lurkers-guide/synops/000

<B>Londo's voice over (note differences with series, cf MotFL).</B> <P>
<blockquote>
I was there at the dawn of the third age of mankind.  It began in
the Earth year 2257 with the founding of the last of the Babylon
stations, located deep in neutral space.  It was a port of call
for refugees, smugglers, businessmen, diplomats, and travelers
from a hundred worlds.  Could be a dangerous place.  But we
accepted the risk, because Babylon 5 was our <em>last</em>, best hope
for peace.  Under the leadership of its final commander, Babylon
5 was a dream given form: a dream of a galaxy without war, when
species from different worlds could live side by side in mutual
respect.  A dream that was in danger as never before, by the
arrival of one man on a mission of destruction.  Babylon 5 was
the last of the Babylon stations.  This is its story.
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
We join LtCdr Takashima at Ops, guiding a transport ship in to dock.
Station security chief Garibaldi calls in (most contacts within the
station are both audio and video).  He's looking for Cdr Sinclair, who
needs to meet one of its passengers personally.  Takashima reports he's
on his way already. <P>

Del Varner (one man on a mission of destruction), is in the docking bay
passing through security.  Sinclair arrives to meet Lyta Alexander, the
telepath newly assigned to B5.  While Varner is watching, Sinclair
welcomes her aboard and explains the rules of the station.  As they head
off to her quarters, Lyta looks back; she and Varner appear to have
exchanged glances. <P>

Ambassador G'Kar storms into Ops, shouting objections to the requirement
that his supply ship from Narn submit to a weapons search.  Takashima
deflects him coolly and there is no resolution.  "As far as I'm
concerned, they can sit out there for the next solar year.  If it makes
you feel any better, I could send them a fruit basket..." <P>

Sinclair and Lyta cut through the alien sector on the way to her
quarters.  Sinclair uses the otherworldliness of it to underscore his
point about B5's purpose - it's a hub for exchange of all kinds between
people of all kinds, and must be able to cater to any of them.  "Sooner
or later, everyone comes to Babylon 5."  At Lyta's question, Sinclair
explains what happened to the other four stations: three were sabotaged,
one more simply disappeared 24 hours after coming on-line.  She does not
take this to be a good sign. <P>

Later, the senior officers are gathered in Sinclair's office.  Kosh, the
last of four foreign ambassadors to B5, will be arriving in 48 hours.
From the input of the officers it is clear that the Vorlons are very
secretive.  Takashima has been in contact with Kosh but with audio only
- the Vorlon claimed his monitors were malfunctioning.  Garibaldi says
the Earth Alliance knows almost nothing about them - no-one's even seen
a Vorlon.  Dr. Kyle (medical chief) says they've only given him enough
info to generate the right atmosphere - "Pretty thick stuff." <P>

Outside, a tiny clawed ship deploys from an undocked transport, zips
down to the station, grabs onto it, and carves a hole in the hull under
its belly. <P>

Minbari Ambassador Delenn invites Sinclair to meet in the Garden, an
open air environment in the center of the station (the view down the
great cylinder is breathtaking).  He is starting to ask why he sees her
there almost every other day, but she interrupts him. <P>
<PRE>
  D: Notice the waves, each moving in its own order, predictable,
     unchanging.  But drop in a single stone, and see how the
     pattern changes.  Everything around it is altered.  
     [turning to Sinclair] This is from your world?
  S: It's a Japanese stone garden.  Setting it aside was tough.
     [...]
  D: I am glad it is here.  On my world there are books -
     thousands of pages - about the power of one mind to change
     the universe.  But none say it as clearly as this.
     [Delenn changes the topic to the Vorlons, and gives Sinclair
     a copy of all the information she has about them]
  D: If anyone asks, say it fell from the sky.
  S: Why?  I mean the war between us has been over for almost ten
     years but there are still a lot of people on either side
     who'd hang both of us for this kind of...
  D: [standing] Commander - you know everything about your stone
     garden, but clearly you have not spent enough time looking
     at it.  Good day.  
</PRE>
The Garden's artificial night descends on Sinclair as he stares off down
the station's axis. <P>

