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

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.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

[He's quiet for a moment, angry, stewing. When he talks again, it's laced with cynicism, a bitter smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.]

Doesn't seem like I have much incentive to leave here at all, then, does it? All I have to fear here is tyrannical rule and these... events. At least the frakking food and beds are warm and the Cylons aren't waiting on every planet.

Re: [Video!]

[terminatefate]

You're from Gaius's universe. [Sarah pauses.] I'm his Warden.

[She peers at him and then rubs her eyes, letting out a slow sigh. Sarah ignores the anger and the cynicism.]

Like I said before, what you choose to do while you're here is up to you. Some people just stay as inmates, some of those inmates graduate and become Wardens in their own right. And when you're a Warden, you have a wish that can be granted once your inmate graduates.

That's one incentive to work on graduation. Some people leave and come back multiple times for multiple wishes, or stay on as Wardens for those wishes.

If you needs something, please, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

[Video!] - Apparently this thread is taking place after all the others *pretends* (look, subject :D)

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

[Felix carefully schools his expression into bored impassivity at the mention of Gaius. He's not clear on how the Warden/Inmate relationship goes yet, but he's not sure she needs to know about that long and bitter road... especially if Gaius himself doesn't seem to know.]

Gaius Baltar? Yes, but we're from different homeworlds. I'm from Picon; he's from... I don't know, Caprica, I think? [It's Aerilon. He knows it's Aerilon. But no one who doesn't know Gaius would know that.]

[He maintains the same look as she continues, but when she mentions this wish thing, his eyes cut towards the screen, his interest suddenly piqued.]

A wish. Any wish?

Re: [Video!] - All good with me!

[terminatefate]

Same universe, I guess. [She shrugs] And yes, any wish, I believe.

[Video!]

[itstopped.livejournal.com]

Yes. He's pretty well-known in the Colonies.

[He doesn't comment further on the second part, but the gears are turning so hard in his head that Sarah can probably see him thinking on the other side of the screen. There's one question he's going to be turning over a lot in the near future, and it's this:

Could he be strong enough to wish for genocide?]