Agent Fox Mulder (i_want_2) wrote in multi_fiction, @ 2011-07-13 15:53:00 |
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Entry tags: | galactica, het, rated: adult, slash |
Fic: Can't You See, Why? 1/1 BattleStar Galactica 2003
Title: Can't You See, Why?
Author: Lopaka Tanu i_want_2
Summary: Denial is a powerful tool of the mind. It can blind us to even the most blatantly obvious of truths. And it is never more powerful than in the minds of those who hate themselves.
Disclaimer: I do not derive any profit from this and claim no ownership of Battlestar Galactica. This is fanmade for fun, no infringement intended.
Characters: Gaeta, Ellen, Cavil, Boomer, Tigh, D'Anna, Anders, Starbuck, 6, 8, 2.
Pairings: D'Anna/Gaeta, Ellen/Saul, Anders/Gaeta
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language, Cylon Hate, Bitter Gaeta Syndrome.
Title, Author and URL of original story: Revelation Seven by rap541
Beta Thanks:
Author Notes: It is my sincerest hope that this fic be pleasing to dear Rap. This fic is focused on Felix. How the Cylons are referenced is from his POV.
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Part 1.
Pain flared. It shot from the tips of his fingers up his arms and spread throughout his body. Fire flashed throughout his system. He jerked about in an attempt to put it out, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Come now, it's not that bad."
The words barely registered in his feverish mind. When they did, he could barely react to them. The pain was so intense that he nearly blacked out.
Felix could barely see. His eyes were open, he knew that much, but there was darkness and dazzling brilliance from everywhere. It seared his eyes, leaving him feeling scarred.
New sensations stung at his cheeks and he jerked away.
"My sweet, beautiful Daniel."
With those words, all the pain went away. The sudden loss left a deep ache in him. Sighing, he sunk back in what he now realized was a warm gel. Felix realized he was nude in the gel, but it didn't bother him. The sensation of being here was just so strange that little else seemed to matter.
Cool hands cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look up. He saw only a blur of pale colors in the white brilliance. That was when the memories came back.
A sad, mournful call seemed to well up from out of no where.
They had shot him. He had been executed like a traitor. After everything he had suffered, they had taken his dignity and his good name from him as well.
Sobbing, he tried to get away. He didn't want to be held. He beat weakly at the hands to no avail. Why couldn't they leave him alone?
Soft thumbs wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Oh, my poor baby, what have they done to you?" Her voice was choked thick with many emotions.
Then he was wrapped in her arms, tugged against her chest. Despite himself, Felix wrapped an arm around her waist. He held on for dear life as more memories began to resurface.
"Hell is usually reserved for those who betray their own kind." It was said in an ironically smug tone. "Welcome to the banks of Styx, Purgatory, or wherever good, little bad-Cylons end up."
"Do you have to be here?" She was angry now, but not at him. Her words were for the other voice. "Really, John, I think you've done enough already."
"I really don't," the man shot back. "In fact, I'm curious as to how he managed to pull this one off."
"God works in mysterious..." She was cut off with a vicious slap. Yet, her hold on him never wavered.
"Don't try that bullshit with me, Ellen. I'm too old for fairy tales and mythological fantasies." He was closer now. "This entire facility should have been dormant without your hub and its technology. You conveniently left us that little vulnerability for our enemies to exploit."
Scoffing at him, she stroked Felix's cheek. "You knew all along what our plans, our hopes, were for all of you. Don't blame us for not seeing that your entire existence would depend upon such 'vulnerabilities'."
Opening his eyes, Felix could see them. They were two figures, one holding him as she leaned over his tank. Her face was hidden above him, but he could see the man. The man stood a few feet away, scowling at them. Something about him was familiar, but his features were still too blurry for Felix to recognize.
"Don't think I don't know that was your plan all along! You five were always planning on making us mortal, more Human, just like you. You never intended for resurrection to be anything but a stepping stone in your grand design." The man pointed a finger at them. "And on that note, how is there even a Seven here to be resurrected into, let alone one with his own resurrection chamber?"
Her grip on him tightened until it became painful. Felix grunted when it grew hard to breathe. She was hiding something, or at least, that was his interpretation.
"You knew he was here."
He felt her shake her head.
"No. Daniel, my Daniel, is gone. You saw to that." Her voice cracked as she began to stroke his hair now. "I have no idea how he came to be here."
Something popped in his chest, there was no other word to describe the sensation. He felt it burst with immense pressure on his lungs. The world grew distant very quickly and his entire body went slack.
From far away, he heard alarms begin to blare. Their voices rose in a frantic screaming match. He heard none of their words. Feeling himself slip away, he snorted in amusement.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"You're a defective sack of meat, you know that?"
Hearing those words woke Felix. His entire body ached, but the bulk of it was concentrated in his chest.
"But don't feel bad, it's not your fault you were designed that way."
The solid weight pressing down on his chest made it hard to breathe. Gasping slowly, he took each breath with utter care. When he was certain he wouldn't black out from lack of oxygen or the pain, he opened his eyes.
Black walls greeted him. They were lit from below and above by filtered white light. Red bars glowed from the walls, flaring and dying like a heart beat. With a harsh sob, he realized where he was.
