lurkers-guide/synops/110

<h3>Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)</h3>

<i>Garibaldi: "The Interstellar Alliance, based on the homeworld of
the Minbari Federation, was founded in the Earth year 2261, shortly
after the end of the Shadow War, twenty years ago. Twenty years of
history. Those of us who have survived have seen it all. And those of
us who understand, have been waiting, and dreading, the arrival of
this day..."</i>

<P>
Sheridan is dreaming: he dreams about Lorien reviving him on Z'ha'dum
(<a href="../guide/068.html">"Whatever Happened to
Mr. Garibaldi?"</a>); and Lorien explaining that he will live for at
most twenty years after his fall in Z'ha'dum (<a
href="../guide/070.html">"Falling Toward Apotheosis"</a>). He
wakes with a start, and begins to get up. Delenn wakes up and asks him
where he is going, and he replies he only wants to get some air.

<P>
He dresses in the robes of Ranger One, and walks to a balcony, to
await the comng of the day. Delenn joins him; she didn't go back to
sleep, and wanted to see what Sheridan was up to. They sit together,
and Sheridan explains he wanted to see the sun come up; he has never
done it since he got to Minbar, and wants to carry the picture
of it in his head.

<P>
"You had the dream again," says Delenn, more observation than
question. It is the third night in a row, and both of them know what
it means. It's been twenty years since Sheridan died on Z'ha'dum, and
he is almost out of time. "Do you want me to send the messages?"
Delenn asks. "Yes. Send them," he replies. The sun starts coming up,
and they both watch the sunrise, embracing in silence.

<P>
On Earth, General Susan Ivanova's secretary is letting her know her
schedule: nothing important, really... Ivanova is clearly tired of the
whole thing. "I feel like an old war horse," she says, "trotted out
after a parade so all the kids can point at it."

<P> 
Suddenly, a Ranger bursts into the office. A security guard is thrown
to the floor, and the captain of the guard follows apologizing for the
intrusion. The Ranger insisted, but the captain didn't think it appropriate
(even though Ivanova had given orders that any Ranger was to be shown
in immediately). "I have a message", the Ranger says simply as way of
explanation. "Who from?" asks Ivanova, and he replies: "I think you
know." He hands her the message. She reads it silently, and then
orders a shuttle readied so she can go to Minbar. She'll leave within
the next fifteen minutes.

<P>
In Centauri Prime, a Ranger is escorted into Emperor Vir Cotto's
bedroom, where he is "entertaining" two ladies. Vir's mood sobers when
he sees the Ranger, and takes the message. He orders all his
appointments cancelled for the next few days. He doesn't need to read
the note; he already knows what it says.

<P>
On Mars, Garibaldi reads a newspaper, when Stephen Franklin comes in
with Garibaldi's daughter. They've just been playing tennis. Garibaldi
is still married to Lise and running Edgars Industries. Lise is out
shopping, and Garibaldi promises his daughter he'll come out to play
her soon. She leaves, and Garibaldi asks Franklin when he is due back
on Earth. By tomorrow, says Franklin; as head of Xeno-Biological
research, he has a lot of work that needs to be done.

<P>
Garibaldi's daughter silently escorts a Ranger in. The Ranger gives
Garibaldi a card, which he opens and reads. "Is that what I think it
is?" asks Franklin. "Yeah," Garibaldi replies, "Sheridan's dying. He
wants us to come to Minbar for one last get-together before... well,
before." Franklin's office can wait; he'll book a flight out. Should
he book one for Garibaldi as well, he asks? "John and I may have had our
differences in the past," Garibaldi says, "but he is a good man, and
he is my friend." He is indeed going.

<P>
In Tuzanor, on Minbar, Sheridan again watches the sunrise.

<P>
Later, Franklin is checking Sheridan over. He never really understood
what Lorien did, or how he kept Sheridan alive. He can't really tell
much, but his best guess is that Sheridan has 4 or 5 days left, a week
at most. Delenn comes in as Franklin heads out. But Sheridan doesn't
want to talk about it: he wants laughts, a celebration, not a wake.

