Orbit over Caprica, Colonial Prototype Vessel, Code named Scorpion.
Cain had finished speaking with the Priors of the Ori who were orbiting Caprica on one of their three ships. They told Cain that they were heading back out to the galaxy to spread Origin to other worlds while she had to do her part in spreading Origin to the survivors on the planet below, and to the other worlds with survivors in the Twelve Colonies. As her raptor left the hanger bay of the Ori vessel, she looked out at the ship where she would be transferring her flag; the Scorpion. An experimental vessel that Colonial scientists had been working on, and was ready to be tested, until the surprise attack by the Colonials. As she looked at the ship while her executive officer, Major Kendra Shaw, piloted the Raptor, she recalled the conversation she had with one of the Priors before she left the Ori ship.
"You have the knowledge of the Ori" said the Prior as he emotionlessly stared at Cain, "a great gift from the gods. Use that knowledge to improve your ships within a year; by then we will have built more of our own vessels which we will then bring to this land. Then, those who have not accepted Origin into their hearts will be laid waste by the power of the Ori."
"Hallowed are the Ori" said Cain as she nodded at the Prior.
"Hallowed are the Ori" said the Prior as he held on to his staff with both hands, "now go. You are left responsible for the twelve worlds and their conversion."
"I will ensure that the people see the Ori for the gods that they are" said Cain, "and those who do not… well, we must not let evil gain a grip on the hearts of the people now, must we?"
"We must not" said the Prior, "now go, Prior Cain."
As the Raptor continued to fly towards the Scorpion's starboard flight pod, Cain looked at the reflection on the cockpit glass of the Ori ship coming about before the three of them opened hyperspace windows and then flew through. She then looked at the Scorpion before sensing unease coming from the young woman next to her, the same woman who she herself had held immobile in her quarters after she dared question the reasoning behind the killing of Colonials who did not support worshipping the Ori.
"You're not at ease, Major Shaw" said Cain as she looked at the dark haired woman next to her who was looking straight ahead while locking her jaw, "is there something you wish to say?"
"No, sir" said Shaw as she looked forward and continued to fly the ship while keeping her mind clear. She had expressed doubts in her mind earlier about Cain's orders to kill everyone who didn't agree with taking up Origin, and that the Prior wanted the dissenters given public executions so that the people would know what the Ori did to people who, in Cain's own word, sought to spread the lies of evil. She glanced over at Cain who was looking at her and shook her head before saying that she already accepted the fact that what the former Admiral was doing was to save everyone from the clutches of evil.
"It that what you truly feel?" asked Cain as she looked at Major Shaw who was flying the small ship.
"Yes" said the woman confidently, and with a clear head. Shaw remembered what happened after she had expressed, and then later kept on thinking about the doubts of what Cain was telling them to do. She could feel her mind tingling days ago when Cain called her to the former's quarters, and then closed the door behind them with security standing outside from a contingent of the Ori army that was stationed on the Pegasus. Major Shaw remembered as she looked at the Scorpion which seemed to be getting bigger the closer the Raptor was getting to the ship, that the former Admiral held her still using just her mental abilities. Major Shaw remembered the glow coming from Cain's Prior staff as the crystal glowed and then she screamed loudly when she felt her mind on fire.
"I don't do this lightly, Shaw" Cain had told Shaw soon after she gained her powers as a Prior while they were in the former's quarters, "I want to trust you, and I need someone who is loyal. You've already shown you're a razor, willing to do what it takes to save the Colonies against the Cylons. Now with the Cylons gone, we have a higher calling."
"Admiral!" screamed Captain Shaw as her mind continued to feel as if it was on fire.
"You must be willing to accept that there is evil" said Cain as she looked at Shaw who was now just looking back at her while she was panting due to the pain, "and we are the instrument that will excise that evil from this galaxy. The old gods have done nothing for us, but the Ori have shown me the way… and I will show the rest of the Colonies that our everlasting hope and salvation lasts with the Ori. And those who reject the words of salvation that lie in Origin would seek to spread evil throughout the galaxy, and it's our responsibility to stop it by all means necessary. That's what you're thinking."
"Yes" said Shaw as she closed her eyes tight because of the pain; but she didn't want to scream again in front of Cain… she didn't want to seem weak. It was then that the pain in Shaw's mind vanished just as it arrived and the Captain felt free to move again. She stumbled back to a wall as she watched the glow from the crystal on Cain's prior staff fade away.