At Ops, a ship is reported to be coming through the jump point.
Takashima is distressed - "Damn, that's a Vorlon ship all right.
Ambassador Kosh two days early.  I was afraid he'd pull something like
this." <P>

In a dark corridor, a poorly glimpsed figure scans its hand at a door,
which opens to reveal Varner inside.  As the figure enters, Varner says,
"About time."  But, when the door swings shut, there is a bright flash
of light and the thud of a falling body from within. <P>

Sinclair, Garibaldi, and Takashima are strapped into a rail-car moving
down the axis to the other end of the station.  Kosh will be arriving in
only two hours.  Sinclair sends Garibaldi to ensure that Ambassador
Londo will be at the early reception, "We don't want a repeat of what
happened when G'Kar arrived."  A private message then comes in for
Sinclair, which he says he'll take in his quarters. <P>

The message is from Sinclair's SO, Carolyn Sykes, who is returning a
week early from a trading expedition (ETA 1 hour, 40 minutes).  "Just in
time for the reception," says Sinclair, already starting to look haggard
as he changes outfits. <P>

G'Kar stops Takashima in an upward-curving corridor to happily announce
that he's ordered his transport to submit to the weapons search. <P>
<PRE>
  G: Since you doubtless have your hands full, our captain will
     wait until after the Ambassador's ship has docked.  Is that
     satisfactory?
  T: Yes, yes it is.  Are you feeling all right Ambassador?
  G: Couldn't be better!  See you at the reception then...  
     [he walks off, humming and <em>bouncing</em>]
</PRE>
Londo is gambling at the station's casino.  Garibaldi arrives, for whose
monetary support Londo soon appeals.  Del Varner is listening in from a
table very near by as Londo touts his own gambling system.  When he
suddenly starts reminiscing about the days of Centauri wartime
greatness, Garibaldi interrupts him - "Be a good Ambassador and promise
you'll be at Docking Bay 9 in two hours."  "I'll be there," Londo
agrees, "what else have I got to do - I'm broke!"  However, when
Garibaldi leaves, Varner approaches Londo, "This system of yours - it's
a sure thing...?" <P>

Lyta Alexander is telepathically overseeing a business deal, to the
marked (but honest) advantage of the fellow employing her.  When that
concludes, G'Kar invites her to talk, invoking "privacy" (a feature of
the room that can shield transactions at any table).  G'Kar proceeds to
offer her money for sex, the major purpose (but clearly not the only
one) being to acquire telepathy for the Narn Regime through her genetic
resources.  Lyta is not interested.  "I've heard about the Narn
obsession with buying new technology, but you can't just <em>buy</em> someone's
genetic makeup.  It's... immoral."  G'Kar persists, even to the point of
bringing up details of the coupling.  We can only assume, from her
expression, that she doesn't take him up on it. <P>

Varner steps into a corridor where a security guard is shining a
flashlight in peoples' faces.  Varner passes this scrutiny and smiles
confidently. <P>

The Vorlon ship is closing up its scintillating fins and entering the
station under Takashima's control.  She routes it to docking bay 9 and
directs Sinclair there. <P>

Sinclair steps onto a turbolift and takes it down, but it stops almost
immediately.  The computer reports a momentary power loss - there will
be a 2.3 minute delay for secondary power to become available. <P>

The Vorlon ship opens and Kosh emerges, wearing a great big encounter
suit with a cape hanging from the back.  He glides slowly down the ramp
into the bay. <P>

Sinclair jogs up to the closed docking bay, arriving at the same time as
Garibaldi and Takashima.  Garibaldi begins to complain about Londo's
absence, but an alarm suddenly goes off.  Sinclair sends Takashima off
to notify security and opens the bay door, finding Kosh on the floor.
They can't open his suit because the atmosphere would kill him, so
Sinclair sends Garibaldi off to have Kyle ready the medlab immediately. <P>

Later, Sinclair is in the medlab, where Kyle is mixing up the atmosphere
for Kosh.  Takashima comes in and reports that the Vorlon government has
forbidden them to open the encounter suit at all.  "We haven't come this
far to watch it all fall apart," Sinclair growls.  "Jeff, I'm warning
you," she objects, "they're deadly serious about security."  "Then we'll
give them security," - he orders all monitors and data logging to be
turned off, reminds Kyle of his oath of confidentiality, and sends him
in to do what he can.  He acquiesces, and as he prepares for the
unknown, Takashima says, "Good luck, and I hope you're wrong..." <P>