"Oh, come now. We've gone through this part already. I really do hate having to repeat myself." It was a Cavil.
Hearing that voice stopped the flow of emotions through Felix. Every other emotion but anger fled, leaving him simmer where he lay. Fists clenching, he curled on his side to face the frakking Cylon. Pain flared in his chest that left him gasping, but he didn't care. All that mattered was right there in front of him.
Smirking from his position by the doorway, Cavil had his hands clasped together in amusement. "Well, I'm glad to see you've come to your senses."
With a shaky arm, Felix pushed himself up into a sitting position on the bed. His entire body throbbed from the effort. It left him feeling weak and only his will kept him from falling back down. "What have you done to me?"
That raised the Cylon's eyebrows. "You don't remember how you died?"
"I remember being executed!" He raised a shaking hand to point at the other. "You and your kind have taken everything from us, but they merged the fleets any ways! They don't care! Everything that's...happened doesn't mean...a thing anymore. All they want...is to pretend...it never happened!" He finished with a hacking cough.
All the while he shouted at the Cavil, it remained silent. Fingers pressed together, he seemed to be considering him and his words.
There was silence between the two of them for a long time. Felix began to waver as exhaustion quickly overtook him. Slumping backwards, he fell back into bed. This did little to lessen his anger, but made the reason cloudy in his mind.
"I see." Cavil's tone was civil, bordering on disinterest. "Someone will be in later to..." trailing off with a wave of his hand, the Cylon turned and walked out.
Felix watched him go out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't believe it. What the hell was going on? Confusion warred in his head as he lost control of his breathing.
He thought the Cavils were at war with the rest of them. If they were still, how did they get him off the Galactica? How did he survive that bullet he felt enter his temple? While he reached up to feel his head, spots began to appear before his eyes. Felix knew his body was hyperventilating, but he couldn't stop it. His chest ached from moving, but he had to know.
His fingers touched only smooth flesh.
That wasn't right. He frowned and slid his entire hand over his forehead. There was nothing, it was all healed. Then the world grew to heavy and he felt it slip from his grasp.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was some time later that he became aware of a hand on his cheek. Soft fingers gently caressed his skin in tiny circles. Not wanting them to stop, he pretended to still be asleep.
"I know you're awake." She was amused at something.
Sighing, Felix opened his eyes slowly to allow them time to adjust. The world froze when he saw the smiling face of Ellen Tigh staring down at him. Memories came flooding back and he recalled the voices. He now knew it was her who had been cradling him.
Tears welled up in his eyes, making his vision blurry. He couldn't stop himself and tried to look away, ashamed. Why was this happening to him? Hadn't he suffered enough in this life?
She quickly wiped his tears with her thumbs, just as she had done before. "My sweet Daniel."
His eyes snapped to her face and he stiffened. She had called him that last time too. This time his hand was much stronger as he reached up to grasp her wrist. He tugged it free. Ignoring how her hurt expression made him feel, he shook his head.
This was not the woman he knew. He was now aware of just what she had been then and was now. She was just another Cylon.
Steeling his gaze, he pushed her firmly back so he could sit up. The pain in his chest was almost unnoticeable by now, so he put it from his mind. It was as he sat up, still holding her arm, that he realized their disparities, mainly, she was wearing clothes and he wasn't.
Clearing his throat, he suppressed a blush. This was her domain, he was the prisoner. He figured it was best to be civil while that was the case. "Mrs. Tigh, you know that is not my name."
Standing up, she looked down at his hand on her arm. With a sigh, she pulled it free. "I supposed it was too much to hope for." She straightened her back with a toss of her hair. "So, how did you end up in a dump like this?"
Some how, her casual tone made him feel better. It didn't completely put the fact of her existence from his mind, but he could tolerate it now. "I don't know. Last thing I remember before I woke up here is being shot on the Admiral's order."
She raised an eyebrow in clear surprise. "Bill Adama had his best hound shot? What's the matter, go mad staring at all those numbers all day long?" At his blank stare, she cracked up a couple times before getting it under control. "You really did, didn't you?"
Her cackle made his face heat up. Setting his jaw, he felt the hate well up in him again. Something of the murderous intent must have shown on his face because she sobered up quickly.
Sighing, she laced her fingers in front of her. She turned away, but didn't head off. "Sorry, dear, but it's just the thought of you being the one he had executed..." she finished with a shake of her head. "You must have done something that really pissed the old sourpuss off."
"I tried to kill all the Cylons in the fleet, including their collaborators." Seeing her stiffen spurred him on. A tiny, vindictive thrill made his heart speed up. "The admiral is a traitor to his oath. By aligning himself with the Cylons and allowing them to serve in his command, he has broken every commandment that the Colonial Military was founded on."
By not facing him, it was obvious she was trying to hide how this effected her. "Wow, I must say, I never saw that one coming." She exhaled loudly, then glanced at him over her shoulder. "How far did you get?"
That took the wind out of his sails. Glowering at the floor, he spun to hang his feet over the bedside. "I held the Galactica for six hours." Closing his eyes, he relived the mistakes he had made with a pang of regret. No matter how it had ended, he could not regret that he had done it.
