The Uneasy Alliance
by AJ Marks
Part 18
The group watched as another shuttle landed not far away from the first one. Bojay, Brie and Jolly seemed very concerned about the presence of the shuttle considering they were not expecting anyone else from the fleet to come. A few seconds later the door opened surprising them as Sheba walked out, but the group behind her really shocked them.
Commander Adama walked out of the shuttle and glanced around spotting his three warriors standing with a dozen other humans, but no sight of Apollo, Starbuck or Cassiopeia. The only thing which really surprised him was the large, hovering, spherical droid beside them. He quickly recovered from his shock and headed towards Jolly to figure out what happened.
Behind him Walker walked out and into one of his greatest fantasies. As far as he could see an entire city of machines who appeared to have built he city. They had reached a level of computer intelligence which Wilker had never dared to explore due to what happened with the Cylons. He had enjoyed taking apart Cylons and other robotic machines, and here in front of him was a robot unlike any other he had ever seen.
“Commander,” Jolly said as Adama made his way over to them.
“Where’s Apollo?” Adama asked hoping to figure out what was going on, and had really expected his son to meet him on the surface of the planet.
“He went to a city called Zion, its where they say Boomer is,” Bojay answered.
“Why are you here commander?” Jolly asked.
“You were supposed to warn the fleet, not bring the commander here,” Bojay said looking over at Sheba.
“I encountered the Beings of Light, they informed me that I need to bring the commander, and Doctor Wilker back here,” Sheba replied back to them.
It was something he had been thinking about for a while, why they wanted the Galactica and its fleet involved in what was going on here. The last time they got involved it was to stop a civilization from destroying itself, he saw nothing here which his fleet could help with.
“They said nothing about why we were needed,” Adama said to them. “Perhaps I should go see this city of Zion myself. I’ll need someone to get me there.”
Adama waited a second before a man stepped forward. “I’ll take you there.”
“Very well, Doctor Wilker?” Adama said turning to the man.
“Um, I’ll stay here if you don’t mind commander,” Wilker replied, looking at Adama and then at everything else around him.
The answer didn’t surprise Adama at all as a rover was taken out from the shuttle. Adama motioned for jolly and Sheba to move forward along with the man who volunteered. He looked over to see Wilker walking around and then towards the spherical robot who had said nothing, but merely observed and he found himself wondering what it was. He could get a report from Jolly on the way to this Zion city.
*****
Seraph watched as the visitors leave the Oracle’s apartment wondering what was so important that so many visitors were coming around. The Oracle would also usually have more information as to what was happening and he had not heard much this time.
He noticed the Oracle walk out of the kitchen with a grim look in her eyes. He had never seen such a look on her before and knew whatever was happening was not just some minor thing anymore.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, hoping to gain some information this time.
“I do not think things are progressing well outside the Matrix. It seems the humans might not be willing to help us this time,” she replied back to him.
“What about all the people in the Matrix?” Seraph replied. “So they do not care about them?”
“I don’t know, but they are required to power us,” the Oracle said.
“There must be something we can do,” he stated looking out of the windows trying to think of something.
“There is one thing, I have a feeling we won’t be left alone, even here in the Matrix,” she said causing him to look over at her.
“I don’t understand.”
“No, you don’t, but things will become clear in time,” she said to him.
*****
Morpheus glanced over at his visitors as they talked amongst themselves over things he didn’t understand at the moment. He knew they were thinking of escaping from the cell, something he had thought of himself but wouldn’t because he had to convince the council the current course of action was wrong.
He looked over at Niobe who appeared deep in thought herself and he wondered if they were thinking the same thing. They did need to get out of jail and see what was going on back at the surface. Events seemed to be happening that were out of his control making him feel uncomfortable with everything. The lack of information hindered everything as well.
“I hope Sheba warned the fleet not to come this way,” Apollo finally said after a few seconds of silence causing them all to look at him.
“Your fleet, you mean there are more warships with you?” Niobe asked as everyone had been listening. Morpheus wondered about that as well.
“Not really,” Boomer replied. “We’ve been on the run now for over three yehrans.”
“I’m not familiar with a yahren,” Melissa said speaking up for the rest of them. None of them had ever heard such a term and wondered how long it was.
“What about a year?” Apollo asked.
“That I’m familiar with,” Melissa replied back to him.
“Roughly about the same length of time,” Apollo stated falling silent in thought.
“Are you familiar with a planet called Terra?” Starbuck asked.
“Terra, no, as far as I know we’ve never been off this planet,” Niobe replied.
“The Matrix mentions nothing about Terra either, but then again I don’t know how much of our history has been lost or made up,” Morpheus said giving it some thought. How much did the machines make up?
