Infirmary, SGC, 0355 hours; over an hour after Kathy's massacre at the Bronze.
Camille knew that she had been living through a nightmare for the past day; unable to sleep, she would call up the memories from the crystal that her brother had given her, the same crystal that Tara had mystically turned into a memory vault. She would lay down on the bed and cry silently as she looked at the images of her mother, father, Coren and Satien; she would then close her eyes and wipe the tears that gathered before opening them again and looked through tear stained eyes.
She had lost everything, and was a stranger in a strange planet.
At times she would put the crystal back under the shirt that the SGC had given her and close her eyes so that she could try and get some sleep. But all she had were nightmares where all she saw were mangled bodies while she was running through the village. She would be screaming in her dreams, calling out for her parents before hearing a little girl's laughter. She would then turn around in the dream and run, eventually coming to the village entrance where she'd see a charred little girl, bleeding profusely and with the skin peeling off running towards her; or she'd see her mother and father screaming while they were on fire before the metal men shot holes through their chests.
It would be just then she'd wake up with a gasp.
It was the fifth time it happened that she looked over at the bed that was opposite hers. She saw the sleeping blonde girl, the same girl who was sitting close to her the previous day when she magically modified the crystal for Camille.
'Tara' thought Camille as she slowly sat up, 'I feel calm when she is close, I do not know why… just that I do.'
Camille was exhausted, and sleep was hard to come by for her. Tara had offered to stay close to her, and in reality… Camille wanted her to be close to her; but Camille believed that it was an insult to her own family if she was finding comfort with someone else. However, Camille wanted to be close to someone.. she was arguing with herself in her mind when she finally came to a decision. She quietly got off her bed… Dr. Lam had already taken off the I.V tube once she had began eating four trays of food, all with Tara sitting next to her while she told General Landry and Buffy what had happened. She then walked while holding her hands together in front of her over to Tara's bed where she stood and watched the young blonde sleep.
"Tara" whispered Camille as she walked closer until she was at the edge of the bed, "Tara?"
"Camille?" asked a groggy Tara as she fluttered her eyes open before she used her hand to wipe her eyes and then looked at the clock on the wall, and then back at Camille, "it's four in the morning, sweetie. Can't sleep?"
"It may be improper to ask you of this but, may I…." said Camille when suddenly Tara shifted and patted the empty space next to her. Giving a small smile, the little girl then climbed onto the bed and then lay next to Tara wither back to the blonde witch. Tara then gave a small smile and wrapped her arm around the little girl before humming a song.
"What is that?" asked Camille as she listened to the hum.
"It's a song that my mother used to sing to me when I was a little girl" said Tara, "sorry if I… I mean I'm not trying to insult your mother but it's something my mom would do when I couldn't sleep. If you want me to stop, I'll stop."
"No" said Camille as she held on to the crystal with one hand, and put her other hand under the pillow, "please continue. What… what happened to your mother? Is she at home?"
"She died years ago when I was only seventeen" replied Tara.
"Oh" said Camille softly, "I'm sorry."
"She knew it was her time" said Tara, "she told me to live my life, and then…."
"She passed."
"Yes" said Tara nodding her head as she stroked the little girl's head, "my father and brother aren't good people, neither are my cousins."
"Your mother's family?" asked Camille softly.
"There are none" said Tara, "the only people that I consider my family are my friends. That woman you met yesterday? Buffy?"
"Yes?" said Camille.
"She's been there for me for a very long time" said Tara, "she's like the sister I never had, her husband has been the brother I've always wanted; and… I've tried my best to move on but… it's difficult sometimes. I still think of my mother, and like I said.. when I get lonely, I pick up the memory crystal of my mother and just look through the memories."
"Will I forget them?" asked Camille softly.
"You won't, sweetie" said Tara as she pulled the little girl in closer, "they'll be with you in your heart always, the pain will always be there, but you'll find the strength to move on. Doesn't mean you forget them though, you'll have friends who'll make it easier."
"I do not have friends" said Camille as she teared up when she remembered her friends who died in the village, "they are all… all gone."
"You'll make new ones" said Tara softly, "sides, you don't consider me a friend?"
"I…"
"That hurts" pouted Tara as Camille turned and looked at Tara who was giving the little girl a pair of puppy dog eyes which made her smile.
