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1431 lines
74 KiB
<html>
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<center>
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<h1>The Unoffical Babylon 5 Technical Manual</h1>
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<h2>By <a href="#etc">Thomas Chiverton</a></h2>
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Last updated - 26/10/97, includes Eps. up to Season 4, #1 (HOTW), and Update
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number 10<br>
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<img width="402" height="256" src="http://www.dungeon.com/~sati/ships.jpg" alt="title">
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</center>
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There are no spoilers for the UK in this document. See separate
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Update file B5.tech.1 or b5-techu.txt for updates. <br>
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Each update release is numbered.<p>
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<strong>WHAT ISNT IN HERE:</strong><br>
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Char details, or spoilers (i.e. stuff not shown/published in U.K.)<br>
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<strong>WARNING: THIS MEANS THAT THIS DOC MAY HAVE SPOILERS FOR SOME
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COUNTRIES. THESE ARE NOT MARKED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.</strong><br>
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Story ideas etc.<br>
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(This is because it is a <strong>tech</strong> manual, small amounts of info on races is
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included, however, to aid in identification)<hr>
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All pictures are held on a different server. It's very reliable, but please excuse it
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if it won't give you the pictures. I have no control over it !
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<hr>
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<h3>NEW / UPDATED</h3>
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<ul>
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<li>More URL changes</li>
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<li>URL changes</li>
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<li>Minor wording changes</li>
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<li>Rearenged where to get updates, fixed some dodgy HTML</li>
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<li>Everything, went to Wolf 359 and talked about the manual</li>
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</ul>
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<hr>
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<h1>Index</h1>
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<a name="start">
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#terms">List of Terms Used</a>
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<li><a href="#b5">I</a> B5 Information and Stats
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<li><a href="#shad">II</a> Shadow Technology
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<li><a href="#str">III</a> Strieb Technology
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<li><a href="#lum">IV</a> Lumati Technology
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<li><a href="#narn">V</a> Narn Technology
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<li><a href="#cent">VI</a> Centuri Technology
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<li><a href="#min">VII</a> Minbari Technology
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<li><a href="#hum">VIII</a> Humen (also know as Earther) Technology
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<li><a href="#vor">IX</a> Vorlon Technology
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<li><a href="#jg">X</a> Jump Gates
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<li><a href="#whatfire">XI</a> What Ships Fire What Weapons (Partly written by David Engkent)
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<li><a href="#white">XII</a> The White Star
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<li><a href="#sigma">XIII</a> Sigma 957 Aliens
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<li><a href="#ep3">XIV</a> Epsilon 3 (The Great Machine)
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<li><a href="#misc">XV</a> Misc. (What will *not* fit anywhere else !)
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<li><a href="#etc">Legal stuff, credits, where to get further updates etc</a>
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<li><a href="http://www.home.ch/~spaw1791/b5index.htm">Back to main B5 page</a>
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</ul>
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<hr>
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<h3><a name="terms">TERMS USED:</h3>
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Organic / Non-organic tech: Refers to wether the technology used is
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organic ('grown') or metalic ('built') or not.<p>
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Hyper-Space: A different dimension/Universe, which maps large
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distances in our universe to small distances in the different one,
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allowing for interstellar travel without bypassing the photonic barrier.
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Newtonian physics apply, so any inertia created while passing through
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a gate remains upon entry/exit. <br>
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Accessed via a <a href="#jg">jump gate</a> or point. Distorts transmissions that past through
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it greatly, giving communications a very limited range. <br>
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Major colour scheme is shades of red. <br>
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Trained telepaths rated P12 or better can aid navigation in Hyper-space by
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homing in on a targets thought emissions. <br>
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Ships of a certain size are capable of entering hyper-space without
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using a gate, with a large cost in energy. It has become common
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for these ships to construct gates after arriving in a new system, in
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order to save energy for future trips. <br>
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80% of the Galaxy is outside hyper space beacon range.<br>
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It is assumed that exposure to HS for periods longer than a few weeks is
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dangerous to cell/DNA structure.<br>
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RS to HS is a 1 to many phenomena, whereas HS to RS is a many to one
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phenomena.<br>
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(Zathras)
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... once you come out of hyperspace past the galactic rim, all your
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points of reference are gone ...and you can't just "keep going" in a
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straight line in hyperspace. (JMS)<p>
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Tachyon Space: Maps distance travelled within it into a shift in time (but
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not position) in the 'real' Universe. Impulses of energy and the time
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distortions these create can do 'great harm', such as speeding up a
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travellers personal time, resulting in death within a short time.
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The exit is a gradual fade from Tachyon Space to real space, entry is by a
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hole, edged with glowing blue/white energy, through which a picture of
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the other time can be seen, broadcasts heard etc.<br>
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Once in the other time zone, care must be taken, powerful energy discharges
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can 'unstick' the traveller, sending them forwards or backwards along
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their time line, where they 'leap' into their future or past self.<br>
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<p>
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Hyper-space Engines: The system of guidence computers and
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beacon trackers and the like that allow a ship to navigate in
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hyper-space using a pre-created Jump Gate or Point. Low power consumption
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means almost all ships, incl. fighters have this system fitted.
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<p>
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Jump point (or Vortex Generator): Entrance to Hyper space. Large
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permenant points
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have a focusing system in orbit around them, four seven-mile long
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generators. <br>
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These are free floating with a central computer controlling the position
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thrusters; these allow the brackets to re-position for larger than average
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ships and maintain a relative stationary position. The element Quantium-40
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(a derivative of which is Duridium) is a vital component of jump gate
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construction. As a consequence of the amount of energy a jump gate produces,
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it takes a long time to shut one down and even longer to start it back up.
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Smaller, ship generated gates have no such orbital devices. <br>
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The point is unstable, and can be closed by a large energy discharge.
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Known as jump points when they are unfixed (i.e. generated by a ship)
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Detecting ships coming out of a jump gate is limited by time. While you can
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get the frequency identification of a ship a few minutes prior to its
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exiting hyper-space, much more information can be gained just as it begins to
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exit; like silhouette, mass, etc. <br>
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Jump gates (and points) are directional, a yellow gate for entry to
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hyperspace, and blue for exiting. Travel is not possible in the 'wrong'
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direction.<br>
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Jump points broadcast a signal in hyper space that is detectable for 1000km
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or so.<br>
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(See also <a href="#jg">X Jump Gates</a>)<p>
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Jump Point Generator: allows a ship to create its own jump point from its
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location to hyper-space, without using a fixed entry/exit jump gate. Requires
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large amounts of power, and so only carried by larger ships. They also
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require a stable power source, or they malfunction, destroying the ship.
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They also require a recharge time before they can be
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reused. Once shut down, they need time to rebuild their energy levels
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before they can be resued. <P>
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<strong>NOTE:</strong> Advanced races (First Ones) don't need jump
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points or generators to
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enter hyper-space (Shadows- phase, or 'ripple', Sigma 957 Aliens- a 'hole',
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Vorlons are the exception to this. But they introduced the technology to
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the current races. <p>
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Beam weapon: As yet unidentified craft weapons, maybe plasma, ion, neutron
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or laser based, depending on the ship.<p>
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Missiles: Miscellaneous launched weapons (mines, missiles, remote controlled ships
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etc. as applicable to size of ship.) Including: <br>
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Mass Driver: Propels mass from ship to the target. Banned by all-race
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agreement, but Centuri used them against the Narn home world, 'bombing
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them back to the stone age'. <br>
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Energy Mine: Operate as 20th century mines, but can be guided to
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target at high speed, releasing a disc of energy when detonated.<p>
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Cruiser: Medium sized ship. Sometimes used as ambassadors transport. <P>
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<P>
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Fighter: one or two being fighter craft.<p>
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Mother: Home base for fighters. In addition to specifically mentioned
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weapons these probably carry 'weapons of mass destruction' (Fusion
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bombs, ion cannon, mass drivers, heavy energy weapons).<p>
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<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
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I<h3><a name="b5"> Babylon 5</h3>
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Babylon 5 is the last of the Babylon stations. After the loss of Babylon 4,
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the station was left with a minimal budget. Even with additional alien
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funding, the Earth Alliance kept looking for ways to reduce their
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financial commitment. Even so, Babylon 5 is a marvel of human engineering,
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even in the face of more advanced alien technology. It is a cylindrical
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construct nearly five miles long with a maximum capacity of 250,000 beings.
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While the interior rotates for a gravity positive environment, the spine of
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the station, housing the zero-g docking bays, and the fusion reactor are
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relatively stationary. Framing the rear of the station are the blue heat
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radiator fins. <br>
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Babylon 5 is painted blue, where it is not left as bare metal.<br>
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B5 has a mass of 2.5 million tons. It is a little over 5 miles long.
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The main body is 5 miles long, and the docking guides add another
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.3 miles on to that.
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<p>
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Normal planetary gravity is simulated by rotating the station. Outward
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acceleration at the perimeter is approximately 9.8 m/s2 [1g]. The station
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does not have engines per se, although there are small thrusters used in
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maintaining it's location at the L5 point. It is located 160,000 km from where Babylon 4 used to be, and is 92,000km
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from the planet.
