lurkers-guide/synops/096

<h3>Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)</h3>

<P>

In the customs area, a man carrying a large bag has nothing to declare
except his genius. Inside the bag, a small man holds up a small
device, which also declares nothing but Rebo's genius. Rebo and Zooty have
arrived on Babylon 5.

<P>

Lochley, Sheridan and Garibaldi are on their way to meet the comedy
duo. Lochley mentions that the Brakiri have asked to buy a part of
Babylon 5 for a night, for religious reasons.

<P>

Outside his quarters, Londo is accosted by a Brakiri salesman, who is
offering a skull-shaped candy. On recognizing Londo as the Centauri
Emperor-to-be, he offers the candy as a gift, and asks Londo whom he
would like to meet from among the dead. "The first Emperor," replies
Londo as he accepts the candy. He asks the salesman what sort of
festival this is. "Tonight is the Day of the Dead," the Brakiri
replies. "Tonight the dead return."

<P>

Delenn is alone in her quarters when Lennier arrives, dressed in a
Ranger uniform. He is between training cycles, and having read once
about the Brakiri Day of the Dead, which occurs only once every 200
years, he decided to visit. Since Babylon 5 is easier to get to than
Brakir, he came to the station.

<P>

Sheridan is hosting a cocktail party for Rebo and Zooty, and confers
upon them the Freedom of Babylon 5. Rebo gives a speech, interspersed
with physical comedy. Most in attendance find it hilarious, but
Lochley is not amused. She leaves for an appointment with the Brakiri
ambassador. G'Kar overhears about the appointment and looks worried.

<P>

In Lochley's office, the Brakiri ambassador explains to the Captain
that they must own part of the station by nightfall, so it will be
part of Brakir for the celebration. He assures Lochley it will be
returned in the morning. Lochley explains the usual operations of
Babylon 5 do not allow this, but she is ready to make an
exception. Before the transaction is over, G'Kar bursts into the
office and warns Lochley that selling the station would be foolish and
dangerous. But Lochley reminds him that according to the declaration
of principles of the Alliance, religious beliefs are sacrosanct. Over
G'Kar's objections, the transaction is completed.

<P>

Later, the Brakiri ambassador explains to Garibaldi that part of the
station is now part of Brakir. Garibaldi's quarters are on the Brakiri
side, and he goes in just as the Day of the Dead begins.

<P>

Sheridan arrives to his quarters with Rebo and Zooty for
dinner. Delenn welcomes them, and Zooty's machine says something in
Minbari: a pun, to which Delenn reacts by laughing heartily. Rebo
explains they have studied Minbari and Narn humor, among other
forms. When Delenn escorts Zooty to the table, Sheridan mentions to
Rebo that he was hoping to talk to Zooty without the machine. Rebo
explains that Zooty never breaks character. After ten years, Rebo has
only heard Zooty say one word without the machine: "Why?" He doesn't
undertand it either.

<P>

In her quarters, Lochley is reading some reports when night falls. The
area of the station purchased by the Brakiri is surrounded by a
shimmering energy field; at the same time, Lennier sits down to
meditate in his quarters, and Londo drinks some Brevare.

<P>

In C&amp;C, Corwin is trying to emulate one of Rebo and Zooty's hat
tricks, when G'Kar enters, dressed for bed. His quarters are on the
Brakiri zone, so he would like to sleep in C&amp;C for the night. Corwin
lets him.

<P>

In Lochley's quarters, the power suddenly goes out, replaced by
emergency lights. Lochley is unable to contact anyone on the link.

<P>

Londo is in his quarters, talking to a portrait of the first Emperor,
but the portrait is silent. His lights go out as well, and behind him
a figure materializes: Adira Tyree (<a href="../guide/003.html">"Born
to the Purple"</a>). Londo is overjoyed. He tells her he is to become
Emperor, but would give it all away just to have Adira by his
side. She embraces him and they they kiss.

<P>

Garibaldi is asleep in his bed, but the shower turns itself on. He
pulls a PPG from under the pillow and orders whoever is there to come
out. A woman's voice answers and then steps out: Dodger, the gropo (<a
href="../guide/032.html">"GROPOS"</a>). Garibaldi is utterly confused;
without lowering the gun, he wonders if it is a clone, a robot, or
maybe the latest from Bester's bag of tricks. She assures him it is
nobody's trick. "Happy Day of the Dead," she says with a smile.

<P>

In her quarters, Lochley is trying to communicate with the rest of the
station, which the link claims is out of range. A small blond teenager
materializes coughing, and says "Lizzie? Is that you?" Lochley is
overcome and stands staring dumbly at the girl. "Zoe?" gulps Lochely,
forcing back tears.

<P>

Lochley and Zoe sit on the bed and talk, both of them crying. They
were runaways together, and did drugs. It's been 20 years since Zoe's
death. Zoe asks Lochley what happened after her death. Lochley found
Zoe's body, dead from a drug overdose.  She got scared, called her parents,
and her father arrived
ten hours later. She later enrolled in OTC. Lochley asks Zoe something
she's always wondered: "Did you do it on purpose?" but Zoe claims she
doesn't remember.

