Forgive Us Our Trespasses Chapter 4
“What are you doing?” asked the officer.
“Please don’t,” said Felix, barely above a whisper.
“Don’t what?” His eyes were still closed, but he could hear the officer’s footsteps as he approached.
“I’ll tell you anything, anything at all, just please, don’t touch me. Please,” Felix begged.
He heard the officer sigh. Felix opened his eyelids slightly and saw the man pick up the food tray, set it on the floor, and sit down on the cot where the tray had been. Felix opened his eyes the rest of the way, still keeping his knees pressed closely to his chest.
“There are a lot of things that you have to do in war that you wouldn’t do otherwise. However, there are some lines that should never be crossed.”
Felix blinked and loosened the grip on his knees.
“Look, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here because I didn’t serve on Galactica and I wasn’t on New Caprica.”
“In other words,” said Felix, “you’re basically the only one who doesn’t want me dead?”
“Basically,” he said.
The officer looked down at his hands, lacing his fingers together. Was he actually nervous? Well, if Gina had killed as many humans as the report stated, he probably had reason to be. Even though Felix was not going to risk killing anyone. Felix still wasn’t sure what this man would do eventually, so he didn’t want to let his guard down all the way, but this man didn’t look like he was going to violate him right now, or even assault him like Tigh and Starbuck had, so Felix let himself relax a little.
“So,” said Felix, letting out a deep breath. “What do you want to know?”
The man cleared his throat. “I’m here to ascertain how much of Lieutenant Gaeta’s memories you’ve been equipped with.”
Well, at least they had started easy. “I am Lieutenant Gaeta.”
It wasn’t a surprise to see Admiral Adama come down to his cell a short time later. Felix had stood up as soon as he entered the room, even though he didn’t technically have to. It was just second nature for him. Once again, he held back from saluting.
Adama had with him Laura Roslin and Sharon. It was a relief to see Sharon there, even though he knew she was only there to affirm his identity as Lieutenant Gaeta. Somehow, having another cylon in the room made facing up to Adama and Roslin a lot easier. Though maybe not just another cylon, but Sharon specifically. She was a cylon that had not only decided to pledge her loyalty to the humans like he had, but one that the humans had learned to trust in return. It surprised him, but also gave him great hope, to see her walk in wearing a colonial uniform.
“That’s definitely Lieutenant Gaeta,” she said.
Adama’s eyes flared up. He had been angry when he’d first walked in the room, but it appeared his anger had just been validated. “Toss that thing out the airlock!” he boomed.
“No,” cut in Roslin, calmly and with an unwavering assurance that Felix had seen her carry as president. “From what I understand, this cylon had access to every computer on this ship. If we send it back to the cylons, we’d put this entire fleet in very grave danger. I understand your anger, Admiral, I don’t know what I would do if I found out that, gods forbid, Tory was a cylon, but we simply cannot airlock this cylon. Unless we’re able to destroy cylon resurrection for good, it must remain alive.”
Felix could see why this woman was able to function as president. She made a damn good one too, especially compared to Baltar. He imagined things would have been a lot different if she had still been president when the cylons arrived. Then of course, that’s just what Felix had been programmed to prevent.
Adama looked like he didn’t want to agree with her, but had to anyway. Felix knew even without looking that Adama hated his guts, because there were only two kinds of people Adama couldn’t live with: cylons and those who betrayed their oath to the military. Felix had turned out to be both. But even more than he hated cylons and traitors, Adama loved his ship, and he was going to have to let Felix live in order to save it.
“What I would like to know,” continued Roslin, speaking now to Felix instead of Adama, “is if the cylons have in any way been able to access what you know. Have you told them anything? Did you ever download on New Caprica?”
Frak. He had downloaded, on the very first day of the occupation. Felix had been so fraught by the feeling of being plugged in like an appliance and being immersed in sticky goo that he hadn’t even thought about how his downloading had compromised Galactica. Maybe that was why Cavil had shot him, not to help him adjust. If only he hadn’t panicked when he discovered what he was.
“I…I did. Download. Once,” stammered Felix.
Adama’s head snapped towards the guard. “Private,” he barked at the marine. “Get on the wireless, tell Captain Agathon to order a complete overhaul of Galactica’s computer systems. All of them. Right now.”
“Aye, Sir,” the marine responded with a salute, then took off for the nearest intercom line.
“Admiral,” interjected Sharon. “We can’t presume to know how much of his memory the cylons accessed. When I was down there, the cylons were barely managing to keep everything running. They might not have even had the time to sift through Lieu- this one’s memories. The President’s right Sir. We have to keep him here.”
Adama was clearly not happy with the decision that had been made for him. “Madame President, I’m going to continue to interrogate this thing. I want to know everything it knows.”
“I agree,” said Roslin.
Adama turned back to Felix, and glared like he was shooting daggers. “I intend to use any means necessary.”
Adama stormed out of the room, with Roslin and Sharon close behind. The door slammed shut and Felix was left in the room alone, with the knowledge that he’d endangered the fleet more than he’d previously realized.