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619 lines
22 KiB
619 lines
22 KiB
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<!-- TITLE The Touch of Your Shadow, the Whisper of Your Name -->
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<p>
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<strong>Written by Neil Barrett, Jr.</strong><br>
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Release date: March 1996<br>
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ISBN: 0-440-22230-3 (US)<br>
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ISBN: 0-7522-0158-1 (UK)
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<br clear>
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<blockquote><cite>
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Garibaldi and Sheridan battle a deadly rash of
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violence threatening the station . . . and confront a mysterious force
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spreading terror on Babylon 5.
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</cite>
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</blockquote>
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<p>
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Reader reviews, and online ordering, can be found at
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0440222303/thelurkersguidet">Amazon.com</a>.
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<p>
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<hr>
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<h2><a name="BC">Back Cover</a></h2>
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<H3 ALIGN=CENTER>The Enemy Within</H3>
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<P>
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Babylon 5, designed to be a place of peace in a troubled universe, has
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erupted with riots as visiting cultures clash and passions explode.
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Security chief Garibaldi must use all his skills to quell the violence
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between races. But the troubles escalate as terrifying nightmares
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plague
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everyone on board from Captain Sheridan to Vorlon Ambassador Kosh. It
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seems as if some "force" is touching them all...
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</P>
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<H3 ALIGN=CENTER>The Touch of Your Shadow, The Whisper of Your Name</H3>
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<P>
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Then an alien presence appears. A long, twisting band of green light
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<EM>nine million miles long</EM> stretches out against the darkness of
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space on a collision course with Babylon 5. Since it remains invisible
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to
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computer sensors, some are calling it an illusion, others are calling it
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an
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evil life force. Still others are calling it God. Now it is up to
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Captain Sheridan and Garibaldi to find out, risking there lives, and
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perhaps their souls, to venture forth among the stars to meet the
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unknown...
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</P>
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<H2><A NAME="SY">Synopsis</A></H2>
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<P>
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The novel opens with Garibaldi sitting on a transport near the Euphrates
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sector jump gate. A friend who owes him from a World Series bet
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is taking him back home on a rickety transport. Almost as soon as they
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arrive, the friend offers to buy a drink. After Garibaldi refuses, his
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link beeps, ending any thoughts of peace and quiet. Garibaldi reports to
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Brown deck as request.
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</P>
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<P>
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The Consortium of Live Eaters had gotten down to Brown deck and started
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rioting. Meanwhile a fight was breaking out at the Trinocular Film
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Festival and the Life in Transition group was starting a fight in the
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Main
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Hall. The LITs as they were called had created quite a stir, their
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belief that life was just a "mistake," led to a large counter protest
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outside the hall. Garibaldi convinces them to return to their conference
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room and posts several guards to keep them there.
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</P>
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<P>
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Garibaldi finally gets a chance to meet with Sheridan who apologizes for
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bringing the Security Chief's leave to such an abrupt end. Ivanova
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arrives
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and Sheridan explains to them how the entire station has been erupting
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in
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violence. Also, a number of people have been having particularly
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violent
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nightmares. Dr. Franklin arrives late and explains that he hasn't been
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able to find a source for the disturbances. Garibaldi reiterates the
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request to lock the conferees up, but Sheridan explains that a number of
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the ambassadors have complained. (See <A HREF="#NO">Notes</A>.) After
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ending the meeting, Garibaldi stays and asks the Captain if he has been
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having the nightmares too. Sheridan admits to having them without saying
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more.
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</P>
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<P>
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Psi Corps member Martina Coles attempts to sleep and she feels
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<EM>something</EM> and yet nothing reaching out to her. Kosh stands in
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contemplation as something shakes "Kosh to the core of [its] alien
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being." (See <A HREF="#NO">Notes</A>.) Ambassador Delenn, dreaming,
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finds a curved
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scimitar in her hand. A voice cries out to her, warning her to defend
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herself or die. The voice belongs to Sheridan, who kills her all the
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while talking about the end of a time for talking. (See <A
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HREF="#NO">Notes</A>.)
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G'Kar dreams about destroying the Centauri ships as a hero in war. But
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the Centauri, specifically Londo use a new kind of weapon to disable the
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Narn and prevent victory. Garibaldi finds himself in a shuttle with
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Ivanova. The two argue about the controls with him finally attempting
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the
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landing. As they were about to make it, he realizes a battle is underway
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and he wakes screaming 'No!' and covered in sweat. His link beeps,
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trouble
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in Security Central among other locations.
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</P>
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<P>
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After breaking up a fight between two of his officers by throwing them in
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the Brig, Garibaldi goes to handle the Fermi's Angels. The Angels are
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motorcyclists in space. Meanwhile, Sheridan plans a meeting along with
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Ambassadors
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for the next day about the incidents on the station. The invitation also
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includes Coles who Sheridan feels may have information. Then Ivanova
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calls from the observation dome asking him to come see something.