Looking through the glass into the environment room, Takashima tells
Sinclair what she and Kyle had been talking about earlier - legend has
it that the only human being ever to have seen a Vorlon had been turned
to stone.  Soon ready, Kyle touches the outside of the suit in a couple
places, and it opens, light streaming out.  He looks in... and sees what
he sees. <P>

Later, in his office, Sinclair is reporting to Earth that Kosh could
well die.  The Senator warns that the Vorlon government is very
suspicious of what happened - if there is any sign of foul play there
could be serious repercussions.  On hearing that Garibaldi is in charge
of the investigation, he's skeptical.  "Is that wise?  I was opposed to
you bringing him on in the first place.  He's been bounced from one
station to another for years, I don't know if he's up to an
investigation on this scale."  (Garibaldi has come in meanwhile and has
been listening out of sight.)  Sinclair proclaims complete confidence in
his security chief, and they sign off.  "Old news," Garibaldi says.
Sinclair charges him with finding out where everyone was during the five
minutes between Kosh's arrival and the alarm, and grants him "full
diplomatic access." <P>

Stumbling into his quarters, Sinclair finds Carolyn in his bed.  "You
really should change your access code more often," she says.  He kisses
her and collapses in exhaustion. <P>

We find Dr. Kyle in the outer room of the medlab, staring blankly off
into space.  The computer analysis completes; an unidentified foreign
compound is present in Kosh's body.  His condition is very poor, the
prognosis terminal. <P>

Kyle, un-rattled as usual, wakes up Sinclair to report that Kosh was
poisoned, and he needs know what kind of poison it was in order to
counteract it.  If he knew where it got in through the environment suit,
he could probably find enough of it there for an identification.
Failing that, Kosh will die in 24 hours.  Sinclair immediately calls
security and seals off the station: no ships may come or go until
further notice. <P>

Meanwhile, G'Kar and Delenn are in her quarters talking about the
situation. <P>

<PRE>
  G: Why won't you accept the facts?  Who was the only one of us
     missing from the welcome party when Kosh arrived?  Londo
     Mollari!
  D: And why would the Centauri Republic want to kill Ambassador
     Kosh?
  G: What better way to prop up a fading empire than to start a
     war? They've been trying to join forces with the Earth
     Alliance for years!  A mutual enemy would serve that purpose
     very well.
  D: And if your assumption is correct and he is the assassin,
     what would you suggest?
  G: An alliance between our governments.  Yours is the oldest of
     the five federations, ours is the youngest.
     Technologically, you're centuries ahead of everyone else.
     We have <em>unlimited</em> manpower and the will to use it!  Can
     you imagine what we could achieve together?
  D: I can, which is why it must never be allowed to happen.
     Your perceptions are colored by your history with the
     Centauri.  As former slaves of their government, you would
     seize any opportunity to raise a force against them.
  G: We were never slaves!  Our world was invaded, our people...
  D: The word - was ill chosen.  My apologies.  But my decision
     stands. Thank you for coming, Ambassador.
  G: HAH!  I should have known better than to waste my time.
     You're even worse than the Centauri; they're beyond the
     dream of conquest.  But you, you had the Earth Alliance on
     its knees - one more stroke and you would have defeated
     them!  Yet you surrendered - why?
  D: We had our reasons.
     [While G'Kar talks into space, Delenn opens a hidden
     compartment and puts on one of 20 or so simple rings
     ceremoniously displayed there]
  G: On Narn we heard that the decision to surrender came from
     your holy men.  A secret group called the "Grey Council" -
     weak frightened old fools with no vision or the will to
     fight.  But <em>we</em> -
</PRE>

Delenn interrupts him with the palm of her now-ring-bearing hand; G'Kar
is suddenly transfixed by artificial gravity.  Delenn doesn't release
G'Kar from the worsening force until she extracts from him the promise
that he never mention the Grey Council in her presence again.  (While
completely over-matched, G'Kar does remain standing.)  Once released, he
pants, "Oh Delenn, I gave you a chance for greatness and you threw it
away.  Whatever happens now, let it be on your own head." <P>

