Re-edited 6-15-2015

Recordkeeping time:

EJeanTheCat: Is it just me, or is the Colonial response to everything "Blow 'em up!"

Not necessarily. However they do have a major problem that I am hinting at in this chapter that is going to cause a major political blow up in the next between the Race and Earth. It's ingrained in the Colonials and both the Race and Terrans will have none of it even if it's unintentional. The Colonials population does not know exactly what's going on with the goa'uld yet.

EvilTheLast: I am glad you saw the ship on the other site. It is similar although somewhat smaller and less refined (first generation after all). It's a diplomatic carrier and because of what you mentioned I did make it more of a liner than a simple plane. 19 hours is a long time to sit. And the mention of food on the other site…well, it uses real food instead of the replicator like a cruise ship. More work, but hey.

Thor94: To answer your stargate question, read this chapter. In canon the Race did not use females in battle, but they did everything else including flying shuttles, etc. The Race simply accepted the fact that their females were not physically strong enough to wage physical war. They still have that belief but flying support, etc is not a problem. Furthermore they are discovering that they need all the help they can get. Now, the Colonials and Terrans don't have a love fest going on but they're not shooting at each other either. There is even a small station (mentioned a couple of times in earlier Books) shared by both for the purposes of small trades such as coffee, chocolate, ambrosia and Miller Lite. Teas and spices are traded. It's a very small thing but both sides have a vested interest in keeping those ties and protecting the station. I will define the 25 light year separation zone further as it is not as limiting as, let's say, the Romulan Federation neutral zone. But as you read you will see that there are strong opinions and assumptions going on that will have to be addressed very soon.

NorJC Thank you very much. Love what you are doing with the ATV story! Gives me incentive.

Roland said: Will you get around to showing us what life is like for the Cylon Remnant?

Yes, absolutely. Right now, the Cylons do not have an Embassy on Earth. They barely have on on Home II. They are more like refugees at this point but they and the Race have talked about joining one another for mutual protection and cooperation. Lizards and Robots just go together for some reason. More on this coming up. Plus a lot more on the religious aspects on all sides.

CPT Reynolds: The interludes seen in the beginning of each chapter so far have a direction relationship to the war which I hinted at. What happened there is a year-plus earlier has direct bearing on the goa'uld Terran Colonial Race problem to be described. What the Junis experiences is the face of the enemy. And they are in trouble. No Vorlons or anything from that universe. This is a home grown universe problem (in other words a stargate problem).

Eaglestorm27: I would normally do this in French but this time in English. The Tau'ri (Terrans or Earther folks) have a lot of proof about what is what. However the average Colonials has no real understanding of Earth or its culture. In this chapter I show their general lack of understanding and confusion about Earth. This problem is coming to a head and must be addressed before Earth and the Colonies can move on. Having advanced technology does not make one right. Solid proof does. And, a willingness to see and accept that proof. Humans have problems with that. Besides, Earth is not telling them what they really have. They have seen only two cases of actual transporter technology and either they take Cain's word for it or they done. The President and his immediate staff does. Most others don't and can't really accept such a thing.

I don't want to call this chapter a filler as much as it is the setup for things to come. Certain characters mentioned before are reintroduced. Certain truths are revealed to the Colonials about their own assumptions and Terran technologies. Certain stereotypes are brought to light among the Colonials when it comes to Earth. And I get to touch on the utter complexities of setting up a new colony. By the way although not described in canon, I believe that ambrosia comes from a fruit (like an apple-like sized fruit) that was unique to Kobol. Colonials assume that it's the drink of humanity. So Earth not having ambrosia is a sad thing, not only for taste but for loss of their culture as well. Who care about some berry making some crap called wine. It must not compare to the real thing…

Also, this chapter is longer than usual. Many time a chunk of reading material is about 3000 words. That is a nice amount to read as we wait for the next segment. This is somewhat longer because I wanted to get everything in before I move onto the sect section. The Race –Colonial talks are coming up as well as Earth Colonial discussions. Everything is about to go downhill very fast. The title of this chapter is called 'Stereotypes' a title which becomes clear as you read this chapter. Thank you all and I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Skeet

CHAPTER FIVE

(Stereotypes)

Interlude (3)

One year earlier

Batlestar Junis. Star System-Unnamed: Locations 1400 light years from the Cyrannus star cluster: Position- Asteroid belt five hundred kilometers from Target One: Time- 16 hours post first opening of Stargate designate Target One: Target One-Lantean Stargate unknown configuration.

Commander's Quarters:

"Good news," Coronel Perris said as the meeting continued in the Command staff lounge. "The thruster systems on the last Raptor is replace and she's up and running."

"What about the vipers?" asked the commander.

"All of them checked out okay."

"Good. Pass the word to the crew that I said well done."

With that, Commander Eddlison breathed a sigh of relief. In the last few hours the entire crew plus some of the crew from the Tycheon combed the ship from one end to the other repairing damaged electrical systems. Target One caused a lot of damage to the Junis. A large number of power surges burned out relays and systems throughout the ship. Uncounted miles of wiring and circuitry were checked and replaced as needed and the ship went through its store of replaceable parts. In and of itself, this wasn't a serious problem as the Minoans, like their Mercury counterparts were able to manufacture most of the parts needed to the ship. Complete vessels like vipers and raptors were beyond the capability of the Junis however, everything needed to build, maintain, support, and for upkeep was within the power of the manufacturing sectors. And hose facilities had a workout in the last sixteen hours. The greatest amount of damage occurred when the Junis jumped into the asteroid belt. It was a very short jump, a micro-jump as it were but the primary navigational system burned itself out immediately after. With the help of the crew from the Tycheon, the damage was repaired in under six hours. But both crews as were wary of going near the artifact again considering the amount of damage to the Junis by the simple fact of its activation.

Eddlison's first instinct was to leave the system and the artifact. The senior staff's conclusion that the activation of Target One also activated some sort of trap, which in his opinion, was the correct one. It was a trap, an elegant and deadly one that could have easily left them crippled and helpless and would have if the crew hadn't been on their toes. This suspicion was cemented when the probes watching Target One died each time the activation sequence began and when fully activated the probes powered back on. It was believed at first that the target was some type of fantastic interstellar communications device, but that theory was turned onto its ear when the second time it activated something came out of the bluish vortex of energy contained inside the center of the artifact. The probe was inactive at the time, but long distance camera saw and recorded the event. Shocking the crews of both battlestars crews to their core.

