Chapter 78

Apollo found himself looking over the remains of the Viper. It was beyond repair and had been further reduced as engineers had been working on taking it apart to reproduce the craft. He stood in the hangar of the Air Force base and held his helmet in his grasped. It was cracked in half which indicated how hard he hit when he crashed.

"This is beyond repair." he told Steve Austin. "How am I ever going to get back to the Galactica now?"

Steve asked, "I don't think there is any way of you returning, John…I mean Apollo." He had grown use to calling his friend by the assumed name.

"Maybe a message." Apollo suggested. "Earth has radio. We can send a message to the Galactica. Of course, that could take time for them to get it and the Clyons…" he gulped. "They may already know where Earth is." He let the helmet fall from his fingers as he realized he was stuck.

Steve stated, "We do have an engine that could make deep space travel. We could place it on a Shuttle. Only thing is, we have no idea where your ship is or the coordinates. Sam Hawke invented the engine. She made two engines. The first is a prototype and the second is a test engine for a vehicle."

"Without coordinates putting that engine in one of your shuttles is suicide." Apollo determined. "How did she heal me again? She fixed my memory with nanites."

"So she claimed." Steve gave a nod. "I honestly don't know how she got control of nano technology. From what I understand she had an encounter with some kind of orb."

Apollo asked, "Orbs? Small balls of light that move at warp speed?"

"That's the phenomenon we have been encountering." Steve told him.

"Those are Peacekeeper Orbs." he told him.

"Peacekeeper Orbs?" he asked.

Apollo explained, "It's more of a legend where I am from. According to legend the Peacekeepers were from the civilization that ruled the galaxy before the Kobol. It was called Atlantis. The King was Atlas and he had a ship and led the thirteenth colony to Earth. The ship was named Poseidon."

Steve stated, "We have a legend of Atlantis on Earth. According to our legend Poseidon came to earth, landed on an island, married a woman from Earth and they created Atlantis which was a highly advanced civilization. The island was destroyed by a massive eruption and it sank in the sea. Many researchers have tried to find it but no one ever has."

"The Peacekeepers were from Atlantis." Apollo told him. "If they had a ship on Earth they could have just left. The Peacekeepers were of legend. They were gifted with abilities. What you would describe as magic."

"Like a wizard or sorcerer?" he asked.

Apollo agreed, "Like that! A Peacekeeper could get a message to the Galactica and tell them I'm on Earth." He then cocked his head, "If that girl, Sam is a Peacekeeper then she could contact the Galactica, tell them that I am okay and even give them Earth's coordinates." He concluded, "I need to see her again."

"We will." Steve agreed.

Meanwhile

Sam reached for alarm clock once more and threw against the wall. She sat up in bed and complained, "Fucking alarm clock." She climbed out of bed, quickly got dressed and emerged from her bedroom to greet Dom.

She walked into the hangar and found Dom hovering over a box. In his thick hand he held a string of Christmas lights. She approached him. "Dom!"

"Morning Sam!" he cheered. "We're gonna decorate the hangar today, go get a tree and go do some Christmas shopping! How does that sound?"

She smiled, "That sounds like a day filled with fun! I went to the Galactica again last night. I met the Commander and he told me that the Cylons could already be on their way to Earth. That craft that Apollo took down had a homing signal in it."

Dom assured her, "It was just a dream, Sam. Now go grab yourself a donut and help me string these lights." he instructed.

"But what if the Cylons attack us?" she asked concerned. "These things have a service ceiling far superior to our fighters."

Dom figured, "We'll just nuke 'em." He handed her a string of lights, "Now…you hold these and I'll get the ladder." He wandered away to gather the item.

She looked into the box and found it was loaded with all sorts of decorations. She found the topper for the tree. It was an angel with wings and a halo. She looked upon the topper and pondered, "I wonder if angels were aliens?"

Dom then placed the ladder over against the wall. He instructed, "Hand me that string of lights, Sam."

She soon complied.

"Hold the ladder while go up and hang the lights." he told her.

She grasped the ladder, "Okay."

"Great! Let's get this done before String shows up." he told her.

She asked, "We're gonna surprise him?"

He shook his head, "No! He would be yelling at me to get down because he thinks I'm too old to be climbing ladders." He headed up the ladder. "Just hold the ladder for me, Sam."

"I am." she assured. She asked, "Was Uncle String always such a mother hen?"

He laughed, "And how!"

Later that Day

In short time Dom, with Sam's help, had decorated the hangar for Christmas. The pair went all out and put up lights, garland and a nativity scene. In the far corner that house band equipment they planned to place the tree. The pair donned the blue jackets and hats and soon left to find a real tree and get Christmas gifts leaving the hangar for the day.

Stringfellow Hawke walked into the hangar with Catlin in tow. The first thing they noticed was the decorations.

Caitlin smiled, "They decorated the hangar."

String gave a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes, "Dom hung lights! He knows I don't want him on a ladder. He should have waited. I could hung them for him."