Garibaldi finds Londo at the bar by the casino.  "It's a pity," Londo
says, "I suppose there'll be war now, mm?  All that running around
shooting at one another?  I would have thought sooner or later it would
go out of fashion."  When Garibaldi begins questioning him, Londo blows
him off, but then acquiesces to "full diplomatic access."  He was still
gambling at the time, he claims - Varner had promised to back his bets
but then pulled out after Londo suffered heavy losses. <P>

<PRE>
  L: He's here, if you want to talk to him.
     [he points out Varner across the room, but Garibaldi
     continues to question]
  G: Can anyone confirm your story?
  L: Yes - the new telepath, Lyta Alexander.  I saw her talking
     to Varner shortly after you left.
  G: Who would want to kill the ambassador?
  L: Mr. Garibaldi - it's a big universe!  If I knew who did it I
     would tell you.  I'm not here to make trouble.  You know why
     I am here?  I'm here to grovel before your wonderful Earth
     Alliance, in hopes of attaching ourselves to your destiny,
     like... what are those fish called on your planet that
     attach themselves to sharks?
  G: Ramoras.
  L: Yes.  You make very good sharks Mr. Garibaldi.  We were
     pretty good sharks ourselves, once - but somehow, along the
     way, we forgot how to bite.  There was a time, when this
     whole <em>quadrant</em> belonged to us!  What are we now?  Twelve
     worlds and a thousand monuments to past glories, living off
     memories, stories, selling trinkets.  My god man, we've
     become a tourist attraction!  "See the great Centauri
     Republic, open 9 to 5, Earth time."  [he sighs] Anything
     else?
  G: No. Thank-you, Ambassador.
</PRE>

Finally walking over to question Varner, Garibaldi discovers the man is
nowhere to be found. <P>

Takashima and Kyle are in private quarters, discussing the Kosh dilemma.
At the Vorlons' request, all the monitors had been off in the docking
bay, so no-one but Kosh himself knows how he was poisoned.  Kyle
suggests that they enlist the telepath's aid to find out, and Takashima
agrees it's the best thing to do (but only after a quite contrary story
from her own life about the importance of sticking by the rules).  The
Vorlons would never allow it, of course, so they plan to proceed behind
Sinclair's back. <P>

When they confront Lyta with the idea in the medlab, she objects - quite
rightly - that she could be thrown out of the Psi Corps for the crime of
unauthorized mind scanning.  Takashima urges the gravity of the
situation, "Lyta, if the ambassador dies, the Vorlons will retaliate.
This station is the first logical target.  If I were in their position,
I'd have a cruiser standing by in hyperspace right now just waiting to
attack us.  Thousands would die, and after us who knows how many
more..." <P>

Meanwhile, air is leaking out from one of the holes caused by the
grabber ship still attached to the hull.  The techs begin to notice
the pressure loss and send a maintenance pod to investigate. <P>

Vast forces weighing upon her shoulders, Lyta agrees to scan Kosh.
Preparing herself, she explains, "When I get inside, it's subjective -
I'll feel what he felt, but I'll see my body, not his.  This could get
rough."  Initially she can't make mental contact with him, but succeeds
when she takes off one of her gloves and puts her hand <em>inside</em> the
encounter suit. <P>

With Lyta, we see Sinclair walking forward through a warped image of the
docking bay.  "Welcome to Babylon 5," he says, smiling.  A glance at his
left hand shows it is slightly cupped away from sight.  Sinclair offers
his right, and we see a woman's arm reach forward to shake it (PoV,
remember).  He quickly grabs the proffered hand and slaps a big red
circle onto the back of it.  Soon the image of the bay distorts and
tumbles, leaving us looking up from the floor at a grim Sinclair, then
blackness. <P>

In the medlab, Lyta is screaming blindly.  Once the staff extricate her
from the environment room, Kyle and Takashima talk her back to reality.
She reports where the poison hit, and Sinclair jogs in just in time for
Lyta to viciously accuse him of the deed. <P>

Later, we momentarily see Varner in the marketplace pointing a little
gadget at Lyta, who apparently doesn't see him. <P>

