lurkers-guide/synops/022

<p>
It is December 30, 2258.  As the episode opens, Londo and G'Kar are arguing
before the council about quadrant 37.  G'Kar accuses the Centauri government
of sending armed ships into Narn space, but Londo is adamant in his belief
that quadrant 37 is neutral territory, because of a treaty.  G'Kar declares
that the Narn government no longer acknowledges the treaty because it was
forced upon them.  Sinclair intervenes and points out that the Narns have
operated a military base on the border of Centauri space, without incident,
for five years, and wonders why the problems have only now begun.  G'Kar
claims that outposts such as those are necessary for Narn planetary
security.  Londo responds, "Keep this up, G'Kar, and soon you won't have a
planet to protect." G'Kar storms out of the council chamber.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/tiptoe.gif"> G'Kar makes his accusation.

<p>
Elsewhere on the station, Garibaldi is talking to some people when a dying
man stumbles over to him.  The man is badly injured and can barely talk, but
manages to utter one message before he dies.  "You've got to stop them," he
says.  "They're going to kill him...  they're going to kill him."

<p>
Garibaldi explains to Sinclair and Ivanova that the man, named Stephen
Petrov, was a lurker from Downbelow who he had picked up for petty theft and
reformed.  He had been an informant of Garibaldi's for six months, though
Garibaldi had not heard from him in nearly two weeks.  Garibaldi is upset
that Petrov had died while wanting to turn his life around, but realizes
that his death may not have been in vain, if what he said was true.  Though
they don't know whose life may be in danger, Garibaldi is determined to find
the answer.

<p>
Later, Sinclair and Catherine Sakai watch the news in Sinclair's quarters.
"After which, the president and his escort left the Mars colony on a
goodwill tour of the outer planet colonies.  Sources close to the president
have hinted that he'll give a major policy speech New Year's Day from the
jump point on Io.  The speech is likely to concern human-alien relations
over the remainder of his five-year term," says the anchorwoman.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/couch.gif"> Watching the news.

<p>
Catherine
asks Sinclair if he has plans for New Year's.  He says that he doesn't,
unless the conflict between the Narn and Centauri is still continuing.
Catherine has made plans, but wants to surprise Sinclair.  Sinclair has a
surprise for her as well.  He talks to her about their relationship and the
problems they have had in the past, and how much he loves her.  "Look," he
asks her, "do you want to get married or don't you?"  "Yes," she replies.

<p>
Londo and Vir are in Londo's quarters discussing the problems the Centauri
are having with the Narn.  Londo is upset at having to tell the council that
he must give quadrant 37 to the Narns, but knows that he must do it and that
he has nearly no alternative.  Then, there is an incoming communication
which Vir answers.  When the voice asks for Londo, Vir first answers that he
is very busy, but Londo recognizes the voice and takes the call personally.
He recognizes the man on the other end as Morden, who had rescued the Eye
from the raiders.  Londo wants to talk, but Morden refuses, instead setting
up a meeting at the park in one hour, to discuss a problem that Morden
doesn't mention.  Londo agrees, and then sends Vir away, to prepare for the
meeting.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/ducks.gif"> "I think I'll stick my
head in the station's fusion reactor."

<p>
Delenn and Lennier are in Delenn's quarters.  Delenn is again working on the
crystal structure that she has been constructing for a long time.  "Did you
see Ambassador Kosh?" she asks Lennier, and he responds affirmatively.  "Did
you relay my question precisely?  Word for word?"  Again, Lennier responds
affirmatively, and when Delenn asks for his reaction, Lennier tells her.
"Just one word.  He said: Yes."  Delenn stops working on the structure and
leaves hastily, telling Lennier to wait for her.

<p>
Garibaldi, now in Downbelow, searches for information on Petrov's death.  He
is met with consternation from the various lurkers, but eventually finds one
that has information for him.  The strange man says that it is common for
lurkers to accept assignments from people on the station when they need more
people to work.  "Last week, one of the guys hired us to load cargo for
transport." Garibaldi asks what kind, but the man didn't ask.  He suspected
that the man who had asked them to load the cargo was trouble.  Garibaldi
asks for a name, and the man provides one: Devereaux, whom he claims hangs
out in the casino.  The lurker also provides one last startling bit of
information.  "The last time I saw Petrov was just before he went looking
for you.  Whatever he saw, whatever he knew, scared him half to death."