"I apologize for digging deep into your mind, Captain" said Cain while Shaw panted while looking at Cain before nodding her head, "I now know how deep is your distrust of what I am planning to do. By right, I should have you shot as an example to the others… but you saved my life when you told me about the humanoid Cylon that was in our midst, you did what you were supposed to do when we took what we needed to fight the Cylons from the Scyllia and her fleet, you did what you had to do… you followed orders to the letter when you led in making an example of the woman you shot so that the Marines and Fisk could carry out their duty in shooting families so that their fathers, brothers, sisters, mother or even sons would have reason to serve on the Pegasus. You have done everything that was asked of you… and that is why I believe you will see why the Ori are the ones who will grant us victory… why they will help us in building a peaceful galaxy when not even Zeus, Athena, Hera, Artemis and those other miserable gods didn't help us."
"I… I understand" said Shaw as she stood up straight. Shaw now knew that Cain was able to read minds, she knew that Cain saw all of her fears, goals, secrets… she knew everything but the pain was something that nearly killed her. Shaw knew that if Cain had continued, then she would have fainted; but now she had to hide her doubts as much as possible. The Captain had to bury them deep in her psyche while secretly searching the crew for anyone who thought the same as her; that what they were doing was wrong. As she watched Cain walk to her desk and open a drawer, Shaw knew that one of the people she couldn't talk to about this was Colonel Fisk… she knew that he was a coward who would follow Cain to Hades; but she had to search for other people, "sir, to show that I can be trusted with what you wish to do… with the commands of the Ori, I ask permission that I seek out others who would spread lies and evil among the crew. I'm sure that these lies could travel from the crew to the others on Caprica and then through our own armies, and onto those who go through the Gate to the Stars. Let me prove myself to you, sir."
"You already have" said the former admiral as she walked towards Shaw with a box in her hand. Once she was close enough, Cain stopped and looked at the woman through her pale eyes before she handed Shaw the velvet box, "Major Shaw."
As Major Shaw piloted the ship into the flight pod of the Scorpion, she glanced over at Cain who was looking out the front window of the ship. Shaw, while landing the raptor on the elevator that would bring the Raptor to the hanger bay, recalled Cain telling her that once the prototype vessel was brought to Caprica's orbit; the former Admiral would be transferring her flag to the smaller vessel, and the Shaw was going to be her executive officer.
"We have a lot of repairs" said Cain as she looked at Shaw as the elevator brought them into the bowels of the ship, "we'll use the production facilities on the Pegasus and the still intact factories on Caprica to build what we need to complete the weapons and the shields. We'll have the Scorpion and the Pegasus ready to save this galaxy from evil within a year, and with the knowledge the Ori have given me on their weapons and shields… we'll find the other Cylons that Earth has sheltered, and then we'll finally have revenge on the traitors led by Roslin. And then, then we will join the rest of the Ori fleet that is coming to this galaxy, and we will join them and convert Earth. If they do not… if they still refuse, then the Ori will burn that planet into nothingness."
"Yes, sir" said a smiling Major Shaw as she looked at Cain as the elevator stopped inside the brightly lit landing bay, 'Earth, I need a way to contact Earth.'
Cylon Earth, Camp Three, 1240 hours.
Giles stood outside the tent when he heard a buzzing out and looked up in the sky to see the now familiar cylindrical shape of the Puddle Jumper as it came to a landing, turning about at the last moment before touching the ground with the ramp facing the older man. He then saw the ramp start to lower, and then once he could see inside the ship, the man smiled at Willow who returned his smile while Daniel and Colonel Carter stood next to her.
"Hey Giles" said Willow as she walked down the ramp with the Colonel and Daniel before they stood in front of him.
"Dr. Giles" said Daniel as he and Colonel Carter nodded at the man before telling him that Vala, Teal'c and Colonel Mitchell were with Apollo and the colonial Marines while Dawn's team, and the other armoured teams were watching over the surrendered Colonial rebels until Roslin and Commander Adama's sent more Colonial Marines to the planet; following which Roslin would decide what to do with them.
"The other ships listened to what Major Adama told them" said Colonel Carter, "now they're deciding if they should take the offer given to them; that the Colonial's from New Kobol will board the ships and then accompany them to New Kobol, or they could jump away on their own for parts unknown."
