Chapter 2

Colonel Steve Austin stood with Sam, Roy and Johnny in the back of the fire station waiting for the two guest to arrive from the newly establish wormhole. Two figures emerged before them. A dark haired man wearing a darker brown suede jacket with large buckles over a light brown uniform and knee high leather boots with buckles all the way up the sides. Beside him was a blondish haired man wearing an identical uniform and boots. Neither wore any kind of name tags. Both men wore a gun belt and some kind of sidearm.

Upon emerging the dark haired man looked about quickly ensuring it was safe. He took a deep breath. "I'm Apollo. My father, Adama sent me here to meet you on his behalf."

The other also spoke. "I'm Starbuck. I'm backup." Neither were sure if the wormhole on the ship actually brought them to Earth or of it was some kind of trap by the enemy.

Colonel Austin spoke. "I'm Colonel Steve Austin. I spoke with Commander Adama." He then offered a handshake. "Welcome to Earth."

Apollo was hesitant at first. "You sure this is Earth?"

Sam squinted. "Why would it not be?" She was an explorer at heart and wanted more than anything to go into space but the pair looked more military to her and with the government secrecy, she wondered if perhaps they were simply part of a CIA plot to get her engine and not from another planet.

"Don't know. Maybe some Cylon trap." he cautioned.

She asked. "What's a Cylon?"

"A Cylon is a machine." he told her. "They attacked us. Destroyed our twelve worlds. Forgive me if I seem a bit wary."

She asked. "Where are these Cylon things?" The Cylons sounded like the Terminator movie to her. She imagined the Terminator skeleton as she pondered what a Cylon could look like. The mere thought of an army of skeleton machines wiping out Earth twelve times sent shivers down her spine.

"Hunting us." he told her.

She gasped. "Well, shit man don't bring them here!" At that point Sam was ready to send them back through the wormhole and close it completely and forever out of her own fear from a movie.

Steve tried to keep calm and collected. "Sam," he gently and yet sternly spoke. "This is first contact. Let's not say those kinds of things."

She countered. "These dudes are military! They have guns."

"Obviously." he agreed. "They came here. They naturally want to protect themselves."

Johnny asked. "You guys really from outer space?" He too wondered if perhaps the government was playing on a trick on them to get Sam's engine.

Roy cocked an eyebrow as he tried to process what was happening. It was all so unreal and strange. Maybe there were real or maybe they were agents making false claims.

Apollo stated. "We are from the Galactica. We're pilots."

Steve stated. "I'm a pilot myself."

Starbuck asked. "Can you prove this is Earth?"

Sam looked at Steve. "How do we prove this is Earth?"

"I'm sure there is a way." he figured. "We can show you two around." he offered.

Roy stated. "Better change their clothes."

Johnny agreed. "That will stick out like a sore thumb."

Starbuck cocked a head. "You guys can send us back to the Galactica, right?"

Sam nodded. "You can go back right now and lead whatever these Clyons things are as far away from us as possible. Just turn around and walk back."

"Sam!" Steven chastised. "You don't tell the first humans that we make contact with that are from another world to leave."

"Sure we can." she disagreed. "It's called self preservation. These Cylon things took out twelve planets. There is only one of us. And we don't have deep space ships."

Johnny had to agree. "She kind of has a point there, Steve."

Apollo asked. "Are you a diplomat of someone of importance?" He looked directly at Sam wondering why she was even there to meet them. For him it was Colonel Austin who was the authority.

"It's my engine and my wormhole." she told him. "Don't like it. Leave!"

Steve rubbed the side of his head. "Please Sam."

Apollo stated. "My father has give us 24 centars to make sure this is Earth and not a trap. If Starbuck and myself do not return safely, he will send reinforcements."

Sam gestured. "You can go back at anytime. Now if you want."

"Sam." Steve was losing his patients.

Johnny defended. "I kind of have to agree with the millennial on this one. If they are sending armed men…maybe they should go back."

Steve rolled his head back in disbelief.

Roy asked. "Not how you imagine first contact, huh?"

"Nope." he had to agree.

Short Time Later

Apollo and Starbuck were give blue fireman's uniforms to wear as Steve had informed his boss of the events and was advised to keep first contact a secret.

None of the men really knew what to make of the situation or if the two visitors were even telling the truth or part of some top secret government operation to get information on Sam and her engine. Paranoia was tainting the minds of the men despite the knowing what the rogue wormhole could connect with.

Apollo and Starbuck had their own suspicions to deal with as they were not sure if they actually made contact with Earth or stumbled into some kind of Cylon trap. They were welcomed to sit at the table and speak with the men of the station as Steve had the uniforms and weapons placed in a storage room for safety concerns. Sam sat at the table with Steve as the Colonel asked the two aliens questions.

"So, tell us your current situation." Steve requested.

Apollo gave a debriefing. "There were originally thirteen colonies. Twelve of the colonies settled on planets in our solar system. The thirteenth colony was more independent and left the know parts of the galaxy to find a home for themselves. That was eons ago. Over time, we thought the thirteenth colony was nothing more than an old myth. No one ever thought about it. Until the Cylons attacked. The Cylons are machines that our ancestors made to serve us. They were robotic. Then, they became self aware." he informed.

Sam gasped. "Like the Terminator!"

