“Greetings from Earth” is episode nineteen of season one of the classic series of Battlestar Galactica.
Adama is recording another log about their quest for Earth and mentions long-range scouts. Starbuck and Apollo are on patrol when Starbuck detects something on scanner. A sublight vessel with six lifeforms. Apollo catches up and they check out a vessel with humans at a minimum support level.
Adama arrives on the bridge to find out news has spread of this; the ship is being towed back to Galactica. Adama broadcasts to the fleet, counselling patience and cautious optimism, as they have to quarantine the vessel.
Adama is taken to the ship by Starbuck and Apollo once it’s brought onboard. There’s been no response so far. The ship has been checked out and Dr Wilker is eager to get in; Dr Salik is more cautious. Adama asks if it’s okay to open the ship and he’s told it has almost zero atmosphere. There may be six lifeforms but no humans could survive onboard.
The ship is opened and the six people are a man and a woman and four children, all in tubes. Salik says they are alive but their metabolism has been lowered. He doesn’t know how the equipment functions and opening the tubes might kill the occupants. Wilker wants to experiment on one tube. He also says this isn’t a military matter anymore and Salik agrees. Adama says the people may be vital to their survival and doesn’t want any chances taken with their lives. He’s informed that bringing them to Galactica may have been fatal in and of itself. Neither doctor gets far with their initial experimentation.
Boomer tells the others these are the first humans they’ve encountered. Athena points out there were others, but he says those were all from the Twelve Colonies. This is the first encounter with humans from the Thirteenth Tribe who may have an advanced civilisation. Starbuck comments that this is why they didn’t settle on another planet; Apollo tells him they were never strong enough to settle. A guard, Reese, chips in; they should open the tubes and interrogate the people. And says he’s not the only one that feels that way.
Jolly has to turn back people, including members of the Council, and tells Apollo it’s getting out of hand. Apollo enters the craft just after Wilker shorts something out. Salik says the systems are losing power, partly from their investigations. Apollo and Wilker head to see Adama; Apollo wants the ship put back on its original course. Geller from the Council arrives and says the fleet is furious at Adama’s inaction and the Council will lift the burden from his shoulders.
Adama wants to be cautious. Apollo wants to put the ship back where they found it. The fleet wants the tubes cracked open.
This is a feature-length episode, though it is commonly shown in two parts, continuing in “Greetings from Earth: Part II”.