The Hyperion

                                                                   The Hyperion                                                                          Chapter 1                                                                (Far away from home)        Man is only a drop of water in the fabric of the universe. That is all that he is.  But when those single drops of water are accumalated. He then becomes an ocean of possiblities.    Let us begin. As the battle cruiser Hyperion makes its way through deep space. Its presence is non-significant. Even though it is a large vessel. It is engulfed by the size of the universe. It is the first of its kind. It is a protype making its inagural run. The military does have other cruisers. But this cruiser is much different. It is the first of its kind. The Hyperion is not as large, or even as fast as a Battlstar. It does not even have fighter jets. No,  unlike other cruisers. The Hyperion was built specificaly to take the enemy on. That's why it is more durable then your average cruiser. Its guns are more powerfull. Its purpose is to be the first ship to engage the enemy in battle, until the reinforments show up, mainly the Battlestars. You can say that it is the sacrificial lamb. Being the only one of its kind has made it the laughing stock of the military. Many in the military consider the project a waste of time and money. What is the purpose some say of having a ship that does not have fighter jets. Or that, is not as fast as a Battlestar. The old brass consider there vessels the ultimate weapon. In there opinion Battlestars are the only ships that the military needs. Why should we rely on a smaller ship to protect the people, when we have the ultimate ships. The objection to the project was more a matter of pride to be honest.  But the politicians finaly decided to go ahead with the plan. Either way the cruiser was built because it was needed. Those who supported the project had good reasons for the building of the ship. Many of the older Battlestars were breaking down, or out of date. The cruiser would be easier, and cheaper to maintain then a Battlestar. Those who supported the project also said that the  ship would be perfect to confront the enemy on the front line, and take the blunt of the attack. So the top science engineers in the country unfolded there plan to build the Hyperion. There was an internal war between the brass for the need of such a vessel. But in the end the plan was accepted. The construction of the cruiser began immediatley, and would  take three years to complete. During the construction a young science officer by the name of Lieutenant Seneca T. Young proposed an idea for the ship. An idea that he had invented, tested and was sure to work on a grand scale. An idea that in his opinion would change military tactics forever. That new advancement was called a cloaking device. The brash and young officer said that the device would be a huge advantage in any war. It could change the tide of any battle. It was a device that would take the enemy by surprise, and hold them off until the Battlestars arrived. The older brass looked down upon this project. Many voiced there opinion, and said that such a ship would have a negative effect on the military, or that it was insignicicant. But they were wrong. The ship had to be built. One of the main reasons  for the building of the Battlecruiser was money. The politicians calculated that maintaining hundreds of Battlestars in service was taking its toll on the economy. So why not give the Hyperion a chance they said. We have nothing to lose. If everything works out we can then start mass producing more Battlecruisers, as we decommission the huge and costly Battlestars. Why not save the money they repeated over and over. Which sounded good to the tax payers. Those who objected the plan were the old war veterans who commanded the majority of the Battlestars in the fleet. They saw the ship as a week vessel. That could never take the blunt of a full frontal attack from the enemy. Even though the enemy had not shown themselves in years. So the plan was almost written off, until she put her foot down. Who is she? She being the highest ranking female officer in the military. A Commander herself. A woman who's beauty could not be denied. She is a tall woman who magnifies an aura of granduer. Her hair is black and shoulder length, and her eyes are black and mesmerizing. When she enters a room all eyes fall on her. She walks with purpose, and her presence is felt right away. But what made her a great officer was her inteligence, her cunning wit, and the fear she radiates. You can see the darkness she has inside by looking at her eyes. This woman is capable of sacrifing whoever or whatever for her own personal gain. How did she become the woman she is today, is the question many people ask. It is as if the memories of her past follow her like a shadow.  