While Boomer and many of the crew are taking some time to relax, the Cylons launch an attack raid. The Galactica is rammed by Cylon Raiders making suicide runs on the main bridge and the port side landing bay. Fires erupt around the ship, trapping various crewmembers in certain situations and injuring Adama.
Boomer, Athena, Boxey and other crew members are trapped in the rejuvenation center and all the lifemasks were destroyed in the attack. Boomer tries to hotwire the door to the storage compartment to buy time. Apollo visits a gravely injured Adama, who needs an emergency medical procedure that is quite risky, given Galactica's fragile state.
Boomer eventually succeeds in opening the door. The trapped crew members crowd safely through the door. Apollo studies Galactica's schematics to find a way to reach his stranded sister and son. A small ventilation duct connects the bridge to the rest of the ship, including the rejuvenation center, but the access way is too small for a person to negotiate. Meanwhile Boomer and his group have realized the same thing. But instead of Boxey, they send Muffit with a message detailing their predicament.
As the inferno rages Apollo and the others try to smother the fire using the vipers to fire loads of fire suppressing boroton. The plan fails due to the vipers' inability to put the fires out fast enough. Just before he goes into surgery, a weary Adama suggests blowing a hole in the hull of the ship where the fire is, smothering it. Meanwhile the crew realize that Boomer and his group must have sent Muffit to get help. Apollo suggests leaving out some Mushies for Muffit to find, since Boxey had recently taught the Daggit to track Mushies by scent. Muffit makes his way to the bridge and spots a downed firefighter, the Daggit continues on after a moment's hesitation.
As Tigh monitors Apollo and Starbuck, Muffit makes his way to the bridge with Boomer's note. Tigh then sends Muffit back with a bag of working lifemasks. Meanwhile Apollo and Starbuck continue to place their explosives on the ship's hull. Back in the rejuvenation center things look grave, until Muffit arrives with the lifemasks. Once Boomer and Athena relieve him of his burden, Muffit inexplicably heads back into the ventilation duct.
Starbuck and Apollo manage to damage the ship so that lack of air puts out the fire. Adama soon recovers from his injuries. Boxey however is depressed thinking Muffit must have been caught in the explosion. Much to his surprise, Starbuck turns up with Muffit, singed but otherwise unharmed. It turns out that Muffit went back into the duct in order to find and rescue the injured firefighter he saw earlier.
Tropes:
- Air-Vent Passageway: Only Boxey and Muffit are small enough to fit, so Muffit is used to send messages.
- Bottle Episode: All scenes in the episode take place on the Galactica.
- Cheerful Child: Boxey stays optimistic throughout the episode, until he thinks Muffit was lost in the explosion. He quickly returns to his normal cheerful self once Muffit is discovered alive.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Boomer, Athena, Boxey and especially Muffit.
- Heroic Robot Dog: Muffit.
- Heroic Fire Rescue: Muffit running back into the ventilation duct to rescue an injured firefighter he'd spotted earlier.
- Lower-Deck Episode: To a degree.
- The Main Characters Do Everything: When the bridge is hit, Commander Adama is injured and barely conscious, but he is still giving orders in that state when you would think the unhurt Colonel Tigh should be fully in charge at that moment.
- Recycled In Space: It's The Towering Inferno in space.
- Stock Footage: Used to represent the spreading fire on the Galactica.
- Suicide Attack: During the opening sequence.