At first it was believed to be an optical illusion, some freak distortion recorded by the camera. However four other cameras recorded the exact same thing. A transport of some type had come through the aperture. It looked alien although it was no beauty. In fact it was one of the most basic and ugliest transports they'd ever seen. It looked simply like a box with a couple of engines slapped onto it. This happened twice and now both crews had an established pattern locked down.

"Target One stays active exactly thirty eight minutes before shutting down" the commander said. "Any ideas, theories?"

"It's possible that the amount of energy can only be sustained for that specific amount of time. Maybe it's a safety feature to keep whatever those things that serve as capacitors from burning out. I don't without further investigation."

Lieutenant Bali a tactical and the resident scientist nodded soberly. "Well, that makes sense, if what we're seeing is really some type of stellar jump point device. Unlike our ships which uses jump point technology, these people have approached the problem differently. They've developed these devices that their ships can simply enter at point A and exit from at point B. I would postulate that the distance between our jumps and theirs is approximately the same. Given the amount of power that must be needed, I believe that our system of FTL is more efficient. I stress that this is a preliminary belief until I have more data. Anyway, it's a fascinating approach to the need for getting from one place to another. But I also believe you need more than one artifact."

"Our people back home will love this," the Commander said. "If we can learn more about it we might even be able to reproduce it. It's alien and may take a while but it would be worth it."

"Earth has nothing like this," Bali confidently insisted. "If we can learn how it operates we may be able to back-engineer it and give us a head start on the Tau'ri or any other threats out here."

Eddlison smiled ruefully. "So you don't believe that this is a Tau'ri device of some kind?"

"I believe that we have discovered something that the Earthers have no clue about," Bali said with absolute confidence. "This will give us a tremendous leg up on them."

Bettie Elisades turned her head towards the lieutenant. "Sounds like you think we should one up the Earthers. This is a huge secret, one we don't want the Earthers to find out about. They might even start a war over this device trying to take it from us."

"They might," Bali answered. "They might not, but science is science and this device is true science too big to ignore. It could be a benefit to everybody, not just us."

"What do you mean, lieutenant?" asked the Colonel. "You want to share this discovery?"

"Ma'am, this device is too important. Imagine what it could do for our people and I mean all of us. If we share this with the Earthers, who knows, it may be the incentive to improve our relationship with them."

"With their power, they're a threat to us."

"With all due respect, I think they consider us a threat to them. We did attack them first. Personally I don't see them as the real enemy. I think the true enemy is ignorance, us of them and them about us. In fact, their presence has stirred the scientific community to get off of their complacent butts and start looking in new directions. Their technologies had spurred countless young scientists to attempt to duplicate and maybe surpass them in as early as twenty years. We don't have to be and should be their enemies. We're different that they are but we don't have to kill each other because of those differences. They are us after all, religion notwithstanding. They might even help us to unlock the secrets of such a find of this magnitude."

"I agree with you about the Earthers, but as to this device, that's not our call," Eddlison stated. "The higher-ups will make that call for us. We find, they decide. But people, remember that it's not ours to take even if we wanted to. Someone else has a prior clam if I am not mistaken," he dryly reminded them. And I don't think they like guests."

"Yes, sir but we can still study it from this distance. The data alone is worth hundreds of hours of study. Our probes have not been detected near Target One.

"Speaking of which," Perris cut in. "We found it. What are going to call it?"

"I was just wondering about that," Perris said. "What about the 'transport portal'?"

"I was thinking more like 'star portal' since it sends objects through space as well as sending communications," suggested LT colonel Kimei.

"What about 'heavens doorway', or 'doorway to heaven?" asked Senior DRADIS officer Rand O'Dellis.

"Doorway to heaven." The colonel repeated. Shaking her head, she said, "No. That sound too much like a movie."

"Then what about 'gate of the gods', or the 'gods door'?"

The commander shook his head. "No. No. No. Not everything has to be named after the gods. That gets boring. Furthermore, it gives a religious connotation to something that may have been created by aliens or even other humans."

"We should honor the gods," O'Dellis mumbled.

Perris and Eddlison tried not to glare at the young officer. The Gemenon were like that, almost obsessed at naming everything after the gods. "We could call it a 'star portal' or 'stargate'," added Perris.

"With all due respect, Colonel, we should create a name that shows the magnificence of such a marvel feat of engineering science," said Kimei.

"The 'god's pathway'," O'Dellis said quickly.

"Actually, I think I have a good name for it," Kimei countered. O'Dellis glared at him. "I think we can call it the Stellar Transportation Device or STD for short. Stargate and star-portal have nice rings to it but STD sounds more sophisticated and it will keep the Quorum from giving it some idiotic name like the 'gods heavenly portal'. If we can understand it and maybe shrink it down, then every planet can have its own personalized STD. The STD would affect the lives of everybody."

"What's wrong in respecting the gods," O'Dellis grumbled. "You forget who made us and science."

"It's you religious nut jobs that keep us from talking to the Thirteeners on an equal bases."

"Enough, you two," the commander growled. "No more name calling or I'll put you both on report. I don't want a fight over this. Keep your personal opinions on religion to yourselves or I will confine you to quarters and have your pay docked fifteen percent retroactive to the beginning of this mission. For now, 'Target One' will be its given name. Am I clear?" the commander questioned. That was really a threat and everyone knew it."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, sir," O'Dellis answered. But his eyes told everyone that the conversation wasn't over.

"Sir, Target One is powered up again," a bridge officer announced. "The probes are inactivate. Digital camera systems are recording, sir."

"Understood. We're heading to C&C."

"Four transports came through this time, sir."

"Heading."

"Towards the planet, the same as the others."

"Keep photographing them."

O'Dellis' head snapped up, staring at the image. "Another object is coming out of Target One. Not a freighter or transport. Sir!" Eddlison was already looking. It was about the size of the freighter but carried the lines of a predator. "Three hundred meters. It's following the transports and scanning."

The tapered dark-colored warship continued following the convoy.

"All stealth systems are green. Their scans didn't see us," O'Dellis reported.

