The Tombs of Kobol: Difference between revisions

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Apollo is left to decide whether or not to play the other crystals.<ref>''Ibid.,'' 13-21.</ref>
Apollo is left to decide whether or not to play the other crystals.<ref>''Ibid.,'' 13-21.</ref>
=== Chapter Two ===
Lieutenants [[Boomer (TOS alternate)|Boomer]] and [[Jolly (TOS alternate)|Jolly]] are on patrol when they happen upon a [[Otarsis Quadrant asteroid|bluish asteroid with an atmosphere]]. Before coming upon it, Boomer is thinking of a way to cut loose, fearing that he may soon suffer from battle fatigue.
The Vipers land upon the asteroid, where Boomer and Jolly don breather gear. Boomer has an initial fear of contamination from unknown viruses&mdash;noting earlier that the Vipers, were they in better condition, would be able to ferret every microbe and drifting virus.
The discover that the asteroid is extremely rocky, and the rocks are covered with a viscous substance forcing them to take off their gloves, in order to successfully climb the terrain. They climb the terrain to a ridge, where Boomer spots a [[Pods|Cylon outpost]]. They determine that the base is active, despite Jolly's comments that they've run across abandoned Cylon outposts in their travels, and make way to return to their Vipers in order to warn the Fleet.
Aboard the basestar, Lucifer rues the order given from the Imperious Leader to reprogram himself to be subservient to Baltar. Lucifer makes the new programming an overlay that he could cancel out at any time, should he feel the need to countermand orders and decisions he feels are short-sighted or stupid.<ref>''Ibid.,'' 22-27.</ref>


== Notes ==
== Notes ==

Revision as of 07:20, 29 March 2008

This article has a separate continuity.
This article is in the Berkley books separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.


The Tombs of Kobol
The Tombs of Kobol
A book of the Berkley Books line
Book No. 3
Author(s) Robert Thurston
Adaptation of Lost Planet of the Gods, Parts I and II
No. of Pages 224 (reprint)
215 (1st edition)
Published September 1979
ISBN 0425049922
Chronology
Previous Next
The Cylon Death Machine The Tombs of Kobol The Young Warriors
Paperback Version
Available at Amazon.comPurchase
Available at Amazon.co.ukPurchase
Available at BOOKSAMILLION.COM - Purchase
Available at Half.com by eBay - Purchase
Audiobook Version
Available at iTunes – [{{{itunes}}} Purchase]


The Tombs of Kobol is a novelization of the "Lost Planet of the Gods" episodes from the Original Series.

The book was reprinted on January 28, 2003 by iBooks, Inc.

Plot[edit]

Much of the book follows relatively closely to the "Lost Planet of the Gods" episodes, with some differences that are noted below.

Prologue[edit]

Baltar is taken away from the Imperious Leader's chambers and is about to be beheaded by a Centurion with an ax when Lucifer saves him. He has the Centurion report to the Imperious Leader that Baltar was executed and jettisoned in a garbage chute.

Lucifer explains that he is not a Cylon, but rather an ambulatory cybernetic sentience who has a soul, having created it himself, and can create machines. Believing that Baltar would be helpful in destroying the human fleet, Lucifer places Baltar in an extreme physical and mental regimen. Later, Lucifer briefs the Imperious Leader on his plan for Baltar to be useful in capturing the Fleet. The Imperious Leader agrees to this plan, pardoning Baltar from his execution, and dispatching a baseship entirely under his command. At Baltar's request, Lucifer is reprogrammed to be subservient to him, much to Lucifer's chagrin. In addition, Baltar requests other luxurious amenities, including a pedestal and throne in his Command Chamber.[1]

Chapter One[edit]

After Serina's death on Kobol, Apollo sits in their darkened quarters with Serina's portable recorder in his lap. He rummages through the quarters, finding a handful of recording crystals. He begins to play them. The first crystal he plays is of a conversation between Serina and Cassiopeia, discussing Serina's past as a premier reporter on her native homeworld of Caprica and her engagement to Apollo.

At Cassiopeia's urging, she tells the story of how Apollo was essentially forced by Adama and others to announce his desire to marry her over a dinner. She tells the story up to the point where Athena smiles at Starbuck, resulting in Starbuck's hasty departure from the dinner. The recording ends when a battle alert is issued.

