brennen
/
lurkers-guide



								                            [1][ISMAP]-[2][Home]


								    [3][Guide] [4][Background] ### SYNOPSIS ### [5][Credits] [6][Episode

								                       List] [7][Previous] [8][Next]


								   It is December 30, 2258. As the episode opens, Londo and G'Kar are

								   arguing before the council about quadrant 37. G'Kar accuses the

								   Centauri government of sending armed ships into Narn space, but Londo

								   is adamant in his belief that quadrant 37 is neutral territory,

								   because of a treaty. G'Kar declares that the Narn government no longer

								   acknowledges the treaty because it was forced upon them. Sinclair

								   intervenes and points out that the Narns have operated a military base

								   on the border of Centauri space, without incident, for five years, and

								   wonders why the problems have only now begun. G'Kar claims that

								   outposts such as those are necessary for Narn planetary security.

								   Londo responds, "Keep this up, G'Kar, and soon you won't have a planet

								   to protect." G'Kar storms out of the council chamber.


								   [INLINE] G'Kar makes his accusation.


								   Elsewhere on the station, Garibaldi is talking to some people when a

								   dying man stumbles over to him. The man is badly injured and can

								   barely talk, but manages to utter one message before he dies. "You've

								   got to stop them," he says. "They're going to kill him... they're

								   going to kill him."


								   Garibaldi explains to Sinclair and Ivanova that the man, named Stephen

								   Petrov, was a lurker from Downbelow who he had picked up for petty

								   theft and reformed. He had been an informant of Garibaldi's for six

								   months, though Garibaldi had not heard from him in nearly two weeks.

								   Garibaldi is upset that Petrov had died while wanting to turn his life

								   around, but realizes that his death may not have been in vain, if what

								   he said was true. Though they don't know whose life may be in danger,

								   Garibaldi is determined to find the answer.


								   Later, Sinclair and Catherine Sakai watch the news in Sinclair's

								   quarters. "After which, the president and his escort left the Mars

								   colony on a goodwill tour of the outer planet colonies. Sources close

								   to the president have hinted that he'll give a major policy speech New

								   Year's Day from the jump point on Io. The speech is likely to concern

								   human-alien relations over the remainder of his five-year term," says

								   the anchorwoman.


								   [INLINE] Watching the news.


								   Catherine asks Sinclair if he has plans for New Year's. He says that

								   he doesn't, unless the conflict between the Narn and Centauri is still

								   continuing. Catherine has made plans, but wants to surprise Sinclair.

								   Sinclair has a surprise for her as well. He talks to her about their

								   relationship and the problems they have had in the past, and how much

								   he loves her. "Look," he asks her, "do you want to get married or

								   don't you?" "Yes," she replies.


								   Londo and Vir are in Londo's quarters discussing the problems the

								   Centauri are having with the Narn. Londo is upset at having to tell

								   the council that he must give quadrant 37 to the Narns, but knows that

								   he must do it and that he has nearly no alternative. Then, there is an

								   incoming communication which Vir answers. When the voice asks for

								   Londo, Vir first answers that he is very busy, but Londo recognizes

								   the voice and takes the call personally. He recognizes the man on the

								   other end as Morden, who had rescued the Eye from the raiders. Londo

								   wants to talk, but Morden refuses, instead setting up a meeting at the

								   park in one hour, to discuss a problem that Morden doesn't mention.

								   Londo agrees, and then sends Vir away, to prepare for the meeting.


								   [INLINE] "I think I'll stick my head in the station's fusion reactor."


								   Delenn and Lennier are in Delenn's quarters. Delenn is again working

								   on the crystal structure that she has been constructing for a long

								   time. "Did you see Ambassador Kosh?" she asks Lennier, and he responds

								   affirmatively. "Did you relay my question precisely? Word for word?"

								   Again, Lennier responds affirmatively, and when Delenn asks for his

								   reaction, Lennier tells her. "Just one word. He said: Yes." Delenn

								   stops working on the structure and leaves hastily, telling Lennier to

								   wait for her.


								   Garibaldi, now in Downbelow, searches for information on Petrov's

								   death. He is met with consternation from the various lurkers, but

								   eventually finds one that has information for him. The strange man

								   says that it is common for lurkers to accept assignments from people

								   on the station when they need more people to work. "Last week, one of

								   the guys hired us to load cargo for transport." Garibaldi asks what

								   kind, but the man didn't ask. He suspected that the man who had asked

								   them to load the cargo was trouble. Garibaldi asks for a name, and the

								   man provides one: Devereaux, whom he claims hangs out in the casino.