The maintenance pod comes upon the grabber ship, which produces a cannon
and demolishes it. <P>

Varner follows a yellow-suited man into a turbolift and gets recognized
by Eric, a yellow-suited tech.  There is a flash of light as the door
closes, and Eric emerges grimly - and alone. <P>

In another senior staff meeting, Takashima reports that word has gotten
out that a witness has identified Sinclair as the assassin.  The senator
calls and, given conflict of interest, orders Sinclair to temporarily
surrender command of the station to Takashima, who will also represent
the EA at the upcoming emergency council.  "Jeff, once the council gets
into this, there's nothing we can do without compromising the neutrality
of Babylon 5 - we <em>can't</em> let that happen."  After the senator signs
off, the officers voice strong objections, but Sinclair demands that
they do this one by the book. <P>

The Babylon 5 advisory council is in session.  G'Kar is making the case
against Sinclair: he was suspiciously missing when Kosh debarked, and
there is no record of the lift malfunction Sinclair claims delayed him.
G'Kar opens the floor to questions, and Delenn asks Dr. Kyle who it was
that identified Sinclair.  Kyle replies that the witness has requested
anonymity, which would of course change if this went to trial.  When
asked about the poison, Kyle reports that it was Florizine, a rare
poison found only in the Damocles sector [a chilling name].  G'Kar
immediately announces that "Sinclair's woman" had arrived from the that
very sector less than an hour before the assassination attempt! <P>

During a recess, Londo is at the bar again, staring at his drink.  G'Kar
walks merrily up to him and says, "Ambassador Mollari, I would like to
discuss your vote with you." <P>

Garibaldi is updating Sinclair on his investigation as they walk through
the corridors.  Garibaldi doesn't trust what Lyta has to say - "I've
seen her a lot with Del Varner, the guy who kept Londo from attending
the reception."  Turns out Varner has many EA indictments for smuggling
illegal technology.  Garibaldi can't fathom that man's actions; why
would he put himself at risk stepping into EA jurisdiction?  Why would
he deliberately anger Londo by offering monetary support and then
backing out, when many of his own underworld clients are Centauri?
Furthermore, Varner was too much in debt to cover Londo's bets anyway.
Sinclair sends Garibaldi off to talk to have a chat with Mr. Varner. <P>

Council resumes - Sinclair is now on the stand.  G'Kar opens with a
motion to extradite Sinclair to the Vorlon home-world for trial and
quickly opens the vote with a yes.  Takashima votes no for EA.  Delenn,
with unknown difficulty, abstains.  Londo, with deep regret, votes yes.
The council is deadlocked: two for, two against or abstaining.  G'Kar
then announces that he'd suggested his idea to the Vorlon government
just recently: they requested that he vote yes on their behalf.  The
motion passes, deportation to take place in 12 hours. <P>

Garibaldi arrives at Varner's quarters to find the access system out of
commission.  Gaining entry with a gadget, he puzzles at a small puddle
of orangish liquid on the floor.  Then he puzzles at Del Varner's body
in a big fish tank. <P>

In the medlab, Kyle confirms that the body is indeed Varner's, dead for
at least X hours.  Also, he will be able to counteract the poison in 6-7
hours, which is not much less than the time Kosh has got left. <P>

Garibaldi has lost the only lead he'd found.  "Dammit, maybe they were
right - maybe you got the wrong man for this job after all," he says to
Sinclair in the corridors.  "Michael, I picked you because you're right
for the job.  You're not politick, you're not subtle, and sometimes
you're a pain in the ass - and I wouldn't have it any other way." <P>

At Ops, a tech reports to Takashima that the maintenance pod was lost.
She sends a repair crew to check out what's going on. <P>

G'Kar and Lyta meet in the alien sector.  She notes his lack of a
breathing mask, and he points out his gill implants.  "Come," he says,
"there's been a complication." <P>

In the casino, Londo apologizes to Garibaldi for his vote - G'Kar had
blackmailed him with scandalous information about Londo's father.  Of
such secrets is Centauri power made and broken.  Londo didn't know his
vote would matter, but he admits, at Garibaldi's questioning, that
knowing wouldn't have changed anything.  "This is my weakness, my
failure.  I am sorry, <em>truly</em> sorry." <P>