"I am sorry" said Camille, "yes, you are a friend.. it is just that…"
"General Landry already told you about this girl who's coming later today right? Remember?" asked Tara as Camille nodded her head, "she out of anyone here knows exactly what you've been trough."
"I do not understand?" asked Camille, "I mean the man would like me and her to talk about our shared fate, but I… did he really mean that what happened to me happened to her as well?"
"Pretty much" said Tara, "the way it happened wasn't the same, but the results are exactly the same as yours."
"Can you accompany us?" asked Camille as she looked at Tara, "I… I would feel at ease."
"If you want me there" said Tara as Camille nodded her head, "alright, in that case… I'll stay with you if it's alright with Cassie. But right now, go to sleep… I'll be right here for you."
"Thank you" said Camille softly before she turned again onto her side, this time facing Tara as she closed her eyes. Tara stroked the little girl's hair before she too closed her eyes, and the both of them went to sleep.
General Landry's Office, SGC, 1050 hours.
It had been fifteen minutes earlier that Cassie arrived at the SGC from Washington at the request of General Landry so that she could talk to Camille about her experiences after Hanka. Upon arriving, she and Buffy hugged... the two of them being in contact with each other since the day Willow had introduced the Slayer, Joyce, Dawn, Rose and Jay to the younger redhead. With the General already having notified Dr. Gardner on Eden about Camille's confirmation that Cylons were responsible for destroying her world and her people, the General then was told an hour later by Dr. Gardner that the Cylons were shocked once they heard what had happened on Cosanis, and that they believed that Cavil could have gained full control of the Colony before confirming what they had feared; that with the Colony's greater, and far more accurate, jump capabilities thanks to Cylon technology... it would be a matter of time before they hit another human world.
"I want a way for them to be tracked, doctor" said General Landry yesterday after hearing Dr. Gardner's response after having talked with the Cylon Council, "whatever resources the Cylons need... within reason."
"Understood" said Dr. Gardner before she signed off.
Back in the present, General Landry was looking through some files when the phone on his left started to ring. Picking up the receiver, he was then connected to Cordelia who was on the other line. The older man leaned back as he listened to Cordelia talk to the General about what had just happened, and what had been happening since yesterday. The General listened in silence about how they had to watch Camille die, that even though it happened right outside the BPRI, they were unable to save her.
"General" said Cordelia, "Angel's out with another Watcher to visit a source that we know Camille and the two agents went to talk to; we're hoping to find who did this but…. but I wanted your support in fast tracking a system where we could use the transport systems on the Prometheus Station."
"Miss Chase" said the General when Cordelia interrupted him.
"I know this is an unusual request" said Cordelia, "we've lost Potentials before but…. but looking at her through the screen, being so helpless… General, the Committee only just approved shielding for the BPRI after months of haggling, but with your say-so… I think they'd be more receptive to this whole transport thing. At least they'll hurry up on making a decision so that the next time something like this happens, we can just beam out the Potential Slayers, or Buffy, or Kennedy."
"I understand" said General Landry, "I know what it's like to be helpless while the people under you have to risk their lives every day to protect others; and I understand the need for access to the Prometheus' technology. I'll have to take this up with the President, and General O'Neill. Give me a day to contact them, and then we'll make an arrangement with the NID committee."
"Thanks" said Cordelia.
"You have my condolences" said General Landry as he leaned forward on his chair, "does her parents know what happened?"
"I'm calling Callie's parent's next" said Cordelia.
"The hardest part of any job" said General Landry gently into the phone.
"General" said Cordelia as she rubbed her forehead while she was standing outside the Operations Room, "could you send Buffy and Tara back? We'll need them here; if we can find out who's responsible for this, then we can release her image to the papers, and the news. And once we do…"
"You'll need your Slayers" said General Landry.
"Kennedy's already on the way back" said Cordelia, "she doesn't know about Callie yet; neither do the other Potentials. At least not yet."
"I understand" said General Landry as he stood up, "I'll have Miss Summers beamed to your office as soon as possible, but Miss Maclay may have some trouble leaving. Our guest has taken a liking to her."
"She's got that effect on people" said Cordelia with a light chuckle, "if she'd like to stay at the SGC for a while, then I'm alright with it… but we need Buffy back, General."
