Battlestar Galactica s02e13 Episode Script

NARRATOR: Previously on Battlestar Galactica.
Citizens! I give you your new vice-president, Dr.
Gaius Baltar.
(ALL APPLAUDING) You're the father of my child and nothing is ever gonna change that.
I know a place where you can stay where you will be safe.
How much time do I have? Weeks.
A month at the outside Unless the cancer goes to your brain.
If that happens (DOOR SLAMMING) I'm afraid the tests are positive.
The mass is malignant.
It's advanced well beyond the left breast.
DOCTOR: I'm afraid the tests are positive.
Ms.
Roslin, the surgery, of course, will remove the mass.
(MEN CHATTERING) STANS: Secretary Roslin? Yes? Naylin Stans, from the Education Alliance.
You said you wanted to talk.
Yes.
I'm sorry, Mr.
Stans.
STANS: Have to admit I was surprised to get your message.
ROSLIN: The President was surprised I sent it.
Once our chief negotiator got a billy-club to the head, we figured Adar's government had written us off as a lost cause.
I was a teacher long before I was Secretary of Education.
And causes are only lost when we give up.
(GASPING) Madam President, can you hear me? COTTLE: Let's make her as comfortable as we can.
(CARDIOGRAPH BEEPING) Oh, gods (GROANING) STARBUCK: (ON RADIO) Starbuck, zero four niner.
CAP is away.
Galactica, roger that.
Zero four niner.
Safe flight.
Safe and 20 frakking minutes late.
Did you have a rough night, Starbuck? STARBUCK: (ON RADIO) You're way out of line.
Just follow my lead and save the attitude for someone who cares.
KAT: Kat, six seven zero.
Roger that.
Request permission to clear guns.
STARBUCK: Roger that, Kat.
Clear your throat.
Damn it! Weapons malfunction! Weapons malfunction! Galactica.
Kat! Are you good? I'm good, I'm good.
What the hell just happened? STARBUCK: Your port gun's blown.
Just keep it steady.
We're heading home.
Galactica, this is Starbuck.
I'm declaring an emergency.
We've got two bent birds, requesting priority clearance to land.
LSO: (ON RADIO) Starbuck, Galactica.
Flight deck is yours.
Why don't you just shoot us in the locker room, Chief? Save the wear and tear on the ships.
Kat's guns are clean.
I checked them myself.
Yeah, well, I don't believe in accidents.
Chief, something's not right.
The weight's off.
It's too light.
I found three more just like it, mixed in with the regular rounds.
The casing's been weakened.
It falls apart in the barrel, the next one hits it, bang! She's lucky she didn't lose her whole wing.
One bad round's a fluke.
More than one is sabotage.
Pull them all! CREWMAN: All right, you heard the Chief! Let's pull them all! Let's go! ADAMA: How is the President doing, Doc? She's dying, and she knows it.
I offered her a shot of morpha to ease the pain, but she wouldn't hear of it.
The tests are positive.
ROSLIN: They're teachers not terrorists.
Mr.
President, we should at least speak with the strikers before sending in the troops.
They're teachers not terrorists.
They're acting like thugs.
Their last demonstration put two policemen in the hospital.
Six of them have chained themselves outside the Hall of Education.
As far as I'm concerned, they're criminals.
Their pay is sub-standard, their schools are falling apart, and this strike action has been gaining momentum for months and you know that.
I don't understand why we're not at least talking to them.
One of the most interesting things about being president is that you don't have to explain yourself to anyone.
You've already set a meeting with Stans, haven't you? Obviously only if you approve, Mr.
President.
BALTAR: She's really in no good state to do anything, let alone to conduct any Government business.
Don't talk about me as if I'm not here.
There'll be plenty of time for that soon enough.
(ROSLIN SNICKERING) Billy, could you Of course.
Gentlemen, I called you here to discuss the Cylon.
Dr.
Cottle, would you Would you please tell them what you told me this morning? I'm no expert in genetics, but I can read a blood test.
That Cylon fetus is showing some very peculiar genetic abnormalities.
I haven't seen any of this on your report, Doctor.
No, well, as Dr.
Cottle says, he's not an expert and I am.
I've been through the tests and I wouldn't say that there was anything conclusive.
I didn't say conclusive, just damned odd.
Right.
