Chapter Eleven
"What is it?" Jessica asked. She had an image of pages in a leather bound book flipping rapidly in her head. The bible Elosha had given her.
"Have you read any more of the scrolls? There is a story there, of a child who would be born, a son who would lead the lost people to Earth. I read his name in the scrolls. He'll be called Gabriel and will find the location of Earth."
Jessica could feel Elosha's hands trembling violently over hers. "Why are you shaking like that? Wouldn't this be a good thing? We only have to find this Gabriel and he'll lead us to Earth. Or wait for him to be born at least."
"He will bring about the final and bloodiest of the Cylon wars," Elosha explained, her voice a broken whisper as if she were afraid the Gods would hear her.
Jessica jerked back, dread coursing through her like ice. "So if we try and find this child, or man if he's already born, we'll find Earth, but bring about a bloody war. Worse than the one we're in now?"
"A hundred times worse, my child. The loss of life will be more than half of our people. It will be another Apocalypse." Elosha closed her eyes and Jessica watched her lips move in silent prayer.
"I don't think humanity could survive another Apocalypse. We're barely surviving this war," Jessica remarked uneasily. The virus alone took over a thousand lives. How could they possibly fight a worse war than they were enduring already? "Have you told Adama this?"
Elosha shook her head. "I only discovered it yesterday. I've been torn over what to do."
"Should we search out this person and find our home but risk overwhelming loss of life and possible destruction, or stay as we are and perhaps find somewhere better to settle. Somewhere that the Cylons don't know about?" Jessica asked laying the question out on the table. "Can we change history?
"The scrolls begin with 'all this has happened before, all this will happen again.' Perhaps in your mother's time this child she spoke of was a saviour to his people and your child will be a saviour to yours."
"Did you miss the part where I mentioned they killed him?" Jessica asked.
"There have been many martyrs to the cause of salvation. But it was his choice to accept his role or not. Could he have said no and survived? Of course. But would there have been another savior to take his place? Or would his world have perished without his sacrifice? If we don't search for this Gabriel, will there merely be another to take his place?"
"So what do we do?" Jessica asked, wrapping her arms around her stomach and shuddering.
"What do you want to do?" Elosha asked her.
Jessica hesitated. If there was no Gabriel perhaps there would be no more Cylon wars. They could perhaps find a better, secret planet and her daughter could be born, not with the heavy responsibility of bringing about the victory of humanity in the last Cylon war, but live happily and safely. They all could. "I want to forget that this Gabriel exists or will exist. I want to take the family that I will have and run to some place the Cylons will never find us."
Elosha sat back and gave Jessica's hand a squeeze in understanding.
Saying you were gonna forget about something and actually forgetting about it were two very different things, Jessica knew. She thanked the Gods she was no longer blurting things out, making keeping this secret knowledge much easier. But as she watched Adama pace CIC, giving out orders, sending pilots (Lee, Kara and other people she'd come to care for and love) out every day to fight the good fight, she alternated between thinking she was making the right decision and making the wrong one.
What if she kept silent and it didn't make one bit of difference? What if this Gabriel was discovered and took up his mission to find the location of Earth? Wouldn't it be better for Adama and the rest of the fleet to be prepared?
After a suitable amount of mourning, Roslin began making plans for the postponed Colonial Day preparations. But as she began sending out wires to the fleet with instructions, colonial representatives began responding with their dissatisfaction over how she had handled the virus crisis. Leading the charge was, "Who else? Tom frakking Zarek," Lee grumbled crumpling up the message and throwing into a waste bin. "He's demanding his re-elections now."
"On what's supposed to be a celebratory day. Nice," Jessica remarked digging through her locker and trying not to look at a shirtless Lee because when she allowed herself to engage in ogling…well, she was ogling and that was rather embarrassing, especially if he caught her at it.
"Oh and it gets better, guess who's been assigned for the President's security detail?" Kara asked, rolling her eyes before going back to tying her shoes. "I'm flying over with Dr Freakweasel, of all people."
"Aww, no! You poor thing," Jessica said trying not to laugh.
"Well don't feel too sorry for me. You're gonna be stuck in the raptor with Tigh, Gaeta and a few of the other lower rungs."
"Me? Why do I have to go?" Jessica asked petulantly.
"'Cause you're Galactica's resident Cylon hound dog. Don't you feel special?" Kara joked, standing up and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"I think if you guys have Cylons in any government positions, you've got more problems than being stuck with Doc Freakweasel," Jessica said.
"You're right. But one problem at a time. First on our list, clothes. I've got leave from the old man to go over to Cloud Nine to do some shopping. Come with?" Kara asked her.
"What, you mean you're going to trade for something besides cigars and ambrosia and socks?" Lee asked in teasing disbelief that Jessica would have been glad to participate in if he weren't standing there in a towel and nothing else. This is my punishment, she thought sourly.
"Right, and the only reason you're going to wear your safe little dress greys is because everyone knows that off duty you have the fashion sense of a goat," Kara shot back. Jessica crossed her arms with great amusement and just watched the two of them go at it like a well-played ping pong match.
"Where as you are quite the little fashion plate, aren't you?" Lee tossed back looking pointedly at Kara's shorts and tanks as he got dressed. "Well, I'd love to continue this stimulating discussion but I have to meet with the president for a meeting before the ceremony. Say hi to Dr Freakweasel for me."
Jessica smiled, watching him walk out of the locker room, not quite sure who won that round.
"We're gonna make that bastard eat his feet," Kara promised.
There was a woman named Mae who was selling an inventory of dresses and other in-demand items on Cloud Nine. She had a deal with certain Black Market runners to give them a percentage of her profits in exchange for a keeping her supplied with clothes, liquor and other necessities. It also allowed her to charge insane prices.
"Isn't that illegal?" Jessica asked as Kara led her through the crowds that had begun to grow with people stocking up for Colonial Day preparations.
"It wouldn't be if Roslin weren't so tight-fisted. Waiting for her,this fleet would never get the things it needs," a weasly-looking black man grumbled from behind them.
Jessica turned to protest but Kara pulled her forward. "Don't even bother. There are a lot more people who think like that moron."
"Giving Zarek his perfect pulpit," Jessica nodded in understanding.
Kara began rifling through the racks of evening gowns and pulled out a beautiful blue gown. She held it up to her collar and turned to Jessica. "Yeah?"
"Oh, definitely yeah. That's gorgeous."
Kara walked over to the cracked full-length mirror to get a better look. She took a look at the tag to make sure it was her size and check the prize as Jessica continued looking.
"Frak me! Five hundred cubits. She's out of her frakking mind," Kara burst.
Jessica, who'd pulled out a form fitting dark green sapphire dress with a low V-neck line, dropped her dress like it was on fire.
"Do you ladies see anything you like?" Mae asked, coming up to them and smiling like a shark swimming in on its prey. "That dress would look positively gorgeous on you."
Kara smiled at her, recognizing her sales pitch for what it was. "Sure, just not something I'd pay five hundred cubits for."
"We certainly allow you to trade for it, if you'd prefer."
Kara spotted a deck of cards on Mae's accounting table and smiled. "I tell you what, I'll play you for it, and whatever she wants," she offered, pointing to Jessica.
"Hmm, interesting. If you lose?" Mae asked, amused.
"If I lose, then I'll buy this whole rack."
"Kara!" Jessica exclaimed with a token protest. She knew exactly what Kara's plan was and had a hard time fighting a smile. Starbuck was a legendary card player but not even she would make a bet like that unless she had an ace up her sleeve, as it were.
"Don't worry, Jess." Kara patted her cheek lightly. "I've got Lady Luck on my side."