How I would write a Continuation

Well if I had the ultimate chance to write my own continuation it would go something like this.

First, I would start the comeback pilot with a 10 minute introduction sort of capping off the original series. I would use digital effects to take actors from the original series, to cut & paste them into new situations. I’m sure a Lorne Green death scene could be found somewhere, and John Colicos’ acting from the 2nd Coming trailer could be used to map out Baltar’s final moments. As far as the dialogue, either use digital effects to make the lip movements match the dialogue, or have the dialogue spoken with the character off-screen.


Then during this introduction I would explain what had happened to the Colonials 25 Yahrens ago. That they were being chased by Cylons through a nebula. A nebula that was very thin but very wide, shaped like a coin somewhat. The Colonials were on one side of it in the center being chased. AS they go through, the Cylons follow them but find out that the Nebula disrupts their technology. The colonial technology gets disrupted somewhat too making the Big G careen out of control, killing Adama. The Cylons can not penetrate the nebula so instead of going through it the sort way, it will take them 25 Yahrens to go around to catch up with the Colonials.

On the other side of the nebula, the Colonials regain control of their craft and find a planet. They use it to replenish resources, and to regain strength and rest. Where they will rest to the next 25 yahrens.

25 Yahrens later, Colonel Tigh has become President. Apollo is now commander of the Battlestar Galactica, taking his father’s place, with Jolly as his second in command. Apollo has two sons, twins. Apollo mated with Sheeba, who is now commander of the Viper Pilots. Of whom a grown up Boxey is the maverick.

Starbuck mated with Cassiopeia and had a daughter, Stilleto. Stilletto is just like her father was in his youth. About 10 Yahrens back now, they found the Pegasus adrift coming out of the Nebula with few survivors. They used the planet’s resources to repair the Pegasus, which Starbuck now commands. Starbuck is now a crew cut wearing, cigar smoking, McArthur type of warrior. Somewhat changed from his youth. Cassiopeia is now head surgeon.

Now Apollo and Starbuck fly the two Battlestars together, the way they used to fly the vipers together in their youth.

But the colonials knows their time on this planet is short 25 yahrens have passed and they know that the Cylons are going to be getting close soon. They have to leave. Starbuck wants to stay and fight to protect what they have built. But Apollo convinces him they must leave to find more allies on Earth.

At this point the technology is all updated, not changed, just updated. You still have the old ships with their toggle switches. But right next to the toggle switches are LCD displays. The old right next to the new.

So the Cylons come and the chase begins anew. Although the Cylons have brand new technology, as opposed to the Colonials merely updated technology. Including more models of Cylons, and Cylon attack doggits, which resemble robotic Doberman Pinchers with the same red roving eye of the Cylon.

The Colonials flee into space to be pursued by the Cylons. The Colonials have harness some of the gas of the nebula to make a weapon. They use canisters of the nebula gas like a depth charge. When Cylon Raiders get close, boom! And the nebula gas disperses and scres with the Cylon technology. Thus allowing the colonials to elude them. The colonials figure out how to synthesize the nebula gas so they don’t run out.

And so, the chase begins anew….

Let's see here just kind of letting my mind flow.

I think Baltar would have survived the nebula and gone to the planets with the colonials. Although he would live on the way outskirts of the settlement and be somwhat of a hermit, shunned by the rest of the colonials. And during this time I think one of Apollo's twins would find pity in Baltar, and go to visit him occasionally to talk. Baltar would use his serpent toungue on Apollo's son to make him angry that he's forced to live this way, and not in a palace as is suited for someone in the House of Adama. Of course this would create turmoil between him and Apollo's other twin son, and between Apollo himself. The bad twin turned by Baltar has an ongoing relationship, kind of, with Stilleto, Starbuck's daughter. Eventually a conflict and confrontation would arrive that would inevitably cause the good twin and Stiletto, to fight the bad twin and drive him out of the settlement, and into the arms of the Cylons. A new Baltar.

This would cause Apollo so much anguish that he would go to Baltar and strangle him to death with his bare hands. Leaving Baltaqr's body on the planet to rot as the Colonials flee into space.

After time Stiletto and the good twin hit it off a little, but there will always be that love triangle

More babbling...

