lurkers-guide/synops/041

<h3>Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)</h3>

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/041/news.gif" alt="">
Delenn and Sheridan meet each other at a Universe Today vending
machine.  Sheridan expresses surprise that Delenn reads the paper; she
explains that, after her previous encounter with Earth's reporters, she
thought she should be better prepared and that, on Minbar, one is told
only about what one needs to know, and no more.  Sheridan recycles the
copy of the paper he has and orders a new one.  Delenn does the same,
but is informed by the machine that "Eye on Minbari" cannot be inserted
into her paper.  Slightly embarrassed, she explains that
it is a good idea to keep track of what the humans are saying about the
Minbari, and a good way to learn things about the Minbari that she
isn't told about.

<p>
A wounded man rushes through the sewers of the Mars Colony,
where he meets up with a Ranger.
Just before the man dies, he hands the Ranger a data
crystal.  "Take it to Babylon 5.  Tell them... tell them it's not
safe."  The Ranger takes the data crystal and escapes back into the
sewers, just as the people pursuing them catch up.

<p>
Captain Sheridan and Garibaldi meet in the bathroom and begin a
conversation.  After making sure it is clear, Garibaldi activates a
bug-jamming device and asks Sheridan if he gave any more
thought to the idea of bringing Talia in on their conspiracy.
Sheridan agrees to the idea, and they make plans to tell her in
a few days.

<p>
Talia and Ivanova are eating, musing over their new friendship.  Each
blames the other for the difficulties in achieving the friendship, but
their conversation is interrupted by a call from C&C for Ivanova
telling her that a ship arrived through the jumpgate, and has done
nothing since its arrival.  Ivanova goes to C&C to investigate.  As she
leaves, Talia tells her that, due to a problem in her air recycling
system, she needs to find a place to stay for a few days.  Ivanova
offers her quarters.

<p>
Ivanova determines that the ship was hit, and tries to contact the
ship.  There's no response from the one lifeform on board.
She orders the ship brought aboard the station.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/041/injured.gif" alt="">
Dr. Franklin arrives at the ship and meets with Garibaldi, who says the
ship's serial number is faked, and that he doesn't want to report
anything until he finds out what's onboard.  Dr. Franklin's aide
tells him that they found one human female aboard, unconscious, but
alive.  They wheel her out, but Garibaldi recognizes her.

<p>
Garibaldi tells Sheridan that the woman, Lyta Alexander, was Babylon
5's first commercial telepath, though she lasted only a few weeks.  She
scanned Kosh after the assassination attempt and discovered that Kosh
saw Commander Sinclair as the murderer, which nearly ruined Sinclair's career,
though he was later proved innocent.  Garibaldi explains that she and
Dr. Benjamin Kyle, who operated on Kosh, were recalled back to Earth,
and Lyta was never the same after the scan.<br clear>

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/041/hypo.gif" alt="">
In medlab, Lyta wakes up, and grabs a
piece of medical equipment.  Holding Franklin at bay, she
demands to see Captain Sheridan and the rest of the command staff, and
to not be left alone with anyone.  Franklin asks why, and she explains
that one of the people on Babylon 5 is a traitor, and says she can
prove it.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 src="/lurk/gif/041/041-5.gif" alt="">
Lyta appears before Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin and
tells them that Babylon 5 has a great importance to a lot of people,
and that she has to come back to warn them.  She explains that the
authorities on Earth didn't believe that she didn't see what Kosh
looked like, and that their scans revealed nothing -- she retained only a
feeling, an intense belief that she had to get to Vorlon space.  She
recently escaped from the Psi Corps.  While
she was on Mars, she got involved in the revolutionary movement and
hired herself out as a telepath.  One of the underground's agents was murdered
after he found out about a secret sleeper operation, which would
implant a new personality, suited to Psi-Corps' needs, into one's
subconscious.  When a special password is sent, via telepathy, to a
person inhabited by a sleeper program, the implanted personality takes
over completely.  Thus, it is possible for someone to carry the program
and not know it.  Lyta learned that such "moles" were implanted in
several government agencies, including Babylon 5, although she doesn't
know who the one on the station is.  The codename of the mole is Control,
and the underground suspects
he or she is in the command staff.  Ivanova doubts this at first, but Lyta
insists she has the password and can send it to activate the sleeper
program.  Sheridan promises they will discuss it, but Lyta warns him to
not wait too long because the personality would attempt to destroy
anything it perceives as a threat.  She warns them to be on the
lookout, and that she can't be alone, because she won't be safe.  She
is taken to a security cell.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/041/garden.gif" alt="">
Delenn and Sheridan meet, and she asks him to meet her tomorrow to talk
about the food shipments to Narn.  He seems distracted, and she asks
him what's wrong, but he initially doesn't want to talk about it.  He
relents and explains that he feels bad because things had been going
well, but have taken a turn for the worse.  They continue their
conversation, and Delenn is slowly able to cheer Sheridan up.  She
tells him that, when one is in a bad mood, one merely needs to wait.
He finds her holding his hand when Garibaldi calls informing him
that the background check has been completed.  Sheridan and Delenn part
hastily.

