The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5
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  4. Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)
  5. Garibaldi arrives at C&C, and asks an officer on duty where Captain
  6. Sheridan and Commander Ivanova are. The officer tells him that they
  7. are in bay 13. Garibaldi goes down there, more than a little puzzled
  8. by their reasons for being there.
  9. Sheridan and Ivanova stand in awe of the sight before them in the bay:
  10. Ambassador Kosh's ship. Sheridan finds its construction amazing and
  11. unbelievable and asks Ivanova about it. She tells him that for the
  12. past two years, they haven't been able to determine much about it;
  13. their scans barely penetrate the ship's skin. Sheridan reaches out to
  14. touch the ship when part of the ship pulls away and a strange-looking
  15. device fires a beam straight at Sheridan's chest. Ivanova tells him to
  16. back away slowly, which he does. The device melts back into the ship.
  17. After Ivanova tells Sheridan a story about a maintenance crew that was
  18. frightened away by the ship, Sheridan's interest is piqued. Sheridan
  19. tells her that it is time they learned something about the Vorlons,
  20. and that he intends to begin doing just that. Garibaldi arrives and
  21. tells them that he needs to talk to them, but would rather not do it
  22. in front of Kosh's ship. The three of them leave. Kosh steps out from
  23. behind a corner and "speaks" to his ship. It replies with a few lines
  24. of strange symbols, to which Kosh nods, and then leaves.
  25. [INLINE] Visiting Kosh's ship.
  26. When Sheridan, Ivanova, and Garibaldi arrive in Sheridan's office,
  27. Garibaldi explains that he just received a message from EarthForce
  28. that there is a fugitive alert out for Dr. Everett Jacobs, President
  29. Clark's former physician. Garibaldi tells them that Jacobs has enough
  30. stolen information to bring down the entire Earth Alliance, unless he
  31. is stopped. They think that he is already aboard Babylon 5, and want
  32. him taken dead or alive. Sheridan asks what Jacobs knows that makes
  33. him such a threat. Garibaldi wasn't told that, but says that, if
  34. Jacobs resists, they are ordered to shoot to kill.
  35. Later, Agent Derek Cranston, from Earth Special Intelligence, arrives
  36. on the station. Sheridan asks him why Dr. Jacobs is such a threat.
  37. Cranston explains that Dr. Jacobs misused his security clearance to
  38. get information about covert missions and extremely important data,
  39. which could throw the government into chaos and ruin their alliance
  40. with many of the non-aligned worlds. Cranston says that Jacobs is on
  41. Babylon 5 to either sell the information or to find travel out of
  42. Earth-controlled space. Sheridan agrees to have security help, and
  43. orders Ivanova to carefully investigate all outgoing ships. Cranston
  44. thanks Sheridan for his cooperation and leaves. Garibaldi tells
  45. Sheridan that he doesn't think Cranston is telling them everything.
  46. Sheridan agrees, but says that Cranston is worried about something,
  47. which makes him want to go along with the manhunt. Garibaldi says he
  48. thinks he knows where to begin.
  49. [INLINE] Sheridan agrees to help.
  50. Dr. Franklin resents the line of questioning altogether, saying that
  51. Dr. Jacobs was a professor of his at Harvard and helped him a lot
  52. while learning about xenobiogenics. He tells Garibaldi that Jacobs was
  53. a humanitarian and could not be responsible, but Garibaldi reminds him
  54. of a time when he vouched for another doctor and the station was
  55. almost destroyed by a biological weapon. Dr. Franklin insists that
  56. there has been a mistake and that Jacobs would never have sold out
  57. Earth. "Maybe he's not the same Dr. Jacobs you knew any more,"
  58. Garibaldi suggests.
  59. An old man wanders through a marketplace on Babylon 5, stopping at one
  60. kiosk. The old man tells the merchant that he heard he could obtain
  61. "special" things from him. The old man says he needs an identicard,
  62. but when he tells the merchant that price is not an issue, the
  63. merchant refuses to sell him one; the only reasons someone would be so
  64. desperate are that they're working for security, or are being chased
  65. by some very powerful people. The merchant closes his shop, and the
  66. man wanders away, but he has already been noticed by a tall figure,
  67. watching from the shadows.
