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  Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@cc.wwu.edu)
  
   "Personal Log, January 8, 2261, Doctor Stephen Franklin reporting.
   It's been fourteen days since Captain Sheridan was presumed killed on
   Z'ha'dum--nine days since Mr. Garibaldi disappeared on patrol outside
   the station. MedLab's quiet these days. The League of Non-Aligned
   Worlds has broken up and everyone's going back to their homeworlds to
   prepare for the next stage of war. We know the enemy's gonna strike
   back. Rumor has it that this time's gonna be the last time. This time,
   they're gonna end it. All we can do now is wait for the other shoe to
   drop, or try and find something useful to do before the end. And right
   now, short of hand-holding or a sympathetic ear, I can't think of one
   damn thing..."
   
   Lennier enters MedLab as Franklin is recording and tells him that he
   is committing a breach of protocol, but that there is a problem with
   Delenn.
   
   Sheridan is floating deep in blackness, facing a creature glowing with
   an inner light--its two tentacles hold him firm, and a voice resonates
   two questions "Who are you?" and "What do you want?" over and over
   again. Sheridan wakes up, and the figure standing over him asks him
   what he was dreaming about. The man already knows he's thinking about
   escape, and tells Sheridan he should give up the attempt. The man
   knows Sheridan still wants to know his name; he says it's Lorien, and
   asks a series of questions, eventually ending in the conundrum of
   which came first--the word that created the universe, or the thought
   behind it? Lorien knows Sheridan is still involved in the question he
   wants to ask--Who are you? Sheridan is surprised Lorien knows the
   significance of that question, and Lorien tells him the point of the
   question is that there is never a good answer. He tells Sheridan
   further that the question of what Sheridan is is easy--he's dead.
   Sheridan doesn't believe him, but can find no proof, even in the form
   of a pulse, that he is actually alive.
   
   Sheridan refuses to believe that he's dead, and insists it's a trick.
   Lorien asks him what the last thing he remembers is. Sheridan only
   remembers falling, seemingly forever. Lorien tells him that nothing
   goes on forever, and that everyone hits bottom sooner or later. Lorien
   asks Sheridan if he hit the bottom of the abyss, but Sheridan doesn't
   know. Either Sheridan did, and he is dead, or he didn't, and is still
   falling. Lorien also suggests he could be in-between, and Sheridan
   asks what he could be in between.
   
   "Between moments," Lorien tells him. "When we are born, we are
   allocated a finite number of seconds. Each tick of the clock slices
   off a piece of us. Tick. A possibility for joy is gone. Tock. A
   careless word ends one path, opens another. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
   Always running out of time. Yours is almost used up. You're between
   seconds--lost in the infinite possibilities between tick and tock.
   Tick. You're alive. Tock.... Well, it was a good life, but a short
   one. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick..."
   
   Sheridan grabs Lorien and demands to know what's going on, if he's
   behind it all. "Who are you?" he asks, and remembers part of his
   dream.
   
   "You're closer now, aren't you? Yes, I see you are. But closer to tick
   or closer to tock? I don't know. Only time will tell. And here,
   between the moments, we have all the time in the world..."
   
   G'Kar walks into a tavern filled with people and the strains of loud
   futuristic rock music. He steps over to a table and speaks to a man,
   telling him he heard he could find information about a piece of
   Starfury the man sold to a trader elsewhere. The man says it was
   salvage, and therefore legal, but G'Kar wants to know where it came
   from, since it belongs to the Starfury Garibaldi was in when he
   disappeared. The man doesn't want to talk, but G'Kar demands to know
   how he knew where to find it. When things begin to turn violent, the
   bartender intervenes, and tries to kick G'Kar out, something G'Kar
   doesn't like. Before the bartender can do anything else, a man nearby
   raises up his hood, revealing himself as Marcus, and a short fight
   ensues, during which both he and G'Kar escape. The bartender sends two
   Centauri guards after them, while he speaks to another one about
   another matter.
   