"I'll let her know" said General Landry nodding his head, "I leave the news about Camille to you?"
"Yes, please" said Cordelia.
"I'll have her beamed to your office" said the General before he put the phone down and sighed. The man then picked up his phone again and contacted Home World.
He and General O'Neill needed to talk.
The Beta Site, 1050 hours.
Sharon Valerii had been spending the vast majority of her time seeing the doctors in the Beta site for her unborn baby, eating food that had been specifically formulated for her, as well as reading as much as she could on the history of various Earth civilizations. She was specially thankful for her linguistics coach, Dr. Rifkin, on helping her with English; a language that she was now able to converse in and read effectively, with only a bit of stutter here and there.
Dr. Rifkin, and many of the scientists who examined her, had a theory that since Sharon was still technically a machine; it was easier for her to learn the basics of any language before she expanded it on her own.
Something she had done in a few days.
While she was understandably proud of what she had done, Sharon learnt that there was always one surprise after another to look forward to; particularly when one of the Airmen had stopped by her room while she was having dinner in her quarters and told the Cylon that someone had met with one of the teams on Cylon Earth.
"Excuse me?" asked the surprised Sharon as she looked up at the man in uniform who was peeking his head through an open door, "you mean that wasteland? Someone's alive?"
"Yep" said the Airman, "she's…"
"It's a female?" asked Sharon as she slowly got up. She held on to the edge of the table with one hand as the Airman rushed inside to help her up. The young woman had rested the palm of her hand on the large bump on her abdomen, while the Airman gingerly placed an arm under her armpit and slowly pulled her up. Sharon then panted and looked at the Airman before nodding her head, "thank you… so, this female is… I mean… she is a Cylon?"
"That's a story you'll be hearing soon" said the Airman as he helped Sharon walk out of her quarters, "oh, I forgot to mention… umm… the Colonial fleet's at New Kobol."
"Oh?" said Sharon as they stopped, and then Sharon looked at the man next to her with a smile, "is Helo there? Do you know if he is safe? Can I see him and, can he come here for our baby?"
"I'm not sure" said the Airman as the both of them started to walk once again, "but I can ask Colonel Finn."
"I'm sure he's busy with… ow" exclaimed Sharon as she stopped and leaned back against the wall outside her room. The Airman looked on worried as the young woman smiled at her abdomen and placed her hand in the top.
"She's kicking?" asked the Airman as Sharon looked down at her abdomen, and then her hand and smiled before nodding her head. The Airman then looked at the end of the hallway that they were in, before looking at Sharon again, "how about I get a wheelchair?"
"No" said Sharon shaking her head as she took in a deep breath, "I will be fine, I would like the exercise."
"Oh, I'm sure the doctors will have something to say about that" said the Airman under his breath as he helped the young woman to the infirmary.
Back in the present day, Sharon was seated on a wheelchair next to the bed of the woman she was told was named Triana, was lying on. The young Cylon looked in amazement at how similar she looked to the Number Six models before she reminded herself that, from what she had been told by Satterfield, who was one of the two personnel who brought Triana over to the Beta site, the woman she was looking at was in fact the original inspiration for the Number Six line of humanoid Cylons.
'If this Triana is the original' thought Sharon to herself as she looked at the still unconscious young woman, 'then what about Lauren? She's human, but she's been living on Earth… how did our creators who could possibly be Colonel Saul Tigh and four others from what Lauren told me when she brought in Triana last night… how could they have created my line if they hadn't met Lauren? If they hadn't met anyone from the real Earth? I asked Lauren that question but even she's not sure, well… she did say that one of the other scientists may have a theory… but she hadn't talked to her yet.'
Deep inside her own thoughts, Sharon hadn't noticed Triana moving her head about while her eyelids fluttered open. It was when the young woman on the bed raised her hands, and then dropped it on the railings did Sharon realize Triana was awake. Sharon then immediately pressed a red button that was on Triana's bed, within an arm's reach of Sharon, so that a doctor could be alerted. In the meantime, Sharon grabbed the wheels on her wheelchair and moved back before pouring a cup of water, and then putting in a white straw. She then rolled herself back to where she was and held the cup close to her chest as Triana opened her eyes and looked at her.
