Battlestar Galactica
Past, Present, Future
Chapter 20
Encounter with a Myth
Time always passes slowly in space, especially when you have the night watch.
Granted, there really isn't a "day or night" when you travel thru space, but it helped people keep to their scheduled routines when they thought about things in the context of night and day.
And so, the "night shift" was really no different in space then it was on a planet because the majority of people would be asleep during that time, thus, nothing ever seemed to happen! As a result of this tedium, one had the problem of staying awake while on duty.
That was problem facing Ensign Aleman.
He had only recently completed his training for the night watch scanner operator and was having a bit of trouble staying focused on the blank screen of the ships main scanners. Every so often he would look out the main view port at the front of the bridge just to assure himself that there were still stars out there somewhere, even if they were too far away for him to pickup on his scanners.
He was beginning to think he should have stayed in the engineering department rather then transferring to operations, but he was convinced that by switching to OPS, he would have a greater opportunity for promotion. He just wished something would happen!
It was then that his wish was granted!
Aleman leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms out above his head, the sound of snapping and popping joints only slightly muffled by the material of his tan and brown uniform. He dropped his arms down to his sides, allowing them to dangle there while he closed his eyes and rolled his neck around in a circle to try and get some of the kinks out. He was just beginning to work one particularly sore spot out when the detection alert sounded in his headset.
Aleman nearly fell out of his seat when the alert sounded, but he quickly recovered his composure and began entering codes into the scanner console that would locate and identify whatever it was that set off the alert. The process took less then three microns and revealed what at first Aleman thought was some kind of asteroid belt or meteor storm on the very farthest reaches of the ships scanners due to the heavy concentration of contacts covering such a large area, but then he began to notice something unusual.
Some of the contacts were changing direction.
Aleman couldn't understand how an asteroid or meteor could be traveling in one direction one centon and then go in a totally different direction the next without hitting something. And as far as he could tell, they were not hitting anything.
Aleman entered a new set of codes and the readouts began to change. He was no longer scanning in all directions, but was now concentrating his scans on the large group of contacts in an attempt to identify what they were. The readout showed something he never would have suspected. These were not asteroids or meteors he was seeing.
They were ships!
Hundreds of them! Thousands! Tens of thousands! Aleman could not believe what he was seeing. He began running an analysis of what kind of ships they were and even more importantly … who's they were! He quickly ran them thru the "Warbook", which was a huge database of every ship known to the Colonies. While he was doing that, Aleman contacted the Command Duty Officer.
"Major Jax, you need to see this!" Aleman said.
Jax moved over to the scanner station where Aleman was running his analysis. She was very familiar with the scanner station as it was her post for three yarhen on the Titan before they arrived at Phantom Base and then five yahren spent on the Genesis after they left the base before accepting the executive officers position aboard the Titan. She stepped over and stood behind Aleman and asked, "What do have Ensign?"
"Not sure yet Major, the computer is still chewin on it." Aleman said with his Sagittarian accent. "Wait a micron, here it comes."
The computer screen began to fill with images and data about the multitudes of different vessels in the unidentified fleet. The data was staggering as ship after ship came up on the screen with a variety of information dealing with its size, shape, propulsion and weapons. But more importantly, what type of life forms were aboard.
The readings were very vague at first being that the alien fleet was at the very edge of their scanner range, but as they closed the distance, Aleman was able to refine the details of the fleet.
"Would ya look at that!" Aleman said as he read the description of one of the vessels. "That thing is over forty kilometrons long! I've never seen a ship that big before!"
Jax was more interested in what was at the bottom of the readout.
"LIFEFORMS: REPTILIAN"
She had never in her twenty five yahren of service seen the lifeform readout come up with reptilian. Then she asked about the alien fleet in general.
"How many ships do these "people" have Ensign? And what course are they on?"
Aleman switched back to the detection and plotting mode on the scanners and began gathering information their course and speed. He glanced at the computers count on the number of ships detected and gasped at what he saw.
"This can't be right!" he said under his breath.
"What's wrong?" Jax Asked.
"The counter, it says there are thirty one thousand two hundred eleven ships in that fleet! That's impossible!"
"Thirty one thousand, are you sure?" Jax asked as she stared at the counter herself.
Sure enough, that was exactly what it showed.
"Good lord! What course are they on?" she asked.
"I have it as one four two Alpha by two nine six Delta."
Jax thought about that course for a moment. It seemed somewhat familiar to her, but she couldn't think of why.
"I figure they'll come no closer then seventy two million kilometrons to our flight path Major." Aleman said in anticipation of her next question.
