Battlestar Argo
by AJ Marks
Part 9: The Gods Part 2
Bri was not too excited by the idea of going out again so soon. She had just gotten something to eat and was heading to her bunk when Troy had caught up with her and told her what they were going to be doing. With a sigh she followed Troy back down to the launch bay to her viper.
“When we are done with this I’m going off duty for a week,” she said.
“Don’t fall asleep on me just yet, we still have to worry about that Able character,” Troy said.
“About him, what did you see,” Bri asked.
“Death and destruction,” Troy said. “I’m not sure if it is ours or someone else’s. But I do feel that everyone he touches he brings death with him.”
“Nice guy,” Bri said. “I knew there was a reason I didn’t like him too much.”
“That reminds me, why didn’t you say your name was Bri,” Troy asked her.
“Bri is only for people who know me. Ask Nall about it, took him a yehren before I allowed him to call me that,” Bri replied.
“Then I guess I should feel honored,” Troy said as they approached their vipers.
“Yes, you should,” she said then sauntered off to her viper leaving Troy watching her swaying backside. With a mental effort he shook his head and went over to his viper.
A few moments later the two vipers launched to see if they could intercept the strange glowing white lights/ships or whatever they were.
*****
“Hey Thes,” one of the engineers said as he came on duty in the engine room. Glancing around he noticed that several people were missing from their duty stations. “Where is everyone?”
“I’m not sure,” Thes replied. “I haven’t been able to get in touch with any of them. Their roommates say that they are not there.”
“I think we should inform the commander,” the first one said.
“Isn’t that a bit extreme Zcir,” Thes asked him.
“Yes, if we can’t control the crew under us then we need to inform the commander so he can see if there is something going on,” Zcir replied. “The engines are one area that cannot be neglected. Much like the helm of the ship. They are relying on us to make sure that nothing goes wrong otherwise we could all be in trouble.”
“All right, I’ll send the report to the commander and see if he knows of anything that might of happened,” Thes said.
“The only thing I know of is we received a visitor not long ago,” Zcir said. He figured that his missing people were probably there but he did not have the time to go and look for them. He could not neglect the engines even though they were running just fine.
*****
Ares waited until Jax and Renee sat down before telling them why they were there. They both looked a bit curious about why he wanted to see them.
“Do you two know why I called you in here,” Ares asked them wanting to know what had happened.
“Not really commander,” Jax replied first as Renee nodded her head in agreement.
“You two are both Colonial warriors right,” he asked watching as they both nodded their heads. “And you’re on board a Colonial warship,” he asked again watching as they agreed with him. “Then you also know that it’s against regulations for a civilian to gain access to the bridge without the knowledge of the commander.”
“Yes sir,” Renee replied a bit quietly.
“But sir, we’re so far away from the Colonies does regulations like that really matter,” Jax asked.
“That’s a good point Jax, but also remember that if we forget our own rules and regulations then if a real threat happens and we are lax in such things it could mean our destruction,” Ares said pinning them both with a stare. He watched as they pondered what he had just said.
“We should have gotten permission first,” Renee said at last.
“But Able wanted to see the bridge and he made it sound like we were not doing anything wrong,” Jax said to Ares who listened to that very carefully. He was not sure he liked what he read between the lines of what Jax had just said.
“I want you two to do something for me,” Ares said watching as they nodded their heads. “It seems like our guest is having no trouble making friends, but I want you to watch to see how easily people are manipulated by him.”
“You think he might be a danger to the Argo,” Jax asked not sure she believed what she had just heard.
“At the moment yes,” Ares replied. “But that is because he has given me no reason to trust him yet.”
“Perhaps if you talked with him,” Renee relied.
“I have already Renee, remember,” Ares said thinking back to his first encounter with the man. He knew that Colonel Pratt did not like the man, but he tried to keep an open mind about everything. “I’m still making up my mind about him. Now you are dismissed but I want to see you at your stations later on.”
