Hope Renewed
by AJ Marks
Jonas walked around the ship, his daily routine to keep himself fit. Like everyone on board the ship, they established a routine to help pass the days away. With so many people, they could only do so much unless you worked on the factory ship, or argo ships, the other ships they had plenty of time for boredom.
Ever since leaving the Colonies they had tried to survive. Food was rationed out, as was water to help preserve the precious resources. He had heard more than a few people grumble they should have stayed at the Colonies. At least there they had a planet and more space.
Jonas held no illusions that staying meant death. If you were lucky to survive things would not be easy either. They would be struggling for supplies, including food and water. The Cylons might have poisoned the water.
“Hello Jonas,” a voice said, causing him to look up to see Markus walking towards him.
“Markus, what lap are you on?” he asked.
“First,” he replied.
“A bit later than normal?” Jonas said, knowing that usually by this time he was close to being finished.
“Yeah, was talking to Mary,” Markus replied as they passed. “What about you?”
“Third, one more after this,” Jonas said, turning to finish the conversation before continuing on.
An established path had been unofficially established for people to use. They walked at all times of the day, of course there was no night or day on board the ship, but constant movement either from the crew or people. It took a while, and many tempers before people got a routine down. Now many could sleep and not wake up with the normal activities.
Rounding the corner the intercom came alive.
“Incoming Cylon raiders, this is not a drill. All crew members to your battlestations! Repeat, incoming Cylon raiders, all crew members to your battlestations!”
Jonas froze at the words, as did many others. Everyone seemed fearful. The Cylons had found them again. The old fear went thought him, would he die in this ship? Would they survive? How many Cylons were attacking?
A few crew members raced past heading to their battlestations. He paused wondering what to do. The doors closed leaving airtight sections in case the ship was damaged in one area.
He walked over to an area and sat down. A few others were in the area as well, also having been walking or running.
“Well, here we are?’ one of the others said.
“Yep, sitting here waiting for this attack to end.”
Jonas agreed, but felt the underlying fear in the group. The fear of being able to do nothing accept your fate. Their lives were in the hands of a few warriors, who were out there fighting and dying for them.
Many had been angry after the destruction of the Colonies, until they learned what happened. The betrayal so complete some wondered if they could ever trust some on the council. Some wanted the commander to resign until learning he had tried everything. The Galactica had even been the only warship to go to red alert.
Jonas allowed the nervous conversation to go past him, as he thought about other more pleasant things. If he would die, he didn’t want his last few minutes to be in despair. He thought about his family, daughter, the fun times he had with them. Friends and the joyous times he had so long ago.
“All clear, crew members and head of sections report any casualties or problems that is all.”
Jonas looked around, seeing one person stand up look around at them all before checking out the area structurally before heading over to the intercom.
“Section six, clear,” the crew member said.
“Section six, understood.”
Jonas waited a bit longer until the doors unlocked, and swung open allowing movement though the ship once more. He continued his walk with nothing else to do except talk about the Cylons. Something he did not feel like doing. The atmosphere already tense before now felt worse. People had a look of despair, the look of defeat. They were waiting to die with no hope left.
He paused passing by the large window in one of the rooms. A popular room which he walked though. He stopped to look out at the fleet. The same ships were there indicating from what he could see, no ships were lost.
Losing himself in the view for a few seconds of peace he paused, seeing the Galactica head into view. Normally the massive warship was towards the center of the fleet. It had probably turned in the direction of the attackers. As a result it now headed back into its normal position.
The only hope they had rested on that ship and her crew. He looked closely, wondering how much damage the old warship sustained. How many warriors were killed in the battle?
Even as he looked on, he spotted something strange. Another ship, one he was not familiar with. He looked on, watching it come into view. It was a warship, the weapon mounts indicating that clearly. It made no sense to him.
He walked closer to the protective glass trying for a closer look before another ship appeared. The bow of a battlestar and he froze.
The Pegasus!
It had to be, Commander Cain had found them at last. He smiled slightly at the thought. The battlestar continued to come into view as did the massive hangar and finally the name of the ship, which surprised him. There on the side of the hangar, in large, bold letters:
ARGO
He stared at the name, unsure of what to make of it. Around him he felt others noticing it as well. The excitement of the Pegasus turned to slight disappointment mixed with curiosity. Who was behind this? Even as he watched another couple of ships appeared, all warships. One larger ship which he did not recognize.
“That’s a gunstar!” one person said behind him, also watching the ships appear.
“There are no gunstars, they were all destroyed,” someone else replied.
“Well, that may be, but there is a gunstar,” the person said again.
Jonas llistened to them argue even as another bow of a battlestar appeared. This one hushed the group as the armor appeared black instead of grey. It continued to appear as the hangar came into view allowing him to read the name, ENTERPRISE.
They were quiet as the ship continued into view, along with a few others.
“Two battlestars, two gunstars, and a dozen other warships, that’s no patrol fleet,” one person finally said.
The entire atmosphere of the room changed. He felt for the first time in a long time the simmering of hope for the future. They might survive after all.
The screen on the wall of the room came to life, the embalm of the Galactica came up for several microns until finally Commander Adama appeared on the screen. Everyone turned slightly to watch the screen. Jonas noticed the man appeared more alive than ever before.
“Ad many of you now know, we fell into a Cylon trap. Thanks to another group of warriors who had followed the Cylons, the trap was reversed. This new group of warriors started from the Colonies yahrens ago, and came looking for us in our time of greatest need,” Adama said, his voice heard throughout the room. Jonas looked back out at the ships, then back at the screen. “They are led by a Commander Ares in the battlestar Argo. Their mission was to find Earth.”
The statement silenced everyone in the room.
“According to Commander Ares, they found the legendary thirteenth colony. The Council of Twelve will update everyone as we learn more.”
Jonas never expected to hear such words. It seemed unimaginable to him. A fleet from Earth had found them. Questions now started in earnest in the room. How far away was Earth? Did they have more ships? No one had the answers, but with the additional ships, they had hope for survival.
They had hope.
The End