Chapter Three
The attack on the water supply had come from within somewhere, not from an outside ambush. Which meant that someone on the Galactica had caused it. The commander had called Baltar and by extension, Jessica into the conference room to meet with himself, Colonel Tigh, the president and Captain Apollo.
"How short are we?" President Rosilin asked.
"We're out over half our water supply. It's pouring out as we speak." Colonel Tigh replied.
"We can get more from the other ships though, right?" Jessica asked taking her seat next to Doctor Baltar. The man inclined his body slightly away from her which suited Jessica just fine. Though forced to work together, her dislike for the sleaze ball was as intense as ever. Though she was glad she had managed enough control of her emotions that she wasn't reaching for a pistol every time she saw him. The man was slime. But time had tempered her rage into being able to admit that he hadn't knowingly betrayed the human race. It would take time though before Jessica could look at him without wanting to sock Doc Gaius 'Genius' Baltar in the jaw. To say their relationship was strained was an understatement.
"The other ships in the fleet depend on us for their water supply. We're gonna have a real problem on our hands when we have to tighten rations."
"Damn." Jessica said absentmindedly. "So that's why I did it." She mused out loud, drawing their attention.
"Did what?" Commander Adama asked her, his suspicion raised.
"Not that. The water. I've been hoarding water bottles under my bed." All heads turned to her. She raised her shoulder in a sheepish shrug. "First I thought it was a habit left over from the time with the Cylons. We would hoard the food to last us through the days when they decided not to bring us any. I thought it was just that. Something was telling me to start saving the water bottles; it's not much, maybe sixty, seventy half-liter bottles. I kept asking the guard for more even though I wasn't thirsty." Lee was watching her as if she'd just sprouted a second head.
"Don't give me that look. Yes, I know it's bizarre but it looks like I was right to stock up." Jessica reminded him. Lee tilted his head and then gave her a shrug, which was as close as Jessica figured she'd get to an agreement.
"So who's responsible for the explosion?" Baltar asked.
"Our first guess would be a Cylon agent." Commander Adama replied looking pointedly at both Baltar and Jessica. Jessica felt herself cringe slightly, as if she'd been a student caught with not having done her homework. Then felt irritation rise within her at the unfair insinuation.
"We haven't detected any Cylons within the fleet as of yet. But we've still got dozens of samples in rotation." Baltar explained.
"Who's Boxey?" Jessica suddenly asked propping her chin on her elbow. She pictured a tow headed boy with a sweet face and wide eyes.
Commander Adama straightened in his chair. "Boxey is a 13 year old boy one of our lieutenants picked up a few years ago in the first Cylon attack."
"He's been staying with Boomer here on the Galactica until she can find him a family on one of the other ships willing to adopt him." Lee explained. Jessica felt her stomach clench at the name 'Boomer'. There was something there.
"What are you thinking? Surely you can't be imagining that a thirteen year old boy is a Cylon agent?" President Rosilin asked her.
Jessica shook her head. "No...I... No." She reached for that elusive thread that was dangling itself in her mind but the thought dissipated before she could get a handle on it. "Sorry, just a blip in the brain I guess. Some things I think of have no relevance to what's going on at the moment."
"This is all very fascinating but may I ask what will happen when our reserves run out?" Baltar asked.
"We're going to avoid that situation." Commander Adama informed him. "Captain Apollo will be sending his pilots out to find another water source."
"To another planet?" Jessica asked.
"We hope." President Rosilin replied.
"We'll need the bottles you've been saving." Colonel Tigh said with a bit more enthusiasm that she thought was warranted. Jessica sensed it was easier for him to forgive her accidental mishap with the gun than the fact that she had aligned herself with Kara Thrace. Kara and Saul Tigh hated each other even more intensely than Jessica detested Baltar. Only Lee, and now thanks to her mental sensitivity, Jessica, knew that Kara and Tigh's animosity ran all the way back Kara's years as a cadet in the military academy on Caprica.
Kara had been a cocky, popular young recruit with penchant for self-destruction who'd entered into a short lived clandestine affair with a Major Robert Tigh. Brother of the now Colonel Saul Tigh. The very married Major's wife found out and filed for divorce, taking their two sons with her. Unable to cope with the loss of his children, Robert Tigh put a pistol in his mouth and Colonel Tigh never forgot who he felt was responsible.
Kara carried her own share of the guilt, deep inside but would never admit so to any one. So now, Colonel Tigh could barely mask his disdain for what he deemed Jessica's poor judge of character.
"Of course." Jessica said looking at him with a knowing glare.
"We're going to let you spend some time looking around the Galactica tomorrow. You'll still be under guard but you won't be restricted for those hours in terms of where you could go." Commander Adama informed Jessica. Jessica's face lit up at the prospect of more freedom even if it wasn't complete.
"Uh, excuse me. What about me?" Baltar asked. Having been exposed as a traitor, he too was under a form of house arrest, necessity keeping him out of the brig.
"We need you to stay in your lab. You've got to step up the pace and flush out who ever was responsible for that explosion." Commander Adama informed him.
"Ha ha!" Jessica burst, unable to resist goading the scowling doctor. "Sorry." Jessica bit her lip at William Adama's chastising look.
Gaius Baltar glared at her. "Frakking lucky bitch. Probably frakking the Commander." He thought.
"Dr Baltar, you have a filthy mind. But I suppose we've already established your brain is in your pants." Jessica shot narrowing her eyes at him.
"All right, that's enough of that. Ms Talbot, You are ordered to report to Commander Adama every hour, on the hour beginning tomorrow morning. You will survey the entire ship to see if you get any impressions of Cylon agents on board. Your guard will take down the names of those you encounter and you are then to bring that list to Dr Baltar who will give those names priority to double check, is that understood?" Laura informed her.
"Yes, ma'm." Jessica nodded her glee undimmed despite the fact that Commander Adama added that she'd be spending the rest of the day with Doctor Baltar to help him get a head start on the hundreds of waiting samples since she wouldn't be there to assist him tomorrow.
A.N
Well this one's coming along quite nicely. I'm having as much fun writing this as you all seemed to be, reading it.
Mae: No, I don't swing that way but will give you give you a big old huggie in appreciation of your wonderful words! Now, if you were to send Apollo over with the same offer...(winks) Now I'm craving coffee cake! Thanks. (laughs)
Erena: Ya know, I debated about the Shakespeare line for a while but then I decided just to keep it cause maybe he got passed down in the legends. (shrugs) Chalk it up to literary license. (giggles) The line just fit. I'm thrilled you're enjoying this and hope you continue to enjoy these chapters!
Amanda: You're a peach! Thanks for always leaving me such great feedback. (huggies you) We'll get plenty of interaction with Jessica and Baltar, much to their own chagrin and she will definitely begin to pick up that something is going in that head of his. I also think Elosha is so cool. I hope we get to learn more about her on the show. And yeah, I agree that Jessica should be pardoned for shooting Tigh but while Adama might bend the rules for Kara, he's not one to do it for anyone else, unfortunately. The time will fly though and Jess is still an active character and interacts with those I want her to so it's all good. (smiles)
(huggies everyone for such lovely feedback)