[KageRyu]

I had a few thoughts about this episode that some here may find interesting, entertaining, or possibly informative. Let me first say, that some of what I am about to discuss stems from me being a significant roleplayer and primarily gamemaster for many a yahren, and from my many attempts to create plotlines in line with epic space opera that I can give explanation suitable to more contemporary skeptics.

In one of the recent Science Fiction games I ran I was contemplating a series of events that would lead my group of protagonists across a "void" or "rift". While conceiving this plotline, this particular episode of BSG was forefront in my mind (with BSG, the SW trilogy, ST TOS, and the old Tom Baker episodes of Doctor Who being some of my biggest sci-fi influences). One of the players I had was very "scientific" about everything, and when composing the story I began to ask "ok, how do I justify a starless void that only the brave or very technologicly advanced dare cross?" The answer was actually both simple and, I feel, somewhat inspired. Since the protagonists were from Earth in my setting, and most of the action was in the Orion arm of the milky way, I decided to place the world they needed to seek just across the "void" betwen the arms of the milky way. While this technically wouldn't be "starless" I derived a wonderfully contrived explanation that had to do with the vast distance between the stars themselves (as oposed to those in an actual arm) as well as the presence of dark matter - soaking up ambient light. My protagonists accepted this (even the "scientific" minded one) and it all worked out rather well.

So, what does this mean to BSG? I guess what I am saying is that the "Void" the Galactica crossed could possibly be the the expanse between two of the various arms of the milky way. While it may need slightly more detailed explanation to make it fully work, it does make it somewhat more plausible. At least, this is my take.

Now, the question becomes, which was the "arm of origin"? Since Earth is in what we know to be the Orion Arm, and the Galactica only crosses one void, then did they orriginate from Carina Arm, or the Cygnus Arm...or possibly, given the Orion Arm is a fragment of the Orion-Persius arm (with a break between the two and Perseus being closer to Galactic Core) did the Galactica come from the Perseus Arm? Since the stars closer to the core are older than those in arms of the galaxy, and BSG clearly establishes that the tribes of Kobol are colonies, I posite that the Galactica's path came from Carina Arm. I suggest this, because, according to my rersearch, the Carina arm is the closest reasonable arm to the known position of Earth in the Orion-Perseus arm. Had the Galactica orriginated in the Sagitarius arm, it would have had to travel a significant distance across the galaxy, almost near the galactic core, and holding this theory of the "void" being the expanse between arms to be true, would have crossed three such voids on a straight line course.

That's my take on this anyway...based in part on information from: enchantedlearning.com, atlasoftheuniverse.com, wikipedia.com, and various other astronomy websites. Granted, I am not an astronomer or and astrophysicist, so please don't tear my head off if some of my information is not entirely accurate. Though I would be happy to explain some of my theories in greater detail, as in how I feel dark matter could have contributed to this "void" around Kobol.