GALACTICA TO HYPERNUTRIENTS
GALACTICA
Under the leadership of Commander Adama, the most
distinguished and decorated capital ship in the Colonial Fleet. Now the last known
survivor of that once proud Fleet, it serves as escort for the rag-tag convoy in its
search for Earth. Executive officer of the Galactica is Colonel Tigh. According to Apollo, the Galactica is some 500
yahrens old (HG), but she obviously has been repaired and refitted many times.
GAMBLING or GAMING CHANCERY Colonial term for a casino.
GAMMA FREQUENCY Communications frequency once used by the Colonials, but supplanted by other frequencies because it was prone to distortion. The old equipment in the celestial chamber is fitted to receive gamma frequency and, as Apollo, Starbuck, Sheba and Cassiopiea watched, picked up a strange signal that Apollo theorized was either a direct signal from nearby or a harmonic that might have been traveling through space for thousands of yahrens (and light yahrens). Adama theorized that the signal might have been seen as a lure by the Cylon baseship that they found was nearby, but Apollo believed it was either a very old signal from the Colonies or a signal from Earth (HG).
GAMORAY Now a regional Cylon capital, it lies at the heart of the Krillian Star System, and was once part of the flourishing Delphian Empire. A large Cylon city, base, and fuel dump are located on Gamoray, which Imperious Leader intends will be the basis for Cylon power in that region of the galaxy.
GALLMONGING SNITRAT Memorable term used by Boomer in reference to Security Guard Rees (GE).
GELLER, SIRE (Murray Matheson) Sire Geller was a member of the Council of Twelve at the time the Terrans were brought aboard the Galactica and he was the noisiest and most persistent of those demanding that they be removed from their life support capsules for interrogation. He was handily foiled by a plot of Starbuck’s, however (GE).
GEMI One of the female viper pilots, killed over Kobol, according to Athena (LG).
GEMONI or GEMINI One of the Twelve Colonies. Unsurprisingly, many of the passengers of the Gemini freighter are apparently Gemonese (P). It is probable that Cassiopiea is Gemonese or part Gemonese, although this is never stated within the series.
GEMINI, FREIGHTER A large spaceship fitted to
carry containerized freight, it now carries many Gemonese survivors of the holocaust.
Cassiopiea was found aboard this ship during Fleet Damage and Supply Survey by Apollo,
Starbuck, and Boomer (P). Siress Belloby apparently makes
her home aboard the Gemini. Count Iblis visited
the Gemini to do some rabble-rousing (WG).
GEMONS Natives of the planet Gemoni.
GEMONESE Language spoken by the Gemons. Boomer can translate it (P); Cassiopiea speaks it (P). “Terra” is the Gemonese word for Earth (GE).
GENETIC TRACER A genetic tracer performs specialized tests in order to determine a person’s ancestry. Chameleon claimed to be (among several other things) a genetic tracer (MN).
GILES, FLIGHT SERGEANT (Larry Manetti) A viper pilot aboard the Galactica, short, good-looking, and quick-tempered. Starbuck assailed him for cleaning out the ‘dead’ Cadet Cree’s locker (GI). Evidently an enthusiastic card player and fan of alcoholic beverages (LW). Larry Manetti’s first fighter-pilot role was as Lt. Boyle in Stephen Cannell’s Baa Baa Black Sheep.
GOD The Colonials have a religion
(probably only one of many among such a varied society, so this may apply primarily to Caprican
religion) that some of them, notably Commander Adama, take very seriously, although it is
difficult to deduce a great deal about it from what little we saw in the series. The
Colonial holy book is the Book of the Word, which seems to
consist of the religious writings of the Lords of Kobol,
perhaps roughly similar to our Old Testament. Although their religion appears to be
monotheistic, the Colonials obviously hold the Lords of Kobol in semi-religious awe.
The Colonials refer to their supreme
being as god and possibly also as Sagan, though the latter
may refer to some other religious figure. In an argument with Adama, Iblis informed him furiously, “What do you primitive
children know of what you call God?!” which suggests that Iblis isn’t too
thrilled with the idea that there is something more powerful than him, something that
holds him responsible for his acts.
Adama suggested that the Light Beings might be the ‘angels’ mentioned in the
Book of the Word (WG). Colonial religion remains a serious mystery, but series creator
Glen A. Larson seems to have based it on the Judeo-Christian tradition and the teachings
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, of which he is a member.
GOLD CLUSTER Also Star Cluster. The highest Colonial military honor, its appearance is unknown, since the ceremony to award it to Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer for their mine-clearing exploit was somewhat rudely interrupted (P).
GREAT POWERS Iblis referred thus to the force responsible for the destruction of his ship (WG). Possibly refers to the Beings of Light, but some thoughtful BG fans believe that Iblis’ own evil destroyed the ship and that the Light Beings were not to blame.
GREENBEAN, FLIGHT SERGEANT (Ed Begley Jr.) A viper pilot aboard the Galactica, tall, redheaded. Colonel Tigh dressed him down for stealing rations from the officer’s mess for Apollo’s party (LG). Later, he and Jolly were the first and only pilots to realize that a Cylon attack was directed on the agro ships (MW). Greenbean, while leading a flight from Red Squadron, was one of the pilots captured by the Ship of Lights (WG). In “Take the Celestra,” Starbuck wondered worriedly if Cassiopeia would invite Greenbean to the spheroid concert.