BALTAR: Madam President? As you know, the Sharon Cylon is of considerable tactical value to the fleet and Perhaps you've gotten too close to your subject, Doctor.
This is difficult, so I'm gonna cut right to it.
Allowing this thing to be born could have frightening consequences.
For the security of this fleet, I believe the Cylon pregnancy must be terminated before it is too late.
Madam President, I'd like I thought you of all people would understand, Admiral.
BALTAR: Madam President, I don't understand.
This makes no sense.
One of the interesting things about being president is you don't have to explain yourself to anyone.
Thank you, gentlemen, I'm a little tired.
Gentlemen? I don't want to seem alarmist, but I am perturbed.
I think that the President's illness is affecting her judgment.
Especially when it comes to the subject of ADAMA: She seemed reasonably coherent to me.
Well, then I'll have to appeal to you on scientific grounds.
Destroying this child would seriously impact my studies of the Cylon subspecies.
The President made the call.
I'm backing her.
With all due respect, the President made the call based on evidence presented by Dr.
Cottle and he Pull yourself together.
You're about to become President of the Colonies.
You're gonna be asked to make some very hard decisions.
Act like you can handle it.
Gods.
Where have you been? Where have I been? I never left you, Gaius.
All right, yeah.
Yeah, metaphorically speaking.
It's just it was weeks ago and I I'm sure you've suffered mightily in my absence.
You know, jealousy's a really ugly emotion.
What is this lingering controversy over my affair with your three dimensional duplicate? I'm not jealous, I'm concerned.
Oh, yeah? Concerned? About what? Our child! You're concerned? Well, for your information, the President intends to kill it! Once Roslin's gone, you'll be President.
You can use your new authority to save our child.
Yeah, yeah.
That's good.
Did you see the way Adama looked at me? The contempt on his face? I will be the President, all right, but without military support I might as well be an anointed dogcatcher.
Yes, well, you have your own resources, if you'd use them.
What? You don't know what I mean? No, I don't know what you mean.
The nuclear device.
The one Adama provided for your research.
There is one way.
NO.
6: I didn't wanna have to ask I didn't wanna have to ask you for this.
NO.
6: But what I really need But what I really need to complete the project Is a nuclear warhead.
Is a nuclear warhead.
You're totally insane.
I'm trying to help you, you idiot.
If Adama remains committed to the destruction of our child, it may be our only hope.
There's no easy way to say this.
It's about the Cylon.
The President has decided that her pregnancy will be terminated.
What? Why? Doc Cottle discovered some anomalies in the fetal blood work.
Isn't that expected? Maybe.
But the President believes that to allow the baby to come to full term, it constitutes an unacceptable risk to the fleet.
I don't understand.
Sharon's only helped us since she came back from Caprica.
She even turned on her own.
To save her life.
Don't mistake the will to live for genuine compassion, Lieutenant.
She's still the enemy.
Does she know? Not yet.
Then I should be the one to tell her.
If that's all, sir.
Helo.
I don't expect you to agree to the decision, but I need you to accept it.
We're talking about my child, sir.
Part of me.
But I guess it's easier to kill when you call it a Cylon.
Dismissed.
So you're saying someone's been tampering with our ammunition? Shells don't unload themselves.
What's this I hear about you ordering both Galactica and Pegasus fighters to stand down? The price you pay for reinstating me as CAG, sir.
Maybe that was a mistake.
Maybe I don't give a damn what you think, sir.
Take it easy, both of you.
The fact is we've been sharing stores between the ships.
And nobody flies combat until our ammo supplies check out.
Leaving us defenseless if the Cylons decide to pick a fight.
We were defenseless before this.
We just didn't know about it.
ADAMA: Lee, find out who did this.
(MACHINES BUZZING) APOLLO: All right.
Excuse me, I'm looking for Asha Janik.
Asha? She's there.
APOLLO: Let's do this quietly.
APOLLO: Asha Janik? Captain Adama.
I have a message for your father.
They may take me All right, stop her! but I'm one of many! We have declared war against Galactica's army of death! MAN: Let's go.
The Cylons aren't our true enemy, it's the military that refuses to negotiate! ASHA: All we want is peace! Demand peace! Demand peace! So much for being discreet, huh? ADAMA: We found these pamphlets in Janik's quarters.