In Sinclair's quarters, Carolyn is looking in awe at a medal of honor. <P>

<PRE>
  C: Jeff, this medal, you were on the Line, and you never told
     me?
  S: I didn't want to talk about it. 
  C: Why?
     [Sinclair broods over a star globe, looking old]
  S: I was a squad team leader when the call came in.  We all
     knew it was a suicide mission, the Minbari had broken
     through, closing in.  Every ship we had left was ordered to
     circle Earth.  We had to stop them, no matter what it cost.
     They came at us out of nowhere, we never had a chance.  The
     sky was full of stars, every star an exploding ship.  One of
     ours.  My team was blown out of the sky in less than a
     minute.  Twelve ships.  I managed to take out a fighter
     before they hit my stabilizers.  I was losing power, I'd
     lost my team, and I figured if I was going to die I'd take
     someone out with me, so I targeted one of their heavy
     cruisers, hit my afterburners.  I was going to ram them head
     on.  The last thing I remember is hurtling toward that
     cruiser, filling my screen.  Big... my god so big.  Then,
     something passed in front of my eyes - I guess I blacked out
     from the acceleration.  When I came to 24 hours later, the
     cruiser was gone.  I checked in.  They told me the war was
     over.  The Minbari had surrendered.
  C: [appealing] Because of the Line.
  S: No.  We were beaten.  We didn't stop them, they stopped
     themselves, and I wish to hell I knew why.
</PRE>

Meanwhile, Lyta enters the medlab and engages Kyle in conversation about
Kosh's condition.  While Kyle walks around examining readings, Lyta
surreptitiously shuts down medical equipment behind him.  Kyle starts to
ask her how it is that she was seen talking to a man who'd already been
dead, but is interrupted by alarms going off.  He tries to stop Lyta,
and they exchange blows.  Kyle is painfully tossed around, but stumbles
into a floor-mounted laser, with which he manages to shoot her in the
arm.  She stumbles through the exit, drawing a weapon.  In the hallway
outside, she encounters the <em>real</em> Lyta Alexander running to
investigate.  The fake points her gun at Lyta for a full heartbeat,
screeching but not shooting, then whirls and fires at Sinclair instead
as he comes in from the other direction.  Sinclair dives aside and she
escapes.  Inside the medlab, Kyle has been doing damage-control, and
reports that Kosh will still pull through. <P>

The false Lyta is careening down the corridor, cradling her arm.
Falling against a wall, her whole face is <em>malformed</em> momentarily by a
scream of pain.  She stumbles on. <P>

In a cargo bay, Garibaldi shows the now-disabled grabber ship to
Sinclair, reporting how it was found.  Only one individual could have
come aboard in it.  "Short range," Sinclair muses - some other ship must
have brought it here.  Garibaldi also reports that the body of Eric the
tech has turned up dead, yet friends have reported seeing him recently.
Just then Takashima links in to call them all over to Varner's quarters
- she has something to show them. <P>

Takashima has cracked open Varner's files and discovered that Varner was
on the station to sell a changeling net: illegal technology that can
make a person's appearance and voice that of someone else, at the risk
of death from prolonged exposure.  "So that's what Kosh saw in the
docking bay," Takashima realizes.  The net puts out a huge amount of
energy, enough to detect with the station's sensors.  Sinclair orders
Takashima to reconfigure them to scan inwards, and then heads off to
security. <P>

Sinclair and Garibaldi arrive at Ops in body armor, carrying <em>big</em> guns.
Filtering out known sources, Takashima finds the expected energy spike.
Sinclair orders that area sealed off and heads for the door.  Takashima
suggests they take a hovering recorder along, "The way things are going,
you may need a witness."  Indeed, moments after they've left, a tech
reports that something is coming through the jump gate.  "It must be the
transport ship - damn!" she says.  The tech looks up in fear - "That's
not a transport!"  "Looks like the commander's ride is here," she
replies.  But it's not just a ride - no less than <em>three</em> Vorlon
cruisers emerge from the gate amid a swarm of fighters. <P>

