Battlestar Galactica

Episode #106 - "Litmus"

This document is ©2005, John Larocque. All rights reserved.

The Cylons were created by man. They evolved. They look human. Some are programmed to think they are human. There are many copies. And they have a plan.

Synopsis

Adama is in his quarters with Tigh and Sergeant Hadrian, and informs her that the Cylons look human now. "The bomber was another copy of a man we knew as Doral, posing as the public relations officer aboard this ship. We've learned that there are multiple versions of the same Cylon." Hadrian asks for, and receives, the authority to investigate how the Cylons (or anybody else) could breach security. "I need a free hand, the authority to follow evidence wherever it might lead without command review." Adama authorizes an independent tribunal towards this end. She urges Adama to alert the public to the Cylon threat. "If there are other copies of this man aboard the fleet, we should find them before they strike again." "I'll take that under advisement." She leaves and he thanks Tigh for saving his life earlier. "Hey, I owe you one."

Cally, Socinus and another crewman sneak off into a back room. They have a tin drum on hand and are in the process of making their own homemade drink. Tyrol catches them in the act and puts an end to it. "You people are the sorriest of the sorry, the dumbest of the dumb, the only thing you're makin' out of this is a one-way trip to sickbay or the morgue. Now tonight, after nightcall, one of you brings me twice that length of copper tubing, a spot heater and a CO2 scrubber, I'll show you people how this is done."

Adama phones Laura, and tells her, "If there are any other Cylons aboard any of our ships, we need to find them. If we enlist the help of the public, it'll make it a lot easier." "People are going to be shocked, angry, terrified, paranoid." She also tells him her view of independent tribunals. "Independent tribunal, openness, transparency, it all sounds great. But after 20 years in political office, I'm telling you, these things have a way of inflicting damage on the people you least expect. I do not want a witch-hunt on our hands." At the press conference she announces the formation of an independent tribunal and reveals that the Cylons now look human. "The Cylons have the ability to mimic human form. They look like us now. We have reason to believe a Cylon agent [Doral] was responsible for the explosions aboard Galactica... He evidently slipped aboard the Galactica with a civilian group, killed a Marine guard, stole the explosives and detonated them, killing three members of the crew and destroying himself." She shows them a picture of Leoben and Doral and says that there are duplicates of each Cylon model.

Hadrian proceeds with her investigation and asks several of Tyrol's crew what they were doing and where were the Chief's whereabouts, and none tells a straight story. Cally said she was reading a novel Socinus gave her, and that the Chief was doing paperwork on the deck. Another crewman claimed he was playing pyramid with Cally, and that Tyrol watched the game. Socinus said he was on watch and Tyrol that was working on one of the Vipers that Captain Lee rides. Finally, Tyrol told her he was asleep in his rack.

Hadrian tells the inquiry, "The matter being investigated is, first, how a Cylon penetrated Galactica's security system. And second, whether one of Galactica's crew members aided and abetted this crime through conspiracy and collusion with the Cylons." During her testimony, Hadrian asks Sharon, "Is it true that you and the Chief are involved in a romantic and physical relationship, in violation of the Colonial Code of Military Conduct?" "No, the XO ordered us to put a stop to it, so we did." She states that she has no idea where Tyrol was at the time of the bombing, but was sure had nothing to do with it. On the hangar deck, Tyrol's crew reacts to the revelation of human Cylons. Cally says the Cylons want humans to turn on each other and become suspicious and paranoid. Another crewman says, "It's every man for himself now. You better watch your backs."