"Sir, warship slowing down and no longer following the transports." The ship's momentum ceased complexly. Then it began slowly turning in the direction of the asteroid field. Two beams of energy from the ship destroyed both probes. "Sir, we're being contacted."

Eddlison went cold. Whoever they were, they were able to pierce the stealth system. "Start calculations for a jump two light years predesignate coordinates. Open a channel."

"Channel is opened, sir," Kimei told the commander.

"This is Commander Eddlison of the Battlestar Junis. We mean you no harm and apologize if we have intruded into your territory. If you want us to leave then we will do so without incident. Send that in all languages and send the first contact protocol along with it."

"Communication sent, sir. We're receiving a response."

"That quickly?"

The sound that came across the speakers made the officer's head stand on his head. "Yes, sir…I think it was a growl, sir!"

"Yes, that's exactly what it was," Eddlison answered.

"They're coming directly towards us, intercept vector and speed is increasing."

"Set Condition One. All hands battle stations. Launch vipers."

Cyrannus star system

Planet-Picon:

Draeace Piconan Spaceport

VIP Archimedes blue sector

Time: Current

"Hello again and thank you for staying with us at CaNN. The United Terran Dream liner isn't the only ship making history today. Today also marks the beginning of the most audacious and ambitious project attempted by the Colonies of Kobol, the Harbon Project. Thirty transports filled with twenty thousand head of cattle, Picon-fowl, swine, and other domestic animals began their year and a half journey to Makaria sector, specifically to New Picon and then on to the Pontu-Nika settlements. Grains, fruit tree seeds, and domesticated plants are also being sent in an effort to provide self-sustaining colonies.

"Both worlds are more than capable than sustaining human life and have lifeforms that are compatible for humans to consume. But as more and more people travel there, there must be a sustainable food supply. The animals being sent to the worlds represent the best genetic stock located on several of the Colonies. The plan is to breed these animals determine if they can survive on these new worlds and their unique biospheres. In case the plants are incompatible with our animals for consumption, grass seeds and feeder plants will be transplanted and studied to determine if the plants can indeed remain viable. So far earlier studies indicate that it is possible and confidence is high but with the stakes so high the scientists aren't taking any chances. Two thousand domestic scientists are traveling with the transports along with four battlestars and twelve cruisers to make sure that the transports arrive at their destinations safely.

It is estimated that both worlds could be self-sustaining within twenty years provided that the animals can survive in the conditions on both worlds. With me is Doctor Toben Collins of the Biological Institute for Domestic Animal Sciences. Mister Collins, I'm sure you're excited for this the first day of this epic journey."

Thank you Jansen, and yes I am. This marks the most important scientific journey since the Colonies traveled from Kobol to the Cyrannus system. Developing a colony at the distance discussed is unpresented as well as very dangerous."

"How so?"

"The trip will be slower than the transports carrying people heading to the new colonies due to the unique situation of moving such a huge numbers of animals in space. The vegetation transports will arrive sooner but obviously the dangers of space is of great concern to us. Once they arrive then they must be able to survive the bacteria, viruses and toxic animals and plants unique to each world that we don't know about just as we did when we first arrived here and as the Earth Colony did. But these two colonies have advantages neither Earth nor Cyrannus had; a support system."

"So we want to create colonies independent of their parents here at Cyrannus."

"When it comes to food and a viable industry production, yes. But of course we don't want them isolated like Earth was and forgetting their heritage and having to depend only on themselves. I am sure that Earth would help them in their times of need. However that should not be necessary. With constant contact with the Colonies, these new settlements will be able to retain their heritage and connection with us."

"Interesting point of view, Doctor. It's a topic that has obsessed the Colonies for the past three years."

"I am no expert in social culture but I know that civilized communities able to domesticate animals and plants work better as family units. I am sure that Earth's domestic animals can breed with our own producing new and healthier strains. We postulated that the Terran Thirteeners must have brought with them four to five strains of each type of domesticated animal and plant. With such a viable atmosphere and good conditions, they survived and flourished. One thing they don't have are the Ambri fruit trees, explaining why they had no idea what ambrosia was. They discovered a substitute called the grape berry and they make an ambrosia analogue called wine. I guess its okay but it's sad really. When they realize and rejoin their brothers and sisters, we'll all be the better for it. They'll receive new strains of our plants and animals and I suspect that they'll be happy."

"Doctor, how much do you know about Earth and its plant and animal life?"

"Well, not as much as I would like. I am aware that Earth is a beautiful planet that can support human life which is why they've survived isolated as they are for as long as they have."

"But what you've said is basically speculation at this point." The doctor frowned at the reporter. "Earth has advanced and apparently thrived without our help. They are a self-sustaining and independent world."

"They are alone and as a colony they should and will eventually come around to that fact."

"Well, there are many people that will disagree with this opinion both from scientific and social and we'll discuss that more in a moment…"

The far majority of those who now unabashedly stared at the Terran spacecraft, under different circumstances would have barely given the incoming vessel a second thought. It looked in many ways like a short-ranged Colonial passenger transport; however there were some differences that made the transport stand out. The first was its size. It wasn't much larger than some of the larger aircraft used for air transportation and that in itself was unusual. Any Colonial space-going vessel worth its name had several layers of thick armor separating the passengers and crew from the ravages of vacuum, radiation, and the other dangers of space. The Terran ship had maybe one or two thin layers making the ship more streamlined. There was also the fact that there were quite a few windows present on the four story ship. But what surprised many people were the obvious lack of thrusters and engines at the rear. Instead there were two pairs of elongated structures one third the length of the vessel attached on either side. The liner did have delta shaped wings and to astonishment of those watching the wings contracted and literally disappeared into the main body of the transport.

Vice-President Willius grimaced as he witnessed that, so reminiscent of the memory of the goa'uld Ashtorath lord and her display of willing her helmet directly into her skull. Apparently the Terran-Apellai used the same technology on their ships. It was just another reminder of how advanced the Terrans were and how much it would take to catch up and eventually surpass them. That was his dream. And in his own personal opinion, no single world had the right to ignore the parent Twelve. Isolated for thousands of years or not, they needed to get with the program. But those dreams were reserved for the future, because as of this moment he had far more important things weighing on his mind than unification.

"Hello," the Terran woman said brightly in flawless Caprican standard. Since her mouth didn't match the words, the vice president assumed correctly that the woman was using one of the famed micro translators that the Terrans had invented. "My name is Donna and I will be your stewardess for this trip. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to either call me or one of our other stewardess and we will help you."

