Battlestar Galactica

Nightmare?

Final Chapter

Sight and sound eluded him as he climbed out of the dark oblivion caused by the Cylon gas. Awareness was the first thing that returned, awareness that he was alive anyway, followed shortly there after by pain. Hot, searing pain that seemed to radiate from every fiber of his being. He would have cried out had he been able to, but alas, he could do no such thing. All he could do was endure.

Some time later, he knew not how much time had past having no concept of time at that moment, he began to hear sounds. His mind was still far too foggy to make out what the sounds could be or where they were coming from, all he could be sure of was that they were there!

Then a new sensation hit him. He started to see some light in his dark world.

His eyes had come open.

He couldn't distinguish objects at first, only see a lesser shade of black, but as the light grew, so did his ability to understand what it was happening.

Conciseness was returning.

The sounds he was hearing were people moving. Moving and talking. But who were they and why couldn't he see them? Why couldn't he move? Or speak? What had happened to him?

All these things were going thru Commander Adama's mind as he lay on the deck of the Galactica's bridge while Cylon Centurions walked freely about his ship. But he was still unaware of all this. He had not recovered sufficiently from the gas the Cylons used when they invaded the bridge. He had only just figured out that he was still alive.

Adama heard another voice. It was much clearer then those he heard before, but he didn't know who it belonged to. It sounded familiar, but he was unable to place it. It had a very deep tone to it and was quite tinny, as if it was mechanical! It was at that moment that the fog in his mind cleared and realization struck like a lightning bolt out of the blue.

The voices he was hearing were those of Cylon Centurions!

Suddenly it all came rushing back to him. The space battle. The attempt to escape the Cylons. The turbodyne explosion. The battle on the bridge. The self-destruct system. All of it came flooding back into his mind.

The Cylons had taken over the Galactica!

He had to stop them, but how?

The self-destruct system, that was how.

He had to get to the self-destruct switch on the main console.

But how could he do that? He couldn't even move.

Then he heard another voice. A different voice then those he heard before. A very familiar voice.

"Hello Adama, my old friend."

Adama forced his eyes to focus on the figure that had just kneeled down next to him. With an effort of pure will, he turned his head so he could see, face to face, the person behind that voice.

Baltar!

Adama tried with every last bit of strength he could muster to reach out and grab hold of the traitor's neck, but could only manage a slight "grunting" sound. This made the most hated man in all history laugh with delight and made Adama feel even more helpless.

"Now, now Adama, don't over exert yourself. The effects of the serizine gas won't wear off for several more centons. Until it does, you'll be as helpless as a new born babe!" Baltar chided as he smiled down on Adama. "But don't you worry old friend, my Cylon friends won't harm you. No, I have other plans for you and the others."

Adama laid still for a moment trying to gather a bit of strength, then he tried to speak.

"WWWhaatt ootherss?" he managed to get out.

"Why your family of course!" Baltar said, his smile broadening. "Apollo, Athena, the child, Starbuck, Boomer, and of course Colonel Tigh, all those you hold dear are here Adama."

Baltar's smile faded for a moment as he went on.

"I am somewhat disappointed not to find the lovely Sheba here among you thou, or that council security officer Reese, but I guess they were unavoidably eliminated while we took over the Galactica. Such a pity!" he said whimsically. Then Baltar stood up and spoke to an unseen Centurion.

"Centurions, be good fellows and help the Commander up." He said gleefully. "Put him over there with the rest of his family."

Two Centurions walked over to where Adama lay and picked him up by the arms, then they dragged him down the steps of the command podium to where the rest of the prisoners were being held. They dropped him roughly next to Apollo, who was himself just beginning to wake from the gas.

"Hey! Take it easy tin can!" Starbuck said groggily from his spot on the floor next to where Apollo and Adama were.

"Silence!" the Centurion said as it walked away.

"Frak you!" Starbuck said.

"Shame on you Lieutenant!" Baltar admonished. "Such language in front of a child!"

