Vignette 4 – 58 days since the Cylon Holocaust

Aboard Daidalos in the void between the stars.

Vickers was standing in one of the machine rooms onboard the ancient spacedock. The air was humid and HOT. A good ten degrees above standard. Major Shimerman wasn't handling it well and kept running a cloth across the thin hair on his head.

"So, this is more of the same from what we found elsewhere?" Multiple vents were leaking humid air into the compartment. In spots black slime was growing as the water condensed.

Shimerman had a deck plan on a table. Pausing to brush some of the moisture off the laminated document that was dripping from the overhead. "The life support systems are a mess. The central computer was removed Gods knows when so they put each deck's life support into local mode. The problem is NO ONE has been doing any type of upkeep. So, we have problems all over the place. Bad sensors, mostly reading compartments as too cold and too dry."

Vickers pinched the bridge of her nose. FRAK what a mess. "Great we are dumping heat and moisture all over the place."

"Yes, Ma'am it created a wonderful corrosion problem in more than a few places."

Vickers shook her head, this was going to be an endless problem, "OK what's the good news in this mess?"

"Ring three had been sealed off and then opened to space when they first decommissioned the station. We just got things repressurized and access to the central passageways this morning. Unlike this mess." Shimerman pointed at the dripping water and rust in the compartment they were in. "We are finding on rings one and two things are actually preserved on three. As a matter of fact, no signs of stripping."

That outright SHOCKED Vickers. Ring one had entire sections of the hull removed! The idea that ring three was actually intact shocked her. "What about fluid transfer lines?" The mess they were dealing with on the Battlestar Neptune was all the reminder either needed on that subject. The battlestar was fairly intact considering it had eaten two nukes on one flank but the internal damage was mostly caused when the ship froze. Lines burst all over the ship.

Picking up a tablet and swiping through some screens at last brought the Major to a report. "One of the IT teams pulled this out of one of the computers. It's a report from when Daidalos was first brought to Ragnar as the Anchorage."

Glancing over the shorter man's shoulder read the report. It was a check list of steps completed nearly forty years ago, including emptying fluid transfer lines. "So, they started a proper decommissioning effort and then what stopped after they finished ring three?"

Shimerman tossed his hands up, "Your guess is good as mine Ma'am. The key element is it looks like nothing has been touched down there in a VERY long time. Its not quiet to the point bring the mains on line and feed in raw materials but its not a rebuild of this…"

At the news Vickers mind was at once in motion. She had assumed they would have to rebuild a great deal of the machinery and Daidalos was a shell to be built out. Which would still be faster than trying to build something new. If ring three was really intact then one third of the stations production was intact along with its habitation. Question is using the facilities to rebuild the rest of the station or work other needs like refitting Neptune? Odds are a bit of both. Even at full effort it would be weeks if not months to get the Battlestar in anything like fighting shape. "As soon as you have a full report let me know we may have a change in plans."

A toothy smile broke out cross Shimerman's face. "I thought you might say that."

Vickers pointed to a hatch, "Lets head back to the administration section and talk some place nicer. How are the latest batch of workers doing?"

"Very hit and miss Ma'am lots of them have nothing like the skills suggested on the survey. Also, we are getting grumbles over conditions. There is rumor of petition circulating about starting a union."

That caused a laugh from Vickers. Not even the destruction of the colonies could stop some things. "Get me the names of those involved. If they are motivated and at all capable then we can put them to use."

The two left the ruined compartment, continuing to talk as they went.

XXX