"He wasn't alone. He has Sam staying with him." she mentioned.

"He knew I would do it for him." he sounded. "The stubborn old…" he miffed.

Caitlin asked, "Where do you think they went?"

He motioned towards the empty corner, "To get a tree and gifts."

"And that upsets you?" she asked surprised.

He confessed, "It doesn't upset me. It's just…it kind of annoys me that he would do all this without my help. And then take Sam out to get a tree on top of that."

She wrapped her arms around his middle and snuggled up, "And you wanted to pick out the tree."

He held her tight and admitted, "Yes."

She suggested, "We can get a tree for the apartment."

"I know." he agreed.

A knock came at the side door.

String let out a sigh as he was interrupted and then walked over to answer. He found Colonel Steve Austin standing before him with Captain Apollo. He greeted, "Colonel Austin."

Steve asked, "Is Sam here?"

"She stepped out with Dom. I think they went Christmas shopping." he explained.

Apollo stated, "We need to find her."

"I think she went to the mall." he assumed. "Good luck finding her there."

Colonel Austin asked, "Can we come in and wait?"

He shifted his weight, "Why? You refused to let us into the base."

"It's important." Steve pleaded.

He opened the door wide. "Come on in."

Apollo looked about as he stepped inside. "Christmas!" He gave a little chuckle, "And I thought it was amnesia that made me forget. Now I know it's an Earth holiday."

String asked, "You have holidays where you are from?"

He nodded, "We do but they are much smaller. Not as celebrated." he informed. He had to laughed, "Starbuck would love Earth! He likes to smoke, gamble, chase girls." he mentioned.

String asked, "Starbuck?"

"My best friend." he informed. "Like a brother to me. He was in my squadron. We flew missions together." He let out a sigh, "Just hope he gets to Earth and can see it himself."

Caitlin was listening in and came to attention, "You mean there is a man named Starbuck on the ship you came from?"

"Yes!" he nodded.

"Oh' wow!" she grew wide-eyed. "Maybe Sam didn't dream it after all."

String asked, "Dream what?"

Caitlin reported, "Sam told me about a dream she had where she woke up on the Galactica but she was a hologram. She wasn't actually there but everyone thought she was one of them. She said she was wearing this uniform with a brown jacket, gold buckles and tan pants with boots than went to her knee. She was a cadet and she met a guy named Captain Starbuck who was training her to fly the fighter craft. She said the ship was huge and she got a little tour and she wanted to see the engine room but Starbuck was too busy trying to train her. Me and Dom both told her it was just a dream."

String stated, "Those nanites have quantum capabilities. They could send her conscious mind across the galaxy and project her image as a hologram with ease. We saw it with Al."

"You think she was really there?" Caitlin asked surprised.

He nodded hard, "That's possible!"

"Oh…" she puckered in thought.

Apollo insisted, "I need to speak to her. If she can get a message to my father he can at least know I am alive."

String suggested, "Have a seat…Captain…Apollo." He wondered if he recalled the name correctly.

"I'll just have to wait." he agreed frustrated. He then found a seat near the coffee maker. He sat down and smiled as he gazed upon the coffee and donuts. "Starbuck would really like coffee and donuts too." he figured. He then realized, "Starbuck would fit right in on Earth." he shivered slightly.

Steve asked, "You okay, John? I mean Apollo. Sorry about that."

"I'm fine. It's just I realized that Earth is full of Starbucks." he mentioned.

Caitlin smirked to String, "Wait until he finds the coffee."

Meanwhile

Sam and Dom made their way through the shopping mall. She gasped, "Man I have never seen it this busy in here before."

"It's the season, Sam." Dom told.

They walked by a toy store and noted the line of parents inside all clamoring for a doll. Sam read, "Cabbage Patch Dolls." She then watched on as parents started fighting over the doll. She shivered, "So, that's where that shit started."

Dom teased, "Oh' if you want a Cabbage Patch doll you are gonna have to fight for it yourself, Sam."

"I don't want one." she shook her head.

He asked as they walked, "What do you want for Christmas?"

"Just to be with my family. That includes you." she assured him.

"Let me buy my great grand niece something." he urged. "How about a nice necklace?"

"Save your money." she shook her head. Her eyes settled on something she had not seen in years. "Hey…Hickory Farms!" She then led Dom into the store. She mentioned, "I haven't seen a store for one of these places in years."

"You like the gift baskets too?" he grinned. "String hates them. I like the pepperoni, the cheese and the hot mustard."

She suggested, "Let's buy one for us and we can spilt it."

"Label it from Santa?" Dom laughed.

"Sure thing." she agreed as her trip to the mall turned into a trip to buy food.

Dom suggested, "I know Cait likes sausage and cheese. Let's get her a little one."

"With a bottle of wine." Sam nodded. "Oh'…mom would want one of these too." She picked up a few boxes.

"Nothing like Christmas shopping with a Santini." Dom agreed and grabbed a few boxes himself. His shopping was soon done as everyone would get the same savory gift.