  68. Sheridan is walking through the corridor to an elevator, when he hears
  69. an unusual sound behind him. He turns to see Ambassador Kosh walking
  70. away. He catches up to him, and reminds Kosh of a council meeting. He
  71. also tells Kosh that he was in bay 13, and because of how much
  72. everyone still doesn't know about the Vorlons, he and Kosh should try
  73. to understand each other.
  74. Kosh looks at him. "Why?"
  75. "You tell me. You're the one who popped into my dream when I was in
  76. that alien ship a few weeks ago. It felt like...I don't know, like you
  77. called to me."
  78. "I sought understanding. I listened to the song. Your thoughts became
  79. the song."
  80. [INLINE]
  81. "Has this ever happened before?"
  82. "Once," Kosh intones, and walks away.
  83. Agent Cranston is briefing the security troops on how to best search
  84. for Dr. Jacobs. Though his plan is efficient, because of the size of
  85. Babylon 5, as Zack Allen points out, it could take a long time. Dr.
  86. Cranston explains that, as an anti-kidnapping measure, all EarthDome
  87. personnel are injected with an identification crystal, which can be
  88. scanned for easily.
  89. Sheridan asks Garibaldi if he is having any problems with the security
  90. crew. Garibaldi tells him that he isn't, and that, because of their
  91. efficiency, he would not like having to go up against them. As they
  92. walk, Sheridan notices a red ribbon tied to a nearby wall. Sheridan
  93. tells Garibaldi to continue to check up on them, and that he will
  94. check in with him later to check his progress. Sheridan exits hastily.
  95. Sheridan, in a dark corridor, shines a strange patterns of lights into
  96. the area ahead. He walks forward and meets with a woman. "The general
  97. sent me," she tells him. "I have a message. You're in great danger,
  98. Captain. We know what you've been told. But Dr. Jacobs is not a
  99. traitor." As she sets up a device to prevent their conversation being
  100. eavesdropped upon, Sheridan asks why there is such an intensive search
  101. out for him, and the woman explains that Earth Special Intelligence is
  102. directly under President Clark's control, and that Jacobs represents a
  103. threat Clark wants stopped at any cost. Sheridan asks what the
  104. situation is, and the woman explains what happened at the beginning of
  105. the year.
  106. "Before President Santiago was killed aboard EarthForce One, Clark got
  107. off the ship, claiming he had some kind of virus. Twenty-four hours
  108. later, EarthForce One is destroyed in an...accident, and Clark assumes
  109. the presidency. As Clark's personal physician, Jacobs knew it wasn't
  110. true. If he would ever testify to that effect, it would help prove
  111. that Clark knew what was going to happen. But, they couldn't allow
  112. that. If they killed him right away, it would look suspicious, so they
  113. kept an eye on him until they figured it was safe for the good doctor
  114. to have an accident. We heard about it, and we helped him escape."
  115. [INLINE] The secret meeting.
  116. She tells him that their plans were changed because Jacobs wasn't able
  117. to meet with his contact elsewhere, so he came to Babylon 5. Sheridan
  118. tells her that he can't pull his security officers off because it
  119. would mean revealing himself, destroying everything they've tried to
  120. build. She says he needs to do whatever he can, because it must be
  121. done. They need to accumulate as much evidence as possible, and
  122. Jacobs' testimony would be a good place to start. She tells him to
  123. make sure he gets the statement and gets Jacobs off the station alive.
  124. He tells her that he is angry things have gotten so far out of hand,
  125. and that he will have to circumvent his own security officers. She
  126. advises him to work quickly, and leaves. Sheridan calls Garibaldi,
  127. telling him to meet with him in ten minutes.
  128. Dr. Franklin is instructing a small group of physicians in MedLab when
  129. he gets a call from Garibaldi. "Hi Doc. Just wanted to say, 'Happy
  130. birthday,' that's all. Catch you later." Franklin tries to protest,
  131. and doesn't understand the message, since it isn't his birthday, but
  132. gets the point when he sees security officers scanning nearby.