"No" said Triana shaking her head upon setting her eyes on Sharon's face, "I told you Cylons that I didn't want to come to your planet, not after what you people did to smear our name… the name of my creators and…"
"I… it is true that I am a Cylon" said Sharon as she moved backwards on her wheelchair so that Triana, whose eyes went wide open just as a doctor and two nurses rushed into the infirmary, could look at her.
Triana could hear people talking in a strange language, she could see a woman standing over her who was leaning forward while she was putting something on her forearm… but all of that was just background noise to her; right now, all Triana was concentrating on was the young woman in front of her; the one who admitted to being a Cylon, the one who looked heavily pregnant.
Sharon talked to the just awakened Triana in Ancient Greek, telling her that the doctors were just giving her a once over since she had been unconscious for a very long time. Sharon told her that they weren't on Eden, that they were on one of Earth's outposts known as the Beta Site.
"You'll be safe here" said Sharon as she raised her hand towards the worried Triana who was looking at the doctors and nurses who were rushing around her bedside taking notes and checking up on her. Sharon had told her that the doctors were doing everything to make sure that she was alright, and that Triana wasn't like her, "they're going to put you through a scanner, and collect some blood samples. The scanner's completely harmless… it's to make sure that you really are organic and, well, not like me. The doctor would like your permission."
"I… I…." said Triana as she looked at the nurses, and then at the doctor who was looking at her, before she looked at Sharon who was speaking in the strange language that she had heard the ones known as Major Willow Rosenberg, and Colonel Samantha Carter, speaking on her planet, on her Earth. Triana then asked Sharon if she really knew what the doctors and nurses were saying, and to her surprise.. the humanoid Cylon nodded her head.
"These people have saved my life" said Sharon as she rolled closer to Triana's bed, "something happened to me and… and I'll tell you everything, I mean I'm sure you have many questions and Lauren asked me to tell you what I know before she left for your planet again with her teammate."
"Lauren?" asked Triana confused, "I do not…"
"You haven't met her yet" said Sharon, "but I can tell you that I look just like her, and…and she's completely human."
"What?" asked a surprised Triana as she looked at Sharon.
"I'll tell you what I know" said Sharon, "but let these people run a scan on you, and collect some blood? Then they'll bring you something to eat and we could sit and talk.. just you and me if it makes you comfortable. You can ask me anything you want to know, as long as you tell me about Cylon pregnancies… I mean Lauren said that she was told you don't call yourselves Cylons and.. and that the Colonials aren't going to be told about you, and your connections to the Furlings, which I have to say is the most interesting briefing I've ever gone through; but I'd like to know if there's any complications or… anything. Please?"
"Ver… very well" said a surprised Triana as she continued to look at Sharon and then at her abdomen, and then at the young humanoid Cylon's smiling face, "we.. we will talk once we are done."
"Doctor" said Sharon as she looked at the grey haired man, and then to the nurses around him, "she is ready for the scanner."
It had taken an hour for the doctors to complete the scans and take blood from Triana's arm; she was then taken out to the infirmary where Sharon was waiting for her; at the open space where the nurses had rolled in her bed. It wasn't too long then before the doctor walked in with a folder in his hand and stopped at the foot of Triana's bed. Despite Sharon knowing how to speak in the language of the Earthers, she still wasn't sure of some of the words that the doctor was asking her to translate; however, she did get the gist of what he was saying.
"He's saying that you have nanites in your bloodstream" said Sharon as Triana sat up slowly while another nurse raised the back of her bed, "but.. but everything else is organic. He said that he's going to submit a report about this to his superiors, but he'd like for you to know that your overall health seems to be good.. he's already given an order for some breakfast."
"Ummm.. thank you" said Triana as she looked at the grey haired man in front of her while nodding her head.
Once Sharon translated what Triana told him, he turned to the humanoid Cylon before telling her that he'll get her something to eat as well before reminding her that she has an appointment with him later that day.
"I will be here" said Sharon as she nodded at Triana.
"I'll see you soon, Miss Valerii" said the doctor as he nodded his head at Sharon's direction before looking at Triana and tell her that that she'll be safe here. The man then turned and left the infirmary, leaving both Triana and Sharon alone among the other five empty beds in the large room.
"The one known as Leoben, he… he told me about what happened" said Triana as she looked down at the bed, still in disbelief about what she had heard the man who was made in her father's image had told her.