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</P>
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<P>
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The Worm is 9 million miles long and half a million miles wide but aside
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from a green luminescence, it does not show up on anything but through
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direct observation. Sheridan orders a science team to investigate and
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they begin planning. He also contacts Earth Dome and the president's
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aide
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already knows about the vent. Sheridan is surprised that they are
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willing
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to admit that they have a mole on the inside.
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</P>
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<P>
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Two things touched Martina Coles' mind. One was that strange thing
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that had brushed across the other day. The other was an alien. A
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Vorlon,
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Kosh. After shaking off the shivers and cold sweat that the feeling had
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brought on she goes to the ambassador's quarters. She asks him to stay
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out of her mind and he responds "You are . . . not ready to hear me."
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They "argue" a bit about whether there will be a time when she is ready
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to
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hear, but Martina flees the quarters in afraid that continuing will not
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get
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her anywhere and that she might loose her cool. She finally makes it
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back
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to her quarters in a state of terror.
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Garibaldi manages to handle the Angels by convincing them that he is
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'hip'.
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And they give him a jacket and offer to give him a ride.
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</P>
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<P>
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At the briefing the next day, the table was crowded. Ivanova had already
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positioned herself next to the door so that after Londo and G'Kar
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entered
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they would not leave and would stay at the table. The science team that
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Ivanova was organizing had not yet left. And Sheridan tried to get any
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information about the incidents. Kosh was of course absent from the
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meeting. Martina Coles balks at reading aliens for Sheridan in an attempt
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to figure anything out. She explains that her temporary contract has a
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clause excusing her from such requests. Garibaldi makes a reference to
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the
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alleged bomb planted in Londo by saying 'Boo!' and that calms Londo down
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again. After the meeting adjourns, Delenn talks to Sheridan and warns him
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that the station may be in worse danger based on her dreams. She warns
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that the races may all turn on each other and explains her dream in which
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he tries to kill her.
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</P>
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<P>
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In the Observation Dome, Ivanova is surprised that the Worm is moving
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towards the station at a rapid click. The Worm would arrive within
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forty-eight hours. Lennier meanwhile was beginning to be affected by the
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Worm. When Coles accidentally brushed against him in the hall, he began to
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simmer angrily. Returning to his quarters he smashed a mirror and began
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to
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recall his dreams of roaming the halls with a spear and a loincloth. His
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goal, targeting the non-Minbari. The blood from his knuckles brought
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unconsciousness and sleep.
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</P>
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<P>
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Franklin was under a tremendous amount of stress from the influx of minor
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injuries as well as the concern about the unknown plague that was
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afflicting the station. Garibaldi meanwhile also had his hands full with
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chaos throughout the station. He attempts to break into Coles' quarters,
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but she arrives before he enters. They argue briefly and she passes out.
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Garibaldi offers some aid and seems convinced that Coles is at the least
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not working against them.
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</P>
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<P>
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Sheridan and Garibaldi discuss Coles and Garibaldi thinks she knows
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something but is too frightened to discuss it. Sheridan also explains
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that
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Earth Central is afraid of the Worm but unwilling to assist with sending
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troops. Back in Command and Control, Ivanova monitors the large science
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probe they sent to the Worm. Nothing. Not even video. They agree to
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prepare another probe, this one with a weapon to give off a little shock.
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</P>
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<P>
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Sheridan sleeps fitfully. He dreams of the Minbari Grey Council. They
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ask what he fears. Delenn enters the circle from behind and asks if
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Sheridan fears her. The council disappeared and in darkness he found
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himself staring into a lit mirror, his face Minbari.
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</P>
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<P>
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Again the Worm invades Martina Coles' mind and she screams in terror. And
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then a dream, actually a memory comes. Psi Corps had let a Narn come to
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her
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when she was sixteen to breed. Psi Corps hoped that it would be more
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powerful than anything they had ever produced. Martina ran away and
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nothing was ever said of it again. When she awakens, Martina reaches out
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to Kosh and asks to speak to him.
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</P>
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<P>
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Sleep deprivation is hitting the command staff badly. Franklin has
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created a vile looking sleep pill that will enable a few hours of sleep
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without interruption by dreams. Delenn informs Sheridan that her world is
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now on full alert since they are afraid the Worm is a prelude to war.
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Sheridan gives Delenn one of the pills to assist her in sleep. As she
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falls asleep in his office she says she could never kill him, and
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Sheridan
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responds with the same.
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</P>
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<P>
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Three hours of truly restful sleep was a great aid to Garibaldi who
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quickly
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prepared to go underground in search of the transmitter that was giving
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Earth Dome the inside track on station events. But, his investigation
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does not turn up anything immediately except that black marketers from
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Down Below
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have already begun to leave the station out of fear.
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</P>
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<P>
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The Reverend Bobby James Galazy of the Universal Church of Solar
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Illumination has found the ideal opportunity to stir up further debate.
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He calls the Worm a chance to drive the heathen from Babylon 5. He
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claims
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that only humans are made in God's image and the others must be destroyed.
