CH 15
A job for Bob
Riding back home to the lake after he'd gotten Joan and Allison to their movie job, he was happy their garden work was done until spring time. Things had finally calmed down for him at the lake too. The boat ramp parking lot was clear and a new Mer clinic was going up near the boat ramp. Terminators were doing the work, which meant he didn't have to. The same with the housing there. All the vital stuff was done. All the Mers had boat houses of sheltered places they'd made themselves. It was getting cool enough that lying on the beach was kinda cold, which meant pretty much only Mers and alligators were in the lake.
He'd been alone in the truck, but suddenly Spirit Hanna was on the passenger side.
"I'm sorry, Robert, but she needs you," Spirit Hanna said.
Bob gaped at her. "Hanna? Who needs me?"
"You have to help her. No one else will," Spirit Hanna explained then waved her wand.
Bob disappeared out of the truck. The truck didn't finish the corner, but ran off the road and into a tree.
.
On the Battlestar Galactica, Ensign Erica Duvall had decided she was going to go help all those people packed down into the holds with food and health checks. Going down with the group Baltar was leading. It was a good, humanitarian cause that needed to be done.
Unfortunately, a group of armed Sons Of Ares caught them and holding them at gun point, took all the food for themselves as well as her and two other women. Baltar and the rest were chased out of the holds. Erica, Jamie and Gwen were prodded and pushed into a smaller room in the holds, then made to stand against the wall. The men who kidnapped them stood holding guns on them, grinning.
"What do you want with us!" Gwen cried.
The thicker man smiled. "Easy, we need entertainment, so strip! You will be frack toys. For the right price, anyone can do whatever they want with you, as long s they can pay us. Be good and you get food and don't get punished."
"You can't do this to us!" Jamie cried.
"Start stripping! Get everything off!" the man snapped.
"No!" Gwen snapped back.
The man pointed to her. "Beat her and strip her."
Two other men grabbed Gwen's arms and pulled her way from the wall. They punched her in the ribs, and when she bent low to escape the blows, they kneed her.
Horrified by what was happening, Erica cringed and squatted down against the wall. "Stop it, please!" she begged.
"Clothes off, or you're next!" the man snapped.
Seeing Gwen being beaten to the floor and getting her clothes ripped off, Jamie began to quickly throw her clothes off as she cried in racking sobs.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Erica cried also, and prayed to the Lords of Kobol for someone to come rescue her. The man Baltar said was an Earthman, she desperately prayed for him to come and stop this cruelty.
Hands grabbed her and dragged her to her feet. A man raged in her face, "Clothes off now or I'll beat you within an inch of your life!"
.
Instead of the truck he'd been driving, Bob was sailing through the air in the sitting position he had, right at two men who were stripping a woman on the floor. He impacted them, then hit another man who was holding a crying woman up. Tumbling now, he glanced off another man then ran into the wall hard. He landed upside down against a wall and bounced to hit the floor on his head.
Everyone gaped at him.
"OUCH!" Bob grumbled. Landing in a heap, he got himself up with a bit of a stagger as he got his balance. The first thing he noticed was he wasn't in his truck any more. The next thing was the men gaping at him, and the mostly naked woman on the floor. Another cried and ran into him to hug him tight. He held onto her to keep his balance.
"What the hell is going on? Where am I?" he asked anyone who might have an answer. Seeing men with guns, he had the woman get behind him.
A man with a pistol broke his stare and stepped up to put the pistol in Bob's face, then yelled something. Bob knocked the gun to one side and punched him hard. The man flew back to sprawl out, limp.
This caused the other five men to focus on him and point their guns at him. Again, this time a thick bearded man yelled at him. Bob also saw the mostly naked woman on the floor moaning. OK, these guys were abusing these women. He let out a huff and grumbled, "This is gonna hurt."
The men were fairly close. Bob thought about trying to retrieve the gun on the floor. Naw, he knew he was going to get shot anyway. Might as well attack as fast as he could. Leaping at them, he did down the bearded man with a punch before they all shot. He kicked another man in the chest to knock him back into a third man. They shot again and he raced low to punch the fourth man in the groin hard, and was close enough to spin and smash the last man hard in the face with the back of his fist.
Yup, he stung from the several holes in him but all the men were down. Four out and one doubled and moaning. "FUCK YOU!" he roared at the man still conscious. He ripped the gun away from the man and forced him onto his back, then sat on him.
"So big man with a gun, what are ya gonna do now?" Bob asked in a heavy growl.