  133. Franklin orders the message to replayed frame by frame, looking for
  134. anything unusual. Several frames in, he sees two voice balloons
  135. sketched on top of the image which read, "Meet me at my place ASAP.
  136. Come alone. Wear something comfortable."
  137. [INLINE] Garibaldi's message.
  138. Jacobs, the old man, now in a deserted area of Downbelow, prepares an
  139. injection which he gives to himself. He speaks into a small recording
  140. device, and says, "I'm...uh, I'm nearly out of stims. I have to keep
  141. moving. If I fall asleep, they'll get me. And, uh, if they get me, I
  142. uh...I don't know if this will get to you Mary, but I'm tired. I'm
  143. just desperately tired. I don't know who to turn to, who I can trust."
  144. He is interrupted when several security officers appear nearby,
  145. searching some drunken lurkers. Jacobs quickly fumbles at opening a
  146. nearby cargo elevator, and when he does, he steps inside closes the
  147. door. The security offciers notice something on the scanners for just
  148. a minute, and then it vanishes. They decide to report it anyway.
  149. [INLINE] Jacobs makes his recording.
  150. Garibaldi prepares to search for Jacobs by taking two PPG weapons and
  151. dressing in extremely casual clothes. He says that his security crew
  152. is good, but that he has one advantage: Dr. Franklin, who knows a lot
  153. about Dr. Jacobs, and is someone whom Dr. Jacobs knows as well.
  154. Franklin is afraid Garibaldi will be recognized, but Garibaldi says
  155. that, because of his position, they rarely look at his face. He also
  156. puts on his disguise, a hat, and the two of them leave to begin their
  157. mission.
  158. Jacobs steps out of the elevator, and is immediately met by the tall
  159. man who saw him talking to the merchant earlier. He tries to move
  160. away, but is met by another gentleman. The tall man tells him that he
  161. looks as if he doesn't belong in Downbelow, and asks him what he is
  162. buying or selling, or if he is running away. Jacobs says he doesn't
  163. want any trouble and will pay whatever he wants. "Yeah, you will," the
  164. tall man tells him.
  165. Jacobs is taken to another section of Downbelow, and has his
  166. belongings taken by the two lurkers. They search through them,
  167. searching for something they might be able to sell. Jacobs tries to
  168. convince them he has nothing of value, but they soon discover
  169. otherwise when they rip open his jacket to find a data crystal and an
  170. antique pocketwatch, which attracts the large lurker immediately. Its
  171. inscription reads, "Office of the President of the Earth Alliance."
  172. The large lurker leaves to examine the data crystal, leaving the other
  173. behind to guard Jacobs.
  174. [INLINE] Taken hostage.
  175. Cranston explains to Sheridan and Ivanova that they have searched most
  176. of the station and have deduced that Jacobs must be hiding in
  177. Downbelow. Sheridan says that the sooner they get him off of Babylon
  178. 5, the better, and that Cranston is right about him being in
  179. Downbelow. When Ivanova protests, Sheridan tells her that it is the
  180. only logical choice, unless she seriously believes he might also be
  181. Downtown. Cranston asks where this place is, and Sheridan tells him it
  182. is the unofficial name for the area between the hull and the water
  183. reclamation system, one of the most unpleasant parts of the station,
  184. full of heavy machinery, pipes, and lead. Cranston decides that Jacobs
  185. would use lead to defeat the scanners, and calls security to have them
  186. search Downtown instead. Cranston leaves, and Ivanova asks him what he
  187. was talking about, telling him that the entire area was sealed off
  188. after Babylon 5 was made operational. Sheridan says that he hopes
  189. trying to burn through the walls and doors in that area will buy
  190. Garibaldi a few hours. He then receives a call saying that one of the
  191. ambassadors wants to see him. He begins to say no, but decides
  192. otherwise when he learns it is Ambassador Kosh. He goes off to the
  193. meeting.
  194. Garibaldi and Franklin are questioning some of the people in a bazaar
  195. in Downbelow, but can't find any information. They comment on how
  196. there are no guards down there, but Garibaldi decides it must be
  197. Captain Sheridan's doing. They stop to rest and to have something to
  198. eat. While they are chatting about Dr. Jacobs and the past, when they
  199. notice a merchant trying to sell Jacobs' pocketwatch, which Franklin
  200. recognizes. Garibaldi strongarms the merchant into revealing where he
  201. got the watch.
