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The Psi Corps and You

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Overview

     Earth's most secret agency is explained, examined, and demystified
     for the average Babylon 5 resident.
     
   Issue 11 (December 1995)
   
   Setting: Season two, before [6]"Confessions and Lamentations"
    Writer: Tim DeHaas
    Artist: John Ridgway

     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Synopsis

     _NOTE:_ This issue is in the form of an infomercial produced by
     Psi-Corps. Since it isn't a story in the usual sense, the following
     is more a description than a synopsis. It's not entirely clear
     whether the presentation is supposed to be in print itself or if
     the comic is a print rendition of a television program; this
     description assumes the latter.
     
   The host of the show, Diane Matthews, introduces herself as one of the
   commercial telepaths working on Babylon 5. She demonstrates how
   commercial telepaths aid in business dealings, sitting in on a deal
   between a human and a Markab. She points out that Markab is lying
   about the quantity of merchanside he has available; the human reduces
   his order. Next, Matthews visits Medlab, where she assists Garibaldi
   by scanning an assault victim and descibing the assailant. She points
   out to the viewers that she won't be allowed to scan any suspects; she
   can only produce information to help point Garibaldi toward admissible
   evidence.
   
   A Psi-Corps training center is the next stop, where a few psi training
   exercises are shown. "Psi Corps knows how to help you achieve your
   innermost desires," claims Matthews.
   
   "These days," she says later, "people have learned to trust and accept
   telepaths, like this Psi-Cop." That wasn't always the case, she says,
   and launches into a narrative about the founding of Psi Corps. The
   Corps was founded on the basis of a single, heroic act by her
   great-grandfather, William Karges.
   
   Karges discovered his talents at age thirteen. He didn't know what to
   make of them, so he sought out activities that would teach him
   self-disciplined and isolated. Later, he joined Earthforce; during his
   training he trained himself to control his skills and use them to be a
   better soldier. Eventually he was promoted and transferred to
   Earthforce Security. But even then, he kept his secret, afraid he'd be
   locked up by the government.
   
   After distinguishing himself by stopping three terrorist plots, Karges
   was placed in charge of Earth Alliance President Robinson's personal
   security staff. One day, Karges and his forces were escorting
   President Robinson to a campaign rally. Karges sensed a strong thought
   from the surrounding crowd: "The bomb is ready!" Concentrating, he
   zeroed in on the man responsible and cornered him. The man claimed to
   know nothing about a bomb, so Karges forcibly scanned him. As Karges
   rushed off, shouting into his link to tell his team about the man's
   accomplice, he was shot in the back. With the last of his strength,
   Karges sent a command into the mind of the bomber, forcing him to drop
   the detonator. The President was safe.
   
   In the hospital, dying, Karges admitted to President Robinson that he
   found out about the bomb by reading the perpetrator's thoughs. Some
   time later, President Robinson passed laws ensuring opportunities for
   telepaths. A special agency already existed to monitor the recent
   sudden increase in telepaths; Robinson changed its mission, to help
   telepaths function in society, and the Psi Corps was born.
   
   "Nowadays, all telepaths are asked to register with Psi Corps, for
   their own good," Matthews says. "That way, the Earth Alliance and Psi
   Corps can help them achieve their full potential!"
   
   Some telepaths don't want to join the Corps, Matthews admits. She
   visits Lisa, a lawyer, as a doctor administers telepathy-inhibiting
   drugs. Lisa is delighted to receive the injection, as numbing her psi
   abilities allows her to continue working in the legal profession.
   "Sometimes it makes me tired, and I have to rest," Lisa says. "But
   that's okay, because I can still be a successful lawyer."
   
   Matthews describes the Psi Corps' work placement programs, designed to
   help telepaths who don't want to join the Corps and are allergic to
   the medicine. She says she started out there, but eventually realized
   she wanted to be a commercial telepath, having the adventure of a
   lifetime on Babylon 5.
   
   "Even far from Earth, Psi Corps has influenced all our lives," she
   says. She describes a little-known aspect of the Battle of the Line: a
   telepathic pilot in Sinclair's squadron, Lt. Andrew Denmark of Psi
   Corps, used his powers to steady the nerves of other pilots. Without
   his help, Matthews claims, Sinclair would never have lived long enough
   to make his legendary attack on the Minbari cruiser.
   
   The Psi Corps helps on Mars, too, Matthews continues. When there was a
   food shortage, Psi Corps rushed to get food supplies to all the hungry
   colonists. Recently, a small group of terrorists began an uprising,
   and Psi Corps stepped in to protect the colonists. "You could say Psi
   Corps' mission is to protect," Matthews says. "Protect the future --
   for those who want to make it better and safer."
   
   "On Earth, on Mars, or on Babylon 5, you don't have to be alone. Psi
   Corps is here for _you!_ And if you or a friend discovers they're
   telepathic, Psi Corps will always help." As an example, she introduces
   the case of Alfred. On Earth, as a ten-year-old boy, he was a bright
   student at the top of his class. But when a teacher claimed he was
   copying parts of a test from someone across the room, Alfred and his
   friends discovered he might be a telepath. One friend offered to take
   him to Psi Corps -- he had an uncle there, and knew the Corps took
   good care of its members.
   
   Alfred went to the Corps and chose to stay there. Today he's one of
   its most valued members: Bester.
   
   "So, if you ever feel _you_ might be a telepath, too -- remember,
   kids, you've got friends, here on Babylon 5! One of us is always
   stationed here to help you. Come talk to us any time! With Psi Corps
   as your friend, you never have to feel... all alone in the night."
   
Backplot

     * Psi Corps was founded around 2160. According to the Corps, it was
       founded after the death of a Presidential security official,
       William Karges, who revealed he was telepathic at the time of his
       death.
     * Officially, Bester was born on Earth and entered the Corps at age
       ten. He's placed highly enough to warrant mention as one of the
       Corps "most valued members."
     * Psi Corps claims to have had representatives in the military,
       flying Starfuries, during the Earth-Minbari War. If the
       presentation is to be believed, one of them was in Sinclair's
       squadron during the Battle of the Line.
       
Unanswered Questions

     * How much of what's said in this issue is true, and how much is
       fabricated propaganda?
     * Was there really a telepath in Sinclair's squadron? What influence
       did he have on what happened to Sinclair, if any?
       
Analysis

     * Psi Corps' claim that one of its members was in Sinclair's
       squadron seems unlikely, given that in [7]"Eyes," Mr. Grey says he
       wasn't allowed to fight in the war because he was a telepath.
       
Notes

     * This promotional program was produced before [8]"Confessions and
       Lamentations," since it shows someone dealing with a Markab
       trader.
       
jms speaks

     * There's nothing that I'm aware of in comic #11 that would place it
       after "Confessions." It's a general pamphlet prepared by Psi Corps
       some time before.
     * Tritium: you actually believe *anything* in a PsiCorps propaganda
       booklet? Only about 10% of what's recorded in that booklet is
       true, and even that's distorted. The character in the booklet is
       totally fictional.
       

   
      Last update: February 5, 1996

References

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