"You haven't mentioned..."
He cut her off with a snort. "Your husband is still alive." Something came to him then and he looked up at her back with a grin. "Far as I know, so is the Eight he's knocked up."
Ellen twitched, then gasped. Swaying in her spot, she wrapped her arms around her stomach. "What did you say?" Her voice quivered as it rose in pitch.
Standing up, he felt himself grow stronger. With each move he made, the anger was drained from his body. Whether it was too much trauma or if he was suffering from a nervous disorder, he was completely numb by the time he was on his feet. He watched her react, apathetic to her pain. "Congratulations, I heard it's a boy."
"Enough!" The cry came from the door.
There was no longer any sense of surprise by the new, familiar faces. So, seeing an angry Boomer standing in the doorway glaring in his direction left him indifferent. "You can go now."
The Boomer ignored him as she walked in with a bundle of white cloth. She quickly moved to Ellen's side. Watching the older Cylon with a concerned expression, she lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "We are running out of time. If we are going to get out of here, we have to go now."
Her words had no impact on Felix. He simply stood there watching them with dispassionate interest. This was a new sensation, it was fascinating that he could be so bereft of feeling.
Ellen nodded after a second. "You're right."
The Boomer eyed him. "What about him? Do you still want to take the Daniel?" Her annoyed frown said how she felt about that.
For the first time since their blow up, she looked at him. She was clearly conflicted as she kept glancing between him and the door. "He's...not Daniel."
"I know. The One told me." Taking Ellen's hand in her own, the Boomer tugged her to the door. "We have to go now."
"We can't leave him. John will kill him." Ellen sounded like she had to convince herself of those words. After a hesitant step, she glanced over at Felix. "If you want to live, you're going to have to trust a Cylon."
"What?" The Boomer looked between Ellen and him. "You mean..." she was silenced by Ellen gripping her hand.
She smiled falsely for him. "Mr. Gaeta, now or never. This is a one way ticket back to the fleet, and quite possibly, your permanent death. On the other hand, you'll certainly die here too. Your choice."
'She didn't have to sound so cheered by that,' he thought. Still, he could see the stress of that idea in her eyes. She actually cared about him. It was inexplicable to him. Yet, he trusted that.
Taking a shaky breath, he nodded. He felt steady on his feet enough to follow along for a short trek.
Ellen exhaled with a more assured grin. "Then, let's go home." Taking the bundle from the Boomer, she tossed it to him. "Put those on, it's going to get cold."
________________
Part 2.
Words were being whispered from far away. It sounded as if from a long corridor in a large building. He felt warmth, sunlight on his face. Eyes closed, he raised his face into it.
"Hera!"
Felix's eyes popped open. Sucking in a deep breath, he pushed himself off the Raptor's hull. Dried saliva scratched at his chin and he wiped it clear. Growling low in his throat, he cleared it a couple times to remove the built up mucus. That done, he glanced about the tightly enclosed space.
The first person he saw was Ellen. She sat regally at the tactical station, her legs crossed in a casual pose. Even in the dim light, her radiant smile gave her a glow. Before he could ask why, she pointed out the porthole.
Turning, he caught his breath. In the dim light of some distant star, he spotted her. Most of the scorch marks had been scrubbed from her hull to expose the aged armor. Even showing her age, she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever saw. "Home." The word was out before he even realized he was about to say it.
Ellen chuckled breathlessly. "I suppose so."
Climbing up from the floor, he hunched at the hatch to get a better view. They were circling about, coming in for a landing in her starboard side pod. A heartbeat later, a Viper came down their Y-axis orbit in an escort formation. That made it all the more real for him. It was true, they were coming back.
He felt a warm glow inside and a peaceful contentment filled him. His smile was so wide that it hurt. The only reason he knew that he was shifting from side to side in excitement was because he heard Ellen laugh at him. Not that it mattered, he was almost home.
~~~~~~~~~~
By the time the taxi had brought the Raptor round the flight deck, his stomach was tied in knots. He was sitting in the passenger chair behind the cockpit, nervously glancing out the dome windshield. There were a lot of people out there. Many of the faces he could see he recognized.
None of them left him with any confidence.
Everyone was a little on edge, all of them were extremely curious. Some of them were even armed.
Butterflies fluttered in his stomach. Swallowing, he clenched his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering. He chanced a look to Ellen, but found her serenely watching the hatch. The Raptor shook gently as the taxi came to a stop. Then it was time to open the hatch.
Refusing to move before he had to, he waited for the Boomer to pass him.
She gave him a disgusted look as she reached for the hatch release. Then, she pushed and it started to rise.
He didn't care what she thought. It wasn't her that had been shot a half a dozen marine guards mere meters from here. He could still swear he had felt his body slowly freezing after they had flushed him out into space. Trembling, he gripped the seat for all he was worth.
As the hatch reached it's highest point, it gently shook the Raptor. That was the signal that it was over. They were here.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Ellen rise to her feet. She wore an expression of superior pride. This was a woman confident and in her element. Grabbing the Boomer's hand, she stepped up to the seal. "Why are you just standing there? Who's going to give a girl a hand down?"
