Chapter 28T - Good News?

[Brie]

“Commander Sheba,” a very excited Finky called from her station on the bridge, “there’s a message from the Galactica! They’re alive!”

“Of course they’re alive,” Sheba replied. “They’ve just been having communications problems. We’ve received a few transmissions from them over the past couple of centars.”

“No, Ma’am,” Finky said. “Captains Lazant and Amy! They’re alive! Now Major Brie will be able to go free!!!”

“Let me see,” Sheba replied, hurrying to Finky’s terminal. After reading it herself she read it for everyone to hear. A cheer rose up from most of the people on the bridge.

“There’s a second message coming,” Finky said. She read out loud, “There’s a crawlon on your nose, and one on Major Buellah’s as well.” Finky started to laugh. “Must have been from someone who just heard about the verdict. Major Buellah isn’t too popular lately!”

Sheba thought for a moment. “Tell Major Lucian to start the mission debriefing himself, I’ll be there soon. And notify Colonel Charybdis!” Sheba took off at a run, looking for Major Buellah.

[Agelastus]

An incessant beeping in my ear woke me from a sound, dreamless sleep. I groaned as I leaned over and saw the time on my chrono. Just over two centars since I'd collapsed onto the bunk. Not enough.

Nowhere near enough.

Still, I'd been the one who'd ordered the watch daggit to wake me when the decoding subroutines had finished with the burst transmission from the Galactica. Although I hadn't expected it to be this soon.

I looked around. The two or three other occupants of the ready room - it had been closer than my quarters - seemed to be asleep. Still, I couldn't chance it.

It didn't take long to get to the storage locker where I'd left my screen. And since that part of the bunkroom complex was deserted, I brought the message up then and there.

Well, this was a surprise...no names, but "the two captains" could refer only to two people.

"Well, well, well," I drawled. Even though I had no audience, I just had to say it out loud. "You know what, Major? I told you I didn't believe anyone was dead until I'd seen their body..."

I quickly ran down the list of messages the watch daggit had intercepted in the last two centars. One of them made me shake my head, as I realised that all the time the decoding sub-routine had spent on the Cylon coded message had been pointless. There was the same information again in an official communique. The code used was Colonial standard, but my instructions relating to transmissions from the Galactica had caused the program to intercept it anyway.

Then I reconsidered. The code was broken now. Which meant if it was used again I'd be able to act on any information very quickly.

Then I wondered just how the code had been broken so quickly. I queried the daggit. And grinned. It had been a two layer code, Cylon, then Aries merchant, and an obscure Aries code at that.

The Cylon code however...whoever had done it had used what they thought was an obscure military code. It hadn't been. It had been a civilian code, one used mainly by what passed among the Cylons for a merchant caste. I recalled that some examples of it had been recorded during the Gamoray raid.

And, of course, this code was one of the primary ones my own coder used. A related algorithm was used in the security locks on Cylon doors...

I knew Quiver wouldn't have had time to carry out my instructions yet, so I decided to browse for a while.

Then a seemingly innocuous bulletin sent from Life Center for the attention of Gold Squadron personnel brought me up short. It was a simple message, giving the time that Captain Hawke had regained consciousness.

I was stunned. How had I missed this? He was alive. I'd been his wingman at Pangara, before being switched off to be Artus' wingman. Perhaps the one time I really had had cause to question the Major's judgment. After all, I'd returned alive. And neither of the people whose wing I'd been supposed to be covering had returned at all...

I was heading in the direction of Life Center before my brain really caught up with my body. I didn't know if they were allowing visitors, but I had to try.

I needed to see him. Just to be sure I wasn't still dreaming.

Besides, I'd had someone check the last hand in the Pyramid game we'd been playing before I went on the "suicide" mission against the base. He'd have won it.

I owed him some cubits.

And I always payed my debts.

[LucianG]

When Majors Lucian, JustinB, and Jorlan arrived on the Bridge, Lieutenant Finky approached the men and said rapidly in a low voice that only they could hear, “Major Lucian, you’re not gonna believe this! They’re alive, Sir!”

“Who, Finky?” asked Lucian. “Who’s alive?”

“Sorry, Sir, Captain Lazant and Captain Amy. Commander Sheba said for you to begin the briefing without her. Colonel Charybdis will be returning arriving shortly.”

“That's great news, Finky!" said Lucian as he and the other Majors did high fives. "They're alive! Now, who’s the officer of the deck?” Lucian questioned, not seeing either Major Joey or Major BatGal in their usual spots when Commander Sheba and Colonel Charybdis were both missing.