								   The lurker also provides one last startling bit of information. "The

								   last time I saw Petrov was just before he went looking for you.

								   Whatever he saw, whatever he knew, scared him half to death."


								   [INLINE] Garibaldi gathers information.


								   In the park, Londo searches for Morden and eventually finds him. Londo

								   tells Morden that he wanted to thank him for returning the Eye, but

								   Morden waves it off. "Unnecessary," Morden says. "I'm here to be of

								   service, Ambassador! My associates believe that you are a person of

								   great potential, trapped in a position where your skills are unseen

								   and unappreciated. They'd like to change that." Londo tells Morden

								   that nothing can be changed, and that his life is as much as it will

								   ever be, but Morden suggests trying anyway.


								   Morden knows of the trouble in quadrant 37 and offers to solve the

								   problem for the Centauri. Londo doesn't believe it, but Morden

								   persists, telling Londo to tell his superiors that he will take care

								   of the situation. Londo does not still completely understand. "What is

								   the price for this...help?"


								   "No price, Ambassador," Morden answers simply. "But at some point in

								   the future, if we deliver on our promises, we may come to you and ask

								   you for a favor. That's all." Morden leaves.


								   [INLINE] "We're simply here to help."


								   Delenn enters Kosh's quarters. She breathes from a gas mask once, then

								   puts it away and speaks. "I have come as I said I would. Kosh, I have

								   great doubts. I must know if it's true. I must see with my own eyes."


								   Kosh says nothing in response. Suddenly, a bright light comes from the

								   encounter suit, and slowly, the top of the suit begins to move out of

								   place. Delenn looks at what she sees and smiles. "Yes, thank you. Now

								   I will keep the promise. Goodbye. You will not see me again as I am

								   now." She bows to Kosh and leaves.


								   In the casino, Garibaldi finds Devereaux and introduces himself.

								   Devereaux refuses to cooperate, but relents after Garibaldi forces him

								   to go to security to identify Petrov. "Big mistake, hot shot,"

								   Devereaux says to Garibaldi. "You shouldn't poke around in things you

								   don't understand. This is too big for you." Garibaldi does not believe

								   this, and escorts Devereaux out of the casino.


								   Meanwhile, in Londo's quarters, Vir enters and tells Londo that the

								   Centauri government wants to know if he has relayed their message to

								   the council. Londo tells Vir to reply that he will personally take

								   care of the problem in quadrant 37. Though Vir believes Londo is

								   drunk, Londo assures him it is not so, and tells him to send the

								   message.


								   Sinclair goes to G'Kar's quarters, where Na'Toth tells him that G'Kar

								   is too busy, but she changes her mind after several females emerge

								   from his bedroom. Sinclair wants the Narn to give Centauri room to

								   maneuver, but G'Kar refuses; he considers it a dead issue. Sinclair

								   tries to get him reconsider. The Narn, he says, are abusing their

								   power by threatening the Centauri much as the Centauri had done to

								   them.


								   "We know what we're doing," G'Kar says. "Is there anything else?"


								   "Just that I've had this feeling lately that we're standing at a

								   crossroads, and I don't like where we're going. But there's still time

								   to choose another path. You can be part of that process, G'Kar. Choose

								   wisely. Not just for the Centauri, but for the good of your own people

								   as well."


								   "We all do what we have to," G'Kar says, and asks Sinclair to leave.


								   [INLINE] "We're standing at a crossroads."


								   Later, Sinclair, Catherine, Ivanova and Garibaldi are eating dinner

								   together. Garibaldi wants to know what the occasion is, and Sinclair

								   tells him that he and Catherine are getting married, and they want

								   want Garibaldi and Ivanova to be the best man and maid of honor,

								   respectively. Congratulations are exchanged, and Garibaldi tells

								   Sinclair that he is glad to be his friend and best man. A beep comes

								   from Garibaldi's communicator, and he receives a message that

								   Devereaux, and the two men who were with him, is missing. Garibaldi

								   tells Sinclair that he found something interesting about Devereaux.

								   When he investigated Devereaux's PPG, he found no serial number

								   stamped on the inner coil. Only special agents in Earth Force security

								   get unnumbered PPGs, a fact which suggests to Garibaldi that something

								   serious is going on.


								   In quadrant 37, a Narn perimeter guard is investigating the sector,

								   and reports that he has found nothing. He loses contact with the base.

								   Suddenly, something materializes directly in front of him. It is a

								   large black ship that has many protusions resembling legs or

								   tentacles. It fires a beam at the ship, which is instantly destroyed.