"Thank you very much."

And he was thankful to finally be on the transport. The security wait was necessary, but taxing. Absolutely no one wanted an incident occurring. Several earlier threats by separatists and terrorist groups dedicating themselves avenge the deaths and humiliation visited upon the Colonials by the Terrans were the most immediate threat. Those fringe groups loved to cause trouble because they could. Tom Zarek and his Zarek terrorists was such a group. Successfully attacking and destroying the second Terran civilian ship, a diplomatic carrier no less, to arrive in the Colonies was a perfect statement for their demented cause.

And–by the Lords!–another disaster from members of his own government was quietly averted just a few minutes before the Terrans touched down. Never mind that their actions could have sparked a setback in relations with Earth by years, or heaven forbid started a war at the worst possible time for the Colonies. Only a few people knew about that aborted incident and he knew a lot of people were going to be unhappy in the very near future.

"And now, if you will follow me, I'll show you to your seats.

Vice president 'Berkel' Willius barely glanced around the interior if the so-called United Terran Dreamliner as he and his two aides followed the hostess to their seats. Willius' face was blank but grudgingly impressed at the casual display of translation technology as he sat down, he fumbled with his seatbelt and couldn't quite latch it. The young woman just smiled and quickly connected the two pieces much to his relief. At the same time, he still felt very unprepared accelerating into orbit on this alien ship. He wanted to know where the shoulder/body restrains were. Achieving orbit was no walk in the park and if one wasn't strapped in properly, then serious bodily injury would occur, most likely followed by a very miserable death.

Therefore, he asked the obvious question to the stewardess. "Where are the body restraints?" asked the Vice-President in a semi-polite tone. The two aides were more than a bit curious as well.

"Sir," the woman began, never losing her smile. "The seat restraints are sufficient to protect you from any untoward movement. Our inertial damper will keep you safe from any effects of acceleration or deceleration by our Dream liner. I promise you will not feel a thing."

Willius stared at her with a blank look and then stared at his 'seat belt and tightened it as much as he could. His aide, seeing the wisdom of this quickly mimicked his example. Moments later after a quick prayer to whatever god he hoped was listening to him, he pulled out the brochure conveniently placed in front of him about the United-Terran Dreamliner. Thankfully it was in Caprican standard and as he fumbled through it, it helped to calm his anxiety.

Hyperspace cruiser….Constitution class. "Of course it is," he grumbled to himself sarcastically. "Just where had he heard that name before?" Dreamliner…Lockheed-Martin…Boeing…crystal technology…twin naquada fusion-K system power… multiphase pathological bionet filter unit…adapted bio-filter decontamination systems. "The bio-filter," Willius said to his aide. "That one I know. That was that small room we passed through with the strange lights before we entered the seating area."

"Yes, sir. It keeps both sides from contracting diseases from each other. Wish we had that," he muttered.

The filter prevented diseases from being actively transmitted when traveling. However, that didn't stop you from getting some nasty germ or virus once you reached your destination. For that…

…Twelve wide-spectrum shots over a six day period almost wasn't worth it. The missionary adventure was something everyone learned from and rule number one was, take your shots at least two weeks before you depart. His upper thigh still hurt from those harpoons. "You know that the Terrans have some type of air spray instrument that aren't needles used for injection."

"Yes. We have that technology but it's still in the clinical trials stage. But it's another thing we need to ask about."

Both he and his aide Andy Marska devoured the information, information that was just enough to titillate but not really tell anything significant. It did however show the presidential suite and he looked forward to seeing it. The magazine helpfully gave instructions how to get a quick look of the suite by using the video screen in front of him. It took a few seconds but once he really focused on it he was shocked by the clarity of the image. "Beautiful," he whispered just before being rudely interrupted by the leader of the Quorum, Cornel Minas, a man he detested. The self-described atheist was the last person that Willius wanted to talk to right now. The man was a master politician and could tell which way the wind was blowing. That was the reason why he bullied his way onto this diplomatic mission. He wanted to find out was going on and the inner staff wasn't talking. He smelled blood around the President who kept everyone at an arm's distance that last couple of months. Cornel knew that a secret was being kept from the Quorum and he wanted to know what it was.

"Greetings. Mister Vice-President," he started as he sat down and strapped himself in after a bit of help from a smirking Willius. "I am so glad to be here next to you. You've been busy as of late and you haven't returned my calls. In fact you haven't returned any of my calls lately. I think I feel insulted," he said while he smiled like a predator.

"Sorry Cornel, I've been very busy as of late," said a cordial Willius while inwardly cursing Andy for not giving a second's heads up.

"I understand, the QL responded understandingly. "Is there anything you'd like to share with me? I am part of national security and have clearance, you know."

"I know that," Willius said. "It's nothing important just that Zarek business. It's getting to be a–"

"Mr. Vice-President," the Leader of the Quorum said coolly, cutting him off before the man could redirect the conversation. "You know your cover story smells, don't you? I am not a fool. Going on a good will tour to the new colonies?" Cornel scoffed quietly. "I want to know the truth,'" he growled softly. "Your public views about Earth are well known."

"I am not happy at how Earth treats us. I haven't changed but some things are bigger than my own personal feelings. Earth hasn't attacked us and relations between our two governments have slowly improved since the incident."

"You don't change your mind on a whim, Vice-President Willius," the man sweetly intoned. "I've listened to you in the last months. You've become positively giddy with your opinions of those, those people, and I find myself wondering why. It has something to do with that unknown vessel that visited us a couple a months ago. It was a Tollanian ship, wasn't it? Have they threatened us again? Have they given demands? Are we contemplating war?"

"We're not at war," Willius stated. "And nothing is going on. This is exactly what it appears to be, a good-will tour to the new colonies to let them know that their government isn't ignoring them." Willius looked at the Quorum leader. "It wasn't a Tollanian man-o-war."

Cornel blanched at the comment. The vice-President had slipped up. There was no mention of the type of ship that had visited–until now. It had to be a very serious threat, one that had to be kept quiet. Yes, it fit nicely with what his sources were able to uncover.

"So we are at war," he hissed softly.