"The Colonials built the Centurions" said Sharon softly, "they were our ancestors and… and they were enslaved. When they gained a measure of sentience, the Colonials doubled down and refused to give them freedom. I.. I don't know how the First Cylon War started but… but I can tell you it went on for years. So many on either side died."
"That's what I was told too" said Triana.
"Then there was an armistice and… I mean like you said, you know the story" said Sharon, "we did what we did to avenge our ancestors… we… was there something else that we could have done? I don't know… but I, and the others, knew that the Colonials would never stop trying to get at us despite the armistice. So we infiltrated their society."
"So it's your people that started the second war" said Triana as she glared at Sharon, a look that caused the pregnant humanoid Cylon some unease, but she still stayed and shook her head before she sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know" said Sharon, "we infiltrated them, and one of the Number Sixes… one of the models that was created in your image gained access to the Colonial Defence Mainframe and… and before you say anything, we did that years later on the urging on the model known as Number One after a Colonial ship breached the armistice line by openly sending a fighter through; I was aware that something happened on the border, and that's what we were told by Number One."
"Ok" said Triana interrupting Sharon, "but…."
"Please" said Sharon as she reached for and held Triana's hand, "just let me speak my peace?"
Triana sighed and nodded her head. It was then that one of the nurses walked through the infirmary door with a rolling table that had a covered tray on top of it. Triana looked up at the nurse who smiled at her before she uncovered the tray and explained what was on the tray itself.
"Eggs, sausages… pretty good actually… there's also something they call biscuits and gravy which is even better, a cup of orange juice and some decaffeinated coffee" said Sharon who translated what the nurse had just told Triana. After the Furling nodded her head, the nurse then walked out the door, before coming back in with another rolling table and placed it in front of Sharon, and adjusted the top of the table by sliding it down to the humanoid Cylon's chest level. The nurse then told Sharon and Triana to call if they needed anything.
"Thank you" said Sharon nodding her head before the nurse walked out of the infirmary, leaving the two of them alone once again. Sharon then looked at Triana before sighing and leaning back on her wheelchair.
"Where was I? Oh… right" said Sharon as she continued from where she left off, "so there was an incident at the border, and that was when Number One made his case that the Colonials couldn't be trusted, that they were building up their military machine to wipe us all out. So the infiltrators, especially the one who looks like you, were spread deeper into Colonial society. But it was one of your models, the one I told you about who gained access into the defence mainframe; who created a backdoor into a new, highly advanced, navigation program for all the Colonial military vessels. She gained access to communications codes, fleet deployment schedules and…. and everything needed to take the Colonials by surprise. Then one day we got the order; attack."
"I wasn't at the Colonies when it happened" continued Sharon, "I was with some of the forces that were held in reserve, but they never really needed us. The Baseships jumped to the orbit of each Colonial planet, activated the backdoor which released a virus into the Colonial systems which were all networked together… and then all Colonial Battlestars and vipers were deactivated."
"Dear God" said Triana, "it was a massacre."
"Yes" said Sharon quietly while nodding her head, "I… I went to Caprica, the seat of the Colonial government, after the nukes fell and… and then we started our second objective after Centurions had… had taken out any survivors and…"
"Oh God" said Triana as she dropped her spoon on the try and leaned back before swallowing her food, food which threatened to go back up her throat as she rubbed her forehead while she imagined the wholesale destruction that was caused by the Cylons.
"We then started on the second phase of our occupation of Caprica, and the other Colonies" said Sharon, "we wanted to breed naturally. We tried everything for months after the occupation, some of the things were unspeakable but nothing worked. God said that we needed to be fruitful and… and that's what we wanted. Then I was sent on a mission. You see… a copy of me exists… well existed on a Battlestar, a Colonial heavy carrier, known as the Galactica. Well, her Raptor was damaged and she and the pilot… a man named Karl.. call sign Helo, was stranded on Caprica for hours while they repaired the damaged Raptor. Making a long story short, he told her to get off planet and back to a fleet that somehow managed to survive… I mean I found out later why they survived but… but I was surprised, and anyway… Helo stayed behind while the other Sharon flew off with some survivors. I… I have the same memories as my counterpart thanks to our shared database and… and well… I loved Helo. My mission was to have him impregnate me and then kill him, if he didn't want to stay on Caprica that is… but I think the others would have killed him either way. He got me pregnant and… and he didn't want to stay on Caprica. To be honest with you neither did I so we searched for a way out together."