"Oh my gods, that's Ellen Tigh."
Distantly, Felix recognized the President's voice. Oh lords of Kobol. If she was out there, then that meant so was the Admiral. Eyes wide, he found it hard to breathe. Shuddering, he started to rock in his seat. This wasn't happening.
He closed his eyes and began to mumble to himself. Anything, everything, nothing of it made sense to him. He had to get out of there. This was a mistake. Those very words reached his ears and it took him a second to recognize his own voice.
Luckily, no one was paying attention.
When he looked out the hatch, he caught sight of the Boomer. The marine guards had her and were escorting her away. An orange jumpsuit drew his attention to the chief. Seeing the other man, no, Cylon, made Felix's heart jump in his throat. He was back on duty like nothing had happened.
The screaming panic was suddenly thrust from him. Blind rage filled Felix as he released the seat. Only a shadow blocking the entrance kept him from charging headlong into certain death.
"Saul." Ellen's breathless utterance filled the cabin of the Raptor.
Surprised, Felix looked over in time to see her enveloped by her husband's embrace. Then they were kissing passionately and he was flushed from embarrassment.
Looking for something to distract himself, Felix glanced out the open hatch. They were all standing there. Every person that had lead the fleet for the past three years without regard or care for the people they crushed to maintain their position. Only two people were missing from this reunion, and of those, one he knew was dead.
A bright thought occurred to him. Maybe someone had finally shot that cowardly bastard.
The startled gasp of a voice he had never wanted to hear again jerked him from his reverie. It had haunted his nightmares and, even now, sent a chill down his spine.
"I don't frakking believe it." Kara Thrace sounded like she always did, pissed at the world. "Marines!"
Felix knew that he had been spotted. He didn't even have to look to know the bitch was already drawing her piece. Spine straight, he forced himself up on unsteady legs. If he was to die, it would not be like a coward on his knees or sitting down again.
"Oh my." The president had spotted him. She looked more amused than anything. That was a dangerous expression on the woman. "This day just seems full of surprises."
"What the frak?"
Already tired of this, Felix turned to face Ellen, and by association, found the Colonel. The one-eyed bastard was staring at him, white as a ghost. Head held high, Felix stood his ground and stared back. There wasn't time for more as a marine contingent was making their way up the ramp.
Pushing herself free from the Colonel, Ellen stepped between him and Felix. "No! Wait! Saul, please."
"Have you lost your mind, woman? Do you know what the hell you're harboring?" The Colonel tried unsuccessfully to puller her free. "Out of the frakking way, Ellen. That monster tried to kill us all!"
"It's Daniel!" She sounded as near to hysterical as Ellen could ever come. Throwing her arms up, she blocked the advance of the marines and Tigh.
Felix just stood there staring at them all. The shorter woman was nearly plastered against him. Only thoughtful maneuvering kept them from touching.
"It's Daniel." Her words once more echoed in the cabin. Only they spread out further to the flight deck. Everyone seemed frozen in place. She looked to them. "You've heard of Daniel?"
Looking at them, Felix knew who had by their shocked expressions. Of the main people, only the Humans looked confused. He didn't include Kara as Human, he wasn't quite sure what to classify her as. But she knew.
Colonel Tigh cleared his throat. "Yeah, we heard. Anders said...he said Daniel's dead." The older man glanced over his shoulder before facing Ellen and Felix again. "If he's dead, then how the frak is Daniel standing here?"
Her back straightening, Ellen cleared her throat. "Uh...we're not exactly sure."
Clenching his fists, Felix put a hand on her shoulder. He was getting fed up with all this crap from her. "My name is not Daniel!"
"That's all I needed to hear."
Confused, Felix looked to his right and out the hatch. All he had to time to notice was the fist before it clocked him across the cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was really starting to hate waking up. Groaning softly, Felix fought the urge to check for damage to his body. There was certainly some. He remembered getting hit by that crazy psycho, again. Starbuck seemed to have his name written on her fists.
Groaning again, he curled on his side. At least the bunk was soft. If he was going to spend the rest of his miserable life in a prison cell, he was glad that it would have some small comfort.
Without further preamble, he opened his eyes. The room was brightly lit, but that was where the expectations ended. Plastic curtains hung from the ceiling and the smell of disinfectant filled his nostrils.
He was in the infirmary.
Confused, he looked to the foot of his gurney for a guard. Standing at the wall opposite was a marine with his weapon held at the ready, but there was no one else. He was starting to get a little worried until he heard her clear her throat. A shiver ran down his spine.
Rolling onto his other side, he found the President sitting there on her own gurney. A line had been run down from a hanging bag to her arm. She was smiling at him in that predatory way of hers that hid her true intentions.
So, he was going to be interrogated before he died. If she was doing it, then that meant none of the others were trusted enough not to kill him first. He snorted. Felix figured he should at least be flattered.
"Good morning." Her smile was genuine this time. "Or, should I say, welcome back to the land of the living?"
Closing his eyes, he huffed at her. "Cylon lover."
"Now that is interesting, considering the source. I hadn't fully believed it possible until now." She was back to being amused. Good for her, she could write an epic about it. "Were you always this angry? Is that why you did it?"