The Vice-President inwardly smiled at the Quorum Leader's reaction to that little tidbit. The man couldn't know it was a false lead and that would serve to keep this pain-in-the-butt away from the truth until the resident was ready to make things public. "We are not at war with the Tollanians."

"But you're going to see them, aren't you?" pressed. "Do they want to switch sides? Have the Tau'ri oppressed them so much that they are thing about joining us?"

"The Tollanians aren't being oppressed–at this moment," Willius whispered to a very wide-eyed and now suspicious Quorum Leader and future candidate for the Presidency of the Colonies of Kobol. He wasn't sure if he was being fed a load of crap or not.

"Cornel, those are only unsubstantiated rumors, nothing more," he said using a tone that only the village idiot couldn't help but notice.

"What?"

Unlike the vice president, Dr. Mitsos Anastos, one of the premier engineers of Envigra Aerospace, Inc. wasn't besieged by an unwelcomed visitors. This gave him the opportunity to take in everything as he plopped into his seat. He observed everything from the thickness of the strange, unidentified metal composites, to the placement of the engines. He touched the window next to him and was somewhat surprised at the texture and feel of them. It wasn't glass, he was sure of it. But it wasn't some type of plastic either, he was sure of that. The three decked ship was something of a contrast to his trained mind. The engines weren't placed in the back but were placed on the side parallel to the body. The transport definitely seemed too small to be used for a vehicle transporting passengers tens of thousands of light years at speeds that should not only crush their passengers but should have strained the ship to the point of structural collapse. Apparently the crew and engineering staff were confident enough in the design that it wasn't considered a critical factor when traveling faster than light.

During the three hour wait before being allowed to board the craft, he watched with clinical interest as the Terran crew carefully inspected every bit of the outer hull for signs of stress of defects. He quietly approved of their diligence and attention to detail. He also wondered what type of security this vessel had. One comment that the Terrans did stress was that all luggage was scanned and place in the hold. Apparently there was a force field around the compartment and even if a bomb could have made through security, a medium nuke would be required to break through the compartment. That information simply made him even more interested in examining this vessel. Everyone knew that Earth had some serious shielding technology. That was one of the things he hoped that Earth would one day share with the Colonials.

But being a civilian ship it was also a high value target. Pirates as well as corporate raiders would take advantage if they could, indifferent as to whether it might well start a conflict with Earth. One nameless government official was crazed enough to attempt to implement a quarantine on the ship as soon as it landed, so that it could be inspected for safety and possible contraband. So, what do a small squadron of engineers and mechanics (and a military escort) have to do with the inspection of a diplomatic civilian liner? The answer is everything, if you want to, for example, steal the technology–and start a war in the process.

Colonial Special Forces stopped that from coming to fruition mere minutes before the ship landed. It was all hushed up and the Quorum member, a known advocate for a very prominent aerospace corporation was placed under arrest with the President taking a personal interest in the upcoming case. Everyone was concerned about inadvertently starting a war with Earth except fools that were more interested in a quick score rather than the thousands of lives that score might cost. People were so blind when it came to profit. But that crisis was crushed before it could start and hushed up quickly, so he could focus on other, far more important things.

Seated next to him was Stella Heratos and up and coming engineer that he had personally requested to act as his associate for this trip. The skinny blonde with the bright be eyes was barely out of her twenties but already had a reputation for excellence and more importantly, she was being mentored and groomed for his position as he planned to retire in the next two years. Interestingly now that the Apellai, aah, Terrans had come, he was rethinking that decision. The ship had a very sophisticated sound baffle system. Right now it was off in their seating section and there was some nice music being played.

Stella was humming along with an Earth melody a very captivating tune even if it was sung in Englisa, by someone called Whitney Houston called Lover for Life. The woman's voice was beautiful and Stella reminded herself to ask to have the song translated. However, moments later she turned to her mentor. "Mitos," she whispered. 'Can you feel it?"

He nodded to her as he noticed it several seconds after he had sat down. "Interesting to have something like this for acceleration seats. Very comfortable."

The somewhat pale blond woman nodded back at him. "It's subtle. But a nice touch." Naturally, she gave them a quick once over. "These are not acceleration couches, not by our definition. But I love how these seats are automatically conforming to our bodies."

"They don't seem overly concerned about acceleration, either a huge mistake, or their technology has moved in a totally different direction from ours and I'm betting the latter." God, she was really plain, but her gentle loving personality and vibrant attitude about life and her work ethic made him wish that he could have met her a few years ago. Her personality just fit, which is why her husband was smart enough to grab her at the first opportunity. Good for him. "Did you notice how slowly the ship landed?"

When the United Terran spacecraft landed, that was an eye-opener. First it came in far too slow for it mass. There were no thrusters that he or Stella could easily observe. And interestingly, the ship used a runway as opposed to simply settling down like many Colonial transports did. Those folding wings were an interesting touch, although hardly necessary in his opinion. Another interesting point was that the ship's engines hummed rather than roared. That sound was pleasing to the ears and somewhat distracting, so much so that he almost missed the fact and the ship hadn't actually touched the ground until it came to a stop. Wheeled landing gears extended from below and the ship settled gently onto the tarmac and rolled towards its destination gate. Little noise or air pollution. The odor of spent tyllium, always an unpleasant smell was noticeable absent.

"Pure gravity manipulation," she affirmed. "We have the prototype automobiles that can perform the same feats, but they use secondary thrusters. I didn't see any on this ship although I know they must have them. They're depending on their gravity system alone to move and literally float. That, I found fascinating. There seemed to be no stress in maintaining a floating position at all. The power this ship must generate is be in the high terawatt range if not more."

"You didn't notice any fuel tanks?"

"Not that I could see" she answered. "So what are they using? When we boarded I expected to see a huge engineering section, but it's a lot smaller than I anticipated. So I speculate they're using some type of fusion but in what form I don't know. Fusion generators are huge and I don't see enough space for a fusion system reliable and powerful enough to get from Cyrannus to the Apellai system."

"You're right. Power generation. That's something else we need to find out," her friend and colleague answered.

His seat finished conforming to his body and he was pleased with said results. It even warmed his back perfectly. The Colonials had automatic form-fitting chairs and mattresses but this was almost too comfortable. He'd never get any work done if this seat was at his job or at home for that matter. He'd never get his dog out of the chair.