The replied that they would and left the room. He really hoped that he would. He picked up the first piece of news and sighed. Getting up he went in search of Able who he had the feeling would be at the center of what he had just read.
*****
“I’m beginning to feel a bit inadequate in what I’m seeing here,” Bri said as she watched another white light pass her then make what looked like an impossible turn and move past her again.
“I know what you mean,” Troy said as he watched one of the lights do the same thing to him. He was not able to keep up with any of the lights nor did they appear on any of his scanners. So far the only good thing was they had not been fired upon.
“Have you been able to track them on your scanners,” Bri asked after a few more minutes of chasing the lights around.
“No, I do better just trying to keep up with my eyes,” Troy replied as he continued to watch the strange white lights.
“Do you hear that,” Bri suddenly said as a high pitched sound suddenly began to fill her cockpit.
“No, wait, yes I do,” Troy said as he began to wince from the sound as the volume of it continued to rise.
The two pilots forgot about the while lights they were supposed to be chasing as the sound continued to grow in volume. They tried everything they could think of to block it out but the only thing that worked was when they finally blacked out never seeing the large white crystal looking ship that was right behind them.
*****
Ares walked down towards the rec room where he figured he would find who he was looking for. Walking inside he saw what he thought. Several people along with their guest Able seemed to be enjoying themselves quite a bit. He quickly scanned the room and was relieved when he did not see Jax or Renee.
“Is there something wrong commander,” Able said from where he was sitting.
“Yes there is,” Ares said as he looked around and spotted the people he was looking for and walked over to them. “Are you suppose to be on duty,” he asked them. He watched as they looked from him back to Able.
“They are welcome to stay a bit longer, as you are commander,” Able replied.
Ares narrowed his eyes at Able as he heard the reply that the man gave. Looking around he could tell that the man had gained some control over several crewmembers. Walking up to where Able was sitting he waited a few microns before saying anything else.
“Last I remember I was in command of the Argo, not you,” Ares said to the man who did not flinch then turned to the group of people who should have been on duty. “I think you have duties to perform.”
“Yes sir,” they finally replied and walked out of the room and towards their duty stations. With one last look at Able he turned and walked out of the room. He would have to keep a close eye on the man in case the situation got any worse. He also had the feeling that he should get rid of the man as quickly as possible.
“Bridge to Commander Ares,” a voice said over the intercom. Ares walked over to where the com line was and picked it up.
“Commander Ares here what’s going on,” Ares asked as he listened to what Pratt told him. With a shake of his head he put the com line down to make his way to the bridge.
“Like I said, they are responsible for what is happening. Don’t trust them,” Able said to Ares from where he was sitting. Ares turned and looked on last time at the man then walked out of the room. He was beginning to get the impression that the man had very high mental abilities.
*****
Troy slowly became aware of his surrounding as his consciousness came back to him. He was not sure if was awake or not because the only thing he was able to see was white. He tried to recall the last thing that he could remember happening to him. He was flying in his viper watching the white ships fly around him like he was standing still. Had they opened fire on him and if so was this heaven then. He figured that it might explain why he was wearing a white uniform at the moment.
He pushed himself up into a sitting position to hopefully get a better look of what was around. Things came into focus a bit better now even though everything was still white. The table he was lying on was a clear white color that he could see and feel. He noticed what appeared to be a doorway along one of the walls. Making up his mind he made his way over to see if he could find anyone who he could talk to.
Troy had to look around as the fact that everything was white seemed to disorient him a bit. He walked down what he thought was a corridor and found another doorway. Peering inside he noticed that Bri was lying on a table in a room much like the one he had woken up in. She was also dressed in a white uniform as well. Walking inside the room he quickly went over to check to make sure that she was all right.
Troy could tell that she was alive, or at least alive relative to where they were by the rising and falling of her chest. Giving her a shake of her shoulder he tried to wake her up. Bri merely grunted and turned onto her side and continued to not wake up. He figured that she was probably not a light sleeper like he was. Shaking her a little bit more he finally saw her green eyes open. She blinked a few times before her consciousness finally caught up with what she was seeing in front of her.