In the corridors, Sinclair has Garibaldi set his weapon to a non-killing
level so that they can take the assassin alive.  The move in with
Takashima's assistance from Ops, pinpointing the energy source.  There
is a brief exchange of fire, and Garibaldi is thrown backward by a hit
in the chest.  He tears off his super-heated jacket, which took most of
the blast.  Sinclair forges ahead alone. <P>

At Ops, the Vorlons have demanded the immediate transport of Sinclair.
Takashima orders a tech to link the Vorlons in to the recorder following
him.  While the tech gets to work on that, the Vorlons threaten attack
in 5 minutes. <P>

Sinclair exchanges fire with the assassin, but neither is hit.  He
stalks slowly forward to where the figure disappeared, looking back
once.  When he turns his attention forward again the assassin (disguised
now as Eric) tackles him from behind.  Both apparently having lost their
guns now, they start fist-fighting.  Sinclair is quickly in severe
trouble.  However, the chameleon net starts changing images as they
grapple - first Varner appears, then Lyta, and finally Sinclair himself
in body armor!  The assassin is forced to pause each time, and at the
last change Sinclair throws him against a high-voltage barrier in a room
across the corridor.  Gouts of electricity pour through the figure, and
the disguise finally gives out, revealing him to be...  Minbari! <P>

The Vorlon fighters are powering up their already awesome-looking
weapons as they close on the station.  The tech finally gets the signal
from the recorder finally connected to the outgoing link. <P>

There is an explosion (possibly the chameleon net), and the assassin is
thrown back into the corridor.  "Why," Sinclair asks in wonder, "Why did
you do it?"  Looking up at him, the Minbari has only this to say: "There
is a hole in your mind."  With that, he reaches up and breaks his own
wrist, activating some kind of device in his arm.  Through the link,
Takashima shouts, "Oh my god, he's wired!"  Sinclair orders the area
sealed off and sprints down the corridor.  He's quickly blown through a
closing bulkhead by a great explosion behind him. <P>

B5 is thrown off kilter by the blast, and Vorlon fighters veer off to
avoid colliding with it.  It takes quite some effort on Takashima's part
to pull it back into position without ripping apart the spinning
station. <P>
<a name="delenn-timing">
Garibaldi and Delenn find Sinclair returning from the destroyed section.
</a>
"This little breach of security isn't gonna affect my Christmas bonus,
is it?" Garibaldi quips.  Delenn asks him, "Do you need anything?"
"Coffee," Sinclair chuckles, "two sugars, cream - and aspirin." <P>

<a name="carolyn-leave">
A shower and change later, Sinclair sees Carolyn off the station -
</a>
trading has called her away again.  On a whim, she invites him to quit
Babylon 5 and go off with her.  "I'll think about it," he says.  "Well
don't take too long," she replies, "I'll wait, but not forever." <P>

Later, the officers gather in the medlab.  The station will be fully
operational again in a few days, and Kosh is recovering and out of
critical.  Then Delenn enters and invites Sinclair aside, "I regret that
a Minbari was responsible for all this sadness," she says.  Sinclair is
forgiving - "You can't be responsible for the actions of every member of
your race, Delenn."  "No.  But there is something I can do." So saying,
she gives him a file of information about the assassin, whose clan she
recognized when she watched the recording broadcast to the Vorlons.  "I
think you'll find it...  most interesting." <P>

Still later, Sinclair is in his quarters, proposing a toast with G'Kar
"To a fully operational Babylon 5!"  "To the future!", G'Kar returns,
and they drink.  G'Kar expresses his pleasure at how it all turned out,
and reaffirms their mutual goal of peace.  However, Sinclair has his own
agenda. <P>

