Chapter 13

'ALIEN'

Thresia Military Command Central- Scorpia

Commander Demetrius Eddlison, in dress CDF uniform took his seat and prepared himself for the latest debriefing onslaught. He had his notes properly situated on the wooden desk in front of him. Also in front of him was a small microphone, several small recording devices in a folder containing photographs. Seated next to him were two senior flag officers, both generals. To his right was General Karos, senior security officer. To his left, was General Lea Timas, engineering and technical head of Research and Development of the Argos Division, which was part of the Scorpia R&D complex located on the planet Scorpia.

The people facing him on the podium were four Flag Officers and behind them were several large video screens with more officers watching the proceedings including High Admiral Augustus Cain, Admiral Nagala, two scientists, and Secretary of State Duhnmel. Every single one of them had an eagerness in their eyes and they were looking at him as if he were the main dish of some especially delectable dinner. This was expected but even after four days it was still somewhat disconcerting at being scrutinized by the officers and leaders of the Colonial Defense Force. He continually reminded himself that this was not a court martial.

When the final screen activated and President Goesel of the Colonies of Kobol appeared, everyone stood up faced him and respectfully saluted.

"Security protocol Archimedes is now in effect. None of this information being spoken about is to leave this room," said the President. "I'm sure that everyone wants to get started and pick up where we left off. This time, I'll start with the first question."

"Yes, sir."

"Before you were attacked, you stated that you found the device that you call an STD, or stellar transportation device. In your earlier deposition, you testified that once activated, the device began interfering with the battlestar's systems. I understand that none of us have all of the answers but can you to elaborate a bit more?"

"Yes sir, I can," answered Commander Eddlison. "Initially we believed that the resulting activation of the STD caused our systems to fail because of the unique energies that the device was generating. The power systems, life support, weapon systems, communications, and DRADIS were affected. The disruptions increased each time the device locked onto one of the chevrons. By the time the fourth chevron locked, the Junis was almost completely incapacitated. After we understood the threat, we attempted an emergency jump; however, each time a chevron locked our jet engines were interfered with and we would be required to power systems up again. It was a perfect trap for any unwary vessel anywhere near the STD. The only reason why we could jump away from the device was because we were just far enough away to keep from feeling the full effects of the energy discharges. Immediately after the STD energies stabilized, our ship's system returned to normal. We suffered some damage, electrical burnouts, circuitry shorts, some board malfunctions but nothing critical that would impede the operations of the ship.

"After studying the science logs and data reports we concluded that the STD's energy discharges were not the direct causes of our malfunctions but it was something that the aliens who created the device had installed to purposely incapacitate unwanted visitors so that they could capture or destroy them. These theories were supported by the facts that the STD was protected by the stealth field, and the artificial asteroids surrounding the device being used to camouflage it. We concluded that this type of incapacitation was another form of defense used by a race that did not want anyone to see this device."

"But you did see it."

"Yes, we did. But we discovered it only by accident. I believe that that was something that they had not accounted for."

The President nodded his head in agreement with the conclusions of his commander's conclusion. To the President and others within the room, Eddlison's conclusions were certainly viable possibilities. The fact that they discovered a star gate, or as the scientists were calling it, a super star gate, had come as a shock. Colonial understanding of the star gates was in its infant stages and according to some of the mathematics that the Terrans so graciously, and he used that would sarcastically, gave them, it was assumed that the devices were all uniform in size. Their own analysis of the star gate math so far to confirm this. The Terrans had never hinted that the gates might be built in larger sizes. The President had been rather testy about that.

As much information as the Terrans had given them, it was obvious that they had not been forthcoming about everything. They still had too many secrets and although he understood it from a security standpoint, it's still grated on his nerves that they weren't willing to share more. It also brought back the uncomfortable realization that he still thought of them as Colonial citizens, subject to Colonial law, something that he was fighting against with all of his mind. Changing his mind set was far more difficult than he assumed, or that he let on. But the fact was the Terrans were not Colonials and although he knew it in his mind his heart hadn't fully accepted that fact. Neither had the Colonial people and he suspected that this would be a point of contention for at least another generation. However, it was times like this when the Colonials absolutely needed this kind of information not only for their security but for their very survival.

