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Post by JustinB on Feb 8, 2007 23:27:52 GMT -6
I was surprised when Brie placed her hand in mine, as I thought she was unsure about everything. "It sure is different, but at least we get to relax while some else flies, but give me a viper any day other than today." I replied.
Brie smiled and what a wonderful smile it was too. I had only ever knew Brie the leader but I considered myself lucky to get to know the person behind the face.
When I looked deep into her eyes, I noticed something. It was like she was totally at peace and happiness of which I hadn't seen in our previous times together.
"So Brie, how is it having to bunk with someone after all this time, especially one so messy?" I asked half serious, half jokingly."
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Post by Brie on Feb 9, 2007 9:06:48 GMT -6
"I'm just glad she's okay," Brie replied. "It was almost miraculous, one micron she almost died during surgery and the next thing you know she was being released early. But I don't mind having her around. It's not the first time she's stayed with me, a few yahrens back she moved in because someone was trying to kill her and I didn't want her in the barracks. Hopefully she'll take one of several hints that I dropped her way and put her things away before we get back." She paused. "Amy's not the only roommate that I've had since I became squadron leader. When Joey was in charge of Black Squadron we shared quarters. I didn't see much of her since her husband had private quarters elsewhere, but she was always around when she was on duty." She grinned. "Fortunately they made private quarters for the COs before Lucian took over the squadron." She looked down at her hand, so comfortable with JustinB's. She lowered her voice slightly. "And I'm glad that Amy's staying with me, because she's..."
"This is your pilot speaking. We have just been given permission to land aboard the Starliner Alpha. Please make sure your restraints are securely fastened and all personal objects are also secured. We will be landing within the centon. Thank you."
"Amy's what?" JustinB asked.
Brie took her hand back to check her restraint. Obviously the Lords were trying to tell her to wait. "My best friend," she replied. "You know me, I don't make close friends all that easily." It was the truth, albeit not the whole story.
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Post by Brie on Feb 9, 2007 14:12:49 GMT -6
There was one final shuttle landing that evening. "Holt" was in the landing bay, mopping up after some child who has become ill after disembarking. Why anyone would bring a child to a ship like the Starliner Alpha was beyond him. It was a vessel for the worst that humanity had to offer, overindulgences in food, alcohol and gambling abounded. It wasn't the type of place he would ever let his child see! Why there were such spots within the fleet he wasn't sure. But once his time came it would all change. Then the only ones allowed to overindulge would be those who were loyal to him.
After the spot had been cleaned Holt set up the drier. Couldn't risk that one of the privileged of the fleet might fall! He placed it over the spot and the precious water evaporated into it, to be stored and used again another day. "Holt!" someone called from behind him. "You'd better hurry, that shuttle is on final approach!"
Holt turned and looked at the man. "I'm all set now," he called back. He turned off the drier, returned it to the utility closet, and waited in his hiding spot. He liked to watch the shuttles unload and picture each and every person bowing at his feet.
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Post by JustinB on Feb 10, 2007 3:12:28 GMT -6
"Well best friends are what we need out here," I said while checking my restraint " and Amy is very lucky to have you as her best friend."
Moments later the shuttle landed, even though it was a little rough.
"Well that was a landing and a half. I swear they nearly took out the landing skids with that one. I wonder why now why I prefer flying than being a passenger." I said.unbuckling myself then stood up. As Brie stood up I motioned for her to go first out the hatch. Man I was nervous now we had arrived.
Looking out in the landing bay, it was pretty much deserted apart from the mechanics working on another shuttle.
I turned to Brie offered my hand and said "Shall we?"
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Post by Brie on Feb 10, 2007 13:46:13 GMT -6
JustinB turned to Brie offered his hand and said "Shall we?"
Brie took JustinB's hand and smiled again. "We shall," she replied.
There was nothing special about the landing bay, but once they stepped through the doors into the main lobby of the Starliner Alpha the difference was obvious. It was unlike anything else in the fleet, an elegance that Brie hadn't seen since the colonies. It was decorated in gold, silver and bronze. The walls were covered with paintings, and there were several statues that Brie recognized as copies of famous works that had been destroyed by the Cylons. There was even a fountain in the middle, a fountain that she assumed recycled its own water. A large sign giving directions was painted, appropriately enough, in gold paint on a black background. Casino, down the hall and to the left. Dance floor, to the right. Shopping, second floor. Overnight accommodations, third floor (Advanced reservations required.) Diners with reservations, please see the information desk. Diners without reservations, see the Maitre D’ for wait time. Fortunately JustinB walked towards the information desk, he must have made reservations. From the desk she could see the entrance to the main dining room. Brie tried to plan things out in her mind. They’d be seated, then before any time passed she would tell him. He’d understand. He had to.
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Post by Brie on Feb 10, 2007 13:50:01 GMT -6
"Holt" couldn't believe his eyes as he watched the shuttle unload. The Widow, walking hand in hand with JustinB? After what she had done to him, how dare she think that she could find happiness? And wasn't JustinB sick of her by now? Holt followed them at a distance, knowing exactly where to hide so that he couldn't be seen, but still could see all.
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Post by JustinB on Feb 11, 2007 0:19:16 GMT -6
It was only a short walk to the information desk, but when we got there it was deserted. I hit the buzzer and a young woman come from a back room.
" Sorry about that. I was watching Roxzanna-Rizou on IFB News. How can I help you?" she asked.
