lurkers-guide/synops/112

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

<p>
<i>"It was the middle of the Earth year 2260," recalls Sheridan. "The
Year Between Wars, and the beginning of a new age. The Shadow War was
over, but there was still a darkness waiting for us back
home. President Santiago had been assassinated, and his successor,
president Clark, was turning Earth into a prison camp. We'd broken
away from Earth, and in retaliation they had quarantined us, trying to
strangle our supply lines. We were desperate, and we couldn't afford
to lose even a single supply ship. In the midst of all of this, we
made contact with Thirdspace, and we almost didn't survive it... I
only hope we never come across it again. Because the next time, no one
is going to survive it."</i>

<P>
A supply ship is under attack by raiders, and the raiders are under
attack by Starfuries, led by Ivanova. Ivanova tells the raider leader
that their forces are too evenly matched, and it will be at best a
stalemate. But the ship carries Quantium 40, too rich a prize for the
raiders to ignore. So they call in their heavy cruiser, which
functions as their base. And then, Ivanova springs her mouse trap:
Sheridan, in command of several White Star ships, arrives and takes
care of the cruiser. Hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, the
raiders surrender. Sheridan takes the prisoners to a Drazi freeport,
and Ivanova takes the wing of Starfuries back to B5. She'll spread the
news; hopefully, if raiders believe any shipment could be a trap, they
will think twice before attacking.
<P>

Back on B5, Lyta Alexander is mediating a private dispute, but she
keeps getting flashes of a ship or artifact in hyperspace. It
discomforts her greatly, and quickly excuses herself. Meanwhile, in
hyperspace, Ivanova's wing detects something lost there,
adrift. They make a lifeline of Starfuries to reach it before it drifts away
and is lost (<a href="../guide/026.html">"A Distant Star"</a>).
It is a huge construct, of unknown origin. Ivanova requests Babylon 5
send White Stars and all available starfuries to tow the enormous find
back to the station.
<P>

As the artifact passes through the gate, Lyta has a vision: the Zocalo
in ruins, bodies everywhere, herself hurt and bleeding, and a strange
shadow stalking her...
<P>

Later, Vir talks with Sheridan and Delenn. Londo is away on Centauri
Prime, and the League has asked him to talk on their behalf. The
League want access to the artifact, and the possible advanced
technologies it represents. But Sheridan is wary of having everyone
poking at the artifact, pulling in all directions at once. He promises
they will share anything they find with the League. Vir does not think
the League will be satisfied with promises, but agrees to relay
Sheridan's answer to them.
<P>

But as Delenn points out, Babylon 5 is not equipped to handle
research of such proportions. "So it will take us a little longer,"
answers Sheridan possessively.
<P>

A maintenance bot is sent to take a surface sample from the artifact,
but its energy is drained, and strange markings of some kind shine
briefly on the artifact's surface. And in her quarters, Lyta is
furiously scribbling on the walls "There is danger. Remember." over and
over again...
<P>

Soon after, a ship from InterPlanetary Expeditions (IPX) arrives and
requests a meeting with Sheridan. The leader of the expedition is
Dr. Elizabeth Trent. Despite the Earth embargo on B5, IPX would like
access to the artifact. Because of its line of work, IPX maintains
contacts with other worlds and outside of Earth-controlled space, and
Earthgov turns a blind eye towards them for business' sake. Dr. Trent
points out that B5 is not set up to investigate the find, and it
could even be dangerous to be poking around blindly. Sheridan agrees
to given them access, provided IPX meets some conditions: they are to
keep him and the station informed at all times, and give them full
access to their finds; he also wants first shot at any new
technologies found; and anything that could be used by Earth against
the other races will not leave B5; Sheridan is willing to destroy the
artifact if necessary to prevent such information from
leaving. Finally, since IPX can come and go as they please, they will
bring needed supplies and foodstuffs to the station. "If you're
going to work here," explains Sheridan, "you are going to have to
bring lunch. I just want to make sure you bring enough for everybody."
<P>

