Chapter 12

When I woke up I was in the CAT Scan machine. Doctor Cottle must have noticed my eyes pop open.

"Don't move," he said. "The procedure is nearly over."

I obliged and lay still for the rest of the procedure.

"So what's wrong?" I asked once it was over.

"Your brain is exhibiting increased activity all over the place," Cottle replied. "It's causing disruptions to some of your automatic functions. If we can't find away to slow this down it could kill you as your body shuts down."

This news was very distressing. If I had my way I would like to go out in a blaze of glory taking a million Cylons with me, now I'd just learned that I'd likely die in a hospital bed as my body slowly shut itself down.

"What can you do?" I asked.

"I don't know," Cottle replied. "The brain is still a rather unknown organ. But tell me, since I last examined you, you've gained some new abilities."

"I seem to be able to read thoughts," I replied.

Doctor Cottle looked at me with a slightly worried expression.

"Don't worry I can't read all your dark secrets," I laughed. "Just surface thoughts and I don't hear them all the time. It comes and goes seemingly at random."

"Judging by the activity in your brain I don't think so," Cottle said. "This just a theory, but perhaps your subconscious is capable of only bringing the important ones to the surface."

"I don't know," I said. "I know as much as you do."

"What were you talking to Baltar about earlier?" Cottle asked.

I thought about what I was going to answer. I didn't want to accuse Baltar of anything until I could find out just what I saw back at the autopsy. The last thing that I needed to do was go about declaring myself to be the perfect Cylon detector because I can read minds. That would get people staying away from me for fear of me learning their secrets. It was already bad enough that some people knew, and I had no idea what rumours were spreading across the ship.

"It was nothing Doc," I finally replied. "Baltar just has some weird fantasies."

Cottle gave me a slightly bemused look. "That doesn't surprise me," he said with a half smile.

"So can I go?" I asked.

"Yes," Cottle replied. "But until further notice you're on medical leave. I can't risk allowing you to given that you're prone to black outs and headaches at random."

I was disappointed but I could understand why. I got my uniform back on and was leaving sickbay when I was stopped by Starbuck.

"What's up?" I asked her.

"Admiral Adama wants to talk to you," she replied.

"About what?" I inquired.

"He wants to put your talents to work." Starbuck answered being rather vague.

Out of pure curiosity I decided to follow her and find out what Adama had in mind. She led me to a section of the ship near the brig. I found Adama waiting outside a closed door with Helo.

"Good to see that you're up and about Lieutenant," Adama said.

"Thank you sir," I replied saluting. "So, uh, what do you want me to do?"

"I want to see if you can use your mind reading abilities for me." Adama explained.

"Sir I haven't quite figured out how to use them yet." I told him.

"Yes, but she doesn't know that. She's only heard the rumours running about the ship and they're rather extraordinary." Adama said referring to the Cylon prisoner.

That got my curiosity going once again. "Like what?" I asked.

"The rumour going around is that you can find anything out just by staring into a person's eyes," Helo replied. "Personally I think it's a load of crap."

I looked in Helo's eyes, "No you don't," I said with a crooked smile.

Helo's mouth fell open. "How…?" he stammered.

"You're just a terrible liar," I replied.

I turned to Admiral Adama, "I'll give it a shot sir," I said.

He nodded and led me into the room. In the middle of the room was a caged cell. Two marines stood guard around it. Inside was only a single bed. On that bed lay what appeared to be a normal woman of oriental decent. The marines opened the door to the cell allowing Admiral Adama and myself to enter. Helo watched from outside, I noticed a sad look on his face. I couldn't help but wonder just how confused his emotions were.

"What's this about?" the woman asked.

"I'm sure you've heard the rumours going around this ship Sharon, about a man that can read people's thoughts. Learn their secrets and the like." Adama answered.

"They're just rumours," Boomer said.

Adama looked at me so as to ask me to provide some kind of truth. I didn't need psychic powers to know that she was scared of it being true. She was trying to hide it but I could still see it in her body language. I'm sure Adama could as well.

"She's frightened," I said.

"That's good to know," Adama said not taking his eyes off the Cylon. "Now are you going to tell me who the remaining Cylons in the fleet are? Or do I have to set him on your mind because it won't be pleasant."

I tried to focus on the Cylon's mind but I was getting nothing. It was as though her mind wasn't there. But then I got a flicker. It was smug delight at trying to trick us.

"You haven't won yet," I said to her. "I'll find what I want eventually, even if I have to rip apart your mind to get it."

The Cylon sitting on the cot across from me let a flicker of disappoint flash across her otherwise emotionless face. I felt a bit of triumph, I had at least her scared.

"Keep asking questions," I whispered to Adama. "I'll eventually get something."

"Tell me," Adama said. "Why do you think humans don't deserve to survive?"

"I don't know," Cylon replied.

I tuned out the sound of her voice and instead tried to focus on the sound of her mind. It was faint but I could hear it. It wasn't properly language it was gibberish, but I began to see images. They were unfamiliar to me and garbled, but then one flickered by.

"D'anna Biers!" I exclaimed.

"What?" Adama asked.

"She's a Cylon," I replied.

"How did you find out?" Boomer demanded.

"Your thoughts betrayed you." I said. "While you were trying to give Admiral Adama here some bullshit answer about why humans should be wiped out you were consciously making and effort to hide the fellow Cylons from me. But that only helped me find what I wanted to know."

Boomer frowned at me. "You would have discovered her sooner or later," she said with a shrug. "She was openly causing dissent."

"I think that's all we'll be getting today sir," I told Admiral Adama.

"Thank you Lieutenant, you're dismissed. Go get some rest." Adama ordered.

I saluted and left the holding cell. I had been given my own quarters to stay in. It was really just a converted janitorial closet that had not been in use. I was grateful for the solitude. I felt like I was never alone anymore in the military, something about civilian life that had always enjoyed. I flopped down on my cot and closed my eyes and tried to sleep. It took several hours but finally rest came to me.

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I had no idea how long I had been asleep but when I woke up I saw medics and nurses moving around beside me. Somehow I had ended up in sickbay. I sat up and looked around.

"What am I doing here?" I asked.

One of the nurse fainted at the site of me sitting up. I felt unusually cold.

"You're dead." Another nurse said.

I looked at her oddly, clearly I was not dead. I could feel my own heart beating and my lungs breathing.

"Okay, this is a pretty funny joke," I said with a fake laugh.

"It's no joke," the nurse corrected me. "You've been dead for nearly two days, we were about to perform an autopsy."

"Okay this isn't funny anymore," I said.

Then I realized that I was naked under a sheet. My skin seemed to be unusually pale but the colour was gradually returning to it.

"What day is it?" I asked.

"It's the fifteenth," the nurse replied.

I had gone to sleep on the thirteenth. I looked around, if this was a joke it was rather elaborate. Just then Doctor Cottle arrived.

"Is the body rea…" Doctor Cottle fell completely speechless when he saw me sitting up.

"Hi Doc," I greeted weakly.

"This is a miracle," Doctor Cottle said.

"You're telling me, apparently I was dead," I replied. "So what happened while I was gone?"

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Whoa, crazy stuff just happened. More explanations are to be had. Especially as to what happened in the past 2 days. Believe me, it's a good.

As for the commercials well, um, watch Smallville and watch Battle Star Galactica. Buy D&D miniatures.