Tyrol waives his right to remain silent under Article 23 and cooperates with the inquiry. He confirms he had the mid watch, and that no one was on the hangar deck that night. She asks about the open hatch. "It opens on to a causeway which leads directly to a small arms locker, where a Marine guard was found dead at the scene. The locker was open with the correct code. Do you have the correct code to that locker, Chief?" "Yes, I do, as do dozens of others, including the guard. It's possible the Cylon forced the guard to open it before he killed him." "Did Lt. Valerii leave the hatchcombing open last night?" He says he has no idea, and denies he was doing any of the things the other three witnesses claimed earlier. "Where were you at the time of the bombing? Were you, in fact, meeting with a Cylon agent?" At this point Tyrol refuses to answer and invokes Article 23. Hadrian grills Socinus, who then recants his earlier testimony. "I left my post. I ducked out to get a smoke. I went to the gallery to get some chow." He admits going through the hatch to get the gallery, and further, that he left it open deliberately.

Baltar visits Starbuck in sickbay and gives her a cigar, and she asks him a question. "Your super secret project is on C deck, right? ... The bomber was on C deck, right? ... Do you think that was where it was headed? ... Do you think he was trying to blow up your project?" "And you along with it," Number Six adds. In the hallway, Baltar tells Number Six, "They're trying to kill me." "Me, me, always me. They're trying to destroy your work. Destroying you is an added bonus." "Well, I'm going to have to destroy that Cylon detector myself, blame the sabotage on Cylon agents." She starts to choke him and makes a threat. "You're gonna complete the project, just like I told you." "Or what?" "Don't make me angry, Gaius. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

As a result of his testimony, Socinus has been charged with conspiracy and collusion with the Cylons. In a phone call with Laura, Adama says, after reading the transcripts, he has his doubts. He also defends Tyrol's use of the 23rd Article. "It's his right. The courts have never held that invoking the right to remain silent can be used as evidence of guilt." "You sound like a lawyer." "My father was a lawyer. Civil liberties." Laura thinks that Tyrol is hiding something. His call is interrupted, when guards enter his quarters and call him as a witness to the inquiry.

On Caprica, it's Day 17, and Sharon #2 is conversing with the Doral and Number Six model on top of a building. "He's very handsome," says Doral. "If he wants to find me, he'll head north to find Cylon forces he's already seen. If he wants to go alone, he'll go south, hoping to find another way off the planet. Either way, he won't make his move until nightfall." Doral comments, "If he flees, he dies." Helo does head north, and Sharon remarks, "He's a good man. He always does the right thing." "Are you prepared for the next step?" "Yes." Doral and Number Six start to beat her up. Later, Helo enters a construction compound where Sharon's body is being dragged by a mechanical Cylon. He shoots the mechanical Cylon, finds the bruised Sharon, unshackles her, and they exit the buidling, as Doral and Number Six watch from above.

At the inquiry, Adama is accused of having withheld crucial information. "I felt that to alarm the public would only cause chaos and panic." Adama reasons that he had to weigh the possible ramifications of the new security procedures against figuring out who to trust, and he chose the latter. He testifies that he believes a Cylon agent planted explosives in the water tank in "Water." "Do you believe there are Cylon agents aboard this ship even as we speak?" "Yes, I do." As to why he allowed Sharon and Tyrol's relationship to continue, "I'm a soft touch." Hadrian asks, "Isn't it true, that while allowing their relationship to continue in violation of regulations, you may have made it possible for two Cylon collaborators to compromise the safety and security of this ship." At this point, Adama stands up. "We're done here. You've lost your way, Sergeant. You've lost sight of the purpose of the law. To protect its citizens, not persecute them... This is a witch-hunt. I will not have it aboard my ship." He closes the proceedings and orders Hadrian back to her quarters to be kept in confinement until further notice.

The President has another conference, which is broadcast on radio. "The tribunal has determined that the Cylon gained access to the explosive by going through a hatch door in the hangar deck of the ship. This door was left open due to negligence from one of the ship's crewman. His name is specialist Socinus. He has confessed to lying under oath and dereliction of duty in time of war. He's been stripped of his rank and confined to the brig. At this point we have no reason to believe there are any other parties responsible."

