Chapter Two
Battlestar Galactica
Deep Space Patrol
An Hour Later
Commander William Adama knew he was cranky this morning as he stepped out his quarters onboard the Galactica, carrying the notepad he was still trying to work out the details of the speech he would have to give this evening on. He was not looking forward to it, after this evening he would be a civilian, retreating to a retirement that was going to be very boring. His failures as a husband and father had made sure of that. Though there was a chance that the surprise he had planned for his currently estranged only surviving son when he arrived later would go someway towards changing that. Still he wouldn't get his hopes up as Lee had unfortunately inherited his stubborn streak.
With a slight scowl on his aged face he made his way through the corridors of the Galactica almost on autopilot. He knew every inch of the Mark-II Guardian-class battlestar, though he had only been her master for three years. The old battlestars layout was almost identical to that of the newer Mark-IV Guardian class ships like his previous command the Valkyrie, so identical that he could find his way around in his sleep. This morning though he was very conscious of the fact that this slow sub-light cruise back to one of the anchorages orbiting Caprica was the last cruise of this vessel. By this time tomorrow crews would be swarming all over her, starting the process of transforming her from a commissioned vessel of the Colonial Fleet into an orbiting museum.
Adama sighed and put aside his thoughts and forced down his emotions. It wouldn't do for the crew to see their commanding officer moping about the fate of this ship – though it was better fate than any of her sisters. All the other Mark-II Guardians had been consigned to the scrap-yard at the end of their service lives. Only the powerful influence Caprica had in Colonial politics – given that Caprica's moon was rich in titanium and other useful metals as well as being the second largest source of tylium ore in the Colonies next to Picon – had saved the Galactica from suffering the same fate. For which I should be grateful, he thought, it would be a crime to see this old lady scrapped after decades of service.
The sound of running feet behind him made him ease closer to the bulkhead to allow whoever was running to pass. It was a reflexive action after spending years on starships, many of the crew used the corridors for morning runs as much as they used the treadmills and weights in the ships gym.
"Good morning, sir," a familiar female voice said.
"Good morning, Starbuck, what do you hear?" William replied with a smile looking over at the blond haired pilot.
"Nothing but the rain, sir," Lieutenant Kara Thrace answered with a grin at the normal daily ritual of theirs.
"Then grab your gun and bring in the cat." Kara laughed and pointed her finger at him gun style and made a few sounds like she was shooting him before resuming her morning run. William shook his head, smiling fondly as she disappeared down the corridors. Kara was almost family to him and he wished her well in her next assignment. Though he also felt more than a bit of pity for whoever her superiors were going to be as Kara Thrace could be something of a handful.
Resuming walking himself he turned in the direction of the Combat Information Centre, he always stopped their first to check up on things before continuing his walk. Though he hoped that there would be no crises that would require his attention immediately; he had more than enough to do today, including a ton of paperwork from the commanders of the four destroyers and two cruisers of the Galactica's escort wing on top of his own work.
In moments he walked into the Combat Information Centre, a massive vaguely circular, multi-tiered room near the very core of the ship. It was from here that all aspects of the battlestar could be controlled and directed in safety from all but mortal blows. Immediately his tactical officer and information systems specialist Lieutenant Felix Gaeta approached him, at this time in the morning he was officer of the watch.
"Good morning, sir," Gaeta said in greeting.
"Good morning, Mr Gaeta," William replied smiling at the handsome young officer who he'd known for the last three years. It occurred to him that he would probably never see the competent young man again after this evening, he would miss him. "Anything to report?" he asked as Gaeta handed him an electronic pad.
"It pretty quiet, sir," Gaeta replied. "All systems are operating normally. But there is one odd thing, sir."
William frowned and looked up from the pad. "What is that?" he asked.
"Lieutenant Dualla picked up a brief burst of communication from the direction of the armistice station. However there was nothing in the transmission, just a carrier wave and that was badly distorted."
"Its probably nothing," William said thoughtfully. "That stations old, its bound to start experiencing malfunctions."
"That's what I thought, sir. Normally I would suggest we take a look, but…"
"…but we have more than enough on our plates today," William finished. "Is their anything else?"