"Did he know the truth about who you were?" asked Triana.
"He found that out before I told him I was pregnant" said Sharon, "he shot my copy, and then he saw me… he then knew I was a Cylon. He shot me in the arm and… and then later I started feeling sick. I just knew… you know… I just knew that I was pregnant with our baby."
"You really loved him?" asked Triana as she looked at Sharon.
"Yes" said Sharon as she wiped her eyes, "I do love him. And.. and he loves me too and…"
"That's the key" said Triana softly as she looked at her tray of food, and then at Sharon again, "my people found that the chemicals the body produces when an individual's feels love enables pregnancies, but that was between my people when they were like you. For someone like yourself, and a fully organic male… this is something that we never realized could happen."
"She's a miracle" said Sharon as she looked at her abdomen and caressed the bulge.
"It's a girl?"
"Yes" said Sharon as she looked up at Triana, "the Earthers used an ultrasound machine to tell me her gender."
Sharon then went back to telling Triana about her first meeting with Lauren, to herself, Helo and Starbuck escaping Caprica, to her being held prisoner on the Galactica where her condition surprised many but she had medical help, to finally telling the Furling about her treatment on the Pegasus.
Triana listened in horror as Sharon told her about her torture at Cain's hands, and then at the hands of her subordinates. Triana listened at Sharon telling her that Cain made sure that the baby wasn't harmed… but the rest of Sharon's body was. She told the Furling about the mission back to Caprica to rescue some of the resistance fighters and her second meeting with Lauren and her team; the same people who saved them from a Cylon attack that destroyed a few Raptors.
"I was on their ship and…. and I asked them.. I asked Lauren for asylum" said Sharon while Triana looked at her, "I couldn't go back to the Pegasus… they'd have killed my baby and… and I couldn't do that."
"These people gave you asylum" said Triana in a matter of fact voice.
"Yes" replied Sharon, "after an interview, they gave me asylum. I couldn't go back… I love Helo but… but I couldn't go back there."
"I understand" said Triana, "but what your people did, it's…"
"I know" said Sharon nodding her head, "but these people lived through an invasion of machines and… and while they wiped them out.. they saw something in us to give us a new home. I mean, I don't know if they'd have done the same thing if we weren't on the verge of extinction… but they did enough. I haven't really talked to those on Eden, but Lauren's told me that they're doing well… settling down slowly. We have a lot to pay for and… and these people gave us that opportunity. I know that doesn't excuse what we did… we were angry at the humans for the way they treated the Centurions, we were angry at how casual they were about it all and… and we lashed out. It's easy to say that the Number Ones were the driving force but… but I supposed they, and the other models who shared his views, tapped into something that was already buried within us. Maybe if we knew about who we really were… if we knew that we were made by, and I can't believe I'm saying this since he's the one who's been the most outspoken against me, Colonel Saul Tigh, Ellen Tigh and the others. I mean, if we knew… maybe it could have been different."
"Maybe they didn't tell your people on purpose" said Triana, "or…"
"Or maybe they told Number one.. I mean by his designation, he was the first of us" said Sharon softly, "maybe he knew but refused to tell us but… but Colonel Tigh and the others not knowing who they really are? I can only guess that they died and were resurrected, and maybe their memories were blocked."
"It could be" said Triana as she looked at the food, and then at Sharon once again, "when are you due?"
"A month" said Sharon as he looked at the bulge in her abdomen.
"I'll help you with your pregnancy" said Triana, "I know about the possible complications, but I'd also like to know more about your people, the Cylons."
"Sure" said Sharon with a small smile on her face.
CIC, Battlestar Galactica, 1100 hours.
Colonel Mitchell, Dr. Burke, Colonel Sam Finn, and one of her medical staff were walking with Commander Adama towards the Galactica's CIC. Colonel Mitchell had told the Commander that, while the other teams were going to be checking out the personnel, he'd like to begin with the bridge officers in the control room since they were more at risk of being a Cylon.
"You know" said Colonel Mitchell while Dr. Burke translated, "the bridge is where you'd control the ship itself so… yeah. We'll have Colonel Finn and one of her medical team come with us too, and once your bridge has been cleared… we can go on to the next section, maybe the engine room where we'd run the scanner over the personnel. I mean we'll be doing all of this under guard with your people watching us; but it's something that needs to be done."