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<p>
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The station is defended by a low level defence grid, as well as several
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small weapon emplacements located beneath panels on the outer hull, and
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a complement of more than 48 Starfuries (both original and Thunder Bolt
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versions). <p>
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The "front" of the station consists of two docking bays, the first allowing
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small craft to enter along the 0g centreline, and be transferred to
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the appropriate bay, and the second dedicated to craft remaining in free
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fall. The forward section also contains the cobra bays for the fighters.
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<p>
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Other locations of interest include the Observation Dome, from where the
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station is run; the Zocalo, a shopping and entertainment district; and
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the Garden, an O'Neill style environment (cylinder with gardens, pools, cafes
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baseball etc. in it). <p>
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The station's main computer is based on crystalline human-alien hybrid
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technology, and is capable of both written and voice input and output
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in several languages. Integrated within its system is the Babcom
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communications network, which handles intastation, ship-to-station, and long-
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range Tachyon messages. <br>
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All the computer systems on the station are controlled via this centralised
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system. This system is subject to commands from terminals, and also the
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external communications feed, so Earth Alliance command <strong>could</strong> order the shutdown of life
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support for instance, although the access codes have now been changed.
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When the system was originally put on-line an artificial intelligence (or
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personality) was installed as part of the interface, but was later removed
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due to compatibility problems with the human staff. However, the
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personality (called Sparky) still surfaces from time to time.<p>
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All command crew and diplomatic staff have a 'Link' stuck to the back of their
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hand, which acts as a futuristic walkie talkie. These contain a tracking
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beacon. Earthforce personal links are bio-coded and can not be used by anyone except
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their correct owner. Any attempt to use someone else's link triggers a warning
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in C&C.<p>
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Main power is handled by the fusion generator at the tail of the station.
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<p>
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Internal co-ordinates are as follows. First a colour, denoting a ring of
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the station. Then one of, on average, 36 level numbers, and a letter denoting
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section. Hence the main corridor passes through blue 15 a for example.<p>
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A jump gate is located nearby with the Corridor being the standard approach
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vector to the station. Vessels straying off the Corridor's flight path are
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fined. <p>
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<pre>
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South, Back end North, Front end
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Radiator Fins
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V Tachyon Emitter
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/\ /\ /\ V
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|| || || /\____________ _______ .
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__ _||_||_||//-------------\/--------\___/_____
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|\______||______/ || || || | | | | \___/ \ ^
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|| || | ---------------| | | | |___ | |
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||______||______\________________| |_____| | |___\___/ Docking Horns
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|/ || || || || \_____|_|/ |__|__/
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|| || ||
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\/ \/ \/
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^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
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| | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | Green | | | | | Docking bay
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| | | | section | | | | Cobra bays
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| | | | | | | Med lab/Iso lab
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| | | | | | Blue section
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| | | | the | Red section
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| | | +--Garden---+
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| | Gray section
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| Brown section
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Fusion reactor
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(ASCII art by Richard Meikle)
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</pre>
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In the fore of the station is the zero-gravity docking bay entrance. Two
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docking horns frame the bay, to help guide and stabilise the huge bulk
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freighters. Once parked in front of the area, a freighter is offloaded,
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refuelled by the 'hose jockeys', and loaded up again.<br>
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The docking guides have magnetic strips laid into them, so that personal
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can walk out on to them easily.<p>
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The zero-g bays extent well into the middle of the station, just above red
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sector. Although the area is stationary, it as accessible from many parts
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of the habitable sections of the station. <p>
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Mounted above and between the docking horns is the Tachyon
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transmitter/receiver and the docking beacon. <p>
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Below the zero-g docking bay, in the rotating section, is the docking bay
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proper. All ships enter the station dead centre. An incoming ship surrenders
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its shipboard computer to the Babylon 5 Command and Control, or C&C, located
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directly beneath the bay entrance. While most pilots can easily match the
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station's rotation, however the possibility of pilot error is far greater
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than computer error. Unfortunately, certain cost-cutting measures in docking
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hardware have lead to accidental loss of life and property. A ship is then
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taken and lowered into one of many bays located toward the hull. The docking
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areas are divided into sections, with the diplomatic and military bays
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having restricted access. <br>
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Starfuries are housed in separate launch bays in cobra shaped projections
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along the round front of the station, hence their common name "Cobra
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Bays." <p>
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Set in the front of the station, beneath the entrance to the dock areas, is
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a window which looks into C&C. This can be covered with a set of blast
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doors, as can the docking entrance. C&C is located 1/3 of the way off the spin axis, and hence is a low
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gravity area (1/3g). The C&C main 'Window' is in fact, a huge slab of
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armor glass that can do multiple duty as a controllable filter and digital
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display device. The 'window' <strong>can</strong> be transparent when you want it to, and
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can also display video images from any source; thus, the C&C window can be
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looking out through the eye of a camera on the loading bay spines, through
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a camera mounted on the non-rotating spine, or from any camera-equipped spot
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on the station, including the Maint-Bots.
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The only time the view through the C&C "Window" seems to be spinning
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is when it's been switched to "Transparent Mode" or it is displaying
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the view seen from a camera mounted on a spinning part of the station.
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(Gharlane of Eddore)
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<p>
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The interior station is itself divided in to colour coded sectors.
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Blue sector houses station administration and EA personnel quarters. Also in
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Blue Sector are the Medlabs, staffed by highly trained xenobiologists to
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tend to the ambassadors and Earth Force personnel. Medlab One is a small
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facility exclusively used by the Medical Chief of Staff, Doctor Stephen
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Franklin. <br>
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There are larger medical facilities, resembling proper hospitals, elsewhere
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on the station. <br>
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A recent addition to Blue Sector is the Strategic War Room, from which the
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war with the Shadows is monitored and directed. <p>
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Red Sector is relegated to business and diplomatic chambers. <br>
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Red Sector's highlight is the Zocalo. Hundreds of shops, stands, bars,
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restaurants, and clubs line the curved passageways, as does the EA postal
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services Post Office. <P>
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Aliens requiring alternate atmosphere/gravity to generally more common
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oxy-nitro combinations live in the Alien Sector. While most aliens here
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require special mixes, oxygen breathing aliens tend to gravitate here, away
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from the overabundance of humans elsewhere. Ambassadors and their entourages
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are housed in a separate part of Green Sector, with higher security.<br>
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The alien sector is not all blank corridors covered in noxious gasses, the
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Hanging Gardens houses various varieties of alien plant life suited to a
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methane-ammonia atmosphere. The Garden got its name from the various spheres
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of soils that hang suspended from the ceiling by thick chains. Most of the
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alien growths are phosphorescent. <br>
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The Dilgar War Memorial was erected here to commemorate the world and species
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that fell to the Dilgar. <P>
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Green sector contains high-security quarters for the various alien diplomats
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(with adjustable environment quarters for ambassadors that require it).
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The Vorlon quarters are number 8. <br>
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Unauthorised personnel are not admitted. <p>
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Both Grey and Brown Sectors were largely unfinished due to budgetary
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constraints. <br>
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Grey sector is infamous for the Babylon 5 Triangle -- an area around Grey
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17 that leads an active imagination to believe the place is haunted.<br>
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Maintenance crews have reported strange lights, sounds and disappearances in
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the area.<br>
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There is a 'extra' level between the levels labelled Grey 16 and Grey 17,
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resulting in Grey sector having 'only' 29 levels. The real Grey 17 is
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inaccessible from normal routes, and is filled with junk, a rather nasty
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alien, and a mad cult.<p>
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All sectors (apart from those under the garden) have 95 levels.<p>
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The Service Collar is the name for the structure immediately behind the
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command and docking sphere at the head of the station. Immediately "south"
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of the collar is Customs and Disembarkation. Customs is a hundred-meter wide
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chamber running alongside the collar. While most employees are human,
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several aliens are employed using hardware translators.<p>
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The entire interior of the rotating cylinder is called the Garden. It's
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main purpose is to provide food and oxygen reclamation for the station.
