| Strange Friends |
| Summary: | Damon and Sofia discuss the Eleven. Guest appearance from Cadmus! |
| Date: | 27 Jul 2041 AE |
| Related Logs: | None. |
| Players: |
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| Observation Deck - Deck 3 - Battlestar Cerberus |
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| Post-Holocaust Day: #151 |
| With a quiet view to the stars, this tends to be one of the more popular 'quiet areas' of the Cerberus. Up front is a small-unseated area for ceremonies or other activities while the seating rises up behind it. Each level rises up behind the one before it, comfortable chairs and couches set up for crewmembers to relax, get some work done or even take a nap. A large armored plate is lowered during Condition One to protect the interior against a breach in the glass. |
| Condition Level: 3 - All Clear |
Damon is standing out by the glass, one hand resting lightly against it, staring off into the depths of space. Stars and darkness, that's all that surrounds them. There's a wistful kind of expression on his face, visible in his reflection. His chest rises and falls with deep regular breaths. After a long moment, he sighs and looks away, turning back to the room - not much happening there. A few people reading, others napping on couches, some groups chatting quietly.
Sofia wanders in, quietly sad. She sighs softly. There's a distant look on her face as she meanders towards the glass and the space beyond it. She pauses though, eventually noticing Damon. "Oh!" Hey, it's her Deckie Buddy! She smiles, seeing the man. A little wave. "Hey there," She greets him quietly.
"Hey, Sofie," Damon replies, returning her wave. A smile blossoms on his face, though something holds it back. A lingering wistfulness in his eyes, that same look he had on his face just a moment ago while he was stargazing. "Catching a little break from the endless paperwork? Because I sure as hell am," he chuckles, sitting down in a padded chair next to the glass. There's another one right next to it if she cares to join him, as he indicates.
Sofia seems a little cheerier for seeing Damon. There's a faint, thoughtful sadness that lingers. She nods. "Yeah… gonna have to visit an MP pretty soon too, a friend left me something. But it feels strange to call her a friend when I should hate her," She frowns. She sits next to him and smiles. "Thanks. And you deserve a break. I'd help but my rank…" Doesn't carry nearly as much weight as his. "Hopefully things on Deck are going well?"
"Ah, don't mind me," Damon says with a chuckle. "Bitchin' and moanin' is all that gets me through my day. That, and tea. I can't complain, truth be told. The Lords know my job's easier than most on this ship." He glances out to space again. "What's this about hate and MPs, though, hey? I can't imagine you hatin' anybody, least of all a friend." His eyes and attention draw back to her.
Sofia smiles at that, "Works for most of us." She shrugs. "I am getting used to decaf," A faint sigh at that. "And bah, I am sure you are plenty busy. Pilots like to ding up their birds," She tilts her head. "And … do you remember the skinjob Cylon we picked up? Her name was Eleven?" She peers at Damon intently, as if trying to gauge how he might react.
"Cylon skinjob?" Damon thinks for a moment. "I remember hearing about it, but I don't know much about the whole thing, to be honest. I got all holed up and all I knew of life outside the Deck were from rumors I heard on the hangar floor." It takes a moment for two and two to click together. "You mean that thing is your… friend?"
"Kinda, let me explain," Sofia holds up her hands. "At first, I was shocked we even kept her - but on the other hand? What a source of intel. Don't get me wrong, I was pretty pissed she zapped us with radiation and most of us might not have kids ever," She begins. "But… in a way, I've made peace with it. There's a chance in a couple of years I should be healed up," Nod. "And Tyr said I could take care of his kids and the orphans too. Plus, I've got plenty of friends," She's making peace with it. "But eventually, it turns out, she's been giving us lots of important information. I felt kinda bad, so I ended up bringing her a sketchbook and some markers. And - recently, she gave her life at least twice to save the Cerberus during our assault. She left us a box of information on that station that we blew up. She even helped us self destruct it. But you know the odd part…?"
Damon looks hesitant as he listens to Sofia's story. But he doesn't interject or argue, just nods in acknowledgement, if not agreement. "Bannik with kids, Lords save me from that thought," he chuckles. Good-naturedly, of course - he rather likes the Specialist. "What's the odd part?" he asks. Talking about the skinjob like this is creeping him out a little bit, and it shows in small signs. A few small twitches of his eyes, some barely noticeable goosebumps.