But there was also the possibility that the Terrans had no idea that there were super star gates located in the galaxy. The Terrans weren't very forthcoming coming concerning the history of the star gates, or their creators. But it was told to the President and the Security Council that the Goa'uld had not created the devices even though they used them extensively. Commander Eddlison was not aware of the stargate Program being used by Colonials. The acronym STD created by the crew of the Junis was as good a name as any.

"In my earlier debriefing, I stated that this initial attack by the unknown enemy was instigated by them. We had no intentions or desire to engage them. When their vessel approached us, we open lines of communication to try and rectify and diffuse the situation. As the record shows, except for a single response–a growl, they ignored our hails then attacked us."

Admiral Nagata interrupted. "We've seen the records and data files, and they confirm the testimony. You did everything that you could to avoid conflict. Your crew acted in an exemplary manner and this debriefing will reflect that commendation. This alien species initiated an attack on two Colonial warships with intent to either capture or destroy. You defended yourselves according to the rules of engagement."

"Thank you, Admiral Nagala," the commander acknowledged.

" The fact that your ship was able to survive three jump in a\that condition is a testimony to the professionalism of your crew, your ship, and your leadership. We are amazed that you survived such an attempt. What I want to know is what happened after the Junis jumped. At that time was the condition of the ship, your crew, and the intruders that invade your ship. You were unable to capture any of these aliens alive? If not, why?"

"No, ma'am. We were unable to capture any of these aliens. They fought to the death and they did not seem to care whether they lived or died by committing suicide. And to clarify that statement, I mean they simply turned off. I will explain in detail in a moment, however I want to start with the events that occurred after the Junis jumped."

"Go on," she nodded. Everyone in the War room leaned closer certificate here every word that was spoken in the microphone by the commander.

"We reentered normal space two point three light-years from the star system's asteroid belt. The Junis survived the jump structurally intact. Because of the resulting jump, the alien ship that penetrated the hull had been sheared off. Two thirds of the alien ship had been left behind to due to the jump field surrounding the battlestar. The damage to the remaining portion of their vessel lost the energy shield that had kept all of our weapons from damaging or destroying it. With their vessel being opened to space, they lost propulsion as well as life-support, and most of their crew. With that damage they lost the initiative and the survivors were effectively trapped on my ship without any means of receiving additional support. The aliens continued to fight even without the support. They possessed superior weapons and armor and had no intentions of abandoning their objective which we believe was to capture option intact, or intact enough to find out where we came from. We believe the objective was to find out place of origin, our defense capabilities, and our military assets. I personally believe that they would have used this information to attack the Colonies with intent to either subjugate or destroy our people.

The battlestar Junis appeared in a burst of distortion five kilometers between his sister ship and the fuel transport, some twelve kilometers further away. The remains of the enemy ship still glowed from his forceful division. Scores of bodies spill out of the open sections along with instrumentation and countless amounts of debris.

The ship rocked slightly as another internal explosion reminded everyone that the ship was still in danger and had everything to lose. And if the Earther military could find a Colonial ship after it jumped using their scanners…

"Start the calculations. We jump in as soon as we can," the commander quickly ordered. "I want those invaders put down and get me a prisoner! Keep the ship as stealthy as possible. We do not need that other ship detecting us."

"Yes, sir! You heard the commander," Elisades yelled. The Tycheon was already reengaging, sending raptors and small troop transport ships in to support the beleaguered Junis. "Get moving!"

The Colonial forces arriving would do very little in the following minutes as the Junis jumped once more. This third jump in such a short period of time had placed a strain on the Minoan's primary drive system and there was a good chance that the drive would either shut down or explode the ship across the depths of space. There was little choice in the matter because if the other alien ship could track the jump then they were all dead anyway.

"Restart the clock as soon as the transports are in. Jump to our next preplanned coordinates. Inform the Tycheon of our plans."

"The orders are acknowledged. The Tycheon is preparing for their jump" Lieutenant Kimei stated. "Sir, I have to inform you that we've jumped twice in less than twenty minutes. The cool down time for both drives when minimum recommended CDT is thirty-one minutes."