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/information.gif"> Garibaldi gathers
information.

<p>
In the park, Londo searches for Morden and eventually finds him.  Londo
tells Morden that he wanted to thank him for returning the Eye, but Morden
waves it off.  "Unnecessary," Morden says.  "I'm here to be of service,
Ambassador!  My associates believe that you are a person of great potential,
trapped in a position where your skills are unseen and unappreciated.
They'd like to change that."  Londo tells Morden that nothing can be
changed, and that his life is as much as it will ever be, but Morden
suggests trying anyway.

<p>
Morden knows of the trouble in quadrant 37 and offers to solve the problem
for the Centauri.  Londo doesn't believe it, but Morden persists, telling
Londo to tell his superiors that he will take care of the situation.  Londo
does not still completely understand.  "What is the price for this...help?"

<p>
"No price, Ambassador," Morden answers simply.  "But at some point in the
future, if we deliver on our promises, we may come to you and ask you for a
favor.  That's all."  Morden leaves.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/help.gif"> "We're simply here to help."

<p>
Delenn enters Kosh's quarters.  She breathes from a gas mask once, then puts
it away and speaks.  "I have come as I said I would.  Kosh, I have great
doubts.  I must know if it's true.  I must see with my own eyes."

<p>
Kosh says nothing in response.  Suddenly, a bright light comes from the
encounter suit, and slowly, the top of the suit begins to move out of
place.  Delenn looks at what she sees and smiles.  "Yes, thank you.  Now I
will keep the promise.  Goodbye.  You will not see me again as I am now."
She bows to Kosh and leaves.

<p>
In the casino, Garibaldi finds Devereaux and introduces himself.  Devereaux
refuses to cooperate, but relents after Garibaldi forces him to go to
security to identify Petrov.  "Big mistake, hot shot," Devereaux says to
Garibaldi.  "You shouldn't poke around in things you don't understand.  This
is too big for you."  Garibaldi does not believe this, and escorts Devereaux
out of the casino.

<p>
Meanwhile, in Londo's quarters, Vir enters and tells Londo that the Centauri
government wants to know if he has relayed their message to the council.
Londo tells Vir to reply that he will personally take care of the problem in
quadrant 37.  Though Vir believes Londo is drunk, Londo assures him it is
not so, and tells him to send the message.

<p>
Sinclair goes to G'Kar's quarters, where Na'Toth tells him that G'Kar is too
busy, but she changes her mind after several females emerge from his
bedroom.  Sinclair wants the Narn to give Centauri room to maneuver, but
G'Kar refuses; he considers it a dead issue.  Sinclair tries to get him
reconsider.  The Narn, he says, are abusing their power by threatening the
Centauri much as the Centauri had done to them.

<p>
"We know what we're doing," G'Kar says.  "Is there anything else?"

<p>
"Just that I've had this feeling lately that we're standing at a crossroads,
and I don't like where we're going.  But there's still time to choose
another path.  You can be part of that process, G'Kar.  Choose wisely.  Not
just for the Centauri, but for the good of your own people as well."

<p>
"We all do what we have to," G'Kar says, and asks Sinclair to leave.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/crossroads.gif"> "We're standing at a
crossroads."

<p>
Later, Sinclair, Catherine, Ivanova and Garibaldi are eating dinner
together.  Garibaldi wants to know what the occasion is, and Sinclair tells
him that he and Catherine are getting married, and they want want Garibaldi
and Ivanova to be the best man and maid of honor, respectively.
Congratulations are exchanged, and Garibaldi tells Sinclair that he is glad
to be his friend and best man.  A beep comes from Garibaldi's communicator,
and he receives a message that Devereaux, and the two men who were with him,
is missing.  Garibaldi tells Sinclair that he found something interesting
about Devereaux.  When he investigated Devereaux's PPG, he found no serial
number stamped on the inner coil.  Only special agents in Earth Force
security get unnumbered PPGs, a fact which suggests to Garibaldi that
something serious is going on.