<P>
At dinner, Garibaldi is telling a story involving a Pak'ma'ra, a dead
cat, and a data crystal; Franklin, Delenn, and Sheridan are laughing,
while Vir listens intently. Ivanova sits silently, absorbed in her own
thoughts.

<P>
When the story is over, Vir recalls another incident. Once, on Babylon
5, he and Londo happened to hear a group of Pak'ma'ra singing; a very
rare occassion, done for religious reasons but a couple of times a
year. It was, Vir says, the most beautiful sound he had ever heard,
full of sadness, and hope, wonder, and a terrible sense of loss. Even
Londo was moved, a year running down his face at the sound. "When it
was over," Vir continues, "Londo turned to me and said 'There are
forty-nine gods in our pantheon, Vir; to tell you the truth I never
believed in any of them. But if only one of them exists, then God
sings with that voice.' It's funny. After everything we have been
through, all he did... I miss him."

<P>
Sheridan proposes a toast: "To absent friends, in memory still
bright."

<P>
They raise their glasses. Garibaldi: "G'Kar." 

<P>
Vir: "Londo." 

<P>
Delenn: "Lennier." 

<P>
Franklin: "Ma..." but Ivanova interrupts: "Marcus."

<P>
Later that night, Vir is fast asleep on the balcony, as Franklin,
Sheridan, and Garibaldi talk. Ivanova looks at them, still silent, and
moves away. Delenn follows her, and asks if she is all right. But
Ivanova claims she is. Ivanova asks Delenn how she handles it;
Delenn has had twenty years to prepare. As much as anybody can be
ready, she is ready. "But I'm going to miss him terribly, Susan."

<P>
"So will I," Ivanova says. "I've buried so many friends, Delenn. I'm
beginning to resent it, and I don't want to. It seems like, some days,
there's no one left to play with. There's no joy any more."

<P>
Ivanova tries to change the subject, asks where David is. Sheridan and
Delenn's son is away on a Ranger training mission, and they made it
clear when he joined that he would not receive special
treatment. Besides, Sheridan wanted to see his old friends, and wants
David to remember his father the way he was.

<P>
There is something else Delenn wants to talk with Ivanova about. When
Sheridan refused to accept re-election as the President of the
Interstellar Alliance two years ago, Delenn was elected. Unable to
devote her attention to the Rangers, she passed the mantle of Ranger
One to Sheridan. When he leaves, she will have to choose a new leader
for the Rangers, and she would like a human to maintain the sense of
balance she and Sheridan have achieved. In fact, she would like
Ivanova to take the job. Delenn knows Ivanova is not happy with her
responsibilities at home, and here there will be no politics or
bureaucracy in her way. She can create something new, answering only
to Delenn. Ivanova thanks Delenn for the offer, but she'll have to
think about it for a while. She thanks Delenn for everything, and goes
off to bed.

<P>
Sheridan joins Delenn, who tells him the others are putting Vir to
bed. They head to bed themselves, but Sheridan is not
sleepy. Tomorrow, he says, is Sunday. As a kid, his father used to
take them out for a drive every Sunday. And he is going to go for a
drive tomorrow. He'll go early, before the others are up. They've had
their time together, said what they wanted to say. And Sheridan wants
to feel space again, for he belongs in space. 

<P>
Besides, he adds, the Alliance, Sheridan and Delenn... it has all become
half legend, half mythology. If it ends on Minbar, prosaically... But
if it ends in space, he can add to the mythology, make it easier for
Delenn to hang on to everyone after he's gone. There will be more
legend to remember.

<P>
In the morning, Sheridan dresses in his old Army of Light uniform, and
prepares to leave before sunrise. Delenn, dressed up in white, greets
him in the corridor. After all, it's Sunday, and one dresses up on
Sundays. It's a perfect day for a drive. But if he really wants to go,
he must leave now; the others will awake soon.

