August 19, 1998 GALACTICA 1980 -------------------------- "A Small Child" Commander Adama stood in the shuttlebay with Doctor Zee. He was the last of the Galactican children to leave for Earth. The last group had left the day before. "I should stay aboard the Galactica," Doctor Zee protested. "You need me." "I need to know that you're safe," Adama replied. "If I know that, then I can engage the Cylon enemy with a clear heart. Besides, I have the feeling that there is another reason for your reluctance." Doctor Zee nodded. "I need you, too," he admitted. "Perhaps... if the Cylons are defeated..." "We can only hope, Commander," Doctor Zee said as he boarded his ship. Doctor Mortensen walked into his office. "Any calls?" "Jaime Hamilton is on line two," his secretary replied. Doctor Mortensen took the phone from her. "Thanks. Miss Hamilton?" he asked into the receiver. "I see. Yes, I'd be more than happy to, just tell me where to meet him. Yes. Yes, thank you very much. Goodbye." He hung up the phone and turned to his secretary. "I'll be out for the rest of the day," he said. "I have a meeting I must go to." "What..." "Please, don't ask too many question. All I can say is that everything is okay." The secretary nodded as Doctor Mortensen put on his coat and left his office. Doctor Zee's ship landed in a field just outside of town. Being too young to ride on one of the motorcycles, Doctor Zee opted for the popular mode of transportation used by Earth's teenagers: a skateboard. He'd practiced a bit in a room where the gravity simulated that of Earth until he'd got his balance just right and now he was able to use it. He glided along the sidewalks, carefully navigating and watching all the street signs and signals. He stopped when appropriate, always checked, and was extremely cautious and courteous. He waited at a crosswalk across from the cafe where he'd arranged to meet Doctor Mortensen. He could see the Doctor just getting out of his car and he waved to him. Doctor Mortensen didn't wave back, but Doctor Zee wasn't perturbed. He knew that the man was probably expecting someone much older. He smiled to himself thinking how surprised Doctor Mortensen would be and checked the light. The signal had changed, giving him the right of way. He glided off the curb and was a little more than halfway across when a car suddenly left the rows of idling vehicles and slammed right into him. He felt the impact of the bumper against his side, felt internal organs and bones rupture and shatter. Having turned at the sound of the tires, he had seen the face of man who was driving. "Xavier," he whispered, as he blacked out. Doctor Mortensen was the first of the crowd to reach him. "Call an ambulance!" he cried out, taking off his jacket and placing it over Doctor Zee. "HURRY!" He reached down to check the boy's pulse and saw the computron on the boy's wrist. The child was one of Troy and Dillon's people. ***** At the same time that Xavier's car hit Doctor Zee, Commander Adama stopped in midstride, while crossing the bridge of the Galactica, and nearly fell over from pain. He grabbed a nearby railing for support and pulled himself upright. "Commander?" Boomer asked, hurrying to Adama's side in concern. "No..." Adama said, his voice weak with dread. "Please, God, don't let that happen." And then he collapsed. ***** Doctor Spencer looked up as the gurney was wheeled in, carrying Doctor Zee. "My god!" he said, "What happened to him?" "He was hit by a car," Doctor Mortensen replied. "It looked like it was a deliberate attack." "Good lord, what is this world coming to? Why would anyone deliberately do this?" Doctor Spencer wondered, aloud, as he carefully cut Doctor Zee's white shirt from his body. "Heaven only knows, Doctor." Doctor Mortensen replied. "Do you mind if I use your phone? It's important." "Go right ahead," Doctor Spencer replied. ***** Jaime Hamilton took the phone from her boss, wondering what sort of trouble she was going to get into now. There were only two people who called her regularly at that office. "Hello?" She asked. "Miss Hamilton, it's Doctor Mortensen." "Doctor Mortensen, what can I do for you?" Doctor Mortensen had another one of the sudden flashes of insight which often sparked his own relative genius. "Miss Hamilton, is Doctor Zee a young boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old with glimmering blonde hair and brown eyes?" "Yes." Jaime figured that poor Doctor Mortensen thought some