"I did what was necessary!" Opening his eyes, he pinned her with a glare. He put all his anger, all his frustration in it. "You've betrayed us. By allowing those frakking machines to freely walk among us, it dishonors the memory of all who died, whom they murdered!"
She appeared troubled for a moment, staring inwardly. Roslin nodded. "Sadly, you're right. It is a troubling realization when you think about it." Then she looked up to meet his gaze. "So is the understanding that we are doomed without them. Our two fates have become so intertwined that..."
"Death is the only fate awaiting them." He tried to close his eyes and physically shut her out. It was to no avail.
"It awaits us all, some sooner than others." She was quiet for a moment. It was a peaceful silence. "I'm having you transferred to the Basestar. The Cylons have requested it. They believe, and I'm inclined to agree, that you're no longer safe here on Galactica."
He snorted without any humor. Of course. The sheep don't like how the shepherd protected his flock, so throw him to the wolves. More out of loss than anything else, he felt his eyes start to sting. He had only just gotten back here and they were already shipping him off to another prison.
__________________
Part 3.
Watching the lights pulse in the walls was almost hypnotic. Their steady rhythm left him feeling light headed. This in turn made it easier to feel disconnected from his body. Leaving it behind, he voided the pain and depression brought on by loneliness.
Of course, that only worked so long as someone wasn't bothering him.
She cleared her throat for the fifth time in fifteen minutes.
He wasn't quite sure how he knew how long it had been. They didn't exactly have chronometers aboard the Basestar.
Irritation at actually realizing the time weighted him down and dragged him back into his body. He cast an annoyed look in her direction before facing the wall again.
The Eight wasn't waiting patiently any more. Not that she ever was. Her entire line was known for their impulsiveness. They had been despised initially as being too Human.
Felix snorted. The mere notion that a toaster in sheep's clothing could be considered Human was ridiculous. Anthropomorphizing nature and their creations had led to the birth of the Cylon consciousness. That something could talk and think like them was a miracle. It was all so wonderful. Until they started whole sale slaughtering of people.
"What are you thinking about?"
He had to hand it to her, she actually sounded like she cared. The programming behind her empathy response was first class. Too bad it was all some program code cooked up by the first five. Nice effort though.
Looking down at his bare feet, he placed their soles together. They lined up evenly like he knew they would. The white pants and shirt Ellen had given him were long gone. He frowned, unable to recall when they had taken his clothes. In fact, he couldn't actually remember how long he had been here.
Concerned, he faced the Eight fully for the first time with the intention of asking. To his surprise, she was no longer there. In her stead was a Six.
She looked at him with that sad, yet hopeful, expression they did so well. "Yes, Gaeta?"
Hearing his name sapped him of what little energy he had. He suddenly felt so old and tired that he slumped over his lap. "How long have I been here?"
A pained look crossed her features. Another thing she was good at, understanding suffering. "You've been in this room for three days."
"Three days?" He couldn't believe his ears. Had it really been that long? Felix looked around the chamber for any sign of proof. It was all the same as it had always been. "Have I slept or ate? I don't remember..."
"No." Her whispered response was barely audible. "We've been terribly worried about you. No one's been able to reach you." She took a shuddering breath. "There was discussion of connecting the hybrid to..."
His scowl made her trail off. He remembered what had happened the last time anyone had frakked with that damned hybrid. They lost nearly a third of their people and the Cylons had joined the cause. Raising his head, he reached up to push the hair out of his face. Upon making contact with his hair, he paused mid-motion.
He stared at it where it hung over his eyes. The curls in his hair made him remember a time when he was younger. He had let it grow out as part of a Teutonic phase before the academy. Putting it from his mind, he tucked the lock of hair behind his ear.
Taking a deep breath, he decided to get around to it. "Have you decided my fate yet?" Looking up at her face, he tried to gage her reaction.
All he found was her usual sad expression. There would no help coming from there.
The Six licked her lips in an unconsciously uncomfortable gesture. "We are hoping you would help us."
Hearing this, he shook his head. Turning on the bed to face the wall again, he could have sworn he heard her sniff. After three days, he doubted he smelled like rose oil and laurel.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"You know, you're not helping yourself here." Her voice was accompanied by a gentle caress of his forehead. "Or, anyone else for that matter."
Felix kept his eyes closed to her and the rest of the world. He could feel the sun shining on his face, it's rays warming his skin. His head was in her lap, the feel of her leg under his shoulders made him smile.
She chuckled softly.
Hearing it made him smile brighter. Overhead, birds cried out before they dove into the sea. The breakers splashed somewhere nearby.
When her fingers slid down to tangle in his hair, he moaned softly. This was his favorite part. "He's not going to like it when he finds out you've been stroking me on the beach."
Bursting out with laugher, she gave his forehead a gentle flick. "I'm not going to tell if you don't." Grasping his chin between her fingers, she gave his head a gentle shake. "You really should at least hear them out. It's kinda important."
The way her accent softened the As sent a shiver down his spine. He always loved hearing her speak. Give him a little liquor and half an hour of hearing her speak and he was putty in her hands. "Nothing is important at the moment." Shifting on his blanket, he tried to get comfortable in the sand.