Tyrol is surprised at the tribunal's findings, and visits Adama in his quarters. "I believe that his confession was a lie. I think he's covering ... out of a sense of misplaced loyalty to me... I was with Lt. Valerii at the time of the bombing. The deck gang, they all knew it... He thinks that he's helping protect me, by taking a fall like this... He's innocent. I know that much. I should be in the brig." Adama told him that Socinus lied under oath. "He either lied the first time or he lied the second time. And it doesn't matter. He's guilty and he'll pay the price. You, you'll pay a different price. You'll have to walk out of that hangar deck every day, knowing that one of your men is in the brig because you couldn't keep your fly zipped. You're the most experienced non-commissioned officer we have left. You keep my planes flying. You keep my flanes flying."

Sharon and Tyrol have another clandestine meeting at the same place as before. He tells her that it's over. "One of my men is in the brig. Confessed to a crime he didn't commit to protect me. To protect us. Well, there can be no more us. No more secrets, no more lies... I put everything on the line for you. Everything. I cover for you. I protect you. I risked my career, my freedom, my integrity. For what? So some innocent kid, one of my kids, can take the fall for me? No. We are not worth that." He asks her if she left the hatchcombing open last night. "What are you saying? That I helped a Cylon?" "I didn't say anything. I was just asking you a question. I think I deserve an answer." "You have the only answer you're ever gonna to get." And then she leaves.

Ron Moore's Commentary

3/12/2005 -- The press corps was established as being aboard Galactica in the opening of the pilot, so the continuation of them in the fleet felt plausible and reasonable to me while also allowing us to play certain elements of media and culture in the show.

4/11/2005 -- Question: Why does Commmander Adama wear glasses? I realize Mr. Olmos wears them. You don't see many science fiction shows with people wearing "lenses", and I'd like to see that played up a bit.

It's another way of saying that this society and these people are much closer to us and our society today than they are to some made-up space world. It's a nice bit of texture for a character and I think it helps ground the show in the reality we're creating. Sure, you can argue that a space-faring society is too advanced for things like glasses, but just because the technology and medical know-how is available doesn't mean that all members of that society have access to it or have chosen to avail themselves of it for one reason or another.

Commentary

There's a deleted scene in "Act of Contrition" where Hadrian asks Tyrol why he became personally involved in a routine maintenance check of Sharon's Raptor, the one which uncovered the device that Sharon placed there in "Water." This is one possible reason for Hadrian's suspicions against Sharon and Tyrol.

Tyrol admitted he protected and covered up for Sharon and has risked his career and his integrity for it. Yet the minute he asks if Sharon left the hatch door open, she said he accused her of helping the Cylons. Tyrol's question hit too close to home, and Tyrol's past deeds on her behalf didn't seem to carry a lot of weight. Tyrol was forced to make some tough decisions. He broke off with Sharon and confessed to Adama the very thing he withheld from the trinbunal -- his true whereabouts the night of the bombing.

Sharon lied before the inquiry when she said that she and Tyrol had broken off their relationship, as they were together the evening of the incident. By meeting with Tyrol, she was disobeying a direct order from Tigh in "Act of Contrition" to put a stop to it. Was she the one who opened the small arms locker for Doral?

Tyrol's crew are loyal to him, and he's taken almost a paternal interest in them. He calls them his kids, and even offereed to assist three crewman in their distilling initiative. These same three crewmen all lied for him in giving their testimony, as well as covering up his relationship with Sharon. Finally, the most serious, Socinus took the fall for the security breach.

Why did Socinus confess to leaving the hatch door open? It's one thing to lie for somebody, but it's another thing altogether to go to jail for them. Did Socinus do this out of misplaced loyalty or something else?

Where was Doral actually going before he was stopped by security? Was he, as Kara suggested to Baltar, heading in the direction of Baltar's lab? Or somewhere else? Was the mission a planned failure, in order to increase the credibility of Baltar's Cylon detector project?

The moment Baltar was convinced the Cylons wanted to destroy his work, he decided he would sabotage the project to protect his own skin. Yet Number Six told him that he would complete it or face her wrath. How does building a Cylon detector actually further Cylon interests? What will it actually do when it's complete? Why did Number Six force him to ask for plutonium as a key component of this detector?

