Editing The Devil's Pit

{{Separate continuity|universe=TOS|cont=Berkley Novelizations}}

'''The Devil's Pit''' is an area located in the lower levels of the battlestar ''[[Galactica (TOS-BN)|Galactica]]'', inhabited by outcasts, misfits, and those who have abandoned mainstream fleet society. The area exists as a semi-autonomous zone within the ship, operating largely outside the normal command structure and social order of ''Galactica''.

==Location and Access==

The Devil's Pit is located deep within ''Galactica''{{'|s}} lower decks, far below the normal inhabited areas of the ship. [[Commander]] [[Adama (TOS-BN)|Adama]] acknowledges that he has never descended as low as this area, despite having explored much of the ship during his childhood. He describes the Devil's Pit as a place "known by legend," suggesting its reputation is widespread throughout the ship even among those who have never visited it.<ref name="STG29">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=29}}</ref>

Access to the Devil's Pit is provided by dedicated elevator banks whose rust-spotted doors can barely open due to the rarity of visitors. The elevators themselves make extra noise and unnerving creaks, as if complaining at being forced to travel to the area. The doors make their own protests as they open slowly, forcing visitors to squeeze through thin openings.<ref name="STG140">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=140}}</ref> Many of the ship's tunnels and transport passages originate at the Devil's Pit level, making the area a starting point for those seeking to move through ''Galactica'' undetected.<ref name="STG140" />

==Physical Environment==

The Devil's Pit is characterized by its dark, abandoned, and deteriorating infrastructure. Numerous ominous dark corridors lead away from the elevator banks in multiple directions, creating an unsettling atmosphere for visitors.<ref name="STG140" /><ref name="STG81">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=81}}</ref> Long series of pipes serve as ceilings throughout much of the area, with walkways suspended overhead that sway lazily from side to side, creating a sense of instability and danger.<ref name="STG81" />

The area contains numerous strange doors, some standing partly open, behind which inhabitants watch passing visitors. Old packing crates and discarded equipment serve as makeshift furniture.<ref name="STG81" /><ref name="STG82">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=82}}</ref> The passageways emit stifling odors of dust and grease mixed with overly pungent scents. The air is thick and unpleasant with a dozen different throat-choking smells.<ref name="STG81" /><ref name="STG124">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=124}}</ref> The area is characterized by extreme darkness, with only occasional dimly lit areas providing minimal visibility.<ref name="STG127">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=127}}</ref>

The Devil's Pit is home to large rat populations that are picked up in docking areas and breed prolifically. These vermin are rarely seen in the clean parts of the ship but are common in the lower levels. ''Galactica'' maintains an exterminator crew to control the rat population, though many of these exterminators eventually become residents of the Devil's Pit themselves.<ref name="STG100">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=100}}</ref>

===Transport Passages===

The Devil's Pit contains extensive networks of transport passages that were once used to move supplies throughout ''Galactica''. These passages travel upward through the ship, leveling off for distances before rising in wide, high steps. The passageways are dark and filled with hanging objects and strange sudden noises.<ref name="STG99">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=99}}</ref> These passages were historically used for manual transport operations, with workers carrying supplies using baskets with pulleys in a primitive but efficient system. When the lift system was revamped, all small-job transport was transferred to the new system, leaving the passages abandoned. The passageways have become so dusty that visitors must frequently clap their hands clean.<ref name="STG100" />

==Population and Society==

Adama describes the Devil's Pit as "a strange and spooky place, inhabited by outcasts and misfits, by people who had abandoned the society of the ship and the fleet, rebelling against its rules or giving up on life itself."<ref name="STG29" /> The area serves as home to a great deal of the outsiders, misfits, and general sleaze of the fleet. Some inhabitants are people who simply need to get away or give up their dreary routines, while others are convicted criminals, troublemakers, or just plain bad-tempered individuals. Former ''Galactica'' crewmen, including engineers and warriors who have abandoned their posts, also find refuge in the Pit.<ref name="STG82" />

Despite its reputation as a lawless area, the Devil's Pit has developed its own social dynamics. Inhabitants tend to recognize individual rebellions, no matter how small, and prefer to leave each other alone. Many residents are loners who choose not to travel together. However, there is always some danger present, as the area attracts those who cannot function peacefully in mainstream society.<ref name="STG82" />

==The Warrior Elite==

One of the dominant factions in the Devil's Pit is known as the Warrior Elite, described as "a fancy name for a decidedly unfancy and scruffy group."<ref name="STG82" /> This faction consists primarily of former ''Galactica'' crewmen who believe their past service—whether helping power the great ship or fighting against the [[Cylon (TOS-BN)|Cylons]]—makes them superior to other Devil's Pit inhabitants. Engineers hold special status within the group because they understand the technical systems throughout the Devil's Pit. One resident refers to them as "the devil's companions."<ref name="STG82" />

The Warrior Elite maintains a military-style structure with scouting parties that patrol the Devil's Pit's corridors. These patrols consist of small groups wearing frayed and thready versions of ''Galactica'' crew uniforms and carrying makeshift weapons such as pieces of pipe and broom handles. The scouts move cautiously through the area, peering from side to side as if searching for something or someone.<ref name="STG81" />

