Thirteen
Chapter Ninety-Six
Galactic Genealogy
It was a surreal scene as they walked into Vacit's office. It was a plain room with only three chairs, a desk, and a doorway. No decorations on the gray walls, no windows outside, with the only light coming from inset lightstrips in the ceiling. "Sit down, Hollifield. Talia, please get the other chair and bring it around to my side of the desk." Vacit coolly said, and the female telepath did as he said with a smile on her face. Vacit sat down and Talia seated herself next to him, not flinching when he placed the gun right next to her head yet again.
"Sit, please, Mr. President!" Vacit said, gesturing with the gun. Hollifield slowly put his hindquarters in the chair, not taking his eyes off Vacit as he did so. Vacit's smile seemed predatory on his leathery-winkled skin.
"So let's cut to the chase, shall we? What are these secrets you wanted to tell me?" Hollifield said evenly. He could feel Vacit probing at the mental blocks in his head, thrown up instinctively by his mind to prevent telepathic intrusion. He said nothing about it and decided to see how much he could drain Vacit by having him vainly try to break into his mind.
"You know about the Vorlons and Shadows, obviously, and you know about the First Ones. What if I told you that everything you knew about them wasn't entirely accurate?" Vacit said.
"Wouldn't surprise me. All of them were secretive as hell. So what's so different about them?"
"The Vorlons were much more intrusive in the human race than we ever thought they were. For thousands of years, they manipulated us so that they could use us against the Shadows in their wars.
"It wasn't just about telepathy, either. It was about control as well. They saw great potential in us, and wanted to speed us up to the front of the class. But they realized that Earth was in a bad part of space, close enough for the Shadows to attack if they suspected the Vorlons of what they were up to."
Hollifield shrugged and said, "That's nothing new. But I guess there's more to all of this?"
Vacit nodded and continued, "The Vorlons weren't the only ones who saw potential in us. The Shadows did as well, and sought to divide us and deny the Vorlons of our services. Why do you think that, throughout their history, the vast majority of technomages are humans?"
Hollifield thought that over for a moment, then asked, "That never occurred to me before now, but the real question is: what does this have to do with the Colonials?"
"Ah, yes. Them! You see there was a third race interested in humanity. They were much older than the Vorlons and Shadows, and saw us as the key to preventing the two races from dominating the galaxy. They were an old, ancient race, and knew that their time here was running out. They saw us as their successors.
"Over the eons, they took some humans from Earth and sent them to a world well away from our homeworld. There they began to enlighten us and cultivate us. They came to us as gods, not as a singular god."
"So they're the ones behind the Greek gods?" Hollifield asked.
"Indeed they are. Why is it that all the ancient religions, the ones older than Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all have multiple gods? Ever ponder that?"
"Not since college when I took that world religions class. So you're saying that this race were behind these abductions?"
"Of course! They knew we were in danger from the Shadows as well. They didn't think the Vorlons would harm us, but they wouldn't go out of their way to protect us. So they took humans to a world where they could protect us and develop us, and I guess you know where that might be." Vacit looked at him, expecting Hollifield to fill in the blank.
"Kobol?" Hollifield replied, and Vacit nodded. "So why the exodus?"
"The Vorlons didn't like this race having their own little side project so close to their territory. Over two thousand years ago, they made the decision to force out this race from Kobol and take the remnants to a system inside their territory."
"And what about the thirteenth colony?"
"They were already there. You see this race was also fermenting our development as well. Why do you think there was so much development among the Greeks, the Indians, the Chinese, the Mayans, and so on?
"Around this time the Vorlons became much more interested in us. They saw our potential to become telepaths and be used in their wars. They wanted to get rid of this race's interference and have the human race all to themselves."
Hollifield raised an eyebrow and said, "So the Vorlons were behind the exodus?"
"Indeed. They were the ones who attacked Kobol and they were the ones who rid the Colonials of their "gods". They still wanted the Colonials to believe in them, of course, so they simply took over the role of their gods.
"As for Earth, they took another tact. They decided that they would concentrate humanity on more monotheistic faiths, centering on the one god. They'd been doing that since the time of Moses, but stepped up their efforts when they saw our potential as telepaths."
"So all of our religion was dictated to us from these aliens?"
"Yes. Granted, it wasn't a complete Vorlon success. The Shadows managed to sneak their way into each religion in some way, shape or form, usually sometime during the early development in the religion so that they can format conflict and rebellion. Why do you think all of our religions seem to be so fragmented with divisions? Shiite and Sunni, Orthodox and Reformed, Catholic and Protestant!
