FIC: History, 1/1, PG
Title: History
Author: Tara Keezer
Rating: PG
Fandoms: due South/Battlestar Galactica crossover
Notes: This is the tenth story in that BSG thing. 1,100 words.
Warnings: Minor spoilers for BSG 3.12 (air date Jan. 21, 2007) in the comments.
~*~*~
Presidential Library of Laura Roslyn
Audio Record: Interrogation of Benton Fraser, Earth, Tape 1
Archivist’s Note: Owing to a pernicious Cylon data virus, the exact date of this session is, unfortunately, unknown. Benton Fraser is believed to have arrived on Galactica some three years after the Refugees identified the Eye of Jupiter referenced in scripture.
As significant as this particular meeting was, it’s unfortunate that so much of the session was lost to the ravages of the virus. Despite this, those dedicated to history will, no doubt, find value in picking up the nuance of emotion evident in both the audio and written transcript.
Scholars may find the harsh tone of the interrogation to be at odds with what they’ve learned about Admiral Adama and President Roslyn during their studies. However, it is worth noting that by their own admission, both Adama and Roslyn very much wanted to disbelieve Fraser’s claim to be from Earth. In this, they were not alone. Those who later went on to form the Thracian sect were convinced Fraser was a new Cylon model, while others of a less religious bent theorized he was a human raised by Cylons.
Listen, then, with an open mind, and hear the heart and mind of our ancestors during a very difficult period of human history.
Suggested Readings for Further Study: Mother and Father: Historical Analysis of the Reign of Laura Roslyn and William Adama, by Philippa Ceres; The Collected Journals of Benton Fraser, edited by Mara Krysoph; Security During the Diaspora, by Alexander Gaita.
Helen Conoy
Senior Archivist
Roslyn Presidential Library
Technical Notes: Cylon data virus 53.B.2U has damaged portions of this audio record too severely for even minimal restoration. Listeners are advised to read the written transcript at the same time they play the audio file. Numbers in brackets indicate how many seconds were destroyed between audible portions of the file.
ADAMA, WILLIAM: This is Admiral William ...
[123.11]
ADAMA: ... that you’re from Earth?
FRASER, BENTON: Yes, sir.
ADAMA: I find that very difficult to believe.
FRASER: I was told you would, sir.
ADAMA: By whom?
FRASER: Sir?
ADAMA: Who told you I would find your claim difficult to believe?
FRASER: One of the Leobens.
ADAMA: Let the record show that Mr. Fraser referenced Cylon model ...
[436.58]
ROSLYN, LAURA: ... language very well for someone who claims to have learned it within the last two years.
FRASER: The Cylons are adept at motivating one to learn quickly and accurately.
ADAMA: Are you saying they tortured you?
FRASER: Torture is a crude description for the process.
[W. Adama pauses 3.12 seconds before responding]
ADAMA: Let’s get back to your claim to be from Earth. How long ago did the Cylons capture you?
[11.38]
ADAMA: ... disingenuous.
FRASER: Two to two and a half years is the most precise answer I can give you, Admiral.
ADAMA: Six months is a hell of a lot of leeway to give yourself.
FRASER: Cylons measure time one way, your fleet measures it another way, and humans on Earth measure it yet a third way. Confusing matters further, I have no idea how long I spent sleeping, unconscious or in a vision state. It is literally impossible for me to be more certain.
ROSLYN: You experienced visions?
FRASER: Yes, ma’am. The Cylons gave me a drug they claimed would allow me to see the future.
ADAMA: Cottle indicated in one of his reports that you showed signs of addiction to chamalla.
FRASER: I was given the choice of taking it voluntarily in smaller doses or taking it involuntarily in larger, potentially lethal doses.
ROSLYN: It’s impossible to die from an overdose of chamalla.
FRASER: I had only the word of the Cylons to go by.
ROSLYN: What did your visions show you?
[B. Fraser pauses 5.73 seconds before responding]
FRASER: Death.
[L. Roslyn pauses 2.72 seconds before responding]
ROSLYN: Would you like a drink of water, Mr. Fraser?
FRASER: Thank you, kindly.
ADAMA: Audio mute.
ADAMA: Interrogation resumes at 13:12. You’ve said you had visions induced by chamalla. Were they all the same?
FRASER: Generally speaking, yes.
ROSLYN: Did these visions come on their own, or did the Cylons prompt them in some manner?
FRASER: Leoben would speak a sentence, and the vision would begin.
ADAMA: What sentence was that?
FRASER: It was different every time.
ROSLYN: Can you give us an example?