Baltar walked up next to where Starbuck sat, followed by a Centurion that was carrying Boxey. The Centurion dropped the boy on the deck next to Apollo. Starbuck gathered what little strength he had and kicked the Centurion behind its knee joints, sending it crashing to the deck.

"I said take it easy!"

Another Centurion that had been standing guard over the prisoners pulled out its laser pistol and leveled it at Starbuck's head.

"Stop! Hold your fire Centurion," Baltar ordered. "and help him up." He told the Centurion, indicating its fallen comrade.

The Centurion holstered its weapon and helped pull the fallen Centurion back on its feet.

Baltar watched the two Cylons for a moment then turned to Starbuck.

"It's so hard to find decent help these days." He jested. Then in a more serious tone he said, "You don't want to do that again Lieutenant, the next time I might not be here to stop them from……..well, you know!" he said with a slight laugh.

"Like you're not going to kill us anyway, right!" Starbuck challenged.

"On the contrary, I plan on keeping you all very much alive!" Baltar said to the entire group. "I have plans for you."

"What plans?" Adama asked, now that he was more fully aware.

Baltar looked down at his old adversary with a smile. He looked at the other members of the Galactica crew, Colonel Tigh, Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer, Athena, and Rigel He allowed his gaze to linger on Rigel for a moment then turned to a nearby Centurion.

"Take this one and dispose of her." He said.

"No, you can't just……." Starbuck protested as he tried to raise himself up off the deck, but was forcefully restrained by a pair of Cylons.

Baltar watched with an amused look on his face.

"I warned you Starbuck not to do anything foolish." He told the brash Warrior. Then he waved to the Centurion to carry out his orders. The Galactica Warriors watched as the Cylon grabbed Rigel by the back of her jacket, which caused her to moan loudly in pain, and started dragging her off the bridge. The Cylon had only taken a few steps when it was struck by a laser bolt. Sparks flew from the Centurion as it fell to the deck, dropping the badly wounded Rigel.

Several Centurions ran over to the command podium, searching for the assailant. They could not find where the shot came from that destroyed their hapless comrade. Then several more blasts struck from under the podium, striking three of the Centurions down in quick succession. The Cylons finally found the antagonist and returned fire, blowing away a number of components under the podium. A loud scream of pain came from under the podium and what sounded like a body hitting the deck was heard. One of the Centurions moved forward and pulled open an access panel. There inside, Omega lay bleeding from a laser wound to the leg and one to the midsection. He looked up at the Cylon and spit in its face just before death took him.

"I thought you said this area was secure!" Baltar yelled as he stepped out from behind one of the consoles.

"Still as courageous as ever I see!" Adama laughed.

Baltar turned to face Adama, his smile having disappeared.

"We'll see how courageous you are when……"

He was interrupted by a Centurion entering the bridge.

"By your command!"

"What is it?" Baltar yelled at the Centurion.

"We have found the female Warrior you wanted." The Cylon droned, not at all taken aback by the tone of Baltar's voice. The smile returned to his face as he looked from Adama to Apollo.

"Excellent, well done. Bring her in." he told the Centurion.

It turned back to the doorway and spoke to some as yet unseen ally's, then it walk toward the center of the room toward Baltar. A pair of Cylons came thru the door behind the first one dragging a Warrior face between them. All one could tell about the Warrior was that it was female and had long brown hair that was matted with blood.

"Put her over there!" Baltar ordered, indicating a place between Apollo and Starbuck.

They dragged her to the place indicated and dropped her, face down on the deck. The two Centurions stepped aside as Baltar walked over and stared down at the female Warrior.

"Is she alive?" he asked.

The lead Centurion looked at Baltar and said, "She is still functional."

Baltar took the toe of his boot and placed it under the right shoulder of the unconscious woman. Using his foot, Baltar turned her face up. The Galactica crew gasped in shock when they saw the poor Warriors bloody face.

It was Sheba!

"What did you do to her you son of a dagget?" Apollo yelled as he came up off the deck.