“Was <cough,” she muffled, “that rotten scoundrel-cough> Swennson until you arrived, Sir, but now you’re it—him—he—whatever,” said Finky excitedly, glancing with disgust toward Swennson. “Joey and BatGal are both off duty at the moment.”

“Finky,” warned Lucian. “Give me the gist of it, without the half-muffled commentary.”

A few moments later, as Finky was filling in the few details she knew, Swennson joined them and gave command of the Bridge to Lucian. Lucian said, “Captain, Lieutenant Finky, please join us for this briefing.” They entered Sheba’s ready room.

Swennson gave a brief status update of the overall fleet, then Lucian asked, "Captain Swennson, what is the current status of our patrols?”

“We have two long range patrols active at the moment, two Vipers each, on staggered shifts. Both are from Bronze Squadron,” answered Swennson, glancing at his chart. He seemed mildly uneasy, though Lucian wasn’t certain that it wasn’t from Finky’s withering glare.

“Anything short range?” queried Lucian.

Swennson glanced over the sheet and said, “I don’t think so, Sir. We haven’t received the report from the Galactica yet, though. They could have a flight out. I’m just not sure, Sir.”

“Captain, I was once told,” relatively recently, he recalled ruefully, “when you’re in charge, you have to be sure. Lives depend on us being sure. Get on it and find out, Captain. Quickly.”

“Right on it, Sir,” said Captain Swennson as he scrambled back onto the Bridge.

Lucian continued after the door closed, “Since in this case, we’re obviously not sure about many things, and since I’m more than a little concerned about the current state of events with Commander Sheba leaving the Bridge unexpectedly, I believe we must take some extra precautions. Considering the trouble we’ve had over the last few cycles, that’s probably the wise course of action anyway. Since I haven’t even been briefed on the mission that Commander Sheba was planning, I need a little time to study her brief, so I believe that right now would be an excellent time for an unannounced Black Squadron drill. Major JustinB, how quickly can you launch four Warriors for a short range patrol, say, a quick trip to the Galactica and back? Swennson said that telemetry shows that it’s moving our way. Your flight can do a fly by of the Big G, establish communications with Galactica flight control, and get a line on their current patrol layout. We’ll use the information the patrol gains and compare it with the results of Captain Swennson’s communications. With all the comm problems we’ve had over the past few cycles, I’d like the dual verification.”

“We can launch in less than five centons, Sir,” said JustinB.

“Let’s do it,” said Lucian. As As JustinB was about to go through the door, Lucian called to him, “One moment, Major JustinB.” Thinking of the events in the O’Club, he whispered to his friend, “JustinB. I’m sorry to say this, but as a senior officer, I must. As much as I’m sure you’d like to be on it, I think you may need to think very carefully about placing someone else in charge of this patrol. I know you want to go, I can see it in your eyes, but I got the distinct impression,” from the four empty tankards on the table, “that you’d had several drinks before I arrived in the O’Club….”

[Brie]

Major Buellah was in the process of finalizing his plans to return to the CQ when Commander Sheba caught up with him. “I need you to come with me,” was all that she said.

Buellah said nothing while walking to her office, but started complaining as soon as the door closed behind them. “This is even harder than I thought it would be,” he told the Commander. “Everyone is blaming me. I keep trying to tell them that I was just doing my job, but no one wants to listen.”

Commander Sheba wasn’t listening either, she was preoccupied. She took out a strange device and placed it on the side of her computer monitor. Making sure that Buellah wasn’t looking, she typed in a code and made a few adjustments. “It’s going to get worse,” she said at last as the translated message popped up on her screen. “Lazant and Amy are alive. That's good, of course, but it makes things more complicated. Here, come take a look at this, it’s from Apollo. This is for you and me only, no one else even knows about it.”

Buellah joined her behind her desk. He read the message several times, then sighed. “I know what I have to do,” he said at last.

“I’m sorry,” Sheba said softly. “There’s a meeting I’m supposed to be at right now, but if there are any problems contact me privately and we can meet.

“You can count on me, Commander,” Buellah said. He left her office, hating the reaction of what he was about to do.

Commander Sheba removed the device and returned it to its hiding place, then left to return to the bridge.

[Brie]

After Skyler left Brie got off the bed and tried a few pushups. It wasn’t a good idea, although it had mostly healed the strain quickly brought some pain back to her injured elbow. She settled on sit-ups instead. She needed to find a way to pass the time. If a few centars had taken so long then ten yahrens would seem like forever, and no matter what she told Skyler, General SickBay wasn’t the solution.

“Brie, follow me.” Tanya, one of the two female guards that seemed to like Brie, approached and opened the cell door.

“What’s up?” Brie asked, walking behind the woman.