"So noted," the Commander snapped. He had added a little more venom to his response than he had planned. By informing him, Kimei was doing exactly what he was supposed to and Eddlison would have reamed him if he hadn't done his job. The warning was necessary and the officer standing next to the Commander of the Tycheon was doing the exact same thing if that officer was worth his salt. Protocol had to be maintained especially in times of war. Either ship might be destroyed because of a mistimed jump and the Junis was certainly in no condition do jump, but there was little choice.

Five seconds before the jump initiated, the entire ship began a deep rumbling strong enough to be noticed by everyone.

'That's not good' thought the commander just as the Junis transitioned. An instant later, the Junis reappeared exactly where it was supposed to… in the middle of nowhere between two unknown star systems. It's sister ship and the transport were less than two kilometers apart. Everyone on the bridge breathed a sigh of relief, but the rumbling continued.

Colonel Perris spared only a fleeting moment of grief for one of the Colonial RRR team members that had just taken a plasma bolt in the face. The blast had penetrated his protective helmet and burned through the shield, his face and most of his skull. There was nothing left to give any hint of the somewhat formally handsome face that used to be Sargent Yousella. There was very little blood seeping out at this point, just a hollowed-out skull there now. But she couldn't say that about others under her command. Whatever the aliens were using, the wounds inflicted on her people were horrendous. The wounds looked like burns borrowing into the body regardless of the armor or not. She had no idea how hot those rounds had to be but she knew a hit no matter where would incapacitate any soldier.

The narrow corridor offered no protection from the enemy weaponry. Said enemy was pouring in through the bulkhead hole they created and there was nothing to do but stand her ground and fire. Anti-cylon penetrator rounds hit and staggered the aliens but individual shots weren't enough to kill them. The Colonial RRR teams just stood their ground and fired everything they had. At point blank range under the withering firepower being thrown at them, the aliens were finally falling. But then with no place to seek shelter, her team was being slaughtered. There was no retreat and no place to retreat to.

Another round of fire hit instantly killing two more members of her team and coming close enough for her to feel the intense heat as the rounds barely missed her. The alien's latest fire team was carrying heavier weapons, and the sound of their discharges were so loud she could barely hear herself think. One of the aliens forcing his way through the bulkhead hole pointed what looked like a cannon directly at her and in that instant, she knew she was dead.

"As I stated in the records," Eddlison continued, "I ordered a second jump, on the assumption that the alien ship's sensors were advanced enough to track us. I hoped that the second jump field would remove the enemy ship impaling us. It was a calculated but necessary risk to cripple the enemy vessel and throw the other aliens off our track, if like the Earthers, they also had the ability to follow us. I was aware of the Terran's sensors and decided to risk the ship and crew rather than be captured by the enemy. The Junis survived the second jump and we were able to evade them. What we didn't know at the time was that the remains of the ship that had penetrated our hull contained a tracking device that would eventually bring their ships right to us. The alien ship had not only penetrated the Junis' armor but it fused with it. We couldn't remove the vessel's remains at that point without compromising our battlestar. Our initial attempts to remove the remains resulted in the remains beginning to undergo a chain reaction. Several what we were calling plasma generators would start to go critical if we tampered with the ship's hull while trying to remove it. So, I made the decision to keep it attached until we could properly remove it.

I give my highest recommendation to Colonel Perris and her teams in preventing the aliens from flanking engineering. Without their sacrifice and the quick actions of the RRR teams from the Tycheon, the Junis wouldn't be here."

Perris was on her fifth clip firing at full auto when the large alien grimaced at her. The weapon he was point at her had a barrel nozzle three times the size of their normal weapons. That gave her a small amount of comfort as she wouldn't even feel the impact as it burned through her body. She waited to die but the alien's eyes had narrowed and then widened. Behind her decimated teams were reinforcements from both the Junis and Tycheon. They were adding their now considerable firepower into the mix. Tracer rounds from their weapons were so thick that they mimicked the plasma rounds being fired back at them. The alien with the canon suddenly jerked violently as several penetrator rounds slammed into him. But those didn't come from the reinforcements. Those shots she realized had come from behind and were continuing to do so. That was the first time since the engagement that Perris had cause to smile. Tycheon and her own people's fire teams had flanked the flankers and were pouring their bullets into the bodies of the enemies. The canon-carrying alien's eyes rolled up into his head just as he fired. His weapon was now pointed when the blast was released. The result was an explosion as conduit, metal fragments and other objects crash on top of the Colonel, burying her and her team in mounds of debris. Perris remembered screaming and everything fading to black.