FRASER: No. I don’t recall any of the trigger words he used.
ROSLYN: Tell us about one of your visions.
FRASER: It’s noon on the longest day, and the sun won’t set for another thirty-two days. A raven crosses the sky and banishes the light.
ADAMA: Obscure gibberish.
FRASER: On the contrary, Admiral. The message was quite clear to me.
ADAMA: Explain.
FRASER: My home is above the Arctic Circle. Owing to axial tilt, the sun doesn’t set in summer, and it doesn’t rise in winter. We spend the summer months preparing for winter, and we need every minute of daylight we can get. If the sun were to set so early -
ROSLYN: You would die. Insufficient preparation.
FRASER: Precisely.
ADAMA: I don’t understand.
FRASER: The vision confirmed what I already knew, that Earth is defenseless against the Cylons.
ADAMA: Don’t you think you’re being overly ...
[894.18]
ROSLYN: ... that we can’t go to Earth?
FRASER: That’s correct, Madam President.
ADAMA: What will happen if we ignore your request and go anyway?
FRASER: The Cylons will attack Earth. More than six billion will die.
ROSLYN: How many will die if the Cylons are granted refugee status and use force to convert your people to their religion?
FRASER: At least one hundred million, according to Cylon estimates.
ADAMA: And that number is acceptable to you?
FRASER: It’s less horrific than six billion dead.
ROSLYN: You can’t be certain that’s what will happen. Cylons use truth and lies interchangeably to manipulate others. Those so-called visions could be little more than post-hypnotic suggestion.
FRASER: True. However, I am certain that Earth will not survive an attack by the Cylons.
ROSLYN: Your defense system may surprise you. With our help -
FRASER: I’m sorry. I thought I made myself clear: Earth has no defense against the Cylons.
ADAMA: You’ve said you have nuclear arsenals.
FRASER: None of which have weapons that are capable of launching into space. Additionally, those weapons are controlled by military computer networks.
[B. Fraser pauses 2.44 seconds before continuing]
FRASER: Do you understand now?
ADAMA: Gods.
FRASER: The Cylons have Earth by the throat, Admiral, and ...
[559.13]
ROSLYN: ... in the brig.
FRASER: Understood.
ADAMA: This is Admiral William Adama, ending the first interrogation of ...
[5.77]
Author: Tara Keezer
Rating: PG
Fandoms: due South/Battlestar Galactica crossover
Notes: This is the tenth story in that BSG thing. 1,100 words.
Warnings: Minor spoilers for BSG 3.12 (air date Jan. 21, 2007) in the comments.
~*~*~
Presidential Library of Laura Roslyn
Audio Record: Interrogation of Benton Fraser, Earth, Tape 1
Archivist’s Note: Owing to a pernicious Cylon data virus, the exact date of this session is, unfortunately, unknown. Benton Fraser is believed to have arrived on Galactica some three years after the Refugees identified the Eye of Jupiter referenced in scripture.
As significant as this particular meeting was, it’s unfortunate that so much of the session was lost to the ravages of the virus. Despite this, those dedicated to history will, no doubt, find value in picking up the nuance of emotion evident in both the audio and written transcript.
Scholars may find the harsh tone of the interrogation to be at odds with what they’ve learned about Admiral Adama and President Roslyn during their studies. However, it is worth noting that by their own admission, both Adama and Roslyn very much wanted to disbelieve Fraser’s claim to be from Earth. In this, they were not alone. Those who later went on to form the Thracian sect were convinced Fraser was a new Cylon model, while others of a less religious bent theorized he was a human raised by Cylons.
Listen, then, with an open mind, and hear the heart and mind of our ancestors during a very difficult period of human history.
Suggested Readings for Further Study: Mother and Father: Historical Analysis of the Reign of Laura Roslyn and William Adama, by Philippa Ceres; The Collected Journals of Benton Fraser, edited by Mara Krysoph; Security During the Diaspora, by Alexander Gaita.
Helen Conoy
Senior Archivist
Roslyn Presidential Library
Technical Notes: Cylon data virus 53.B.2U has damaged portions of this audio record too severely for even minimal restoration. Listeners are advised to read the written transcript at the same time they play the audio file. Numbers in brackets indicate how many seconds were destroyed between audible portions of the file.
ADAMA, WILLIAM: This is Admiral William ...
[123.11]
ADAMA: ... that you’re from Earth?
FRASER, BENTON: Yes, sir.
ADAMA: I find that very difficult to believe.
FRASER: I was told you would, sir.
ADAMA: By whom?