<P>

Sheridan and Delenn's quarters are outside the Brakiri zone. Dinner is
almost over when Sheridan gets a call from Corwin, to tell him that a
piece of the station is missing: the part sold to the
Brakiri. Sheridan walks over to investigate and finds the shimmering
wall. He throws a fire extinguisher at the wall, but it bounces
back. He goes to C&amp;C to talk to Corwin.

<P>

Garibaldi finally puts the PPG back under the pillow. Although still
perplexed, he is taking it all in stride now. Garibaldi and Dodger
start to talk.

<P>

Lennier is meditating when a voice says: "Good evening, Ranger
Lennier." It is Morden, although Lennier cannot place him
immediately. He eventually does, however: "You worked for the
Shadows," accuses Lennier. "I did lots of things, yes," replies
Morden. "Looking back on it, though," he continues, "I just tried to
make people happy. Anyway, it is all ancient history now, and I paid
for all my crimes, huh?" he concludes with a smile.

<P>

Lennier asks him why he came, and Morden replies that he is dead,
and thus it is his job. Then Morden asks Lennier why he came back.  "I
came for wisdom," answers Lennier. "You don't come to the Dead for wisdom,
Lennier," replies Morden. He says his head is still rotting outside the
Centauri Royal Palace, but Lennier insists he wants wisdom.

<P>

"Wisdom?" muses Morden. "Let's see: Delenn does not love you as you
love her, and she never will." "I know that," replies Lennier. "No,
you don't," counters Morden.  "Not in your heart." Lennier tells Morden
to go away, but he does not; now that Morden has been raised, Lennier must
listen. Lennier tries to leave, only to find the shimmering
wall outside. He starts to run, but soon collapses.

<P>

Sheridan enters C&amp;C to find G'Kar asleep on the deck. Sheridan asks
Corwin to contact the Brakiri homeworld.

<P>

Morden tosses Lennier back into his quarters. He explains that the
other side of the corridor is 200 million light years away; no way to
get there by foot. Morden continues to talk, and tells Lennier that he
is destined to betray the Rangers; Lennier does not believe
him. Morden then implies Lennier will die soon, and Lennier angrily
denies him again; finally, Lennier settles down to meditate, saying
"Our talk is done." "Your loss," sighs Morden, as he sits down to read
the newspaper.

<P>

In Lochley's quarters, Lochley is again trying to contact the rest of
the station. Zoe points out that they are now in part of the Brakiri
homeworld, and although Lochley doesn't believe it, she manages to
contact Garibaldi, who is talking to Dodger. Lochley orders Garibaldi to
hack into Stellar Com and route a call to C&amp;C.

<P>

In Londo's quarters, Adira and Londo are in bed. Lochley appears on
the screen and says normality will be restored soon. "She is right,"
says Adira ruefully. "And when this night is done, so am I. And you
will go on to become Emperor Mollari." "I don't want to become
Emperor," replies Londo. "I want to stay here, with you." "Londo, I'm
a dream," says Adira. "In the morning I'll be gone, and you will rule
40 billion Centauri. But not one of them will ever know you the way I
know you." She settles down on Londo's chest as they both smile
contentedly.

<P>

In his quarters, Garibaldi is hacking the communications system, much
to Dodger's frustration; Garibaldi succeeds, and lets Lochley know
before settling down to talk to Dodger for the remaining hours of the
Day of the Dead.

<P>

In Sheridan's quarters, Rebo is expressing to Delenn his admiration
for how calm and collected Delenn and Sheridan are in the face of this
emergency. He confides to Delenn that they both admire the two of them
a lot, and in fact that Rebo and Zooty plan to give up show business
for politics. Sheridan comes back, and Delenn tells him of Rebo and
Zooty's decision. Sheridan tries to talk them out of it, but Rebo says
that no one takes comedians seriously, and they want to be taken
seriously. Besides, he says, the real comedy all happens in the Senate.

<P>

Lochley's call comes in then, and she tells Sheridan everything is
fine, and will probably go back to normal in the morning. This is also
what the people in Brakir told Sheridan.

<P>

Morning finds Lennier meditating and Morden reading the paper; shortly
thereafter, Morden disappears. Dodger and Garibaldi are talking and
laughing together. Dodger senses that her time is up, and sobers
up. She kisses Garibaldi on the forehead, stands up and disappears.

<P>

Zoe finishes telling Lochley a message she was given for
Sheridan. Before leaving, she finally tells Lochley that she does
remember her own death, and she did it on purpose because she couldn't
stand her life any more. She disappears, and normality returns.

<P>

Later that morning, Sheridan and Lochley are talking. Lochley refuses
to give details of her experience, saying that it was intensely
personal; the same thing everyone else has told Sheridan. No one
really knows what happened, though. She does give Sheridan the message
she got for him. It is from Kosh: "When the long night comes, return
to the end of the beginning."

<P>

Lochley leaves and is later joined by G'Kar. Lochley expects him to
say I told you so, but instead he points out he was wrong; the people
who were in the Brakiri territory seem more at peace with
themselves. G'Kar wonders what he would have seen had he been there.

<P>

Then they see Londo, Rebo and Zooty walk by, followed by
reporters. Londo is quite amused, and promises never to miss their
show from now on. He also asks them to perform at his inauguration.

<P>

Before he leaves, Zooty calls the just arrived Sheridan aside, and
whispers something in his ear, pointing at his device: "Because it
tells me to."