  202. [INLINE] Garibaldi and Franklin downbelow.
  203. An officer goes to Cranston and tells him that they have someone on
  204. the line who has seen Jacobs. Cranston answers the call and talks to
  205. the man on the other end, the same one who kidnapped Jacobs from
  206. Downbelow. The man says he will turn over Jacobs for 10,000 credits,
  207. to which Cranston agrees. The man says he will call again when he is
  208. ready to exchange.
  209. Sheridan arrives in Ambassador Kosh's quarters, and asks the purpose
  210. of the meeting. "You wanted to see me?" he asks Kosh.
  211. "You wanted to see me."
  212. "Well, I guess everybody does. To see what you really are inside that
  213. encounter suit."
  214. "They are not ready. They would not understand."
  215. "Am I ready?"
  216. "No. You do not even understand yourself."
  217. "Could you help me to understand you?"
  218. "Can you help me to understand you?"
  219. "Well, I can try. Is that what you want? An exchange of information? I
  220. tell you something about me, and you tell me something about you?"
  221. "No. You do not understand. Go." Kosh turns away.
  222. [INLINE]
  223. "Damn it, what do you want? What do you want from me? You know, ever
  224. since I got here, I've had the feeling that...that you've been
  225. watching me. The record shows you hardly ever went to council meetings
  226. until I showed up. When I was captured, it was you who reached out and
  227. touched my mind. And now you call me here? Why? Just to throw me out?
  228. Are we just toys to you? Huh? What do you want?"
  229. Kosh spins around and intones angrily, "Never ask that question."
  230. "At least I got a response out of you. So, what'll it be, Ambassador?"
  231. "I will teach you."
  232. "About yourself?"
  233. "About you. Until you are ready."
  234. "For what?"
  235. "To fight legends."
  236. The lurker guarding Dr. Jacobs hears a pounding at the door which he
  237. thinks is his companion, Max, returning. He opens the door, but finds
  238. Garibaldi instead. Garibaldi knocks the lurker out, but not before he
  239. is stabbed in the arm. Franklin tries to help Garibaldi up, and then
  240. unties Dr. Jacobs. Though they try to usher him out of there, Dr.
  241. Jacobs insists that they have to have the data crystal, which Max
  242. took. Garibaldi tells Franklin and Dr. Jacobs to wait for him nearby.
  243. Max arrives back in the room to find the other lurker tied up. He
  244. removes the gag from his mouth, but before the other can warn Max,
  245. Garibaldi steps from the shadows, PPG drawn, and demands the data
  246. crystal. He begins shooting at Max, missing deliberately, but coming
  247. closer and closer each time. By the time Garibaldi shoots only an inch
  248. away from his head, Max agrees and hands over the data crystal.
  249. [INLINE] "I'm in a bad mood."
  250. Cranston talks to Sheridan, reminding him that, in the past, internal
  251. scanners have been used to locate radiation sources inside Babylon 5.
  252. Sheridan tells him it required a lot of difficult rewiring, but
  253. Cranston only wants to know why he was not informed about it. Ivanova
  254. comes in and tells Sheridan that Dr. Franklin needs to seem him
  255. immediately. Sheridan leaves, and Cranston turns to Ivanova. He asks
  256. her about the internal scanners and how long it will take him to wire
  257. his scanners up to Babylon 5's. She replies coldly, obviously
  258. resenting his attitude toward her. She tells him that he didn't ask
  259. for the information and that there is no way to know if the systems
  260. are compatible or if it will work.
  261. Dr. Jacobs gives the data crystal to Sheridan and explains that it
  262. contains the information obtained from his scans of Clark which proved
  263. he did not suffer from a viral infection and that he has given
  264. Garibaldi the necessary codes to unlock the data. Garibaldi, while
  265. being treated for his arm injury by Franklin, reminds them that they
  266. will need a statement as well. Sheridan says that they have another
  267. problem now that Cranston knows they can patch their scanners into the
  268. station's internal sensors, which would make it very easy to find Dr.