"We've received a communiqué for you from Caprica. Its coded as personal, I had it forwarded to the terminal in your quarters."
"I see," William replied with a smile. He had a good idea who the personnel message was from, hopefully it was confirmation that she was coming. The surprise he had planned for his son wouldn't work if she couldn't come. "Thank you lieutenant," he continued before signing the electronic pad with its stylus to show he'd read it. "What about the other ships? Any problems reported?"
"I'm afraid so, sir. The Medusa is reporting a problem with one of their main engine cooling pumps, its pushing the core temperature of their drives up towards the redline."
William frowned. The Medusa was one of the two Vigilance-class heavy cruisers in their escort group; if there was a problem with her drives it could be very serious. He knew how quickly drive problems could flare out of control and the last thing they needed was for the relatively delicate innards of the Medusa's nuclear ion drives to overheat.
"Attend to your duties, lieutenant," he ordered after a moment.
"Yes, sir."
As Gaeta headed off to perform his duties William looked over at the communications station on the immediate left of the main situation table/dradis console. "Dee," he called. Lieutenant Anastasia Dualla looked up immediately. "Get me the commander of the Medusa on the line."
"Yes, sir," Dualla replied and pressed some of her controls before speaking into her headset. "Medusa, Galactica respond please, repeat Medusa, Galactica respond please."
"Galactica, Medusa we read you," the voice of her counterpart in the Medusa's CIC responded.
"Medusa, Galactica actual wishes to speak with Medusa actual," she responded. Instantly the light beside the phone on the side of the situation table came on and William picked it up.
"Galactica actual this is Medusa actual," said the Medusa's master Commander Harry Jamestown.
"Commander Jamestown, I've just been informed of the situation with one of your coolant pumps. What's your current status?"
"Not good," Jamestown answered his direct superior. "The engine core temperature is really starting to redline with only two of the pumps working at full capacity. We can repair the other but we'd need to take it off line."
"If I order the task force to reduce speed by one quarter would that be sufficient to take the strain off your engines," William asked.
"That would be enough, sir."
"Alright, reduce your speed by one quarter. I'll instruct all other ships to do the same. Inform me when your pump has been repaired."
"Thank you, sir. I'll give the order now."
"Galactica Actual out," Will put the phone down. What else can go wrong today, he thought before looking over at Dee again. "Dee relay to all ships reduce speed by one quarter."
"Yes, sir."
"Navigation, reduce our speed," Will ordered.
"Yes, sir," navigation replied just as the Galactica's executive officer Colonel Saul Tigh came in for the start of his duty shift. Looking smart and alert as always though it was still a relatively new thing as Saul had only recovered from a serious alcohol problem a year ago.
"Problem," Tigh asked.
"The Medusa has a problem with one of her coolant pumps, Saul," Will said. "I've ordered the fleet to slow down until the pump is repaired."
Tigh nodded. "I'll keep an eye on the situation, Bill," he said to his old friend, and the one to whom he owed his life. If Will hadn't dragged him – kicking and screaming – to an alcoholics help group he didn't know where he would be now.
"Thank you, Saul. You have the con; I'll be in my quarters. I have a communiqué to read."
"Yes, sir."
With that Will turned and left the CIC heading back to his quarters and the waiting communiqué from Caprica. Hopefully it would be good news and that his surprise has been successful in boarding the ship bound for Galactica for the decommissioning ceremony. Hopefully it will be good news, he thought, if she hasn't been able to come then things will be awkward when Lee gets here to say the least.
Colonial Passenger Liner 798
Caprica City Spaceport
Secretary Laura Roslin was deeply subdued as she settled into her first class seat aboard the passenger liner for the flight out to the Galactica. During the journey here from the doctor's office she had had time to think about her diagnosis with cancer. Think and become increasingly depressed and angry about it. How dare this disease invade her body like this, though thankfully they seemed to have caught it early enough to easily destroy it. Even that knowledge was not really comforting, cancer had been a bane of her family and she couldn't shake off the fear that it was going to take her life as it had taken her mother and grandmother before her. Why me? Why now? Can't this curse leave my family alone? She thought.