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Most of the food grown here do not require seasonal changes, since there are
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no seasons in this artificial environment. Foods that do need seasonal
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variation are grown in separate hydroponic areas. In addition to necessary
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insects cultivated in the zoos below the "ground," birds are also in the
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Garden all of which are now used to the "new physics" of flying in this
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environment. No one is allowed to "camp out" on the interior anyone
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doing so is arrested for destroying precious crops. A small percentage of the
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12 square miles of vegetation is used for recreation. Supporting the park
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plant life is twenty meters of dirt, under which are four levels of
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hydrobays, support systems, storage and silage units, water and oxygen
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reclamation units, chemical processors, farm equipment garages, and insect
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zoos. There is a train in the garden that runs around the circumference of the
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station. The garden is half a kilometer across. <P>
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"Downbelow" is a term used to describe the unused parts of the station
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where the homeless, or Lurkers, eke out a living. Trapped on station for
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various reasons, most die here unknown and unrememberd.<P>
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A monorail runs the length of the station, along the axis of rotation, hence
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it is in a zero-g environment, and so is known as the Zero-G Train.<P>
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The hull of Babylon 5 is a double hull to provide an extra layer of
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protection from micrometor strikes and internal explosions. This leaves a
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crawl space between the two hulls. <P>
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The rotating sections are mounted on electro-magnetic bearings.<P>
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B5 communicates with earth via a faster than light link able to carry many
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live video feeds to and from B5. This FTL link also allows real-time video
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communication with other races homeworlds and ships. <br>
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B5 is orbited by unmanned maintenance robots (Maint-Bots). <br>
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These have colour vision, the feed from which may be patched into the B5
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video network. <P>
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B5 also has video cameras (Monitors) that can be sent to automatically film an
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area. The video recorders are made of an extremely ultralight material, new
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alloys that in total weigh less than an ounce; it has a visible (and
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audible) air propulsion system, a high speed fan with a stabiliser/gyroscope
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that keeps it steady, and moves it forward. (JMS) <P>
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The main power source is a fusion reactor, mounted at the rear of the
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station. This can be reached, for maintaince purposes, by the Zero-G Train,
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or via a large set of doors set into the hull. Inside these there is a large
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open space, with the reactor wall forming one wall of this space.<P>
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|
|
|
The floors are linked via 'transport tubes' that take the form of lifts,
|
|
which move radily (that is, from the centre line outwards to the
|
|
hull). <P>
|
|
|
|
<strong>Update to B5 Weapons Grid</strong><br>
|
|
A visiting platoon of Ground Pounders installed an enhanced Defence Grid
|
|
for the B5 station. The updated specs are as follows:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Pulse cannons
|
|
<li>Interceptors
|
|
<li>Mine launchers
|
|
<li>Upgrade to the tracking system ( x3 speed increase)
|
|
</ul><br>
|
|
Distributed in 6 groups along the main back bone of the station.<p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>B5 Population</strong><br>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>1,500 Dock Workers
|
|
<li>6,500 Earthforce personnel
|
|
<li>42% of population are 'Aliens' i.e. non-Earthers
|
|
<li>Total Population: 1/4 million
|
|
</ul><br>
|
|
When it became operational in 2257, the odds on it lasting six months were
|
|
500-1 Lloyds of London, 350-1 Las Vegas and 200-1 New Vegas.<br>
|
|
By 2259 the odds were 250-1 Lloyds of London, 200-1 Las Vegas and 5-1 New
|
|
Vegas and 41% of people were against the station, as opposed to nearer
|
|
30% at the outset.<p>
|
|
|
|
Each area (such as green-2 or whatever) is split into segments. These
|
|
segments can be isolated from each other in the event of fire, flood or
|
|
vacuum. This is achieved by having a transparent door slide down and seal off
|
|
the area. The door has strips of the zones colour, and small flashing
|
|
red lights set into it.<br>
|
|
In the docking and other areas close to vacuum these are stronger, made out
|
|
of a beryllium alloy. They are highly resistant to PPG fire, the rebounds
|
|
being a grave danger to the firer !<p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>Production Methods</strong><br>
|
|
Instead of creating new forms and processes in the construction of the
|
|
Babylon stations, the Earth Alliance altered established mass production.
|
|
For example, Exploration vessels are nearly five miles long and its
|
|
rotating section as wide. Production lines required only a minimal
|
|
alteration to construct sections of the hull and the rotational interface.
|
|
The pieces were jumped from the stardocks to Epsilon Eridani and assembled.
|
|
Materials from Sol system's asteroid belt and minerals found in the Tigris
|
|
system were used. In the case of Babylon 4, some of the materials used were
|
|
the salvageable remains of Babylon 1 through 3 (see also <A
|
|
href="#hum">Humen Technology</a>).
|
|
<P>
|
|
<strong>Credit Cards</strong><br>
|
|
Beings entering Babylon 5 are given a credit chit. Any currency held by the
|
|
being is converted to current Earth-value credits according to the currency
|
|
exchange rate. The credit chit contains the being's name, ID, additional
|
|
personal information, including genetic anti-forgery information, and the
|
|
current amount of credits the being currently has in the Babylon 5 central
|
|
computer (the chit is also tied to a being's IdentiCard). Employees of the
|
|
station have their salaries tied into the chit. It is used as a debit card.
|
|
Each purchase or transfer runs down the total amount of credits until a
|
|
deposit is made. <p>
|
|
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
II<h3><a name="shad"> Shadow Technology</h3>
|
|
These are the oldest race, older even than the Vorlons. At least twice they
|
|
have tried to take over the galaxy. The Shadow's real name is 10,000 letters long.
|
|
<br>
|
|
A 4 foot high spider like organic creature, it is four legged, with a long
|
|
neck and a pair of pincers. Many eyes that glow in the dark. Invisible
|
|
except on certain frequencies. <Br>
|
|
They seem to prefer to work via agents such as the Centuri, Morden and maybe
|
|
the Strieb. <br>
|
|
Some Human agents appear to come from the exploration ship Icarus,
|
|
which carried Sheriden's wife. It landed on the 'deserted' Shadow home world,
|
|
Za'Ha'Dum, where it encountered the Shadows. The Humans who
|
|
did not agree to help were killed. Those who agreed to help now travel
|
|
space corrupting races. These agents are always protected and accompanied
|
|
by a 'minder' that is normally invisible, sometimes even the Shadows
|
|
themselves. <br>
|
|
At any one time most of the Shadows are on their home world,
|
|
Za'Ha Dum, they use other beings to pilot their ships. Their whole
|
|
civilization was moved underground centuries ago (B5 timeline), in interests
|
|
of security.
|
|
In general the city is shaped like an egg hewn out of the bed
|
|
rock, with several large skylights set into the roof, to afford a view of
|
|
the sky. Also in the city are huge, 2 or miles deep, shafts.<br>
|
|
Organic/Bio-technology is used to modify 'donors' to act as Cores for
|
|
their ships, suggesting organic technology <P>
|
|
|
|
Like most advanced aliens, the ships have an organic look and are composed
|
|
of a large number of interlocked pentagons. <br>
|
|
The skin of these are made of a shimmering oily black substance
|
|
able to withstand the rigors of space and hyper-space travel. The skin is
|
|
extremely versatile; able to be in a rigid, flexible, or fluid state
|
|
seemingly at will. It appears to bond easily with other vessels having
|
|
similar "skin." Carbon-based lifeforms, not properly prepared, die
|
|
immediately upon touching this substance. Being organic in design,
|
|
damage to the ship acts as it would a living being (for example: severing
|
|
a spine on the Shadow vessel will put the Shadow vessel in shock or anger,
|
|
depending on its mental state and "personality.") <br>
|
|
'When it flies past you, its like a scream in your mind'. <br>
|
|
'Once they target you they never stop, never slow down, never give up.
|
|
until they have destroyed you- they are nearly invincible' <br>
|
|
The mother ship, at least, creates a characteristic trail of neutrinos as
|
|
it moves through hyper-space. This trail, if found, can be used to find
|
|
the ship. <br>
|
|
One craft was excavated on Mars, and another of Ganymede. <br>
|
|
Only current non-First One ship that stands a chance against it is the White
|
|
Star (see section <a href="#white">XII- White Star</a>) <br>
|
|
Shadow vessels are vulnerable to telepathic interference. At a cost of
|
|
great strain a P5 or better can scramble and upset their central operating
|
|
system, rendering them 'harmless'. In this state several ships can surround
|
|
and attack easily.<br>
|
|
Vulnerable to sustained, very high energy, continuous beam weapons, such as
|
|
those carried on the <a href="#white">White Star</a> and <A
|
|
href="#narn">Narn</a> Cruisers, and by
|
|
Vorlon ships. One White Star, with all energy diverted to forward weapons
|
|
and a Narn heavy cruiser, or two normal strength White Star forward cannons
|
|
and a Narn heavy cruiser is sufficient to explode a 'Crab in 5
|
|
seconds.<br>
|
|
All Shadow ships can 'warble' into and out of hyperspace.
|
|
Shadow Ships require a weapons lock, which can be detected.<P>
|
|
|
|
<strong>FIGHTER</strong> Shaped like a fat starfish.<br>
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Energy ball of some kind.</li>
|
|
<li>Impervious to fighter fire, but
|
|
can be destroyed by ramming them, although they still remain active
|
|
for a short time. The <a href="#white">White Star</a> was able to destroy 6 in a short battle.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>PROBE</strong> Shaped like a cross between a
|
|
Battle crab, with long curving 'fingers', and a Berserker probe.
|
|
Stronger than fighters, but not as much as a Ship or Crab,
|
|
they can withstand the loss of 2 or 3 spines long enough to ram the
|
|
offending ship.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Hyper-space engines</li>
|
|
<li>Single shot cannon</li>
|
|
<li>High power sensor arrays and communications systems</li>
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>MOTHER AND CRUISER</strong> Shaped like a many legged spider.
|
|
The Mother is 2-3 miles across, the cruiser about 600 meters in width
|
|
(spine to spine). Composed of
|
|
organic technology the Mother requires a sentient being to operate as
|
|
its Core. The Core must be properly prepared for insertion. If it is not,
|
|
the result is a confused, disoriented, and insane ship. Although merged
|
|
with the ship, the Core can be removed with great difficulty and with
|
|
permanent mental damage to the Core. The Core is neither pilot nor
|
|
passenger, it is a ready-made thought matrix. An organic unit can process
|
|
information faster than most computer systems and reacts faster when
|
|
formulating strategy. It is much easier and faster to temper an existing
|
|
brain than manufacture a complex computer.<br>
|
|
The Mothers are two-tiered with the lower part housing the weapons.
|
|
The upper tier houses a wing of approximately seventy-five fighters, with a
|
|
possible total complement of two-hundred fighters.<br>
|
|
As for defensive systems, the Shadow Ship can absorb destructive energy, but
|
|
at the cost of great pain. Many smaller hits, as from many fighters, appear
|
|
to confuse the ship, to the point where it does not return fire.<br>
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>One very high energy beam weapon, more powerful
|
|
than most other weapons seen. This device can cut an enemy ship in
|
|
half in under a second, although it is possible to dissipate this, the
|
|
energy cost is large. The weapon appears ineffective against <a
|
|
href="#vor">Vorlon</a> mother ships.