"Once we broke the flanking attack, the aliens begin to retreat back to the remains of the vessel. The resulting firefight left sixty-six people dead and another two hundred fifteen wounded. The aliens attempted to barricade the entrance of the ship but our forces used explosives to keep the breach open before they could properly seal it. Our forces forced their way into the alien ship and eliminated all resistance. There was atmosphere and life support inside ship even though it was crippled. At atmospheric conditions were seventy-five percent nitrogen twenty-three percent oxygen so our non-suited marines could effectively subdue the enemy. Most of their soldiers have been wiped out. Our Colonial Marines ran into what we're describing as a worker-class. This working-class was a much larger variation of the soldiers but were slow, clumsy, and unarmed. They were unable to mount a combat effective defense against the RRRs and marines. However, they did attack and all but two were killed in the resulting fight. While the Marines continued to secure the alien vessel, we discovered several of our crewmen have been captured and placed in small cells. Many of these crews have been incapacitated by the gas that the aliens used when they first attacked. This gas had the effect of rendering our people helpless in a combination of intense blistering of the skin, temporary blindness, respiratory ailments, and nervous system's disruption. Our doctors stated that they wanted specimens for study," he said with evident distaste. "And, for interrogation."

Lieutenant Danherny, RRR response team leader ducked an instant before two of the now familiar plasma rounds tried to take his head off as soon as he had peeked in the opening of the alien ship. Several of the min-icams used specifically for peeking around corners to avoid becoming targets had already been destroyed. Near blasts from the enemy plasma weapons had the unfortunate side effect of frying camera circuitry. Colonial forces had tossed in several grenades trying to keep the aliens from closing the door on other side. The bulkhead door was huge and made of a material that no one could immediately identify. It was a foregone conclusion that if the aliens were to close the door, the marines would have a hades of a time trying to open it. Shaped charges were quickly placed on the door and detonated. The first explosion did absolutely nothing to hurt the door, in fact the explosives barely scratched the paint.

Desperately, explosives experts repeated the procedure, this time using four times as many explosive charges. This time, the bulkhead door was blown inward. Dozens of plasma rounds erupted through the door creating a barrier that the Colonials could not dare go through without being butchered.

The marines wasted no time. More than a dozen grenades were tossed in an instant they detonated doesn't Colonial RRR Marines rushed through fire and everything that they had. One of three dozen more Marines followed instants later. The fight was short and brutal with the aliens, already been pushed back were wiped out. The Lieutenant and three of his squad prepared to answer another chamber. Five grenades were fired into the room filled with aliens. Apparently in the aliens didn't scream but they did roar as the explosions began to tear them apart. Rushing in, the Marines fired their anti-cylon munitions into the packed crowd of aliens were shredded. Unlike the armored aliens that had infiltrated the battle start, these aliens were much larger but they were not armored. The few survivors didn't seem to know what to do or how to mount any kind of defense Against Colonial marines. They almost looked confused. But the lieutenant and the rest of marines were not taking any chances. The seven-foot-tall creatures were pushed into a corner and already jittery marines kept a very close eye on them. Any aggressive move by any of them in the Marines didn't hesitate to fire on them.

More and more marines swept the area, looking for additional survivors and soldiers. It was on the second deck that they found Colonial prisoners packed in small cubicles. Most of them were unconscious. The ones that were not unconscious were in obvious pain and screaming. All of them had suffered from the effects of gas which was obvious. All of them suffered from blistering of the skin and pustules that were freely bleeding from the arms legs and backs or anywhere that the gas attached. That eyes were either closed or swelling of blood coming from them. The noses of most of the prisoners were bleeding and most of them were having difficulty breathing.