"Good, I don't want to get too close to a fleet that size unless I know their friendly." She said. Then she asked. "Plot their course for me Ensign, let's see if we can figure out where their heading."
Aleman entered several new commands into his console and a star map appeared on his screen. He entered the course the alien fleet was on into the computer and in a few microns the course was showing one the map. Aleman and Jax both gasped when they realized where the unknown fleet was heading.
Straight for the Colonies!
"Holy frak!" Jax breathed as she realized what she was seeing. Then she turned to the communications officer and started giving orders.
"Daines, get the Colonel up here right away, and then contact the Genesis and let them know what we found. Tell them we are altering course to avoid the …"
Jax was cut off by Aleman who yelled over to her, "Major, looks like our friends out there have spotted us! I'm showing a number of vessels breaking off from the main body and heading directly for us. Estimate they will intercept us in fifty five centons!"
Jax stepped back over to the scanner station and could clearly see the group of ships heading their way. There were probably twenty ships in all, including one that was as big as a Battlestar. Jax turned the helmsman, Ensign Tod, and ordered him to alter course away from the incoming vessels onto a parallel course to their own fleet, then she turned to the comms officer and said, "Tell Commander Verga that we've been discovered and have approximately twenty of the unidentified vessels heading toward us and that we are taking evasive maneuvers per plan Alpha." Then she checked the scanners again and seen that the pursuing ships were gaining on them.
"Helm, increase to flank speed!" she ordered just as Colonel Gellis entered the bridge.
"Situation report Major!" Gellis asked as he mounted the command dais. "What do have?"
"About three centons ago, we picked up an enormous fleet of ships on long range scan. We were just getting ready to alter our course when a group of approximately twenty ships broke off from the main body and began heading toward us at high speed. I've had a message sent to the Genesis informing them of our situation and have us on course per plan Alpha."
Gellis nodded his head as he when to have a look at the scanners. He looked over Aleman's shoulder at the scanner screen and though he could not see the main body of the mystery fleet, he could see the large group that was pursuing his lone Gunstar.
"Any ID on those ships yet Ensign?" Gellis asked Aleman.
"No sir! They don't match anything in the "Warbook"." Aleman responded.
"Have they tried to make contact with us?" Gellis asked Ensign Daines.
"Nothing so far sir! All channels are clear."
"I wonder who in Hades they are!" Gellis wondered aloud, then to Daines, "Have you reached the Genesis yet?"
"Yes sir, they have acknowledged our message and are in route to our location to assist. Estimated time to arrival is fifty five centons!" Daines said.
"How long before those unknown ships overtakes us?" he asked Aleman.
"ETA is about fifty two centons sir." Aleman said with a touch of dread in his voice.
"Isn't that just lovely!" Gellis said. "The Genesis will arrive just in time to see us get the pogees blown out of us!"
On the bridge of the Battlestar Genesis, Fleet Commander Verga was conferring with his senior officers via vid-com link. The mood of the conversation was quite serious.
"The report from Colonel Gellis is that twenty ships have broken off from the main fleet and are now in pursuit of the Titan. He has changed course per plan Alpha and is currently forty centons away. The problem we have here is, the alien ships are only thirty five centons from overtaking them!"
"Good lords! If they can't outrun those ships they won't stand a chance!" Commander Sachs said.
"We have to do something!" said Commander Goff. "The question is what can we do to help them?"
"With your permission sir, I'd like to take my task force at light speed to assist the Titan." Commander Bannon said earnestly. "It would cost us over half our fuel, but we could be there is less then thirty centons."
"Our fuel situation is becoming somewhat critical Commander." reported Colonel Leon said. "Do you think it's wise to use up so much fuel when we don't even know if the Titan is in danger yet?"
"I don't know Colonel, maybe it would be a waste of fuel, but I think I'd rather error on the side of caution then be wrong and loss a good ship and her crew." Bannon said emphatically.
"I didn't mean it like that sir!" Leon began to say before Verga cut him off.
"I think you're right Commander, we can't afford to wait and see if these aliens are peaceful or not, not with the Titan outnumbered twenty to one. Take your task force up to light speed immediately and rendezvous with the Titan. Maybe if these aliens see your group they'll be more inclined to talk."
"Yes sir, we'll get underway immediately! Bannon said and his monitor went black. Within a centon, the Gunstar Phoenix, the Battlestar Alexandria and twelve of the fleet's destroyers broke off from the fleet and jumped to light speed. Verga watched as his second in command charged off to meet up with the Titan to determine if they had just found what could be a very dangerous enemy.