<p>
Garibaldi tells Sheridan that, as far as he can tell, Lyta is correct
in all that she said.  Sheridan warns Garibaldi not to trust her, but
Garibaldi says it is a gut feeling of his that she is telling the
truth.  Sheridan suggests that Garibaldi's aide may have been the mole, but
there is no proof either way.  Sheridan says that he wants to think
about it overnight before making a decision.  Garibaldi asks if Ivanova
has come around, and Sheridan tells him that she hasn't.

<p>
Ivanova is working out her anger slamming cupboards in her kitchen
when Talia comes in.  Ivanova fixes some tea for them and asks Talia
about Lyta.  Talia tells her that they spent part of their early
careers in intern programs.  Ivanova asks if she feels that Lyta could
be trusted, and Talia says that she thinks she can.  Ivanova also asks
where Lyta interned, and Talia tells her that she interned with the
Psi Cops before becoming a commercial telepath.  Ivanova tells Talia
that she doesn't know who she can trust, and Talia agrees, saying that
she feels that she can only really trust Ivanova.

<p>
Zack Allen enters Garibaldi's office and Garibaldi tells him to move
Lyta to a more comfortable holding area, since she may be there for a
while.  As Zack leaves, Garibaldi asks about the Nightwatch armband Zack
still wears.  Zack says he feels it's easy money.

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/041/attempt.gif" alt="">
Talia wakes up and feels around in the bed next to her.  There is no
one there, and she sits up with a start.  Meanwhile, two officers
arrive in Lyta's cell and tell her that they were sent to transfer
her.  They leave the cell, but on the way, they are assaulted by PPG
fire, which takes down both of the security guards.  Lyta grabs a
PPG and returns fire at the assailant before running off.  Though
other guards search for her, they are unable to find her.

<p>
Sheridan can't believe that she hasn't been located, or even that the
attack happened, because he had almost believed she was wrong.
Sheridan doesn't understand who could have done it, since very few
people knew Lyta was there, but Garibaldi reminds him that the sleeper
personality was probably responsible.  He orders Lyta put under
protective custody, and tells Ivanova and Garibaldi that he wants to
let her send the scan.  Ivanova is obstinate, but Sheridan says that,
under the current circumstances, if they don't know who they can trust
and who they can't, they won't be able to function properly.

<p>
Delenn is in her quarters composing a letter regarding trade relations
with the Lumati when she receives a call from Lyta.  Lyta asks Delenn
to meet her in Brown 3 in an hour.

<p>
Talia arrives at Ivanova's quarters to tell her that the air recycling
system has been fixed, so she'll be returning to her own quarters.
Talia asks her if everything is all right, and Ivanova says she doesn't
want to talk about it.  Talia asks where she went the night before, and
though Talia offers help yet again, Ivanova refusts it, saying that her
secrets might soon come to the surface
and haunt her.  "After you tell someone that you've been lying to them
for years, maybe even putting them in jeopardy, how are you supposed to
look them in the face again?"  Talia tells Ivanova that there are
people around who care, though Ivanova still has doubts.  Talia reminds
Ivanova that she is there for her.

<p>
Delenn meets up with Sheridan in a corridor and tells him that she
received a message from Lyta.  Sheridan asks where she is, but Delenn
promised not to tell anyone.  Lyta will return, Delenn says,
but only if everyone is present.  Sheridan tells
Delenn to tell Lyta that he agrees to her conditions.

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/041/telepath.gif" alt="">
Sheridan returns to his quarters and finds Ivanova waiting for him.
She is very troubled and tells Sheridan that she thought she was
ready.  She tells him that she can't allow any telepath into her mind
ever.  Sheridan tries to tell her that he understands, but she knows
he doesn't.  "I've told you that my mother was a telepath, and that
since I was born she could slip into my thoughts in a way that I could
never even describe to you.  But what I didn't tell you was that I
learned how to keep her out when I wanted to, and that once in a while,
I was the one that touched her mind.  I'm a latent telepath."

<p>
"Susan, why didn't you tell me this before?  I thought we could trust
each other."

<p>
"It's got nothing to do with trust.  I've spent my entire life hiding
this, Captain.  It's not something you can just change overnight.  It's
hard enough telling you this now."

<p>
"You're right.  I'm sorry."

<p>
"For as long as I can remember, my mother drilled three words into my
head: 'Tell no one.' She taught me how to fool the tests given in
school, transferred me from one school to another, always staying one
step ahead of the Psi Corps.  I'm probably not even a P1--I've never
been able to read anyone except my mother.  I can pick up on feelings
sometimes, I can block a casual scan, and I know instantly if someone's
doing it.  Nothing more.  But that's enough for the Psi Corps to come
pull you in!"