"Let us hope they make the right choice" said Giles when he noticed movement in the distance. Turning his head, he saw Anna, and the two Marines who had gone with her, walking towards the camp while waving at the older man. Giles returned the wave as Colonel Carter, Willow, and Daniel looked at the Number Three who was wearing a black tank top and brown shorts before they looked at Giles; with Willow raising an eyebrow at the man.
"We're just friends" said Giles coughing as he took off his glasses and rubbed them.
"Uh huh" said a smiling Willow who had an eyebrow raised. She could feel something coming from Giles as he saw the copy of the Number Three, and shivered hoping to get rid of that feeling.
"Now that everyone's here" said Giles changing the subject before motioning towards the tent as Anna and the others started running towards the same area after the other Leoben in the tent called out to them. Giles led the three from SG-1 into the tent while Captain Webb took off after picking up the scientists who had been taking shelter there from the main camp in the other continent. As they were walking towards the tent, Daniel was the one who asked Giles if he managed to find some information on the planet from her.
"Not yet" said Giles, "I thought it would be best if we found out everything there is to know about her before she talks to the Cylons on Eden. All I can say is that she believes that she's the original, the number Eights were modelled after her. And since we have only one Number Eight in the camp right now, I don't know how she'll react when she realizes that there are more of her."
"Must be a surprise" said Willow as the she nodded her head. They were soon under the tent which was when Giles introduced Willow, Daniel, and Colonel Carter to the Cylon's who were standing under the tent, before introducing them to Anna.
"Triana" said Giles, "I'd like for you to meet Dr. Daniel Jackson, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, and Major Willow Rosenberg.. they're friends of mine. The people I told you about who were coming to hear what you have to say?"
"Oh" said Triana as she looked at the three newcomers, and then she looked at Anna and nodded her head after Giles introduced them.
"How is this possible?" asked a surprised Anna as she looked at Triana, and then at Giles who told her that they were going to find out as much as possible.
"Triana" said Giles while Daniel translated for the Earth officers, "You are the only survivor that we have found and… and we would like to know if there are more of you. But first, can you tell us a little about yourself? Do you know here you are? Can you tell us about this world?"
"This planet is called Earth" said Triana as Willow, Colonel Carter and Daniel looked at each other, and then at Triana again who continued to speak, "we are in the country of Tarath, the most advanced country out of forty one independent nations on the planet. A planet that's gone now."
"Let's begin from the start" said Daniel as Triana looked up at the man, "Are you aware of… how do I put this delicately…"
"Do you know what you are?" askedKaryn, the Number Eight as Triana looked up at her and nodded her head, "so you know that you're a Cylon?"
"I do not know that word, Cylon" said Triana as the other Cylon's looked at each other confused.
"It is a short form for Cybernetic Lifeform Node" said Karyn while Triana furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at her.
"No" said Triana as she looked at the Cylons next to Giles, and then to the Air Force officers, before she turned her head to the older man again, "we never called ourselves that. Dr. Giles, Dr. Jackson…. I know who I am..I know what I am… I know where we come from. Our history starting from Kobol… to how we came here… and to how some of us left this world for Kobol once again during the war. All that time, we never called ourselves Cylons; we are very aware of our history. To honour those who created my ancestors, we took on their name as a memory to their legacy."
The day that Giles found out about the Colonials and Cylons back on Earth, Willow briefed him about the organic Furling Drones and their highly advanced A.I. She told him what happened to them on Kobol, but asked that he not tell anyone else. She told him that the leader of the expedition on Eden, Dr. Gardner and a few select people knew the truth and that they all had been sworn to secrecy until they could find more evidence to show the Cylons their own history, without revealing to them that it was Willow herself who interfered when she was ascended and prevented them from settling on the original Earth.
Now Giles looked at Willow who looked back at Triana in surprise before she looked at Colonel Carter, Daniel, and then at Giles.
"I can read her thoughts" said Willow with her eyes open in surprise before she asked Daniel and Giles not to translate anything she was going to tell them, "I can sense her emotions… guys…. Even if she's a Cylon, she's different than the others. I can't read the other Cylons at all. But Triana? She's confused. I see a large grey room, multiples screens… some three dimensional renderer and the building is shaking. So many thoughts… wow…. But, she's definitely different."