The lieutenant had seen action during the worst of the second Cylon war. The Cylon centurions were notorious for their zeal in killing humans any way possible. Thousands of soldiers and civilians were maimed as the war came to a close. The Battle of the Rock, which happened five light years from the heart of Cylon territory, involved ten million ground soldiers against as many Cylons and centurions, more than a thousand Colonial battlestars, cruisers, destroyers, frigates and missile carriers fought against basestars and their hundreds of support ships and close to five hundred thousand raiders. To this day no one had a definitive count on the number of vipers that were lost. Cylons showed no mercy cutting down humans on that dead world, but the humans showed no mercy either. Human-looking Cylons were cut down with the same ferocity and hatred as were the Centurions. It was always said that the centurions had no emotions, no feelings.

In Danherny's opinion, he didn't believe the experts. Maybe it was his imagination but the Centurions, flesh and metal that they were, in their way seemed to imitate fear, pain and hatred like humans. The clones, he could have cared less about. They were simply lumps of flesh imitating humanity and he had no problems shooting or otherwise slaughtering them. The Colonials won that hard-fought battle with forty-five percent casualties. But that battle broke the Cylon defenses.

Within three months, the Colonial forces have broken through all the defenses of the Cylon Empire. They began hunting down the scattered remnants, wiping them out. The Colonial mindset was clear: no intelligent machines or the clones were to be left alive and or intact. It was a simple war and this goals very clear; it was either genocide or victory.

This was different.

He and every Colonial on that ship recognized this as the beginning of a new war against a foe that was just as organic as they were. This was the beginning of the war against aliens (and he didn't mean those infernal Terrans either), whose technology was far in advance of theirs. These creatures were very aggressive, and obviously intended to find and attack the Colonies if they could. He had no solid proof of this, just a feeling. But he was sure.

"Break the locks," he ordered one of his people. "Get them out of there but be careful."

Quickly, he reassessed the situation. The marines had captured the remains of the alien ship stuck into the hull of the Junis and all resistance had been eliminated. Quickly he ordered for doctors who were awaiting such orders not far away, to come and attend the prisoners. Carefully, he and his men began to help those prisoners that could still move out of the makeshift prison. The one that could move moved slowly and were in intense pain from the blisters and with the difficulty in breathing they could barely stand without becoming exhausted. The soldiers were careful not to touch the blisters.

The disgust and anger radiated by his soldiers were obvious. All of them were wondering what kind of creatures could do such a thing. But, the more important question was why would they do such a thing and what were their objectives?

"Because of the gas the aliens used was only temporary, we suspect that this was the standard mode of operation in terms of capturing prisoners. In order to understand what we were up against, we began to perform autopsies on the alien creatures and collecting as much technology as we could. The Tycheon was given several alien bodies and many examples of the equipment to perform their own studies and return them to our main station. After an hour of being a second location, we performed a third jump, this time to an unknown system, where we entered orbit and began preliminary repairs and examinations to determine exactly what we were up against."

"But, at that time you had no idea that you would be tracked by the remains of the ship stuck to the Junis," said the President. "Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir. We had no idea at the time that the remains of the alien ship had a tracking system. We found out about our later about that as some of our Marines going to ship in examining the discovery what was to us, some sort of emergency beacon. My people tried removing it, but the thing had welded itself to our ship at the point of penetration. In order for us to remove and we would have had to cut out a section of our ship in order to do so. At the time, we didn't know how many of these tracking devices were on either the alien ship or ours. It was decided that the Junis would not return to our base until we could ascertain that we were not a security threat to either the base or the Colonies."

"Which is why you chose to remain isolated for so long without any logistical support," Nagala clarified.

"Yes, sir. However, the Tycheon was aware of our general destinations so we were not completely isolated. The fuel transport was left with us. The Junis and Tycheon separated and we proceeded to the Resada sector. There were two star systems that our computers analysis could harbor life. The third planet of designate Rosa Star System One was where we discovered evidence of our new enemy."

Eddlison walked into the life station and was immediately assailed by the overpowering smell of burned flesh. Several dozen crew men and women were on life-beds being treated for injuries and the horrific plasma burns. Even from a distance, the smell was almost overwhelming. Most of the men and women were heavily sedated. At least two dozen others were on life stations located on the Tycheon.