Apollo is left to decide whether or not to play the other crystals.[2]

Chapter Two[edit]

Lieutenants Boomer and Jolly are on patrol when they happen upon a bluish asteroid with an atmosphere. Before coming upon it, Boomer is thinking of a way to cut loose, fearing that he may soon suffer from battle fatigue.

The Vipers land upon the asteroid, where Boomer and Jolly don breather gear. Boomer has an initial fear of contamination from unknown viruses—noting earlier that the Vipers, were they in better condition, would be able to ferret every microbe and drifting virus.

The discover that the asteroid is extremely rocky, and the rocks are covered with a viscous substance forcing them to take off their gloves, in order to successfully climb the terrain. They climb the terrain to a ridge, where Boomer spots a Cylon outpost. They determine that the base is active, despite Jolly's comments that they've run across abandoned Cylon outposts in their travels, and make way to return to their Vipers in order to warn the Fleet.

Aboard the basestar, Lucifer rues the order given from the Imperious Leader to reprogram himself to be subservient to Baltar. Lucifer makes the new programming an overlay that he could cancel out at any time, should he feel the need to countermand orders and decisions he feels are short-sighted or stupid.[3]

Notes[edit]

Colonials[edit]

  • Boxey is noted as being orphaned from both biological parents, with Serina and Apollo being his adoptive parents. In the series, Serina is Boxey's biological mother.
  • Before the Cylon attack, pilots near experiencing combat fatigue would be given furlough to a leisure resort.[4]

Cylons[edit]

  • Unlike his canonical originator, Lucifer is not a Cylon, but an "ambulatory cybernetic sentience" created by the Cylons. Essentially, Lucifer is a computer whose motion is not bipedaled but based on rolling via ball bearings. The on-screen depiction has Lucifer walking via bipedaled locomotion.
  • In the theatrical version of the pilot, Baltar is beheaded by a sword in front of the Imperious Leader. In the televised version, Baltar is spared for "public execution", suggesting that he was returned to Cylon.
  • Cylon machines have a deeply-programmed loyalty to the Cylon Empire, thus making betrayal impossible. For comparison, the Centurions of the Re-imagined Series were also programmed by the humanoid Cylons to be devoutly loyal in order to prevent an uprising.

Analysis[edit]

Story[edit]

  • The portions of the story where Serina is involved are told through recordings, she made before her death on Kobol. Her efforts to record the flight of the Colonies draws upon her pre-attack profession as a reporter. However, the recordings are also the only tangible remnants of Serina that are left for Apollo.

Cylons[edit]

  • The question surround Baltar's escape from the Tomb of the Ninth Lord of Kobol is explained. He is rescued by Lucifer, who is oddly drawn to save Baltar, despite having overridden his programmed subservience.
  • Cylons have a society surrounding the number of brains a Cylon has. Cylons with a second or third brain tend to be more "reptilian" than the one-brained variety; it is unknown what "reptilian" attributes are in a Cylon, however. It is inferred that the Imperious Leader has three brains, whereas Centurions mostly have one brain, with the ability for a second to be added. This concept is never explored in the actual series, and is clearly a creative liberty taken by Robert Thurston.
  • Cylons appear to have many social customs, despite being a robotic society. One such custom is the use of an "official" name and a "secret" name. The official name is apparently used when identifying other Cylons in front of non-Cylons, while the secret name is used between Cylons. Lucifer, despite not being a Cylon, is extended this custom.
  • Despite Lucifer's ability to circumvent the subservience to Baltar program that the Imperious Leader had programmed into him, Lucifer was yet oddly drawn to save Baltar's life. This may be attributed to the fact that leaving him to die on Kobol would violate his loyalty to the Cylons themselves, for the Imperious Leader gave Baltar a field commission in the Cylon Empire.
  • Furthermore, Lucifer is probably not in good standing with the Imperious Leader, given the fact that Lucifer did suborn disobedience in a Centurion and interceded on Baltar's behalf. Were Baltar to die in his mission to destroy the fugitive Fleet, Lucifer would likely be killed or worse, and thus rescuing Baltar was an act of ensuring his own survival.

Questions[edit]

  • Does the Imperious Leader know of Lucifer's independence of thought?
  • Are there other Cylon constructs out there that are like Lucifer?
  • Why are there no male shuttle pilots?

Alternate covers[edit]

  1. Thurston, Robert (September 1979). Battlestar Galactica 3: The Tombs of Kobol. Berkley Books, p. 1-12.
  2. Ibid., 13-21.
  3. Ibid., 22-27.
  4. Ibid., 23.