<P>
"Good night, my love," Sheridan tells her as they embrace for the last
time, "the brightest star in my sky." "Good night," answers Delenn, a
tear running down her cheek. "You were my sky, and my sun, and my
moon." Tears in his eyes, Sheridan lets go, and slowly leaves, not
looking back.

<P>
Sheridan makes his way to Babylon 5 on a ship by himself. The place
seems empty, a single bored guard at the entrance. The commander
rushes in, apologizing for being elsewhere, unaware Sheridan was
coming. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by," says
Sheridan, and asks where everyone is.

<P>
Well, the commander explains, nobody really goes there anyomore. The
station has been superseded by the Alliance, has become
redundant. Only the shutdown crew and a few others are still on
board. Babylon 5 was returned to Earth a few years ago, but budgetary
concerns will force it to close; they are getting ready to shut it
down, and they'll have to scuttle her then, to prevent the station from
becoming a hazard to navigation.

<P>
"Looks like we are still tied together," Sheridan tells the station,
"even now." He goes for a quick look around, showing signs of
fatigue. In an empty Zocalo, he finds Zack Allan, back in EarthForce
security uniform, and limping.

<P>
Zack went back to Earth for a while, but got bored and came back;
which explains why Sheridan's message didn't find him on Earth. Zack
wanted to be on the station till they turned the lights off. He asks if
Sheridan is staying for the decommissioning ceremony, but Sheridan
simply says he can't stay, not even to grab a quick bite with Zack; he
doesn't have time.

<P>
"I just wanted to come and have one last look around," Sheridan
explains. He is on his way to the Coriana system, where they won the
Shadow War (<a href="../guide/072.html">"Into the Fire"</a>).

<P>
Sheridan arrives at Corianna six, his life running out. Delenn, alone
in bed back on Minbar, starts crying, as his ship floats, hanging in
space. Sheridan turns all the systems off, and looks at the stars as
he starts to fade out.

<P>
A bright light brings him back to consciousness, as Lorien's voice
rings our, asking the questions that defined the sides in the Shadow
War:

<P>
"Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here?"

<P>
And suddenly, Lorien is besides him, and continues: "Where are you
going?"


<P>
Did you think we had forgotten you?" he adds with a faint
smile. "We have been waiting for you." "Beyond the rim," Sheridan
finishes for him, and Lorien nods.

<P>
"Can I come back?" Sheridan asks. "No," replies Lorien. "This journey
is ended. Another begins. Time to rest now." Sheridan smiles, and
light engulfes the inside of the ship. "Well, look at that," Sheridan
says, looking into the light. "The sun's coming up." The light fades
out, leaving the ship dark.

<P>
<i> Ivanova: "An expedition to Coriana space found Sheridan's ship a
few days later, but they never found him. All the airlocks were
sealed, but there was no trace of him inside. Some of the Minbari
believe he'll come back some day, but I never saw him again in my
lifetime."</i>

<P>
Ivanova joins Vir, Zack, Garibaldi, Delenn, and Franklin at the
decommissioning ceremony of Babylon 5. They leave the station in a
shuttle, passing between two rows of ships from all the races. The
lights in the station are turned off, and it stops spinning. As the
ships depart, the station is blown up, level by level, section by
section.

<P>
<i>"Babylon 5 was the last of the Babylon stations. There
would never be another. It changed the future, and it changed us. It
taught us that we had to create the future, or others will do it for
us.</i>

<P>
Garibaldi returns to his wife and family on Mars.

<P><i> "It showed us that we have to care for each other, because if
we don't, who will?</i>

<P>
Franklin returns to his job on Earth, helping heal both aliens and
humans.

<P><i>"And that strength sometimes comes from the most unlikely of
places.</i>

<P>Zack goes to Centauri Prime and works for Emperor Vir Cotto.

<P><i>"Mostly, though, I think it gave us hope that there can always
be new beginnings, even for people like us.</i>

<P>Ivanova accepts the position of leader of the Rangers.

<P><i>"As for Delenn, every morning for as long as she lived, Delenn
got up before dawn and watched the sun come up..."</i>