. Roberto was a civilian mechanic, who was very skilled at fixing and keeping engines of all types in good working order. Even though the civilian fleet parked in and around New Caprica never went anywhere, The Cylons did test their systems to make sure they worked if they ever wanted to use the ships.

Their children for thirteen and eleven, respectively, beginning that restless stage of the advancing teenage years, both their son and daughter wanting to be Viper Pilots, which worried their parents to no end. They were good students, and loved their teachers, often staying after classes to help former President Roslin grade papers for her younger students.

This morning, Caleb woke up feeling like he had been up all night playing Pyramid against the C-Bucks, his favorite team before the war. He had a terrible headache, no energy, and a moderately high fever. Roberto hadn't left for work yet, and one look at the boy, and he knew there wouldn't be school for him that day. He allowed Caleb to sleep in a little late, walking over to the school buildings to inform Roslin, who was also the Principal, of his son's absence for that day.

After that errand, he walked his son over to Doc Cottle's set of tents, to get his son looked after. His mom was already at work-when she didn't have to draw blood, or do any sampling, she would assist Cottle, Ishay, and the other medical pro's with whatever they needed. She had learned a lot more about medicine since arriving on the planet, than she ever thought she was capable of.

Arriving at the medical clinic, the first person they saw was Nurse Layne Ishay.

"Roberto", she smiled at them, "Caleb, what are you two gentlemen doing here today?"

"How are you, Ishay?" Roberto gave the familiar woman a slight bow. "Caleb woke up feeling pretty lousy this morning. I just wanted to get him checked out."

"You let Roslin know he won't be in?" She gave a disarming grin. "You know how she hates the kids missing their studies."

"Yeah, I already talked to her. She's good about it."

Ishay waved them both into another room. "Fortunately, it isn't too busy this morning, so Doc Cottle should be able to see you in a manner of minutes. I'll let your mom draw the blood, and you'll have to pee in a cup for her, Caleb."

The thirteen year old just rolled his eyes. "Great, just what I've always wanted to do-pee for mom." He did give a sly grin at the end. Both the adults laughed.

"Haha, young man", Ishay said with a continuing giggle. "Get your behind in there, and let your mom do her work."

Caleb did as he was asked without further complaint, went and saw his mom, who got the samples ready for Doc Cottle to look at.

It was about an hour before Marci had the lab samples prepped for Cottle, which ended her work on her son's care, at least as far as professionally. She would have the honor of taking care of him later at home.

Cottle had given Caleb a light antihistamine to let him relax, then had sent him home with his father until the results were ready, telling his dad that it looked like a nice case of the flu. It took Cottle another hours to get to the lab samples, as he had to set a broken arm for a construction worker who had taken a spill when building a new facility for The Cylons.

By that time, one of his colleagues, Doctor Beau Krantz had arrived, and he would take the walk-in cases, while Cottle went over not only Caleb's lab results, but also some other lab work that needed tending to.

With the weather on New Caprica normally being pretty dreary, and not all that warm, colds and the occasional flu were not uncommon. Unfortunately, they didn't have a lot in the way of antibiotics left after the pneumonia that had swept through when The Cylons arrived. It wasn't quite to the critical stage, but it would be in the not-too-distant-future.

The clinic had three decent Electron Microscopes, and two that were older and not as reliable. The first battles with The Cylons after The Holocaust had destroyed a good deal of the equipment aboard Galactica, including some brand-new microscopes.

Cottle had been excited about getting his hands on new, innovative breath monitors which were set to become available about four months after The Cylons had arrived, but none had been available when the end came to the Twelve Colonies.

He used what he had, and while it wasn't perfect, he was able to get his work done.

Adjusting his chair a little, he began to analyze the samples that Marci had made for him. He went through the normal routine. When he looked at one of the blood samples, his heart almost stopped. This looks damn familiar, he breathed evenly.

He rose from his chair and entered another room. "Ishay, can you bring me the information on the pneumonia virus that came through here?"

"At once, doctor."

In a few minutes, the nurse had what he needed. He compared the notes and the images from that outbreak to what he was seeing in Caleb's blood sample.

"Ishay", the Doc said without panic, "take a look at the sample that we got from Caleb this morning, and tell me what you think?"

Ishay gave him a long glance, then did as told. Cottle was a veteran doctor, but he also knew a second set of eyes never hurt. Doctor Krantz was with a patient at the moment, but he would ask his opinion, too, when he had a free moment.