"Dr. Giles?" asked Triana as she and the other Cylons looked at Willow who was rubbing her forehead before looking at Giles, "Is she alright? What has she said?"
"She was just having a headache" said Giles with a smile while Daniel whispered into Willow's ear what the older man told Triana and the Cylons.
"Sorry" said Willow shaking her head and smiling as she placed her hands on the butt of her P90 that was hanging from her vest, "yeah, I had a massive headache."
"You said that you called yourselves after the ones who created your ancestors" said Leoben, "who created your ancestors?"
"You call yourselves Furlings, don't you?" asked Giles as everyone except for the Air Force officers and Daniel looked at him in surprise.
"You know of our creators?" asked Triana as she looked at Giles, and then noticed the knowing looks of the three newcomers show were standing behind the seated Giles.
"Furlings?" asked Leoben as Giles looked up at the surprised Cylon who had shock written on his face, "Dr. Giles…?"
"I believe that my colleague, Dr. Jackson and his friends could better explain" said Giles as he looked at Daniel and nodded his head.
"You see" said Daniel as he looked at Leoben and the others, and then looked at Triana, "Triana, I'm not sure if your people on this planet were aware of this but there was once an Alliance of Four Great Races that began nearly ten thousand years ago; one of which the Furling race was a member."
"What?" asked Triana while the others looked on confused before they whispered to each other.
"You have to understand that there are some things that we couldn't tell you because we didn't know how you'd take it" said the Colonel while Daniel translated, "we had intelligence from a reliable source on the Organic drones that the Furlings would have on their ships.. and.."
"You know about my ancestors?" asked Triana as she looked at the Colonel and the other Earth personnel, "Mr. Giles?"
"Rupert?" asked Anna as Giles looked up at her, "you knew?"
"No"said Willow as Giles looked at the redhead, who was lying, "there are only a handful of people who know the truth. We can tell you that the Colonials don't know about the Organic drones, although they knew about the Alliance."
"I.. I don't understand" said Triana after Daniel translated what the redhead had just said, "our creators are still here? In this galaxy? Then…"
"No" said Giles, "we do know that they left some time ago. Although their descendents live on our homeworld… many of whom are unaware of their ancestry to the Furlings."
"I don't understand this whole Furling, and drone, situation" said Leoben as he shook his head before looking at Triana who looked back at him.
"You are unaware of your history?" asked Triana as she looked at Leoben, and the others, as they nodded their heads in shock, "Saul and Ellen didn't tell you? Galen, Tory, and Sam? None of them told you anything?"
"We… we know that Saul Tigh is with the enemy, and…"
"Enemy?" asked Triana shocked, "how? I mean… they created you… they must have. I mean, members of the tribes and machines working together. They were supposed to travel to Kobol, to prevent the twelve tribes from repeating our mistakes. We know what they tried to do with our ancestors, and we were hoping that they didn't continue after we left Kobol. Over a thousand years after coming to Earth, We created machines using our advanced A.I., combined with our nanites, as a base… but we didn't stay close to them. We abused them.. we took advantage of them and they rebelled against us. What you see now is the culmination of our hubris.. we thought of ourselves as better than our creations… our children and they, and us, killed in anger until… oh dear God. How could you not know? Saul and the others were supposed to travel to Kobol, convince the twelve tribes that they needed to look after their A.I creations if they had advanced that far on their own again. That they couldn't continue to take advantage of them as we had done with ours. But.. but they were successful… were they not? I mean.. even if you do not know your history, your two people are working together."
"Triana" said Giles, interrupting Leoben who was opening his mouth, about to speak, "why do you not call yourself Earthlings, or…."
"When we arrived on this lush world" said Triana looking at Giles, "we found it empty. We believed then that the Alterra had abandoned Earth due to an unknown fate. We landed and claimed this planet as ours, but we recognized that this was still the spiritual home of the Alterra, an ally of the Furling race. We did not seek to be known as Earthlings, or Earthers, we were our creators creations… gifted with life. We could choose who we wanted to be… so we chose to honour our creators; we called ourselves Furlings."
"Oh my God" said Anna as she looked at Triana with her hands over her mouth in shock before she looked at the other models around her.