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines.
|
|
<li>Impervious to fighter fire. When hit by combined fire power of several
|
|
enemy mother ships a small portion of one 'leg' was severed. The wound
|
|
'healed' itself.
|
|
<li>Two ships may join to become one larger ship. They same to travel in this
|
|
paired formation, they are then known as Battle Crabs.
|
|
<li>Mothers can fire a spiked ball which explodes into many fighters.
|
|
<li>They can also fire a device into a jump gate that destroys it, along with
|
|
any ship unlucky enough to be in the gates field, this maybe just a simple
|
|
cannon blast.
|
|
<li>They can enter and leave hyper-space <strong>without</strong>
|
|
using a jump point, instead they just *ripple* into and out of normal space.
|
|
<li>Although impervious to normal weapons, one was destroyed by an exploding
|
|
jump gate (See Section <a href="#jg">X- jump gates</a>), and another by an extreme gravitational field.
|
|
Another technique was used by a Vorlon cruiser- using some form of
|
|
modulated energy beam the Vorlon ship was able to capture a Shadow Vessel,
|
|
and then ram it, destroying it.
|
|
</li>Telepaths appear to impair the interface between them and their Core.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
III<h3><a name="str">Streib Technology</h3>
|
|
This race has so far only been encountered by the Narn, Minbari and the
|
|
Earthers. <br>
|
|
They are assumed to be restricted to their home world. At the moment they
|
|
are currently engaged in obtaining 'samples' of the technology and
|
|
creatures of neighbouring space. Their last two raids were into Narn
|
|
and Earth space. <br>
|
|
In both encounters they were followed back to their home world, and fired
|
|
upon, and, in at least one case, had their ship destroyed.<br>
|
|
They may be allied to the Shadows. Small figures, large heads and eyes.
|
|
A minor race. <p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>SHIP</strong> A huge ship, unsymetrical. Equipped with a torture chamber where
|
|
captured aliens are forced to fight, and are experimented upon.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>High energy rapid fire energy cannon.
|
|
<li>Tractor beam.
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines / jump point generator.
|
|
</ul>
|
|
The ships cannon seems to have great difficulty in hitting targets.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
IV<h3><a name="lum">Lumati Technology</h3>
|
|
This race has only recently been encountered.<br>
|
|
They scorn of 'inferior' races, and will not left a finger to help
|
|
a lesser species, but they do consider Humens non-inferior, even if they
|
|
now have strange ideas about Humen sexual acts. Tall, symbiotic. Deep
|
|
crevices on head. <p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>SHIP</strong> Structured from 5-6 spheres, linked by symmetrical sets of four
|
|
triangles.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Unknown weapon systems, assumed energy cannon / missile.
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines. Possibly jump point generator, the ship is big enough
|
|
to hold one.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
V<h3><a name="narn">Narn Technology</h3>
|
|
One of the Big Four races, lizard like in appearance. 150 years ago they
|
|
were almost wiped out by the <a href="#cent">Centuri</a> who strip mined the Narn home world.
|
|
They eventually managed, after 100 years, to drive them off. For them the
|
|
words 'Never Again' have special meaning. Their B5 ambassador, G'Kar,
|
|
guessed the Shadows are coming. <br>
|
|
They are possibly much older than almost any other race, but were decimated
|
|
in the first war against the Shadows, and now in this one as well, having
|
|
only 10 or 15 ships left. <br>
|
|
Non-organic tech. <br>
|
|
They are the only race not to have telepaths, although they used to have
|
|
them, they were killed off by the Shadows, resulting in too small a gene pool
|
|
for them to breed a telepath. <br>
|
|
Home world is called Narn. <br>
|
|
Non-organic technology<p>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<strong>FIGHTER</strong> Flat and rounded.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Beam weapon.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>HEAVY FIGHTER</strong> Chunkier version of fighters. Better
|
|
amoured / weaponed.<p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>DREADNAUGHT</strong> Looks like two heavy fighters join base to base by a bridge.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Jump point genearator, hyperspace engines. </li>
|
|
<li>More pwerful version of cruiser.</lI>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<strong>MOTHER SHIP</strong> Larger version of fighter, composed of three
|
|
decks. The bridge can be sealed off from rest of ship. One kilometer
|
|
long.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Beam weapons.
|
|
<li>hyper-space Engines, jump point generator.
|
|
<li>Missiles.
|
|
<li>Suffer a comms black out after re-entering normal space.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
VI<h3><a name="cent">Centuri Technology</h3>
|
|
One of the big four races. Attempted twice to trick Humens on first
|
|
contact, saying they were a lost Centuri colony, and that the
|
|
Centuri ruled the entire Universe. Large fan of hair on males. Females
|
|
shave their heads. <br>
|
|
Earth's first encounter with aliens was with them and the Centuri traded Earth
|
|
jump gate technology. <br>
|
|
Home world is known as Centuri Prime. <br>
|
|
Non-organic tech. <p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>BLOCKADE MINES</strong> Squat cylinder, with two cannons revolving around
|
|
the top.<br>
|
|
Assumed to be remotely controlled or automatic. Inaccurate, we
|
|
have only seen them once, but most shots missed, and it was
|
|
also commented that they were 'beginning to get [the] range',
|
|
implying they can not fire straight away upon a target.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Cannons (see above), but these appear to be very inaccurate.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
<strong>FIGHTER</strong> Crescent shaped, thin and 'spacialdynamic'
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Beam weapon.
|
|
<li>Prob. hyper-space engines.
|
|
</ul><P>
|
|
<strong>CRUISER</strong> Cross shaped
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines and jump point generator,
|
|
<li>missiles, misc. beam weapons.
|
|
</ul><br>
|
|
<strong>Note:</strong> The Centauri appear to be the only race whose
|
|
cruisers do <strong>not</strong> have some
|
|
sort of beam weapon. Centauri cruisers rapid-fire single shots from the
|
|
centre point of the front of the ship. They also appear to have
|
|
lesser weapons elsewhere on their cruisers, but the ones that seem
|
|
most effective in battle are the front-and-centre guns that fire some
|
|
sort of elongated shot. <p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>MOTHER</strong> Like two cruisers joined side by side
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Beam weapons.
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines and jump point generator.
|
|
<li>Missiles
|
|
<li>Mass drivers.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
VII<h3><a name="min">Minbari Technology</h3>
|
|
One of the big four races. Almost wiped out the Humens in a huge war,
|
|
driving them back to their 0
|
|
home system, and then home world, bypassing
|
|
the Mars and Io colonies. All remaining Earth ships ordered into
|
|
Earth orbit. <br>
|
|
At the last moment the Minbari surrendered, after examining a captive Human,
|
|
and discovering that they were reborn Minbari souls, but not before
|
|
19800 out of the 20000 ships were destroyed.<br>
|
|
Recognised by bony protrusions on skull. <br>
|
|
Home world known as Minbar, the 7th planet from their sun. One quarter of
|
|
planet covered by north polar ice cap. So rich in crystal deposits many
|
|
cities carved out of crystal formations. Three languages Len'a, Feak and
|
|
Adrinato (the language of the religious cast). An example of Adrinato is
|
|
'Ni sec schlect slem wa' Meaning 'I am your friend, in peace'.
|
|
The Minbari have had artificial gravity for some time, and all Minbari ships
|
|
are driven by a garivtio-magnetic system. They are also at the experimental
|
|
stage of time travel, having the ability to control certain types of time
|
|
fields, however this is at a very early stage, horse and carriage compared
|
|
to a modern sports car, or the <a href="#ep3">Great Machine</a>. <br>
|
|
Semi-organic tech.<P>
|
|
|
|
<strong>Rings</strong>
|
|
The Minbari have been observed using small rings to great effect. One
|
|
such ring was observed increasing the local gravity a whole order of
|
|
magnitude. Careful observation indicates the presence of a small silvery
|
|
discoloration on the ring finger of the Minbari ambassador, probably some
|
|
form of cybernetic interface. Thus the rings most probably act merely
|
|
as transmission devices to much larger units. It is therefore postulated
|
|
that the devices are only usable in certain areas, in this case the
|
|
quarters of the Minbari ambassador.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<strong>FIGHTER</strong> Y shaped, like Chigs from Space: Above and Beyond.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Beam weapon.