"Time's growing short." Her disappointed sigh ended with him being pushed off her lap.
"Hey!" Felix put up a hand to block out the sun. Opening his eyes, he found himself back in the chamber. The same dull light came from the floor and walls.
There had been no beach. The sounds of the waves were all imagined. Even D... A sick feeling settled in his stomach at the realization that it had all been a dream.
Clenching his eyes closed, he curled up tight on the mattress.
~~~~~~~~~~~
This time when he awoke, there was more than just one Cylon waiting for him. In fact, there were three of them. Of the three models on board, a representative of each had chosen to be present. From their dour looks, he knew something terrible had happened. That came as no surprise considering those involved.
Figuring they had come to a conclusion about his fate, he laid there among the sheets. Putting an arm behind his head, he stared at them in boredom. "Well?"
The Six looked to the Eight, then they turned to the Two. A moment of silent communication passed between them before he nodded.
He uncrossed his arms and stepped forward. The lines around his face stood out in stark relief on his pale features. "Why did you come back?"
It was a straightforward enough question. He weighed it for a moment to see if he could figure out their angle. It didn't benefit him any to answer truthfully, or at all for that matter. The answer could hurt him in several ways, though. But, at this point, he really didn't care.
Puffing out his cheeks, he exhaled loudly to annoy them. "I chose the lesser of two deaths." When that didn't seem to satisfy them, he rolled his eyes. "The Admiral shoots on sight, Cavil planned..." It occurred to him then he hadn't really known what the Cylon planned. "Whatever it was, it was bound to be worse than a bullet to the head. Already been through that once, not entirely unpleasant, and it's fast."
His words must have triggered something for the Six because she closed her eyes and flinched like she had been the one hit. Clearing her throat, she spoke in a broken voice. "Did you know what Boomer had planned?"
"Boomer?" That earned them a couple raised eyebrows. He hadn't thought about that glitch since the trial. "I try not to think about her." Tilting his head, he faced the Eight. "You all look alike to me." Cracking up, he glanced to the ceiling in the hopes that they would take the hint and go away.
They didn't.
Clearing his throat, the Two took center attention again. "We need to know if you were involved."
Groaning, he knew they weren't going to go away until he played along. Draping the back of his right arm over his forehead, he looked to them again. "Why would a psychotic malfunctioning toaster like a Boomer ever involve me in one of its schemes?"
All three of them deflated a little at his words in unison.
He snorted. "What did it do this time? Blow up the Galactica?"
Eight shook her head. "She betrayed us all, again." Avoiding the hand the Six tried to put on her shoulder, she stepped away from the others. "Boomer kidnapped Hera and took her to the Colony."
Felix just stared at them. "That's it?" At their stunned expressions, he cracked up a little. "In case your memory cores are malfunctioning, let me remind you that I'm the one who tried to have her executed. I have no love for any of you!" He smashed a fist into the bed. "The little abomination should have been aborted before it had a chance to see the light of day!"
The Six gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "You can't mean that."
Sitting up, he stared her down. "You bombed my home, destroyed our worlds, nearly exterminated my species, and one of you sick fraks took my leg!" Drawing his feet under him, he curled up on the bed to get more height. "I lost everything. Everything! And why? You took it all just because your god told you to! So don't tell me what I can and can't mean!"
Chest heaving, he was shivering from barely controlled rage by the time he finished. His vision blurred around the edges until he settled back down on the bed.
The three of them were similarly effected. Anger and something else warred on their faces. The Six was unable to look at him as she clutched her arms to her chest.
Two and Eight were sharing looks between shooting him hated glares.
That was okay with him. If they wanted a fight, by the gods, he was going to give them one!
Unfortunately, they chose that moment to leave.
The Two crossed over to wrap an arm around the Six's shoulders. Eight hung back to make sure he didn't do anything, then followed them out.
As he watched them leave, a Centurion stepped in the chamber to take their place. It then stepped back to the bulkhead near the doorway.
So he was back under guard again. It didn't matter. Maybe now they would put him out of his misery.
__________________
Part 4.
He couldn't tell how long later it was before he sensed someone else enter the room. It didn't matter who it was, though. There wasn't a reason in the world for him to even so much as look.
Whoever it was walked softly across the deck barefoot. They stopped a foot away from the bed and waited there. It was going to be a long wait.
"Ellen says you're that bastard that tried to kill me and half the crew." Ah. It was the drunken Colonel. He wasn't exactly slurring his speech at the moment, but that could change.
Felix was almost tempted to smirk at the bastard. After everything he had been put through, if there was anyone who could almost understand, it was this man.
Tigh sighed with an annoyed growl. "I dunno what I'm supposed to do over here. I'd much rather be in on part of the planning of that rescue mission than babysit a frakking traitor. Frankly, it makes me sick to even be in the same room as you." He took another step, then stopped.
Felix couldn't tell from there which direction he moved. In the quiet of the chamber, it all sounded the same. Then again, he really didn't care one way or the other. This was all just a moment of biding his time until he died any ways.
"That's right, just lay there and sulk." So goading was his new tactic. "You're as bad as that crazy frak, Baltar. I told Ellen this was a mistake."