"Dr. Giles, Dr. Jackson" said Triana as she looked at the two of them, "you mentioned your homeworld, are there other worlds full of human's? Or my kind?"
"As Dr. Jackson has explained, the Furlings have left this galaxy for an unknown reason… an ally of ours known as the Asgard have confirmed as such" said Giles, "but… I can tell you that my world has only just heard about the Twelve Tribes… or as they are now called, the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. And we've also heard about the Cylons for the first time as well."
"It is true" said Leoben as he looked at Triana who looked up at him, "he is not from the Colonies."
"Colonies?" asked Triana, "you have mentioned that word before.. what are these Colonies?"
"The Twelve Colonies of Kobol" said the Number Three while the Six looked on at her double, still in disbelief, "the Scrolls say that Twelve Tribes left Kobol soon after the Thirteenth Tribe to search for a new home. They found one in a distant part of the galaxy where they occupied twelve planets… one for each Lord of Kobol, later forming the Twelve Colonies of Kobol."
"So Saul, Ellen, and the others" said Triana, "when they went to Kobol, they may have found it devoid of life. But that means they must have encountered these Colonials. And from that alliance they must have created your people… like using my father as a template, or…"
"Our Ancestors were created by the Colonials" said the Number Six as Triana looked up at her, "the Centurions and their models were created for everything from collecting garbage, to fighting their wars."
"Oh God" said Triana, "they did it again, didn't they? The tribes?"
"Triana" said Leoben, "can you tell us what happened to this world first? How did the war start? Why did it start? Can you tell us what you know of your history?"
"Millions of years ago" said Triana as everyone gathered a seat. While everyone was sitting down, the Colonel asked Willow to use her abilities to ensure that what they were going to hear was the truth.
Willow nodded her head before mentally contacting Daniel. Telepathically speaking to the archaeologist, and the Colonel together in a form of telepathic conference call, the redhead told him that since she can hear, and see, Triana's thoughts… that she would connect their minds just to translate what the Cylon was telling them so that Willow would know she was telling the truth from what the redhead remembered while she walked among the early Kobolians unseen while she was ascended.
"A Furling Kobol-class vessel crash landed on a lush, green world after the ship's stores of fuel was depleted followed a final jump to the nearest planet using our drive systems" said Triana as Daniel gave the ok for Willow to use his mind as a translation device for her and Colonel Carter, "from the records we have of that period in time, the remaining crew conserved what power remained to the shield emitters and external manoeuvring thrusters so that the landing would not be as bad as it could have been. They transferred every single iota of power from all non-essential systems, including the systems that controlled the drones, my ancestors, were transferred to strengthen the shields and to reduce the amount of damage the ship would encounter when it crash landed. My ancestors were then found by humans on the planet millions of years following that incident."
"Millions of years?" asked Anna shocked as she looked at Triana, and then at the others and back to the woman in front of her who was nodding her head, "but…. I mean…"
"The early humanoid organic drones' were deactivated because of the loss in power due to that final jump" said Triana, "and before you ask, my… our ancestors were once the humanoid drones on that Furling ship. They numbered in the thousands and, unknown to the humans who eventually found us after millions of years of being unpowered, had extremely advanced artificial intelligence. Those drones were meant to maintain and, if necessary, control the ship in case of an emergency should the entire Furling crew be wiped out."
"The early humans from Kobol, you mean?" said Giles as Triana nodded her head.
"They found the ship and studied the technology while the drones were used for menial tasks, and to fight their wars" said Triana while the other Cylons looking at each other, recognizing the familiarity of the story they were being told.
"They treated the drones like slaves" said the Number Six as Triana looked up at her, before giving them a bombshell of news. In the meantime, Willow, Daniel and Colonel Carter listened while Willow mentally told them that what Triana had been telling them so far was the truth… she herself had seen what the early Kobolians were capable of, she had seen the early Kobolians discover the drone compartment and then recognize the use of the humanoid beings.
"Yes" nodded Triana, "but over time… you must know that the A.I of the early drones were already extremely advanced… more advanced than any humans would know. It allowed them to evolve beyond their programming and eventually the drones started to act more human. We used the technology that transferred the consciousness of one drone to another to accumulate our knowledge and experiences until… until our ancestors evolved. We became so much like the humans that they thought of us as human… eventually we became the Thirteenth Tribe."