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
<strong>FLYER</strong> (Equivalent to Cruiser/Shuttle) Flat, with upright fins at corners.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines.
|
|
<li>Atmosphere capable.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
<strong>MOTHER</strong> 300m long, 200 M tons, shaped like an angel
|
|
fish. <br>
|
|
In the centre of Minbari cruisers there is the Tactical Centre. Over head a
|
|
large inverted mushroom hangs. A full 360 degree view is offered here, and
|
|
communication to any ship in range is as easy as speaking to it. Displays
|
|
on offer range from tactical maps to camera images.
|
|
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines, jump point generator.
|
|
<li>Tractor beam.
|
|
<li>Highly resilient to fighter weapons.
|
|
<li>Some form of stealth tech. that
|
|
prevents Earther scanners at least from locking on.
|
|
<li>12 fusion lasers
|
|
<li>6 neutron cannons
|
|
<li>6 missile launches (20M ton per missile)
|
|
<li>1 forward stasis beam
|
|
<li>4 attractor breams around launch bay
|
|
<li>Cargo pay able to hold up to 2000 m tons
|
|
<li>64 crew
|
|
<li>150 troops
|
|
<li>maximum speed of .2 c
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
VIII<h3><a name="hum">Earther Technology</h3>
|
|
The last of the big four. 'Mankind'.<br>
|
|
Scanner systems can be knocked out using an Electro Magnetic Pulse, as from
|
|
a fusion bomb. <br>
|
|
Messaging systems stamp all transmissions with a date stamp, and in military
|
|
systems a 'subchannel ID' which allows the sender to be authenticated.<br>
|
|
Non-organic tech. <P>
|
|
|
|
<strong>FIGHTER (SA-23E)</strong><br>
|
|
<center>
|
|
<img width="203" height="143" src="http://www.dungeon.com/~sati/sf-wire.jpg"
|
|
alt="sf wire">
|
|
<img width="239" height="164"
|
|
src="http://www.dungeon.com/~sati/sf-pers.jpg"
|
|
alt="sf pers">
|
|
</center>
|
|
The SA-23E Mitchell-Hyundyne Starfury is a single-seat non-atmospheric
|
|
fighter craft utilised by the Earth Alliance for short range defence
|
|
operations. It is armed with two Plasma Projection Guns, as well as
|
|
four Pulse Discharge Cannons. Unlike in classic Terran designs,
|
|
the pilot sits almost perfectly vertically in the cockpit, operating the
|
|
vessel by a combination of hand, foot, and voice-activated
|
|
controls.<br>
|
|
It has an average speed of 15km/s. <br>
|
|
One of the most intriguing facets of Starfury operations is the launch
|
|
sequence. The pilot enters the cockpit by a short ramp, wearing a
|
|
pressure suit. As he prepares for launch, the bay is depressurized. When
|
|
all is ready, the fighter pivots point-down into launch position, and
|
|
is launched by the inertial forces created by station rotation. After
|
|
it clears the station, the main engines fire.<br>
|
|
These engines are the most unusual aspect of the design, being placed on
|
|
long wings, forming an X shape.<br>
|
|
<strong>Weapons</strong>
|
|
<ul><li>Four 20 megawatt pulse discharge cannons (located on thruster pods)
|
|
<li>Up to 8 externally mounted missiles with nuclear, frag., jam etc.
|
|
warheads as needed.
|
|
<li>PDC's may be replaced with unguided missile
|
|
launchers.
|
|
<li>2 PPG's mounted under cockpit.</ul><p>
|
|
Four fuel cells mounted on the inboard trailing edge of each wing.<br>
|
|
Thrust is vectored using a system of 8 flaps mounted behind the engines.<br>
|
|
Launch rail attach points can be seen on the underside.<br>
|
|
Long range scanners can detect objects up to 2 hours flight time away, and
|
|
mix passive and active systems, and feature a multi-level active amp.<br>
|
|
4.4 m long, 1 pilot. Thrust glows bluw-white. Seems not to have
|
|
evolved much since the Earth-Minbari war.<br>
|
|
<ul><li>
|
|
<strong>Variants</strong>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Star Fury (Black Omega): Used for infiltration due to advanced stealth
|
|
capabilities. Very expensive. Omega decal on underside.
|
|
<li>Star Fury (two seater): two cockpits, one facing forward, one facing aft.
|
|
Missiles and heavy pulse cannons, fixed forward mountings, with a turret on
|
|
the back.
|
|
<li>Star Fury (Thunder Bolt (SA-42B) ):
|
|
<img align="right" alt="tb-sce"
|
|
src="http://www.dungeon.com/~sati/tb-sce.jpg" width="134"
|
|
height="286">
|
|
<br>1 rapid burst pulse cannon.
|
|
4x missile rack under cockpit. Wings are more planer and feature swing wing
|
|
on each of the 4 thrusters. When extended act as aerofoils, else folded over
|
|
the body. Better speed and manoeuvrability then the original.
|
|
<center>
|
|
<img alt="tb pers" src="http://www.dungeon.com/~sati/tb-pers.jpg"
|
|
width="364" height="254">
|
|
</center>
|
|
Next generation of fighters, atmosphere capable- the thunderbolts can do a
|
|
low-level bombing run and then leave the atmosphere. 2 seater. Minimum
|
|
speed in atmosphere is about Mach 2, due to small wing size. Thrust
|
|
glows orange, maybe they are not as efficent due to having to work in
|
|
the atmosphere as well ?
|
|
</ul> </lu></ul>
|
|
<strong>Control of Ships</strong>
|
|
A Starfury needs and uses all 6 degrees of freedom. This means there are two
|
|
T shaped joysticks, one for each hand. <br>
|
|
To yaw right, you might pivot the right hand stick to the right, increasing
|
|
the angle to increase the speed of the yaw ... as you hold it there you keep
|
|
spinning until you let go, at which time the ship stops itself. To achieve
|
|
this the computer would give an initial burst from the correct thrusters to
|
|
set your roll in motion at a rate proportional to the amount you have
|
|
depressed the stick ... when you let go, the computer gives another burst
|
|
from the opposite thrusters to stop your spin. <br>
|
|
This kind of control would be very intuitive and would minimise the
|
|
possibility of the pilot becoming disoriented in a fast but complex
|
|
manoeuvre. Also a "manual" mode would be included that gave you direct control
|
|
over the thrusters. In this mode, the control sticks would act more like
|
|
throttles .. when depressed, the thrusters activate at proportional intensity
|
|
and when released, the thrusters turn off. <br>
|
|
Another feature is the ability to set the "zero"... the motion of your base
|
|
frame of reference. Your base frame of reference would be the motion the
|
|
ship would have when the control sticks are zero-ed. For example, if you
|
|
want to dock on B5, you need to set your translation to be 0,Vy,0... that's
|
|
speed Vy down the axis of the station and 0,0 lateral motion. Also, you'd
|
|
need to set your spin velocities to be 0,Ry,0... the core of the station
|
|
rotates at a certain velocity which you must match before entering the
|
|
docking bay. So, your base frame of reference could be set to 0,Vy,0;
|
|
0,Ry,0... when you release the control sticks, the computer makes sure
|
|
that these are your velocities relative to the station. If, as you
|
|
approach the core, you notice that you're a little off-axis, you can
|
|
keep virtual-active mode on and nudge the stick in the right direction
|
|
a few times to translate over onto the axis without having to manually
|
|
cancel the translation when you get right on the axis. Meanwhile, if you
|
|
notice that your spin rate is a tad too slow, you could depress the
|
|
manual button on the spin stick and then twist in just a bit to the
|
|
right to boost your y-axis rotation rate, setting your new base frame
|
|
to be rotating a little faster in the clockwise direction. <br>
|
|
Of course, the computer on a Starfury would very likely have all kinds
|
|
of support for automatically performing precise manoeuvres since manual
|
|
docking is needlessly tedious... especially for an exhausted pilot
|
|
who's just coming off an adrenaline high. These can be activated by voice
|
|
command, such as 'roll 270 degrees left', 'rotate to track target, continue
|
|
course', 'set zero reference to target', 'collide with target' or
|
|
'maximum thrust' as well as more mundane tasks such as 'dock with target' or
|
|
'divert all power to life support'. <br>
|
|
(Scott Silvey) <br>
|
|
The foot pedals are used to cycle through scanned targets on the HUD.<br>
|
|
Fire control is similar to modern fighter planes, with weapon selection and
|
|
firing combined into a few switches on one of the joysticks. <br>
|
|
Ejecting is done by pulling two tabs mounted either side of the pilots head.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<strong>CRUISER</strong> Functional. Rotating mid-section.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines, jump point generator.
|
|
<li>Powerful forward beam weapon.
|
|
<li>Prob. missiles.