"We were their chessboard, and the prize was galactic domination for victory! They used us, Garrison, just as the Colonials used Cylons and mundanes used us!"
Hollifield was having a hard time figuring all of this out and determining whether Vacit was telling him the truth or not. Vacit's mind was very unique, almost like a machine. He could see why powerful telepaths wouldn't want to probe inside of it. He could hide his abilities well, having passed himself off as a normal decades before.
But this last part of the conversation struck a cord with Hollifield, and he said, "So instead of being a pawn, you want to become grand master?"
"You could say that!" Vacit said.
"I know why you left Earth. Lyta Alexander told me about that years ago. She also told me about the time Michael Garibaldi and her came to this world, years ago, because they thought that the Psi Corps, specifically Bester, had an interest here."
"Back then, I hadn't met the Cylons yet. I was just content to live out the rest of my existence here, not knowing if I could ever free my people from mundane domination. Roughly a week after Lyta and Garibaldi departed, the Cylons came here, looked around the place, and were impressed at what I could do for them.
"I used the abandoned Vorlon experiments here to design the biomechanical systems that they now use, which led to the human Cylon clones."
Hollifield exhaled slowly and said, "But why did you side with them against the Colonials? Why did you allow them to kill twelve billion people?"
Vacit smiled and said, "That's the beauty of it, Garrison! I had to cleanse those worlds! My plan was to unite our two races! Think of it! Human Cylons with telepathic abilities! Perhaps even with telekinetic abilities, like you have! I wanted to bring the telepaths on Earth, give them Kobol as our homeworld, and use our genes to design the next phase of the human race!"
A chill ran down the spine of Hollifield when the implications struck him. "So, in essence, you wanted to play God?"
"Yes! Just because the Vorlons and Shadows were gone doesn't mean we shouldn't have one race dominant in this galaxy! I wanted that to be our race! The Cylons wanted to evolve from their machines and into human form, and I would be their conduit to do just that!"
Hollifield leaned forward and exclaimed, "But this is madness! What about the telepaths who were not Cylons? What about them?"
"They would be phased out over the decades by cross-breeding. You see the experiments we were doing were just the first step. Mundanes are expendable, so I used them for the first part of the experiment. Even with the nuclear attacks, I knew we wouldn't kill off all the humans from the Colonial worlds. Since they were expendable as well, why not use them for the breeding?"
"And what about the original models? What would become of them?"
Vacit shrugged and said, "When the time came, they would become obsolete and destroyed. It's evolution, Garrison, our evolution! If you hadn't turned your back on your kind, we would have realized this vision!"
Instead of rising to the bait, he turned to Talia and asked, "So how did you get hooked up with Vacit?"
Winters looked uneasy as she answered, "I was abducted by the Vorlons and brought her for my own protection."
"Why didn't Lyta and Garibaldi see you?"
"I hid from them. Vacit thought it was the wise thing to do."
"So why did you help him?"
"Because I felt it was the destiny of our people! We were hindered by the normals and traitors like you from assuming our rightful place in the human race. We…" Winters stopped and grabbed her temples, obviously in pain.
"Talia! What's the matter?" Vacit said as he put down the gun and looked at his longtime assistant.
Hollifield used his telekinesis to grab the weapon while Vacit was distracted. "While we were having this conversation, Vacit, I've been doing a little poking around in her brain. You see Bester didn't just have one sleeper program inside his head."
"What are you talking about?" Vacit yelled.
"I knew Winters was here, and I knew what Ironhart had given her. You see, I helped free him from Psi Corps custody, years ago! Rather, my associates within the Corps did, along with the rogues that I worked with."
Talia cried out in pain and bent down to sit her head on the table. "Stop what you're doing to her! You're going to kill her!"
"I'm not going to kill her. You see the sleeper program that the Psi Corps had buried inside her never did destroy the original personality, only shoved it inside a box deep within the brain. Thanks to Bester, I've slowly begun to free that personality from is prison, as well as the gift that she was given."
Talia suddenly shot up straight in her chair, her eyes aglow with the light of something truly alien. "Leave this place, Hollifield! Leave now!"
Hollifield pocketed the gun and raced out of the room, as fast as his old legs could carry him. While he had been conversing with Vacit, his mind had snuck around his notice and began the final stages of freeing the original Talia from her implanted personality.
"You used me! You used me to kill billions of people!" Talia growled as she stood up from the chair.