One of the Cylon guards grabbed Apollo by the back of his jacket and slammed him back onto the deck, jarring him. Apollo slipped out of his jacket and crawled over to Sheba, wiping the hair and blood away from her face. She had a large ugly gash on her forehead and a huge bump on the side of her head. Apollo took her hand and noticed that here knuckles and fingers were bruised and swollen, a sure sign that she had fought back with her bare hands against the Cylons. Apollo looked up at Baltar with tears in his eyes. He wanted to tear Baltar to pieces with his bare hands. He started to rise to his feet. The Cylon guards all brought their weapons up, aiming them at Apollo.

"I would advise you not to try anything my young friend, it could be hazardous to your health!" Baltar threatened as he pulled out his own laser pistol. "And to your precious Sheba's too!" he add as he pointed his laser at the unconscious woman.

Apollo stopped, but the fury inside him boiled. It would be worth his life if he could take Baltar with him into death.

Baltar laughed as Apollo was pulled back by his father.

It was then that Starbuck made his move!

Taking advantage of the distraction before him and using the speed and reflex's gained by many yahren of flying Vipers, Starbuck leapt up from the floor, grabbed the sword from the Centurion that was standing just to his right, and in the same motion, brought the gleaming steel blade down on Baltar's right arm, shearing it and his laser away in a single stroke.

Starbuck started to bring the sword around for another stroke but froze in mid swing.

Adama and Apollo both stood wide-eyed, staring at Baltar's arm.

Boomer and Athena gasped at the site before them.

All of them were shocked beyond reason as they stared at what should have been flesh and bone, but instead found metal, hydraulics, and wires! Baltar's arm was mechanical!

Baltar screamed as he watched his arm fall to the deck, still gripping his laser. But it was not a scream of pain, but of frustration and anger! He looked down at his ruined arm with its wires and hydraulics laid bare and he was suddenly consumed with a fury like none he had ever known before.

"LOOK AT WHAT YOU"VE DONE YOU STUPID FOOL!" Baltar yelled in a voice dripping with venom, waving his arm at Starbuck.

Starbuck pulled his eyes away from Baltar's arm and looked him in the eye, asking, "What in Hades are you?"

Baltar turned his face to Starbuck, and the look he gave Starbuck froze the very blood in his veins. Then in a voice straight out of hell, Baltar hissed his reply.

"What am I you asked, let me tell you what I am………I AM DEATH!"

Saying that, Baltar swung his ruined arm at the blond Warrior, striking him under the chin, breaking his jaw and sending him flying across the room to land in a crumpled pile against the bulkhead. Then Baltar turned to Adama, who like the others was still too shocked by what they just saw to utter a word.

Baltar raised his mechanical arm up in front of himself where they all could see and in a voice laced with elements of anger, pain, despair……..and insanity, he began to tell them the how and why.

"Have you ever heard of Bromion Radiation?"

Adama shook his head, unable to take his eyes off the stub of Baltar's arm.

"No, well it's not a widely known type of radiation. You see, it's only produced by the gravimetric drive systems of Cylon Baseships. Cylon circuitry is unaffected by this radiation, therefore they never saw the need to insulate their ships against it. However, for humans, it's a particularly nasty type of radiation. It attacks the marrow of the bones, destroying it. But that's not the only effect it has on humans, oh no, it also eats away at the calcium in the bones themselves, causing them to "gelatinize" inside a person. It's an excruciating thing, I assure you!"

Baltar gaze sweep across the faces of the captives, enjoying the fear he saw there as he continued.

"Of course this is a lengthy process, taking sectars and sectars to happen. At first you hardly notice it, then you begin to feel sick to your stomach and your joints hurt. After awhile you develop lesions on your skin and your hair and teeth begin to fall out. Then in the final stages, when your bones can no longer support your weight, they begin to snap and there is no longer enough marrow in your bones to produce the blood cells your body needs and you wither away, helpless to stop the pain. It's a very slow and agonizing way to die!"

"Is that what happened to you?" Adama asked, a look of utter disgust on his face. "Is that what made you into this…..this…...abomination of humanity!"

"Abomination am I?" Baltar hissed at Adama. "Be very careful what you say about the way I look Adama, it very well could come back to haunt you!" he laughed.