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<strong>HEAVY CRUISER</strong> As above
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
</li>As above but more weapon sites, incl. a rear mounted
|
|
powerful beam weapon, and a fighter compliment.
|
|
</ul>
|
|
Hyperion (and similar class) destroyers: 150 meters
|
|
Omega class ships: 500 meters (excluding guns/atennas)
|
|
|
|
<strong>B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 STATIONS</strong>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Babylon's 1, 2 and 3 were destroyed by various races before completion.
|
|
<li>Babylon 4 is much more heavily armored then Babylon 5, shaped like a
|
|
traffic cone, with solar arrays at the bottom, two large rotating sections,
|
|
the smaller front section framed by 4 very large Y shaped weapons pylons.
|
|
Painted green, as opposed to Babylon 5's blue.
|
|
Pulled back in time 1000 years to act as a new base of operations during
|
|
the last Shadow War.
|
|
The reason for 2 counter rotating sections is to set the total angular
|
|
momentum to zero, thus enabling B4 to move much more easily than would
|
|
otherwise be the case. B4 has a certain amount of movement, much more
|
|
compared to B5, for instance, but still too limited to make it more than
|
|
a snack for anything with access to a jump point.
|
|
It is 6 miles long.
|
|
It is located 160,000 km from where Babylon 5is now, and is 92,000km from the planet.
|
|
|
|
<li>Babylon 5 remains in neutral territory. See also Section <a href="#b5">I- Babylon
|
|
5 </a>.
|
|
</ul><P>
|
|
|
|
<strong>Breaching Pods:</strong> A small, limited mobility, transport vessel. Equipped with 4
|
|
corner mounted cluster pods, egg shaped body. Carries a large number of
|
|
troops from the assault ship to the target vessel, where it seals its self on
|
|
to the hull, and cuts an opening for the troops.
|
|
|
|
<strong>Raiders:</strong> Small one or two man attack fighters. Similar in shape to Cylon
|
|
attack ships, they present a very small front/back profile. Assumed to have a
|
|
limited range, and so must operate from a near-by base. Assumed beam weapons.
|
|
Not very effective in combat, half a dozen or so were wiped out by two star
|
|
furies. Most vunrable on their wings. Atmosphere able.
|
|
|
|
<strong>Raider Base:</strong> A chunky squat life support and engine blocked mounted 'behind'
|
|
a large wheel like structure that the Raiders dock to.
|
|
Able to open its own jump point.
|
|
|
|
All explosives manufactured in the Earth Alliance are laced with special
|
|
chemical codes to allow them to be traced to a particular buyer/batch.
|
|
<P>
|
|
The security forces of Babylon 5, unlike the civilian population, are
|
|
allowed to carry weaponry in the line of duty. The standard issue weapon
|
|
is the PPG, a small hand-held weapon which ionises
|
|
small quantities of hydrogen or helium gas, and suspends the resultant product
|
|
in a magnetic bottle, which is then released by a moving electric charge.
|
|
The bottle decays, resulting in an energy discharge.<P>
|
|
|
|
<strong>Identicards</strong><br>
|
|
Most likely, the Identicards are an outgrowth of the "smart" cards of the
|
|
twentieth century, acting as a combination driver's licence, credit card.
|
|
passport, and medical file. A crystalline memory module, similar to the
|
|
ones used in the main computer could hold medical information, account
|
|
balances, immigration status, and possibly even a small personal calendar
|
|
ala the PDA's introduced in the late 1980's. The technology is simple,
|
|
but requires a merger of data networks difficult to un-bureaucratize.
|
|
<P>
|
|
<strong>Dust:</strong><br>
|
|
Dust, an addictive manufactured drug, allows non-telepaths of several races
|
|
to probe the minds of others, experiencing all the victim's memories and
|
|
thoughts in the space of a few minutes. Unfortunately, this leaves the
|
|
victims unconscious, and telepathic victims never recover. The more often
|
|
Dust is taken, the more is required to achieve the effect the next time.
|
|
Dust was originally developed, and is apparently still being produced, by
|
|
Psi Corps in an attempt to induce permanent telepathy in normal humans; the
|
|
experiment has been a failure so far.<P>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
IX<h3><a name="vor">Vorlon Technology</h3><br>
|
|
The second oldest race. The ships (and certainly the
|
|
Cruiser) are completely organic, a living being. The pattern on the ships
|
|
can be seen to move slightly. <br>
|
|
The ships are as sentient as dogs, and are breed by the Vorlons as
|
|
ships.<br>
|
|
(JMS)<br>
|
|
Have an almost unique defence system which can dissipate energy weapons fired
|
|
at their ships, leaving only the physical impact. This device, however,
|
|
appears to have a long recharge time, and in this case the ship has to take
|
|
the hit, a Vorlon Mother being so far the only ship to survive a direct hit
|
|
from a Battle Crab. The organic tech. also allows the ships to evolve, and
|
|
learn. <br>
|
|
The Vorlon race is one of the last remaining First Ones.<br>
|
|
Vorlons appear as humanoid figures cloaked in glowing cloaks of light. Each
|
|
race sees something different, yet the same- an angel or god. Every race
|
|
that is apart from the Centuri. However most of the time Vorlon ambassadors
|
|
wear an organic 'encounter suit'. As well as acting as a space suit, the
|
|
suit can tap into local energy reserves and use them to produce telekinetic
|
|
effects, or deliver a energy 'slap'. The suit may be a living 'being' as
|
|
with their ships. <br>
|
|
When Vorlons are killed, no body is found. <br>
|
|
Have manipulated most races to condition them to see the correct thing, and
|
|
act accordingly, when they reveal themselves.<br>
|
|
Vorlons appear to use standard jump point techniques ! This is because the
|
|
Minbari obtained jump gate technology from them, and they spread it to other races,
|
|
resulting in the 'standard' looking gates and points.<br>
|
|
|
|
Very organic technology. <p>
|
|
|
|
<strong>FIGHTER + CRUISER</strong> (Fighters are smaller version of Mother ships) Egg
|
|
shaped, with four tendrils extending forward from the point. Vorlon
|
|
Cruisers are 60 m in length.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Beam weapon (energised in the nexus of the tendrils).
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines (jump point generator on mother.
|
|
<li>Method of propulsion unknown.
|
|
<li>Note also the "petals" which open out and towards the rear of the craft,
|
|
and may be related to its propulsion (they are always shown being folded
|
|
towards the craft as it approaches the docking bay of Babylon 5; of course,
|
|
it wouldn't fit in the approach tunnel if the petals were extended...).
|
|
</ul><P>
|
|
<strong>SHUTTLE</strong> Like fighter, but elongated.
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Beam Weapon?
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines.
|
|
<li>NOTE: Talks to Kosh via Vorlon writing. Kosh appears to be a subordinate
|
|
to either the ship, or the sender of the message.</li>
|
|
<li>Ship has facility to
|
|
maintain Humen life for extended periods.</li>
|
|
<li>Ship has auto-detect and destroy
|
|
feature active while it is docked. This takes the form of a probe which
|
|
morphs out of the side of the ship. It is not known what action it would
|
|
take with persistent attackers.</li>
|
|
<li>Surface is similar to Shadows', but is
|
|
yellow with green patches, and can alter its look to generate
|
|
letters.</lI>
|
|
<li>Kosh's Shuttle is almost permanently locked in B5 docking bay
|
|
number 13.</li>
|
|
<li>Shuttles are made for individual Vorlons, they are part of them, and can
|
|
not live with out them. When the Vorlon dies, the ship grieves as best it
|
|
can, for it is some sense alive, this usually takes the form of delivering
|
|
itself and the personal effects to the nearest sun.</li>
|
|
</ul><P>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
X<h3><a name="jg">Jump Gates</h3>
|
|
<strong>Construction:</strong><BR>
|
|
"Quantium" is a generic term applied to molecules which have been
|
|
sufficiently stressed by catastrophic events that some of their
|
|
electron-pair bonds reach across (or "tunnel through") the potential
|
|
barrier between normal space and hyper-space.<BR>
|
|
Quantium ores are normally found on planets which have been close
|
|
enough to a supernova to get blasted and irradiated, but far
|
|
enough out that they haven't been completely vaporised. <br>
|
|
Quantium can't be made on purpose, at least by the technologies of
|
|
non-First Ones / Ancients so most starfaring races spend a
|
|
<strong>lot</strong> of time looking for Quantium. <br>
|
|
The appended number refers to the isotope involved. <br>
|
|
The preferred version of Quantium-40 is the Potassium-40 isotope. <br>
|
|
Due to packing-fraction effects and long-term decay effects (Potassium-40
|
|
has a half-life of about 1.27 x 10 ^ 9 years) natural abundance of
|
|
Potassium-40 is low. (On Earth, for example, Potassium-40 is only about
|
|
.0118% of naturally-occurring Potassium on the planet!) <br>
|
|
The problem is that rods of almost any metallic, or transition-metal,
|
|
Quantium alloy can be put into gate nodes and resonated at very high
|
|
frequencies, resulting in a localised juxtaposition of Normspace and
|
|
hyper-space but most Quantium metals have crystal structures that require
|
|
<strong>very</strong> high driving frequencies, some up as high as gamma radiation.
|
|
For some reason known only to the Great Maker, Potassium-40 (in its
|
|
Quantium form) provides a stable, <strong>very</strong> high energy (and thus hard to
|
|
disrupt) but <strong>low</strong> frequency, trans-barrier bond. As a result, the
|
|
driving electronics used to excite Potassium-40 Quantium Gate resonators
|
|
are easily achievable by Humen technology. <br>
|
|
Quantum-bonded Potassium 40 is the Gate-node material preferred by
|
|
most races, due to the low cost of the necessary support technology.
|
|
This does <strong>not</strong> mean, however, that other races, or
|
|
even humans, <strong>have</strong>
|
|
to use Quantium-40 for gates. It's just the best and most economical
|
|
engineering choice. Quantized Calcium-40 and Argon-40, both stable
|
|
isotopes, have been used; but both, due to trans-barrier bond lengths,
|
|
and lower bond energies, require more expensive machinery.
