lurkers-guide/synops/078

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

<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/reunion.jpeg">
Garibaldi is in his "office" in helping a man reunite with his lost
wife/daughter--an act observed by Wade.  He leaves and goes out into
the hallway, where he meets with another man.  Wade tells the man that
it's about time Garibaldi got his first assignment, which will be a
chance to see how sincere he really is in helping them.  Wade wants to
know how he handles himself in a crunch, and if he gets himself killed,
they will know they have the wrong guy.  "At this point," Wade tells
the other gentleman, "Mr.  Garibaldi is eminently expendable."

<p>
Zack enters Sheridan's office to find the Captain staring, silently, at
a painting hanging on his wall.  Sheridan explains that he has been
doing some thinking, and that there are some unpleasant things he needs
to take care of, which he can do now that Delenn is gone.  He tells
Zack that, when Garibaldi resigned as Chief of Security, he didn't turn
in his link, identicard, or PPG.  Zack tells Sheridan that he doesn't
think Garibaldi would take it very well, and that it doesn't make sense
that Garibaldi is acting the way he is.  Sheridan says that he wants
this taken care of that same day.  Zack agrees, but wants to know why
Sheridan is in such a hurry.  "I don't like the company he's been
keeping," the Captain replies.  Zack leaves.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/idiot.jpeg">
Dr. Franklin enters the war room, which is being reconfigured as a
broadcast newsroom.  He sees Ivanova, who is helping to set things up
for the first broadcast.  Franklin tells her that his business on Mars
is concluded, and the rest of the resistance is on the station.  He
asks how she is doing, and she says that everything is ready to go,
except that they don't have enough power to send the broadcast
everywhere it needs to go.  She says that she has been trying to find a
solution for days, but hasn't had any success.  Franklin suggests she
try Epsilon III--there must be a source of power down there, since they
were able to evacuate refugees there during the Shadow War with no
trouble.  Ivanova tells Franklin it's the logical choice, and that
"anybody could see that in about two seconds."  Franklin tells her
that, of course, he never would have thought of it, and that it is a
great idea.  Without discussing the matter further, Ivanova leaves to
catch a shuttle to Epsilon III.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/link.jpeg">
Zack arrives at Garibaldi's office, and asks him how he is.  Garibaldi
says that he's doing fine, and that he likes working in this kind of an
environment--you get to see and know the people you help.  Garibaldi
asks Zack how he is, but his response is less than enthusiastic.  Zack
reluctantly tells Garibaldi that he needs his link, indenticard, and
his weapon.  Garibaldi doesn't mind getting rid of the indenticard and
the link, but doesn't want to get rid of the gun.  Zack presses him and
Garibaldi does give us weapon and starts to walk away, but Zack asks
him for the backup he knows he carries as well, which Garibaldi
unwillingly surrenders.  Zack asks Garibaldi what he should have done,
and Garibaldi says he should have said no--that way, it wouldn't have
had to come from Zack.  Without saying another word, Garibaldi turns
and walks away.