To everyones surprise she backed the proposed plan as being a huge advantage for the military. The brass was surprised by her decision. She then capitalized on this occasion by delivering  a monumental speech which captivated everyone. She explained to everyone why she was in favor of the cruiser. Her speech tantalized everyone, especially the old timers. All she had to do was twinkle an eye here or there and she would get what she wanted. So little by little the rest of the brass agreed to go ahead with the plan. In truth the only reason she backed the plan was for her own personal gain. She did not give a shit about the cruiser. She backed the idea because she knew that if it worked all of the  Battlestars would also be fitted with the device. And when that time came her ship would be the first Battlestar to recieve that recognition. She new that in later years her name and the name of her ship would always be remembered as the first one. The first Battlestar to be equiped with the cloaking decice. All she ever cared about was  herself. She also knew that she was destined to become Admiral of the fleet.                                                                                                                     So when the ship was completed the selection of the crew began. The personnel designated  for the cruiser are a mixture of eager and undiciplaned soldiers. Many of them are insubornate soldiers who have served on Battlestars before. But because of disciplinary problems have become useless to the military. So instead of discharging them the brass decided to make some use of them. So the military decided to give them a last chance and designated dozens of them to the Hyperion. The rest of the crew are inexperienced, but eager and determined young men and women. Who have never seen service on a military vessel for one reason or another. So now they have been given a chance to show there capabilities as soldiers. Now the next step would be to select the officers that would command the cruiser. The top brass spent many months on the selection.  Many potential officers were offered the post as Captain of the Hyperion. But they all turned down the offer. None of them wanted to be rediculed as being the Captain of the Hyperion. That odd looking ship that was an outcast in the military. They all had eyes on someday being Commander of a Battlestar. Or at least serving under a Commander on a Battlestar. So in the end the brass finally decided to give the post to a young officer by the name of Captain Heracles __________. The selection of Heracles took many by surprise. How could he ever command a miltary vessel. He did not deserve it some said. Either because he did not have the capability of commanding a military vessel anymore. Or that he did not deserve the post because of his past. Be as it may, Heracles was offered to command the Hyperion, and he accepted. He himself was surprised when he was offered the post. In fact the only reason he had shown any interest for the  post was because his old teacher in military school encouraged him to try. And who was that old man. That man who was once a Commander himself. Then had gone through a difficult time in his life. But was then reinstated as a Commander again, of one of the older Battlestars. That old man loved Heracles like one of his sons. Especially when he had seen the boy grow up in front of his eyes. You see, Heracles was childhood friends with the old man's two son's. Heracles mother and the old man had met a couple of years after he was born. At least that is what the young Heracles was lead to believe. So the three boys had grown up together, and eventually all three entered military school at the same time. Heracles even looked like the old man himself. In fact the old man became his adopted father. The father that he never knew. The young Heracles needed that connection in his life. He needed the presence of a father figure to guide and mold  him. To bring out the best in him. He had never met his real father. As a child the young Heracles would inquire about his father. His mother would always tell him that it was not important. What was important was that they had each other. As he became a teenager Heracles ceased to inquire about his father as his attention turned to sports and girls. But being an only  child was rough at times. So he would visit the old mans house on a daily basis.  So in time the old man and his family became the family he never had.      As a young cadet Heracles showed much promise. He graduated at the head of his class with top honors. He was destined for greatness the other cadets would say. They even said that he would Command a Battlestar one day. It was inevitable. Especially after he was given the rank of Captain at the age of twenty-five. But all of that profetic talk ceased after the incident. You see, one of the brothers he had grown up with was killed in an aerial. That was a huge emotional impact on Heracles. It changed his life forever. He had lost one of his brothers. The old man and his wife were shattered. The brother that was left distanced himself from Heracles and his own family. That was his way of coping with the incident. Everyone one of us has there own way of coping with tragedy. The old man took to the bottle and began to drink profusely. He had always been a heavy drinker. But this time he took it to another level. Then to everyones surprise Heracles himself followed through, and began to drink. First it would be a couple of drinks, then half a bottle, then the whole bottle. Soon enough the top brass noticed that the young officer was under the influence, and gave him a warning. So he checked himself. But sooner said then done he was hitting the bottle stronger then ever. It got so bad that he was eventually put on unofficial leave until he cleaned himself up.