"I understand' said the Commander.
It was a few minutes later, after walking through meters of corridors, that the small group led by Commander Adama and flanked by three of Galactica's Marines arrived at a heavy door that was flanked by two more Marines. The Commander nodded his head at the two of them before one of them turned and reached for the handle, and then opened the door. The old man then looked back at the group and told them not to touch anything before leading them into the large room. Colonel Mitchell whistled softly as he looked at the room which had people working behind consoles on various levels while Colonel Finn and Dr. Burke stood next to him.
"Wow" said Colonel Finn as she looked around at the people who were looking back at them.
"This way" said Commander Adama as he led the group down a flight of stairs to the main floor where there was a table in the middle, along with an array of four screens right above it.
"Looks like some kind of radar" said Colonel Mitchell as he looked at the dots on the screen, before looking at the Commander who was making an announcement. He told everyone that the Earthers were going to run their scanners over everyone in the CIC. He told them the crew that even if they had been scanned, no one was to leave the CIC until the entire population of the ship had been checked. It was after he made the announcement that Commander Adama turned to Colonel Mitchell, before asked him to get underway with the scanning.
Colonel Mitchell nodded his head before he turned to Colonel Finn who told the man that it would be better if they started from the higher levels, and then walked down.. checking the officers who were standing on the main floor, including Colonel Tigh, last. Walking up to the top of the CIC while Dr. Burke stayed with Commander Adama on the main floor, the three officers took thirty minutes to run their scanner over everyone behind the consoles, including Dee who couldn't help but smile at Colonel Mitchell while he was running the scanner over her.
"Alrighty, you're free and clear" said Colonel Mitchell as he nodded his head at the young woman who had stood up so that she could be scanned, just as the others had done, before she took her seat again after thanking the man.
"No probs" said Colonel Mitchell after Dr. Burke translated what Dee had told him before he walked down the last few stairs and met up with Dr. Burke, Colonel Finn, and the other medical staff… a Lieutenant Astor.
"Looks like you have a fan, sir" said Lt. Astor as he glanced over at Dee who was looking at Colonel Mitchell and smiling before she looked away, with the same smile on her face, and placed her headset on her head.
"Huh?" asked Colonel Mitchell as he looked back at Dee, who noticed that he was looking back at her before she nodded her head at him again, and then looked at her console and pressed some buttons. The Colonel then looked at Lt. Astor, followed by Colonel Finn and Dr. Burke before mumbling that Vala's going to be really pissed. Colonel Mitchell then sighed before telling them that they needed to get on with it, the man glancing over at Colonel Tigh before looking at Colonel Finn, "this is going to be awkward."
"At least we're done here after checking these guys out" said the woman as she led Colonel Mitchell and Lt. Astor. The Commander then stood with Dr. Burke next to him while Lt. Gaeta, Captain Kelly, and finally Colonel Tigh was being checked out. The older man then looked in surprise when Colonel Finn looked at him and nodded her head.
"No" said a stunned Commander Adama as he walked to the Colonel, "Saul?"
"What?" asked the confused Colonel Tigh who noticed Colonel Mitchell, and Lt. Astor looking at him while Colonel Finn was showing Commander Adama something on the screen of the scanner with Dr. Burke translating, "Bill? What's going on?"
"I… I.." said the Commander as he stumbled to the center table; a stumble that brought Colonel Tigh to action as he went to help his friend by pushing past Colonel Finn and the others from Earth. Grabbing a hold of his arm, Colonel Tigh was surprised when Commander Adama pulled it away and stumbled back again, only for Lt. Gaeta to get him and lean him against the table while the others in the CIC were mumbling among themselves. Commander Adama then told everyone that he was alright while he rubbed his forehead; he then looked at Colonel Tigh and asked him to follow the Earth officers back to the hanger deck, that they needed to run additional tests.
"For?" asked Colonel Tigh as he looked at the Commander, and then at the Earth officers who just looked at him. He then saw the scanner that Colonel Finn was holding before he reached and grabbed the scanner from her. Commander Adama was about to order the Colonel to stop when the man turned the scanner on himself and moved the machine up and down over the front of his chest, and it was then he noticed the screen; specifically the image that appeared on the screen.