<p>
In quadrant 37, a Narn perimeter guard is investigating the sector, and
reports that he has found nothing.  He loses contact with the base.
Suddenly, something materializes directly in front of him.  It is a large
black ship that has many protusions resembling legs or tentacles.  It fires
a beam at the ship, which is instantly destroyed.  A second mysterious ship
appears nearby, then a third, then a fourth.  Several Narn ships, fighters
and large capital ships alike,
attempt to intercept and return fire on the spider-like vessels, but their
attempts are fruitless.  All the Narn ships are destroyed, and soon the
outpost on a nearby planet is destroyed as well.  The mystery ships vanish,
fading to invisibility as they move away from the planet.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/outpost.gif"> The Narn outpost.

<p>
Ivanova, at C&C, taking an opportunity to relax since no more ships are due
in for a while, watches the news.  "At which time the vice president
disembarked Earth Force 1.  He is currently undergoing medical tests while
the president continues en route to Jupiter.  Reports indicate that the vice
president is suffering from a viral infection and hopes to catch up with the
tour as it returns from Io."

<p>
There is, however, no time for Garibaldi to relax.  One of the ships that
Devereaux had hired Petrov to load cargo onto was delayed by engine trouble,
and he is inspecting the cargo.  His aide arrives to help.  Though the cargo
containers are supposed to contain medical supplies, Garibaldi finds
transmitters which are set to broadcast static -- a "poor man's jamming
device."  In another crate is a triangulation system, used to determine
optimum placement for the transmitters.  The device is set for a location
near the transport point on Io, and the jammers are set to jam the gold
channel frequency for Earth Force 1.  Garibaldi links to Sinclair.  "We've
got a problem.  Ultraviolet priority."  He doesn't go into more detail, but
tells Sinclair to meet him in a briefing room in twenty minutes.  He rushes
away.  After Garibaldi leaves, his aide makes a communication of his own.
"This is blue alpha," he says.  "Stand by."

<p>
While Garibaldi is on his way, he comes across Devereaux and his
associates.  Garibaldi tries to apprehend them, but is shot in the back by
his aide.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/devereaux.gif"> Devereaux confronts
Garibaldi.

<p>
Sinclair, in his quarters, tells Ivanova that Garibaldi has still not
reported in.  They both agree that Garibaldi would not call for an
ultraviolet alert and then not go in to follow it up, so they surmise that
something must be wrong.  Sinclair continues to try to contact Garibaldi,
but is interrupted by the chime of his door.  He is thinks it's Garibaldi,
but he's wrong.  It is Delenn.  "Hello Commander," she says.  "I believe you
recognize this."  She holds up the triluminary given her by a member of the
Grey Council.  "Yes," Sinclair answers, remembering a hooded member of the
Council holding that up to his face when he was aboard the Minbari ship at
the Battle of the Line.  Delenn presses further.  "You remember what
happened at the Battle of the Line, don't you?  You remember being taken
aboard our ship?"  Sinclair says he remembers a little of what happened, but
doesn't know everything or what it means.  "I suspected as much," Delenn
answers.  "We have a lot to discuss, Commander.  By coming to you, I am
putting both of our lives at risk.  But there are things you should know."

<p>
Sinclair says it's a bad time because Garibaldi is missing.

<p>
"I understand," Delenn says.  "Come to my quarters, and I'll tell you as
much as I can.  But don't wait too long, Commander.  Certain things have
been set in motion, and I do not have much time."  She leaves.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/recognize.gif"> "I believe you recognize
this."

<p>
While Garibaldi slowly and painfully makes his way to the elevator, Na'Toth
delivers some disheartening news to G'Kar about quadrant 37.  She tells him
that the outpost there is gone, and though G'Kar thinks they have just lost
contact, she informs him that the homeworld sent a ship to investigate, and
found everything gone, and all the records destroyed.  There were no
survivors.  Na'Toth laments the 10,000 deaths, but G'Kar is preoccupied with
even darker matters.  "It wasn't the humans.  The Centauri don't have the
will.  The Vorlon's don't care.  The Minbari wouldn't do it.  The other
worlds aren't powerful enough for a strike like this," he says.  "There's
someone else out there, Na'Toth," he says grimly.