The Cylons have plans for Helo, and Sharon is the key. Similar to Tyrol's role with Sharon #1, Helo's protective interest in Sharon #2 is servicing Cylon aims.

Before Adama is called before the inquiry, his glasses sit on top of a book. It's a volume of "Readers Digest Condensed" (ISBN: 159 197 8903), a 1989 leatherbound Canadian compendium consisting of "A Gift of Life" by Henry Denker, "Daddy" by Loup Durand, "Paddle to the Amazon" by Don Starkell, and "A Walk in the Dark" by Joyce Stranger.

"Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me if I'm angry" is one of the signature phrases from the 1970s series "The Incredible Hulk."

Deleted Scenes

After the press conference, he goes out back to Laura and her staff, who receive him with clapping hands.
Laura: "Congratulations, Mr. Press Secretary. How do you feel?"
Billy: "Not so bad."
Laura: "Told you. There's always a honeymoon period with the press corp."
Billy: "Oh, it's not much of a press corp. It's newsleetters and a couple of guys broadcasting wireless reports.
Laura: "If they report the news, Billy, then they are a press corp. And believe me, when the honeymoon's over, it's over."

Aftermath of the attack (#2 on the SciFi site) -- Lee is visiting Kara in sickbay, and victims of the attack are groaning in pain.
Kara: "Hey, is it true? Suicide bomber?"
Lee: "Yeah. Looks that way. Took out half the causeway on C level."
Kara: "What the hell's on C level worth blowing yourself up for?"
Lee: "Beats me. Empty cargo holds mostly. But the way I hear it, he got lucky. The XO and the Old Man stopped whoever it was before he got to where he was going. Listen, I gotta go."
Kara: "Yeay, yeah, I'll be here."
Lee leaves, then Hadrian enters and gives her report to Adama and Tigh.
Hadrian: "Commander. A Marine sentry was found dead near the small arms locker on C level. The locker was entered, explosives were taken... We're checking names against the master's boarding list right now trying to link who the bomber was with whatever information..."
Adama: "I know who it was! My quarters."

There is an elongated version of the scene where Tyrol discovers the three crewmen. They are heating a drum, which is connected to a series of tubing. At the other end, the crew are siphoning the results into their cups.
Cally: "So, who's first?"
Tyrol: "How about me?"
Jammer: "Hey Chief, how's it goin', up top?"
Cally: "Hi."
Tyrol: "Come on, let's have it. Come on."
Tyrol sniffs the drink, then spills it.
Tyrol: "You people are the sorriest of the sorry, the dumbest of the dumb. I try and I try and I try to teach you, but nothing gets through to your heads. This filter is a joke. You're leeching polycarbonates from this tube, and the only thing you're making out of this is a one-way trip to sickbay, or the morgue. (sighs) All right, come here. Come here... All right. Now tonight, after call, one of you brings me twice that length of copper tubing, the spot heater and the CO2 scrubber, I'll show you people how this is done. All right? (they laugh) Now get the hell out of here before I change my mind. Faster's better. Faster, thank you. (they leave) Children. (looks at equipment) Brutal.

Crashdown irks Boomer (#3 on the SciFi site) -- Tyrol tells his team, "Go to work, go go go go go go," then Crashdown starts pestering Sharon over human Cylons.
Crashdown: "Didn't I tell you?"
Sharon: "I told you."
Crashdown: "I told you Cylons look like humans."
Sharon: "Yeah, you told me, I heard you, all right, OK?
Crashdown: "It's all so frakked up. They could be anyone. Did you get that? Any one of us could be a Cylon. Him. Me. You."
Sharon: "All right, I get it, OK?"
Crashdown: "OK, I'm sorry."
He seems Hadrian coming and whispers to her.
Crashdown: "Because here comes a Cylon right now."
Sharon doesn't find it funny and walks away.
Crashdown: "Oh, come on Boomer, I'm sorry."
Hadrian (to Sharon): "Excuse me. Sir, come with us please."