Chapter 28GG - Aftershocks

[Brie]

Reports were starting to come in, a few of Pierce’s followers had survived, most not by choice. They were being brought by the Agro Ship workers to the main bay to be transported to the Callisto when a new shuttle arrived. As more workers made their way to the bay it became an almost party-like atmosphere. They had fought against a madman, and they had won. There was a lot that they should be proud of.

Off in the distance a lone man with a slight limp could be seen approaching. As he made it closer some cheers started. The man was obviously their new hero. Jeb, who had started acting like Brie’s new best friend, called her. “Major, come and meet Ange.”

Brie found it ironic that not long before, Jeb had been trying to kill her, and now was referring to her by her former rank. She considered correcting him but she was just too tired. “Okay,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

Jeb led Brie through the small crowd that was gathering around their new champion. “Ange, I want you to meet someone. This is Major Brie, from the Callisto.” There was no mention of her conviction or of what she had supposedly done to cause Amy’s current condition.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Major,” Ange said, holding out a hand. “Captain Suttir told me what you did on the bridge for our people.”

Brie looked up at Ange and was unable to speak for a micron. She coughed once, then said, “Excuse me.” She ran as fast as she could to a nearby trash receptacle, bent over it and started to vomit violently. Kyla noticed and came running over. Since there was nothing in Brie’s stomach to start with because of her reaction to the anaesthesine vapor, all that came up was blood.

Jeb looked at a slightly embarrassed Ange, who was still holding out his unshaken hand. “That’s quite an effect you have on the ladies,” Jeb teased.

“I hope she’s okay,” Ange replied. “Wait until you hear what she went through, just to try to save one life. She’s a remarkable woman.”

“You already know her?” Jeb asked.

“No,” Ange replied, “never seen her before today. But I know of her. A career like hers is hard to miss.”

Not far away Kyla was growing worried. “Brie, you need to sit down and take it easy until the shuttle arrives. There’s no telling how much blood you lost.”

Visibly shaky, Brie looked around. She purposely didn’t look where Ange and his admirers were standing. She glanced at JustinB, who intentionally avoided her gaze. She realized for the first time just how much she had hurt him. “I’ll sit in a micron, but there’s something really important that I have to do first.”

“What’s more important than...” Kyla started, but Brie just walked away.

Slowly, with a little bit of nervousness, Brie approached JustinB. “Major,” she started, but then corrected herself, “Justin, now that Pierce is dead, I really need to let you know that...”

Everything went black, and Brie fell to the ground, unconscious.

[Amy81]

Jeb and Star rushed over to where Brie had fallen. Ange was right behind them.

"She's in a bad way" Jeb observed, kneeling down next to Brie and gently raising her head slightly.

"I see you have eyes" Star said. "What was your first clue?"

"Don't mock me, woman" Jeb snapped. "Get something we can tie off these wounds with. And some blankets. I think she might be going into shock."

"Now you're a doctor?" Star asked, then got up to find what he'd asked for.

"Come on Brie" Jeb whispered to Brie, watching her eyes flutter though she did not wake up. "Amy's mom isn't going to die if I can help it."

Ange was suddenly at Jeb's side. "You say something?" he asked, trying to kneel in spite of his bad knee. "Is she okay?"

"She's out cold" Jeb replied. People were starting to crowd around. "Back up a bit! Give her some air."

[Brie]

“You need a hand?” Brie opened her eyes to discover Turner holding his hand out to her. She took it, and he helped her get up. She realized immediately that all the pain was gone.

“Thanks,” she said. She looked at Turner, noticing for the first time that he was wearing all white. “Why are you dressed like a geek?”

“Um, Brie?” Turner pointed to Brie’s clothing. It was pure white also.

“Okay, why am I dressed like a geek?”

“Come with me, I need to show you something.” Still holding Brie’s hand, he led her a couple of steps towards where a small group had gathered. Several people were trying to figure out what to do about the person who was lying motionless on the ground.

“Wow, someone is in worse condition than I am,” Brie commented.

“Look closer, my love,” Turner told her. “That IS you.”

Brie shook her head. “No, it can’t be. I don’t have that many grey hairs, do I?” She looked again, and grew serious. “Am I dead?”

