01: Video

[itstopped]

[The screen turns on to show Felix, new to the barge and newly free of the breach. He's standing in the middle of a metal room, the walls honeycombed with bunk beds -- industrial in appearance, but spaced with a certain military precision.

As with the breach, he's missing the lower half of his right leg. But now, he has a clunky-looking metal prosthetic attached, extending down to a black boot, and he leans on a single forearm crutch instead of the awkward things he relied on back in town. He's neat and trimmed and wearing some kind of uniform.

And he looks very, very confused.]

What the frak was that? I thought it was a dream, or maybe even one of those visions everyone keeps having. Some last flash before the end...

...But then, how could I possibly be back on Galactica? There's no way I'm a Cylon, too... if nothing else, I don't think they'd let me resurrect like this. [He taps his crutch against his leg, with a hollow metal sound.]

Comments

[Video!]

[terminatefate]

Welcome to life on the Barge. [said dry as hell] My first fuck up was falling over the railing during a dames port. I was a pirate captain for a few days.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

[No, seriously. What the frak?]

It's you. I saw you in my-- [He is so reluctant to use this word, after all the damage Roslin managed to do with it, but--] --my... vision.

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

I remember you too. Surprise?

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

How is that possible? What was that place?

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

That, I think was what they called a breach. My first one, too. Basically [how do you even explain this shit?], this ship 'takes on water' every once and awhile and people's mindsets change--that's called a 'flood' or occasional people may wind up...well, different in other ways. A breach is what occurs when whatever causes the flood hits the entire ship itself and it changes, too.

[Sarah made a face--yeah, it's fucking insane and she knows it.]

I don't fully understand it myself, but that's what I've been told.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

[If he hadn't actually been there and seen it, experienced it for himself, he'd never believe her. As it is, he looks deeply skeptical.]

So you're telling me there's some kind of... rift... that occurs regularly, and changes everyone here? And sometimes changes everything?

[But he remembers being that man -- still the same, but not the same. He's talking to her now, but he remembers sitting with her in that, what was it, a temple?]

I suppose it's not completely impossible. Interdimensional theory...

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

It's random at best, no telling when it's coming, though the ship tends to shake and the Admiral will announce that we're taking on water. To a collective groan from the general populace. At least this wasn't...terrible.

[She makes a face.]

Essentially, yeah. I just usually go with Barge magic. Easier to deal with than the actual scientific theory and mechanics. I get enough temporal fuck up from time-travel and all of its implications.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

The Admiral? [Again, he has the sensation that some wires, so to speak, are badly crossed.

...But if Adama is here, he's jumping off the frakking side.] Admiral who?

[Then the rest of what she says catches up to him, and he, too, pulls a face.] Magic? Sure, okay. [Why is the world full of crazy people who believe in things.]

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

Just the Admiral. That's all I've ever heard the dick who runs this ship referred to as--nothing else. I mean, besides a ton of cuss words.

[She shrugged again.]

Magic is just a word for tech no one's figured out, I guess.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

[...Well, that could still be Adama. But probably not. He relaxes, very sightly.] Maybe so.

You're not from the Colonies either, I take it. Don't tell me you're also from... from Earth?

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

Yep. Earth, at least one version of it, is my home.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

[That's definitely never going to stop being alarming to him. And like his breach counterpart, he's pretty good at hiding his feelings, but there's still a certain light of-- fear? suspicion?-- in his eyes.]

I see. But there are multiple versions, is what you mean. That's common knowledge here?

[If I find someone I can trust, will they corroborate this? is what he means.]

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

Pretty common, yeah. Multiple Earths, universes, timelines, call it what you want. I could probably draw up something on how I think this place works, in as much science as I can feasibly put into this place. Been reading up on temporal mechanics.

[When she wasn't beating the fuck out of punching bags or working with swords.]

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

[Felix raises a brow, still wary, but undoubtedly curious. Science, you say?]

All right. I'd like to see that. I'll take science over magic, anyway.

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

Might take awhile to draw up, but I'll get back to you on that. Translating it from the mess it is in my head to a sketch may be...interesting.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

All right. I'll look forward to seeing it. It's... your name, it was... I don't think you ever introduced yourself, actually. Just your ranch.

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

Connor. Sarah Connor. Pretty sure you didn't mention your name either.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

Gaeta... Felix. [He had the same problem with David: how does he introduce himself, now? He probably can't still be Lieutenant Gaeta if he was executed for treason... right?]

...Felix is fine.

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

Nice to meet you, Felix. You working this shit out okay?

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

[His mouth twists sourly.] You mean being imprisoned for a crime I already served for, on a ship there's no frakking way off of? That shit?

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

Yeah. That shit. It's...[she shrugged helplessly] an adjustment. But if you want to find a better light to see it in, call it a second chance at life.

[Her expression was thoughtful.]

It's been that for me, so far. A different life. You can look at this place as a prison and bitch about it, or you can look at it as a chance to figure your own shit out. For awhile, I was on the whole 'prison' side, but you know? I got my own shit to figure out, too, and I'm a fucking Warden.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

[He's sort of almost listening... until she says she's a Warden, and his face shuts down entirely.]

Which means you made a choice to be here.

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

I made a choice, yes. But we're all here for pretty much the same reason. Some? To atone for what they've done, others to figure themselves out--not everyone who's an inmate has murdered, killed, or brought ruin. Sometimes there's still something left to learn or something the Barge--whether or not it was right of it to pluck you from wherever you came from--decided you might benefit from.

But, the fact remains, you need to figure out how you're going to use your time here. Either figure out what the fuck the Barge is keeping you here for and chip away at it so you can get out, or fuck around and do nothing until you're bored. It's all about choice in the end. You might not have had the chance to say yes or no to being here, but you have a choice in how long you're here.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

How is it all about choice when I've had the most important choice of all ripped away from me? I chose to die peacefully. I could have fought it, but I didn't.

The Admiral thinks he can take that away? Maybe he has the power to, but that doesn't mean he has the right.

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

Never said any of this was fair or that anyone had the right to do this -- but you're here. There's only one way out and that? You do have control over. Ir's not much...but it's something at least.

[Sarah let out a sigh.]

I wish it was fair, but it isn't. There's nothing I can do except help when needed. I'm sorry.