"What do you mean by that?" Adama asked warily.

Baltar smiled wickedly at Adama, but before he could answer, he was interrupted by a Centurion.

"By your command!"

"Yes, yes, what is it!" he said irritably.

"We have just received a report from Specter."

Baltar smiled brightly at this news and turned back to Adama.

"This is something I know you'll be very interested in hearing Adama."

Then he ordered a pair of Centurions to bring Adama to the command podium. Baltar climbed the steps to the command podium with Adama being half pulled and half carried along. Once on the podium, Baltar made a show of seating himself in Adama's command seat, then offering the bridge officer's seat to Adama. The two Cylon guards pushed Adama into the seat when he refused to sit on his own.

"I thought you would like to hear this report." Baltar said as he nodded to a Cylon technician. The tech flipped a couple of switches on the panel and soon the "face" of an IL class Cylon appeared on the screen. Adama had never seen one of this type before, with its clear shell of a head and the bright lights running there in. The Cylon bowed slightly then it began to speak.

"Greetings Baltar, I have good news!"

"Speak my friend, tell us of this good news." Baltar gushed.

"We have located the human fleet!"

Adama's eye went wide with horror as he leaned forward in his seat. Baltar smiled wickedly as he glanced at his old adversary.

"With your permission, I would like to begin the attack on the humans." The Cylon Baltar called Specter said.

Baltar continued to watch Adama as he answered his subordinate.

"You may begin the attack as we planned Specter. Leave not a single ship, do you understand?"

"By your command!" the IL series Cylon said with a bow, then the screen when dark.

Adama swung around in his chair to face Baltar, the anger in his expression unmistakable.

"You have the Galactica! Why don't you leave them be? Their no threat to you and your Cylon masters now!"

Baltar shook his head and laughed softly.

"Adama, Adama, Adama, you've missed the whole point of the war! It doesn't matter if their a threat or not, the fact that they exist is the problem." Baltar told him. "So long as a single solitary human remains, this war will continue. Only the complete annihilation of the species will suffice."

"Does that include you?" Adama asked smugly. "Certainly the Cylons will eliminate you as well after you've gotten rid of us."

Baltar leaned back in his seat and smiled broadly at Adama, which made him very uneasy.

"No my old friend, that won't be a problem." Baltar said.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"It means that once your fleet is done away with, there will be no more humans left to interfere with our conquest of the galaxy." Baltar said. "And we have you to thank for it!"

"ME! What did I do to help you with this genocide?" Adama asked incredulously.

"By traipsing thru the galaxy as you have these past few yahren, you've led us to a number of small outposts and settlements that we might otherwise have overlooked, such as Sectar, Attila, Luna seven, Terra, and of course Earth." Baltar told him. "We've been following along your trail thru the stars and "cleaning up" these pockets of human infestation, and we've been able to extrapolate what course it is you believe Earth lays along. So I've sent a task force ahead along that course to locate and eliminate the inhabitants of that planet as well."

"Lords of Kobol, this can't be happening!" Adama said as he fell back in his seat. What had he done? He not only had led the last survivors from the colonies to their end, but by searching for Earth, he had inadvertently led the Cylons to all the worlds that they had stopped at with human populations and gave them a straight line shot at Earth. Baltar was right, he had been responsible for the end of mankind! Adama put his hands over his face.

"Oh, but that's not all my friend, I have another surprise for you!" Baltar said gleefully. "You and your whole family!"

Adama raised his eyes to meet Baltar's, the tears beginning to flow from his eyes. What other torture would he bring down upon him?

"Earlier you called me "an abomination of humanity" I believe it was. Well you don't know the half of it Adama." Baltar began. "You see, When I told you about Bromion Radiation, I was speaking not just from observing the effects on human prisoners, oh no, I was speaking from personal experience as well."

Adama looked at him quizzically, not understanding.