==Notable Denizens==

Among the Devil's Pit's inhabitants are several individuals who play significant roles in the area's social dynamics. One longtime resident is [[The Great Franda|an old man]] who claims to be "as old as the ''Galactica''" itself. He maintains a residence deep within the Pit and serves as a guide and protector to those who become lost in the area.<ref name="STG80">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=80}}</ref> This resident is described as dressed in dark clothes with a bearded face covered in dirt, speaking in sepulchral tones. Despite his ominous appearance, he demonstrates concern for those who wander into the Pit, particularly children.<ref name="STG78">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=78}}</ref> He previously assisted both Apollo and Starbuck during their earlier encounter in the area and later agrees to leave the Devil's Pit temporarily to help search for [[Boxey (TOS-BN)|Boxey]], noting that the area has "turned bad down here ever since this little war started."<ref name="STG145" />

Another notable inhabitant is [[Peri (TOS-BN)|Peri]], a child who has made the Devil's Pit her home. She is described as having dark blond hair streaked with dirt and grease, with a round face and thick, squat build. Peri walks with a swagger and possesses knowledge of the ship's secret hideouts superior to almost anyone else aboard ''Galactica''. She speaks in a deliberately rude manner and uses terms like "buster" and "fatso" as forms of address, though these appear to be affectionate rather than genuinely insulting. Despite her young age, she demonstrates remarkable survival skills and familiarity with the Devil's Pit's complex geography.<ref name="STG84">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=84}}</ref><ref name="STG85">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=85}}</ref>

==Internal Conflicts==

The Devil's Pit has experienced a period of internal warfare between opposing factions. One resident explains that disputes occasionally arise between groups, resulting in what he calls "a kind of small war." However, this conflict is notably non-lethal in nature. The war isn't particularly violent, with combatants avoiding deadly force and using only planks and pipes rather than dangerous weapons. Most of the conflict consists of talking and the occasional push, with ambushes and confrontations that don't amount to much more than that.<ref name="STG82" /><ref name="STG83">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=83}}</ref>

The war has relatively few actual battles because many residents are unwilling to fight. They do not want the responsibility of another life in battle, whether a compatriot's or an enemy soldier's. The more militant individuals tend to occupy and amuse each other with their games while the majority of residents avoid the conflicts.<ref name="STG83" /> The skirmishes that do occur are brief "donnybrooks" that don't last long before subsiding.<ref name="STG127" /> Nevertheless, the ongoing conflict has affected life in the Devil's Pit, with one longtime resident noting that the area "turned bad down here ever since this little war started."<ref name="STG145">{{cite book|last=Larson|first=Glen A.|coauthors=[[Robert Thurston|Thurston, Robert]]|authorlink=Glen A. Larson|title=[[Surrender the Galactica!]]|publisher=Ace Books|month=January|year=1988|pages=145}}</ref>

==Notable Incidents==

Both [[Apollo (TOS-BN)|Captain Apollo]] and [[Lieutenant]] [[Starbuck (TOS-BN)|Starbuck]] have had dangerous encounters in the Devil's Pit. Starbuck's experience was particularly harrowing, as he nearly died there after being driven mad by a Cylon device planted aboard ship.<ref name="STG29" /> 

When [[Boxey (TOS-BN)|Boxey]] went missing, Apollo, [[Athena (TOS-BN)|Athena]], Starbuck, and other personnel conducted search operations in the Devil's Pit. Athena's research revealed that many of the ship's tunnels began at that level, making it a logical place to search for someone trying to hide or escape. Upon arrival at the elevator banks and seeing the ominous dark corridors, Athena described it as "such a spooky place," expressing concern about the dangers a child would face there.<ref name="STG140" />

==Relationship with Fleet Authority==

The Devil's Pit exists in a complex relationship with ''Galactica''{{'|s}} command structure. While technically part of the battlestar, the area operates largely outside normal military authority and social structures. The rarity of elevator use and rust-spotted doors suggest that fleet authorities rarely visit or monitor the area.<ref name="STG140" /> Despite knowledge of criminal elements in the Pit, fleet command appears to tolerate its existence rather than attempting to eliminate it. The area thus serves as a safety valve for those who cannot or will not conform to military discipline and fleet society norms. Some Devil's Pit residents can be recruited back into fleet service, as demonstrated when search parties successfully bring inhabitants to support personnel positions.<ref name="STG145" />

The Devil's Pit's reputation as a "dreaded place" serves as both legend and warning throughout ''Galactica'', functioning as a cautionary tale for those who might consider abandoning their duties or rebelling against fleet authority.<ref name="STG140" /> Its existence demonstrates that even the command ship of the Fleet harbors an underworld, representing the darker aspects of life aboard ''Galactica'' and showing that the vessel is not merely a military installation but a complex society with multiple social strata.

==References==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Berkley Novelizations]]
[[Category:Galactica locations]]
[[Category:Locations (TOS)]]
{{indicator|TOS}}[[Category:TOS]]