“No, not yet,” Turner replied. “They were very impressed with the way you continually offered your life in exchange for others and they...”

“They?”

Turner motioned in a grand, sweeping gesture towards the cosmos. “THEEEY,” he said, drawing out the word. “You’re being offered an opportunity that most people don’t get. It’s up to you whether you live or die.”

“If I live, I return to the Callisto brig,” Brie commented. “What happens if I die?”

“You come with me,” Turner said. He squeezed her hand. “I’ll take you on the next step of the journey.”

“The brig or you? Not much of a question which one I want to take!” Brie said. “I want to be with you.”

“Okay, but before you make your final decision you need to figure out if your life should really be over. If you’ve done all that you’re supposed to do.”

“What can I do from the brig?” Brie asked. “No, I think I’ll take you up on your offer. I’ve frack...I mean messed everything up so badly lately. Sometimes I think it would have been better if I had never been born.”

Turner looked to the side, as if he was listening to something. “Okay, that can be arranged. Brie, my love, you’re about to see what things would be like if you never existed.”

[Brie]

Kyla worked her way to where Brie was lying and was frantically trying to figure out what to do. No matter what she tried Brie would not regain consciousness. “Somebody get the doctor!” she screamed.

“Doctor?” Star repeated. “There’s no doctor here. One is shuttled over twice a yahren and everybody gets physicals. Otherwise we have to leave the ship.”

“How about a med tech, then?” Kyla wanted to know.

“Nope,” Star said. “After complaining for nearly a decade we did get an assistant med tech.”

“So please, get her,” Kyla begged. At least an assistant would be able to give her some supplies.

“Him,” Star corrected. “And we can’t get him. He was killed by one of Pierce’s followers.”

“Well, could someone find me some bandages, a first aid kit, anything,” Kyla pleaded. Brie’s breathing had become shallow, and there was blood coming out of her nose, mouth and ears. She knew that her newfound friend didn’t have much time.

Hands still tied behind her, another large bruise on the side of her face, Trula somehow managed to push her way through the group. Once she got close enough, she spat on Brie again. “Widow!” she said, her voice full of venom.

“Would someone get her away from here!” Kyla screamed. “And when is that fracking shuttle supposed to arrive?”

[Brie]

In less than a micron they were far away from the Agro Ship. Brie didn’t recognize where they were, but knew immediately that they weren’t in the fleet. They were underground, with thick, humid air and a smell that reminded her of rotten eggs. “Where are we?” she asked.

“This is what has become of the human race,” Turner replied. “What’s left of it anyway. This is what would have happened if you had never been born.”

They walked a few steps before Brie stopped in her tracks. “Holy frack!” she said, ignoring Turner’s language warning from back on the shuttle. “Turner, it’s you! You’re still alive? It’s my fault that you died?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions, my love,” Turner said gently. “Yes, that would have been me, and yes, I would have still been alive. But look at the whole picture.”

“Where are we?” Brie asked again. She was filled with guilt over the thought that she could have somehow prevented Turner’s death.

“Officially this planet is named 3263827,” he told her. “But we call it Hell.”

[Brie]

“We’re mining raw materials for the Cylons,” Turner explained. “Back several yahrens ago, Pierce took over the fleet. He led us here, to this horrible place, a planet rich in resources with a good supply of tylium. It seemed like an ideal place to live. Unfortunately, the Cylons found us almost immediately, and we had no defenses. Pierce worked out a deal with Baltar. We supply the labor and we’re allowed to live, while the Cylon Empire continues to grow. This mine is the most difficult to work in, so Pierce has the surviving former warriors here. Pierce doesn’t like former warriors. Believe me, I’d rather be dead than living like this.”

Brie looked around and saw some familiar faces. Charybdis, Skyler, JustinB, Lucian, Lazant, Hawke were all barely recognizable. There were at least a dozen Cylons around, watching their every move. A man that Brie knew was from Black Squadron ran towards the entranceway, and a Cylon shot him, killing him on the spot.

“At least we’re not in the tylium mine,” Turner commented. “People keep dying in there from the explosions AFTER a Cylon shot. Doesn’t matter how many Cylons are destroyed in the process, they just make more.”

Brie noticed something. “Where are the women?” she asked.