The man struggled, Bob punched his face in. The man twitched and laid still.
The woman who'd hugged him came over with a teary smile on her face. She then looked at the bullet wounds and babbled out with a pained face.
She thumped a fist on his shoulder. "Lavida loca?" she asked.
OK, he remembered her from those woods. He grinned and shrugged. "Lavida Loca," he said and got up.
The other woman who was on her feet then rattled off a string of words he had no idea what she was saying. Turning his attention to the woman moaning on the floor, he saw her lip and nose was bleeding. She was going to have some nice bruises also. He pointed to her and made what he thought was motions to help her get dressed.
The other two women helped dress the moaning woman. OK, it was rumpled, but they got her clothes back on. The woman he recognized checked the men's vitals, then struggled to get their shirts off and began ripping them up. The women tried to bandage him. He was leaking blood in several places.
Bob stopped them, then made motions he hoped meant pulling the bullets out.
They stared a moment, then shook their heads.
Wonderful. Looking a the men sprawled out on the floor, he saw one had a knife. He picked the knife up and dug at the bullet hole he could clearly see in the middle of his chest.
The woman he knew grabbed his wrists and stopped him, shaking her head. The other one announced something, gaping at him.
"Air-ica," the one in front of his said, pointing to her self. She then pointed at him.
OK, he got it. He pointed to her, "Erica?" She nodded. He pointed to himself. "Bob."
She smiled briefly. "Bob," she then ran off another string of words and motioned to the door.
The moaning woman managed to get up with the other one's help. Seeing how these men had all been armed, Bob grabbed a couple pistols before he opened the door that looked like it belonged on a ship. The thing was more like a big oval hatch.
Opening the door, Bob peeked out. Beyond was a huge room, like the main floor of a warehouse. All that was in it was small three foot high cubicles as far as he could see, with many heads peeking up at him. He stepped out and looked for any men, especially with guns.
Erica stepped out behind him. She looked around, then pointed. He figured it was the way to go.
The moaning woman had a hard time walking. Bob gave one pistol to Erica, stuck the other in his waist band and scooped the hurt woman up in a bride's carry.
Bob walked in front, eyeing the cubicles of people who gaped at him wide-eyed as he passed by. OK they were eyeing his wounds and the tiny streams of blood coming from them.
Passing a closed off section, one healthy looking man did appear. Bob stopped and glared at him. The man eyed Bob, then retreated. Bob continued on.
Erica pointed the way to a stairway up. He was partway up the stairs when soldiers, it looked like, appeared at the top. They paused, then waved him up. One got at the edge of the doorway and looked down into the warehouse over his rifle sights.
Topping the stairs, a couple medics were there. They had stretchers, so he took the hurt woman over and laid her down on one. Right after he did, Erica and the medics motioned him to another stretcher.
The pistol in his waist band was pulled. A solider had it, Bob ignored him and waved his hands at the medics. Again he mimicked pulling the bullets out.
"Bob," Erica said and pointed to the stretcher, "Por favor?"
At least she was asking nicely. Bob shook his head and made pulling motions again. Looking at the instruments one medic had laid out, he saw forceps. He picked those up and moved to reach into a bullet hole.
Again, Erica stopped him. She took the forceps and indicate she would do it. He nodded. She still insisted he get on the stretcher. She then stripped his short off him by ripping it up.
Bob sat on the stretcher as Erica carefully dug in and pulled bullets out of him. The medics got disinfectant and bandages to cover his wounds after she got the bullets out. They were all yakking away as they worked. The soldiers stayed nearby, eyeing the stairs like something might attack them. One, he guessed was the leader, watched the medics work and talked to Erica.
Once she'd cleared his chest and belly of bullets, Erica again 'helped' him to lie on his stomach, and pulled a few slugs from his side and back as she jabbered on.
Erica then showed him a syringe and pointed to his arm.
Bob shook his head. "I don't need it. Don't waste it on me."
She frowned at him.
"No, I don't need it," he insisted.
She stuck him anyway.
A bellow of a question announced another man arriving. He was tall with only a fringe of gray hair and looked grumpy. By the uniform he was probably an officer. The leader soldier snapped a salute and talked to him, motioning down the stairs and to Bob. Erica also saluted then talked to this guy, waving her arm around.
The man got on her face and growled at her.
"ENOUGH!" Bob snapped. He got up off the stretcher and eyed Mr. Grumpy. Several guns snapped up and were pointed at him. Bob eyed them.