<p>
As Ivanova's shuttle leaves Babylon 5, Garibaldi is in his quarters,
dressing, and watching an old Daffy Duck cartoon, in which Daffy is
continually tormented by an unseen assailant, who is controlling his
every move and the world around him.  As the assailant is revealed to
be Bugs Bunny, Garibaldi's door chimes and Wade enters.  Wade tells
Garibaldi that he has a job for him.  He says he wants to hire
Garibaldi as a bodyguard and expedite something secret.  Wade explains
that his contact has to perform important business on Babylon 5, which
might involve security--all Garibaldi has to do is to keep the contact
out of security's way while they are on board.  Wade asks him if going
against his own security force will be a problem, and Garibaldi tells
him that--if he had asked that question the day before--he would have,
but now he doesn't.  Garibaldi agrees to the job.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/zathras.jpeg">
Ivanova's shuttle lands on Epsilon III, and she begins searching the
corridors.  She notices a being walking through the corridor and tells
him she needs to see Draal.  When she finally sees who it is, it's a
familiar face--that of Zathras.  She asks why he's there, and Zathras
explains that he works there.  She says that Zathras was left 1000
years in the past, but Zathras insists they had never met before.
Zathras laughs and explains that Ivanova didn't meet Zathras, but
rather Zathras.  This confuses Ivanova greatly, but Zathras explains
that there are ten members in their family, each one named Zathras, but
each one pronounced differently.  Ivanova tells Zathras that she needs
power to help the broadcast, and, though he laments the fact people
always come to him for help, which he always provides, he does agree to
help her.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/sneak.jpeg">
Garibaldi and Wade are walking through the corridors, finding the back
way through the station to get to the docking area where they will meet
the contact without security interfering.  Wade explains that their
contact decided to send his wife in his place so that she can prepare
to take things over later.  They find who they are looking for, and
Garibaldi recognizes her instantly--it's Lise.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/ready.jpeg">
Later, Garibaldi and Lise are alone in her quarters.  He wants to know
what happened in the meantime, and why she lost her first husband, and
found another one.  Lise explains that Franz was having an affair, and
that he used the court system, which favors Earth-born people above
those born on Mars, to file for divorce first.  He got their daughter
and remarried, and plans never to tell the child who her real mother
is.  Garibaldi is angry that she forgot all about him in her distress,
but Lise insists she didn't forget--she knew he was happy here and
didn't want to change that.  Garibaldi tells her that she was his life
at one point, but she says they're different people now.  She explains
that, six months earlier, she met Bill, and they got married.
Garibaldi realizes she must mean William Edgars, one of the richest men
on Earth.  She insists that she didn't marry him because of his money,
but Garibaldi no longer wants to talk about it.  He says that he will,
from that point on, only treat her as he would any client, and after
she goes back to Mars, he is going to forget any of this happened, and
now, he doesn't need to drink to do just that.  Lise tells him that
she's glad, but they are interrupted by Wade, telling them their
shuttle is ready.  The three of them leave.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/patrols.jpeg">
Londo is in Sheridan's office talking to him when G'Kar arrives.
Neither ambassador is happy to see the other, but Sheridan says he
needs them both there.  Sheridan explains that commercial transports
are being raided along the worlds in the League of Non-Aligned Worlds.
Because of this, smaller worlds and empires are trying to rise to
prominence, which is causing quite a few problems.  In addition, there
is the added problem of the Drakh, who are now on the loose with Shadow
technology.  Sheridan says that the Rangers no longer need to look out
for the Shadows' return, but that he wants to use them to monitor the
borders of the League borders, maintain the peace, and protect
civilians.  G'Kar feels that this could be seen as an act of
aggression, but Sheridan says they will only go where they are invited,
in exchange for technical support and the authority to carry out
whatever they start.  Londo agrees with G'Kar--this is not a good
idea.  Sheridan tells them that, if Londo and G'Kar both agree on this,
that might help show the League worlds that this is something
important.  Londo is afraid it might be interpreted as a sign of
weakness, but Sheridan says it should be interpreted as their trying to
build something--to work together for a common goal.  Londo says it
isn't fair, and Sheridan agrees, and asks Londo if he wants to blood of
the dead on his hands.  He asks G'Kar as well, but neither responds.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/cancel.jpeg">
Zack enters his office and asks the computer for a status report.  The
computer reads off a list of fairly mundane things, except for one
unauthorized entry, where 72 passengers disembarked a ship, but only 71
went through security.  Only one access was recorded to the customs
bay--Security Chief Michael Garibaldi.  Zack asks if more than one
security identicard is registered to him, and the computer answers this
affirmative.  Zack orders the computer to cancel all identicards and
security clearances belong to Garibaldi.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/vial.jpeg">
Garibaldi, Wade, and Lise are waiting for their contact in Down Below.
He eventually arrives, and hands over a secure cube--extremely
difficult to open--containing a small vial.  Garibaldi asks what it is,
and though Wade initially resists, Lise explains that her husband has
discovered there might be a genetic danger to some telepaths, and that
this might be the cure to stop it.  Wade explains that, in order to
keep a panic from ensuing, they want to keep it quiet, since no one
would believe that the disease can only be spread to telepaths.  There
are plenty of people who would want to have it for themselves, and they
have invested far too much time and money to let it fall into the wrong
hands.  Garibaldi, looking around, finds that a group of people have
noticed them.  He tells the contact, Wade, and Lise that they all need
to get out, but it's too late--they have been noticed.  A firefight
ensues, and the four of them run off, but are closely pursued.  They
are shot at from the front, and the contact is killed.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/duct.jpeg">
Garibaldi ushers them into another room, and then bars the door.  They
try to exit out the back way, but Garibaldi's identicard no longer
works.  Their assailants try to bash in the door, but Garibaldi
discovers another way out--he piles several crates on top of each other
and then takes everyone through a panel in the ceiling, just as the
assailants manage to break down the door.  In the vents, Garibaldi
tells Lise and Wade to go ahead without him, while he lies in wait for
the others.  They discover the hole in the ceiling, but when one of
them comes through, he simply looks at Garibaldi for a few moments, but
doesn't fire.  He then vanishes down the grate.  Garibaldi realizes the
implications and chases after Wade and Lise.  He catches up with them,
and manages to pull them away just as PPG fire erupts through the floor
of the vent.  The fire eventually stops, and Garibaldi tells them that
they need to go to Docking Bay 3--and to not stop thinking about it the
entire time.  They get where they are going, but it's not Docking Bay
3, just a corridor.  Garibaldi explains that they must be using
telepaths to track their movements.  A security officer passes, and
Garibaldi tells him that the shooters from Brown sector will be in Bay
3, and to meet him there.  Garibaldi tells Wade and Lise to pick up a
fake identicard and to get on the next transport out of there, while he
goes to Bay 3.  Lise doesn't want to leave him, but Garibaldi says she
has to, and has Wade take her off.  Garibaldi then runs off.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/future.jpeg">
It is dark in the abandoned Docking Bay 3, and the men who chased after
Garibaldi, Lise, and Wade are there.  Before long, Zack and his
security team arrive.  Zack demands to know who they are what they are
doing, but only one of them has a reponse: "To the future."  They both
bite down on something, and fall to the floor.  Zack calls MedLab, and
tells them to get there quickly, but as he is doing so, Garibaldi
arrives in the bay as well.