“Troy,” Bri said not fully sure of where she was. Glancing around she noticed like Troy that everything was white including their clothing. “What, where,” she started to ask but not really sure what to say.
“I don’t know either,” Troy replied to her before she could fully regain her speaking abilities and bombard him with questions.
“Are we dead,” Bri finally asked him no knowing that it was the same question that Troy had asked himself not too long ago.
“I have no idea,” Troy replied honestly. “The last thing I remember was being in my viper and hearing a noise. I guess I blacked out shortly after that.”
“Then we might be in their ship,” Bri said. “Though why we’re wearing white clothing I don’t know?”
“Unless we are dead,” Troy said.
“Either way we should probably see about finding out where we are,” Bri said as she hopped off the table she was on and headed toward the exit that Troy had just come in at.
*****
Ares quickly found himself back on the bridge making his way over to where Colonel Pratt was standing next to the flight controller of the moment. Pratt noticed him walking onto the ridge and waited until he was standing next to him to say anything.
“We’ve done scanner sweeps of the entire area and can’t find anything out there that might be responsible,” Pratt said. “They have simply vanished like red patrol did earlier.”
“Great, between that and our mysterious visitor, who I’m beginning to think knows more and can do more than he is telling us I’m wondering if we shouldn’t have just skipped this system,” Ares said rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“Should we try to send out a new patrol,” Pratt asked. His first instinct was to send another patrol out there but had decided to talk it over with the commander first.
“I don’t know about that,” Ares replied as he thought about it. “I’d rather not lose another patrol if we can help it.”
“I know that’s why I haven’t order anyone out there yet and I went for a more intensive scan of the area,” Pratt replied.
“We’ll wait and see what happens next,” Ares said finally. I want at least twenty pilots on ready alert at all times just in case.”
“Yes sir,” Pratt replied and left to relay his orders.
*****
Troy and Bri cautiously walked down the hallway not sure what to expect. So far they had not found anything that they might be able to use to determine the identity of where they were. The other part that bothered Troy was the lack of people or other type of aliens that if they were on board a ship should be present.
“Hello,” a voice said from behind them causing them both to jump and turn in alarm.
Standing behind them was an elderly gentleman dressed in white as well. He did not seem to be alarmed at their presence and waited patiently for one of them to say something to him.
“Who are you,” Troy asked finding his voice first.
“You may call me John,” the man replied to them. “And you are Captain Troy and Lieutenant Gabrielle, or Bri, of the ship Argo.”
“Okay, it seems as if you have us at a disadvantage here. You know us but we don’t know you,” Troy replied.
“Yes, but your ship has created quite a mess since its arrival in this area,” John said.
“Mess, I’m not sure I understand,” Troy said wondering what was going on.
“It seems that your last encounter with the people of Terra is going to cause a war. We need you to stop it,” John replied.
“Hey, we didn’t start that one. And we told them several times not to attack us,” Bri said stepping up into the conversation.
“Yes we know, but now we need you to stop the war,” John replied.
“Why don’t you,” Troy asked.
“Because we cannot get involved,” John replied.
“You mean won’t,” Troy replied figuring out that he was on board a ship. They were an advanced alien lifeform. He know that with every form of intelligent life there was a mind game going on inside.
John peered at Troy for a second before turning back to Bri then his face returned to the normal look he had before. “You’re different then the others,” John said to Troy.
“If you mean that I am a seer then yes,” Troy replied.
“That explains it,” John said but did not indulge any further. “Still you must intervene before its too late and millions of lives are lost.”
Troy was about to speak when he remember his own vision of the destruction fo the fleet and the colonies that he had before leaving on this mission. If that happened then billions would be lost to save a few million.
“I’m sorry, but there is more at stake then you realize. We cannot stop our mission,” Troy replied to the man.
“You would sacrifice millions of lives,” John asked not sure he understood what the man was saying.