"Yes you can. I have a reservation for two under the name of Cracken." I said. There was a look of confusion on Brie's face momentarily.
"Ah, yes. Here we are. If you follow Pedros here," she motioned for a waiter," "he will take you too one of the VIP suites."
"This way Sir, Madam." he said.
We followed Pedros to our dining suite. He opened the door and what a suite it was. It was decked out in bright colours with a table in the middle and around the room were double sofas. In one corner was a self serve bar and on the walls were landscape pictures from each of the twelve colonies. I was so in awe of the room, I almost forgot to tip Pedros. I slipped him a small bag of cubits.
"Thankyou Sir, I will be back momentarily to take you order."
When he left I turned to Brie who was just about in awe of the room as I was.
"Just like you, I like my private life staying that way, hence the alias." I said as I sat down on one of the sofas. I hoped that Brie wouldn't be to overwhelmed.
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Post by LucianG on Feb 11, 2007 13:27:26 GMT -6
On vid screens on ships all over the Fleet, including many of those on the Starliner Alpha:
“This is Roxzanna-Rizou, reporting to you once more from just off the Bridge of the Battlestar Galactica. As we reported a few centons ago, we have learned this evening that the Fleet will be jumping from this system in the morning. As always, the Fleet’s new destination is top secret, but we now have a special guest who might be able to shed a bit of light on that topic as our ships begin their hectic preparations for departure. In our studio this evening, we have IFB’s own science and technology consultant, Assistant Science Officer Hroglar, retired, formerly of the Battlestar Galactica. Science Officer Hroglar, welcome back.”
“Thank you, Roxzanna. It’s good to be with you and your audience once more.”
“What can you tell us about the upcoming jump?” asked Roxzanna-Rizou, flashing her near famous smile at the vid lens, not knowing if Hroglar could see her or not.
“Well, Roxzanna, about all we’ve learned so far is that it will be just a little over a four cycle jump, during which time we’ll be traveling through the folds of jump space to traverse a distance many times that that would otherwise be possible in such a short period, even if we were always traveling at the speed of light. Of course, we don’t always travel that fast because many of our ships don’t have the capability to do that in normal space; however, once we engage the jump field generators things are very, very different.”
Hroglar pulled out the model he’d used in a number of very similar prior broadcasts and started explaining the way the ships traveled through the jump. Roxzanna took a sip of the tea held out to her by her assistant while Hroglar went on to discuss how the ships were isolated from each other while in jump space since shuttles and smaller ships didn’t have jump field generators to allow them to fly in jump space. Even C.O.R.A equipped Vipers rarely ventured out into jumpspace since even the tiniest error could have deadly results for the Warrior piloting the ship, or even catastrophic results for one of the interstellar ships. “Yes, it’s often a lonely time on many ships of the Fleet as our ships travel only small distances apart, but are totally out of communications with each other. We have experimented with visual signaling between ships, but that has largely been unsuccessful.”
Fearing that he was putting much of the late evening audience to sleep, she broke in, “Science Officer Hroglar, now we’ve been told that the jump will last just a bit over four cycles. Where do you think that would put us, and do you think this could possibly be the jump that finally takes us to Earth?”
Hroglar’s eyes narrowed and he took on a look of deep consideration for a moment before answering. “Roxzanna, there are any number of systems where we could be going. Without more of the parameters of the jump, we just can’t tell for sure where this jump will take us, but yeah, I guess Earth is always a possibility.”
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Post by Brie on Feb 11, 2007 14:03:30 GMT -6
JustinB had sat down on one of the sofas, but Brie couldn't help looking around just a little bit more. Strangely, the wall on the far side of the suite held no pictures. Brie walked closer and discovered a switch. Activating it, the wall retracted, revealing a window that filled the entire space. "JustinB, you have to see the view!" Brie exclaimed. "We must be on the edge of the fleet, I don't see any other ships." JustinB joined her. Standing behind her, he put his arms around her waist. She leaned back onto him slightly, feeling just about as safe as she had ever felt in her life. They stood there, staring out into empty space, for a centon or two. Although she wanted to savor the moment forever, she knew that it was time. "Before this evening goes any further," she started slowly, wiping away a tear that had formed in the corner of her eye, "there's something I need to tell you. I've been lying to you, to everyone, for yahrens. The truth will soon be made public knowledge, but I want you to hear it directly from me." She turned, and without looking at JustinB, walked to one of the sofas and sat down.
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Post by LucianG on Feb 11, 2007 19:03:27 GMT -6
Roxzanna-Rizou was bored. She flipped her head to get her flame red hair out of her eyes, only to have it fall back to the same spot. She then wiped it with the back of her hand more out of frustration than out of true need to move it. Lords! If everyone watching was as bored with the IFB’s science “expert” as she was, there must be people all over the Fleet contemplating committing suicide right about now, or even worse yet, turning off the IFB and programming vids from the Fleet library! How many fracking jumps had the Fleet made in the past ten yahrens or so? How many of those had she covered personally? And how many times had this idiot Hroglar given almost the exact same presentation? It never varied by more than a tiny bit, and he never would—no—perhaps never could—narrow down the destination to give the people something real to anticipate. Perhaps someday the jump really would be to Earth, but for now, she needed a real story! While Hroglar droned on about the possibility of jumping to Earth, now or someday, Roxzanna-Rizou mouthed to her assistant, “GET ME A REAL STORY, QUICK! SOMETHING JUICY, SOMETHING MEATY…SOMETHING! ANYTHING!”
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