<PRE>
  S: I'm surprised you didn't ask about Del Varner.
  G: I assumed he was simply another innocent victim.
  S: Not quite.  His last entry spoke of a big payoff for
     bringing a changeling net across the border.  He was
     supposed to meet with his buyer in the Tigris sector but was
     running behind - didn't your supply ship also pass through
     the Tigris sector on its way here?
  G: If you have a point to make, Commander, pleeease make it.
  S: I believe the assassin was brought here on <em>your</em> supply ship.
     [G'Kar is carefully examining Sinclair's bric-a-brac]
     That's why they needed the changeling net before they
     arrived - a Minbari warrior walking off a Narn ship would
     draw a lot of attention.  With the net, he could appear to
     be one of your crew and infiltrate the station.  When Varner
     missed connecting with your ship he came here, so you had to
     find another way to get the assassin on board.  They used
     the transport we found on the station's hull to get him
     inside, he then killed Del Varner and grabbed the changeling
     net.
  G: Sheer speculation, Commander.  With the death of Del Varner,
     and of the assassin, you have no proof.
</PRE>
<a name="nanobluff">
G'Kar goes to leave, but Sinclair has one last thing to tell him.  It
</a>
seems with his drink G'Kar has swallowed some nanotechnology, which has
by now made itself at home in his intestines.  It is shielded from
outside detection, and it can be used to pinpoint G'Kar's location at
any time.  Sinclair points something at him by way of demonstration, and
G'Kar jumps when it beeps.  "This is an outrage!" he cries.  "This is
insurance," Sinclair replies, "What you do here is your own business.
You can scheme and plan and play all the games you want.  But get this
straight - if you ever endanger this station again, my people will find
you, and the results will be most unpleasant." <P>

Storming out of Sinclair's quarters, G'Kar is blocked for a moment by
Garibaldi and Londo coming out of a lift.  Garibaldi mimes a gadget at
G'Kar with a "beep-beep" as he walks by.  "Beep Beep?" Londo asks, 
"It must be Earth humor.  Who can figure a species like that - Beep 
Beep."  G'Kar is quite beside himself. <P>

Londo walks on to the reception, but Garibaldi and Sinclair stop and
talk in the corridor.   <P>

<PRE>
  G: Do you think they'll find that transmitter you slipped him?
  S: No.  Because there isn't one.
  G: There isn't?  Wait...
  S: I lied.  I figured if there was a transmitter sooner or
     later they'd find it and remove it.  But if I just told him
     there was, they'd keep looking, indefinitely.
  G: Commander, do you have any idea of the tests they'll put him
     through, the <em>things</em> they'll do to him, tryin' to find a
     transmitter that's not there?
  S: Yes.  Come on...
</PRE>

All are present at Kosh's long-delayed reception except G'Kar (possibly
off having his stomach pumped).  Sinclair welcomes Kosh to the station,
there is applause, and Kosh bows.  Delenn steps forward and nods in
respect, and Londo raises his glass to him. <P>

Later, Delenn finds Sinclair alone in the night-darkened Garden. <P>

<PRE>
  S: Delenn, just before he died, the Minbari assassin looked at
     me and said, "There is a hole in your mind."
  D: An old Minbari insult, nothing you need worry about.
  S: Maybe... it's just - there's a 24-hour period in my life
     that I can't account for.  It happened during the war with
     your people.  You wouldn't be holding anything out on me
     would you, old friend?
  D: Commander, I would never tell you anything that was not in
     your best interest.
  S: Well, we'll talk about this again, one of these days.  Come
     on, we should get back to the reception.
  D: By the way, there's something I've been wondering - why
     "Babylon 5?"  After prior four stations were lost, or
     destroyed, why build another?
  S: Plain old human stubbornness, I guess.  When something we
     value is destroyed, we rebuild it.  If it's destroyed again
     we rebuild it again.  And again, and again, and... [looking
     down the vast Garden] again.  Until it stays.  That, as our
     poet Tennyson once said, is the goal: "To strive, to seek,
     to find, and not to yield."  
</PRE>

Lastly, from a beautiful point of view outside the station, we see
Takashima at Ops.  "This is Lieutenant Commander Takashima.  Our docking
bays stand ready to receive you.  Babylon 5 is open for business." <P>

Matthew Ryan <em>mattryan@pobox.com</em>
<hr>
Copyright 1994, Matthew Ryan.  All rights reserved.  Permission is
granted to distribute this synopsis <strong>noncommercially</strong> as
long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact.  Babylon 5
is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright
is intended by writing these synopses.<p>

Anthony Taylor (FNATT@elmer.alaska.edu) wrote a preliminary version of
the files on the pilot, and I am grateful to him for many of the points
listed on the above page (included with his permission). <P>