“Most of them are dead,” Turner replied. “They keep about a hundred alive to bear more children...I mean future workers. They give them three sectons, and if they’re not pregnant, they’re killed.”

“That’s horrible!” Brie said.

“What’s just as bad is that after they’re weaned and walking, the children are being raised by Cylons,” Turner continued. “They don’t learn to read or write or anything, they’re just being taught how to work. The women also grow the food on the surface, the Cylons make then work hard, even while they’re pregnant. And then there’s a small group of women who make up Pierce’s harem, so I guess the pregnant women are the lucky ones.”

“Which group is Amy with?” Brie asked.

Turner looked blankly at her. “Brie, if you never existed, then neither did Amy.”

Brie was slightly embarrassed. “Oh, yeah.”

“The men and woman are kept totally apart,” Turner said, returning to the original subject. “They never see each other at all. We don’t even know who is dead and who is still alive.”

“Then how are the children...”

Turner shook his head. “Brie, you don’t want to know.”

“I still don’t understand,” Brie said. “What does this have to do with me? It wasn’t because of me that you found out about the assassination plot.”

“No,” Turner agreed. “I still found out. But because of you, I handled it differently. With you in my life I saw a bigger picture, I had responsibilities and a reason for being. If you remember, I turned the information in anonymously. I didn’t want you to get caught in any fallout, even though you did.”

“And Pierce still knew it was you and had you killed,” Brie reminded him.

“True. But without you, I was still my old, never-serious self. I turned in the information but not anonymously, I walked right up to Apollo and put it in his hand. Everyone had a good laugh over it and then never gave it a second thought. I had cried lupus one too many times, I guess, they thought it was another joke.” The Turner working in the mine turned and faced them for a micron. Half of his face was severely scared. “Pierce made sure I paid dearly for it, as you can see. He kept me alive, as a testimonial of betrayal.”

“So what happened to the President?” Brie asked.

“Assassinated, just like I had warned them,” Turner replied. “Right after that they murdered Adama and the Council. They captured Apollo, Starbuck, Sheba, Athena, Boomer, Bojay, Jolly, anyone with any power. They were executed one by one on IFB. It was a terrible time, the worst thing the human race had seen since the holocaust.”

Brie shook her head. “So I changed you, but YOU kept this from happening. It still doesn’t give me any reason to want to continue living now.”

Turner glanced to the side again and listened for a micron. “Still not convinced of your worth? How about this? Want to see what life for your friends would be like now if you had been serious and successful the night you tried to kill yourself?” In a flash they were gone.

[Brie]

Brie recognized the room right away. She should, it had been hers for many yahrens. They were on the Callisto, in the small office of the Gold Squadron leader. Behind the closed bedroom door voices were heard. Loud voices, an argument. Brie listened closely. She smiled as she recognized Skyler’s voice. Without her the squadron was in good hands. She had to think for a moment before realizing that the woman was MaraJade, former Gold Squadron member and Skyler’s ex-fiancée.

Turner took Brie by the hand. “Come on.” They walked through the door without it opening.

“I don’t know, Turner,” Brie whispered. “This doesn’t feel right.”

“This isn’t really happening,” Turner reminded her. “And they can’t see us or hear us, so you don’t have to whisper.”

Skyler sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on a boot. There was something different about him, a sadness that Brie had never seen before. Brie looked again, he wasn’t wearing a warrior’s uniform. His attire suggested that he had become a mechanic.

Mara had grabbed a warrior’s jacket out of the closet and approached Skyler, still upset. “If you loved me even half as much as you loved her, we wouldn’t always be having this conversation.”

“We’re not having a conversation, we’re having a fight,” Skyler corrected. “And I don’t understand why you even bring up the subject. Kellie is dead, for Sagan’s sake!”

“So you admit that you loved her more than me,” Mara blurted out.

“No,” Skyler said. “I admit that this conversation is pointless, that’s all.”

“I’m late for a squadron meeting,” Mara said at the door. “We’ll continue this when I get back.” Brie noticed the Major insignia on Mara’s uniform.

“We always do,” Skyler mumbled.

Mara poked her head back in the door. “What did you say?”