Some kind of a manifesto.
"Demand peace" from the Cylons? Who the hell are these people? Cylon sympathizers.
I just had no idea they were this organized.
I want to know how she got aboard my ship.
The hangar deck's short-staffed.
We've been forced to import civilians to handle some of the grunt work.
Apparently she's She's a Picon, worked maintenance on the Greenleaf, no known criminal affiliations.
Until now.
Now listen to this, "Do not be afraid.
We are not terrorists, but we will not sit back "while Adama's war machine continues to press us "into cruel and futile conflict.
" Gods damn it.
Well, her demonstration's worked.
The news is already spreading across the fleet.
I know.
We were contacted by a person claiming to speak for the subversives, demanding a meeting on the Galactica.
Well, they've got stones, I'll give them that.
ADAMA: Well, I've agreed.
What? We're not negotiating.
I just wanna know what we're up against.
(GASPING) (MOANING) (DISTORTED TALKING) STANS: Considering the stakes, you don't seem particularly engaged.
The stakes are what we decide to make them, Mr.
Stans.
If the President uses troops to enforce his back-to-work order, people will get hurt.
Even die.
Some causes are worth dying for.
Not this one.
(GASPING) DOCTOR: The mass is malignant.
Doctor (GASPING) Admiral.
I am Royan Jahee.
You have a unique way of welcoming visitors to your ship.
TIGH: Visitor my ass.
We shoot people like you for treason.
Colonel, I'm only an interested party, trying to prevent more bloodshed.
I deplore what happened aboard your Vipers.
How many sympathizers do we have aboard this fleet? If you're trying to crush an organization, you can stop now.
The people in this movement are following an idea, not a leader.
What the hell do they want? Peace with the Cylon.
You want us to surrender.
They attacked us.
Only after we'd enslaved them! You call yourselves military men, strategists! Explain to me how our current course of attack and retreat leads to victory! You can play innocent bystander, but I think you know more than you're telling us.
Either way, you're a danger to this fleet.
Admiral, arresting me isn't going to stop any of this.
Maybe not, but it's a start.
Take him away.
All right, get your rubber gloves on.
This is everything from the Janik woman's quarters.
Somehow the Admiral thinks looking through this crap is gonna tell us something new about their so-called movement.
So, um, I haven't seen much of you since your spacewalk.
APOLLO: Hold it.
What's this? What's a deckhand need with a portable library reader? The Daru Mozu.
A Tylium refinery.
And Janik's used to explosives.
This is the CAG.
Get me a TAC team ready.
Right now.
BOOMER: (ON TELEPHONE) I don't understand.
Why are they doing this now? I don't know.
The Admiral said they found something in the baby's blood.
Somehow President Roslin considers it a threat to the fleet.
It can't just be that.
I've done nothing but help them since I've come here.
I've held back my anger.
I've tried to show them that Cylons are not all the same.
That we're not all murderers.
Deep down, I think they're still afraid of you.
Yeah.
Afraid.
They wanna be afraid of something? Yeah? Just let them come.
Let them! Let them just try to take my baby! (GRUNTING) Let them try to take my baby.
Sharon, stop! (SCREAMING) Sharon, please, don't do this.
Please! (YELLING) HELO: Listen to me.
Listen to me.
Listen to me.
HELO: Sharon, look at me.
GUARD: Let's go.
Hey! Easy! Easy! When we land, move fast.
We're looking for explosive devices set near the Daru's FTL drive.
Captain, I'm getting something on the wireless.
I think it's coming from the Daru Mozu.
WOMAN: (ON RADIO) None of us wants to die, but the fighting must end.
If my sacrifice sends a signal to the Cylon that brings peace, then it was worth it.
I do this for my children and for the children that will follow them, gods willing.
Demand peace.
Pull out! Demand peace.
Pull out! Pull out! Pull out! Pull out! (MACHINE BEEPING) People are dead.
I grieve for them, Admiral.
And I assure you the Tylium ship's just a taste of what's in store unless someone starts listening! (GROANING) You listen, and you listen well.
I don't care if I have to interrogate every civilian onboard this fleet.
This is gonna stop.
Do you understand? (GROANING) Yes.
BILLY: Mr.
Vice President, President Roslin insisted on your taking the tour.