"You see Adama, Bromion Radiation has an accumulative effect on humans, once you've been exposed, it's with you forever! The longer you're exposed, the worse the symptoms become! If I had never gone back to my Baseship after I was found on that miserable little planet you saw fit to strand me on, I might have lived a "normal" life. But I was found by my Cylon allies, and I did return to my Baseship, and I was exposed to a nearly fatal dose of Bromion Radiation. I would have died had I not been given an extraordinary opportunity, an opportunity made possible by Doctor Ravashol."

"Ravashol, how does he figure into all of this?" Adama said, too confused to try and think.

"Ravashol was the scientist we found on the planet Arcta. You might remember it, that's where you destroyed perhaps the most powerful weapons system ever conceived by man, the Ravashol Pulsar!"

"I remember it." Adama said.

"Well, after we found out he had helped you destroy the pulsar, we had to punish him, so……we exterminated all of his clones, what he called "Theta Class Life Forms." Then we brought him aboard my Baseship so he could rebuild the pulsar cannon. Unfortunately, he became ill, Bromion Radiation poisoning you know, and with his failing health, he was unable to work on the pulsar. Then I had a brilliant idea. I had him start building a mechanical body that we could place his brain into. He took to the idea right away and within a few sectars, he had it ready to receive and support a human brain. And so we removed his brain from his withered and useless body and placed it into the new mechanical one."

"Adama leaned forward in his seat, not believing what he had just heard.

"Are you telling me Doctor Ravashol built himself a mechanical body and had his brain put into it?"

"That's right Adama. You see, Bromion Radiation doesn't effect the soft tissues of the body, it destroys the bones and bone marrow. The brain is fully functional, so you can feel every bit of the radiations destruction. As I said before, it's a very painful way to die."

Baltar leaned forward in his seat so he was only a few metrons away from Adama.

"When Ravashol finished with his own body, I had him build a second one…….for me!"

Baltar watched as realization suddenly hit Adama. He grinned at the Commander.

"That's right Adama, that's why I won't be done away with once we finish off your pathetic fleet, because I am no longer human!"

Adama could hardly believe what he had just heard. It all had to be a bad dream! He felt dizzy from all that had happened, his face going pale.

"Oh that's not all my friend. As I told you earlier, I have a surprise for you and your entire family!" Baltar said as he rose from his chair and made a sweeping motion with his good arm, indicating the other prisoners. "You see Adama, I've had Doctor Ravashol build several more mechanical bodies, nine of them to be exact. One for each member of your family, thou I guess I won't need one for security officer Reese since it appears he didn't survive the fighting. Too bad about that, I had some very special plans for him after the way he treated me on the prison barge."

"We'll never submit to you're unholy procedure Baltar." Adama hissed in defiance. "We will fight you to the very end!"

"That might be so Adama, but you see, while you and your family members were "sleeping", we injected you all with a time released dose of Trimethalane, a very useful little drug, it has the ability to impede the electrical impulses that allow the brain to control the voluntary muscles of the body, making it impossible for a person to move without impeding their normal body functions, so they are totally alert and fully aware of what is happening around them."

Adama tried to stand up, but suddenly he didn't have the strength to rise from his chair.

"You see, it's starting to work already!" Baltar said, his smile broadening. "Another wonderful attribute of Trimethalane is that it doesn't disrupt the senses, so you will be able to see, hear, and feel everything that is going to happen to you!"

Adama looked up at Baltar and asked what he meant by that, his words starting to slur as he lost more and more of his ability to control his body. Baltar was oh too eager to answer him.

"I told you that Doctor Ravashol had built mechanical bodies for each of you, but that was not totally accurate I'm afraid, you see, their not really bodies per say, but containers!" Baltar explained. "You see, the "bodies" I had him build don't have arms or legs, only the container for your brains and spinal cords, along with your eyes and the support systems that will keep you all alive and aware."

Baltar could see the fear rising in Adama's eyes and reveled in it. He was finally tasting the sweet nectar of victory over Adama and he wanted to squeeze every last drop out of him.