“To hopefully save billions, yes,” Troy replied not backing down. “If you want to save those millions then intervene yourselves, otherwise release us back to our ships, and the other two as well,” Troy told the man as Bri looked at him. He was sure she had some questions but they would have to wait.
“Then I guess you are savages,” John said making Bri bristle but not Troy.
“Savages, you expect us to do your work and you call us the savages,” Bri said not sure she really liked where this conversation was going. “You seem to be quite powerful, why don’t you use your superior intellect to figure out a way to stop it without interfering and using others to do it, unless your not as smart as you claim,” she said starting to warm up to her topic of conversation.
Troy took her by the arm and turned her around for a second. “Calm down Bri, technology wise we are a bit savage compared to them,” he told her.
“But that’s an insult,” Bri said still wanting to argue.
“I said technology wise, not intellectually,” Troy said watching as Bri caught on and she visibly relaxed then turned back around to see John still standing there. “Sorry, she gets a bit upset when she thinks someone has insulted her.”
John merely looked at the two of them like they were crazy. Troy stepped closer to the man away from Bri and John waited to see what was going to happen.
“If I were you I wouldn’t do that again. She’s quite a spitfire when riled up and I’d hate to see something happen to you,” Troy replied. “You’re probably evolved enough to read our minds and grow beyond your physical bodies but that would not stop her.”
John looked at Troy then back at Bri and realized that Troy was speaking the truth. The woman might look small and vulnerable but she had a mean streak in her that rivaled anyone else he had ever come across. John glanced up and for a few more moments he stood there like that. Troy noticed that Bri seemed to be getting impatient and he put his hand on her arm again.
“Their talking,” he told her.
“They better let us go,” Bri said.
“Yeah, or I just let you off your leash then,” Troy said with a smile as he got a back hand in his stomach. “That’s not nice,” he said with a pout.
“Keeping me on a leash,” Bri said narrowing her eyes at him even though a small smile came to her lips. “Just wait until we’re out of this one.”
“I’ll look forward to it then,” he whispered and turned back to John before Bri could reply back to that.
“We’ll let you go for now,” John said.
*****
Nall could not believe it as he sat in the briefing room for the pilots. They were on ready alert but against what the colonel had been quite about. He had heard rumors of ships of light that Bri and Troy had gone out and disappeared against. He was sitting close enough to where he could heard the conversation going on behind him between Jax and another pilot.
“Able said that he would bring back our missing pilots,” the one said to Jax.
“I don’t think he has that much power,” Jax replied.
“Why not, you used to think he might,” the other pilot said.
“That was before,” Jax said. Ever since her talk with the commander she had been looking at Able in a different way. The man seemed to be manipulative in a strange way. Now that she could see it a bit more she was concerned that the commander’s concerns might be real.
“I don’t have any doubts that he will be able to return them. That and he will be able to protect us from them as well,” the pilot said.
“I have a feeling that they’ll return, but not by Able’s abilities,” Jax replied.
Colonel Pratt entered the room at that moment and by the look on his face he had the feeling that it was god news. He would have to tell someone in command about what had been going on with their visitor. There was just something there that irritated Nall.
“Settle down,” he said as the voices of the pilots faded away. “Now all of you probably know about the missing pilots. But they have reappeared on our scanners and are currently returning to the Argo. We won’t know what happened until they land but we are remaining on alert standby just in case.”
Nall listened to what the colonel said as was a bit glad to hear that the fighters were returning. He had been worried that he might be losing his friends so early in the mission. He hoped that they were returning and that it was not someone one else who had taken over the fighters. He would have to wait and see.
*****
Ares waited in his ready room for the pilots to arrive so he could hear their story. A knock on his door made him look up. It was a bit early for the pilots to arrive after the detox they were supposed to go though. He gave permission for the person to enter. Able walked into the room much to Ares disappointment.
“I thought that perhaps my council might be welcome in this situation,” he said to Ares.
“And why might that be,” Ares replied wondering what the man was up to.
“Because they have been captured by an alien race that you know nothing about,” Able said as he made himself comfortable in a chair.