<p>
Sheridan tries to convince her that Lyta is not involved, though she is
hardly convinced.  He says that he believes Garibaldi, especially since
he so rarely trusts anyone.  Ivanova
thanks Sheridan.  "It's all this nonsense lately... some days, I don't
even know who I am any more," she tells him.  As she says that, Sheridan
remembers the dream he had a few months earlier (cf.
<a href="033.html">"All Alone in the Night."</a>)
As he starts to explain, he receives a message from C&C saying
that Delenn has sent him a message: "Now."

<p>
Delenn brings Lyta to Sheridan's office.
Sheridan tells Lyta that he agrees to let her send the password into the
command staff of Babylon 5.  She sends the password to Sheridan, but
nothing happens.  She follows up with Franklin and Garibaldi.
Garibaldi frightens everyone by pretending that the password was a
success.  Though Garibaldi suggests they move on to Ivanova, Sheridan
tells him that they will wait for now, as they have many other people
to check.  One by one, they bring the command staff into Sheridan's
office, where Lyta, quietly in the background, sends the password to
each.  None of them possess the program.

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/041/corwin.gif" alt="">
After they've scanned all the EarthForce officers aboard Babylon 5,
Lyta is very discouraged that they haven't found anything and begins
turning her frustration on the troubled Ivanova.  Franklin tries to
convince her that Lyta isn't implying anything, but Lyta isn't so sure,
and demands to know what Ivanova is hiding.  Sheridan breaks through the
tension and tells them that this is what Psi Corps wants.  Seeing no other
option, Ivanova agrees to have the password sent.  Lyta tries to send
the password, but is unable to get through.  "She's blocking me," she
announces.  Ivanova drops her defenses and the password is sent, but
Ivanova isn't implanted with the program either.  Lyta tries to
apologize to Ivanova.

<p>
"Go to hell," Ivanova responds.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/041/unmasked.gif" alt="">
Talia enters and says she's been looking for Captain Sheridan.
As she comes in, Lyta stares at her intently and sends the password.
Talia falls back and steals Garibaldi's PPG, firing at Sheridan, though
he is able to move out of the way in time.  Garibaldi grabs the PPG
away from her and drags her out of the room as Sheridan orders her
under house arrest.  But she doesn't go away quietly.  "You blew my
cover!  You're dead!  Do you hear me?  You're dead!  The Corps is
mother, the Corps is father!  You're dead, Lyta Alexander!  We'll find
you!  The Corps will find you!"

<p>
Garibaldi can't believe that Talia could be the one.  Sheridan says
that it isn't her fault, and that she's been carrying the sleeper program
around for years without knowing it.  Their more immediate concern is
how much Talia knows.  She knows about the underground railroad, but
they aren't sure about how much more.  Franklin
will be protected by the Psi Corps' desire to keep its squelching of the
railroad a secret.  In addition, Franklin and the others know about the
sleeper program, which Psi Corps definitely wants kept secret.
Garibaldi realizes that Talia knew a lot,
and if Lyta hadn't come aboard, they would have told Talia about their
conspiracy.  Sheridan asks if there is anything they can use to
defend themselves with, and Garibaldi thinks he might have an idea:
When Talia mediated for Kosh and Abbut (cf.
<a href="009.html">"Deathwalker,"</a>)
Kosh was given a data
crystal which he claimed contained "Terror.  Surprise.  Reflection.
For the future."  Garibaldi says he will have to check on it a little
more before he can be sure.

<p>
Ivanova goes to "Talia" and says that she wanted to see her before she
left.  She doesn't blame "Talia", but hopes that some part of her will
hear her.  "Talia" says that the program was complete, and that the old
Talia no longer exists.  "Talia" explains to Ivanova the role she
played inside Talia's head, whispering instructions to her while she
slept.  Ivanova believed everything, all the words that were meant to
get Talia close to Ivanova and what she knew.

<p>
"You're right," Ivanova tells her.  "The Talia I knew is dead."  She
leaves.

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/041/eye.gif" alt="">
Lyta, wearing a gas mask, enters the alien sector and goes to see
Kosh.  "I'm back," she says to him.  "I can't stay.  The Captain's made
sure I can get away before the Psi Cops get here, but... I had to see
you again, before my ship leaves.  I never told them.  I never told
anyone.  I hid it all away in the smallest, tiniest corner of my mind.
They could have killed me and they still wouldn't have found it.  Only
at night, alone, would I open that small door in my mind where I kept
the memory of you, and listen to your voice.  Listen to you sing me to
sleep.  I hope I can come back again, but I don't know.  Until then,
Kosh, I want to see you again, just one more time."  The head of Kosh's
encounter suit opens, there's a sound like giant wings unfurling,
and a brilliant light streams over Lyta as she gazes, one more time,
upon the being within.
<br clear=all>