It’s been awhile my old friend has it not? I apologise for my absense of late, I don’t seem to have any time any more.
I’m reading Peter F. Hamilton’s book Judas Unchained. It’s the sequel to Pandora’s Star that I mentioned before. The sequel is shaping up to be just as good as the original with the Prime invasion marching on (think huge space battles with nukes and wormholes) and the politcal wrangling is just as intense.
It has alot of interesting ideas too – such as wormhole travel and memorycells (if you die your mind is resurrected in an identical body that is grown under your insurance policy) and my favourite is the virtual vision/inserts (like accessing the internet (or “unisphere” in this book) in your mind/vision and implants like retinal inserts to let you zoom in and other scanning utilities). It sounds a little cyborg though so not sure I would like that!
Battlestar Galactica is on again. **Spoiler warning?** Last time we spoke Gaius Baltar had won the presidential election and decided the fleet should settle on the planet of “New Caprica”, while Admiral Adama thought this was unwise. So at the end of season 2 (I think) they settled there – Adama, his son “Apollo”, and few key characters staying in orbit on Galactica – and lo and behold one year later the Cylons caught up with them and enslaved the planetside humans. Adama and the remainder of the fleet were forced to jump out of the system as more and more Cylon basestars (Their big motherships) arrived.
The first new episode I saw, which I believe is the start of season 3, saw Giaus Baltar pandering to the Cylons (as usual, the coward) and several human “traitors” serving as police under the Cylons. We also so Chief Tyrol leading the resistance movement, with Colonel Tigh also becoming involved. This also led to their controversial use of suicide bombers to strike back at the Cylons – I don’t think I’ve seen this in a tv show before and in today’s climate it raises some questions about who is right and who is wrong.
Anway, the Cylon response was to round up lots of humans for death by firing squad – including ex-president Roslin and Chief Tyrol’s wife Cally. Thanks to their informant on the inside, Lieutenant Gaeta, the resistance finds out and manage to ambush to death squad party just in time, leaving the humanoid Cylon Number Five “Aaron Doral” to die a slow death (before he is resurrected – see the Cylons don’t die, only their body!).
So the shit had really hit the fan for humans and you just know good old Adama would be back. When we catch up with Galactica and the other Battlestar Pegasus (commanded by Apollo), they are trying to make contact with the resistance on the planet and the ‘good’ Cylon Number Eight aka Sharon Valerii, callsign Boomer, is sent to the planet to infiltrate the Cylon base and style launch codes for the grounded colonial ships. Oh and Apollo is fat! Seriously, he’s been pigging out while moping around on the Pegasus and has gained alot of weight, especially in his face!lol
Back to the planet and Starbuck is being held captive by the Cylon Leoben Conoy and he messes with her mind by telling her that when she was captured on Caprica – when she disobeyed Adama’s orders and jumped back to the planet to find the Arrow of Apollo (to guide them to Earth) – they had taken her eggs and created her Cylon-Human daughter. It was back on Caprica that she met Samuel Anders, the leader of the resistance movement there and now also involved with the resistance on New Caprica. I have to admit that I preferred Starbuck before her New Caprica phase as she’s lost alot of confidence, but it’s all part of the story.
True to form, Adama decides to return to New Caprica with the Galactica to rescue the trapped human population. He orders Apollo to take the Pegasus and the remaining fleet and continue the search for earth. With Sharon Valerii proving herself trustworthy again, the resistance manages to get the launch codes and they launch an assault on the Cylons, detonating pre-laid bombs in the process. In a brilliant show of tactics, Adama jumps the Galactica straight into the planets low atmosphere – literally only a few hundred metres off the ground – and launches Vipers before jumping out again. The strategy pays off and the grounded civillian ships manage to launch. Cylon basestars, earlier distracted by drones set up by the Galactica, return en-masse and pummel the Galactica. Adama thanks those who stuck by him as the Galactica breaks up around them.
Just as it looks like the end for Galactica, Apollo comes to the rescue with the Pegasus and, while the Galactica escapes, soaks up the nuclear barrage – finally having to abandon ship as the Pegasus is blown to smithereens. It was beautiful, lol!
After more controversy – human traitors being executed by a ‘Circle’ of their peers for their supposed crimes – Laura Roslin is sworn in as president again (Gaius is held captive with the Cylons), Sharon Valerii is given the new callsign “Athena”, and the search for Earth continues. Starbuck learns that her ‘daughter’ is actually another civillian’s stolen daughter – a trick by the Cylons. Needless to say she is pretty messed up and her and Colonel Tigh start to spread disent amongst the Galactica crew regarding all the traitors that sided with the Cylons to stay alive. Adama gives them both a good talking to and Starbuck looks like she is finding the way back to her old self. Colonel Tigh is another matter.
Gaius is sent by the Cylons to investigate an infected Basestar, only to find a device left by the Thirteenth Colony (The ones who originally left for Earth) that kills Cylons. The colonial fleet are also nearby as the device happens to be beside a constellation that should lead them closer to Earth, but the Raptor piloted by Athena jumps away when it comes across the (crippled) Basestar. I think they’ll be back though, and discover the new weapon.
There’s probably more to tell but I think that’s enough for now. I think I missed alot of season 2 – I saw enough to follow it, but ive yet to get the dvds. I also missed the first part of the rescue episode – I know that Colonel Tigh found out his wife was feeding information to the Cylons about the resistance but I’m not sure if he killed her or just left her behind. He’s pretty cut up about it anyway.
I’ll end for now – I was going to talk about my latest dabblings with DarkBASIC and life in general, but again, I have no time. Tick Tock…
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Hmm..seems very confusing to someone who doesn’t watch BSG. Damn freeview – it doesn’t have sky one but DOES have sky three!
I’ve booked my tickets so will be coming up to see that show you’re so excited about =P
xxx