“I’ve heard rumors that you said that you’re responsible for the return of my warriors,” Ares said.
“In a way that is true. As long as I am on board your ship they won’t attack you directly,” Able said.
“And why would they attack us,” Ares said as he leaned towards Able.
“You are in their space,” Able replied. “They don’t like it when others come around.”
“I thought you didn’t know anything about them,” Ares said remembering the other conversations with Able and what the man had told him.
“It’s all relative in what we think,” Able replied. “I don’t expect you to fully understand with your thinking right now.”
Ares was about to reply when the door chimed and in walked Colonel Pratt along with Troy, Bri and the other two pilots of red squad. None of the people who walked in was amused at seeing Able sitting there in the chair. Ares had the feeling that they did not like the man any more than he did.
“I must ask you to leave. You are our guest but I think you should begin talking with our engineer about fixing your ship,” Ares said leaving out that he was running out of patience with the man.
“Very well, but having me leave now will hinder your mission to Earth,” Able said.
“No, if you stay it will only end in death,” Troy said evenly.
“And what do you know about it,” Able snarled as he got up. “You and your visions are nothing. I can command elements that you only dream of in your limited mind.”
“I think you better leave the room,” Ares said with an air of authority.
“Fine, but you’ll wish you had listened to me later on,” Able replied as he left the room.
‘Well, that was interesting,” Bri replied as she plopped down in a chair. She was tired and ready to go to bed, or eat. She could not make up her mind at the moment. Perhaps she could do both at the same time.
“Have a seat,” Ares said to the others as he eyed Bri. She reminded him of a little girl who had not gotten her way and wondered what was up with her.
“I’ll make it brief, for our sakes,” Troy said casting a look at Bri. “She’s hungry and tired and I don’t want to be at the end of her temper.”
“Begin,” Ares said as he listened to Troy explain what happened.
Ares kept silent as he listened. Whoever the beings in the ships were they wanted them to go back to fix something that they really did not create but were a part of. The part that caught Ares attention was the inability of the aliens to interfere even though they were so involved in everything.
“It’s almost as if they are acting as gods but not wanting to directly interfere,” Ares said after Troy had finished talking.
“Right,” Troy replied to his commander.
“So you think our mission is that important,” Ares said.
“I do commander. If we are quick about it we might be able to save billions of lives at the expense of millions, otherwise I feel that they are all doom anyways,” Troy replied.
“Then we’ll stay on course,” Ares said as everyone was dismissed. Troy remained behind telling Bri that she should go eat and sleep. He would see her later. She glanced at the commander then back at Troy trying to figure out what was going on before relenting and walking out.
“What’s up,” Ares asked him knowing that he had something to say to him.
“I got a vision from our new guest,” Troy said to Ares who remained quiet. “I saw death, lots of it. The man seemed to be surrounded by it almost as if he enjoys it. I saw him standing at the base of a wreaked ship with three warriors. One of them fired at him which did not harm him. He killed one of the warriors and was forced to leave. Apparently he broke one of their rules.”
“Rules,” Ares said. That gave him something to think on. If Able had to obey the rules then all he had to do was figure them out.
“It seems so. I had another vision of him with the others in the ships of light and he did not seem too happy,” Troy said.
“Thanks,” Ares said as he sat down to think about what he had just been told. Troy usually did not tell people about his visions until it was time. This one was dangerous for them all. Is the wreaked ship in Troy’s vision his battlestar and the warriors some of the survivors. It was a disturbing vision that was for sure.
Leaning back Ares knew that things with Able were already beginning to get out of hand. The man was already interfering with his commands and the functions of the ship. Is that how he worked? Did he gain the trust of the crew only to kill them later or does he lead them to their doom.
He decided that he would keep an eye on the man and wait until he understood more of the ‘rules’ that he obeyed. He had the feeling that he could trust Pratt, Troy, and Bri. Perhaps between all of them they could begin to understand the rules and beat him at his own game.
End part 9