Sofia grins. "Little Banniks! A Bannik Panic if you would," She seems amused. She's fond of the Specialist too. She takes a deep breath. "She was sorry. Repentant. She commented that nothing she would ever do would rectify what she did. What they did. That they were reaping what they sowed. She gave us so much information and saved us at least twice by giving herself up. I was there when she hooked herself up to the station to self destruct it," Sofia blinks quickly, "And … I honestly don't know why I'm sad about it. She was genuinely kind for a bit. She thanked me for the art supplies and told me she liked art. That she left something I should have," She closes her green eyes tightly. "… so I should visit an MP and see what it was. But why am I sad? Why do I care? Everything tells me I should hate her, but after all the help and her sacrifices in turn I find I cannot. I'm not gonna run and hug a cylon, that's for sure. But her? No, I wouldn't shoot her right away. I'm no toaster lover, I'd blow up a Centurion in a heartbeat. It's just really confusing."
Damon is silent for a while, taking it all in. "Well," he says after a while, "I wasn't there, so, y'know, my opinion don't count for much, hey? But I can't help but think, being where I am on the Deck, that I really wouldn't trust anything that came from a Cylon." His eyes catch hers to see her reaction. "I mean, we never even knew they had these, what, 'skinjobs' until recently, right? They've sabotaged us so many times, working from the inside. What if it's just another lie, Sofie? What if that's the effect they want to achieve, to get your sympathy so that when the crucial moment comes, you will hesitate?" He lets out a pent-up sigh and shrugs his shoulders back against the chair. "Confusing, yeah, that's an understatement. Whether or not one… thing, one Cylon is nice, they're still the enemy, yeah?"
Sofia looks thoughtful too. Her expression is sad. "I know," She admits quietly. "But… this model? She killed herself twice so that we could be safe. She said she wanted the fighting to stop because she couldn't abide seeing sentient creatures hurt," She looks to him,, as his eyes catch hers. "I know there's truth in what you say, but it's very strange. We shared art. Art is for people, not animals or robots," She considers. "She said not to trust the more warlike ones, but that some models might be willing to talk." Sofia tilts her head. "I don't know. She seemed pretty okay, even if I faceplanted into her sister's cleavage," A deep blush at that. "I just… can't hate her after she gave up her chance for ressurection, saying she'd find wisdom with her Lord, and she gave us a whole box from the station. She saved some of our pilots too." She sighs. "See why it makes no sense?" She peers over. "So while Elevens are okay, I don't know about the others. But Eleven, she's kind. Oh well. It gets weirder. One of the Centurions we found had dog tags. It helped us against the others, then blew its brains out."
Even with Sofia's explanations, Damon doesn't seem to quite open up to the idea of Cylons being 'okay' or trustworthy at all. His body language says it all - he's leaning away to the side, shoulders at an angle, like he's trying to face away from the very idea of it. "They nuked our planets, Sofie," he says quietly, a pleading tone to his voice. "They sabotaged our birds. Frakked with the trimix. Gods only know what else they've got in store. I just don't think there's any hard proof that even the one you feel so strongly about, this Eleven… thing, means what it says. They're patient and deceptive, that much we've seen. What if it's all just mindgames?"
Sigh. Sofia frowns at Damon. "Hi! I'm from Aquaria. I'm /really, really/ aware of the whole planet nuking thing. /My/ home planet is uninhabitable oh, for a few thousand years. At best, and I may or may not be able to have a family ever because I got hit with weaponized radiation," She looks a bit annoyed that she might not have noticed. "I think she does, mostly because she wasn't really involved in a lot of it and was genuinely trying to make amends. It takes serious conviction to give up your chance for immortality, you know?" She shrugs. "Oh well. She said she left her sketchbook for me, and I intend to find it. If only to - y'know, just see." Sigh. "It's really, really strange. Either way, it's not a pleasant subject." She shakes it off. And she dislikes being annoyed with a friend it seems. "We'll see what I find. That's all I can do. What were you thinking of when you were watching out the window?" She shifts the conversation away.
"I know - listen, hey, I didn't mean to upset you," Damon says, putting up his hands defensively. "I wasn't saying you were wrong or anything, just that… even if you are right, they're still the enemy and I think we gotta focus on the atrocities that were committed, not the individuals that might've acted contrary to the group, y'know?" The hands lower, but the apologetic look remains. "Otherwise we start getting into grey areas and seeing the Cylons as… I dunno, humans, I guess, or… or friends." He's only too happy for the subject to change, though - as the topic shifts, he glances out the glass again. "I was… remembering Leonis," he admits, glancing to Sofia out of the corner of his eye. "The open air, the fields, real dirt beneath my feet."
"I know," Sofia frowns. "I don't think… of any of them besides the one who killed himself after he protected us or Eleven as friends really. But she was genuinely kind and remorseful. She doesn't like war either and I think I understand. Though, I doubt there will be any more of her. They kind of … get rid of those who do that sort of thing," Another sad look. "I'm sorry. I just can't hate /her/, is all." She smiles weakly and looks to Damon. "Really? I'm kinda jealous. I wish I had gone with you and Tyr," She looks guilty. "But - we had plenty of engineers going and well, I was pretty busy up here too what with the CO possibly being all EEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil and Cerberus taking a few metaphorical kicks to the groin. It sounds really pretty though. Did you honestly fight bears?"