“What is this Matrix?” Starbuck asked. “Never heard of anything like it.”
“It’s a computer generated world that the machines use to keep the humans happy while they use our bodies for energy,” Morpheus said giving a brief explanation of how things worked. It was more complex but that was the simple answer.
“Since the end of the war our scientists have been trying to figure out a way to fix what happened to the sky, only then can we all live in peace together,” Melissa stated.
“You think man and machines can live together in peace?” Apollo asked, the tone in his voice indicated doubt.
“They are our creations, surely parent and child can live together, grow together,” Morpheus said, a subject he had given much thought to.
“Its not like the war we’re fighting, they want our complete destruction, nothing else,” Starbuck said surprising Morpheus. He wondered who it was they were fighting and why.
*****
Adama looked on as they came to rest inside a large open cavern underground. Their guide, Wade, appeared nervous as did Sheba and Jolly considering they were now surrounded by several armed guards. Wade had said they might not receive a warm welcome after the way the Council was acting.
Adama made a motion to the others to stay calm as he walked out of the rover much to the surprise of the group in front of them. He noticed right away the nervousness they all had and quickly picked out the one who appeared to be a leader.
“Take me to your council,” Adama said taking the direct approach. The guard appeared to hesitate and Adama repeated it as an order watching as the guard obeyed and he motioned for the others to come out. “Jolly, stay with the rover, Sheba you are with me.”
He motioned for the guard to lead on. They walked past groups of people which reminded him more of what he saw on board the ships than an advanced civilization. What had happened on this world?
The guard hesitated outside a door and Adama knew where they were and walked in unannounced seeing a typical layout in front of him. A large table with several people sitting down talking all on one side. It was a way to make whoever they were talking to uncomfortable, and it might work with someone else.
He strode confidently down to the center watching as everyone’s attention was focused on him. He studied them back resting on one, a white haired older man who gave off a familiar vibe.
“Who are you and what are you doing here, guards arrest this man!” the man said finding his voice.
“They will not, I am Commander Adama of the Battlestar Galactica and I’m here to get back my warriors,” Adama said watching the man’s eyes show something at the announcement.
“Where did you get this actor from Turner,” the man said, looking over at another man with dark hair.
“I am not an actor, but you seem to want to be an actor at being a leader,” Adama said walking right up to the table and looking at each of them. He then heard Sheba gasp at something and he turned to see something he dreaded to see.
“I will not have my authority challenged,” the white-haired man said.
“Where did you find that?” Adama asked, looking at the dark-haired man who paused only slightly before answering.
“On the surface, they attacked the machine city,” the man said.
“An attempt by the machines to destroy us,” the white-haired man said.
“Then you’re a fool,” Adama said turning back to the man. “That robot is called a Cylon, they have only one mission in regards to human life, kill them all.”
“So you take me for a fool, of course they are our creation,” the man replied.
“No they are not,” Adama said shaking his head. “This enemy was created by another race called the Cylons.”
“There are no other races!” the man all but screamed.
Adama turned and stared at the man. “Ignoring a threat will not make it go away, the Cylons will continue to attack and attack. They will even ask for peace and betray that treaty. I saw my entire civilization destroyed by them. They continue to hunt us down, they don’t stop.”
“They are another race?” a woman said.
“Yes, they have already eliminated several other races, you will not survive even here,” Adama said. He was about to say more when Jolly came running into the room.
“Sorry commander, but you need to know this,” Jolly said. “We’re here, this is Earth!”
“I think I need to talk to my warriors, where are they?” Adama asked.
*****
Apollo looked on about to say something else when a man who looked familiar to him walked into the room and noticed a strange look on his face. He made his way over to the cells and motioned for the guards to open them all much to everyone’s shock and Apollo hoped he would finally be able to talk to this council and pled his case.
“Morpheus, I’ve decided to let you and your friends out,” the man said to them.
“Turner, this is welcomed, but why?” Morpheus asked as Turner turned to Apollo.
“Your Commander Adama is here, and had quite a way with words,” Turner said surprising Apollo.
“My father’s here?” he said looking over at the others in shock, and it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.
“If he’s your father, then yes, he is here and thank goodness that he is. Showed the council a thing or two that’s for sure,” Turner said sounding almost relieved. “Most everyone was questioning the council, but his leadership allowed us all to overcome their stubbornness. My guards almost jump when he give an order.”
“Sounds like your father,” Starbuck said from where he stood. They both knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of such orders.
“Come on, I’ll take you back to your vehicles, and there is more it seems that your commander wishes to tell you,” Turner said.
Apollo wondered what else might have happened. Things seemed to have gotten complex for a simple rescue mission and he hoped they were not about to be dragged into another war.
End part 18