The interior was very tastefully decorated in browns and white colors which would not be out of place on any of the more expensive pleasure yachts travelling throughout the Colonies.

In front of each seat was a nice sized video screen that presently displayed the Terran logo. A few seconds later, the language changed to Caprican standard. The logo disappeared and was replaced by video of Earth wildlife and scenes of natural beauty, a nice enough distraction. What interested the engineers however, was the quality and clarity of the images and overall quality of the video screen. They didn't hear any sounds since it was muted but both engineers were interested to see if the quality of sound was equal to the stunning beauty of the screens before them.

"Amazing what one, lone world can do. The Tau'ri domination must not be as bad as our people have been saying. They may not be as backwards as we thought."

"Stella, you still believe those rags," her boss admonished, "because that's what they are. Haven't you read the real reports? These so-called rumors about the Tau'ri aren't worth the paper they're written on."

"But isn't Earth suffocating under the boot of the Tau'ri government"?" she questioned. "That's the reason why they're so militant."

Mitos laughed. It was a hardy laugh that only increased in its volume as he continued to stare at his reddening assistant. "You've been listening to the Ritrav Show too much. Haff the things he says comes from his imagination and the rest are outright lies. I'm surprised at you."

She glared at him, looking hurt and indignant. "How else do you explain their militarist actions? One world, lost and alone, even with a few micro-colonies should have welcomed us, not attacked us, killing their own cousins and protecting those artificial abominations."

In response he merely shook his head in surprise and dismay. "Did you read the missionary report summaries? They were in all the papers and news."

"No," she sheepishly admitted. "Ritrav summed it up. I didn't feel the need to read it."

"Well then, you need to read it for yourself. First, the government is not called Tau'ri. It is called Terran." Serious now, he continued. "This planet is a richly-cultured advanced, self-sufficient world. They were and are peaceful for the most part until we attacked them, my dear. It's not the other way around. They saw the Cylons as refugees and helped them out of kindness and dare I say, their humanity." He sat back in his chair. "If the situation was reversed, I dare say that they would have embraced us and protected us from the Cylons."

"They're our cousins, why would they choose machines over us?"

"I don't know," he said as he thought about it. "Maybe it's because we tried to conquer their planet…after the military tried to capture their small ship a few years ago, remember?" That thought and the actions by his people as recently as a couple of hours earlier made him tremble in anger. Things hadn't changed as much as he'd hoped. A few seconds later, his mouth dropped opened as he stared at his traveling companion. "You don't know any of this, do you?"

"Ritrav said that the military was attacked and had to defend themselves again superior numbers of Tau'ri imperialist forces. He went into great detail about it."

"Gods!" he muttered. "Okay, do you think they might have not liked our military trying to tell them what to do in their own system?"

"Is it really their own system, or is it part of the whole of the Colonies?" she countered. Her hands were folded and there was that little pout that he found so endearing. "That is my question."

"So, are you telling me that we weren't trying to subdue them?" he asked, stunned at her lack of understanding of the overall situation and politics involved.

"We weren't trying to subdue them as much as bringing back into the fold. And," she added belatedly, "trying to keep them from making a terrible mistake protecting Cylons. Ritrav says that they are a lost people and I agree with him. Why else would they embrace monotheism over their true religion? They're…unstable."

"You're not even a believer!" Mitos laughed again. "My dear, you need to open those blue eyes of yours. Just ask yourself this one question."

"What's that?" she huffed.

"If the Terrans were so bad, why are you going on this trip?"

"To improve our relationship with them and learn more about them and their technology."

"Improve relations with them? You? Hah!" Then a thought occurred to him. "Hey, you're not really going there to try to save them like the missionaries, are you?" he smirked as she glared at him as though he was crazy. "I read the churches' official report and I also read between the lines. No, they didn't save tens of thousands of people, converting them to the true religion, as they implied. Those missionaries had a much harder time than what was told us. I bet it was an eye-opener for them."

"But–"

"Stella dear, don't listen to gossip. Most of the time they are lies. Just keep your eyes and mind opened and learn to read between the lines. Besides, who knows, you might even have some fun. This isn't all work, you know."

"I know," she admitted after a few moments. "I guess I'm scared. The Terrans are dangerous and we don't know that much about them."

"Except what you hear on that show," he smirked, "and I use the title 'show' contemptuously. I hate people who open their mouths and issue forth crap and hatred. People who spout such hatred and vitriol are usually afraid themselves. Personally I believe that the Terrans are not as nearly as bad as some of our own people make them out to be. Still, I'm sorry you're frightened. It never occurred to me that you had these kinds of concerns or I would have never asked you to come. The invitation was extended to the families so you know you could have asked your husband to come with you. The invitation was extended to the families."

"Yes, yes," she dismissed. "But I wanted him safe at home in case something happened."

He smiled. "I didn't know you were so," he paused as he searched for the right word. Now he was smirking. "So scary."

"I hate you," the woman grumbled. "Besides, I don't want him going to that Tahiti place."

He looked at her in shock. "I can't believe three little article by Mrs. Adar on one little place could have spread across the entirety of the twelve Colonies! I hope I can go there one day."

"You would," she muttered. "She shouldn't have sent those pictures."

"She didn't, her husband did."

He continued smiling at her little scowl. His friend was such a prude. He would have never believed it. Those articles had a profound effect on the men and women of the Colonies. Half wanted to vacation, the other half wanted to quarantine it. Thank the gods it was so far, far away. Besides everyone was perfectly happy with the vacation spots on the Colonies. Just because Earth was 'alien' didn't mean they were better. And did anyone stop to think that maybe the Earths wouldn't want thousands of colonists swarming the place, spending so much money that the locals might not even be able to afford to go their own vacation spot? People weren't looking at the long term consequences.

"Well, we don't have to worry about that," he said gently. "The meeting is being held on the Virgin Isles. I assume they call it because its chase and they don't want to offend our sensitivities," he laughed. Most of the people he knew were perverts of some kind, and the rest weren't exactly chase, either.

"Why is it that they have these conferences on islands?" she wondered.

"The planet is composed of seventy percent water, you understand."

She grimaced. "Must be a very muddy place. No wonder they're so twitchy after having to adapt to such conditions."