"NO!" Erica cried and jumped in front of Bob. She then let out another string of words to him, then to Mr. Grumpy. Mr. Grumpy then barked orders to the solider leader. Erica shook her head and explained something again. Mr. Grumpy pointed at Bob, then jerked a thumb behind him.
Erica pleaded something. Mr. Grumpy ignored her and stepped back. The solider leader tapped Bob on the shoulder then motioned for Bob to follow. Bob did.
Erica was held back by other soldiers as Bob walked away behind the leader, he was guessing was a Sargent. Erica wasn't quiet about being left behind. Wherever this was, it was a big place. They walked a while and took an elevator before they got to the hallway with a guard station and cells beyond. Wonderful. Thanks for sending me here, Hanna. I love you too.
.
In the observation room of the brig, looking in on the strange man, Roslyn, Commander Adama, Helo, Galen and Erica sat while behind them two guards watched.
Lt. Argas and his Captain, Apollo, also stood in the room.
Adama asked, "Lt, you said he claims to be from Earth?"
"He didn't, Sir. Baltar said he was from Earth. Then again, Baltar isn't the most reliable person I know. What I do know is last time we saw him he had a cabin that we landed on. He saved my co-pilot and trashed 15 Cylon Centurions by himself, and killed the bio-cylon that was with them. The rocket launchers he destroyed could have well taken out the other Raptors that were coming."
"Sir, here he killed the Sons Of Ares that were going to strip and rape us and turn us into sex slaves," Erica stated. "This will be twice he saved me, and others."
"How did he get here?" Adama asked in a hard tone.
"We don't know, he just appeared and killed those men, then helped us get out of those holds." Erica replied. "Bob also took 9 bullets doing that for us."
"Bob?"
"That's his name, Sir. He also speaks kinda Piconese. It's not perfect, but understandable."
"But he doesn't speak common Colonial?" Roslyn asked.
"No, but he does speak another language that I don't know," Erica told her.
"He's not a cylon," Apollo stated. "No bio cylon can eat 9 bullets and still be standing, if not dead. 9 good hits usually at least slows down Centurions also. Whatever he's got for armor, it's pretty tough."
"Commander?" Apollo asked, "From what we know, he's not violent unless someone gets violent with him. I'd like to take Ensign Duvall into his cell and question him."
"And if he's some kind of new cylon and attacks you?' Adama asked.
"I don't believe that's the case, Sir," Apollo said firmly.
Adama frowned for a moment, then said, "Go ahead. Guards, watch them closely."
Erica led Apollo to the cell. An armed guard opened it. Lying on his bunk, Bob sat up when they came in.
Erica waved and sat down beside him. Apollo stood nearby. In her best Piconese she asked, "Bob, how did you get here?"
"I was driving my vehicle, and suddenly brought here," Bob told her.
"How, was it a space ship?"
Bob chuckled. He then mimicked writing something down. "Paper?"
Erica replayed the request to Apollo, Apollo asked the guard. The guard left and returned shortly with an octagon shaped clipboard and paper and a pencil.
Bob eyed the paper with a raised eyebrow, then the guard. "This is odd," he noted aloud.
Bob drew a rough picture of a truck and a stick figure of him behind the wheel. He then tapped it and made driving motions. Erica nodded.
Below that, he drew a stick figure of himself flying at other stick figures and one of his empty truck. Erica looked at it and shrugged. Bob motioned flying from the truck into that room.
Erica showed the pictures to Apollo. "He indicates he was driving his ground vehicle, then was inside that room those men had us in."
"Impossible," Apollo stated.
"He did disappear all but right in front of me on Caprica," Erica said firmly.
Bob then tapped her on the shoulder. He asked, "Here," then shrugged.
"He doesn't know where he is," she explained.
"How can he not know? Ask him."
Erica relayed the request. Again, Bob pointed to the pictures.
Apollo got other information. Bob was from Earth, but how he got here, he was clueless. If he could leave the same way, he didn't know. Although he was suspicious, Apollo had the feeling Bob was telling the truth. Bob did have a request, by his washing motions, he wanted to get a shower. He was pretty bloody.
Bob sat with Erica while Apollo left, then came after a few minutes and talked to Erica. Erica got up and held out her hand. OK they wanted him to go somewhere.
Erica leading, she took Bob out had him wait while she went in a room and brought out some clothes. She then took him to the showers. Going in a woman in a towel was coming out. Bob resisted her pull any farther. She was taking him to the women's showers? He looked back at the guard with him with a questioning look.