“It’s your turn in the turbowash,” Tanya informed her. It was like music to Brie’s ears. Tanya led her to a small room off to one side. “It’s not like officer’s quarters, I’m sure, but at least you get a little bit of privacy. There’s some clean clothes and towels on the rack, the dirty ones you place in the laundry cart in the corner.”

“How long do I get?” Brie asked.

“Five centons,” Tanya let her know, “starting now.”

[JustinB]

,” from the four empty tankards on the table, “that you’d had several drinks before I arrived in the O’Club….”

Four!!! If he only knew the truth. I knew myself that I wasn't fit for flying just yet. Even if I hadn't drunk all those ales I wouldn't have flown. It was time for Captain Randrius to take on a little responsibility.

I was just leaviong the meeting room when I saw Randrius enter the Bridge. I motioned for him to come over and see me.

"Randrius, I got a mission for you to command. Go to Captain Swennson over there and get the co-ordinates for the Galactica of him. Take Kris, RaycerX and Rose and do a fly by of Galactica. You are to establish communications with Galactica flight control, and get a line on their current patrol layout. The information the patrol gains can be transmitted to Captain Swennson. You have under five centons to be launched." I ordered.

"Major, I don't know if I am ready for this type of responsibility." he replied.

"You are my 2IC and very capable, go."

I walked back into the briefing room. "The patrol under Captain Randrius will be launched in four centons." I took my seat waiting to find out what this was all about.

[Brie]

Major Buellah buried himself in his research. Although Commander Apollo had given him most of the information that he would need, he knew that he needed to make himself sound convincing. He then sent two messages, one to Boleman to meet him in ten centons, and another to Major Pierce, to meet him in fifteen. He couldn't wait to return to the CQ. If the warriors on the Callisto were mad at him already, he could just imagine how bad things were about to get.

[Brie]

After her five centons in heaven Brie was taken back to her cell. A few centons later yet another guard brought her a meal. How Urdea kept track of all these people Brie didn’t know. Brie took one look at the food that she had been given. “I can’t eat this, I’m a vegetarian,” she said, pushing the tray slightly away from her.

The guard didn’t seem too happy. “There are no vegetarians in the brig,” he said, sounding disgusted. “You eat what we give you, or you starve. Your choice.”

“You don’t understand,” Brie said with a little bit too much drama, “I CAN’T eat it. I’m allergic to the hormones in the meat. Check with Doc Bkj if you want.” She was lying, but she also knew if asked Doc would back her up. “One bite of that and it could kill me.”

“I could only wish,” the guard mumbled very quietly. “Widow of the Great Traitor...”

“Excuse me?” Brie said. “Did you say something?”

“No,” the guard said quickly. “I’ll take care of it, make sure they know to send meatless meals.” He took the food away, still mumbling to himself.

Brie wasn’t sure what he had said but had a terribly uneasy feeling about the whole conversation.

[LucianG]

Lucian finished reading the briefing and closed the file. As he did, Major JustinB closed the comm unit he had been using quietly and said, "Lucian, the Cylon cruiser has arrived safely from the Galactica. Captain Randrius reported no trouble on the trip. No problems, nothing threatening, though Randrius said it was really difficult to watch that cruiser enter the Callisto's landing bay. If it had been a Cylon manned ship, they could have blown up the entire landing bay and possibly destroyed the Callisto! Randrius is downloading the patrol info he obtained from the Galactica to Callisto flight control and to Captain Swennson's tactical computer. He said they would like to remain on patrol for a little longer. "

"Good job. Just tell them no turbos! They are not to use too much fuel under normal conditions," said Lucian wryly. He tapped the file and said, "That's what this briefing is all about."

Fallel spoke up, "I just checked with Flight Control. There has been a request for Doc BKJ and a Med Lab team to report to the landing bay. Someone may be injured."

"See if you can find out," said Lucian, "and make sure someone is on the way."

Major Jorlan cut in, "With your permission, Sir, Bronze Squadron's back-up flight will stand down."

"Agreed," said Lucian. "Let's preserve all the fuel we can. According to this, the situation in the fleet has grown quite critical."

[Brie]

About a centar later Brie was escorted to the entrance of the brig. Two blackshirts, whose names she had discovered were Jared and Enoch, were waiting for her. Brie didn’t like either one of them, they were the two that Pierce had bribed to get her alone while the Tribunal members had been deliberating. “What’s going on?” Brie asked.

“You’re invited to a special meeting,” Jared told her, giving no further details. “Hands behind your back, please.”

Brie complied, but as the shackles tightened around her wrists she couldn’t shake the feeling that something very bad was about to happen.

They didn’t walk very far.