"No! I did only what I thought was right!" Vacit said as he fell to the floor with a look of sheer terror on his face.
"You wanted to play God! You wanted to keep us from our real destiny! You will pay!" Winters said as the room began to vibrate. Vacit looked around and saw the walls begin to undulate. Over him, Talia Winters looked down at him and said, "Time for you to pay for your crimes!" Vacit screamed as Talia took him apart piece by piece.
Hollifield stormed out of the building and raced away faster than he ever thought he could run. The vibrations coming from deep under the ground were growing more intense, and he began to stumble. He fell several times, but managed to get up and race away from the area.
"What's going on?" Ivanova asked as Hollifield ducked behind the building where she stood with Cain and the others while waiting for his return.
"I'll explain later! C'mon! We need to get away from here!" Hollifield said as he gestured to them to flee the city.
Buildings began to collapse all around them as they ran out of the complex. Once they got out to the flat lands, the vibrations coming from the ground eased up, so they stopped to turn and watch what was about to happen.
With a great explosion, the complex went up, scattering debris everywhere. Out of it came an immense being of light, which ascended to above the rooftops of the base.
"Susan!" The being cried out in the voice of Talia Winters.
"Talia?" Ivanova replied softly.
"Thank you for your love! I am leaving now, to join with Jason and explore the galaxy! May you find happiness with another soon! I shall be watching!
"And Garrison, I shall see you again, many eons from now!" The being began to rise above the surface of the planet and ascend to the heavens. Talia raced past the allied ships and flew away from them, onward and outward towards the stars.
From the briefing room inside Galactica, Admiral Adama, Apollo and Laura Roslin watched all of this in disbelief. Galen and Alwyn had joined them to show them what was going on, joined by Dureena Nafeel, G'Leel, and Na'Toth. The probes, which Vacit had never managed to find, had showed them everything inside the room.
Silence reigned around the table for a long time before Roslin broke it by saying, "Please tell me that what I just saw really happened."
"It really happened." Galen said dryly, then admitted, "I can't believe it myself, but it happened."
Alwyn added, "Just when you think you've seen it all!"
"So what do we do about all of this?" Apollo asked.
"I don't know, son. That's something that we'll have to consider in time. Now, though, I want to get some rest. Gods know I need a vacation." Adama said.
"Gods?" Roslin said, still shaken by what she'd seen.
"Listen, Laura. We don't know if what Vacit said was true, or if what the Vorlons claimed in that vision that Starbuck saw on Kobol was true or not. That's what faith is all about, and we need that right now even after beating the Cylons!" Adama replied.
Roslin nodded and said, "You're right, Bill."
Alwyn suddenly laughed and said, "Well, I don't know about you, but I am rather sick of the doom and gloom! I say we celebrate our victory!"
They all looked at him in silence for a moment, and Alwyn wondered if he'd made a huge faux pas. Adama walked over to a nearby cabinet, opened it, looked inside and found a false door inside. He opened that and pulled out a hidden bottle of ambrosia. He walked back to the table and placed the bottle down on the table. "The man's right. Lee, go get some glasses!"
Apollo smiled and said, "Yes, sir!". He left and returned soon after with some drinking glasses, enough for all of them. Once they were distributed, Adama broke the seal off the bottle, opened it, and poured them all a shot. He raised his glass and gave a toast, "To all of us!" They toasted and drank down the sweet liqueur.
Back on the world, Starbuck had the bodies of Helo and Boomer prepared for transport back home. As they were loaded onto Anders' Whitestar, her wounded fiancé wheeled himself over to her.
"We won, but we paid a price for it. Damned if we didn't pay a price for it!" Anders said quietly.
"I know. Now we have to go back home and figure out where we go from here. Frankly, I have no idea what's to become of us." Starbuck replied.
"We'll figure something out. When do we head back?" Anders asked.
Starbuck turned and saw Hollifield, Cain, and Ivanova walking towards them, and said to Anders, "Once they're aboard, we'll leave from home. Once we get there, we can start to figure all of this out!"
Anders laughed and said, "I don't want to figure it all out. I just want to get back home, heal up, and play some pyramid!"
Starbuck wanted to laugh, but her heavy heart just wouldn't let her. "You know, I thought I'd be celebrating the defeat of the Cylons. Instead, I'm just numb inside."
Just then, Hollifield, Ivanova, and Cain walked up to them. They looked like Starbuck felt: exhausted, drained, and worn down. "Let's go home." Hollifield said simply. Without another word, the five of them boarded the Whitestar and soon they were on their way home.