Chapter- 7 a shocking revelation
There were a small group of people clustered around the viper watching as the body was removed. "Stop staring and get back to work all of you", yelled Tigh. The crowd quickly dispersed. "So what happened chief', Commander Adama demanded. "All I know is he tried to remove the drive', Tyrol replied sadly. Tigh circled the viper, "so someone protected the drive from being tampered with", he surmised. Tyrol, nodded, "yes I'd say it was a defense mechanism of some sort". Commander Adama glared at the viper, "so obviously extraction is not going to help us find out about this thing".
"No, that just brings us back to that disc and of course your son", Tigh pointed out.
Commander Adama knew from that comment that Tigh still believed Lee knew something. He had to admit that it didn't make sense for someone to send information without the means to access it. Perhaps Lee was not even aware of what he knew.
Maybe thinking more about the past would help to find the answer to all this. Adama looked up and caught a quick flash of movement as someone hurried from his line of sight. He didn't inform the marines that were keeping observers away because he had a fair idea who the watcher had been and thought that perhaps this accident might be the start to prompting some answers.
"I want a guard kept around this viper", he requested, "nobody touches her until further notice". He then tapped Tigh on the arm and the two of them moved away.
Lee was sure his father had seen him. Yet he'd done nothing. Ducking back out from behind the pole Lee made his way down to the hangar bay. Tyrol saw him coming. "Captain, you're not allowed near your viper", the chief stated. Lee cast one nervous glance at his ship. "I just wanted to know what happened', he asked.
Tyrol explained what he'd seen. Lee swallowed, "I'm sorry about your deck hand', he told Tyrol. The chief gave him a glare, "well perhaps, sir, you can think of something that might help us next time", then he pivoted and turned away. Lee felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He hurried away down the corridor back to the officers quarters. At this time of day it was quiet and Lee slipped into his bunk and drew the curtains across. It was a method of privacy that clearly said keep out. Stretching himself out on his bunk Lee began to think. Tyrol had clearly described what had happened to the deck hand and Lee had found himself drawing correlations to what had happened to him onboard the Atlantia. He'd heard a noise and seen a flash shortly before passing out. Was that just a coincidence, somehow he doubted it. So maybe it wasn't actually an explosion that had killed the pilots but the FTL drive. Lee frowned, hold on problem with that theory. The pilots were outside their vipers when he'd last seen them probably a distance of a few feet away. There had been several technicians in the hangar today, some only feet from his viper and they were still alive and well.
He shivered forcing himself to think about waking in Atlantias medical bay and finding out his friends were dead.
"So can I attend their memorial services", he'd asked the doctor. He got a head shake, "you're not going anywhere at present Captain, "well I could at least watch", Lee begged. The doctor squeezed his arm, "we don't want anything interfering with the equipment down here. I'll make sure the memorial is taped , then I'll give you a copy to watch later." The doc had then injected him with something and he'd drifted back to sleep. Lee gripped the blankets of the bed hard, he'd never seen the tape.
Suddenly he was forced to face the possibility that his friends had been still alive when he was in the medical bay. If that was true, then possibly he'd never been injured because the explosion had not happened. Lee rubbed his head, all this thinking was giving him a head ache. Pausing mid rub, Lee remembered feeling a bump on the back of the head when he'd awoken in Atlantias med bay. The docs had said he'd hit his head when he'd passed out. But the more Lee thought about the more he wondered if he really had hit his head or whether someone had hit him. He hadn't turned to look back at his friends when he'd approached his viper and it was noisy enough in the hangar that someone could have sneaked up behind him.
Lee felt his hand shake as he thought of implications of his theory. If he had not been injured in an explosion then he'd been given unnecessary surgery and kept drugged in the med bay for weeks.
Okay, so if they had done that then they were trying to find a legitimate excuse for keeping him away from the rest of Altantia personnel long enough for him to leave for Galactica. He hadn't been visited by many people during his time in the med bay with only the doctor and Major Small providing him with company.
Lee felt his brown furrow as he thought about the Major's visits. They had seemed causal but perhaps he should now consider that they had an entirely different purpose.
Straining his mind he tried to recall exactly what the Major had talked about.
"Captain, I don't think I need to tell you that the mission you undertook remains classified", Major Small reminded as he settled himself in a chair beside Lee's intensive care bed. "Don't worry, I won't mention anything, I mean its not like I actually knew what was going on anyway", Lee replied. Major Small nodded, 'perhaps you should be grateful for that Captain", he replied soberly.
Lee didn't understand what he meant so made no comment. "I dearsay you'll be anxious to get out of med bay. But the doctors want to make sure you are totally fine before they release you," Small mentioned. Lee ventured a small smile, "I'm glad somebody cares", he stated ironically. The Major squeezed his shoulder, "Lee perhaps your father is busy…", Lee pushed the majors hand away, "he's always frakking busy. I would have thought that he could have spared some time to see me but I guess I was wrong. He always did have more time for Zac than me", the words came out bitter.
Major Small looked at Lee sadly, "I'm sure he loves you Captain", he offered.
Lee laughed a bitter laugh, "if he does then he has a strange way of showing it."
"Perhaps, you are too much alike", Small suggested. Lee looked astonished, "alike, me and my father, no way.' "But you have things in common", Small prodded.
Lee stared, "how would you know that", he demanded, "I don't ever talk about my father. The Major sighed, "my grandfather and your gfrandfather were friends, years ago, their boys grew up together. My father and yours aslo served together and had a strong friendship. "Had, hinted Lee, "did my father piss him off too".
Major Small gave him a glare, "no, my father died, a short while ago".