   The chime on Delenn's quarters rings several times before she answers
   it and Dr. Franklin steps in. She asks if there is a problem, and he
   asks her if she is having a problem, since she hasn't had anything to
   eat or drink in a week, which, although commonplace for normal
   Minbari, may not be healthy for her. Delenn says that justice is
   served by her fast, and everything that has happened has been her
   fault, and she tells Franklin she is very upset that she broke the
   bond and the trust between she and Sheridan. She admits that she loved
   him and wanted to protect him, but thinks she should have trusted him
   more than she did. She tells Franklin that her fast will continue, and
   that should Sheridan be dead, her soul will join his, and she will see
   him again, in "the place where no shadows fall." Franklin leaves her
   alone with her grief.
   
   Marcus comes in from the outside, and reports to G'Kar that the
   Centauri guards are still chasing them. G'Kar doesn't know why, and
   Marcus explains that he is worried for exactly that reason. G'Kar says
   he thinks Marcus worries too much, but wants to know why he's there.
   Marcus says he came to look after him in case he got into trouble.
   G'Kar tells Marcus that he is planning to go back later and find out
   more about Garibaldi's Starfury, but Marcus offers to do it instead,
   since the guards are all too eager to find G'Kar. Marcus asks G'Kar
   why he is risking so much for Garibaldi, and G'Kar tells him that he
   is doing it because Garibaldi was his friend, and he never had a
   friend who wasn't a Narn. Marcus says he's doing it because he never
   had a friend who was a Narn--when he had them at all. G'Kar picks up
   Marcus' pike and looks at it, accidentally extending it while doing
   so. G'Kar says he likes the weapon very much.
   
   The Centauri guards are with the bartender, looking through several
   photos of Narns that may have been involved in the altercation in the
   bar, and he eventually finds a photo of G'Kar and is able to identify
   him. The guards tell him there is a reward on G'Kar--dead or alive.
   Meanwhile, the man from the bar awakens--due to Marcus dripping water
   in his face. Marcus threatens him, and demands to know where he got
   the piece of the Starfury.
   
   Delenn arrives in Captain Sheridan's quarters, where Franklin is going
   through Sheridan's personal effects on Ivanova's orders. While looking
   through Sheridan's files, he found something he felt Delenn should
   see. He hands her a data crystal which she plays as soon as Franklin
   leaves.
   
   "Personal log," says Sheridan on the screen, "May 14, 2260. We
   actually had a quiet day today--it's hard to believe with so much
   going on lately. Now that we've broken away from Earth, everything has
   hit the fan. It's not what I wanted. Frankly, it scares the hell out
   of me, but it had to be done. The job now is to turn this around and
   make it into something positive. My dad always told me that's the only
   way you deal with pain. You don't surrender, you don't fight it--you
   turn it into something positive. He used to say, 'If you're falling
   off a cliff, you may as well try to fly. You've got nothing to lose.'
   And in a way, I feel the same way about Delenn. During the war, I
   fought Minbari, I killed Minbari, saw many of my friends die at
   Minbari hands. Here I am, in love with one of them. For a long time, I
   thought about not saying anything, but... The moment my heart crossed
   that line, there wasn't much I could do but see it through. Yeah, I've
   fallen off one hell of a cliff, but when I look in her eyes, I let
   myself think, maybe I really can fly."
   
   Marcus explains to G'Kar that the man got the location of the Starfury
   from Interplanetary Expeditions, and that person would get one tenth
   of the purchase price. G'Kar says he plans to go to the place where
   the ship was found to search out for more information. G'Kar says that
   Marcus should go back to Babylon 5 and search for the person from
   Interplanetary Expeditions, and that Marcus should leave before he
   gets offended. G'Kar says he needs Babylon 5's resources more than he
   needs Marcus' help. Marcus leaves as G'Kar lays down to sleep.
   