  269. Jacobs. Franklin asks if it is possible to get him off the station,
  270. but Garibaldi says it isn't likely, considering they have all the
  271. docking bays covered. "Not entirely correct, Mr. Garibaldi," Sheridan
  272. says.
  273. The configuration between the sensors and the scanners is complete.
  274. Ambassador Kosh asks for permission to depart, but Sheridan won't
  275. allow him to leave until after they scan the station. The station is
  276. scanned, but they don't find Dr. Jacobs. Sheridan tells Cranston that
  277. he is angry his station has been torn apart for no reason. Kosh asks
  278. permission to depart again, which Ivanova grants. Cranston says he
  279. doesn't understand since someone (Max) told him Jacobs was on the
  280. station. Sheridan tells Cransgon that he can't be too sure of any
  281. information he obtains aboard the station. Ivanova begins to tell Kosh
  282. that he can open the jump gate, but Cranston protests, saying that he
  283. wants the ship scanned. Sheridan tells him that it is an ambassadorial
  284. vessel, but Cranston isn't satisfied. Sheridan reluctantly agrees to
  285. scan the ship, and the scan find one life form, but it isn't human.
  286. Sheridan offers sarcastically to return the ship to the station to
  287. search it thoroughly, but warns Cranston that, if they find nothing,
  288. it could cause a major diplomatic incident. Cranston gives his
  289. permission for the ship to enter the jumpgate, which it does. Sheridan
  290. orders Ivanova to help Cranston find out where Dr. Jacobs really went,
  291. and help him in any way possible. He also tells Cranston that, as soon
  292. as Ivanova is finished, he hopes Cranston will leave. Cranston says
  293. nothing, but leaves C&C.
  294. [INLINE] "Give him your _full_ cooperation."
  295. Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin arrive in bay 13, where the
  296. Vorlon ship has redocked. Sheridan tells them that they are supposed
  297. to wait until the ship recognizes them, which it soon does. Sheridan
  298. explains that it knows them because it is alive. Kosh wasn't on the
  299. ship when they scanned it from C&C, and since the scan only registered
  300. one life form, it must be the ship. The ship opens up, and
  301. tentacle-like protusions extract a large pod from it. When the pod
  302. touches the ground, it opens to reveal Dr. Jacobs inside. Dr. Franklin
  303. quickly revives him from an artificial coma, which Kosh insisted on as
  304. a condition for the use of the ship. Dr. Jacobs revives. "While I was
  305. asleep," he says, "the uh...the ship...It sang to me."
  306. [INLINE] The ship gives Dr. Jacobs back.
  307. Sheridan returns to the woman sent by General Hague and hands her a
  308. data crystal, which he says contains all of Dr. Jacobs' information.
  309. She accepts it willingly. "Good. It's not enough to go public with
  310. yet, but it's a start. We'll get Jacobs onto one of our ships as soon
  311. as possible. Thank you again for your help. You've just scored a major
  312. victory for the good guys. You should be proud. Until next time,
  313. Captain."
  314. "There's always a next time, isn't there?" Captain Sheridan asks.
  315. "You'd better pray it stays that way, Captain. Because as long as
  316. there is a next time, at least there's a chance we'll win." She turns
  317. to leave, but offers him one final thought before she goes. "Because
  318. in this war, Captain, we need all the chances we can get."
  319. [14][Next]
  320. [15]Last update: October 11, 1995
  321. References
  322. 1. file://localhost/cgi-bin/imagemap/titlebar
  323. 2. LYNXIMGMAP:file://localhost/lurk/maps/maps.html#titlebar
  324. 3. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/guide/035.html
  325. 4. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/background/035.shtml
  326. 5. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/credits/035.html
  327. 6. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/episodes.php
  328. 7. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/034.html
  329. 8. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/036.html
  330. 9. file://localhost/lurk/lurker.html
  331. 10. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/035.html#TOP
  332. 11. file://localhost/cgi-bin/uncgi/lgmail
  333. 12. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/episodes.php
  334. 13. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/034.html
  335. 14. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/036.html
  336. 15. file://localhost/lurk/lastmod.html