"Gods, this is a mess," hissed Doctor Yane as he flashed by to see his latest patient who was covered with blisters. The Commander followed. "The blisters aren't life threatening but they are painful. Even sedated our patients still seem to be suffering." One of the nurses brushed past him and administered a dose of quadrozan. One of the most powerful sedatives known to another patient that suffered from a plasma burn to the shoulder. "We can't stop the bleeding! Prep him for surgery. Inform Doctor Kellis we have another one." The doctor turned to the Commander. "Those burns don't cauterize!"

Those were the last words the doctor muttered as he rushed off to attend another patient.

The commander nodded and moved towards his cousin. The Colonel was unconscious, her right femur, ankle and knee were crushed. She'd just came out of surgery. She'd have several artificial implants, the latest in Colonial medical technology. It wasn't cloning technology although from what he understood, Cylon cloning techniques were being studied to treat just these types of injuries. At this time, he didn't care as long as his Second-in-Command (and cousin) was alive to complain to him.

She looked a mess, with cuts and bruises everywhere on her face and arms. Her right arm was broken and he was sure she'd be in pain for the next six weeks at a minimum. But she was alive, something than many others of his crew couldn't boast of.

"Be well, cousin," he whispered before he left to attend other duties. He needed to hear what the doctors were saying about the alien and human like corpses they'd gathered.

BBB

General Timas unfolded her hands and the fifty-year-old woman pulled her microphone closer. That was an indication that she wanted to speak. Nagala nodded her approval. "Before we redress the incident of Rosa Star Stem One, I would like to discuss several technological innovations that the Junis returned. Their preliminary studies of these devices will change the way we create weapons as well as expand our ability to detect ships in non-normal space something we are currently unable to do." The Engineer was more than a bit excited. Her obsession was to gain parity with Earth and these discovers would go a long way to achieving that golden fleece. "A third innovation that the Junis scientists were developing based on their acquiring the lightspeed drive. This drive isn't like the hyperspace that the Terrans use, but it will allow our ships to travel at close to the speed of light in normal space without experiencing time dilation effects."

"How is that even possible?" asked the President. "The crews will still be crushed by the acceleration."

"That's where our inertia dampening system that the Junis acquired comes into play. This will change everything. First, I want to speak about the pulse laser hand weapons that the Junis reversed engineered." The General smirked, more to herself than to anyone else. "They were very busy during their forced exploration."

Earth

United States of America

Naperville, Illinois

Priestess Catherena Panastuk Ulada used one word to describe the city of Naperville, Illinois. "Quaint."

"It is, isn't it," Theresa Ulada stated, agreeing with her older cousin. "It's so much more relaxing compared to the New York and Chicago cities. If it weren't for the fact that we were on Earth, it'd be like visiting one of the suburbs of Neusetra on Picon. The plant life and housing designs are of course different but…"

"But it is Earth," Catherena finished. She continued to relax in the back seat of their limo. Other than the fact that the Colonial autos ran on refined tyllium instead of hydrogen as the Earther cars were now, the automobile looked remarkably like the standard issues in the Colonies. However, every time she opened her eyes, evidence that she was on another world slapped her in the face.

The Priestess did not want to be on Earth, and for that fact neither did her cousin, not under of these circumstances. This was not a pleasure trip nor was it a religious journey of discovery and interaction with the people of Earth. It was family business as well as the Order of Athena whose religious leadership wanted to know what happened to their cousin and clan Priestess Lucy Ferro whatever-her-last-name was now. Why had she renounced the true gods in favor of a monotheistic cult originating from Earth? The family wanted to know whey had she gotten married in the first place. It wasn't that she couldn't get married, but that she did. It was the last thing that any of the family members had expected from her. Plain, stuck-up Lucy, the family spinster that no one really expected to have married due to that insulting, arrogant manner of hers that she had from birth, had indeed married, much to the shock of the entire family. By the Lords of Kobol, there was nothing wrong with getting married but did she have travel all the way to Earth to marry a Terran monotheistic priest whose beliefs went against everything tradition she and her family honored for the last five generations?