"Jealous?" Damon asks, shaking his head. "It was a madhouse down there. But in a way, I miss it." Again with that faraway look. "I miss it a lot." Staring off into space again - literally. It only takes him a moment to break himself out of his reverie, though. "I didn't fight a bear. But some did, yeah." The two of them are sitting down and chatting on the far side of the room by the glass.
Hee. Sofia smiles a little at the faraway look. "Are you from Leonis?" She tilts her head. Then a pause. "I dunno, somehow the mental image of a bunch of deckies waving wrenches at a bear…" Is hilarious. There's still traces of sadness and confusion on her face and in her eyes. Sofia's poker face is terrible, honestly. She's sitting near Damon. "But we did hit them pretty hard there and again recently. That's a good thing I think. And if those reports are true… there's bound to be people on Aerilon and Caprica as well at the least. If Eleven's words are true. I don't know."
The Observation Deck is a place for slow and relaxed contemplation, or quiet reflection, not abrupt arrivals. Quiet as he attempts to be, Lance Corporal Maragos has the unmistakable tenseness of someone *doing something*. Make no mistake: Cadmus is on a mission. But whatever mission it is, it's not for someone, or something on the obs deck. Maybe he's killing time, waiting on the leisure of a higher ranking officer?
Damon shakes his head. "Nah. Tauron. Everyone always seems surprised when I say that, though." He shrugs with a 'beats me' smile. "I guess I'm just too nice, hey?" This time when he looks back out to space, he catches the reflection of the newcomer in the glass. Though Cadmus isn't immediately recognized, the face is familiar - so he turns and gives a wave in greeting. "I don't know what we'd do if we found more refugees, though. Where we'd put 'em, how we'd feed 'em, I mean. It's been a little crazy with all we got already."
Sofia looks amused. "No, just - not like most Taurons," She admits. "I think you're pretty cool though," Sofia shrugs at that. She looks over, spotting Cadmus after Damon points him out. She smiles and waves to the MP. She seems glad to see him at least. "Me either, though a few seem to be enlisting or helping out. I know Tyr has that sewage project, some Marine is growing plants… it's coming along at least?" She considers. "I donated all the clothes I could though, ah, my measurements are a bit unusual. One size fits all never seem to be just that." She looks duly annoyed by that. "Maybe some would like to become deckies. I bet Dave would be thrilled if someone else drove the poo truck." Grin. A look to Cadmus. "Hi there!"
"Well, as long as I've got the Sofia Seal of Approval, I'm happy," Damon replies with a wink. Cadmus gets a nod of the head as he comes over, and he stands to offer his hand for a shake. "Andreas Damon, PO1 down on the Deck. I know I've seen you around, but I can't remember your name for the life of me, to be honest." Headjerk to the chair he was just sitting in. "Take my seat if you're stopping by for a while - I've actually gotta head back to the hangar bay. Sofia just reminded me that I gotta go give Shiner shit. Literally."
Sofia blushes and smiles. "Hey. Even if you disagree a little sometimes, you're still my friend. It'd be really stupid to throw away friendship." At least, Sofia thinks so. "You and the deck crew are practically a second family," Beam. She seems pleased and looks to the MP then back to Damon. A gigglesnort. Poor Shiner. "Aw. Poor Shiner. I should have tea with him. Then he'll open his mouth and I'll stop feeling sorry… it's a perpetual dilemma," She closes one eye and frowns. She lets Cadmus introduce himself though, "It was good to see you, though. I'll come by sometime." She is definitely relieved there's no anger.
Extending his own hand, Cadmus nods with the slightest of smiles; anything more might just end up looking strange on his face. "Maragos, Lance Corporal Cadmus. Nice to meet you, Andreas," he comments. "Shit…? What happens on the Deck, stays on the Deck. Only fools ask about the business of what goes on down there, if they want to keep their sanity. So I hope your… delivery… works out." Rolling the last sentence around in his mouth a little before letting it tumble out. Such are the hazards of actually finding out what happens behind closed hatches, down there.
"Smart man," Damon says with a grin. His handshake is firm but brief. It's always good to make nice with the MPs. "I'm glad you don't mind me disagreeing from time to time," he says to Sofia. "I'd rather be honest than try to agree with everything, yeah? That's how real friends do, as far as I'm concerned." His arm twitches toward her as he passes like he's going to reach down and ruffle her hair - but he catches himself this time. Not in front of people he doesn't know! With a sheepish grin, he offers a final, "See you both around," and heads off.