"No showers?" Bob asked.
Erica tugged on him again. The guard also motioned him in.
OK, if you insist.
Leading him into a room of partial shower stalls, Erica pointed to the towels hanging up. She hung the clothes she got up, then began to undress.
"Whoa!" Bob cried and stopped her. He shook his head.
Erica made the motions for both of them to undress and get in a shower stall that still exposed their head and shoulders.
Bob blushed. He motioned her and him together. Was that OK?
Erica grinned and nodded.
Well, at least Joan wasn't here to see this. The guard was though.
Bob felt really odd getting in the shower with a strange woman, especially as they were being watched. Erica didn't look bad at all. She had a nice shape. A little small in the breast department, not a biggie. He did cringe as she carefully washed around his bandages. He felt healed, he the started taking them off. She grabbed his hands and shook her head.
"It's Ok, I'm healed," he told her. He uncovered where a bullet hole had been to show her. She eyed the red spot, then smiled and petted him there. Removing more bandages, she kept on gently petting him.
Her soft hands on him was causing a reaction. She just looked at him and smiled, then stroked his hard member a bit, causing him to blush again.
If that guard wasn't watching, he'd be petting her and start kissing.
Half torture, half tease, they got clean. Bob grabbed the towels. They toweled off in the stall, then got dressed. The clothes she got him were plain gray, but mostly fit, just a little loose. He did put his original shoes and socks back on.
Outside the showers, Apollo was waiting for them. Erica talked to him and not understanding, Bob didn't know she talked Apollo into letting Bob sleep with her in her room.
Apollo agreed, and had her take him up to Doc Cottle.
After another long walk with their armed entourage, Erica led Bob into what looked like a medical clinic. Their entourage changed to four soldiers. Inside a grouchy looking man in a white coat motioned him into what had to be an X-ray machine or fluoroscope. Bob stepped in. From in front of the machine there were gasps, including Erica.
Erica, looking shaken pointed to Bob and raised her arms. Ok, he did too. She turned to the side, he followed her movements. The others on the other side of the machine jabbered away.
"What the Hades is he?"
"He looks like a small Centurion covered in skin."
"No wonder those bullets didn't hurt him much!"
Cottle grumbled, "He's got a ton of metal in him, but look, he also has human muscle and a complete digestive system. How'd he get like this?"
"A new type of Cylon, I'm thinking."
Eric said, "Bob is not a Cylon! I don't know what he is, but I know what he's not!"
"And Earth has these things. We should pick a new destination."
"Erica, ask him how he got like this."
.
Bob stood in place until Erica waved him out. In Piconese, she asked, "How did you get so much metal inside you? Where you made that way?"
Bob explained he was born human. Getting nanites primarily from his wife, Joan, those nanites replaced his calcium bone with metal and formed his interior protection. He was classified as a cyborg, a metal and biological mix.
Erica verified everything he said as she stared at him. She talked to the others. They asked her a question. Erica turned back to Bob. "Are you a soldier?"
Bob shook his head. "I played football and recently, we take care of gardens, and the area around the lake we live at."
"Football? A game of kicking a ball?"
Bob chuckled. "No, you have to carry the ball or pass it into the far end zone."
"Like Triad?"
"I don't know what that is. Can you answer me a question? Where are we?"
Erica looked at the soldiers, then said, "We are on a ship in space."
It was Bob's turn to stare. "What? You're not Atlantians."
"We've never seen Atlantian."
"Lucky you," Bob replied.
Erica grinned. "They crazy?"
"Mucho loco," Bob told her. He twirled his finger by his temple.
Erica giggled.
Mr. Grumpy was back and barked a question at Erica. Bob frowned at him.
Erica explained something to him. She went on for a while, gesturing to Bob now and then. As she talked, another older man came in. This one was wearing glasses and had a pock-marked face. A short haired blonde came in by him and cast a dirty look at Bob. She said something, Mr. Pock Mark eyed her and replied quietly.
They all talked for a while, gesturing at Bob now and then. Bob asked Erica, "What's going on?"
Erica cringed. "They are trying to work out what to do with you."
"Why?"
Erica let out a huff. "Seeing you have metal in you, the XO and the Commander are sure you're a cylon plant to come disrupt us."
"Are they crazy?"
"We are at war with Cylons, they are nervous." Erica explained. "Please, no matter what, don't do anything violent."
Eric then stood up. She talked to them louder. The Blonde yelled at her, Erica yelled back. The Blonde drew her pistol. Seeing this Bob shot up and covered Erica. The Blonde shot him in the back, then shot again.