"Consciousness transfer" said Leoben while Giles looked back at Willow who nodded her head. He then looked at Triana again who explained to Leoben what it was before she was interrupted by Anna.
"We had that technology" said Anna as she looked at Triana, "Resurrection, but it's gone now. The Ori has destroyed everything and….and we're nearly extinct. We know what we must do, but research on it will take time… do you know if there is any information of resurrection technology and…"
"Anna" said Giles as he put his hand on the Cylon's shoulder and squeezed gently, silently asking her to calm down.
"There is more you must know" said Triana, "yes, our ancestors used what you call resurrection technology to transfer our consciousness from one body to another. The drones helped to restore power to the ship, and we began our resurrection program in secret from the other humans. But, after we were accepted as the Thirteenth Tribe…. At least according to what we've learnt of our history, we discovered the truth about Kobol. The ancestors discovered sensor readings that showed ships deposited human beings onto the planet… they saw the logs that the crew left before they abandoned the ship. They spoke of how they were reaching out for the Alterra, calling their home world for aid…. They were calling Earth. The logs said that they received no response, and we do not know what happened to them after the final log. Many assumed that they made their way to Earth somehow; and that's where we assumed these aliens were depositing these people from, the home of the Alterra… Earth. And that's when war started."
"The exodus from Kobol" saidthe Number Six as she looked at Anna while Triana nodded her head.
"The humans believed that humanity evolved on Kobol" said Triana, "saying otherwise was blasphemy. But we insisted that Earth was the original home of humanity; the funny part in all this is that the Kobolians believed we were talking about all of us when we were really telling them, the humans, the truth about their real home."
"They didn't believe your ancestors" said Leoben.
"No" Triana said shaking her head, "there was a frost in our relations with the other tribes. Hidden, we started building a ship using the schematics in the Furling vessel's computers. The one problem was that we had no idea where Earth was located, but we knew that what we believed.. that Earth was the home of humanity.. made us targets. It was several years later after our revelation that things came to a head."
"There was a bombing" whispered Willow just before Triana said the same thing.
"Fanatics murdered nearly forty members of the Thirteenth when they tried to convince the Council that Earth was our home... the home of Humanity. They told the humans that they had proof of everything, and the members of the Thirteenth Tribe gave the Council all the proof they had" said Triana as she closed her eyes, "even pictures of the ships in orbit. But the Council claimed we were lying. There was a woman…. Her name was Pythia, and everyone thought she was insane since she could supposedly see visions; she supported us. There were hundreds of other humans from the other tribes who supported us… you see, a year earlier we 'leaked' what we had found to certain quarters of the Kobolians population, particularly among the academics and scientists. The ancestors had their support but the next year…. It was the next year the Council labelled us as heretics, and Pythia a sympathizer. She was jailed for years because of her views… but…. but the civil war started after one of the more fundamentalist sects of the Tribes murdered the representatives of the Thirteenth Tribe who gave proof to the Council as they were leaving the building in a suicide bombing. The press then claimed that we bombed ourselves to gain sympathy among the other tribes… unfortunately that bombing killed several other innocents, including three children. War started a few months later."
"It was intense" said Willow as she closed her eyes and remembered the war on Kobol before she left the planet for Earth when she was ascended, "many died."
"Many died" said Triana, "we didn't want to fight, but we had no choice. Once the ship was completed, the survivors of the Thirteenth Tribe escaped for Earth. We travelled though space.. mourning the loss of our friends, and the people we had seen as family, and our home; but we wanted to start a new life on Earth. We hoped that the Alterra would somehow be on the planet, or even the Furlings who left Kobol all those years ago; but the planet was empty."
Triana told the group about how they had to take apart everything in the ship, including the resurrection technology just so that they could rebuild a society and survive. She told them that they lived long lives being what they were, but they knew they needed to expand their gene pool; and they couldn't do that just by resurrection alone.
"We needed our population to grow naturally" said Triana, "since in essence we were simply humanoid machines, we knew we could live for a long time; we wanted to continue our race.. we wanted to continue the Furling race on a peaceful planet. And we knew we could not do that by resurrection. It was a crutch for us that was pulling us back from what we could be… we were supposed to evolve beyond our initial programming. And we did do it on Kobol to a degree… but we hadn't taken it to the next step."
"Sexual reproduction" said Anna.
