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<html><head><title>Babylon 5 Universe: The Station (season three)</title><map name="toplevel"><area shape="RECT" coords="0,0,99,23" href="/lurk/universe/intro.html" alt="Universe"><area shape="RECT" coords="100,0,199,23" href="/lurk/episodes.php" alt="Episodes"><area shape="RECT" coords="200,0,299,23" href="/lurk/making/creators.html" alt="People"><area shape="RECT" coords="300,0,399,23" href="/lurk/resources/online.html" alt="Resources"><area shape="RECT" coords="400,0,499,23" href="/lurk/reference/episodes.html" alt="Encyclopedia"><area shape="RECT" coords="0,24,499,31" nohref></map>
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<body><p align=center nowrap><nobr><img	align=middle border=0 usemap="#titlebar"	src="/lurk/nav/titlebar.gif" width=500 height=32	alt="[Home]">
<br><img	align=top border=0 usemap="#toplevel"	src="/lurk/nav/bar-universe.gif" width=500 height=32	alt="">
<br><a href="intro.html"><img	align=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/dark/un-intro.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" [Introduction]"></a><ahref="setting-3.html"><img	align=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/dark/un-setting.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" [Setting]"></a><ahref="cast-3.html"><img	align=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/dark/un-maincast.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" [Main Cast]"></a><ahref="supporting-3.html"><img	align=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/dark/un-supporting.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" [Supporting Cast]"></a><imgalign=top border=0	src="/lurk/nav/lit/un-station.gif" width=100 height=24	alt=" ### STATION ###"></a></nobr>
<p><a href="station-1.html">Season 1: "Signs and Portents"</a><br><a href="station-2.html">Season 2: "The Coming of Shadows"</a><br><strong>Season 3: "Point of No Return"</strong><br><a href="station-4.html">Season 4: "No Surrender, No Retreat"</a>
<h1><a href="/lurk/ftp/Pictures/Effects/station4.jpg"><img align=middlesrc="/lurk/gif/station.gif" align="middle"></a><a href="/lurk/ftp/Clips/rotate.avi"><img src="/lurk/gif/movie.xbm" alt="[Movie]"></a>The Babylon 5 Station</h1>
<h3>Originally written by J. Michael Straczynski on GEnie</h3>
<p><strong>Babylon 5</strong>is a space station in neutral space more or less central to allfive of the different alliances, human or alien. To get to one or theother, you have to pass through this sector of space. Thus, Babylon 5 hasbeen created as a sort of port-of-call for travellers, statesmen,emissaries, traders, refugees and other, less savory characters.
<p>Five miles long, Babylon 5 is divided intoseparate, discrete sections that rotate at differing speeds to providedifferent gravities to accommodate those who come to the station.  Itboasts the latest in defensive weaponry from Earthforce R&D, enough tohold off a large Centauri war cruiser -- a capability, unfortunately, whichhas been put to the test.  Of course, even the best weapons Earth has to offerwould be useless if the Shadows attacked.  Luckily, the station isn't alone.
<p>Babylon 5 is in orbit around the third planet in the Epsilon Eridani starsystem, a world which was until recently believed to be barren, devoid of life.In 2258, however, the remains of an ancient civilization were discoveredburied deep beneath the planet's surface: a massive, planetwide machine ofawesome offensive power.  It is currently under the control of Delenn'smentor, Draal, who took over from the former guardian in<a href="/lurk/guide/019.html">"A Voice in the Wilderness, part 2."</a>Draal has placed the planet's power at the disposal of Captain Sheridan, foruse in the battle against the Shadows.
<p>As for locations inside B-5...we've designed a number of very differentlooks and locations to give it a non-claustrophobic feel. By virtue ofbeing patterned physically after the work of such scientists as Gerard K.O'Neill, the absolute center of the elongated station (which revolves toprovide gravity) is a sort of hollow-world look, with fields and hydroponicgardens along the 360-degree circular section (which is about a half-mile,or a mile across)...and as you get closer to the absolute center, where atransport tube cuts from one end of the station to the other, naturally youget less and less gravity until you can literally hang suspended.  Thisarea is known as the Garden.
<p><a href="/lurk/ftp/Pictures/Effects/garden.gif"><imgsrc="/lurk/gif/garden.gif" alt="The Garden (GIF)"></a><a href="/lurk/ftp/Pictures/Effects/garden-night.gif"><imgsrc="/lurk/gif/garden-night.gif" alt="The Garden at 'night'(GIF)"></a>
<p>And there are living areas designed to accommodate different environmentsand atmospheres and conditions. The alien sectors are off-limits to humanswithout protection (breathing gear and other measures). Similarly, a heavyCO2 breather or methane breather would have to wear an encounter suit totravel among the humans on the station.
<p><a href="station-map-3.html"><img width=100 height=24 hspace=4 align=middleborder=0 alt="[More Info]" src="/lurk/nav/moreinfo.gif"></a><em>A map of the station.</em>
<p>Some sections of the station, called the Downbelow, are inhabited by Babylon5's equivalent of the homeless, called Lurkers.  Most of them are people whocame to the station looking for work; they didn't find any, and can't affordpassage offstation.  No government is willing to pay to ship them home (andin some cases, they wouldn't even be <em>allowed</em> home) so they languish onthe station.  The Downbelow is a center of criminal activity on B5, though byno means is crime confined to that area.
<p>Finally, on sets and the "look" of the place...again, there will be a mix.Parts of the station are still under construction, and parts are finished.Some sections are in daylight, some in night, alternating by level andsector. On the very outer ring, the viewports are in panels ON THE FLOOR,so you're looking down and out into space, revolving beneath your feet.Some places will be beautifully finished and neat, and other areas will bevery rough and in-the-works.  (Remember, B5 only recently went operational,and thus there are still some parts being constructed.)
<p>In talking with our production designer, John Iacovelli, the one term hekept using, over and over, was "travelogue."  We should get a real sense inthis show of a world turned inside out...with varying textures, lighting,angles, and a mix of looks.  There will <strong>not</strong> be a  homogeneouslook tothis place, if I or Iacovelli have anything to say about it.  You can walkfrom the carefully and neatly appointed Council Chamber room, to the high-tech control room, to a section of the station under construction andexposing beams and wires, to the dark and noire-looking nightclub, to theGarden, to....
<p><a href="http://www.nas.nasa.gov/NAS/SpaceSettlement/"><img width=100 height=24 hspace=4 align=middle border=0 alt="[More Info]"src="/lurk/nav/moreinfo.gif"></a><em>NASA's "Orbital Space Settlements" page.</em>
<p><strong>Next:</strong> <a href="/lurk/episodes.php">The Episodes</a>
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<h5>Last update:October 15, 1995
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