FRASER: Sir?
ADAMA: Who told you I would find your claim difficult to believe?
FRASER: One of the Leobens.
ADAMA: Let the record show that Mr. Fraser referenced Cylon model ...
[436.58]
ROSLYN, LAURA: ... language very well for someone who claims to have learned it within the last two years.
FRASER: The Cylons are adept at motivating one to learn quickly and accurately.
ADAMA: Are you saying they tortured you?
FRASER: Torture is a crude description for the process.
[W. Adama pauses 3.12 seconds before responding]
ADAMA: Let’s get back to your claim to be from Earth. How long ago did the Cylons capture you?
[11.38]
ADAMA: ... disingenuous.
FRASER: Two to two and a half years is the most precise answer I can give you, Admiral.
ADAMA: Six months is a hell of a lot of leeway to give yourself.
FRASER: Cylons measure time one way, your fleet measures it another way, and humans on Earth measure it yet a third way. Confusing matters further, I have no idea how long I spent sleeping, unconscious or in a vision state. It is literally impossible for me to be more certain.
ROSLYN: You experienced visions?
FRASER: Yes, ma’am. The Cylons gave me a drug they claimed would allow me to see the future.
ADAMA: Cottle indicated in one of his reports that you showed signs of addiction to chamalla.
FRASER: I was given the choice of taking it voluntarily in smaller doses or taking it involuntarily in larger, potentially lethal doses.
ROSLYN: It’s impossible to die from an overdose of chamalla.
FRASER: I had only the word of the Cylons to go by.
ROSLYN: What did your visions show you?
[B. Fraser pauses 5.73 seconds before responding]
FRASER: Death.
[L. Roslyn pauses 2.72 seconds before responding]
ROSLYN: Would you like a drink of water, Mr. Fraser?
FRASER: Thank you, kindly.
ADAMA: Audio mute.
ADAMA: Interrogation resumes at 13:12. You’ve said you had visions induced by chamalla. Were they all the same?
FRASER: Generally speaking, yes.
ROSLYN: Did these visions come on their own, or did the Cylons prompt them in some manner?
FRASER: Leoben would speak a sentence, and the vision would begin.
ADAMA: What sentence was that?
FRASER: It was different every time.
ROSLYN: Can you give us an example?
FRASER: No. I don’t recall any of the trigger words he used.
ROSLYN: Tell us about one of your visions.
FRASER: It’s noon on the longest day, and the sun won’t set for another thirty-two days. A raven crosses the sky and banishes the light.
ADAMA: Obscure gibberish.
FRASER: On the contrary, Admiral. The message was quite clear to me.
ADAMA: Explain.
FRASER: My home is above the Arctic Circle. Owing to axial tilt, the sun doesn’t set in summer, and it doesn’t rise in winter. We spend the summer months preparing for winter, and we need every minute of daylight we can get. If the sun were to set so early -
ROSLYN: You would die. Insufficient preparation.
FRASER: Precisely.
ADAMA: I don’t understand.
FRASER: The vision confirmed what I already knew, that Earth is defenseless against the Cylons.
ADAMA: Don’t you think you’re being overly ...
[894.18]
ROSLYN: ... that we can’t go to Earth?
FRASER: That’s correct, Madam President.
ADAMA: What will happen if we ignore your request and go anyway?
FRASER: The Cylons will attack Earth. More than six billion will die.
ROSLYN: How many will die if the Cylons are granted refugee status and use force to convert your people to their religion?
FRASER: At least one hundred million, according to Cylon estimates.
ADAMA: And that number is acceptable to you?
FRASER: It’s less horrific than six billion dead.
ROSLYN: You can’t be certain that’s what will happen. Cylons use truth and lies interchangeably to manipulate others. Those so-called visions could be little more than post-hypnotic suggestion.
FRASER: True. However, I am certain that Earth will not survive an attack by the Cylons.
ROSLYN: Your defense system may surprise you. With our help -
FRASER: I’m sorry. I thought I made myself clear: Earth has no defense against the Cylons.
ADAMA: You’ve said you have nuclear arsenals.
FRASER: None of which have weapons that are capable of launching into space. Additionally, those weapons are controlled by military computer networks.
[B. Fraser pauses 2.44 seconds before continuing]
FRASER: Do you understand now?
ADAMA: Gods.
FRASER: The Cylons have Earth by the throat, Admiral, and ...
[559.13]
ROSLYN: ... in the brig.
FRASER: Understood.
ADAMA: This is Admiral William Adama, ending the first interrogation of ...
[5.77]