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								<title>Lost Scenes from Babylon 5</title>

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								<h1>Lost Scenes from Babylon 5</h1>

								<h3>As written by J. Michael Straczynski</h3>

								<p>

								 Here's another scene, which was filmed for the pilot movie, but

								 cut when the pilot ran long.  It takes place at the top of the

								 movie, in the teaser.

								<pre>

								 INT. OBSERVATION DOME


								 One of the consoles BREEPS and Laurel goes to it.  With a push

								 of a button, the slender glass panel in front of her fills with

								 the image of SECURITY CHIEF MICHAEL GARIBALDI, early forties,

								 dark haired, hard-edged.


								                              LAUREL

								                Garibaldi, what's up?


								                              GARIBALDI

								                Looking for the Commander.  We've got

								                someone down in Bay 12 needs his

								                personal clearance to come aboard.


								                              LAUREL

								                He just linked in a few minutes ago,

								                said he was on his way.  Had to take

								                care of a "tourist problem" first.

								                And no, I don't know what he meant,

								                so don't ask.  I just hope it works

								                out better than the last one.


								 And with that, we go to


								 INT. CASINO


								 where we PAN the surroundings, revealing a mix of alien and

								 human life forms.  There's smoke, music, dancers, and a colorful

								 blend of costumes and strange drinks on the bar.  We FIND COMMANDER

								 JEFFREY SINCLAIR moving slowly through the crowd, keeping a close

								 eye on


								 A COUPLE


								 male and female from the look of it.  He's human, she's alien,

								 and there's something vaguely chitinous about her skin, something

								 both exotic and forbidding.  He's clearly coming on to her.  He

								 surreptitiously hand her a credit chit.  She smiles and moves away

								 from the bar, taking his hand as suddenly Sinclair is behind her.

								 He takes the chit from her and hands it back to the human.


								                              SINCLAIR

								                I wouldn't.

								                      (to the alien woman)

								                You know the rules about crossing

								                species.  Stick with the list.


								                              HUMAN "JOHN"

								                What're you, a bigot or something?


								                              SINCLAIR

								                No.  But obviously you've never me

								                an Arnassian before.  After they

								                finish, they eat their mate.


								 With that, Sinclair heads away.  The human looks back at the

								 woman with a very new perspective.  And this time it's her turn

								 to smile...and now she holds up a hand, offering *him* money.  On

								 his wary look, we CUT.

								</pre>

								<p>

								<hr>

								<a name="kosh">

								<p id="kosh">

								</a>

								 The following scene is excerpted from the script for "The

								 Gathering."  It was filmed, but was eliminated from the

								 final cut due to time restraints.


								 Earlier in the story, Dr. Benjamin Kyle has had...an

								 encounter with what is inside the Vorlon's encounter suit.

								<pre>

								 INT. MEDLAB


								 where Laurel and Kyle look through the glass at Kosh.


								                              LAUREL

								                So, Doctor...just what *did* you see

								                when you looked inside that suit?


								                              KYLE

								                      (a long beat, then:)

								                There are moments in your life when

								                everything crystallizes.  When the

								                whole world reshapes itself, right

								                down to its component molecules, and

								                everything changes.

								                      (beat)

								                I've looked upon the face of a

								                Vorlon, Laurel...and nothing's the

								                same anymore.


								 And, his thoughts distant, Kyle moves off, leaving Laurel

								 to peer through the mist at the shrouded figure within the

								 isolab, and wonder....

								</pre>

								<p>

								<hr>

								<p>

								<a name="alternate-intro">

								 Here's a little something I came across in my computer

								</a>

								 this evening.  I had always sensed that the Londo introduction/narration

								 at the top of the pilot was the way to go.  But it never hurts to try

								 other avenues...you discover the darndest ideas that way.  Anyway, I came

								 up with an alternate introduction, just to see if it worked or not.  I

								 rather liked it...and still do, to some degree...but finally opted to go

								 with the Londo intro instead, which is what we'll stick with.

								<p>

								But since it's not going to be used, I figured...why not let y'all

								 take a look at what would've been an alternate opening for the pilot?

								<pre>

								                             BABYLON 5

								                          Insert/Prologue


								 FADE IN:


								 ON STATIC.  Then: a BLACK SCREEN, OVER which we HEAR the FEMALE

								 voice of a news broadcast in progress:


								                              FEMALE VOICE (vo)

								                _ continue to bring you updates on

								                the Interplanetary News Network.


								 And now, gradually, a PICTURE begins to emerge from the darkness

								 _ grainy, slightly washed out, a VIDEO IMAGE of Babylon 5.


								                              FEMALE VOICE (vo)

								                In other news, the Earth Alliance

								                space station Babylon 5 celebrates

								                its first year in operation with the

								                imminent arrival of an ambassador

								                from the Vorlon Empire.


								 And now: a MONTAGE of shots from within B5, and some EFX shots

								 from outside...the casino, the customs area, the bazaar and other

								 areas.  During this, the IMAGE BEGINS TO SHRINK, to recede into

								 the distance, and gradually the stars begin to come out on all

								 sides of the picture, framing it.  This UNDER:


								                              FEMALE VOICE (vo)

								                Located in neutral territory, Babylon

								                5 has exceeded all expectations in

								                dealing with the many life forms that

								                pass through the five mile long

								                station.  As a result, Earth Central

								                has approved an appropriations bill

								                to keep the orbiting freeport open to

								                travelers, businessmen and diplomats

								                for another five years.


								 And now the image shifts, and the picture continues to recede

								 into the distance, now only a few inches across...a grainy black

								 and white image:


								                              FEMALE VOICE (vo)

								                Meanwhile, a new binary star

								                discovered by Mars colony scientists

								                has been named Kennedy Proxima, after

								                20th century president John F.

								                Kennedy, born 340 years ago this

								                week.


								 And now, in the small picture framed by stars, receding more

								 rapidly from view, we SEE footage of JFK speaking before the

								 Democratic convention the eve of his presidential nomination:


								                              KENNEDY

								                I believe that the times require

								                imagination, and courage, and

								                perseverance.  I'm asking each one of

								                you to be pioneers toward that New

								                Frontier.  My call is to the young at

								                heart, regardless of age; to the

								                stout of spirit, regardless of party;

								                to all those who respond to the

								                scriptural call, "Be strong and of

								                good courage.  Be not afraid, neither

								                be dismayed."  For courage, not

								                complacency, is our need today.


								 UNDER this, Kennedy's image recedes further into the distance,

								 growing smaller and smaller until he is now one of the many

								 surrounding stars splashed across the blackness of space.  A

								 moment, and the MUSIC RISES, brave and martial, as we


								 TILT and PAN ACROSS to reveal Babylon 5 itself, up close and

								 personal in all its huge splendor.  PUSH IN on the station as

								 a ship approaches, and we HEAR:


								                              LAUREL (vo)

								                Confirmed, Delta Gamma Niner, you

								                are clear for docking.</pre>


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								<h5>

								Last update:

								June 26, 1996


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