"The what?" Apollo asked.

Steve explained. "The Terminator isn't real. It' a movie. A story of machines becoming self aware and then wiping out mankind."

Starbuck stated. "Kind of like a Cylon."

"Tell me more about these Cylons." Steve requested.

"They rose to power. Attacked us with the help of a traitor named Baltar. And after the attack, the survivors boarded ships to escape as each colony fell. The Galactica is the last surviving Battle Star. We protect the civilian fleet. We hope to find the thirteenth colony so we can find a new home. We also hope the thirteenth colony will have the ability to defend against the Cylons. It doesn't sound you guys even have Battle Stars." He gave a defeated sigh.

"We don't." Steve agreed. "Though, with Sam's engine, we could make them."

Sam mentioned. "We could make space ships if we have one to reverse engineer."

Apollo asked. "Were is this planet located? Where did the wormhole bring us?"

Steve explained. "We don't have the galaxy measured the way you do. We are on the edge of the galaxy in a small solar system. The wormhole is rogue and can go anywhere. It ended up on your ship. Probably, the gravitational wave of your engine caught it."

Starbuck stated. "I don't know much about wormholes but I suppose that could happen."

Apollo asked. "You guys wouldn't mind giving us a tour of your home, would you?"

Steve asked. "You mean the plant?"

"Yes." he clarified. "There are fifty thousand survivors praying to the gods for a home."

Sam quipped. "Mars is available."

Steve gave her a stern look as Roy tried to not laugh and Johnny nearly choked on his coffee.

"Sam." Steve gave her a cockeyed look.

"Just saying." she shrugged. "You know all that planet warming, make a colony on Mars bull shit. They have advanced tech. They could do it. Call Elon."

Roy stated. "We would but Elon would be a child right now."

Steve made a request. "I would like to go with you two when you go back to your ship."

Apollo and Starbuck traded glances unsure if they should trust him.

"Are you insane?" Sam gasped at Steve.

He looked at her and spoke. "Not at all."

"You have bionics." she reminded him.

Apollo asked. "Bionics?"

Steve explained. "I was in an accident and lost both legs, my right arm and my eye. I have artificial limbs and an artificial eye." He looked to Sam. "I was going to disclose that to them."

"They might mistake you for Arnold." she warned.

He gave a sigh.

"Arnold?" Starbuck asked curious.

Roy explained. "He's an actor who played the Terminator in the movie. Terminators don't really exist. It's fiction."

Johnny stated. "Apparently, the real ones are called the Clyons."

Steve urged. "Can I come with you and meet your father?" He spoke directly to Apollo.

"You can come." he agreed.

"I have another request." Steve added. "I want Sam to come too."

She gasped. "What?"

Roy chimed in. "Yeah! What?" He was not about to let his granddaughter to go through a wormhole to a unknown spaceship.

Steve explained. "She's quantum physicist engineer. I need her." he insisted. "She needs to get control of this wormhole on the ship."

Roy stated. "Then I'm coming too."

Johnny volunteered. "Me too."

Apollo asked the pair. "Why?"

Roy stated. "She's my granddaughter. The first wormhole connected this station to the future. She's from our future."

Johnny injected. "And I'm her godfather. We're not letting go alone."

Apollo agreed. "Okay! All four of you can come to the Galactica with us."

Starbuck asked. "I have a question. We speak the same language but I noticed your glyphs are different. Why is that?"

Steve looked at his friends. "Um…any theories?" He then looked at the fireman surrounding them. "I can't explain that."

Fireman Chet observed and spoke up. "The tower of babble. I bet we're the thirteenth colony. I wonder how they built the pyramids?" his mind churned. "Maybe levitation or something? Hey, did that thirteenth colony have a name like your ship?"

Apollo answered. "From what I read the lead ship was named the Poseidon."

Chet grinned. "Greek god of the water." He suggested. "I bet all that ancient alien stuff is real."

Roy jested. "And I suppose Atlantis was the thirteenth colony."

"I bet it was." Chet insisted.

"Atlantis?" Apollo asked. "We had a battle star named Atlantis. We lost her. Named after Atlas. God of navigation. He mapped the stars in our galaxy."

Steve stated. "In Greek mythology, there is a man named Atlas who held up the world. Maps are based on him. Seems your culture over laps a great deal with ancient Greece."

Starbuck remarked. "I look forward to learning about this ancient Greece. I also wonder what kind of culture do you have?"

"What do you mean?" Johnny asked him.

"What do you guys do for fun?" he asked. He hoped to find a culture similar to his own. Someplace with bars and gambling.

"Fun?" Roy asked. "I guess that depends. Lot of guys have families and we go home and spend time with our wives and kids."

Starbuck wondered. "Have any ale gardens?"

Steve understood the term. "We have ale or beer gardens. We call them bars."

"Play a game of pyramid?" he wondered.

"Not sure what game that is but we do have many games. Cards is popular." Steve told him.

"Cards?" Starbuck asked.

Johnny mentioned. "And casinos."

"Casinos!" Starbuck perked up.

Sam joked. "Sure…Take the alien to Vegas."

"Vegas is?" Starbuck asked.

Steve explained. "It's a city that is full of gambling, bars and women."

His eyes lit up. "Sounds like I'm going to like this Vegas place."