Interview with Viktor Perseun by Daan Mathers, Free Press Coalition

To those of us not involved in technical work, the arrival of the new ships in our fleet has been an ephemeral and unreal experience; if we glance out of a porthole, they can sometimes be seen through the gloom of space. If we’re down in the flight pod or a hangar, we may see faces who seem just a little unfamiliar. But by and large, these are phantom people whom we neither know nor understand; the rest of us worked together amid the asteroids of Origin-12 for nearly a year and this gave a certain community spirit. I’m sure it’s the same feeling of uncertainty resides in the occupants of the latest additions to the fleet on finding themselves with us. If only this dynamic were limited to human inquisitiveness and social awkwardness, we would be happy indeed.

But rumours have emerged from the Fleet Council that the new ships have not joined the socialist structure of resources in the fleet, and yet are still receiving resources from us. They have not acknowledged Governor Ward as their legitimate leader and yet have been given votes on the Fleet Council. And though shuttles carry medicines to the sickly amongst the new fleet as required, all resources coming back on the shuttle are sent on the whim of the Captain of each vessel.

And this is before anyone has even mentioned the word ‘Cylon’. To be fair to the new fleet’s non-titular leader, Dr Viktor Perseun, his physical similarity to a Centurion is nothing more than a disquieting aesthetic borne of a very human disability; but what of the Foxbats that fly at his command? What of the Centurions that march at his order? Can they be relied upon; and even if they can, can Dr Perseun be trusted with them?

Though quick to downplay the danger posted by the enemies in our midst and quick to talk up the unity of the two fleets, Dr Perseun sometimes drops the veneer of command long enough to let some home truths slip out into the mix. The FPC caught up with him a short time ago and though he agreed to an interview, it was on the proviso that it be in print and contain his unabridged responses to our questions. Was this merely a scientist’s yearning for exactitude, paranoia about the role of the media in politics, or just a typical Tauron technocrat’s hankering for control? Only time will tell what manner of man hides within the lab coat.

How has it felt joining up with our fleet?

Speaking for myself, it has been a welcome ray of hope, and I imagine it has been similar for the rest of us.. It has, of course, been tinged with sadness. Most of us only found out about the attack on the colonies relatively recently, so we are grieving and celebrating in equal measure.

Do you see yourself as the leader of the second fleet that recently joined us?

Firstly, I don’t think it makes sense to talk of any ‘second fleet’ at this stage. We are one fleet, and it is lucky for us all that we found each other. It is a happy accident that the new ships have valuable things to offer (for example the Hyperion technical staff working to repair the damage to Myriad’s flight pod).

It is my feeling that I have the support of the crew of the Hyperion, and I will keep working to be worthy of that support. However, I do not have any executive power over the other new ships of the fleet. These other ships are already in the capable hands of their captains, and we all have appropriate representation on the fleet council.

As a member of the intellectual elite on Tauron, how have you found it fitting into a centrally-controlled political and economic system?

Up until now, my interests have been more technical than socio-political, and I suppose I look at the issue of resources in such terms. Pragmatically, a certain amount of resource redistribution is unavoidable in crisis situations. Leaving aside the ethical issues (which I don’t feel qualified to answer definitively anyway), we simply need as many healthy individuals as possible, not just those in privileged positions.

All this is a practical reflection of what I have been saying (scientifically and ethically) for my entire professional life: that we are all interconnected in profound ways. All of us must survive, if any of us are to survive.

And actually, I’m only part-Tauron. My mother was Gemenese. After I was badly injured in the first Cylon war, I spent several years there with my mother’s family, who were blue-collar gas miners.

What do you see as the three main challenges facing us?

Obviously, all of our challenges are subsidiary to that of immediate survival. That said, if I were pressed to isolate three important strands, I would choose the following:

• Firstly, I think there is an immediate need for technological experimentation and development on a large scale, so as to give us new advantages over the Cylons and therefore to improve our chances of survival.
  
• Secondly, I think we need to re-establish a sense of normality and society. I am personally in favour of providing the hard-working people of this fleet with opportunities for advancement. Along with the recently established medical academy aboard Myriad, I suggest that other such centres of learning could be created. It would provide our youngsters a chance to learn a trade and ensure that we have appropriately trained staff. Such centres of learning would present a ‘win-win’ situation for all concerned, as the apprentices could be put to work in return for their education. As soon as I deal with other immediate priorities, I plan to set up a technical school aboard the Hyperion, working along these lines.
  
• Thirdly and finally, we must once again rebuild our sense of hope, and of self-worth. How people choose to do that is very much a personal decision, but one that can be helped along by those in power. We must not neglect such things as art, religion, culture, community, love, family; all of these things make life worth living and energise us for the difficult work ahead. They give us something worth fighting for. In my opinion, to survive at the cost of our humanity is to suffer a fate worse than death. But this is much more intangible, I grant you!

If you could change one thing about the fleet, what would it be?

I don’t believe in magic wishes. There are a number of things that I will be working to change, but fantasising gets us nowhere.

Can we just confirm once and for all that, apart from your leg, there are no other Cylon components in your body?

My leg and part of my pelvic girdle is made of similar exoskeletal components to those used in the construction of the original Cylon models, but they are not precisely the same. But in any case, it’s just the leg. The prosthetic was made for me by my father, who was one of the technical experts involved in the creation of the first Cylon models. He simply ‘repaired’ me in the only way he knew how.

I have begun work with the Myriad medical staff to provide similar prosthetics for those unfortunate enough to have become amputees in combat, although they will be nicer to look at than mine! I have put up with the damn thing for almost forty years, and I find that any outer shell makes it more troublesome for me to fine-tune.

So, I am 100% human. Unsurprisingly, I am also a lousy dancer.

Are you planning on developing new weapons for use against the Cylons?

There are projects that we are undertaking in conjunction with the military, but I am sure you understand that there is only so much I can say publicly.

Aside from that, let me say that probably the biggest asset that we (by which I mean the technicians and scientists aboard the Hyperion) can offer is our ability to maintain and repair the ships on which we live. I am sure there a number of other ways in which life can be made safer and more comfortable for everyone.

What can you tell us about the world, Chiron, which you discovered and to which we’re now headed?

We found the planet upon our return from a survey mission into deep space. The planet has plentiful organic supplies that could be turned into food, and some other resources in lesser quantities. Perhaps the most appealing thing is the planet’s apparent isolation.. When we found the scout ship in orbit around Chiron, it had been stationary (almost disused) for some fifty years. This isn’t incontrovertible proof that the area was undiscovered by the Cylons, but it is simply the best lead we have at this time.

Isn’t it true that the Cylons you command were found in orbit of the world Chiron?

Yes. The (human) commander of this scout ship died of old age aboard the ship, apparently after learning of the Cylon revolt fifty years ago. He evidently wanted to ensure that the centurions under his command were not ‘infected’ with the same rebellion sweeping through other Cylons in the fleet. He was obviously successful.

Are the Cylon Centurions and Foxbats under your personal command?

On the matter of these Cylons, I think it is important to make it very clear that there is a difference between these models and the newer Cylons who pursue us.

‘Our’ Cylons are of the old style, and still have their higher functions suppressed. They are little more than automaton at this stage, without the ability to make choices.

But I do not play dice with our survival. The foxbats have been disarmed, and the Centurions have been modified to make them resistant to remote takeover. There are also numerous other safety measures in place.

When we found them, the centurions were simply drifting in space, awaiting a new commander. We figured out a way to transfer the chain of command, and so gained something that I believe will be an incredibly useful asset. To lose this asset because of simple mistrust would be very short-sighted in my opinion. ‘Know your enemy’, I say.