Dr. Trent wants to think about it, but just then Ivanova links in:
their tests suggest the artifact is at least a million years old. This
is more than enough for Trent, who agrees to the deal Sheridan
proposed.
<P>

In her quarters, Lyta is dreaming of the artifact. In her dream, it is
covered in some sort of writing. She wakes up and leaves. As she is
going up on a lift, she is joined by Zack. She, however, is still lost
in her visions, mouthing the words "there is danger, remember" over
and over. The lift stops suddenly: the station has been
experiencing power fluctuations for the past couple of hours. Zack,
meanwhile, uses the pause to ask Lyta out; he is taken aback by her
silence and detachment, thinking it is rejection. He eventually backs
off, and requests that the whole conversation be forgotten.
<P>

Later, as more work continues around the artifact, dozens of maintbots
accelerate towards it on a collision course. They are destroyed by
starfuries before they impact, and when security breaks into
Maintenance, they find Lyta standing over the unconscious bodies of
the personnel. "We have to stop it, we have to stop it," she says, and
falls to the ground unconscious. Later, she tells Dr. Franklin she
cannot remember anything since the previous evening. Although
Dr. Trent wants her in custody, Sheridan refuses. He will treat this
as an isolated incident.
<P>

The preparations around the artifact are complete, and the IPX team
begins deep magnetic scans on the artifact. They figure it is not a
ship, but rather some sort of mechanism. Dr. Trent even has some ideas
about what it is...
<P>

In the Zocalo, a man starts dreaming of a city in space, with a spire
in the middle, and dark tentacles reaching for him. He awakes
screaming. All over the station, similar events are occurring: fights
are breaking out, people are locking themselves up in their rooms,
screaming...
<P>

In Downbelow, Deuce (<a href="../guide/015.html">"Grail"</a>) is
looking up; he is seeing the same city, and mutters to himself "It is
beautiful." Ivanova also dreams of the city, and even sees Vir
there. A dark tentacle reaches over from behind her, and she wakes up
screaming.
<P>

In the morning, Bill Marishi, the second in command of the IPX group,
is working over breakfast. Suddenly, he is surrounded by silent people
who are staring at him intently. Among them is Deuce, who tells him
IPX isn't moving fast enough. "You have to move faster," he tells
Marishi. "You have to make it work."
<P>

Despite her progress, Dr. Trent has not shared her findings with
Sheridan, and he is getting suspicious. Although he is not a
xenoarchaelogist, from his years with Anna he knows they should be
further along than Dr. Trent is letting on. But Dr. Trent claims the
situation is unique and calls for slow progress. Sheridan then notices
some of her notes, and recognizes that the writing on the surface of
the artifact is Vorlon. Dr. Trent should know that, and moreover
should have shared the information. Sheridan gives her 48 hours to get
a report to him, otherwise he'll pull the plug.
<P>

Faced with the deadline, Trent tries to push up the schedule. She
wants to crack the artifact's technology before anyone else takes it
away from her. But Marishi disagrees, and since he is second in
command his agreement is needed. So she reveals what she knows: the
way Dr. Trent figures it, the artifact will open a gateway to another
space, different from both normal and hyper; she calls it
"thirdspace." As far as she can tell, it operates under a whole
different set of rules: a ship traveling through thirdspace would be
able to travel almost instantanously between points that would take
days or weeks through hyperspace; the technological, and more
importantly the military, potential is enormous. Although cautious,
Marishi agrees to go ahead and try to turn the artifact on, and open a
gateway to thirdspace.
<P>

In a lift, Ivanova meets Vir. Since it is considered good luck among
Centauri, Vir mentions he saw her in his dreams last night. Soon,
Ivanova realizes it was the same dream she had, and that this is
connected to the strange happenings all around the station, and to the
artifact itself. She rushes to tell Sheridan about it.
<P>

But Trent has put her plans in action. The work crew plugs in a power
cell to the artifact, which springs to life.
<P>

