startrek76

Cassiopeia stepped out of the turbolift and onto the Galactica's axial core, a
50 meter wide deck with a ceiling 10 meters overhead, that ran the kilocubit
length of the battlestar's biosphere. The core was also the primary source of
the raw materials for Galactica's closed ecology life support system CELSS and
as such had a thick floor of earth in which were planted trees, bushes and of
course grass. The plants were all genetically engineered to double as atmosphere scrubbers, removing carbon dioxide and other contaminants from
the air, they used these raw materials and the light from the wide overhead
solar spectrum lights to grow and bloom, releasing oxygen as a byproduct. One
not familiar with the Galactica could easily mistake the axial core for a large
municipal park connecting the Core Command with the main reactor room and
engineering in the aft of the battlestar. The axial core was like Galactica's 'main
street'. From here you could get turbolifts going to virtually any part of the
city-sized starship, from the residential blocks, where Cassie had come
from, to the huge flight decks with their Viper hangers and ordnance bays.

The deck of the Core had tastefully designed stone walkways which overlaid the
earthen base. There were grass and trees growing in great profusion. The area
where Cassiopeia had entered the Core was virtually a forest glade, with
specially genetically engineered great trees which twisted and arched over head.
Down the center of the core ran the Galactica's creek, a swiftly moving body of
water maybe a few cubits wide at its widest point and a cubit or so deep.

The walk down the Axial Core to Commander Adama's compound was always a pleasure for Cassiopeia, it was always so calm and peaceful ...

"Hey! Look out down range!"

"Heads UP!"

Cassiopeia flattened herself against the trunk of a great tree, just as two
young boys, slightly older than Boxey, came roaring past her on antigrav boards,
skimming a cubit above the grass.

"Sorry, Lady ..." one of the boys shouted over his shoulder as he whisked past
her at way too high a speed for the terrain and was almost instantly lost in
among the great trees.

"Well, so much for calm and peaceful," Cassiopeia muttered to herself and
continued on her way to the briefing. She thought the subject of the meeting
might be to disseminate information on the aliens who seemed to be of two
separate races who had supplied such timely aid during this most recent combat
against the Cylons; and Cassiopeia was intensely curious.

"Cassie! Hey, wait a minute!" Cassiopeia looked around and spotted Sheba, still
in her combat gear coming from the main shaft leading to the Landing Bay.

The two women gave each other a friendship hug as they met and then Sheba said:

"Apollo and Starbuck will be a little late..."

Cassie nodded, "I know, they've just in the last centon sounded the all clear
from the Solium fire in Beta bay."

Sheba grinned widely. "No, its even better than that. Our guys got tapped to
represent the entire Viper Corps over on the big alien ship, the Enterprise, I
think they call it."

"Nutz!" Cassie growled, "I was looking forward to a romantic late supper with
Lee."

"Oh girl, its gonna get a lot better!" Sheba chortled, but would say no more.
"C'mon, I figure you're on your way to Adama's briefing room, is that right?"

"Yeah, he called a few sentari ago, I thought it was to give a briefing on the
new aliens..."

"In a way," Sheba said, still grinning.

"Sheba! You know something ..."

"Of course I do. How do you think I made Squadron Captain so fast? I ALWAYS know things before anyone else..."


TO BE CONTINUED