   G'Kar awakens to the sound of footsteps, and sees shadows outside. As
   they come closer, he grips his firearm tightly, but when they enter
   the room, even though he gets off a few shots, he is taken down and
   knocked unconscious.
   
   Delenn and Lennier stand before the gathering of Rangers, and Delenn
   tells them that, even though most of their work has, until this time,
   gone unnoticed, they must strike a blow that will serve as an example
   to all the others. Lennier explains to them that the League of
   Non-Aligned Worlds has dissolved, and that they must find those who
   still believe in their cause. He says they need a single rallying cry,
   and Delenn wants it to be the Rangers. She says their plan is to wait
   seven days, for any other ships, and then attack Z'ha'dum. They have a
   small chance of success, but they must try anyway. She tells the
   Rangers that, with this attack, she is offering them the same chance
   to fly that she heard in Sheridan's log.
   
   There is a knocking at Londo's door, and after taking up a weapon in
   case of danger, he answers the door to find the Emperor's advisor, who
   says the Emperor wants Londo to come immediately. Londo changes out of
   his night clothes and goes to the Emperor's throne room. Though
   Emperor Cartagia is initially upset at the delay, he tells Londo that
   he wishes to present him with a gift. Londo attempts to refuse, but
   Cartagia won't let him, and knows it's something Londo has been
   waiting for for a long time. Cartagia activates a signal, and two
   Centauri guards enter flanking G'Kar, who is wearing a yoke. Cartagia
   says G'Kar is there for their amusement and that, should the amusement
   cease, G'Kar will die. Londo, not knowing what to say, decides only to
   thank Cartagia for the gift. Cartagia asks G'Kar if he has anything to
   say, and G'Kar asks him only if he knows where Garibaldi is. "Who?"
   asks Cartagia.
   
   Garibaldi is, in fact, in a solidly built, round room, as if an
   observation room, with no windows and a well-sealed door. Garibaldi
   pounds against it, but to no avail. A voice coming from unseen
   speakers tells him to refrain, as he might hurt himself. Garibaldi
   asks why they can't allow that, and the voice says merely that they
   have their orders. Garibaldi asks who the orders came from, but the
   voice won't tell him. The voice wants only to know what happened after
   he left Babylon 5, and Garibaldi insists he doesn't remember, but the
   voice says his vital signs indicate he isn't being honest. This
   outrages Garibaldi, but the voice only wants to hear the truth. It
   asks him time and again what happens, but Garibaldi insists he doesn't
   remember. Garibaldi loses control and begins smashing everything in
   sight, including his chair and the lights in the room. His rampage is
   soon stopped, however, when a gas pours from vents in the floor,
   knocking him unconscious. The door to the room opens and someone
   wearing a gas mask--atop their PsiCorps uniform-- steps into the room.
   
   Londo enters G'Kar's cell, where the Narn is sitting in the corner.
   Londo says it was foolish for G'Kar to leave Babylon 5, and that he
   was followed as soon as he left. Londo tells G'Kar that, if he wanted
   to die, he could have attended to it, but that, on Centauri Prime, he
   will be afforded no such courtesy, and he will be tortured by
   Cartagia--treated as a toy. G'Kar will suffer for days, weeks, or
   months, but when they are done, G'Kar will die a very time-consuming
   and painful death, each of his organs being removed one at a time.
   G'Kar asks if the idea pleases Londo, and Londo admits that it
   doesn't, and that it never would have. Londo says he would not wish
   G'Kar's fate on anyone. Londo tells G'Kar that Cartagia is a monster,
   and that he must be removed. G'Kar may be the means by which it can be
   accomplished, but he will suffer greatly--something Londo can't
   prevent. Londo tells G'Kar he must endure until the time is right, at
   which point Londo will act. Londo asks if G'Kar will help, but he
   doesn't answer. Londo begins to leave, and G'Kar tells him the price
   for his assistance--he will help remove Cartagia only if Londo will
   free Narn. Londo promises this to G'Kar, and then leaves the room,
   casting a bright light onto G'Kar as he exits.
   
