A Raider first sends back images of the phenomenon. It's out on lone patrol, scouting for anything that might be useful in the search for human survivors. Truthfully, they've been aware of strange readings coming from that sector of space for some time, but it has never been a priority to investigate. Now, the images make it a priority, especially since shortly afterward, they permanently lose contact with the Raider. A squadron is sent to the coordinates. This time they relay images of a ship, unlike anything seen before. The order goes out. Escort it here. If it won't come, destroy it. The ship comes. * As always, they choose a representative. She might not be Caprica Six, but she's still a model six, and she is the natural choice for dealing with potential invaders. While she waits for the arrival of the strange ship, she carefully examines the records and data they have on it and all associated phenomena. The first Raider had found a massive ring in space, something generating energy and gravity and unknown readings. Even though the images have poor resolution, Six can see that the ring is clearly inorganic. There are component parts, dully metallic. The energy source is not immediately clear, but that can be assessed later. The subsequent images show the ship in front of the ring. The Raider squadron had scanned it from all angles. The centre of the ship is another ring, and it's emitting some kind of power source. The data are interesting, and curious, but something inside her is nevertheless repulsed by the ship. It's ugly, somehow arrogant in its lines. And it clearly isn't cylon or human. * They allow the ship to dock inside the Base Star. It dwarfs any human ship Six has ever seen. Even so, it fits easily inside the port docking bay. "Run every scan we have," she tells her sisters, as she leaves to meet the ship's inhabitants. "Of course we will," one of them replies, smiling calmly. Of course. She walks slowly to the docking bay. There's no reason to hurry. There rarely is. When she arrives, the ship has already sent out its messenger. Six has seen things, in her life. Some were necessary, some horrible, some senseless. She's seen human bodies crushed beyond recognition, and cylon remains abused and hurt. She's seen the things that humans do to each other, in the name of their gods, or anger, or some misguided notion of love. She's never seen a human mutilate himself in this way, put these ritualistic scarring on the face and destroy the pigmentation of the skin. But she ignores these obvious signs of insanity, stares the being in the eyes, and says, "You're not human." But when he smiles, it's the same way humans smile, with the same kind of mouth. "Neither are you." "Obviously. What are you?" The smile widens, becomes cold and cruel. "You are not human, but you are not dissimilar. Was this by your own choice?" She continues to hold his gaze, ignoring the audacity of his question. Finally, he inclines his head, and says, "No matter. I bring a message to you and your kind." He pauses, clearly for effect. It's pathetic, and maybe he says he's not human, but Six is beginning to doubt. If he isn't human now, he was once. She doesn't reply, simply crosses her arms and waits. "I bring you the words of your true gods. Hallowed are the Ori." She nearly laughs aloud at the intonation of his voice. Pretentious, self-assured. Has he no idea where he is? Who he's talking to? "Gods. Ori." "The Ori provide the way to Ascension for all those who worship." "Are you an Ori?" This wouldn't be the first time that petty humans styled themselves as new gods. The being looks offended, even slightly shocked. "I am a messenger of the Ori. Prior of the Ori." Stepping closer, she asks, "What is inside your ship?" "An army." "Humans?" He nods. "Followers of the Ori." "How many of these followers?" "More than you can count." Six very much doubts that. "I follow the path of the one true God. We do not believe in false idols." Subtly, she gestures to the Centurions standing behind her, her perpetual guard. "Blasphemers and non-believers shall repent or suffer the consequences." Finally, she smiles at him. "We agree on something." Turning her head slightly, she says to the Centurions, "Kill him. And anyone inside his ship." She steps neatly out of the way before the shooting starts. * Later, she surveys the damage and admits – to herself only – that she made a mistake and underestimated the Prior. The Centurions are all dead, the docking bay is wounded, fluids are seeping, but the Prior is uninjured. She wants to wipe the smug, satisfied, believing smile from his face. Instead, she smoothes down her skirt and asks, "Can you die?" "By the will of the Ori." "I would very much like to meet your Ori," she says, stepping to his side. Now that she's close enough, she can feel the field of energy that surrounds him. It's subtle, and almost has a flavour to it, a slight metallic tang at the side of her tongue. It makes her smile, because any energy field can be understood, tapped, broken down. It just takes time. "Where do you come from?" she asks, gesturing deeper into the ship, inviting him to walk with her. "Another place." There's a brief hesitation before he adds, "Another time." Interesting. Blatantly impossible, but it nevertheless gives her some insight into his delusion. "And why have you come?" "The Ori wish to spread their love." She keeps him talking as they walk, pulling him away from his ship even though she suspects it is not the source of his power. The more he talks, the more she becomes certain that he is mad, far more so than any of the human oracles, or even the human politicians. He is certainly not from any of the colonies. He is convinced of the power of his gods, and the righteousness of his mission. How God allows his kind to live is a mystery to Six. And yet, she never has understood why the humans of the colonies were allowed to carry on for so long either. Still, it is not her function to question God's will. It never has been. There are others for that. She allows him to tell her his lies until she comes to understand the energy field surrounding him. The source is unclear – perhaps the staff he holds in his hand – but she doesn't need to know the source. She only need to understand the field's borders, its weaknesses and strengths. Once she understands it, she breaches it, although he doesn't seem to notice. Shortly, the Centurions will be doing the same thing to the Prior's ship. So much for his gods. "Tell me," she interrupts, "are you truly alive?" As she asks, she reaches out to touch his arm. He feels false and cool under her skin, and he recoils slightly in surprise. "I live by the will of the Ori." Up close, his scars are sharply delineated, fascinating. "Do you?" Tightening her grip on his arm, she wraps her free hand around his throat. His eyes widen briefly. There's fear in them, and she smiles reassuringly, almost kindly. She has long mastered that particular human facial expression. "Hallowed are the Ori," he says, gasping as she squeezes. "I don't think so." Under the weak protection of his energy field, he dies the same way any other human would die. * The Centurions make short work of the human army inside the ship. The technology itself is of interest for some time, although it is largely incompatible with cylon methods and means. She stands outside of the ship, wondering where it came from, and if there are far-flung pockets of humanity that will have to be tracked down and dealt with. The prospect appeals to her. The current focus on finding the Battlestar Galactica and its tattered remains of human civilization is necessary, but also lacking in true challenges. A Leoben model comes and stands next to her. They refuse to be acknowledged by model number, and insist on being called Leoben. It is an eccentric affectation, even annoying at times, but then all Leoben models are connected to each other – and to humans – in a way that Six finds vaguely repulsive. Perhaps that is his true function, not the half-coherent ramblings of a prophet. "It swam in a different stream, and fought the current to come here," he says. She closes her eyes briefly in irritation, and replies, "It isn't swimming any longer." He tilts his head and looks at her. "Don't you feel anything for them?" "Are you suggesting we should have let them live? That we should have allowed them to spread their blasphemies?" His smile is slight, almost superior. "No. But don't you feel pity at least? After all, they died for their gods." "That was their choice." Pitying lesser beings is a waste of time, especially when they put their lives in the hands of the weak. "It could happen to any of us," Leoben continues. "Torn away, unable to get back. Fighting against the flow." He speaks nonsense, as usual, and she brushes it aside. Speculation is generally a waste of time. Six knows that when she dies, God will be waiting for her. |
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Stargate SG-1/Battlestar Galactica Characters: Six, Leoben, a Prior Rating: PG Words: About 1600 Summary: The Raider finds a massive ring in space. Notes: General spoilers for s9&10 of Stargate, and s1 of BSG. |