It was a nice try, but Felix was past all that now. Pulling the sheet higher over his shoulder, he settled down to get more comfortable. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the right place and exposed his feet. Growling, he used his toes to pinch the bottom and tug it back over his feet. This made him have to turn it so the length ways was over his body.
"I'll be damned."
Felix jumped when cool, dry fingers gripped his right foot. Kicking out, he fought against the Colonel's unwanted touch.
"Hey, hey now! I was just looking!" He moved around so that he was within Felix's line of sight. "I'd not really paid attention when I saw you on the flight deck. Now that I see it, it's almost a gods damned miracle." He was grinning now.
The urge to spit out a retort made him clench his teeth together. He wasn't about to give this frakking Cylon the pleasure. Closing his eyes again, he began to take calming breaths. He would soon drift off if he did it right.
There was silence after that. Only the hum of the Basestar's power conduits filled the chamber.
In that steady background noise, he began to relax. Slowing his breathing helped him ease into a light doze.
"I still can't believe you're him." And the Colonel had to go and ruin it. "From the way those two talked about you, one would think the gods themselves had forged your parts."
Felix opened one eye to glare at the Colonel, more to be on his level. "Get frakked, toaster."
The older man was silent for a moment, then he cracked a smile. He began to chuckle and shook his head. "I think I prefer you this way. You're as gods damned messed up as the rest of us." Tigh's gaze grew distant. "What a sorry lot we are."
Irrational anger broke the hold on his tongue. "Feeling sorry for yourself won't change anything. It's only our actions now that determine who we are and will become." Felix didn't know why he said it. Once it was out, though, he felt the pull of his subconscious. Gratefully, he sank into the oblivion of sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There is fire."
The alert launched him out of sleep, his heart pounding.
He couldn't feel it, but the smell of burning flesh and synthetic material was overwhelming. Felix had to breathe through his mouth slowly to keep from gagging. Coughing, he uncurled on the bed. Keeping his eyes shut, he slipped over the side onto the floor.
The air was easier to breathe down there, but not by much. It still stung his lungs and nose every time he took a breath. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the sheet off the bed and pulled it down to him. He didn't have the strength to tear something that wasn't already ripped, so he wrapped it whole around his head. Felix winced when the damned thing caught his hair in the knot.
Now that he was wearing the mask, he set his mind to the next task. He had to get out of there. That meant opening his eyes and exposing them to the chemical smoke. Risking it, he searched the chamber.
Thick gray smoke filled the chamber from bed height up. It rolled heavily above him like an ominous sign. He could hear the air scrubbers working in the ceiling, but the smoke was flowing too fast. That meant a hot, fast moving fire.
Where he knew that he should be panicking, Felix found himself dead calm. He located the bed in relation to the far wall to get his bearings. Once he knew where he was in the chamber, he remembered where the hatchway was and crawled for it. It was slow going to keep from over exerting himself and sucking in too much bad air.
After almost a minute of crawling, he found it. That was when the heat hit him. Some where ahead in the corridor was the fire.
There was no way out.
Tears stung at his eyes and Felix lowered his forehead to the cool floor. After all this time, it was finally over. He was going to die here.
"Open your eyes."
Confused, Felix raised his head. He glanced about him as the heat in the corridor made him sweat. There was no one within sight.
"Time grows short at the expected hour. The five and the seven are rushing into one."
It came from all around him. Feeling the hackles raise on the back of his neck, Felix searched harder.
"One shall become lost and all are joined. So say we all. End of line."
The walls began to glow brilliant red. It was so bright that not even the smoke could dim them. This hurt his eyes to see, but Felix found himself unable to look away.
Beneath him, the deck began to tremble. He felt the deck plates shake from multiple explosions. Between the smoke, the fire, and the impacts, his mind put it together. The Basestar was under attack!
"Follow the path into flames. The righteous shall emerge victorious and unscathed to bathe in light!" Her voice was modulated by mechanical parts.
Again, his brain automatically supplied the answer when he questioned. He knew without ever having seen it. The one he heard speaking was the Hybrid. Some how, he got the feeling she was speaking to him.
It was absurd. The thing barely had enough mind to control the ship's functions, let alone speak coherently. Part of the reason he had so quickly given into that asp Zarek was because the President had been following that thing's words.
Suddenly, the walls began to flash. They followed a sequence that flashed off and on heading away from him.
Felix raised an eyebrow in question. If the words were suspect, this was certainly a clear message. It was also the best choice of getting out of this alive.
Shakily, he climbed to his feet. He clung to the wall to brace himself. There was less smoke on the edges, so it was a little easier to breathe here. Following the flashing lights, he used the wall to guide his footsteps. The heat grew more intense the further he walked and he began to doubt the wisdom of his thoughts. Then he ran out of wall.
He almost fell over into a junction that branched off to his left. Turning to face it, his eyes burning, he had to blink several times to see what lay there. The heat from the flames was at his back and he had a clear corridor ahead of him. The light panels in the walls began to flow that direction. He needed no further incentive.