She'd like the transition to go as smoothly as possible.
BALTAR: What are these? Cylon agent suspects, sir.
That number means everything to her.
It represents hope.
It's our future.
Yes.
Yes.
Being the President is a lot of responsibility.
It's tradition for outgoing Presidents to leave a letter for their successor.
It's usually opened on the first day of the new term.
But the next few days are likely to prove hectic, so Well, let's just pray that she gets better.
Let's.
(PHONE RINGING) Excuse me.
Yes.
Mr.
Vice President.
Hello? Yes.
Yes.
I understand.
Thank you.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) I was told I might meet an old friend here.
GINA: It's good to see you, Gaius.
So you've become a member of the peace movement? Well, despite what you may think, I've always abhorred violence.
Would you excuse us, please? Do they have any idea what you are? Of course not.
Even their dedication has limits.
I've missed you.
You look amazing.
I can't believe how real you are.
What are you doing? I haven't stopped thinking about you since the second I left the Pegasus.
No.
I can't get you out of my head.
Don't do this now.
Not yet.
I can't help myself.
I can't.
Gaius.
(GRUNTING) I'm sorry.
No.
I'm sorry.
I'm just I'm not ready.
So is there any reason in particular for inviting me around here? Because you saved me.
Let me save you.
Here we go again.
What are you talking about? You must sense it.
Gaius, the fleet's crumbling.
People are turning on each other.
There are serious misgivings about the military.
When you're President, you can use the office to turn them against Adama, paving the way for the Cylons to save us.
I would love to be with you always, but I know it's hard, but it's the only way.
No.
No.
I am not who you think I am, and I will not be responsible for the destruction of mankind.
If we would have caught it sooner, maybe we could have done more.
ADAR: Laura.
I didn't like the way we left things this morning.
Richard I know.
You've been thinking this is a mistake for a while now.
I just met with Stans.
The Education Alliance is going to back off.
Back off? Laura, what did you give them? I made them a promise that we would seriously hear out their grievances, Richard.
I thought you'd be happy they're going back to work.
Laura, you've put me in a very awkward position.
I don't see how.
Both sides gave ground.
It's not just about your teachers.
It's the next strike I'm worried about.
You just showed them that if they hold out long enough, this administration will cave.
You expected me to fail.
I expected you to hold the line.
This doesn't have to be the end of the world.
You can stay on in an advisory capacity.
Gods know we need your ideas.
You're asking me to resign? I don't have any choice.
This isn't about you and me anymore.
You're right, it's not.
You were willing to attack those people, and up until a few hours ago, I was prepared to let you.
I am on my way to the Galactica to represent this administration.
When I return, if you still want my job, be prepared to fight.
When I return, if you still want my job, be prepared to fight.
Notify the Admiral.
(FLATLINING) This is Admiral Adama.
As you know, President Roslin has been aboard Galactica for the last few days.
She's a fighter.
But as of this moment, her prognosis is grave.
I know that many of you believe in the power of prayer.
If that is your way, then I urge you to pray for our President.
As for the others, I hope you will join me in keeping her in our thoughts.
Admiral, please don't do this.
Stand down, everyone.
Give me room.
Think about what you're doing, Helo.
You're a soldier.
I'm a father, like you.
Please, sir, give me a Raptor.
Let me take her off the ship.
I'll get her away from the fleet.
I can't do that, son.
BALTAR: Admiral! Admiral! Admiral! Doctor, get the hell out of here! I must talk to you concerning the Cylon child.
It seems I may have been wrong, very wrong, when I said that Dr.
Cottle misinterpreted the fetal blood work.
BALTAR: You see, I had another look at those samples and I discovered something quite intriguing.
Understand, Cylon blood is virtually impossible to differentiate from our own.
That being said, obviously it has to be slightly different because the Cylon is not human.
If our blood looks like this, for example, and the Cylon's blood looks like this, then it's fair to assume that the Cylon-human is carrying an amalgam.
Is this a theory or fact? The Cylon's fetus contains no antigens, it has no blood type.
That's what Dr.
Cottle was talking about when he said it was damned odd.
Except it's not damned odd, it's astonishing.
Now, knowing, as we do, that the Cylons are built slightly better to endure than their human counterparts, I wondered, could the Cylon blood also be blessed, shall we say blessed, with a heightened resistance to disease? So I applied a sample of Sharon's fetal blood to some cancer cells I took from the President.