"Like I said" replied Triana, "we wanted our population to grow. We voluntarily destroyed our resurrection technology so that we would not have something to fall back on; we needed the push to go to the next step. So we started to build a new society for ourselves. The ancestors tried… everyone was trying for a natural birth. We continued to build our society despite being unsuccessful in rearing children, and twenty years later we had a viable town. Water, food, shelter… all the basics were there."
Triana then smiled with a faraway look in her eyes.
"We were taught in school about Miracle Day" said Triana as everyone leaned forward, "forty years after we established Tarath, the first child was born from sexual reproduction."
"But… but how?" asked Leoben, "we've been experimenting and…"
"Experimenting?" asked Triana as she looked up at the man who looked so much like her father, but he almost immediately looked away, "what do you mean? What kind of experiments?"
"Triana" said Giles, "maybe you should continue first, and we can discuss other details at a later date."
"The ancestors wanted to know how it was possible" said Triana as she looked at Anna after nodding her head at Giles, "they examined the child as he grew up to find out what happened, they even examined the parents…. It was then they found something."
Triana then smiled while telling the group that the couple who had the children, would have another one three years later, followed by a third two years later.
"Those three children were the saviours of my ancestors, they represented hope" said Triana, "and they also stole the hearts of everyone they met. The couple was hounded by visits from strangers who wanted to simply hold on to the children… it got so bad that the leader of the town ordered that the couple be left alone."
"You said they found something in the couple?" asked Karyn.
"A chemical mixture" said Triana, "it was in both the parents. We didn't know at first what that mixture was; our scientists were confused. And then… then another couple had twins few years later. Our scientists found the same chemical mixture in their blood… a chemical mixture that seemed to prevent the nanites in their bloodstreams from attacking any secretions from 'infecting' the body… either the male, or the female."
"Then ten years later" said Triana, "two couples had children… all these children had nanites in their blood… more nanites that their parents had, but their bodies were organic. The scientists were confused… why these couples and not the others. Eventually there was a study over several years as children to seven more couples were born; they discovered that the answer was so simple that it escaped all of their attention."
"And God said love, and be fruitful" saidKaryn as Triana looked up at her and nodded her head.
"According to the scientists back then" said Triana, "both bodies released a chemical mixture caused by particular emotions that flooded the blood stream to keep the nanites from…well…"
Triana looked up at the man who looked just like her father, and then looked back down and blushed; feeling embarrassed about what she read about during her school days.
"Humanoid Cylons can reproduce" said Colonel Carter as everyone turned to her while Daniel translated, "but the nanites in the bloodstream kill the semen from the male; and in the female, the nanites prevents ovulation."
"Yes" said Triana blushing embarrassed as her ears heated up, "that.. that's what the scientists found out."
"It took years" Triana continued, "but the scientists came up with a treatment, and soon… they had to grow the town. Over hundreds of years the population slowly grew, and the last of the organic drones died. We then had philosophical differences and our people broke up into all these nations. We eventually built machines using our own A.I and nanites as a base. The use of these machines spread to the other countries and… and eventually we abused them. They, like our ancestors, gained sentience and wanted to be accepted… we refused. There as a small uprising, and once it was put down… we ordered a culling of the lines that served in the military, and ordered that the other machines that took care of daily tasks be reprogrammed. We pre-emptively struck but… but we thought we did everything we could."
"They attacked" said Anna.
"Yes" said Triana, "my father's name was Leoben Connors, he was a General in the Tarath military. He told me and three others to get to Cryo-sleep and… and everyone's gone. I do not know about the other bunkers… we lost communications with the other bunkers soon after the attack began… the machines knew exactly where to hit us."
"The cycle continued" said the Number Six shaking her head.
"Saul and Ellen were scientists who, along with their colleagues, were recommended by my father and charged by the President to recreate resurrection" said Triana as the Cylons looked at each other in surprise, "they succeeded… they were the ones who went back to Kobol to warn the other tribes. But if, like you say, they left for parts unknown… they must have followed some signs to these Colonies. And then created you all, I mean.. they must have succeeded if, I guess Cylons, and humans from these Colonies are working together."
"Triana" said Leoben, "there is something that you need to know."
Leoben then told a stunned Triana about the history of the Centurions and how the Colonials enslaved them and abused them. He told her that the Centurions eventually became sentient and resented their enslavement by the Colonials. Anna then told her that although there was deep resentment among all the centurions, they were not yet ready for war…. Until a robot accidentally killed a child.
