Except from a sci-fi story...

... thats been kicking around in my head for decades now.

This isn't the main story but a subtle sub-plot of sorts. It kinda resurfaced because Caprica seems to be doing subtle age things too recently. Perhaps its time that we start looking at things in the future as being different to what they are now.

***
Captain James woke to the incessant beeping of the intercom. He floated himself over to the video screen and touched the answer button on the touch screen. It was Emily his girlfriend grinning back at him.
"Em? Why you calling at this hour?" He checked the time on the screen it had just past 5am local time. The Captain and Emily had been together for several months now and although he was in his early 30s and she was only 14 their relationship was getting pretty serious to the point where they had to submit their inter-age relations to the law courts. Over the last couple of decades most countries had realised that the taboo of inter-age relationships had to be discussed rather than prosecuted however, different sides of the debate couldn't work out what to do - make it legal or castrate the offending parties. It was soon decided that along the same lines as assisted suicide and abortions that this should be dealt with on a case by case basis. Their relationship had been held in limbo by the law courts while their decision was finalised. They had scrutinised the relationship in a clinical manner to ascertain if Emily was being taken advantage of. They knew, of course, more than the couple knew themselves. The law courts knew about the engagement ring that Captain James had brought. They had also interviewed Emily's teachers to see if there was anything untoward. The only thing that went against the legality of the relationship was Emily's parents but not in a 'bad' way. When they found out about the relationship they were very keen - perhaps a little too keen; after all their daughter was in love with a very handsome young space Captain! Could've been much worst. The judges couldn't work out if Emily's mother had a somewhat unhealthy infatuation with Captain James herself.

Emily didn't say a word and only smiled more showing her perfect teeth with pink & purple braces. She wore her hair in an offset pony tail draped over her left shoulder which was much the latest fashion at the moment and as far as Captain James could tell from the cam she was wearing her usual nightdress draped off of one shoulder. She eventually held up her hand holding a small white letter with the local court seal printed in the top corner. The letter was as alien to Emily as a cassette tape was in the 2000's which was made obvious by the haphazard way she had torn it open, either that or she was nervous.
Finally Captain James managed to speak. "Is that-?".
Emily nodded.
"And its okay-?"
Emily smiled. Her cheeks started to redden.
"So we can-?"
Emily bit her lower lip and finally spoke "Well, yeah"
"I'm coming down".
Captain James switched the comms over to intership directory and contacted the Admiral of the Fleet realising that he had just cut off his love.
"Admiral" James nervously saluted as an afterthought. Looking perplex the Admiral saluted back.
"Captain. Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Yes but I just got a call its Em. Well we've just got word. They've decided its okay. I erm, I gotta go."
"What the hell are you doing still talking to me. We're not going anywhere. Permission for shore-leave granted." The Admiral smiled as he disconnected the connection.
Captain James grabbed his jumpsuit pulling it on as best he can in low gravity. He picked up a small box from the overhead cabinet and slipped it in his chest velcro-pocket. In one smooth movement he hit the door release and swung out in to the chaos outside. There was at least 20 service men and women moving about with boxes and tools slowly building the ships final infrastructure. Each had to literally drop everything they were doing to acknowledge the Captain as he swerved this way and that to avoid the odd acetylene torch or exposed vent duct. Just as he turned a corner one of the supply shuttles was dropping off a couple of large crates of supplies. "Hold the shuttle I need to get to ground" Captain James shouted out as he tried to swerve around the stack of crates bottlenecking the main corridor.

Emily opened the front door and looked out over the frosty fields surrounding her house. The sun was just starting to show red hues over the horizon. Up in the night sky she could barely make out 6 white dots in formation. The newly built fleet that will someday leave Earth's low orbit. One of those dots, she wasn't sure which, was where her beloved was right now. Where he would have to return to and possibly never to home again. She felt a cold shudder and her breath condensed in front of her. She took one last look in the sky and returned in to the house to wake up her parents. As Captain James' shuttle window started glowing purple from the few wisps of the outer atmosphere the Admiral of the Fleet received word from one of the outpost stations several lightyears out; they have picked up a single heat signature inbound at speed. The enemy was finally on their way and nothing could stop the fate of the Admiral, the Captain and Emily.