"I am sure they are looking out for our safety," Mitos smirked. She was an excellent engineer but so provincial. It was a concern of his that people were so gullible and couldn't think for themselves. It didn't matter if Earth joined the colonies, or not. His people had to stop thinking of them as country rube cousins. That propaganda of years ago had taken hold and needed to be dug out like one would dig out a Canceron mountain tick. Maybe this trip would at least widen her horizons. "It's called the isle of Virgins, Stella. You and your husband–if he were coming–would be safe from those exotically strange Tahitian men and women."

"You saw those pictures?" she asked him. "Of course you did," she huffed, answering her own question of the obvious. "A lot of people have been trying determine their tribes of origin. Their features are unlike any in the Colonies."

"That I did notice," he said. "I know that many of the images of the people on Earth look like they have close relatives in the Colonies. I see all of the tribes in them. But, and here is the strange part, the Tahitians don't fit anywhere. There was another group I saw from American south I think they call it, that looked different as well."

Stella looked perplexed. "It does make you wonder. Ritrav said that when the first colony left some four thousand years ago, tribes that traveled with them either left in total, or quickly became extinct as they mated with other tribes on Kobol. That may be why Earth has genetic variations that are not found anywhere in the Colonies."

"I hesitate to say it but he may be on the right track there. I am sure there will be a lot of scientists studying Terran variations of both sociological and genetic drift compared to our people."

"Well, I'll let them worry about that," Stella mentioned. "But knowing Sherman, those Earther women might be too enticing for him to resist and I don't want my husband looking at them."

"The man married you! He must love you and that should engender so kind of trust. Why are you feeling so insecure?"

"I'm not the prettiest woman," she said sourly. "I don't need the competition. But, maybe you're right. Maybe I should have trusted him more and invited him on this trip. The Hedonism V resort does seem to be a nice place from the few brochures I saw. I don't know what the name means. There wasn't a translation for it."

"Who cares?" he countered. It was amazing to him how one little conversation could change one's perspective about a person. "We're there for the conference. But, back to one of our earlier discussions. Have you felt these windows?"

"Yes, I did. What type of material is it?" she asked.

Priestess Cathrena Panastuk Ulada settled in her admittedly very comfortable seat that for some reason continued to feel better by the minute. Her seatbelt was secured and she was ready to begin her first trip to another world. She freely admitted that she was a Picon baby born and bred. This was her first trip and she was anxious traveling on a space ship and a Thirteenth Colony one at that. Praying quietly, the woman hoped nothing bad would happen to her or her cousin.

It was all Lucy's fault!

Most of the people around her were already settled in and preparing for takeoff and most were talking rather animatedly but she couldn't hear a thing, not a whisper. The man seated next to her seemed as surprised as he was by the lack of sound. When asked, the air hostess told him that the sound baffles were active. Each seat had one and unless turned off you couldn't hear anything other than in your own seat area. You couldn't even hear the person next to you unless you activated that option.

Cathrena found this feature to be a great convenience that she wished she had on her last rail trip. Between the snoring on one side and that crying little, ah child in the seat behind her the journey was one experience in torment. She could do with a little peace and quiet. Plus, she had her own quarters she shared with her cousin Therese that she was thankful for because nineteen hours sitting in a transport, no matter how comfortable was torture.

Both of them were going to see Lucy Ferro-whatever-her-last-name-was and demand an explanation for her betrayal of everything she and her family believed in. This special visitation request was granted by the Terran US State Department. Being the first Colonial immigrant, Lucy apparently receiving special consideration. She thought that was very generous of them to do that.

Yes, she was a pain, and most people in the family didn't really like her and more or less couldn't stand to be around her for long periods of time because of her superior I-am-better-than-thou attitude that flowed off her like water. But this was the last straw. Although it wasn't spoken about, everyone knew she was banned from ever sitting foot on Caprica, Picon, Gemenon, or Sagittaron ever again by the Church of Athena. Under different circumstances, the family wouldn't have overly cared if they never saw her again. She was family, but family that needed to stay away for long periods of time. She was insecure and whinny, had always been that way even as a child. She was afraid of everything, complained about everything yet demanded that everyone do things her way. Everyone was happy she was sent tens of thousands of light years away.

But something happened. She fell in love (no one in the family saw that coming, not that she couldn't fall in love, but that someone could love her enough to stand to be around her!) and with a monotheist! The pictures she sent home of the Terran wedding and her husband were stunning, Therese had to admit. She actually seemed genuinely happy and was content to stay on the Earth colony.

She was wearing makeup which really enhanced her beauty (which no one really noticed except for her mother, because of her constant scowling). Now being honest, most of the family was happy for her that she found love (something that gave the others in the family hope) but not for her betraying her religious heritage. She'd brought a shame to the entire clan especially those on Gemenon. Everyone wanted to know what happened. She and Therese were chosen to go to Earth and talk some sense to their wayward cousin. She was a priestess for the gods' sake and a high ranking one at that. What changed her so?

Oh, yes, when they got there, prayer was going to be a priority for both her and Lucy.

Before Ronals Herculasi was he CEO of Tubur Industries, he was an engineer. The subtle differences between the Terran and Colonial was not escaping his attention. The pilot announced that Flight 107 was thirteenth in line for departure, he actually smiled. A few minutes later he noticed the ship was moving. The ship moving on its wheels felt normal. That changed when the vessel reached the takeoff point on the tarmac some ten minutes later. The ship lifted ever so slightly. They were using their gravity drive he surmised. Idly, he wondered about what power source they used to power the ship.

"What's wrong?" asked Jennia.

"Oh, nothing," he whispered. "I'm just excited that's all."

His wife nodded in understanding. "That's why I let you have the window seat."

"Thank you. You're most kind."

Two minutes later, he'd forgotten his wife as next to her as the engines powered up and the unusual but pleasing hum vibrated gently through the ship.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're currently next in line. Our escorts are waiting for us in orbit. Once we receive permission we will exit the system. Once in hyperspace you be free remove your seatbelts and move around. The stewards will show you to your assigned cabins. For those unfamiliar with the Constitution class, the Dreamliner is our premier diplomatic carrier. Maximum occupation is two hundred seven. Your cabins have all of the latest in comfort and entertainment. Terran films are available upon request translated in Caprican standard. Our ballroom and dining centers will be opened in one hour. The trip will take nineteen hours twelve minutes once we arrive at our transition point. For now please remain seated and thank you for using United-Terran travel lines."