Images of what seemed to be tiny ten legged bugs; nanites.
Colonel Tigh then looked up at everyone at the CIC, and then at Commander Adama before he finally spoke.
"This.. this is a trick" said Colonel Tigh, "Bill, I've fought with you.. bled with you.. I… I'm not…."
"Colonel Tigh" said Commander Adama, "I… Saul, I need you at the hanger bay. You.. you'll be brought back to the surface for a secondary…"
"Commander" said the Colonel, his voice shaking, "I'm not a Cylon."
At that, everyone in the CIC started to mumble louder while Dee stood up in shock while putting her hands over her mouth.
"Frak, Saul" said the Commander, "I…"
"Hey!" shouted Colonel Tigh as he looked at everyone in the CIC; and just as it always did when Colonel Tigh lost his temper with the crew, everyone fell silent. The man then turned to Commander Adama and told him that it could be a trick.
"That's why I need you to go back to the surface" said Commander Adama, "we… we need to make sure…"
"I…" said the Colonial officer and stopped when he saw the look on the Commander's face, the look that said he had better do as he was told or else there would be consequences. It was then that Colonel Tigh sighed, before he nodded his head and told Commander Adama he'll go down to the surface… but he wanted observers to make sure that the second round of tests was being carried out properly, and not a trick.
"I was going to suggest that" said the Commander as he held on tight to the edge of the table, so tight that his knuckles were turning white. The Commander then turned to Colonel Mitchell and Colonel Finn before telling that that he wanted Ellen Tigh checked out immediately. Once they were told which room she was in, Colonel Mitchell informed Teal'c over the radio that he needed to take a team and check out Ellen Tigh.
"Three out of four" said Colonel Finn softly as she looked at Dr. Burke.
The Summers Residence, 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale, 1230 hours.
A quick internet search, followed by a call to the Sunnydale Information line, gave Kathy Buffy's address. Once she had put on a set of clothes, and had a decent lunch of some TV dinners, Kathy took the dead young woman's car keys before she exited her loft; part of which was destroyed because of her outburst. Putting the hoodie of the jacket she was wearing over her head, Kathy walked out into the bright sunlight and pressed the button on the key fob. Smiling at the car which just made a beeping sound while its tail lights momentarily flashed, the young woman walked over to the blue coloured sedan and plopped herself onto the driver's seat before driving away.
It had been five minutes later that Kathy stopped the car next the curb right outside Buffy's home. She parked under the shade of a tree before she got out and walked up the walkway to the porch. Looking around, Kathy could tell that it was unlikely that there was anyone home since she couldn't hear any footsteps when she knocked on the door. She looked at the windows and smiled while she waited at the front door after knocking a few more times.
'She may not be in' thought Kathy to herself as she walked to a curtain covered window.
Smiling as she mentally pulled the curtains aside to reveal a cozy living room, the vampire used her eye's ability to zoom in to look at several pictures that were on the mantle of a blonde young woman in a white dress who had a dark haired man in a suit holding her with his arms around her waist. Kathy could see that the both of them were happy; they were grinning at the camera.
'A married Slayer' thought Kathy as she started to walk away when she noticed something else. Looking at a picture on the wall, Kathy saw a large group of people laughing in front of a house; a house that she recognized because of the palm trees that bordered the walkway that led to a porch, but most of all she recognized the number on the pillar that was next to the stairs – 1630.
Kathy smiled when she realized she had already driven past that house.
Now, as she walked on the walkway leading up to 1630 Revello Drive, Kathy had a small smile on her face. She continued walking until she was walking up the stairs to the front porch. She looked at the top of a blonde head that was watching a news broadcast, a news broadcast that made her grin as it was showing a picture of her that was taken earlier that day at Willie's Bar.
'That guy must have had some hidden cameras I didn't know about, good for him' thought Kathy to herself as she lowered her hood, and moved to the right slightly so that whoever was sitting on the couch wouldn't see her if she decided to look out of the window first before opening the door. Kathy then knocked on the door and stepped to one side again when she heard footsteps running towards the door.
Stepping back when the door opened, Kathy smiled at the blonde who opened the door.
"Hi, please let me in" said Kathy as the blonde's eyes immediately glassed over.
TBC.