								   A second mysterious ship appears nearby, then a third, then a fourth.

								   Several Narn ships, fighters and large capital ships alike, attempt to

								   intercept and return fire on the spider-like vessels, but their

								   attempts are fruitless. All the Narn ships are destroyed, and soon the

								   outpost on a nearby planet is destroyed as well. The mystery ships

								   vanish, fading to invisibility as they move away from the planet.


								   [INLINE] The Narn outpost.


								   Ivanova, at C&C, taking an opportunity to relax since no more ships

								   are due in for a while, watches the news. "At which time the vice

								   president disembarked Earth Force 1. He is currently undergoing

								   medical tests while the president continues en route to Jupiter.

								   Reports indicate that the vice president is suffering from a viral

								   infection and hopes to catch up with the tour as it returns from Io."


								   There is, however, no time for Garibaldi to relax. One of the ships

								   that Devereaux had hired Petrov to load cargo onto was delayed by

								   engine trouble, and he is inspecting the cargo. His aide arrives to

								   help. Though the cargo containers are supposed to contain medical

								   supplies, Garibaldi finds transmitters which are set to broadcast

								   static -- a "poor man's jamming device." In another crate is a

								   triangulation system, used to determine optimum placement for the

								   transmitters. The device is set for a location near the transport

								   point on Io, and the jammers are set to jam the gold channel frequency

								   for Earth Force 1. Garibaldi links to Sinclair. "We've got a problem.

								   Ultraviolet priority." He doesn't go into more detail, but tells

								   Sinclair to meet him in a briefing room in twenty minutes. He rushes

								   away. After Garibaldi leaves, his aide makes a communication of his

								   own. "This is blue alpha," he says. "Stand by."


								   While Garibaldi is on his way, he comes across Devereaux and his

								   associates. Garibaldi tries to apprehend them, but is shot in the back

								   by his aide.


								   [INLINE] Devereaux confronts Garibaldi.


								   Sinclair, in his quarters, tells Ivanova that Garibaldi has still not

								   reported in. They both agree that Garibaldi would not call for an

								   ultraviolet alert and then not go in to follow it up, so they surmise

								   that something must be wrong. Sinclair continues to try to contact

								   Garibaldi, but is interrupted by the chime of his door. He is thinks

								   it's Garibaldi, but he's wrong. It is Delenn. "Hello Commander," she

								   says. "I believe you recognize this." She holds up the triluminary

								   given her by a member of the Grey Council. "Yes," Sinclair answers,

								   remembering a hooded member of the Council holding that up to his face

								   when he was aboard the Minbari ship at the Battle of the Line. Delenn

								   presses further. "You remember what happened at the Battle of the

								   Line, don't you? You remember being taken aboard our ship?" Sinclair

								   says he remembers a little of what happened, but doesn't know

								   everything or what it means. "I suspected as much," Delenn answers.

								   "We have a lot to discuss, Commander. By coming to you, I am putting

								   both of our lives at risk. But there are things you should know."


								   Sinclair says it's a bad time because Garibaldi is missing.


								   "I understand," Delenn says. "Come to my quarters, and I'll tell you

								   as much as I can. But don't wait too long, Commander. Certain things

								   have been set in motion, and I do not have much time." She leaves.


								   [INLINE] "I believe you recognize this."


								   While Garibaldi slowly and painfully makes his way to the elevator,

								   Na'Toth delivers some disheartening news to G'Kar about quadrant 37.

								   She tells him that the outpost there is gone, and though G'Kar thinks

								   they have just lost contact, she informs him that the homeworld sent a

								   ship to investigate, and found everything gone, and all the records

								   destroyed. There were no survivors. Na'Toth laments the 10,000 deaths,

								   but G'Kar is preoccupied with even darker matters. "It wasn't the

								   humans. The Centauri don't have the will. The Vorlon's don't care. The

								   Minbari wouldn't do it. The other worlds aren't powerful enough for a

								   strike like this," he says. "There's someone else out there, Na'Toth,"

								   he says grimly.


								   Things are a bit lighter around the rest of the station, however. It

								   is now midnight, and the New Year's celebration has just concluded

								   with the ringing in of the new year, 2259. When a couple of guests at

								   the celebration attempt to leave, they find Garibaldi in the elevator.

								   He has lost a great deal of blood and is unconscious.


								   In Delenn's quarters, she is completing the building of her crystal

								   construct. "Are you sure there's no other way?" asks Lennier, who

								   watches her sadly.