<p>
Ivanova returns from Epsilon III to find Franklin waiting for her.  He
asks how it went, and she explains that she thinks she has the
interface figured out.  She wants to tell the Captain, but Franklin
says he doesn't think it would be a good time at the moment--Sheridan
is in a bad mood right now.  As they leave, they pass Lise, who did
arrive safely.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/chewout.jpeg">
Sheridan has both Zack and Garibaldi in his office, and demands to know
what the deaths that occurred were about.  Garibaldi says he doesn't
know who they were, but that they just came at them, and killed the man
who was supposed to meet with a client of his.  Garibaldi tells
Sheridan he can believe him or not, but either way, he won't say
anything else.  Sheridan tells Garibaldi that he jeopardized the
station, but Garibaldi says that Sheridan nearly got him killed, and
that it all could have been handled quietly had his identicard and gun
not been taken.  He didn't break any laws, though--Sheridan points out
that he trespassed, violated security, and used an unauthorized
identicard, but Garibaldi invites Sheridan to fine him, but that
otherwise, he has nothing.  Garibaldi starts to leave, but Sheridan
tells him that Garibaldi is operating there because Sheridan is
allowing him to, but should anything like that happen again, Sheridan
will shut him down right away.  Garibaldi doesn't say anything as he
walks out.  Garibaldi arrives back in his quarters, to find that he has
a message waiting.  He asks who it's from, and the computer replies
that it's from Lise Hampton.  Garibaldi tells the computer to delete
the message, and then he goes to bed.

<p>
Later, Garibaldi receives a transmission from William Edgars himself.
Edgars tells him that Lise has arrived home safe, and that he heard
about what Garibaldi did and how, and that he is appreciative for what
he did.  Edgars says that his organization could use Garibaldi, and
that he would like to hire Garibaldi on retainer, though he would have
to come to Mars, but it would definitely be worth his while.  Edgars
thinks there wouldn't be much problem getting him past the quarantine,
and Edgars is sure he can work things out if Garibaldi is interested.
"Yeah," Garibaldi says.  "I'm interested."

<p>
There is a brief flash of static, and then a test pattern appears on
the screen, followed by Ivanova's face, in the war room.

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<p>
<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/078/vor.jpeg">
"This is Commander Susan Ivanova of Babylon 5, and this is the first
official broadcast of the new Voice of the Resistance.  We're sending
this signal out to every ship that wants to hear the truth, to our
fallen comrades and freedom fighters on Mars and Proxima III, and to
Earth, which, despite what you may have heard, is still our home, and
still the one dream that we're as loyal to now as we ever have been.
Over the last three years, ever since President Clark took over, after
arranging the assassination of President Santiago, you have been
hearing nothing but misinformation, propaganda, and outright lies.
Now, we're going to tell you the truth.  And we're going to keep
telling it until they shut us down, or until President Clark steps down
and returns Earth to the hands of its people.  You can kill us.  You
can bomb our colonies, destroy our ships, murder innocent civilians.
But you cannot kill the truth.  And the truth is back in business."

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