People start converging on the observation dome, the Zocalo, and the
cobra bays, entranced by the artifact. Some are trying to stop the
starfuries from launching. When Zack tries to clear them out, fights
erupt. The artifact is now draining power from the whole station. Zack
links in to Sheridan: fights are breaking out everywhere, and people
seem to be under some kind of telepathic influence or trance; he won't
fire on them, which makes things that much harder. Some starfuries
launch and start firing at the artifact from a distance, but the
artifact seems to be protected by an energy shield now. Slowly, the
artifact begins to open...
<P>

Sheridan goes to see Lyta, and is met by Delenn. They find Lyta
taken over by a presence, an "echo of what was." The presence explains
what the artifact is: thousands of years ago, the Vorlons, believing
themselves to be just short of godhood, constructed the artifact as a
gate to heaven. In their arrogance they didn't stop to consider the
consequences and dangers. On the other side, they found a powerful
race bent on the destruction of all other life in that universe. With
the gate open, they came into our universe to do the same. Strong
telepaths, they even managed to take over some Vorlons. The Vorlons
managed to fight them back and close the gate, but before the artifact
could be destroyed, those who had been taken over flung it into
hyperspace. Now the door is opening again, and the artifact must be
destroyed. For the aliens to come through, the door must be open on
both sides, so this will suffice. The presence imparts to Sheridan the
knowledge needed to destroy the artifact.
<P>

Outside, the gate is opening and small ships are coming through. They
easily take care of the few starfuries that have launched...
<P>

Inside, Sheridan is ready to go ahead. Delenn will get some Minbari
heavy cruisers, and Sheridan has a mission of his own. Ivanova goes to
see Trent, and finds Bill Marishi dead, shot from the back: Dr. Trent
has been taken over as well. Before she can strike again,
Ivanova disarms her and knocks her unconscious. She then
leaves to lead the arriving White Stars, as more alien fighters come
through the gate.
<P>

The alien fighters are very powerful and tough, and even the White
Stars and the Minbari cruisers are having trouble holding their
own. Meanwhile, Sheridan goes to the armory and takes a tactical nuke,
before going out on a powered spacesuit. The defending fleet
concentrates its fire on the front of the artifact, opening up a hole
in the defensive shield on the back. Sheridan slips through it to the
inside of the artifact.
<P>

As the fights rage on outside and inside the station, Sheridan places
the tactical nuke in the center of the artifact. He arms it, and on
his way out he finds his way blocked by creatures which look like
those in Ivanova's and Lyta's visions. He manages to escape them
barely, as a giant alien ship starts coming through the gate. Before
it can emerge, however, the bomb goes off, destroying the artifact and
the alien ship.
<P>

The combined defenders slowly and painfully destroy the remaining
alien fighters, as the people inside Babylon 5 slowly awaken from their
telepathic takeover. The station, and the universe, have survived.
<P>

Later, Dr. Trent is apologizing for her behavior, not all of which
was telepathically induced. She acknowledges she was wrong and will
take a leave of absence to take stock of her life. "I didn't like the
part of me that thing brought out," she tells Sheridan. She also gives
him all the information she found about the artifact. It may prove
useful, some day.
<P>

<i>"I was sure she didn't give me all the information," remembers
Sheridan. "She just wanted out of there. And if a little lie got her
out the door, that was fine with her. Fine with both of us,
really. Because as Mr. Garibaldi has been known to say from time to
time, `we all lie.' When the dust settled and people wanted
explanations, we gave them one. We said that the device was a weapon,
a mouse trap, which was true. We told them that it used a telepathic
trigger and caused an outbreak of fighting, and we told them that it
was finally destroyed. It's all true.
<P>

"And of course, it's all a lie. Because there are times we don't need
the whole truth. The Vorlons made an error thousands of years ago, and
we paid the price for it today. Why encourage any one else to do the
same? No, we have more than enough troubles of our own, we don't need
to inherit anyone else's mistakes. We got through it alive, and
everyone's okay, and that's the important thing. And this isn't the
kind of problem that's likely to ever happen again."</i><P>

In the Observation Deck, Lyta is staring sadly at the stars, saying to
herself: "One mistake. One mistake out of so many, so many others..."