								   "What must happen will happen," Delenn says. "Valen said this day

								   would come. Who are we to stand in the way of prophecy?" Lennier tries

								   to convince her to stop what she is doing by asking her what will

								   happen if she is wrong. "Then speak well of me when I'm gone," she

								   answers, smiling faintly. She turns away from him and looks at the

								   crystal structure for a moment. She then silently picks up the

								   triluminary from the table and inserts it into a slot at the top of

								   the device. It begins to glow with an eerie white light, and soon the

								   entire device is glowing in a similar manner. "If he comes, it must be

								   soon," she intones gravely, watching the corner of the room as

								   something fills it, apparently coming from the glowing structure. "I

								   have little time."


								   [INLINE] "What must happen will happen."


								   Garibaldi is rushed to MedLab, where Dr. Franklin shouts to an

								   assistant to prepare for surgery. He diagnoses Garibaldi as having

								   massive internal damage, and he cannot operate until his condition

								   stabilizes.


								   Sinclair is worried about Garibaldi, but Garibaldi moves a little and

								   is able to offer an important warning as Sinclair listens. "They're

								   going to...they're going to kill the president. At the transfer point

								   on Io. Warn him! Warn him..." Sinclair rushes out as Dr. Franklin goes

								   to work.


								   Sinclair quickly arrives at C&C and asks Ivanova if she has been able

								   to get through to Earth Force 1. She tells him that all conventional

								   channels are being jammed. They are even unable to get through on the

								   gold channels. The C&C staff tries to reroute through civilian

								   channels and to get Earth Central on-line as well, but they do not

								   succeed either way. They are, however, still getting the ISN news

								   feed, which they display so they can monitor the situation. The

								   anchorwoman reports that, though the president was supposed to begin

								   his New Years speech ten minutes earlier, he had not done so. She gets

								   an emergency signal. Suddenly, Earth Force 1 bursts into flames.

								   "Station Io is dispatching hospital ships, but it doesn't seem

								   possible that anyone could have survived that kind of..." Sinclair

								   tells a tech to shut the screen off. The president is dead.


								   [INLINE] Earth Force 1.


								   While watching Dr. Franklin and the others in MedLab work on

								   Garibaldi, Sinclair says that he wants guards posted around MedLab

								   around the clock and medical personnel available 24 hours a day so

								   that what happened before cannot happen again. He says that they only

								   have one name to go on, Devereaux, and that they need any information

								   available about him. Sinclair leaves, and we see that he was talking

								   to Garibaldi's aide, who just smiles and looks through the window into

								   MedLab.


								   In Delenn's quarters, Lennier cries silently as he watches and listens

								   to Delenn. Though she cries out several times, he does nothing but

								   watch in anguish.


								   G'Kar and Na'Toth solemnly board a core shuttle, in which Ivanova is

								   already seated. G'Kar asks about Commander Sinclair and Garibaldi, and

								   Ivanova tells them that Sinclair is in MedLab with him, and that

								   Garibaldi's situation is still very uncertain. G'Kar wants to tell

								   Sinclair that there is little point in further mediating the dispute

								   over quadrant 37. Ivanova has heard about what happened, and asks if

								   they have information, but they have none. G'Kar offers his

								   condolences over the death of President Santiago and hopes that Earth

								   finds whoever is responsible. Na'Toth tells Ivanova that the Narn will

								   find and punish those responsible for the destruction of everything in

								   quadrant 37.


								   Back in the park, Londo and Morden meet again. Londo is amazed and

								   outraged at what happened to quadrant 37 and the death of the 10,000

								   Narns there. "I didn't know you cared," Morden replies. "Ten thousand,

								   a hundred thousand, a million, what's the difference? They're Narns,

								   Ambassador. Your sworn enemy." Londo, however, is still shocked. He

								   didn't think that Morden would take such drastic action. "Ambassador,

								   your name is being spoken at the highest levels of the Centauri

								   government. They don't know how you did it. They don't care. They

								   credit you with saving them from another embarrassment without

								   creating a war in the process. They've noticed you, Ambassador, which

								   was the point of the exercise. I hear they have great plans for you."

								   Londo still cannot grasp the scope of what happened, but Morden

								   continues. "Ambassador, you're a hero. Enjoy it! I'll be around." He

								   then leaves.


								   Sinclair tries to convince an Earth senator that the president was

								   assassinated, but she does not believe it. She claims that their

								   evidence has only pointed to problems with their fusion reactor, and

								   that it was all nothing more than an accident. The senator doesn't

								   believe that Garibaldi could know that the president might be

								   assassinated if Earth's best agents did not. She tells him that she

								   doesn't want a panic to be created by spreading "unsubstantiated

								   rumors" and orders him to maintain silence on his feelings of the

								   presidential assassination. Sinclair storms away.