She was so deep in her increasingly bleak thoughts that she didn't notice that she had company, until that was someone cleared their throat. Startled she looked up to find a slender young man in a suit and tie and holding a briefcase standing nervously in the aisle beside her. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Secretary Roslin," the young man asked nervously. Laura nodded and smiled immediately guessing that this was the new assistant that she'd been promised. "Billy Keikeya, I'm your new assistant."
"Ah yes," she said. "You cut getting here a bit close didn't you? We're due to take off in a few minutes."
"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry I got a bit lost in the spaceport."
"Fair enough, the place is a maze if your not used to it," Laura replied, in her responsibilities as secretary for education for all twelve colonies she was a regular visitor to the spaceport. "Please take a seat," she continued standing up so the handsome young man, who bless his soul looked completely overwhelmed at making an interstellar flight on his first day, could ease past her into the window seat.
After politely shaking hands they sat down and Billy opened his case and took out a state of the art laptop computer. Laura watched quietly as he went through the process of booting it up and logging in.
As soon as he was finished Billy spoke up. "Madam Secretary I have your speech ready for when the ceremony begins on the Galactica," he said bringing up the speech on the word processor function. "Would you care to review it, there are still a few hours to make changes if needed."
"Yes I would like to review it," Laura said leaping on the chance for something to distract her from the thoughts of the cancer. Billy smiled and offered her the laptop, taking it from him Laura began to carefully read over the speech that had been prepared for her.
Gianne Franklin nervously fingered the engagement band she wore as she boarded the transport bound for the Galactica. To say she had been surprised when she'd received the communiqué from her future father in law William Adama would be an understatement. She'd had very little contact with him, given that Lee hadn't talked to his father since the death of his younger brother, and didn't know him that well.
When the communiqué explained what Will had planned, then she had agreed to help and he'd swung her a pass to the decommissioning ceremony for the Galactica. She'd just had to sort out getting to the spaceport in time for the flight. Now as she settled into her seat to await the take off of Colonial Heavy 798 she grew increasingly nervous. She couldn't help but wonder if she was doing the right thing in going and wondering what William Adama was really like. She only really knew what Lee had told her about his father and that was less than complementary.
A sudden humming sound through the ship made her sigh as she realised it was too late to back out of this now. The transports engines sounded to be powering up for launch, she was familiar with the sound given that her family ran a small shipping line that transported goods all over the three planetary systems that made up the Colonies. Much of her childhood had been spent on starships of one form or another before the line got bigger and her father chose to base them permanently on Caprica.
"Attention all passengers," a voice presumably belonging to the ships pilot said over the public address system. "This is Captain Russo; we will be departing for Galactica in a few moments. My crew and I hope you have a pleasant flight; our estimated journey time is five hours. For your comfort please remain seated until we are in space. Thank you."
As the PA systems shut down Gianne sat back in her seat and made herself comfortable, all the while listening to the familiar sounds of engines powering up. After a moment a fluctuation in the artificial gravity let her know that they were rising off the ground, ascending space wards at ever increasing speed. She glanced at the window and saw the atmosphere outside give way to the depths of space.
The PA clicked on again with Captain Russo's voice. "Attention all passengers, we have broken free of Caprica's gravity well you are now free to move about the cabins. Thank you."
As her fellow passengers started getting up to move around and talk to each other Gianne remained seated, looking out the window at the starlit blackness outside. A soft smile played on her lips as she imagined the surprise Lee was going to have when he saw her two months earlier than planned. He'll be so surprised, she thought before putting a hand on her stomach, just as I have a surprise for him. Assuming I get time to tell him when were on the Galactica as he's probably going to be very busy.
After a moment she sighed and opened her handbag before taking out a copy of the book she was reading. It would make the long boredom of the flight fly past and she hoped successfully distract her from her nerves. After all it wasn't everyday that you were going to meet your future father-in-law for the first time.
