(no subject)
Jun. 9th, 2007 01:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
callsignhuskerIt's Boomer and Crashdown again -- this time they've found what they think is an inhabitable planet. Good news. Better than good news.
And then the president requests a meeting, and brings an entourage -- Baltar, the gangly kid Billy, and a priest.
The priest is the one who pings as odd. Adama takes it in as more information along with the aerial survey maps, which he goes over with his magnifying glass, while the priest and the president in turns tell him why they think it's Kobol. Kobol, the alleged home of the gods in mythology; the place their ancestors supposedly left in order to settle the Twelve Colonies, of which Caprica is -- was -- the center.
Adama doesn't care whether it's Kobol, Earth, or a permanently cold day in hell. It's inhabitable, and there are no Cylons in sight. There haven't been any Cylons in sight in a couple of weeks -- longer than ever before. But it's a diplomacy game, as it all too often is, and he'll play it. "You may be right, this may be Kobol." He glances up from the survey maps. "I think we should seriously consider permanent settlement on this planet."
The priest says, as though it matters, "The scriptures tell us that Kobol points the way to Earth."
Great, Adama thinks. To Lee, behind him: "Organize a ground survey team. Three Raptors. I want a complete survey of the ruins immediately."
Lee responds in the affirmative, and that's when Baltar throws his snit fit, saying he should be allowed to go -- inviting himself. And he doesn't address himself to Adama. To the president. For a military op.
Adama thinks she's welcome to him.
And then the president requests a meeting, and brings an entourage -- Baltar, the gangly kid Billy, and a priest.
The priest is the one who pings as odd. Adama takes it in as more information along with the aerial survey maps, which he goes over with his magnifying glass, while the priest and the president in turns tell him why they think it's Kobol. Kobol, the alleged home of the gods in mythology; the place their ancestors supposedly left in order to settle the Twelve Colonies, of which Caprica is -- was -- the center.
Adama doesn't care whether it's Kobol, Earth, or a permanently cold day in hell. It's inhabitable, and there are no Cylons in sight. There haven't been any Cylons in sight in a couple of weeks -- longer than ever before. But it's a diplomacy game, as it all too often is, and he'll play it. "You may be right, this may be Kobol." He glances up from the survey maps. "I think we should seriously consider permanent settlement on this planet."
The priest says, as though it matters, "The scriptures tell us that Kobol points the way to Earth."
Great, Adama thinks. To Lee, behind him: "Organize a ground survey team. Three Raptors. I want a complete survey of the ruins immediately."
Lee responds in the affirmative, and that's when Baltar throws his snit fit, saying he should be allowed to go -- inviting himself. And he doesn't address himself to Adama. To the president. For a military op.
Adama thinks she's welcome to him.
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Date: 2007-06-09 06:05 am (UTC)"I have no objection, Doctor."
It is said offhandedly, as her attention remains focused on Adama.
"We need to talk."
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Date: 2007-06-09 06:10 am (UTC)"Sure," he says.
This is not going to go well, he thinks. Whatever it is.
It only takes a moment to clear the room; Saul and Lee usher everybody out and then leave themselves.
The kid is probably going to see Dualla, Adama knows; the prospect makes him remarkably irritated. Too irritated; he dismisses it, and focuses on Roslin.
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Date: 2007-06-11 03:38 am (UTC)She waits until she has his attention.
"We'll never have another opportunity like this one, Commander."
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Date: 2007-06-11 03:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-11 03:51 am (UTC)Calmly stated, as if there is no question at all of the facts.
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Date: 2007-06-11 04:24 am (UTC)As if there is no question at all of the facts.
"We have everything we need for settlement on Kobol."
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Date: 2007-06-11 04:34 am (UTC)She doesn't raise her voice, but neither does she give way an iota as she faces him.
"The scriptures tell us that if we had the Arrow of Apollo, we could use it to open the tomb of Athena and find our way from Kobol to Earth."
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Date: 2007-06-11 04:41 am (UTC)So it's about religion. It's hard to make religious people see reason, and with their situation --
If the President of the Colonies can be swayed that easily by a priest, something's got to give somewhere.
Information, first. "I didn't know you were that religious."
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Date: 2007-06-11 04:49 am (UTC)Silence falls for a beat of time before she inquires, very politely,
"Is that a problem?"
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Date: 2007-06-11 05:17 am (UTC)One of his hands is stacked neatly on the other; his glasses are on; his gaze is sharp. "It's just new."
If it's new, then chances are she's been able to let go of the old, and what's old, in this case, is the truth. The reality of their situation. The very first lie that he told them all.
The lie that she's privy to. "There is no Earth. You understand that."
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Date: 2007-06-11 05:22 am (UTC)"You know better. We both learned differently in Milliways. It seems that we were wrong before, after all."
Roslin takes a careful breath. How can he doubt, in the face of all we've now seen?
"Commander, just because we don't know where it is in our own universe-- that doesn't mean that Earth isn't there to be found."
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Date: 2007-06-11 05:34 am (UTC)"What we learned in Milliways," Adama says, putting no particular emphasis on any word, "was that there are multiple versions of Earth. Multiple dimensions, each with their own. There's no guarantee, Madam President, that our own universe contains Earth. What we have are stories."
A moment's silence.
"Madam President, I'm not trying to mock your faith, so please understand me. These stories about Kobol, gods, the Arrow of Apollo... they're just stories, legends, myths. Don't let it blind you to the reality that we face."
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Date: 2007-06-11 05:43 am (UTC)"Believe me, I'm anything but blind. Reality is that the Cylon raider has been successfully jump-tested. Reality is that, as much as we hate to admit it, Cylon technology obviously outstrips our own."
She's standing very straight, and yet she's nearly vibrating with tension as she strives to convince him, finishing,
"The reality is that there is a good chance the raider can jump all the way back to Caprica, where the pilot can retrieve that arrow and and bring it back so that we can do what we need to do now, and that is find our way to Earth. Our Earth."
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Date: 2007-06-11 05:57 am (UTC)She's lecturing him like he's a student, and she's the teacher.
It's not surprising, but it grates like hell.
If they're supposed to be working together --
Adama's eyes are on his hands. "The raider's a military asset. I'm not going to use it to go chasing some mythical arrow." And now he looks up. "I'm sorry."
He's not.
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Date: 2007-06-13 03:05 am (UTC)(Especially once she realized just how wrong she'd been, in the beginning. Lee Adama had helped her with that.)
Sometimes there's room for negotiation; sometimes they can come from their opposite interests to the common ground that they do in fact share for the good of not only the Fleet, but all humanity.
It's immediately clear to her that this is not one of those times. He's not going to be moved on this.
"Very well," Roslin says.
It's not exactly agreement, but then again, he doesn't need to know that.
Not yet.