Running down the corridor, he kept one hand on the wall panels. Soon, the smoke began to clear and the lights from the floor became brighter. Stumbling by the time he reached another junction, he stopped to catch his breath. He had to lean against the wall for support as his legs shook from the exertion.
It was then he heard the shouting. Dozens of voices cried out. Bullets echoed as they were fired and impacted the bulkheads. It was a full scale invasion. He couldn't tell which side was winning, but it didn't matter. He was naked but for the sheet around his head and he was unarmed.
There was no way he was heading towards the fighting.
He listened at the four way juncture. The fighting seemed to be coming from all three directions he hadn't come from. Closing his eyes, he sighed with frustration. The deck beneath his feet shook violently and the lights flickered in the walls. He had a bad feeling about the fate of this Basestar.
Listening again, he chose the corridor with the least amount of noise and loped down it. This time his pace was hindered by a hitch in his side, but he made good timing.
Coming to another juncture, he frowned in frustration and anger. How many of these were there on the frakking ship? Looking up at the ceiling, he growled. "Which way to the landing deck?"
There was no response this time.
Exhaling through his nose, he chose a direction at random and began to jog. It hurt his side, but was better than getting caught up in a fire or shoot out. Each time his bare feet touched the deck, he felt it trembling from another explosion. There wasn't much time left now.
The closed in walls abruptly ended and he came spilling out in a massive red colored chamber. Skidding to a halt, he barely managed to keep his feet under him. The noise of massive machines filled the chamber as entire walls drew back and forth.
Launch platforms appeared from huge bulkheads and Raiders took off by the hundreds. Heavy transports joined them in their mass exodus. Then several Raptors followed suit from across the bay. The rear was brought up by Vipers in formation.
Felix recognized an evacuation when he saw one.
His heart clenched with the confirmation of his earlier guess. The Basestar was about to blow and they were going to leave him here to die with it.
"About time you got here."
That voice. He recognized that voice. Turning slowly, he found the source.
Standing on the ramp of a Raptor, D'Anna smirked at him. She had one hand on the hatch lock and the other inside the cabin. "Are you coming or what?"
She didn't have to ask him twice. There would time for questions later. Rushing across the deck, his feet slid over the slick surface. He nearly wiped out three times before he reached the Raptor. Rushing up the ramp, he climbed inside.
With a solid slam, she closed the Raptor hatch and sealed it shut. "He said you were a little slow, but this was ridiculous." She pushed him aside and down into the tactical officer's chair. "Buckle up, this is going to be a rough one."
He didn't bother with watching her or asking whom she was talking about. Settling back into the cushions, he grabbed the restraints and strapped himself down. No sooner than he had the last buckle fastened then the Raptor shook from a cold launch. He was thrown against the shoulder harness when she rolled to avoid something bright orange.
"Don't worry, lovely, we'll be in the zero gravity of space soon and the artificial aboard will kick in." Fingers smashing keys above her head, she wildly controlled the throttle with one hand. The Raptor shook from her lack of finesse, but managed to keep in one piece long enough to escape the Basestar.
Once they were clear, he glanced back at the dying behemoth. Half her points were already blown off and missiles pounded her from many directions. When he looked to see what was firing on her, his eyes grew huge. "What is that?"
D'Anna shook her head with a wistful sigh. "Upon a time, that was home sweet home." She spun the Raptor so the nose was facing the imposing structure. It's graceful spires barely fit in the length of the cockpit window. "So long."
Some how, he found the voice to ask one final question. "Where are we going?"
This, she glanced back over her shoulder to smirk at. "We're going to meet god." With another grin, she turned back to the controls and activated the FTL.
THE END........................
They dispersed slowly. It took a bit of time to spread out forty thousand people.
Watching another group head out on a transport to be placed somewhere in the far south, he tugged at the collar of his coat. The soft material provided ample cover for limited exposure. If he were to stay longer, he was going to need something heavier.
It was a good thing they weren't going to stay any longer.
Glancing back the people one last time, Felix sighed. Had he stayed one of them, he would be spreading out to a slow, lingering death on this primitive dirt ball.
"It almost makes you feel sorry for them." D'Anna didn't hide the laughter in her voice. "To think, they're deluded enough to believe this was an actual solution. Going back to crawling around in muck and dirt with the monkeys, it's disgusting."
Felix bit his lip to keep from snickering. He agreed with her one hundred percent, but, he wasn't going to say it out loud.
From behind them, Anders sighed through his nose. "Leave it. It was His plan."
"Yes, but they're Human. They had a choice." D'Anna sounded almost bitter about it.
"Yes, and they made it." Anders stepped up between them, his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his jacket. "And we made ours." He jerked his head towards the right. "Come on, the others are waiting." With that, he turned and walked back up the slope.
While she rolled her eyes and followed at a more sullen pace, Felix stayed behind to watch for a little while longer. Had he stayed one of them, he would have been down there right now. Maybe he would have been happy to be one of them. They were Human, who knew what made them happy?
Strong hands slid around his waist, tugging him back against a broad chest. "Come on, Felix. There's no point in fantasizing any longer."
"All right." He sucked in a heavy breath, one filled with the bitter edge of longing. He wasn't ever going to be one of them again. "Let's go home."
........................................