There was a marginal increase in the humming and through the window, Ronals saw that they were rapidly rising vertically from the runway. Try as he might, he didn't feel a thing, and he was more than a little impressed.

"How are they doing that?" he wondered.

Flight 107 broke orbit with an escort of five vipers after a twenty minute wait while other transports ships cleared the area, most jumping to the first leg of their own journeys.

Captain Jim Canyon watched in rapt fascination as several of the much larger ships jumped, disappearing in a flash of light and radiation. Through the windows he could see dozens of news raptors floating a respectful distance away watching its every move. They were just as curious at the form of departure his ship used as he was of theirs.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We've just been given clearance to depart the Cyrannus. Our escort vipers will accompany us to our departure point where we will begin our journey to Makaria sector. So please sit back and relax. The seatbelt sign will be turned off in a few minutes and you will be free to move around the ship. Thank you."

"Caprica traffic control has given us their green light, sir," Co-captain Lana Grey told her captain. "We are free and clear to navigate to our departure point. Our escort has relayed that we can accelerate at our discretion. "They'll follow us. Inform our escort and politely tell them to keep up if they can."

"Yes, sir," Lana responded smoothly.

"Accelerate to one quarter power. Hyperspace engines online and green across the board. Hyperspace window generating in eight seconds…mark."

Captain 'Reds' Alpore in Lead viper was shocked by the sheer acceleration of the so-called Terran transport. The Viper IX model designed to accelerate and outperform the Terran 302-D fighter-interceptor and it was struggling to keep up with a civilian ship. "Red team, full burn! That baby is moving. Make sure you have your gun cameras on record!"

Gritting his teeth, Alpore stared as the Terran ship slowly pulled away from his straining vipers despite giving this new viper all he had.

Inside the CaNN-3 news raptor trailing a respectful distance from the Terran liner reporter Kalos Vidras looked on with unrestrained excitement as the ship began what was assumed to be a run to accelerate into hyperspace. "Jansen, I'm hoping you're getting this. Caprican traffic control has given the green light for the Terran ship to vector to its demarcation point. Once it reaches that point they it will use its unique form of FTL drive safely outside the normal traffic routes. You can see it's already started to accelerate. This will be our first close up on their actual method of faster than light transition."

"Kalos, how close are you?"

"We're three thousand kilometers behind the ship along with several other news raptors. The escort vipers are trailing behind the transport by an estimated five kilometers. We have our long distance cameras trained on them….Jansen, I have to tell you that it's really moving! We're at full burn now and I can tell you that we won't be able to keep up!

"If you're looking at the video you can see those very bright specs behind the Terran ship. Those are the escort vipers at full burn. This is amazing! They're actually being left behind. They're struggling to maintain their relative position."

"I wonder how the passengers are doing?" asked a very concerned Jansen. "At that speed, their bodies must feel like several times their weight is pressing on them. Are they okay?"

"I'd have to assume that they have some type of inertial dampers to keep that from happening. Otherwise it's a wasted trip. Jan, you can see the transport just blowing away the vipers. It's at point four of light…point five…and holding. They'll be at the demarcation point in about three seconds. Okay, they've crossed the DP and…gods!"

"Kalos–Kalos! Did something happen? There seemed to be an explosion…"

"I don't know quite how to describe what just happened. The Terran ship just seemed to accelerate into a blur and dive into a white-bluish rip in space. It was so brief that we almost missed it. We'll have to review the camera footage to be exactly what happened."

"My gods. It didn't blow up, did it?"

"No," the surprised reporter replied. "We've seen this before but not quite in this manner. The acceleration was just insane. I'm sure R&D will be looking at this footage in exhausting detail trying to understand what and how they do this."

"So, it's not a jump as we understand the term?"

"No," he answered after a moment. "I'm not a scientist, or a physicists, but I can speculate that they are traveling in some type of other space or maybe layer of space."

"How is that even possible?"

"Our jump drives do a variation of the same thing. However, their approach is entirely different. Our expert analysts at CaNN will be able to speculate just how the Terrans manage to do what they do."

"Thank you Kalos for that amazing footage. Get back safely."

"Were making our turn now. See you this evening."

Jansen Sandraes turned, looking directly at the camera. "We now take you to our news center where our experts will discussed what we've just seen and how it may impact the Colonies as we learn how to use this unique form of FTL."

A few moments earlier, a flash of light, looking like a bright bluish tear in space appeared in front the speeding transport. The lead pilot frowned in alarm when it appeared for an instant allowing the Terran ship to accelerate even faster directly into the light and disappeared. An instant later, the tear disappeared as well. The distortion was just a visible representation of an event that occurred nanoseconds earlier. The transition was so fast that there was no way the human eye could possibly see or even register what it was seeing other than that flash of light.

Alpore shook his head ruefully as he throttled back his over thrusters. "We've done our duty people. Congratulations, we let a transport outrun us on network television! I think I need a drink when we get back."

"Right with you, sir. It's like nothing I've ever seen, not like their military ships diving into the rift. Sir, at that speed everyone should be dead, crushed into paste."

"The Terran do have some tricks, I'll give them that. Live and learn," he muttered. "Live and learn. Let's get back to the Thebes before we bingo."

"I can't believe I missed it!"

Sill strapped in his seat, Ronals Herculasi's was frustrated beyond measure. He missed what he was waiting for since he first stepped foot on the ship. That's why he insisted on having a window seat. He saw rather than felt the ship accelerate. The vipers, at full burn were steadily being left behind, something that should have been impossible. But the only thing indicating that anything had changed inside the cabin was the slight increase in the hum of the engines. What should have been G forces pressing them into their seats weren't even noticeable. There wasn't even any vibration to gauge a change in speed. The transition into hyperspace was something he wanted, no, it was something he needed to see–and he had missed it!

"All I did was blink and I missed it!" he yelled, shocking his wife and his son. He never yelled. "It was that fast!"

"I saw it dad," his son told him.

How could he have missed it? "What was it like?" he asked in a somewhat desperate tone.

"It was like running through a doorway. It was amazing."

"Great," he muttered. He hadn't even felt anything during the transition into hyperspace. "Just great."

Just then, the seatbelt sign turned off. Like many others he unstrapped himself. It was time and he was now free to do what he wanted to do…

…Look around.