<p>
Things are a bit lighter around the rest of the station, however.  It is now
midnight, and the New Year's celebration has just concluded with the ringing
in of the new year, 2259.  When a couple of guests at the celebration
attempt to leave, they find Garibaldi in the elevator.  He has lost a great
deal of blood and is unconscious.

<p>
In Delenn's quarters, she is completing the building of her crystal
construct.  "Are you sure there's no other way?" asks Lennier, who watches
her sadly.

<p>
"What must happen will happen," Delenn says.  "Valen said this day would
come.  Who are we to stand in the way of prophecy?"  Lennier tries to
convince her to stop what she is doing by asking her what will happen if she
is wrong.  "Then speak well of me when I'm gone," she answers, smiling
faintly.  She turns away from him and looks at the crystal structure for a
moment.  She then silently picks up the triluminary from the table and
inserts it into a slot at the top of the device.  It begins to glow with an
eerie white light, and soon the entire device is glowing in a similar
manner.  "If he comes, it must be soon," she intones gravely, watching the
corner of the room as something fills it, apparently coming from the glowing
structure.  "I have little time."

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/sculpture2.gif"> "What must happen will
happen."

<p>
Garibaldi is rushed to MedLab, where Dr. Franklin shouts to an assistant to
prepare for surgery.  He diagnoses Garibaldi as having massive internal
damage, and he cannot operate until his condition stabilizes.

<p>
Sinclair is worried about Garibaldi, but Garibaldi moves a little and is
able to offer an important warning as Sinclair listens.  "They're going
to...they're going to kill the president.  At the transfer point on Io.
Warn him!  Warn him..."  Sinclair rushes out as Dr. Franklin goes to work.

<p>
Sinclair quickly arrives at C&C and asks Ivanova if she has been able to get
through to Earth Force 1.  She tells him that all conventional channels are
being jammed.  They are even unable to get through on the gold channels.
The C&C staff tries to reroute through civilian channels and to get Earth
Central on-line as well, but they do not succeed either way.  They are,
however, still getting the ISN news feed, which they display so they can
monitor the situation.  The anchorwoman reports that, though the president
was supposed to begin his New Years speech ten minutes earlier, he had not
done so.  She gets an emergency signal.  Suddenly, Earth Force 1 bursts into
flames.  "Station Io is dispatching hospital ships, but it doesn't seem
possible that anyone could have survived that kind of..."  Sinclair tells a
tech to shut the screen off.  The president is dead.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/ef1.gif"> Earth Force 1.

<p>
While watching Dr. Franklin and the others in MedLab work on Garibaldi,
Sinclair says that he wants guards posted around MedLab around the clock and
medical personnel available 24 hours a day so that what happened before
cannot happen again.  He says that they only have one name to go on,
Devereaux, and that they need any information available about him.  Sinclair
leaves, and we see that he was talking to Garibaldi's aide, who just smiles
and looks through the window into MedLab.

<p>
In Delenn's quarters, Lennier cries silently as he watches and listens to
Delenn.  Though she cries out several times, he does nothing but watch in
anguish.

<p>
G'Kar and Na'Toth solemnly board a core shuttle, in which Ivanova is
already seated.  G'Kar asks about Commander Sinclair and Garibaldi, and
Ivanova tells them that Sinclair is in MedLab with him, and that Garibaldi's
situation is still very uncertain.  G'Kar wants to tell Sinclair that there
is little point in further mediating the dispute over quadrant 37.  Ivanova
has heard about what happened, and asks if they have information, but they
have none.  G'Kar offers his condolences over the death of President
Santiago and hopes that Earth finds whoever is responsible.  Na'Toth tells
Ivanova that the Narn will find and punish those responsible for the
destruction of everything in quadrant 37.

<p>
Back in the park, Londo and Morden meet again.  Londo is amazed and outraged
at what happened to quadrant 37 and the death of the 10,000 Narns there.  "I
didn't know you cared," Morden replies.  "Ten thousand, a hundred thousand,
a million, what's the difference?  They're Narns, Ambassador.  Your sworn
enemy."  Londo, however, is still shocked.  He didn't think that Morden
would take such drastic action.  "Ambassador, your name is being spoken at
the highest levels of the Centauri government.  They don't know how you did
it.  They don't care.  They credit you with saving them from another
embarrassment without creating a war in the process.  They've noticed you,
Ambassador, which was the point of the exercise.  I hear they have great
plans for you."  Londo still cannot grasp the scope of what happened, but
Morden continues.  "Ambassador, you're a hero.  Enjoy it!  I'll be around."
He then leaves.