"These containers are truly marvels. I have to hand it to Ravashol, he truly is a genius! You see, he's made them so we can hook each and every nerve in the human body to a receptor in the machine. This makes it possible for me to stimulate the nerves in whatever fashion I wish. I can send feelings from absolute ecstasy to unbearable agony thru the nerves with the touch of a button. And the best part is that you will be able to see, hear and even feel everything, and since you will no longer have a physical body, you can't pass out or die! You'll be toys for my personal pleasure till the end of time!"

Baltar was nearly giddy with power as he walked closer to the helpless Adama. He knelt down next to him and in a soft voice that was hardly above a whisper, he spoke to Adama.

"So congratulations Adama, my old friend. You've not only led the entire human race to extinction, but you've condemned all those you love to an eternity of unending pain and suffering at my whim, and best of all, you will have to sit by a bear witness to all of it."

Baltar began to laugh as he stood up and began walking toward the exit. He gave orders to the Centurions on the bridge to begin transporting the prisoners to his Baseship so they could begin the brain transfers immediately. A Centurion reported that the entire human fleet had been eliminated with no survivors. Baltar's laughter increased at this news. Then another voice, that of one of the IL series Cylons was heard.

"We have word from our task force Baltar. They report that long range scans of one of the star systems ahead show what appears to be a moderately advanced human presence on the third planet. It is believed that this is Earth."

"Excellent, excellent! Did you hear that Adama?" Baltar gushed. "We've found your precious Earth! You almost made it, pity you couldn't thou. Tell you what I'm going to do Adama, I'm going to take you there aboard my Baseship and give you a front row seat to the total annihilation of the Earth and all those that live there. How does that sound…….old friend?"

Adama could take no more of the mental torture. He was helpless to stop the destruction of the colonies, helpless to stop the destruction of the fleet, helpless to keep his loved ones safe, and now he was helpless to save Earth. The mental anguish was too much. Adama began to scream!

NOOOOOOO!

In the darkness of his quarters, Adama springs up in his bed. His heart is pounding as if it's about to burst thru his chest. The bed clothes he's wearing are soaked thru with sweat. The cold sweat of fear! He looks about the room franticly, searching for the enemies that had invaded his sleep, but the room is as it should be. He swings his legs over the edge of the bed and sits for a moment, trying to will his thundering heart to slow.

It seemed so real!

After several centons, Adama is able to calm himself down. He glances at the chronometer on the small table next to his bed. There are less the two centars before he is due on the bridge to relieve Colonel Tigh. Knowing that further attempts at sleep would be futile, He decides to get up and eat an early morning meal.

He gets up and walks to the restroom, looking forward to a long, hot turbowash when the com system sounds. Adama stares at the com unit for a moment as if he knew it was about to sound, then walks over to his desk and activates the viewer knowing that there must be a serious problem if someone is disturbing him during his sleep period.

Colonel Tigh's face fills the screen and from his expression, its not good news.

'Yes Colonel, what can do for you?" Adama asked with an uneasy feeling.

"Sorry to disturb you Commander, but we've lost contact with one of our patrols and their now fifty centons past their scheduled check in time."

Adama had the strongest feeling of de'ja' vu, as if he where reliving some moment from his past…….or a dream.

"Who's patrol is it Colonel?

"Lieutenant Jolly and Flight Sergeant Greenbean."

Adama's face went ashen as it finally hit him as to why this all seemed so familiar!

The dream.

"Colonel, do you have any other patrols out at this time?" Adama asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, we have one other patrol out, in Epsilon sector. Why?" Tigh said with a questioning look on his face.

"The pilots of that patrol……. Ensign Konst and Flight Sergeant Crader?" Adama said more as a statement then a question.

"That's right Commander, but how did you know that?" Tigh asked with a worried look on his face.

Adama didn't answer. He got up from his desk and walked into the washroom. He splashed several handfuls of cool water on his face, then stood with his hands planted on the counter, staring into the sink. After a few moments, he slowly raised his head and stared into the mirror. He was shaking and his face had lost nearly all its color. He had visibly aged twenty yahren in the past few centons. He stared into his own haunted eyes and began mumbling to himself over and over again……….It was only a dream! This isn't happening! It was only a dream!

THE END