Kings Bay Inlet
That Same Time
Doctor Gaius Baltar sighed softly as he stood on the balcony of his tasteful, modern home, gazing out on the crystal clear waters of the Kings Bay Inlet. He had long ago discovered that this balcony with its spectacular view was the perfect place to gather his thoughts. Especially when confronted with a problem like he was now.
The Ministry of Defence was having difficulties with the targeting and focusing mechanisms for the next generation of plasma cannons and had drafted him in to help. Taking him temporarily off the navigation program project he had been working on for them, not that he minded. Plasma physics had long fascinated him and he was quite well versed in the still relatively young field of science. New discoveries were constantly being made in the field and it was even promising to give them the long cherished dream of a stable nuclear fusion power source.
At the moment though his knowledge of plasma physics was not serving him very well, no matter what he did he couldn't solve to focusing problem they were having with the new cannons. The targeting problem had been simple software errors and just required changes to the code, but the focusing problem for the plasma particles was proving more difficult. Even his assistant and occasional lover Natasi was having difficulty with the issue of focusing the plasma into a more tightly focused and powerful bolt than had ever been achieved before.
Thinking of Natasi brought a smile to his face. The blond haired woman was as intelligent as she was beautiful, she'd only been with him for a few months and in that time she'd impressed him. And not just with her intelligence but she was great in bed as well, they were due to meet up here tonight which would be interesting to say the least.
The sound of a car pulling up caught his attention and he smiled knowing who it was going to be. Moving inside he settled down in the living room to wait.
He didn't have to wait long. After a few moments the front door opened and familiar footsteps echoed on the laminate flooring. Then a pair of beautiful arms wrapped around him and the chair from behind.
"Did you have fun," he asked.
"My business in town went well," Natasi answered sweetly as Gaius stood back up and turned to face her in all her staggering beauty. "It was most productive to my interests."
"I'm glad," he replied as Natasi came around the chair and surprisingly kissed him full on the mouth. Gaius jerked in surprise but deepened the kiss, before Natasi pulled away. "Wow," he said. "What was that for?"
"Do I need a reason to kiss you, Gaius?" Natasi asked.
"No of course not," Gaius replied. "Its just you surprised me that's all."
Natasi smiled seductively. "Good," she said before walking in a very erotic, provocative fashion towards the master bedroom. She paused at the door and beckoned her lover to follow with one of her fingers. Gaius didn't need any further encouragement to follow the attractive blond into the room for what promised to be a very stimulating encounter.
One Hour Later
Natasi smiled as she gazed down on the sleeping, naked form of Gaius Baltar. She had to admit he was quite an attractive man as Humans went, and his intelligence was truly formidable. Sexual encounters with him were always very stimulating and she was surprised to find herself wanting to spend more and more time with him. Whenever they were apart her thoughts always drifted back to him somehow, and she was never happier than when she was with him. It came as a shock to realise that she was actually, impossibly, in love with one Gaius Baltar.
After a moment she sighed. Her feelings for Gaius were presenting her with something of a dilemma, he had gotten her what she needed a job at the Ministry of Defence as his assistant and the plan was now only mere hours away from execution. Her mission directives said she should get rid of him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Even the thought of killing Gaius filled her with horror. Maybe there is another way, she thought with a smile.
Placing her hand near the side of his neck she extended a single mimetic alloy talon from the tip of one of her fingers and pierced the skin on his neck. Gaius flinched and moaned in his sleep but did not awaken. Natasi smiled and closed her eyes and formatted the program on a series of nanobots before sending them along the talon into the scientist's body. Then she opened her eyes again and retracted the talon, leaving behind a small amount of organic sealant to close the wound before it could start to bleed.
"Sleep now, Gaius," she said softly leaned forward and kissing him gently on the forehead. "When you wake up this will all be over."
Then smiling softly she eased off the bed and dressed. The model six humanoid Cylon gave the scientist a final last, long, loving look before leaving the room. She made sure to leave a note in the kitchen telling Gaius she was going back to the defence ministry having forgotten something – just in case he woke up earlier than she thought he would. Then she slipped out of the house without making a sound.
The Cylon plan for the Twelve Colonies was now in its most critical phase and she had to be in position to do her part.