It was aggravating. If Cathrena wanted to visit this world, then she wanted to do it for pleasure. Now because of Lucy, her dream of visiting here was tainted with responsibility.

Lucy's mother wanted Cathrena and Theresa to get Lucy to renounce her marriage, renounce her new religion and come home; never mind that she barely talked to Lucy when they were together. She really didn't care if Lucy was happy or not, religious obligation was more important than the woman's happiness. Theresa wasn't so sure and there was a flicker of doubt growing in Cathrena eyes, too.

Since the discovery of the Terrans, rumor had abounded. Most of the prevailing ones were that the Earth was culturally primitive and barely able to survive after being isolated for so long. Those rumors were fading fast and uncomfortable realities about the advanced nature of the Terrans, Tau'ri or the so-called Apellai were undulating the Colonies. And Earth wasn't isolated, far from it and there were aliens (hard to imagine but it was true) living on planets less than twenty light years from Earth. All of these revelations made it very difficult to continue to pretend that Earth was just some rural world barely surviving without help from its brethren.

But if taken to its logical conclusion, it was obvious that Earth was having a greater effect on the Colonies than the Colonies on Earth. It was very disturbing, which made this trip a guilt-edged obligation to find out what happened to Lucy and how could she and her cousin talk her out of a marriage that she seemed happy to be in. Moreover, if Lucy were to come to her senses and return to her true religion, could she be trusted to be acknowledged as a Priestess once more?

No, this wasn't Cathrena's idea of a vacation. This was the culmination of an uncomfortable chain of events that forced her to leave her home to find out what happened to a family member that most didn't like and try to figure out how to get her to come home.

Poor Theresa insisted on making small talk throughout her entire trip from the New York Embassy to Chicago. Her cousin was more afraid than she could admit. All the comments and rumors about Earth, the war, the supposed discovery that aliens were real, a fact that the President no less confirmed, the weirdness of the people and their cultures that were contrary to the people of the Colonies made her righteously concerned that the people here might harm them. She almost felt like one of the Gemenon missionaries of old going out to speak to the wild ones in the Lagmar Forest some two hundred years earlier. Almost, not quite. The people here were nice, at least for the most part. The New Your people were a little brisk and curt when speaking to them. She wasn't sure if it was the cultural norm or just how they were, but she found them mostly uncomfortable to be around. Plus, they loved their technology to an almost insane degree. Every other person seemed to be talking or doing something with their 'smart phone technology while walking down their streets. In Athena's name! They didn't even seem to notice the people they were walking with! Their entertainment systems (everybody seemed to have one) were vastly more popular than at home. The ambassador had told them that the satellite systems over Earth used more than two thousand times the amount of bandwidth compared to the Colonies combined and were expanding. She wasn't sure if even the Cylons had that amount of communications capability before the final war. The ambassador explained that Earth had exposure to alien life and technologies and were exploiting it for all that it was worth. The results were that their advances were in a runaway mode in ways that the Colonies never experienced. That was another difference between the Colonies and the Earth people. They were a lot more comfortable about the concept of alien life which meant that the totally ignored their version of the Scrolls, or they ignored them completely. High Priestess Elosha Gale had told Cathrena and her cousin that the Earth people were different and not what we, the Colonies expected. The Earthers were not the Thirteeners. The scrolls didn't exist on Earth and the people here weren't interesting in studying them other than for an xeno-archeology perspective.

Cathrena wanted to go home.

The mobile, very versatile, hand-held computronic communications device or 'phone' that the Embassy gave Cathrena was an older model, a LG Seven or something, quite primitive compared to the new models, but it would do for their purposed. Honestly, the priestess was shocked at what it could do.

"Hello, Lucy," she said in her native Caprican standard dialect. "Hi, good to hear from you, too. Look, we're about five minutes away according to the driver. You will be outside waiting? Good. See you in a few."

True to the driver's prediction, the car pulled up to a beautiful two-story gray framed home. Lucy was clearly seen, accompanied by a person that had to be her husband and several other waiting people. The driver stopped and immediately opened the trunk and starting to unload luggage.