kid was playing a prank on him. "Oh dear lord," Doctor Mortensen sighed. "Is there a problem?" Jaime asked, wondering what sort of trouble a genius like Doctor Zee could get into and deciding she didn't want to find out. "He's been hit by a car," Doctor Mortensen told her. Jaime Hamilton went white with horror. "Oh no!" She gasped. She quickly found out where Doctor Mortensen was and breathed a momentary sigh of relief when she learned that Doctor Spencer was the attending physician. "Okay... I'll try to get in touch with Troy and Dillon and then we'll meet you there." ***** "How is he?" Boomer asked. "His vital signs are stable," the doctor assured him. "Everything checks out as perfectly fine." "Perfectly fine?" Boomer was incredulous. "Look at him! The man is in agony!" The doctor checked Adama's records. "According to this, Commander Adama has a history of telepathic incidents." "You think he's feeling someone else's pain?" "He's hurt..." Adama moaned. "I don't know how bad... he's scared, Boomer." Boomer went over to Adama and took his hand. "You're going to be okay," he reassured. "No..." Adama wept, guiltily. "My fault. It was all my fault... He's dying..." "Who, sir?" Boomer asked, a tone of urgency creeping into his voice. "Who is hurt? Who is dying?" Adama looked, haggardly, into Boomer's eyes, his own eyes full of pain, regret, and guilt. "Doctor Zee," he replied. ***** Doctor Spencer stood by Doctor Zee's bedside, stroking the child's forehead, feeling a sense of frustration and emotional pain like he'd never felt before. The boy needed blood, very desperately, but there was no blood type on Earth that matched his. Not even the blood he'd stocked up from Troy and Dillon, stored away in a special locker to be used in case the Galactican children, of which he had been made aware matched this boy's. He had a completely unique chemistry. He was half-Galactican, that was clear, but his blood was incompatible with pure Galactican blood. Troy and Dillon rushed in with Jaime. "Doctor?" Troy asked. "I'm sorry," Doctor Spencer apologized. "I can't do anything for him. We can't operate until we get blood and we just don't have anything that matches it." "Can't you synthesize new blood from some of his?" "Synthesize new blood?" Doctor Spencer asked wonderingly. "Well, we can't, but if you can, then you have my permission to use whatever you need. The heart monitor, which had been emitting a slow but regular beep all this time, suddenly stopped beeping. The blip on the monitor ceased jumping and the machine emitted a soft mournful buzz. Doctor Spencer went right into action. He didn't dare use the defibrulators. There was massive internal injuries and the shock could make them worse. With the oxygen mask doing the breathing for him, he concentrated on the chestpumping portion of CPR, trying to get Doctor Zee's heart beating again. After a while, he turned to Troy and Dillon. "I can't get his heart restarted," He told them. "if there's anything you can do..." Troy and Dillon felt as helpless as Doctor Spencer at that point. They had superior knowledge, abilities, and equipment... but in this case, this most important of all cases, all of that was entirely useless. "There's nothing we can do either," Troy said, regretfully. "I'm..." Jaime felt tears stinging her eyes, "I'm so sorry for you." She hugged Dillon. "How will you tell your Commander?" Troy looked up at her, tears of his own in his eyes. He'd lost first his mother, then his father, and now he'd lost someone who was like a little brother to him. The pain was almost unbearable. And he knew that his grandfather had a telepathic streak, an uncanny ability which lie dormant for the most part, but was definitely there. Somehow, he knew that it was working now. "Somehow," he told her, "I think he already knows." ***** Commander Adama laid in the infirmiry with tears in his eyes. Boomer was with him, comforting him. "I'm sure you're just worried." He placated the Commander. "You'll see. It's going to be all right." "No, it won't be." Another officer walked in and put his hand on Boomer's shoulder, silently indicating a need to speak. "Excuse me, Commander," Boomer said, walking a short distance away with the officer. "Yes?" he asked. He could see tears on the officer's face. "Sir," he said, "we just got a report in from Troy and Dillon." He took a deep breath. "We... we just lost Doctor Zee." Lt. Trakal Operative of the Galaxy Police SIU trakal@map.com