What am I looking at? Nothing.
That's the whole point.
The cancer was gone and it was gone within a matter of hours.
Are you saying you've found a cure for the President's cancer? Well, it's untried.
It's obviously untried and therefore extremely dangerous.
But, yes, it's possible.
If you abort Sharon's fetus now, you'll never know.
Now, you may feel a sharp pain.
Sharon, it's okay.
It's gonna be all right.
I don't like what you're doing.
I think it's unnatural and damned dangerous.
Yes, well, given the patient's current condition, I am not sure that I see the downside.
Maybe it's just her time.
Then for once perhaps I am the beacon of hope around here.
It's all right.
Everything's gonna be okay.
I'm right here with you, Sharon.
If you wanna settle this, your people have to disengage.
No more civil disobedience, no more acts of violence.
I want our students back in school.
Done.
I'm glad you called, Madam Secretary.
Me, too.
DOCTOR: I'm afraid the tests are positive.
The mass is malignant.
(RAPID BEEPING) BILLY: What's happening? (ALL CLAMORING) She's convulsing! Nurse, get me 10cc's of COTTLE: Help me get her on her side.
(GASPING) Nurse! Nurse! (ROSLIN GASPING) (CARDIOGRAPH FLATLINING) No, hold it.
(RHYTHMIC BEEPING) I'll be damned.
BALTAR: Madam President? Dr.
Baltar.
It's so very good to see you.
No, no, no.
Don't.
Don't move.
Don't move.
(ROSLIN GRUNTING) BILLY: Madam President.
How's she doing, Doctor? I've never seen anything like it.
It'll be a while before she's 100%, but the scans are clear.
The cancer's gone.
Are you sure? It's gone.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Admiral.
You seem better.
Much.
Are you still holding the spokesman from the new faction in the brig? Yes.
Would you take me to him, please? Certainly.
Thank you.
I'll wait for you to get dressed.
JAHEE: President Roslin.
Mr.
Jahee, isn't it? I thought it was time we met.
Would you open the door, please? Do it.
All these people want is to be heard.
A member of your group nearly destroyed our Tylium refinery.
Before we can even begin to talk, I need your personal assurance that there will be no more attacks.
As I told the Admiral, I've had no direct contact with anyone.
Genuine negotiations require trust.
Do not lie to me.
I'll talk to my people.
Make them understand.
Excellent.
Then I'll listen, maybe even act.
But if you renege, I'll insist the Admiral hunt you and your friends down without mercy.
NO.
6: You seem very content.
Sharon's child is safe.
Adama and Roslin have agreed that more study is required before any drastic measures are taken.
Yes, but by saving Roslin, you've denied yourself your rightful place of leadership.
There are many aspects of you, Gaius, I will never understand.
You wouldn't.
And neither, would I suspect, your corporeal counterpart.
Do you love her? What is that? The note that Roslin wrote me.
To be opened upon the event of her death.
"President Baltar, I offer my sincere congratulations.
"I say that knowing we've had our differences "and that you take office despite my many reservations.
"You may be the most brilliant person I've ever met, "but your intelligence is unleavened by compassion.
"You must be reminded of your ethical responsibilities "and challenged to rise above your own selfish needs.
"I don't write this to hurt you, but to beg you to open your heart.
"Understand that the people in the fleet look to you "not only for leadership but for solace.
"Justice.
"Find a way to give them that, "and you will be a great leader.
"Laura Roslin.
" BALTAR: And after all I've done for the fleet.
And after all I've done for her.
Roslin's never trusted you.
She's undermined you at every turn, and now So now we know she's never gonna trust me.
This is not a political struggle anymore, Gaius.
This is quite literally life and death.
(DOOR OPENING) The President assured me that as long as there are no further acts of violence, she's willing to bring our concerns to the Quorum and Admiral Adama.
She's trying to buy time.
She'll never be open to negotiating with the Cylons.
I disagree.
I think we made real progress today and so does the Vice-President.
Baltar? Yes.
Just before I left, he asked to meet with me.
He encouraged patience while he works with Roslin from within, and he offered the contents of this case as proof of his sincerity.
What's in it? I don't know.
He said that you should be the one to open it.