That's when the smell hit them. It was unmistakable. She'd forgotten that the Earthers had porcine just like home. The scent of grilled meats made her stomach rumbled fairly loudly, loud enough for her smirking cousin to hear. She was hungry, so what?

"So, what?" she growled at Theresa.

Lucy, already worried about the upcoming visit yelled at the two cousins in Cap standard: "Is there anything wrong?"

"Everything is fine!" she yelled back. We're still getting used to this place. The gravity is different." Theresa eyes flared at her cousin's attempt to pull her into this.

"Only by a tiny fraction," countered a perplexed Lucy. "Everyone else got used to it in a matter of hours."

"I'm not everybody," Cathrena sweetly countered. She glanced at a frowning Theresa. Her look was saying 'don't start before you even get into the house'. "It's just all of this traveling. I'm still not used to it."

She made it up the stairs with her own personal piece of luggage. Some man attempted to help her, but she shrank away from him as if she were afraid of him mistakenly touching her. He looked at her strangely as she fumbled with her translator. She couldn't believe that she hadn't turned it on. "Ah, I know this looks strange to you Earth people but I…I…" A dozen people were looking at her. She had to think of something quickly. "Excuse me," she said. "As a Priestess of the High order of the Lighted Way of Our Most Beloved Athena, it is my responsibility to first bless this most honored house before we…er, my cousin and I, can enter. It is our responsibility as members of the family to bless this wonderful home."

Reverend James Houser, husband of Lucy Ferro Houser merely raised an eyebrow. But his mother Lafaye Houser, a tall, dark-skinned, hot tempered woman walked up to the Cathrena and said in a very low voice. "What makes you think this house hasn't been blessed already? "We don't need you to come and bless this house. You want to come into my son's house with your high minded attitude, but you have to bless it first? Oh, no! This can get your skinny butt kicked all…"

"Mama, enough," James ordered. "This is family."

"Families kick each other's butts all of the time," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. James sighed and looked at his wife. He was worried about her and he was close to going off on his mother. Mother or not, this was his house, his wife and his responsibility. He would do it respectfully but the two of them were about to have a talk in front of all of his relatives.

Troy Houser, James' older brother stepped in. Using his own smart phone translator app, he spoke to a rather frightened Cathrena.

I am sorry that I frightened you by offering to help you with your bags," he said while ignoring his mother's huff. "I didn't realize that by me touching your personal items that I was contaminating you with my heathen presence."

"What? Wait, I didn't mean to insult you or your family. It's only that when a Priestess enters a house for the first time, it is a natural impulse. I am sorry if I offended you. In the Colonies, it is a normal practice."

"So it's normal to shrink away from people that don't believe as you do?"

"You're taking this out of context!"

"Then let me, as a relative, help you with your luggage."

"As you wish," she grumbled.

Troy grabbed her luggage and smirked at her. Theresa just laughed as she greeted Lucy, hugging her warmly.

"What's it like being married to an alien?" she whispered in Lucy's ear.

"A challenge," she answered. "earthers are so different, but not as different as you may think. I'll explain later.

Meanwhile, Cathrena stepped into the house with only the slightest of hesitation. It was of course noticed by Lafaye who huffed again, just a touch louder this time. James shook his head while Troy nearly laughed outright.

This was going to be interesting thought Troy as he discreetly watched Cathrena walked around his brother's heathen home. Poor Lucy! Might as well get it over with now, before mama goes ballistic.

TBC

Record keeping. As we have seen in BSG 2003, the Colonials were shown as less 'inhibited' in their military and especially on the Galactica fleet. I have not seen Caprica and in any case, will not place anything there in canon if I can help it. Here in some ways the Colonials will be seen as less inhibited as compared to the Earthers. But in many ways, they will not be. In certain cases, Earth culture will freak them out. The title of this chapter and the next is called 'Aliens'. It reflects not only the Colonial military revelations but the war with 'Mamma' and the new relatives. I think you will find it interesting and will reflect a line of thought that you may not have seen before. It's a Chicago west-side thing.

The 'phone company' is in bed with the Government. Big changes are planned. Call it seduction.

More on the Race and the Junis's return and their goodies coming up-after part two of this chapter arrives.