								   Meanwhile, Garibaldi's aide calls to several other security agents who

								   are nearby. Devereaux and his men are lying on the floor dead.

								   Garibaldi's aide says that they tried to fire at him when they would

								   not go in for questioning, and claims he killed them in self-defense.

								   One of the officers says Devereaux's PPG is cold, which it wouldn't be

								   if Devereaux had fired it. But he withdraws his comment, perhaps not

								   wishing to contradict his superior.


								   Dr. Franklin begins to operate on Garibaldi.


								   Sinclair is at the bar, drinking. He watches the news regarding the

								   death of President Santiago and the inauguration of vice president

								   Morgan Clark to the presidency. "It is important that we move on to

								   create the world that Louis Santiago would have wanted for his

								   children, my children, and for posterity yet to come," President Clark

								   says in an address. "We will begin by focusing more on the needs of

								   our own people, to sustain them through this difficult time, and to

								   prepare them for the tasks ahead."


								   Sinclair, sensing someone else entering the bar, turns around and sees

								   Ambassador Kosh. "And so it begins," intones Kosh. "You have forgotten

								   something," he continues. Suddenly realizing what Kosh meant, Sinclair

								   rushes out of the bar and goes to Delenn's quarters.


								   [INLINE] "And so it begins."


								   He enters and finds Lennier still staring at the corner, and the still

								   glowing crystal statue on the table. Lennier seems to be oblivious to

								   Sinclair at first "You're too late," he says at last.


								   Sinclair follows Lennier's gaze over to the corner of the room, where

								   he sees a large, white, faintly glowing mass. He slowly walks over to

								   it and examines it. "What is it?"


								   "A chrysalis," replies Lennier. "She is changing."


								   "Into what?"


								   "I don't know," is the only reply that Lennier can give, as Sinclair

								   looks at Delenn's eyes, just barely visible beneath the surface of the

								   chrysalis.


								   [INLINE] Delenn's chrysalis.


								   Na'Toth enters G'Kar's quarters, but cannot find him. As she calls out

								   his name, an automated message begins. "Na'Toth, by the time you get

								   this message, I will be gone. I have certain suspicions about the

								   attack on quadrant 37. I am taking the first transport back to

								   homeworld. You will not be able to contact me. I will contact you.

								   And, uh, one more thing. Tell the commander he was right. We were at a

								   crossroads, and there is no going back. Expect me when you see me."


								   Londo arrives in MedLab to find Ivanova waiting there. She explains

								   that she had relieved the commander and that he will be back on watch

								   soon. When Londo asks about Garibaldi's condition, she says they are

								   still operating and they still don't know what the outcome will be.

								   Londo says that he would like to wait with her. "He is an annoying

								   man, but I would miss him if he..." They then turn and continue to

								   watch the operation, while Garibaldi's aide looks on silently.


								   Morden sits in the middle of a room, surrounded by strangely

								   shimmering, shadowlike forms. They make a few sounds, apparently

								   language, but not one that we can understand. "Yes, I think he's

								   ready," Morden says to them. He continues to answer, speaking to them

								   after they speak to him. "Perfect for our needs. No, no, he suspects

								   nothing. When the time is right, Ambassador Mollari will do exactly as

								   we wish. Destiny is on our side."


								   Catherine, with a solemn look on her face, walks over to a sofa on

								   which Sinclair is sitting, staring intently. She puts her arms around

								   him, but he only acknowledges her with words. "Nothing's the same any

								   more."


								   Lennier maintains a candlelight vigil over Delenn as she rests, slowly

								   changing in her chrysalis.


								  Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)


								   [14][Next]


								      [15]Last update: October 11, 1995


								References


								   1. file://localhost/cgi-bin/imagemap/titlebar

								   2. LYNXIMGMAP:file://localhost/lurk/maps/maps.html#titlebar

								   3. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/guide/022.html

								   4. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/background/022.shtml

								   5. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/credits/022.html

								   6. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/episodes.php

								   7. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/021.html

								   8. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/023.html

								   9. file://localhost/lurk/lurker.html

								  10. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/022.html#TOP

								  11. file://localhost/cgi-bin/uncgi/lgmail

								  12. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/episodes.php

								  13. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/021.html

								  14. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/023.html

								  15. file://localhost/lurk/lastmod.html