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								The Psi Corps and You


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								Overview


								     Earth's most secret agency is explained, examined, and demystified

								     for the average Babylon 5 resident.


								   Issue 11 (December 1995)


								   Setting: Season two, before [6]"Confessions and Lamentations"

								    Writer: Tim DeHaas

								    Artist: John Ridgway


								     _________________________________________________________________


								Synopsis


								     _NOTE:_ This issue is in the form of an infomercial produced by

								     Psi-Corps. Since it isn't a story in the usual sense, the following

								     is more a description than a synopsis. It's not entirely clear

								     whether the presentation is supposed to be in print itself or if

								     the comic is a print rendition of a television program; this

								     description assumes the latter.


								   The host of the show, Diane Matthews, introduces herself as one of the

								   commercial telepaths working on Babylon 5. She demonstrates how

								   commercial telepaths aid in business dealings, sitting in on a deal

								   between a human and a Markab. She points out that Markab is lying

								   about the quantity of merchanside he has available; the human reduces

								   his order. Next, Matthews visits Medlab, where she assists Garibaldi

								   by scanning an assault victim and descibing the assailant. She points

								   out to the viewers that she won't be allowed to scan any suspects; she

								   can only produce information to help point Garibaldi toward admissible

								   evidence.


								   A Psi-Corps training center is the next stop, where a few psi training

								   exercises are shown. "Psi Corps knows how to help you achieve your

								   innermost desires," claims Matthews.


								   "These days," she says later, "people have learned to trust and accept

								   telepaths, like this Psi-Cop." That wasn't always the case, she says,

								   and launches into a narrative about the founding of Psi Corps. The

								   Corps was founded on the basis of a single, heroic act by her

								   great-grandfather, William Karges.


								   Karges discovered his talents at age thirteen. He didn't know what to

								   make of them, so he sought out activities that would teach him

								   self-disciplined and isolated. Later, he joined Earthforce; during his

								   training he trained himself to control his skills and use them to be a

								   better soldier. Eventually he was promoted and transferred to

								   Earthforce Security. But even then, he kept his secret, afraid he'd be

								   locked up by the government.


								   After distinguishing himself by stopping three terrorist plots, Karges

								   was placed in charge of Earth Alliance President Robinson's personal

								   security staff. One day, Karges and his forces were escorting

								   President Robinson to a campaign rally. Karges sensed a strong thought

								   from the surrounding crowd: "The bomb is ready!" Concentrating, he

								   zeroed in on the man responsible and cornered him. The man claimed to

								   know nothing about a bomb, so Karges forcibly scanned him. As Karges

								   rushed off, shouting into his link to tell his team about the man's

								   accomplice, he was shot in the back. With the last of his strength,

								   Karges sent a command into the mind of the bomber, forcing him to drop

								   the detonator. The President was safe.


								   In the hospital, dying, Karges admitted to President Robinson that he

								   found out about the bomb by reading the perpetrator's thoughs. Some

								   time later, President Robinson passed laws ensuring opportunities for

								   telepaths. A special agency already existed to monitor the recent

								   sudden increase in telepaths; Robinson changed its mission, to help

								   telepaths function in society, and the Psi Corps was born.


								   "Nowadays, all telepaths are asked to register with Psi Corps, for

								   their own good," Matthews says. "That way, the Earth Alliance and Psi

								   Corps can help them achieve their full potential!"


								   Some telepaths don't want to join the Corps, Matthews admits. She

								   visits Lisa, a lawyer, as a doctor administers telepathy-inhibiting

								   drugs. Lisa is delighted to receive the injection, as numbing her psi

								   abilities allows her to continue working in the legal profession.

								   "Sometimes it makes me tired, and I have to rest," Lisa says. "But

								   that's okay, because I can still be a successful lawyer."


								   Matthews describes the Psi Corps' work placement programs, designed to

								   help telepaths who don't want to join the Corps and are allergic to

								   the medicine. She says she started out there, but eventually realized

								   she wanted to be a commercial telepath, having the adventure of a

								   lifetime on Babylon 5.


								   "Even far from Earth, Psi Corps has influenced all our lives," she

								   says. She describes a little-known aspect of the Battle of the Line: a

								   telepathic pilot in Sinclair's squadron, Lt. Andrew Denmark of Psi

								   Corps, used his powers to steady the nerves of other pilots. Without

								   his help, Matthews claims, Sinclair would never have lived long enough

								   to make his legendary attack on the Minbari cruiser.


								   The Psi Corps helps on Mars, too, Matthews continues. When there was a

								   food shortage, Psi Corps rushed to get food supplies to all the hungry

								   colonists. Recently, a small group of terrorists began an uprising,

								   and Psi Corps stepped in to protect the colonists. "You could say Psi

								   Corps' mission is to protect," Matthews says. "Protect the future --

								   for those who want to make it better and safer."


								   "On Earth, on Mars, or on Babylon 5, you don't have to be alone. Psi

								   Corps is here for _you!_ And if you or a friend discovers they're

								   telepathic, Psi Corps will always help." As an example, she introduces

								   the case of Alfred. On Earth, as a ten-year-old boy, he was a bright

								   student at the top of his class. But when a teacher claimed he was

								   copying parts of a test from someone across the room, Alfred and his

								   friends discovered he might be a telepath. One friend offered to take

								   him to Psi Corps -- he had an uncle there, and knew the Corps took

								   good care of its members.


								   Alfred went to the Corps and chose to stay there. Today he's one of

								   its most valued members: Bester.


								   "So, if you ever feel _you_ might be a telepath, too -- remember,

								   kids, you've got friends, here on Babylon 5! One of us is always

								   stationed here to help you. Come talk to us any time! With Psi Corps

								   as your friend, you never have to feel... all alone in the night."


								Backplot


								     * Psi Corps was founded around 2160. According to the Corps, it was

								       founded after the death of a Presidential security official,

								       William Karges, who revealed he was telepathic at the time of his

								       death.

								     * Officially, Bester was born on Earth and entered the Corps at age

								       ten. He's placed highly enough to warrant mention as one of the

								       Corps "most valued members."

								     * Psi Corps claims to have had representatives in the military,

								       flying Starfuries, during the Earth-Minbari War. If the

								       presentation is to be believed, one of them was in Sinclair's

								       squadron during the Battle of the Line.


								Unanswered Questions


								     * How much of what's said in this issue is true, and how much is

								       fabricated propaganda?

								     * Was there really a telepath in Sinclair's squadron? What influence

								       did he have on what happened to Sinclair, if any?


								Analysis


								     * Psi Corps' claim that one of its members was in Sinclair's

								       squadron seems unlikely, given that in [7]"Eyes," Mr. Grey says he

								       wasn't allowed to fight in the war because he was a telepath.


								Notes


								     * This promotional program was produced before [8]"Confessions and

								       Lamentations," since it shows someone dealing with a Markab

								       trader.


								jms speaks


								     * There's nothing that I'm aware of in comic #11 that would place it

								       after "Confessions." It's a general pamphlet prepared by Psi Corps

								       some time before.

								     * Tritium: you actually believe *anything* in a PsiCorps propaganda

								       booklet? Only about 10% of what's recorded in that booklet is

								       true, and even that's distorted. The character in the booklet is

								       totally fictional.


								      Last update: February 5, 1996


								References


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