   Sheridan, still trekking through the tunnels in Z'ha'dum, finds the
   fire he set when he first woke up. He realizes he has come full
   circle, and Lorien says everyone does eventually. Sheridan knows there
   must be some way out, but Lorien says that the only way out is to
   surrender to Tock. Sheridan says he can't die, since he must aid the
   Army of Light in the war, to prevent billions of deaths.
   
   "It's a terrible thing when your children fight," Lorien tells him. "I
   warned the others, but they didn't listen. They never listen."
   
   "Your... children?" Sheridan asks.
   
   "Metaphorically speaking. Those who came after me. Children. Younger
   siblings."
   
   "How long have you been here?"
   
   "A long time. So long... I was old when the molecules of your world
   joined and called themselves land and sea and fish and man."
   
   "You're one of the First Ones."
   
   "No, not one of the First Ones. I am The First One."
   
   Sheridan knows Lorien knows a way out of Z'ha'dum, but wants to know
   why he has stayed for so long. Lorien says he's waiting for someone,
   and that Sheridan is the first to make it as far as he has. Sheridan
   asks if the Shadows know, and Lorien says they do-- that's why they
   come back to Z'ha'dum. They believe they're showing respect, but they
   don't understand. "They used to," Lorien says, "but that was a long
   time ago. A million years." Sheridan says Lorien doesn't look as old
   as he is, and Lorien says he doesn't at the moment. Sheridan finally
   realizes his dream was of Lorien.
   
   "Did you know you have a Vorlon inside you?" Lorien asks. "Well, a
   piece of one."
   
   "If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die," Sheridan remembers Kosh saying.
   "Jump... Jump now..."
   
   "Kosh..." Sheridan realizes.
   
   "Is that its name? I think I met it once, long ago."
   
   "He told me to jump. Did he know..."
   
   "That I was here? Almost certainly."
   
   "How..."
   
   "They can break off pieces of their conciousness and put it into other
   organisms. It allows them to travel hidden through the galaxy, using
   others as their eyes and ears. Kosh is in you, and he's part of the
   problem. You're the other part. You're both still clinging to life,
   both afraid to let go. You must lay down the burden of life, both of
   you, and surrender yourself to Tock."
   
   "No, I can't," Sheridan says. "The others need me..."
   
   "You can't turn away from death simply because you're afraid of what
   might happen without you. That's not enough. You're not embracing
   life, you're fleeing death. So you're caught in-between, unable to go
   forward or backward. Your friends need what you can be when you are no
   longer afraid--when you know who you are, and why you are, and what
   you want. When you are no longer looking for reasons to live, but can
   simply be."
   
   "I can't... I don't know how to do that."
   
   "Then I cannot help you, and you will be caught forever in-between.
   You must let go. Surrender yourself to death. The death of flesh. The
   death of fear. Step into the abyss... and let go."
   
   "It's getting darker," Sheridan says, and the light around him starts
   to vanish.
   
   "I know. You're close, friend. Very close. It's easy to find something
   worth dying for. Do you have anything worth living for?"
   
   "I can't see you anymore..."
   
   "As it should be."
   
   "What if I fall? How will I know if you'll catch me?"
   
   "I caught you before."
   
   "What if I die?"
   
   "I cannot create life, but I can breathe on the remaining embers. It
   may not work."
   
   "But I can hope..."
   
   As the world around him disappears completely, the words of Lorien
   continue to echo. "Hope is all we have."
   
   Sheridan then begins to reexperience his emergence onto the balcony
   above the abyss, and his leap into it, as Lorien's voice echoes,
   asking him again, "Do you have anything worth living for?"
   
   While he falls, he remembers the voice of someone, a long time ago, on
   the original White Star. "Sleep now. I will watch, and catch you if
   you should fall."
   
   Lorien stands over the body of Sheridan, outstretched at the bottom of
   the abyss, after Sheridan delivers his answer, in the form of a single
   word.
   
   "Delenn!"

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