Now of course during the 25 yahrens they are on this planet, Baltar did a little wandering on his own. Not much else to do. He found an entrance to underground ruins left behind by the 13th tribe who also went this way on their way to Earth. Baltar has specific knowledge he has gleaned from this and uses Apollo's bad twin in an attempt to get him to help Baltar. You see Apollos bad twin used to go out to visit Baltar when he was a boy and Baltar used to tell him stories of the old Kobolians and Apollo thought it was harmless since the Cylons were nowhere to be found for quite some time. But as Apollo's bad twin grew older, Baltar was ablt to plant seeds of resentment in him. Now, gaining the bad twins' trust by sharing his secret of the ruins.

Baltar is also forbidden from using or owning electronic technology of any kind. This is why he needs Apollo's bad twin, to get his help to return to the Cylons.

After Apollo's twin leaves for the Cylons, and Apollo strangles Baltar, he does so only because he is unable to control himself over losing his son to the Cylons because of BAltar. He realizes what he did was wrong and speaks of it to no one, telling everyont that Baltar died of old age. Of course after strangling Baltar, he discovers the secret of the ruins himself.

[BST]

Interesting...I like the Cain/Abel (good twin/bad twin) conflict. The love triangle might have a chance, too, if the bad twin is around enough to "keep the fires burning".

Keep going, JJ..sounds like some good ideas sketched out so far.

BST

[amberstar]

You have some really good ideas here.
Yes JJ kep on brainstorming. I'd like to hear what you would do with the rest of the fleet. Athena, Boomer, Bojay ect......

[cobrastrikelead]

is an insightful means of handling the 25-yhrn time-gap.

is an insightful means of handling the 25-yhrn time-gap.

Thanks.

I was trying to figure out, how to explain two things with the 25 year time gap.

1) Why stories haven't been told for 25 years. Well, because it's a time of settlement and rebuilding. The Cylons won't be around for that time perios, so not much to tell.

2) The updating of Colonial technology and the new Cylon Technology. Obviously if you are contiuously in pursuit you won't be able to develop new technologies, but with a 25 year period of rest, I'm sure things could be done.

As far as Bojay goes, he would definitely be on the council I think, Boomer, would be Starbucks 1st in Command I think. And Athena, well, since she's missing in action in real life, I would write that into the screenplay. Then if she would ever decide to make herself known, she could be written in.

[shiningstar]

I like it!
You should keep writing.

Really enjoyed it. Why not continue to write and post the complete story when done for others to read. Your off to a good start.

[BSG_Sci_FiPulse]

I quite like the idea of both Apollo and Starbuck commanding the Galactica and the Pegesus respectfully. But I would like to see them both still flying their Vipers from time to time as well. Basically because that is where the real brothers in arms feel always came into play for me in the series.

I used to enjoy the cocky Starbuck rounding on a Cylon Raider and dismissively blasting it to smithereens then following it up with a wise crack as if he was adding another notch to his belt.

I think if I were to have a shot at a continuation, I would pretty much use a similar idea with Adama and Baltar. But for some reason I have this notion that Baltar will out live Adama.

I think if I were to kill Adama I would make it a little more Dramatic. I would have him out in the field somewhere on a Planet ordering Apollo and the troops in a pitched battle with the Cylons, I would make it so that a small group of Cylons had doubled back and sprung somewhat of a surprise attack on the colonials, and while briefing Apollo Starbuck and the rest on the Battlefield Adama spots the small group, and sees that one of the Cylons is squaring up to take a shot at apollo, and Adama would dive in the way and take a shot to the chest. I think that would be a little more dramatic and would show Apollos Father making the ultimate sacrifice so that his son can live on.

Baltar I would kill later on. But I think killing him would have to be at the hands of the Cylons. Perhaps they could have implanted some technology within Baltars body when he was first captored, some sort of mechanism that allows them to controll his life expectancy. Somewhat like the device that he wears in Richards books, only it is implanted internally.

But I would like to see them both still flying their Vipers from time to time as well. Basically because that is where the real brothers in arms feel always came into play for me in the series.

Yeah I can understand that. But I always came back to that scene in the pilot episode where Tigh and Adama get into the Vipers and talk on the private channel. And hearing them talk about how the vipers they were sitting in were more fancy than the ones they had in thier days. I imagined that Starbuck and Apollo would be in the same phase of their age right about now. I think one last hurrah in the vipers would be cool in the pilot episode, but after that I think it's best left to the young hotshots. Maybe to satisfy the need to see Starbuck and Apollo in their vipers again I would put flashbacks periodically throughout the series, and use the same technology they used to make Forst Gump shake the hand of JFK to make new flashback scenes.

But for some reason I have this notion that Baltar will out live Adama.

