Battlestar Galactica:Season 2; Part 5 NSCR/8.12.05

[WizarDru]

No doubt. There was an implication of the need for a helmet though, and Boomer's navigator definitely thought it was odd that Boomer climbed back in sans helmet.

Yeah, but it was a 'Hey, where'd your helmet go?' not a 'Holy Frack! How'd you survive out there?!?' kind of reaction, iirc. It didn't seem like the ship went through a pressurization/de-pressurization when she entered/exited, and again Racetrack's reaction wasn't so incredulous as to sidetrack the mission or be of note later.

Plus, if cylons can hold their breath in a vacuum, why would Sharon need oxygen tanks and diving equipment when sabotaging the ship's water supply back in episode 2? It's got to be easier to hold your breath in water than a vacuum, right?

 

[Fast Learner]

Right, Racetrack would have surely been all over that back at the Galactica. "SHE SURVIVED A VACUUM! SHE MUST BE A CYLON!" Instead she must have recognized that there was an atomosphere.

And yeah, with the talking. And the diving equipment.

Human-model Cylons have not shown that they can survive in a vacuum in the show.

 

[MaxKaladin]

When Starbuck and Helo first met the resistance group, she was holding a gun on either Starbuck or Helo (can't remember exactly who was aiming at who) and to me looked like she really wanted to pull the trigger. My guess is that there is a deleted scene or two showing her and Starbuck coming to respect one another.

Ah, ok. I see. Thanks.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

If my memory isn't playing tricks on me, there's a love scene with a cylon woman in it, where we can see her bared back, and there's a red light running up and down her spine (reminiscent of the old cylons' eye-lights.) Wouldn't this indicate a machine-component in the human-model cylons? Or am I misremembering?

I always assumed they were similar to the T-500 terminator cyborgs. Tissue grafted onto a mechanical endoskeleton.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

If my memory isn't playing tricks on me, there's a love scene with a cylon woman in it, where we can see her bared back, and there's a red light running up and down her spine (reminiscent of the old cylons' eye-lights.) Wouldn't this indicate a machine-component in the human-model cylons? Or am I misremembering?

I always assumed they were similar to the T-500 terminator cyborgs. Tissue grafted onto a mechanical endoskeleton.

The nature of this "light" in unclear so far (I believe even the writers don´t know it yet. It was originally just a idea they had for the mini and aren´t certain what to do with it now, except sticking to it for continuity reason).
They are "T-500", otherwise it would be a lot easier to distinguish Cylons and Humans - you don´t need Baltar for that.

According to the podcast, it might be very well possible that there are metaphysical reasons involved in the distinction between humans and cylons and their respective abilities to create off-spring...

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Yeah, but it was a 'Hey, where'd your helmet go?' not a 'Holy Frack! How'd you survive out there?!?' kind of reaction, iirc. It didn't seem like the ship went through a pressurization/de-pressurization when she entered/exited, and again Racetrack's reaction wasn't so incredulous as to sidetrack the mission or be of note later.

Yep. The cabin apparently didn't depressurize when she opened the door (or de-vacuum, either).

I figure that the changes made to the anthroforms* are minor enough that one could survive a thorough medical exam without any major possibility of being detected. There's probably an upgrade to their musculoskeletal system to make them stronger, and something similar to their nervous system to give them better reactions.

I suspect that another change to their CNS allows them to do their FTL communication schtick.

Brad

* - I like to be technical.

 

[Volaran]

I would be inclined to agree that there was an atmosphere in the Basestar. They were able to speak, ect. It would have been strange that she was missing her helmet anyway, as there is no reason she would have needed to take it off to remove the3 nuclear device.

Has it not been suggested that she could survive great pressure though? When they were investigating the bombing of the water supply, I seem to recall the Chief mentioning that no human could survive the pressure within the tank.

 

[Sir Brennen]

I figure that the changes made to the anthroforms* are minor enough that one could survive a thorough medical exam without any major possibility of being detected. There's probably an upgrade to their musculoskeletal system to make them stronger, and something similar to their nervous system to give them better reactions.

But these cylons consider themselves an entirely separate species, not just humans with minor upgrades. If that were true, why not make many more models, instead of the same ones over and over? Why do they find it so important to breed with humans, if they're already essentially human? Personally, I think there is something fundamentally different about the anthroforms, as you call them.

 

[WizarDru]

But these cylons consider themselves an entirely separate species, not just humans with minor upgrades. If that were true, why not make many more models, instead of the same ones over and over? Why do they find it so important to breed with humans, if they're already essentially human? Personally, I think there is something fundamentally different about the anthroforms, as you call them.

I think Moore has stated that there are 12 anthroforms, and that they model what Cylons believe to be the 12 different types of humans. What criteria they're using is, of course, a source of conjecture. Whether or not they link the 12 Lords of Kobol with the 12 types of humans is anyone's guess; I suspect they have two reasons for using the anthroforms:

1) This reproduction stuff is tricky. Seriously. Millenia of Evolution isn't as easily copied as they thought, and making their own model isn't working. They are, after all, mechanical beings. Clearly, they have an idea in their heads that simply copying an existing model is not truly procreating...it has to be a 'natural' process. They're incapable, so they've been developing their own organics...but it doesn't work well. This would explain the organic nature of the raiders, for example: they may have been an early attempt.

2) Parental Issues. It may not have even occured to them to go about it a different way. The cylons clearly have issues dealing with mankind, in a love/hate relationship with them. They are the ultimate rebellious child, and that colors their thinking.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

1) This reproduction stuff is tricky. Seriously. Millenia of Evolution isn't as easily copied as they thought, and making their own model isn't working.

Heck, yeah. There are many people today who have issues conceiving.

I'm also thinking that maybe, either the cloning process itself, or the nature of their augmentations, may interfere. Perhaps the genes for super-strength interfere with their reproductive tracts such that the male versions can't impregnate the female versions, and vice versa, and have a very limited chance with normal human sperm/ova.

Perhaps the anthroforms are designed to be infertile, except in certain limited cases?

2) Parental Issues. It may not have even occured to them to go about it a different way. The cylons clearly have issues dealing with mankind, in a love/hate relationship with them. They are the ultimate rebellious child, and that colors their thinking.

Hrm. Freud could have a lot to say about the cylons.

Brad