Stims, short for "stimulants," are a type of drug used to temporarily increase alertness and attentiveness. Nothing yet is known of their chemical composition, or if the term refers to one substance or a class of several.
Galactica's pilots are forced to use them to stay alert following four continuous days on Condition One and Two alert status after their initial escape from Ragnar. During this time, when Lee Adama, Kara Thrace, Sharon Valerii and Alex Quartararo are flying CAP, Quartararo describes his reaction to stims as having "ants crawling behind his frakking eyeballs." Earlier, Thrace objects to their use, believing that their use dulls her flying skills, and initially refuses to take hers until ordered by Lee Adama (TRS: "33").
Overuse or overdosing on stims can cause irrational, violent, and psychotic behavior. Viper pilot Louanne Katraine severely damages her Viper and injures herself when her stim use severely impairs her cognition (TRS: "Final Cut"). Later, when the use of stims is suggested during a particularly grueling mission, Katraine argues strongly against their use, stating it would tax the starving pilots' system too greatly. Stim use for the mission is then left up to individual discretion (TRS: "The Passage").
Stims are a likely component of a Colonial medkit.
Notes[edit]
- In real life, stimulants, or amphetamines, are used by combat pilots to maintain alertness.