“A Measure of Salvation” is episode seven of season three of the new Battlestar Galactica.
In the previous episode, “Torn”, Athena and Racetrack’s Raptor had discovered the Cylon Baseship that had been affected by the disease, in a cloud of drifting Raiders. Raptors and Vipers are now heading in; Athena has never seen anything like it. Helo contacts them from CIC; proceed with extreme caution. They do and Raptors land inside the Baseship and Marines disembark. Not wearing protective gear, as they don’t know about the disease.
The boarding party finds the Baseship’s control centre and bodies inside; Apollo calls it in. He wants Athena to look in the computer for data. She tries and says the data is almost completely corroded; she isn’t sure if she’ll get much out. Then they discover that a Number Six is alive, along with some others. Apollo reports they’ve found five living skinjobs in pretty bad shape. The five are crawling towards each other to hold hands and Athena goes over, looking at another of her model who calls her a traitor. Then to save herself; the thing they brought aboard had a disease and they’re all infected. Which does not go down well with the rest of the boarding party and Athena was touching one of the Cylons. Apollo reports they’ve all been exposed.
In CIC, Dr Cottle talks about the quarantine procedures needed. It could take days, weeks even. Adama tells him that the disease was picked up from a beacon, according to the Cylons. Cottle says it’s good to have the source; can they bring it onboard? No; too dangerous. And what about the prisoners? They will give the doctor an idea what to expect and, when they die, how long their people have to live. He’ll take them all.
As the boarders are leaving the Baseship, it explodes. Presumably a self-destruct.
Caprica Six and D’Anna Biers have questions for Gaius. How long has he planned to betray them? Gaius assumes they are joking. They are not. They know about the beacon – Gaius claimed he hadn’t seen anything, but had taken pictures of it – and believe he knew it was out there and contained a deadly pathogen. Was the virus created by Galactica? How long has he been in contact with them? Gaius said he had nothing to do with the virus or the beacon and yes, he did discover it, but didn’t tell them because he thought they’d try and tie the virus to him. He’s told it would have been simpler if he’d told the truth, as two Centurions arrive. Gaius is in his head with Number Six, who is trying to teach him to take his mind off the pain, as he’s strapped into a torture device. Caprica isn’t enjoying torturing him.
On Galactica, those exposed are told the bloodwork is back; humans are immune. But Athena has to wait for now. Dr Cottle heads to see the Cylons; he wants the Doral as he’s the farthest gone.
In Adama’s quarters, Cottle tells Adama, Apollo, Helo and President Roslin that he can keep the Cylon alive indefinitely, but can’t cure him. He’s identified the virus. Lymphatic encephalitis, carried by rodents; a couple of hundred years ago, humans developed an immunity. The doctor can drastically reverse the effect in Cylons but they have an antibody that breaks down the vaccine. They will need regular vaccinations, or they will die. Apollo asks if there’s any reason to keep them alive. To interrogate for intelligence. Roslin suggests dangling the vaccine in front of them; don’t tell them it’s not a permanent cure. They may have been ready to die, but that doesn’t mean one won’t jump at a second chance.
The Simon agrees to talk. They were abandoned by the other ships for fear of spreading the disease. It corrupts their brains, and if one dies and is resurrected, the disease will follow, infecting the resurrection ship. He explains they were sent to the nebula by Gaius Baltar and are looking for Earth. They want a new beginning too. He asks about the cure and is sent to Cottle for the vaccine.
Apollo has an idea. The virus can be transmitted through the resurrection ship. They could wipe the Cylons out. The idea of using biological weapons to commit genocide is not universally popular. Meanwhile, Gaius is being tortured by D’Anna who wants to know the truth. Not actually; she’s decided the truth, as have the other Cylons, and wants Gaius to confirm it. What he’s told them is the truth, just not what they want to hear.