"Oh sorry", Lee hurriedly apologized. "Yeah well it makes one think Lee. Even though your father hasn't come to see you it doesn't mean you can't talk to him share some things. "Who knows you may discover those things you have in common", the Major passionately explained.
Lee frowned. "I don't actually think I want to talk to my father again", he remarked forcefully. He was surprised when Major Small grabbed him rather hard, "no Lee, don't say that, you have to talk to him. Get him to share some of his books with you, you never know you might find more than you think." The Major still held on. "Promise me you'll try Captain", Major Small insisted.
Lee had promised but naturally had never intended to keep that promise.
Snapping back to reality Lee wondered anew about the Majors insistence on talking to his father. Was it just possible that his father actually had some answers. Lee was still afraid but decided maybe he did after all need to take a leap of faith. Sliding himself out of his bed he made his way out of the officer's quarters and towards his fathers stateroom
In his stateroom Bill was trying to relax over a drink and turn his mind away from the days events. However his mind stubbornly keep returning to the problem of the FTL drive and his son. A quiet almost tentative knock interrupted his thoughts. Bill half smiled to himself. That sort of knock usually meant some afraid young officer who was giving him a report for the first time. He straightened up and tried not to look too intimidating as he said, "come in". He was surprised to see an extremely anxious looking Lee enter. His eyes looked afraid and actually prompted Bill to stand up go toward him and gently guide him toward a chair, "Is there a problem Captain", Bill enquired using rank to try and but Lee more at ease. Lee swallowed nervously and nodded, "I guess I've been doing some thinking", he told his father. He then related the conversation with Major Small. "He seemed so insistent that I share some books with you", Lee stated in a puzzled tone. He was probably just trying to…. Lee stopped as his father bolted upright with an astonished, "why the frak didn't I think of that".
He then went to his book case. "my father did give me a book that had belonged to his father. Wasn't really the sort of thing I wanted to read but I kept it in memory of my grandfather. Now where is it". Bill started pulling out books while Lee watched wide eyed. Soon there was a pile of books on his fathers floor, "I know it's here somewhere", Bill cursed as he kept shifting books. "Ah ha there it is", he came back over and sat beside Lee. Lee looked at the title of the book, "the history behind the drive by Anton Baxter.' Intrigued Lee watched as his father opened the book. Inside was a small written autograph, "to my friend, ensure your memory of Project Obsidian lives on. Lets make history together", Anton.
Lee found himself feeling puzzled, 'hold on, he said ,"Major Small said his grandfather and your grandfather were friends. I thought the implication was that his grandfather had given yours that book". Adama nodded, "that makes sense son", he replied. Lee looked at him harder, "but if that's right then Major Small changed his last name from Baxter".
Adama sighed, "perhaps he did Lee, being a Baxter in the military is probably a recipe for career suicide."
Lee felt things sliding together like a puzzle. Adama was tapping his fingers thoughtfully, "Project obsidian, had you ever heard that name before Lee".
Lee thought, "No it was never mentioned". Adama looked over to where the data disc from Lee's back rested. "What are the chances that 'project obsidian", is the password we need", he asked. Lee looked at the disk like it was something truly horrible, "do it", he said. Bill picked up the disk and put it into his portable computer, when the password prompt came up he entered, project obsidian". Lee and he both held their breath but expelled it seconds later when the screen went blank, "well so much for…" Lee froze as data began to appear on the screen.
Bill reached over for his glasses and leaned forward to read. He made no comment as Lee also leaned in, their heads touching slightly.
This is Major Robert Small aka Robert Arden Baxter reporting
"I thought someone was crazy to even suggest project obsidian was even being considered for reactivation. It had killed many pilots and moved my great grandfather from being a hero to an outcast. " Yet this time they said they knew the answers and that perhaps my great grandfathers memory could be redeemed. All I needed to provide was some pilots. There was of course no way I was condemning any of my pilots to death. Yet they were persuasive said they could guarantee it would work.
So I did it , chose pilots for this project.
It was only then I found out what they intended to do. You see the problem with the original drives in FTLS was that they were unstable interfering with the ships systems and causing accidents. These people had found the way around that by removing the computation device, no coordinatates could be directly imputed into the FTL.
That seemed nonsensical because how could a jump take place. It was then they showed me a small chip, based on, Frak, they based it on CYLON technology. They said that in 99.5 percent of all cases this chip needed to be imbedded in the pilots brain, so that they could be the computer that programmed the jump. Suddenly I wanted nothing more to do with this project.
But they held me firm saying that if I didn't see it through they'd kill those pilots now. So I carried out the necessary tests and when medicals were carried out on the pilots the chips were inserted into their brains. It was only when I saw where exactly they were positioned that I determined they could never be removed. I began to pray that this project was going to be successful for the pilots sakes.
My prayers it seems were not answered. On one of the regular medical examinations changes in brain activity were noted. It soon became obvious that the chips were doing something to the pilots brains, something permanent. If the degradation of their brains continued they would die. I told those frakking people this and all they said was to speed up the project to get to the actual testing of the drive faster. But no I had to do something because I knew that if those pilots could actually make the drive work then they'd start putting chips in others heads. People had always lived in fear of a reoccurrence of the Cylon war and fear always did make people stupid. Well some people anyway. There is no way I will be responsible for killing any more pilots. I have to let them know that putting that chip in people heads is a ticking time bomb that will eventually kill all the recipents".
Lee jumped as the screen went blank and his father turned to him with a horror stricken gaze. He was stunned to see tears run down his fathers face, "oh Lee what did they do to you", his father moaned pulling him close. Bill was just getting used to having his son in his life again. But now it seemed he must face the probability of losing Lee again. Because if what this disc said was true Lee was dying.