|
|
(Calcium-40 is inefficient, and tends to vaporise under load, and Argon-40
|
|
has to be run as a supercooled solid, at liquid Helium temperatures.)
|
|
Both require <strong>much</strong> higher frequency driver
|
|
electronics.<br>
|
|
Jump points are formed in a particular location within a margin of error;
|
|
it's not like throwing a newspaper at a door.(JMS)<p>
|
|
|
|
Each jump point, when viewed from hyper-space, can be thought of as a
|
|
lighthouse, sending out a signal to guide ships to it. <br>
|
|
Once in hyperspace, you can ride the navigational beams between
|
|
beacons, and by corrolating the beacons, know where you have to come
|
|
out.<br>
|
|
(JMS)<br>
|
|
Ships lock on to this beam to prevent themselves from becoming lost. If the
|
|
signal is lost, there is little hope of re-establishing contact, and
|
|
the ship must attempt to carry on its course on internal gyroscopic
|
|
measurements only. <br>
|
|
This is a high risk manoeuvre, and many ships have been lost without trace
|
|
in hyper-space. <P>
|
|
|
|
Aside from simply destabilising the point by firing on it or whatever, there
|
|
is another way to use a point as a weapon. If one Gate is opened in another
|
|
Gate, the competing energies are impossible to control and the whole thing
|
|
explodes. However opening a jump point onto a jump point is impossible due
|
|
to the hideous amount of energy required. However, if a convient jump gate
|
|
is to hand, a jump point can be opened within that instead, the effect is
|
|
the same. (JMS) <BR>
|
|
The energy released is huge, and expands rapidly. <P>
|
|
|
|
The Babylon 5 Jump Gate is able to be told to reject certain ships, presumably
|
|
on the basis of mass / shape etc. This may not be a common feature, but a
|
|
function of the generation system used.<p>
|
|
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
XI<h3><a name="whatfire">What Ships Fire What Weapons</h3>
|
|
Earth Alliance Star Furies are armed with two PPG's and four PDC's,
|
|
both of which are white balls. They can carry unguided nuclear rockets.<BR>
|
|
The two Human mother ships we saw in battle were the Hyperion and the
|
|
Agamemnon. Hyperion seems to have larger PPG type weapons mounted on turrets
|
|
and on a forward fixed gun. The Agamemnon has a particle beam-like weapon
|
|
(That was the only weapon it fired, but I'll assume it has more).
|
|
<P>
|
|
Narn fighters seem to carry PPG style weapons. <BR>
|
|
A Narn cruiser fires both Particle beam and PPG type weapons.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Centauri Fighters fire a PPG-like weapon only the blasts are red while Narn
|
|
Fighters and Star Furies have white blasts. <BR>
|
|
Centauri Cruisers have similar red blast weapons. However, Instead of being
|
|
PPG's they could be ion Cannons (G'Kar mentioned twice that Centauries used
|
|
ion cannons). <BR>
|
|
Centauri Blockade Mines fire orange elongated shots.
|
|
<P>
|
|
Both Minbari Fighters and Warships have Green Particle beam-style weapons
|
|
(the Narn's and the Agamemnon fired red particle beams). The Warships have
|
|
larger ones. <p>
|
|
|
|
Note: I use the word "like" because there is no concrete proof that the
|
|
weapons are Particle Beams or PPG's.
|
|
<br>
|
|
(David Engkent) <P>
|
|
|
|
The White Star fires purple elongated blasts from the pods, and white
|
|
elongated blasts from somewhere near the front. Also on the front is rapid
|
|
fire pulsed green energy weapon (Fusion cannon). <p>
|
|
|
|
Vorlon mothers energise a ball of yellow/green energy in the nexus of their
|
|
tendrils. From here a beam of energy is release. <br>
|
|
Vorlon cruisers have some form of large scale energy weapon as well, which
|
|
can be modulated, and act as a 'net' for larger vessels. <br>
|
|
Vorlon fighters have yellow/green sparks of energy from their tendrils'
|
|
nexus. <p>
|
|
|
|
Shadow fighters fire white balls of energy, and pulse as they fire.<br>
|
|
Shadow probes fire elongated purple blasts, looking like mini versions of
|
|
the Shadow ships main weapon.
|
|
Battle Crabs, Cruisers and Mothers have a continuos pinky-purple ray. <p>
|
|
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
XII<h3><a name="white">The White Star</h3>
|
|
<img align="right" alt="ws sch"
|
|
src="http://www.dungeon.com/~sati/ws-sce.jpg" width="217"
|
|
height="123"><br>
|
|
<img align="right" alt="ws sch 2, upside down :-)"
|
|
src="http://www.dungeon.com/~sati/ws-sce2.jpg" width="159"
|
|
height="83"><br>
|
|
|
|
The White Star is a ship created by a melding of Vorlon and Minbari
|
|
technologies, and is to date the only non-Vorlon ship that has escaped
|
|
the Shadows. The surface is 'pearl, so its got a weird refractive quality'.
|
|
It has a kind of manta look to it, almost Minbari like flowing lines.
|
|
The pods are each attached to the body by two intertwined 'wings', and glow
|
|
when the ship manoeuvres, as does a single underslung pod.<br>
|
|
|
|
It is attached to the B5 station, just like a shuttle or transport ship,
|
|
and is under the B5 commanders control. It was, however, commissioned by the
|
|
Minbari religious caste, without the knowledge of some on the Minbari High
|
|
Council (The Grey Council). <br>
|
|
The White Star uses local drive engines based on magnetic and
|
|
gravitational principles; in a sense, it doesn't so much push itself toward
|
|
other worlds as <strong>pull</strong> itself or <strong>repel</strong> itself.
|
|
One side effect of creating a powerful gravitational system is the ability to
|
|
create artificial gravity. <br>
|
|
(JMS) <br>
|
|
This allows it to alter its internal gravitational field to enable a smooth
|
|
transition from the White Star to, say, a large rotating space station that
|
|
it has grappled on to and burnt through the hull of. <br>
|
|
The ship is <strong>extremly</strong> manoeuvrable, it has dodged multiple shots
|
|
from a Battle Crab, whereas almost all other ships fired upon have been hit
|
|
1st time. <br>
|
|
It is smaller than other ships of its power, and faster than any other ship
|
|
of the same size, certainly faster than any Humen ship. <br>
|
|
The controls mix coloured crystal/sonic controls with more standard displays
|
|
and can display hi-res. maps and other displays above the forward windows.
|
|
However, the weapons on the ship are not able to directly damage a fully
|
|
capable Shadow ship. <br>
|
|
Named to coincide with the Black Star, a Minbari battle cruiser destroyed by
|
|
Sheriden in the Earth-Minbari war, and now kept in orbit around a White
|
|
Dwarf. <br>
|
|
The outer skin is very tough, only slightly less able to withstand
|
|
extremes of pressure and temperature than a Shadow ship. <br>
|
|
Equipped with the Vorlon-style skin, enabling the ship to learn from
|
|
experience, to change, to evolve. This enabled it to learn from previous
|
|
encounters with the shadows, and adopt the Vorlon Defence System, which
|
|
deflects most of the energy of a shot away, leaving only the physical
|
|
impact. <br>
|
|
Weapons may be controlled by computer or by hand, hand firing is more useful
|
|
at extreme range. The White Star's forward battery is powerful enough to destroy a Battle
|
|
Crab, however the energy demands of using this as a continuous burst means
|
|
the jump engines have to be taken off-line, leaving the ship with no
|
|
hyper space ability for 20 minutes. The beam cuts a tunnel through a Battle
|
|
Crab in the space of a few seconds.<br>
|
|
The White Star is one member of a fleet of similar ships.<br>
|
|
It is 130 meters long, and has an escape pod mounted on its back.
|
|
|
|
<center>
|
|
<img alt="ws-pers" src="http://www.dungeon.com/~sati/ws-pers.jpg"
|
|
width="264" height="181">
|
|
</center>
|
|
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>hyper-space engines, jump point generator (almost certainly
|
|
two, mounted one aft and one forward).
|
|
<li>3 arrays of weapons (forward, left pod and right pod)
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>1 heavy fusion laser (green, pulsed) (forward array)
|
|
<li>3 banks of rapid fire heavy neutron cannon (one to each array)
|
|
<li>3 power stasis beams (one to each array)
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<li>Attractor beams, based on magnetic attraction, causing a
|
|
mottled blue coating on the attracted ship.
|
|
<li>Grapple legs, and hull cutters.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
XIII<h3><a name="sigma">Sigma 957 Aliens</h3>
|
|
Their real name is 15,000 letters long, and they can be summoned by
|
|
broadcasting this signal close to planets where they 'walk among the
|
|
stars' (JMS) <br>
|
|
Their ship is huge, from a hemi-sphere base, a long cylinder emerges,
|
|
tipped with a black globe with 70's style computer graphics on it
|
|
(mono-chromatic squares and lines of dots mostly). This stalk is rimmed at
|
|
the base by bony protrusions that extend over the lip of the base.