<p>
Sinclair tries to convince an Earth senator that the president was
assassinated, but she does not believe it.  She claims that their evidence
has only pointed to problems with their fusion reactor, and that it was all
nothing more than an accident.  The senator doesn't believe that Garibaldi
could know that the president might be assassinated if Earth's best agents
did not.  She tells him that she doesn't want a panic to be created by
spreading "unsubstantiated rumors" and orders him to maintain silence on his
feelings of the presidential assassination.  Sinclair storms away.

<p>
Meanwhile, Garibaldi's aide calls to several other security agents who are
nearby.  Devereaux and his men are lying on the floor dead.  Garibaldi's
aide says that they tried to fire at him when they would not go in for
questioning, and claims he killed them in self-defense.  One of the officers
says Devereaux's PPG is cold, which it wouldn't be if Devereaux had fired
it.  But he withdraws his comment, perhaps not wishing to contradict his
superior.

<p>
Dr.  Franklin begins to operate on Garibaldi.

<p>
Sinclair is at the bar, drinking.  He watches the news regarding the death
of President Santiago and the inauguration of vice president Morgan Clark to
the presidency.  "It is important that we move on to create the world that
Louis Santiago would have wanted for his children, my children, and for
posterity yet to come," President Clark says in an address.  "We will begin
by focusing more on the needs of our own people, to sustain them through
this difficult time, and to prepare them for the tasks ahead."

<p>
Sinclair, sensing someone else entering the bar, turns around and sees
Ambassador Kosh.  "And so it begins," intones Kosh.  "You have forgotten
something," he continues.  Suddenly realizing what Kosh meant, Sinclair
rushes out of the bar and goes to Delenn's quarters.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/begins.gif"> "And so it begins."

<p>
He enters and finds Lennier still staring at the corner, and the still
glowing crystal statue on the table.  Lennier seems to be oblivious to
Sinclair at first "You're too late," he says at last.

<p>
Sinclair follows Lennier's gaze over to the corner of the room, where he
sees a large, white, faintly glowing mass.  He slowly walks over to it and
examines it.  "What is it?"

<p>
"A chrysalis," replies Lennier.  "She is changing."

<p>
"Into what?"

<p>
"I don't know," is the only reply that Lennier can give, as Sinclair looks
at Delenn's eyes, just barely visible beneath the surface of the chrysalis.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/022/chrysalis.gif"> Delenn's chrysalis.

<p>
Na'Toth enters G'Kar's quarters, but cannot find him.  As she calls out his
name, an automated message begins.  "Na'Toth, by the time you get this
message, I will be gone.  I have certain suspicions about the attack on
quadrant 37.  I am taking the first transport back to homeworld.  You will
not be able to contact me.  I will contact you.  And, uh, one more thing.
Tell the commander he was right.  We were at a crossroads, and there is no
going back.  Expect me when you see me."

<p>
Londo arrives in MedLab to find Ivanova waiting there.  She explains that
she had relieved the commander and that he will be back on watch soon.  When
Londo asks about Garibaldi's condition, she says they are still operating
and they still don't know what the outcome will be.  Londo says that he
would like to wait with her.  "He is an annoying man, but I would miss him
if he..."  They then turn and continue to watch the operation, while
Garibaldi's aide looks on silently.

<p>
Morden sits in the middle of a room, surrounded by strangely shimmering,
shadowlike forms.  They make a few sounds, apparently language, but not one
that we can understand.  "Yes, I think he's ready," Morden says to them.  He
continues to answer, speaking to them after they speak to him.  "Perfect for
our needs.  No, no, he suspects nothing.  When the time is right, Ambassador
Mollari will do exactly as we wish.  Destiny is on our side."

<p>
Catherine, with a solemn look on her face, walks over to a sofa on which
Sinclair is sitting, staring intently.  She puts her arms around him, but he
only acknowledges her with words.  "Nothing's the same any more."

<p>
Lennier maintains a candlelight vigil over Delenn as she rests, slowly
changing in her chrysalis.

<h3>Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)</h3>