OK, enough was enough. Bob made Erica lie down then turned and glared at the Blonde. A red eyed glare. She shot him again, he charged her as she put yet another bullet in his chest. He ached to punch her hard. Restraining himself, he slapped her face. She spun from the slap to land on the floor.
Bob dove on her, grabbed her by the collar and pulled her up in front of him. As he suspected, more guns were pointed at him.
"No!" Erica cried.
Bob yelled, "Erica! Tell them I've had enough of their shit! The next person who shoots me, I will break every bone in their body!"
The Doctor exploded also. He yelled out at the soldiers, pointed the way out and pushed them towards the exit. He then came over and motioned to take the Blonde. He motioned to Erica then to Bob.
The Commander and the XO stood back eyeing Bob as Erica, teary eyed, came over to Bob and guided him over to sit back on the cot. She grabbed a set of forceps and started pulling bullets out of him.
.
Saul Tigh stared at the supposed Cylon. "Starbuck shot him four frackin times. I don't think he even frackin felt it."
Adama grunted. "Pass the word, no one else is to shoot at him. I don't think cylons restraints will do much either."
"Then what do we do with him, Bill?" Saul asked. "He's tougher than anything we've ever seen."
"I don't know. Obviously, getting him angry is a bad idea." Adama then went over to where Starbuck lay on her cot. The right side of her face was swollen, her nose leaked blood as did her lip. Her eyes had lost focus, she was making random movements. "Doc, how bad is she?"
Doc Cottle stood up from examining her. He grumbled, "Broken nose, she's disoriented, but she'll live. I'm going to get an X-ray to see how her neck is. If he'd hit her any harder, she just might have died. And tell all your people, no more shooting in my clinic! I'm seriously thinking about a charge of attempted murder on her. There was no reason for her to shoot!"
Adama frowned, he knew Cottle was right.
.
Erica got the bullets out of Bob and put stick-on bandages on him. "Thanks for not killing her," she said weakly.
"I just can't wait to get out of here," Bob replied flatly. "You people are gun crazy!"
Mr. Pock Mark called Erica over to him. Bob sat in place and listened. He didn't understand a word. Erica came back and knelt in front of him.
"Bob, the Commander wants to know if you have any better weapons to fight the Cylons with."
Bob eyed her and shook his head. "Erica where I'm from, we have guns to hunt animals. What we don't do is shoot each other. We see people who try to kill others like that as criminals. Your people love shooting others. Yes, we do have much better weapons but I will not support the behavior of what I see here. If you could, please leave me alone for a while."
Erica's face dropped. "Bob …I…"
"Please." he asked.
Erica looked down and nodded. She sniffled and got up to go over by the men still here. They talked quietly.
Bob quietly asked, "Hanna? Can I please go home now?"
Hanna appeared before him. Casting him a sad look, she said, "It wasn't suppose to be like this. She as yearning for you. I wanted you to have a good time and relax after you saved her. It's not her fault."
Bob nodded. "Still, I don't want to be shot any more. I'd just like to go home."
"As you wish."
.
Erica stepped up to Adama. "Sir, Bob sees people with guns as criminals. He won't do anything to help us. For how many times he's been shot, I can understand that."
Saul stated, we still have to figure out … where did he go?"
The all looked. The cot was empty. There was only one way out and it was behind them. They searched, but didn't see him anywhere.
While the search that ended up to be ship-wide was out searching for Bob, Adama stayed near Starbuck until she recovered her senses.
Getting her senses back, Starbuck looked up at him. "What did he hit me with? He nearly tore my frackin face off!"
"He slapped you," Adama stated. "He also did come from Earth. By shooting him you have him convinced we're criminals. He returns to Earth and tells people about us, the last thing they will be is friendly to us. You screwed up big time. You've pulled some stupid stunts before, but this one's going to cost you. I'm having you confined to quarters until I figure out what to do with you." He then turned and walked away.
.
Bob appeared on the road by his truck that was run into a tree. He was even standing up this time. Well, it looked like his truck might run. He did note that driver side door was open. He walked over to his truck to try it.
"ROBERT!" Malinara cried from off to the side. She then yelled out, "I FOUND HIM!" Running over to him, she hugged him then grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Where were you? We were worried sick!"
Bob heard word being passed that he was found. "I was spaced." he said weakly.
As they gathered together from their search, all the girls agreed that Bob was to go nowhere else by himself if he was going to space out like that.