|
|
There is some 'bad blood' between them and the Vorlons, but they have agreed
|
|
to help in the War.<br>
|
|
Semi-organic tech. <P>
|
|
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Prob. beyond our understanding, i.e. 'magic'
|
|
<li>Non stnd. hyper-space tech.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
XIV<h3><a name="ep3">Epsilon 3 (The Great Machine)</h3>
|
|
From the outside, just some nova blasted desolate planet, but it actually
|
|
houses a huge machine, built long ago by a gone race. It is now run by a
|
|
Minbari, who has offered its services to Babylon Five.<BR>
|
|
Tunnelled through a large part of the planet Euphrates, a planet orbiting
|
|
Epsilon Eridani, the Great Machine is powered by massive banks of fusion
|
|
generators (the largest are 5 to 10 miles across). <BR>
|
|
Highly advanced technology is housed within; including the time distortion
|
|
devices used to "hijack" Babylon 4. <p>
|
|
|
|
The Great Machine is controlled by the Heart - a control room where the
|
|
Custodian is bodily hooked up to the machine. The machine itself chooses
|
|
who may control it. Once installed, the Great Machine's operations are
|
|
tied to the life signs of the Custodian. By entering the Machine, the
|
|
Custodian's life is greatly extended, mostly by rejuvenating the physiology
|
|
of the individual. The previous Custodian was the member of an unknown race
|
|
named Varn who described that by being the Heart you "see all the futures,
|
|
hear all the songs, and touch the edge of the universe with [one's]
|
|
thoughts." The Heart allows anyone hooked into the Machine access to an
|
|
"Ethernet." The Ether Interface allows a being to travel along the paths
|
|
woven between all lifeforms. Within the Ether, time and space are
|
|
irrelevant. Travelling the pathways can bring the traveller to the past,
|
|
present, and future, allowing the Custodian to see into distant worlds and to
|
|
gain greater understanding of the universe. A race of aliens live inside,
|
|
acting as caretakers. <P>
|
|
|
|
<dt>Capabilities</dt><ul>
|
|
<li>Can gather all forms of information from a large area,
|
|
project a hologramatic image of its operator large
|
|
distances, and to astronomically distant places by tapping
|
|
the paths, or energies, that link all life together.
|
|
<li>Has
|
|
many energy based defence systems to prevent unauthorised
|
|
craft landing on the planet, and presumably weapons to use
|
|
against orbital craft.
|
|
<li>Heavily armed with missile launchers,
|
|
planetary-scale slicer beams, electronic debilitator wave
|
|
generators.
|
|
<li>The Machine has the ability to record
|
|
transmissions found on the Etherweb from the past, and
|
|
possibly future.
|
|
<li>The Custodian can also utilise the
|
|
Machine's holographic projection system, allowing the
|
|
receiver real-time interaction with the golden holo-image of
|
|
the Custodian.
|
|
<li>The massive computer banks contain reports
|
|
regarding the First Ones and their haunts: Tales of encounters
|
|
with alien forces beyond description and stories of vast and
|
|
nameless forces that prowl the ruins of ancient cities.
|
|
<li>At a great cost in terms of strain and energy, can create
|
|
and control a stream of Tachyons, which can control time
|
|
rifts, and use them as entries to Tachyon Space.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
XV<h3><a name="misc">Misc.</h3> (What will *not* fit anywhere else !)<BR>
|
|
<strong>How does a changeling net work?
|
|
</strong><br>
|
|
This piece of technology is on the restricted list, so a sample was not
|
|
available for study. However, similar technologies have used a hologram
|
|
to mask the wearer in a form of high- tech camouflage. The key question
|
|
is how does the onboard computer know which image to project. The images
|
|
are usually of the immediate background, or pre-programmed. But then,
|
|
there must be someone who knows the image....
|
|
<P>
|
|
<strong>Metaphysics:</strong><BR>
|
|
The Babylon 5 universe seems to behave according to the Copenhagen
|
|
interpretation of Quantum Physics, with a number of 'ghost' futures
|
|
co-existing until a choice is made which makes one of them 'real'. Messages
|
|
may be passed 'backwards' from these ghost realities, though not forward
|
|
from 'now' to the 'future'. <BR>
|
|
Time travel is possible in both directions, but at great strain, and cost
|
|
in terms of energy. So far the only thing to do this feat is the Great
|
|
Machine, however it seems likely that the Vorlons, Shadows, Sigma 957 and
|
|
other First Ones have this technology, as do the Minbari to some small
|
|
degree. <P>
|
|
|
|
<STRONG>Data Crystals:</STRONG><br>
|
|
Much as 3.5" inch disks are the common storage media world-wide today, so
|
|
data crystals are the common inter-race storage medium. Shaped like a very
|
|
small (2cm) long transparent crystal they can store large amounts of data.
|
|
As with disks this can be anything from text, to video, to sound, even
|
|
personalities can be encoded. <br>
|
|
The data is encoded as a pattern of refracting light, and the crystal
|
|
altered to produce this pattern when illuminated.<P>
|
|
|
|
<strong>Berzerker Probes:</strong><br>
|
|
These low-intelligence probes were sent out by the hundreds by an unknown
|
|
race. They have no crew or weapons. Their seamless hull suggests they are (at
|
|
least partially) organic ships. The probes are programmed to seek out
|
|
intelligent life. <br>
|
|
Once a suitable subject is found, the probe transmits alphabet and language
|
|
codes (in all possibility not even the tongue of the Berserkers). If the
|
|
subject figures out the code within a set amount of time, the probe transmits a
|
|
series of over 600 questions relating to physics, quantum mechanics,
|
|
molecular biology, genetics, and other advanced sciences. In return for
|
|
correct answers, the probe promises to give the subject cures for every
|
|
known disease, improved jump gate data and other advanced technology; if the
|
|
subject fails to answer correctly, the probe will self-destruct with the
|
|
force of 500 thousand megatons. <br>
|
|
The subjects have twenty-four hours to respond. Unknown to the victims, the
|
|
probe will detonate if the correct answers are given, failure to answer will
|
|
prompt the probe to move on to another target. <br>
|
|
In the event that the probe queries beings living on a planet, the blast is
|
|
generally sufficient to wreak havoc with most incoming and outgoing
|
|
communication systems (also further damaging the planet's ecosystem by
|
|
throwing up a dust curtain) giving the Berserkers enough time to send more
|
|
probe ships and finish the job. <P>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
|
|
<h3><a name="etc">Legal, contact etc</h3>
|
|
<center>
|
|
<h4>Maintained by Thomas Chiverton, <a href="mailto:Falken@Bigfoot.com">Falken@Bigfoot.com</a> </h4>
|
|
</center>
|
|
<dt>Thanks to:</dt>
|
|
<li>Odarka Stefanyszyn, Andy Thomas, Gharlane of Eddore, Boris Skrbic,
|
|
Zathras, Voltayre, Julian Graham, Mark Kochte, Bill, David Engkent,
|
|
Robert Kaiser, Andy Dunn, J M S ( how could I forget ! ), Scott
|
|
Silvey.<br>
|
|
Also to the newsgroups R.A.S.T.B5.M, U.M.S.T.B5 and
|
|
U.M.S.T.B5.M .<br>
|
|
Special thanks and praise to Mario Di Giacomo, the original technical FAQ
|
|
author of old, on which this is based.
|
|
</ul><p>
|
|
I retain the copyright on all original parts, 3rd party articles are
|
|
credited where known, and (c) remains with author unless stated otherwise.
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
Where to get a new copy of this document, or the update file (order of
|
|
usefulness):-
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>WWW: <ul> <li><a
|
|
href="http://www.home.ch/~spaw1791/b5index.htm">
|
|
htttp://www.home.ch/~spaw1791/b5index.htm</a> (main site)
|
|
<li><a href="http://www.mk.dmu.ac.uk/guests/b5/">
|
|
http://www.mk.dmu.ac.uk/guests/b5/</a> (mirror)
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<li>E-Mail: mail <a
|
|
href="mailto:falken@bigfoot.com">Falken@Bigfoot.com</a> and
|
|
ask to be added to the mailing list
|
|
<li>FTP: <a href="ftp:ftp.midwinter.com/pub/babylon-5/">
|
|
ftp.midwinter.com/pub/babylon-5/</a> (file name b5.tech and
|
|
b5.tech.1 for text, appened .htm for HTML adition of manual)
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<P>
|
|
<strong>Please note:</strong> Manual will soon aquire more pictures, but
|
|
will remain as a single file untill the end of season 5, when it
|
|
will be split. The update will stay as text only.
|
|
<BR>
|
|
<strong>Please also note:</strong> This document is not in anyway officially endorsed by JMS,
|
|
Warner Brothers or anyone else involved in anyway with the B5 TV show.
|
|
However, as this is a copyrighted document, I'd like to be informed if it
|
|
is used by anyone in an official capacity, or is distributed beyond the
|
|
realms of E-Mail, the Internet and BBS's (such as magazine disks,
|
|
PD/Shareware, CD-ROM etc.). Please also keep this file together with the
|
|
update.
|
|
<center><strong>
|
|
All trademarks etc. acknowledged, (C) 1996-1997 Thomas Chiverton
|
|
</strong><center>
|
|
<a href="#start">Back to top</a><hr>
|
|
<hr>
|
|
</html>
|