On the bridge of the Titan, things were getting a bit more tense as the alien fleet kept closing the distance between them. Gellis had thought about making a jump to light speed, but they were so low on fuel, they would not be able to get far enough away from their pursuers to make a difference, so he decided the best course of action was to run at flank speed and hope they would somehow reach the fleet before the alien ships could catch up. Unfortunatley, circumstances was not on their side.
"Colonel, seven centons until the alien force is in weapons range." Major Jax reported as she stood by Aleman and his scanner station. Aleman had begun detailed scans of the pursuing ships as soon as they had come into range and found thatthey were unlike anything he had ever seen before. The material they were made of was a totally unknown element that the computer was having problems even getting a clear scan of. It was as if only part of the scanning signal was returning to them.
"How long before the Genesis and the rest of the fleet arrive?" Gellis asked, concern leaking into his tone slightly.
"Estimate eleven centons till the fleet arrives." Jax said.
"Alright then, if we can't outrun these people, then we might as well turn around and see if we can persuade them to leave us alone. Major, take us battle stations! Have both squadrons report to landing bays and prepare to launch, all gun crews are to make ready for battle. Have them hold fire until they receive orders from me unless we fall under actual attack."
Then to Ensign Daines, he said, "Daines, have you been able to contact our friends out there yet?"
"Nothing yet sir!"
"Alright then, get a message off to the fleet immediately. Tell them that we have been unable to outrun our pursuers and have been unable to establish contact with them to determine their intent. Tell them that at this time, I am engaging the inbound fleet in an attempt to ascertain their intentions."
"Yes sir." Daines said and turned to carry out the order when a message came thru.
"Sir, incoming message from Commander Bannon."
"Put it thru Ensign."
"Phoenix to Titan, do you copy?" came Bannon's voice.
"This is Titan Commander." Gellis replied.
"Whats your status there Colonel?" Bannon asked.
"Still no contact with the approaching vessels. I am preparing to come about and engage them at this time sir." Gellis reported, then he added halfheartedly, "Any chance of getting a little assistance sir?"
"I think I can accommodate that request Colonel!" Bannon replied.
And as if on cue, the Phoenix and her task force dropped out of light speed and cruised up on the Titan's position.
"You ask for assistance, you get assistance!" Bannon joked as Gellis watched the Phoenix move into the lead position ahead of the Titan."
"Holy frak!" Gellis said under his breath, then into his comm unit he said, "How in Hades did you do that Commander? I've never seen anyone come out of light speed with such precision before!"
"Military secret my friend! I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you!" Bannon said with a chuckle, then more seriously he asked, "So where are our friends at?"
He didn't have to wait long because at that moment the alien vessels came into visual range.
They had slowed down substantially when they realized the Titan had stopped running and had turned to face them, then they came to a complete stop when the Phoenix and it's task force dropped out of light speed right on top of the Titan. It seemed to Gellis that now that the sides were almost even, these aliens didn't seem so interested in starting trouble.
The two groups of ships sat for several moments facing each other across the vastness of space, neither moving. Bannon had his scanner operator run a full scan of the ships that faced them to determine who they were and what type of weapons they had, just in case things got dicey! The scanner operator finished the scans and called Bannon over to look at the results. What he saw made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. At that moment, a message was picked up by the Colonial vessels. It was a simple, three word message sent in Colonial standard with no greeting or identification. It simply asked:
"What are you?"
Bannon looked at the message and wondered what they meant. What did they mean by "what are you"? He stared at the message on the screen for several microns before sending his own message. He also ordered all the ships of the task force to be prepared for anything. Then he sent the message.
"Human. What are you?"
There was a somewhat lengthy pause before the reply was received. The answer sent chills thru everyone in the group.
"Cylon"
Bannon immediately switched over to the task force channel and ordered the commanders of each ship to hold their fire. Something wasn't right. If these were Cylons, why didn't they attack? He knew that they had scanned his task force and knew they were human, and yet they didn't attack!
Then a thought came to him. A memory of the origins of the Cylons, of how they were built by a race of …
In that moment he knew these were not the same "Cylons" that the human race had been at war with for over a millennium. He knew that these "people" couldn't be the same Cylons that had destroyed the Colonies or the fleet or Phantom base.
Bannon knew because the lifeform reading from their scans read: REPTILIAN.
Realization came to him like a tidal wave as he finally realized who these "people" were.
Just as the thought occurred to him, the communications officer called over to him.
"Commander, message coming in from the Genesis. Commander Verga says they have us on scanners and will arrive in less then two centons. He also asks if the alien fleet has shown any hostility towards us."
Bannon looked out at the alien fleet for a moment then told the com officer, "Tell Commander Verga that we have made contact with the Cylons!
"Real, living, breathing, flesh and blood Cylons!"