Ishay almost gasped as she looked up after examining the sample. "It looks almost exactly like the virus that came through here-almost."

The Doc gave a grim laugh. "Yeah, almost is right. But not quite. It looks like it's mutated somewhat. It doesn't exactly match the samples of the original virus."

"We need to get Caleb back here for further testing?"

Ishay was as good a nurse as he had ever had. He rarely had to explain things to her. "Stat."

The term that meant immediately, sent Ishay moving quickly, first grabbing Marci, telling her about the samples, then going together to Marci's home, where they brought Caleb and his father back to the clinic.

They had only been gone ten minutes, when arriving back. They were met by Dr. Krantz, who was finished with his patient. He immediately took Caleb to a waiting room with his parents, then pulled Ishay aside.

Ishay noticed the look on his face.

"What is it, Beau?"

"Two other people just walked in, with almost the exact same symptoms as Caleb."

By week's end, four hundred people had the virus, six had died, and twelve were going to die at any time.

Another Epidemic was at hand.

A Week Later

Dr. Sherman Cottle felt more useless each day.

He simply did not have the medicine needed to to inoculate the human population on New Caprica from this latest Epidemic. The last virus, about eighteen months earlier, might have been stopped had the godsdamned Cylons not arrived and cut off Cottle's next supply of medicine from The Fleet. This one, however, could not be met with manna from the heavens.

It would have to have medicine granted by their captors.

The only way to get the medicine necessary to inoculate everyone, and to properly treat the sick, was to ask The Cylons for access to medicine that everyone knew they had. They had taken enough samples of human DNA, and had their own scientists in the form of an army of Simon's, who were in their own, twisted way, as brilliant as Baltar.

But would they allow the medicine to be made available, to stop what Cottle was becoming convinced would be a death count that would make that first virus pale in comparison.

He was almost certain that they would turn him down with a laugh, but he had to try.

"I'll grant you a free flow of medicines, including antibiotics, and equipment on one condition." D'Anna remained very business-like as Cottle had made his presentation.

Despite the fact that Cottle had been far less gruff than normal at this presentation-in part because Tigh had insisted Chief Tyrol go with him-he couldn't resist now. "This ought to be good."

D'Anna gave a light laugh. "Come now, Dr. Cottle, give and take is part of any negotiation, is it not? I'm not asking for the nearest moon and back. We were not in a position to stop the virus that hit here eighteen months ago. It was already established, and I do understand you had enough supplies at that time. However, we agree that this is an extremely urgent situation, and we do want to help, but to receive, one has to give."

"Are you gonna tell me what you want in return, or do I have to guess?" Tyrol softly squeezed his arm in warning.

"That would help, wouldn't it?" The smirk on her face made both the Doctor and the Chief more than a little nervous. "Very well, I'll give you the medicine and equipment-in exchange for letting us take Kara Thrace back into custody."

Neither man was expecting that. "You want me to trade supplies, so you can torture Captain Thrace again? That's..."

Tyrol cut him off, the younger man looking at D'Anna. "May I have a private word with my colleague, D'Anna? Just for a few moments?"

"Of course, Galen", the Cylon said sweetly. "We'll be right outside. We'll leave a Centurion in her with you." D'Anna and the Sharon with her left, the Centurion simply blocking the door.

"Doc", the Chief began in hushed tones, knowing they were probably being recorded, "I don't like what they've proposed, but we have to take it back to the committee. If we can help thirty-seven thousand or so people, in exchange for one, we have to consider it."

"Chief, my oath says do no harm. That means harm to no one-even if it helps some forty thousand, Kara's gonna get the shit kicked out of her, and you and I both know that! I could never look her in the eye again, if she would survive."

Galen took a breath. "I get that, Sherman, but they have us by the short-hairs, and we both know that as well. We will have to take it back to Tigh, Roslin, and Zarek."

"I don't like this one fraking bit, Tyrol", the doctor spat, "but as you said, we don't have much choice."

The Chief nodded at the Centurion, who understood, opening the door back up. D'Anna and Sharon re-entered.

"D'Anna, with your permission, I'd like to take your offer back to those who would need to approve such an agreement. I can't say the doctor and I like it, but we have to consider the offer. Is that acceptable?"

"Perfectly, Chief Tyrol", D'Anna said with a flinty grin. "We can meet back here, say, say in three days?"

Galen nodded. "That would be fine. Thank you."

Without another word, he and the Doc left, both mightily troubled.