At the same time, while Anna was speaking, Willow told Giles, Daniel and Colonel Carter that what the Humanoid Cylon was saying was the truth. She was there when the first shots were fired following the death of a child; leading to the first Cylon War.
Leoben told the stunned Triana about the war against the Colonials which lasted for nearly twenty years, and had multiple deaths on both sides. He told her that an armistice was signed nearly forty years ago, and the Cylons moved to another region of space, and the Colonials returned to their region of space with an imaginary line separating the two forces.
"Then we were created" said Karyn as the other Number Six nodded her head, "the first model created was Cavil, and then the Leoben's, the D'Anna's and…"
"There are more than one?" asked Triana as she looked at Leoben.
"There were not more than one model of your ancestors?" asked Giles.
"No" said Triana, "you mean there are multiple models of my father? Of the one who looks like myself?"
"Yes" said Anna.
"I….." said Triana as she shook her head, "I don't understand. Why wouldn't Saul and the others create more and…."
"We do not know our pasts" said Karyn, "we don't even know who created us. But if Saul Tigh was the one to create us… then he created Cavil, the Number One models first…. Cavil… that frakker…. He knew."
"We don't know, yet" said Anna as she looked over her shoulder at Karyn.
"He's been telling not to ask questions" said the Number Six, "if…. He had to be the first to know and… Leoben? Did you know?"
"I had no idea" he said, "I swear it. I'm searching my memory for anything but it's all a blank."
"Triana" said Anna as she looked at the young woman, "you must speak to our governing council. They must know what you have told us and… and there is something else you deserve to know. Once we were created, we infiltrated the Colonies."
"What?" asked Triana as she hung her mouth open. She then looked at the looks on the faces of the other humanoid Cylons and almost immediately came to a realization. Shaking her head, she thought she was going to be sick as Anna continued.
"We knew that the Colonials wouldn't stick to their side of the armistice line" said Anna, "we knew they were building up militarily, so once these bodies were formed… once the resurrection technology was in place; we were sent to the Colonies in various roles."
"The Colonials launched probes of their own into our space" said the Number Six, "and we infiltrated all parts of their society. We wanted revenge for what they did to our ancestors, the Centurions."
"No" said Triana shaking her head, "don't tell me…. no… it wasn't supposed to be this way.."
"We launched a nuclear strike against all Twelve Worlds" said Leoben as Triana covered her mouth with her hands in shock as she gasped and her eyes opened wide, "we… we executed a virus that was installed into their defence mainframe to disable all their ships… at least all their ships that had a particular program."
"It was installed in nearly every single military, and civilian, vessel" said Karyn, "the vast majority of the military infrastructure was destroyed. All the planets were nuked in a surprise attack by raiders, and basestars and…"
"Stop" said Triana as she stood up with her legs trembling as she stepped behind the chair and held on to its back with trembling hands, "how… how many lives? How many lives were lost?"
"Over forty billion" said Anna as she looked down at the ground, and then at Leoben who approached Triana and reached for her.
"Stay away from me" said Triana as she stepped back in anger while looking at Leoben, her heart breaking as the one hope she had that the man in front of her would have at least her father's honour was crushed, "the man I knew… the General would never have launched a first nuclear strike against civilians unless there was no other choice. He would have found another way."
"We had no choice" said Leoben as he stepped back.
"You launched the first strike" said Triana as she rubbed her head before looking at the doubled of her father, "why? The name of the Furlings, the name of the ancestors…. It's all covered in blood. It's… God I'm going to be sick."
"Triana" said Anna as she stood up.
"No" said Triana shaking her head, "you said that something happened, that you were going to become extinct and… and if you murdered Colonials… then who are these people. Dr. Giles said that they are not Kobolian. Nor are they Colonial."
Giles looked back at Daniel, who in turned looked back at Colonel Carter who nodded her head; telling them that the same rules apply to Triana as well in regards to the location of Earth.
"We're from a planet thousands of light years away called Terra" said Giles, "we come from… we come from the home of the Alterra."
"What" said Triana as she looked at Giles in shock, 'but.. but this.. this…"
"We're from Earth" said Daniel as Triana looked at him with her mouth wide open.
TBC.