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01: Video
[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.]
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.]
video.
Frakking.
Baltar.
Suddenly, Felix remembers what happened in the breach -- him and Gaius, the weird business they'd struck up. Of course, of all the afterlives in all the universes, Gaius Baltar would have to walk into his.
He's not even going to ask what game Gaius is playing right now, with this "nice to meet you" thing. He probably doesn't want to know. He passes a hand across his eyes and sighs, not entirely unkindly.]
Hello, Gaius. What are you doing here?
video.
Same as you, more than likely. Has anyone explained yet?
Lieutenant, wasn't it?
video.
Don't frak with me right now, Gaius, all right? This isn't exactly the best time.
And what are you doing here? Don't tell me Roslin finally lost her patience with you once and for all. I figured you'd be back in her good graces after... what Tom and I did.
video.
He is silent and staring for a few moments. ]
I'm sorry.
[ He thinks. ]
We met back during the breach. I don't think we've met otherwise, and-- I don't actually understand any of what you're saying. Is this about a Cylon detector?
[ He says that like he only heard of it, fleetingly, haphazard in his attempt to put puzzle pieces together to form sense. ]
video.
[But his voice, and his face, are starting to take on an edge of alarm as he realizes it might not be a joke, the color slowly draining from his cheeks.]
It's-- it's me. Felix. Felix... Gaeta.
[For a half a second, it's like it's still four years ago and Gaius is still the Great and Powerful Baltar, the slightly eccentric savior of mankind with his homemade Cylon detector -- back when he could do no wrong, and Felix Gaeta was nothing more than his overeager, hero-worshipping lab assistant. Back when it still really mattered what Gaius thought of him.]
video.
[ A gentle reminder, slightly worried. There's a disconnect that Gaius doesn't quite comprehend, except that maybe he does, the way Sarah's son was here, the way realities and time seem to bend malleable. And the man over the communicator isn't going to give him answers. ]
Frak. You know me, don't you. Outside of the B-- this place, you know who I am. [ Beyond just his name, he means. Fingers course through his hair in irritated scratching to his scalp. ] Look, I'm not being funny. Where we are now doesn't care about little things like time and space.
[ Beat, then; ] It's happened, then, for you. The attack.
video.
[And you know me, he wants to say. He really, really wants to not care, but he can't help but remember the last words Gaius had said to him -- the last thing anyone had said to him. He clamps down hard on the memory, on his feelings, and clenches his jaw, tightening his hand reflexively on his crutch. His voice is suddenly calmer, but hollow.]
It's been four years since the attack.
video.
So he isn't sure what to think, here.
The communicator is suddenly put aside, Gaius slipping out of frame and Felix treated to a sight of the ceiling of his cabin. There's the sound of someone standing, moving away. Maybe to pace. ]
video.
Four years. About fifty thousand people left the Colonies, protected by Galactica. One of our crew rescued you from Caprica... [Boomer. But Boomer, back when she had still been a person. Souring a little, he pushes on.]
There are 39,600 of us left, now.
video.
Few.
A scattering of dust in the universe. Gaius is, in truth, moving to grab his cigarettes, his fingers shaky as he lights up and remaining out of view of the communicator, but his steps creak louder in tentative approach. ]
The last thing-- [ He clears his throat. ] The last thing I recall was the attack of Caprica. My home was destroyed and I wound up here. I haven't any news of anything.
Until you.
video.
[This is all said as bluntly, but as he trails off, it's clear that the gears are turning in his mind. He's learning how this works, here on the Barge:]
... So then, you're claiming to have died in the attack.
[Claiming. Because yes, he knows Gaius Baltar.]
video.
Then, he moves in sight of communicator once more. His narrow features are hard with defense. ]
I thought-- I'm not claiming, I'm just-- here, aren't I. I didn't frakking ask to be.
video.
And you don't remember, say, trying to build a Cylon detector, or winning any elections, or making deals with the Cylons, or... [...that time I tried to kill you, or that other time I tried to kill you...] ...anything else after that.
video.
But he does not feel moved to be helpful, foregoing verbal response to any of it. ]
Who are you, exactly.
video.
Felix. Gaeta. I was your-- we worked together. For a very long time.
video.
Right. Well.
[ He taps ash off his cigarette, somewhere offscreen. ]
I suppose it doesn't matter here, any of that. I've not-- [ Done it yet? He can't quite bring himself to inculpate himself that much. ]
video.
Right. So what are you here for, then?
[Actually, that is a bit of a mystery, isn't it? Before becoming President, Gaius had definitely been a bit of a crazy ass, but nothing criminal, as far as he or anyone else in the fleet knew. What could have happened before the attack to land him here?]
Wait-- let me guess. It wasn't you; you were in the wrong place, at the wrong time. This is all a mistake.
video.
[ Less dismissive, this time, more relieved that he doesn't have to spell this out. ] You'll find standards of justice here are a bit loosey goosey. The physics certainly are.
I suppose you, too, were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
video.
Noooo... I did something wrong and got caught.