GREEN SQUADRON One of the squadrons Starbuck and Apollo referred to to spoof the Cylons when they made their attack run on the base ship over Carillon (P). Perhaps a genuine Galactica squadron.
GRID BARGE Alternate term for the Prison Barge.
GRID DECK EPSILON Level of the Prison Barge where the Borellian Nomen, Baltar, and the Alliance Enforcers were housed (BE).
GRID RATS Another term used to refer to prisoners on the Prison Barge (GI).
GROG An alcoholic beverage served on Carillon. When Uri proposed peace with the Cylons, Apollo hoped it was the grog talking (P).
GROUND CREWMAN (Bruce Wright) When Starbuck’s viper crash landed in the hangar bay, this ground crewman tried to hold the distraught Athena back, pointing out the danger. Afterwards, Starbuck tossed his helmet to him and told him to “give it a good wash” (P). This is the first appearance of the indefatigable Bruce Wright in BG; see also Corporal Lomas and Security Lieutenant.
GROUP THREE The Cylon squadron that attacked the Atlantia (P).
G-SUIT or PRESSURE SUIT One-piece garment worn under the uniform by viper pilots to enable them to survive extreme G-forces in combat. Strangely enough, although the importance of the G-suit was emphasized in “Lost Planet,” no one other than the female viper pilot trainees in that episode and Athena in the premiere were ever seen to actually wear one. Hmmm.
GYROS Part of the Galactica’s navigational equipment. Tigh feared that if the explosive charges were not set off in a precise pattern and order the Galactica’s gyros would run wild, endangering the ship (FS).
HAALS, SERGEANT (Curtis Credel) A warrior assigned to the Arkta mission, a tall man with bushy hair and a mustache. He was detailed to ride in the snowram’s upper turret with Wolfe, with whom he quarrelled. His laser shorted out the snowram’s powerpack (GI).
HADES’ HOLE Colonial expletive (WG).
HAND MINE A small explosive charge. Thane was found to be carrying some by Apollo after the scuffle on the shuttle. Later, Thane told the Cylons who captured him that a hand mine was a tape coder containing all the information they wanted. The Cylon pressed the button and blew itself, several colleagues, and Thane to bits (GI).
HASARIS The war with the Cylons began when the Colonials intervened against the Cylons to help the Hasaris take back their nation, taken by force by the Cylons. Proof positive that the Colonials, pacifist fans to the contrary, started the Thousand Yahren War.
HATARI SECTOR Region of space in which Equellus is located (LW). Battle charts exist for the area and the Cylons and Colonials have fought there previously.
HECTARE Colonial term for month. Also used as a measure of distance. Perhaps it is used in this context to mean a light-month, or the distance light would travel in a month. This would also explain the occasional use of centons and microns as units of distance.
HECTOR (Bobby Van) One of the androids on Michael’s farm on Paradeen. He was built by Vector, who was in turn assembled by Sarah’s father (GE).
HEDGEHOPPER The soon-to-be-late Constable Farnes of Serenity claimed that his weapon “wouldn’t stop a hedgehopper.” Unfortunately, he was right. Evidently a small animal native to Serenity.
HEKLA, MOUNT The Ravashol laser was emplaced in a bastion atop this high mountain on Arkta. Interestingly, Athena’s scanner data indicates that its peak is above the atmosphere, although the assault team appeared to have no breathing problems and entered the gun chamber via an air intake (GI)!
HEMO TYPE Probably similar to our blood type. One of the tests applied to Starbuck and Chameleon in order to determine if they were related was a test for hemo type (MN).
HERMES (Richard Styles) Bridge officer on the Celestra, co-conspirator with Charka, who made him executive officer after Kronus’ shuttle vanished. He’s obviously not too efficient, though, as he reported that there were “six armed crewmen” in the shuttle bay when there were in fact eight (TC)!
HIGH BAND A communications channel. Tigh suggested trying to contact the shuttle after it crashed on Arkta on high band (GI).
HORNING, DOCTOR (Kenneth Lynch) Somewhat confused Terran doctor who examined Apollo and his equipment after Brenda turned him in (ET).
HOUSE OF KOBOL According to Count Iblis, the Colonials are of the House of Kobol, adding that their tribes are scattered, suggesting that the Colonials are not the only descendants of the Lords, just one branch (WG).
HOVERCRAFT Hector and Vector arrived at the landing site of the Lunar Seven shuttle and the two escorting vipers driving a reddish-painted, clumsy-looking hovercraft (GE).
HOVERMOBILE Evidently a common Colonial mode of transportation; Boomer was known to hotwire hovermobiles in his youth (FS).
HYPERCOMBUSTION According to Apollo, when the fires on Carillon reach hypercombustion, the planet will explode (P).
HYPERNUTRIENTS Perhaps an extremely concentrated food given to people who have been deprived of proper nourishment. Adama felt that Iblis should be given some after his arrival aboard the Galactica (WG).
�1987, 1999 by Susan J. Paxton
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