Oh me too. Thats why I thought it would be good if he ended up on the planet with the colonials, and ended up being forced to live as an outcast. I figured the footage taken from The Second Coming trailer could be used to flesh out his final moments in the pilot episode.

I think if I were to kill Adama I would make it a little more Dramatic.

I think my idea is pretty dramatic. A careening out of control Galactica hurdling through a nebula being chased by Cylons, damaged and on fire, and Adama commanding all the way through with crap falling apart and starting on fire all around him. But I like your idea too.

One of the things I thought about with this idea was not just the story, but also the availability of actors, ages of actors, and all of the boring logistical crap.

[cobrastrikelead]

With the technology-disrupting nebula. The Cylons have given humanity a very thorough drubbing, and chased the remnants to the other side of a nebula which is hazardous for either party to cross. And would the Cylons leave well enough alone? Of course not. They'd find away through or around the nebula and start it up with the Colonials again. Sounds like something the Cylons would do. And that is why I like the nebula idea. Would serve the Cylons right if they got ther little tin-cans kicked.

[repcisg]

I like what you are doing here, keep going!

[Shatter]

I really like some of the ideas you've put forth, JJ. I especially like the idea of Starbuck commanding the Pegasus. How interesting to explore how both Apollo and Starbuck would evolve as commanders. Keep sharing your ideas!

Thanks guys. This all I really have right now except for some elements I don't want to give away, but at some point I probably will write a 2 hour pilot just for kicks. I want to wait till the DVD's come out though so I can watch the whole series and take notes so continuity is maintained. I sold my entire VHS library before they were worth nothing, so I'm REALLY looking forward to the DVD's

[BST]

JJ,

I know that you don't want to give away any of the 'other elements' that you referred to but, did you consider re-visiting the conflict between the Beings of Light and Count Iblis?

BST

That's something I would do in subsequent episodes. I found that there was already so much material to cover as far as what has happened to them in 25 years, re-introducint the old characters in their new roles, introducing new characters, and all the rest that there wouldn't be sufficient time in a 2 hour pilot to deal with Count Iblis and the Ships of Light. I think they deserve to be treated as stories in their own wpisode so more time can be devoted to them. But if people like the pilot after I post it, maybe I'll write a few episodes as well.

[shiningstar]

I like the way The Fan continueation is going. Keep writing!

[BSG_Sci_FiPulse]

For the Apollo Starbuck thing, I feel a good compramise would be to have Starbuck as a colnal as apposed to a commander. Then you could have Starbuck sort of responsible for training the younger pilots, maybe have him show some of the young plebes up in a flight simulation or something and accasionally have him go out on missions. Thing is Starbuck was always the more reckless out of the two, and I just cannot really see him wanting to be confined to commanding a Battlestar no matter his age. Boomer would be a better commander to be honest.

With regard to Baltar am pretty much in agreement. Adama I kind of like your idea, but feel that mine would make for a little bit more drama, because you would more than likely have Apollo blaming himself afterwards sort of thing, plus he would more than likely go off the rails a little bit as well.

I can see your point about Starbuck. But my own feeling on that is since he's in his 50's he'd be a different person than he was in his 20's. I really see him becoming the sort of Commander Cain type character, who talks of his misspent youth. Alot can happen in thrity years to change a person.

[Bug-Eyed Earl]

What do you think of my ideas?

http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums...&threadid=4596

In my version:

Apollo is commander of the fleet
Tigh is President.
Boomer is the commander of the Galactica.
Cassie is a doctor now.
Baltar is still evil, thanks to his younger body that Iblis gave him.
We see the relationship between organic and metallic Cylons fleshed out.
Apollo's daughter, Eden, and Starbuck's son Blaine, flal in love and have a child, who has inherited Adama's TK powers, and mysteriously grows to adulthood in a short time.
The battle at the end is on Earth; in the end Starbuck dies, but in doing so he destroys the doomsday weapon aboard Baltar's base ship.

I've already revised my ideas. In my story, the Colonials simply got a huge head start on the Cylons to form their new Colony.

All those ideas, though, and my favorite of mine is the simple fact that Apollo's daughter is like Starbuck, and Starbuck's son is like Apollo.

I like your ideas as well, Jj.

Thanks Earl. I've been trying to avoid reading yours and RGrant's ideas until after I write out the whole screenplay which I have decided to do. I will write it after I have got the whole DVD boxed set which I already pre-ordered so it should be up in early November. I want to watch the whole series and take notes so continuity is maintained. I'll take a look at your stuff after that, I don't want to unintentionally steal them.

The story sounds interesting. My only question is how large is that nebula?