“Have a good meeting,” Skyler lied. He waited until he heard the office door close, then picked up one of his boots and with all of his might threw it through Brie and Turner. It hit the wall with a thud. “What the frack did I ever see in her?”

Brie looked at Turner. “I don’t understand.”

“Skyler and Mara were sealed a couple of yahrens ago,” he explained. “Since they discourage sealed couples from being in the same squadron, Mara stayed in Gold and Skyler transferred to Black. But she became worried about him on every mission he would go on, so after a lot of nagging he became a mechanic. At least he can still be around vipers. In the last election Mara became the new CO of Gold Squadron. Their marriage isn’t a good one. He’s resentful for having given up his career, and she’s jealous of Kellie, because of the time he said that Kellie never would have asked him to leave the service. He was also supposed to be on the infantry team for the moon mission, but Mara wouldn’t allow it, which I’m sure adds to his resentment, because he really wanted to go. Neither of them are happy.”

“So what does this have to do with me?” Brie asked.

“You’ve had a huge influence on Skyler’s life,” Turner replied. “You already know that.” He held Brie’s hand a little bit tighter. “Plus you know that he’s in love with you. He’s had feelings for you for so long now, even when he was engaged to Mara. They both knew it wouldn’t work, so they never took the seal. But without you around, he ended up stuck in a loveless marriage. I’d say you’ve made a pretty big difference. Come with me, it’s time to move on.”

“Where are we going?” Brie asked.

“You’ll see in a micron.”

[JustinB]

When I heard Brie had collapsed, I ran over to her as fast as I could. In saw two people I now new as Jeb and Star trying to help her.

" Back up and give her some air," Jeb said. I watched until I couldn't watch no more. I scopped her up in my arms and carried her towards the repair bay. Ange was right beside me.

"Major, what you did is gonna make some people angry, but I know what you have to do." he said.

I ran as fast as I could as I knew every second counted. Placing her in the back of my viper was going to be hard, but I knew I had to get her to the Callisto fast.

[Brie]

The room was a carbon copy of the one they had just left, although it was barren. The basic furniture was there, but there were no papers on the desk, nothing hanging on the walls except for the Black Squadron insignia, no sign at all of occupancy. Brie glanced through the open bedroom door, it was the same in there. “Where are we now?” she asked.

“Black Squadron CO quarters,” Turner told her.

“Where’s all of Justin’s stuff?” Brie asked. She had never been in JustinB’s office before, but was sure that he had to have had SOME possessions.

“It’s all been stowed,” Turner said. “Black Squadron doesn’t have a CO at the micron. They’re going to have an emergency election as soon as the current crisis is over.”

“Current crisis?” Brie repeated.

“I’ll let you know about that in a few centons,” Turner said.

“So why doesn’t Black Squadron have a CO?” Brie wanted to know. “Where’s Justin?”

“He’s dead,” Turner told her casually. “A good part of Black Squadron is. JustinB volunteered Black Squadron for the moon mission. He tried his best, but, well...”

“How about the rest of the team?”

“There were no survivors, Brie,” was Turner’s reply. “JustinB was a good leader and a first-class warrior, but he was also young. He just didn’t have the experience that you had.” Turner smiled. “Plus you flirted with Baltar. You always knew when to turn on the charm.”

“I didn’t flirt with Baltar,” Brie corrected. “In fact, I told him to go ahead and kill me.”

“Whatever you did, it worked,” Turner said. “Justin and his team never made it past the newly activated Cylons. But they knew, as your team did, that it was a suicide mission. At least they died trying. Now come with me, we have more places to go.”

[Brie]

“Be careful!” Kyla screamed as Major JustinB ran off with Brie. “She may have internal injuries! Just by moving her incorrectly you could be killing her.”

“And if we stay here and wait for the shuttle, she’ll bleed to death,” Justin replied. “My viper is the fastest way to get her back to the Callisto. At least then she might have a chance.”

As quickly and as carefully as possible, Brie was placed in the small area behind the seat of Justin’s viper. As they tried to secure her Brie’s eyes fluttered and she started to cough up more blood, spewing it and anything else left inside her stomach all over the inside of the viper. She didn’t regain consciousness.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Kyla said, “but since you’ve already moved her, get her back to the Callisto fast. She doesn’t have much time.”

JustinB climbed into his viper without replying.