Battlestar Galactica: Origins 1

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Dynamite Comics separate continuity, which is related to the Re-imagined Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

Origins #2 An issue of the Dynamite series.
Issue No.	1
Writer(s)	Kevin Fahey
Illustrator(s)	{{{illustrator}}}
Penciller(s)	Jonathan Lau
Inker(s)
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Collection Design	{{{designer}}}
Cover Artist(s)	Fabio Laguna
Adaptation of
Published	November, 2007
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Pages	{{{pages}}}
ISBN	[[Special:Booksources/|]]
Population	0 Survivors
Special	{{{special}}}
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None	Origins #2	Battlestar Galactica: Origins 2
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Plot

Gaius Baltar's life on Aerilon as a teenager is revealed. Additionally, the Cylons manage to place Baltar in the position as the Command Navigation Program's director two years prior to the Fall of the Colonies.

Summary

• A teenaged Gaius Baltar stands on a field on Aerilon as workers load a truck with bags of grain. As they load the truck, Baltar happens upon an old Cylon machine that looks similar to, but not exactly like, a Cylon Centurion Model 0005.
• Baltar's brother, Bernard Baltar, who is in the truck, queries Baltar on fixing the Cylon, telling him that it is supper time and that he can fix it later. Baltar replies that they won't be back this way again and, as he walks toward the truck with the Cylon's head in hand, he steps in manure.
• Two years before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, Baltar and a lady friend are watching a Pyramid match between Samuel Anders' Caprica Buccaneers and the Picon Panthers. Baltar's lady friend comments on how she can't "believe you out of all people watch pyramid games," to which Baltar replies about the level of true skill and intellect required to compete on their level.
• As they discuss this, they are joined by Dr. Amorak and his lady friend. Amorak asks about the game, and he is introduced to Caprica-Six for the first time. While watching the game, Amorak tells Baltar that he is made director of the Command Navigation Program, in which it is "safe to say that there will be several changes".
• Before the discussion can continue, Baltar's girlfriend becomes enraged and chastises him over not paying any attention to her. Baltar politely takes her away, as the girlfriend makes a glib comment about Six's breasts likely not being natural.
• In a dark room in an undisclosed location, Caprica-Six, D'Anna Biers and a Number Eight are discussing their plan of attack, in which they discuss retaining key people to prevent them from escaping once their attack begins. As a captured human is being brought in, Biers mentions that she interviewed Baltar "years before" and believes that he may have his use. As for Amorak, they decide that he should be removed from the equation, so as to facilitate Baltar's promotion as director of the CNP project.
• A flashback to Baltar's past shows him attempting to fix the computerized machinery on the farm. He comments to his boss that it would be easier if he could have funds to order replacement parts, but his boss believes that "you'd waste the cubits on cards, or gambling on a Bucs game ... or worse, the Miller's daughter."
• Baltar opens a desk drawer, revealing an application to Caprica University.
• In Caprica City, Amorak is walking through the city streets, speaking on his phone to his assistant. He tells said assistant to rearrange his schedule so he can meet Admiral Nagala for lunch and go over the CNP project.
• He subsequently walks down an alley, where he is pursued by assailants until he trips. He appears to recognize one of the assailants.
• At the Ministry of Defense, Baltar is reading the newspapers, which tell of the vanishing of top politicians and Anders' leading the Bucks to victory. As he is reading, Captain Atticus Rourke of the Colonial Marines introduces himself, and makes it clear that he is the liasion officer between the Richard Adar administration, the Colonial Fleet and the scientific divisions in the Ministry. He informs Baltar that he has been promoted, since Amorak has been missing and the Colonies need results, in lieu of the fact that forecasts of the Colonial government's finances indicate a deficit.
• In another flashback back to Aerilon, Baltar hears his name being called out. He turns to see an overturned tractor that workers are trying to correct. As workers, such as Verheiden, vociferously complain about Baltar's manipulations with the machines being the root cause of the problems, they mention his new harvesting plan.
• Baltar runs over and attempts to talk his way out of it, but he is interrupted. He then runs off to his room, where Bernard follows him. Bernard explains to their mother, Vanessa, that Gaius tried to reconfigure the machines to increase productivity and that it backfired.
• Vanessa goes to talk with him. Baltar claims that he doesn't want another idea or "sophisticated thought," as they do nothing but hurt people; he appears to resign himself to the fact that he should just accept life as a farmer. Vanessa tells him that it hurts her to have him talk that way, and to use the Gods' names in vain. She presents him an acceptance letter from Caprica University, which she herself did not know about, but believes it to be the "will of the Gods".
• A grown-up Baltar, celebrating his promotion to director, is celebrating with friends at a nightclub. As a friend of his asks whether or not the promotion will scale back on the "nights of boozing and debauchery," Caprica-Six walks across the nightclub in her signature red dress and towards him.
• Back at his house, they have sex. After the session, she broaches the topic of his promotion, which he discusses. As Six pours herself a drink, Baltar also asks whether Amorak's disappearance was the "will of the Gods". Six asks him rhetorically whether or not he believes in the "conspiracy theories" about rash abductions: as he begins talking about how they seem to have a pattern, she intentionally drops the liquor bottle, which breaks and distracts him from the thought.
• As he off-handedly comments that he can simply put it on the Defense Ministry's expense account, one of the many perks to his position, Six asks whether or not sleeping with the contractors was also a perk.
• Six pushes Baltar to the bed and then asks for his childhood story.

Notes

• Six's assumed name is never given.
• Samuel Anders and the Caprica Buccaneers are known at least two years prior to the Fall.
• The Buccanners are also a decades-old team, as inferred by Baltar's brother, Bernard, who mentions them during the flashback sequences.
• A list in Baltar's office at the Ministry of Defense mentions the battlestars Galactica, Pegasus and Atlas. Due to the typeface used, the others are not so legible.

Analysis

• The disappearance of Dr. Amorak does not seem to compute, since there is no mention of it in either "33" or "Six Degrees of Separation". However, in Battlestar Galactica: Origins 4, Amorak escapes Cylon custody and is thus able to escape the Colonies on the Olympic Carrier.
• It is insinuated that the Cylons began infiltrating the Colonies "years ago" by D'Anna Biers' comment about interviewing him then. The series established that Sharon Valerii was posted to Galactica just two years prior to the attack on the Colonies, although the exact starting point of the Cylon infiltration isn't placed with certainty.

Questions

• What is the Cylons' plan for Amorak and the other people they've kidnapped? (Answer)

Re-imagined Series definition: popular Colonial ball game, see: pyramid

Original Series definition: a card game, similar to poker (see: pyramid)

Galactica 1980 definition: Dillon looks up this term after Gloria Alonzo asks if he has one ^{(1980: "Space Croppers")}

Re-imagined Series definition: operating system on military and civilian ships exploited by the Cylons ^{(TRS: "Miniseries, Night 1")}

Galactica 1980 definition: Troy attempts to use a phone booth near a gas station prior to their first run-in with Jamie Hamilton ^{(1980: "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I")}.