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</P>
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<P>
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Meanwhile, a Centauri ship is heading towards the Worm. With Londo's
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help
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they manage to get the ship to return to the station with only minimal
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difficulty. The command staff agrees that everyone should be involved
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and
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share in the results when the station sends out its shuttle later.
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</P>
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<P>
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Kosh tells Coles she is ready and to come to him. But Coles is already
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having second thoughts, but finally relents and heads towards Kosh. Kosh
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then opens a portion of his mind to her, revealing what he has determined
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about the Worm.
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</P>
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<P>
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Ivanova is called upon to meet with the Consortium of Live Eaters and
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procure the return of a Centauri who had been abducted. They are a race
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that live in an acidic atmosphere and were not visited by members of the
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staff. After donning a special environmental suit she enters their
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chambers. They explain that they are preparing for termination of their
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community during the "Feast and Dissolution Ceremony" and the Centauri
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entered "willingly." They agree to return the Centauri and proceed with
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their ceremony without the Centauri. Ivanova watches them consume
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themselves in just a few brief moments.
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</P>
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<P>
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Hilton Dowd, Clark's aide, explains to Sheridan how displeased the
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President is with Sheridan's responses thus far. Dowd mentions that
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military action is being considered. When Sheridan explains that
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anything
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like that should wait till after the manned shuttled expedition, Dowd
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explains he already knows of that and is expecting the results.
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</P>
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<P>
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Ivanova and her scientific team including several techs and a Dr. Creighton
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Laramie of Barker Industries on Earth approach the Worm.
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As the shuttle draws closer,
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sensors turned up nothing. As Dr. Laramie described it, there is just the
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illusion of brightness. Ivanova contacts Sheridan before they agree that
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the shuttle will go through the Worm. As Sheridan agrees, one of the
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techs comes out like a loony with a spanner in hand. Another tech
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explains that a third tech is already badly injured and they need to
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return
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to the station to save his life. Laramie puts up a small fight about the
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need to return to the station, but relents.
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</P>
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<P>
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When they get back to the station things have gotten out of control.
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Ivanova is sent to try and handle the bikers while Garibaldi tries to
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handle a situation between the Narn and Centauri in the Zocalo. After
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locating G'Kar, Garibaldi heads to the Zocalo. Mollari is already dead
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drunk and next to one of Garibaldi's guards in the Zocalo.
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</P>
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<P>
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Ivanova has little success with the bikers till Garibaldi checks in via
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link and he convinces them to cut her some slack. They take off to come
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help Garibaldi in the Zocalo. Meanwhile, Garibaldi is pinned down with
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G'Kar but he notices that Mollari had been kidnapped by the Narn. G'Kar
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attempts to help them but given the general chaos little seems likely.
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</P>
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<P>
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Once again Ambassador Delenn's dreams are intruded upon by the image of a
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fight
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with Sheridan. This time the setting is a joust in which Sheridan
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finally
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kills her as she pleads for him not to take her life.
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</P>
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<P>
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Coles awakens to Garibaldi who has brought her back from Kosh's quarters.
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He gives her one of the sleeping pills. When Coles awakens, Sheridan and
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Garibaldi question her about what she learned from Kosh. She says she
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learned nothing, just that it felt like a ghost of something.
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</P>
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<P>
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Sheridan resolves to speak to Kosh and goes to visit him. Kosh explains
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that Coles saw a fragment and that he is studying the worm, but can tell
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Sheridan nothing. As Sheridan pushes Kosh, he senses that the Worm is
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affecting Kosh also and Kosh finally withdraws asking Sheridan to leave
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firmly.
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</P>
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<P>
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In one of the docking bays, Ivanova is trying to keep people from leaving
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the station. The crowd's mob mentality overwhelmed Ivanova and they
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stormed towards the freighter. The freighter attempts to take off, but
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the only thing that it succeeds in doing is rupturing itself, the hull and
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taking a number of lives with it.
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</P>
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<P>
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Reverend Bobby James Galaxy continues to dream up his Final Plan. Dreams
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of destroying the aliens. Mass destruction, which he truly believed in.
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Franklin found that even with the pills, dreams came, terrible dreams.
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Him
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in Medlab being the subject of study. Franklin contacts Sheridan and
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explains that the pills can not be used repeatedly or that perhaps the
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ever-increasing proximity of the Worm is reducing their effectiveness.
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</P>
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<P>
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Garibaldi was having no luck locating Londo, but he did discover that
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Laramie was the spy. Sheridan has Laramie put in the brig but before
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long
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Earth Central is on the comm with a pardon for Laramie.
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</P>
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<P>
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Lennier begins acting out his dreams and puts on a loincloth and enters
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the
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halls of the station and begins attacking people. In Command and
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Control,
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Earthforce fighters have entered the sector through the jump gate and are
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heading directly towards the Worm. Sheridan contacts Earth and demands
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an
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explanation and asks that the ships be called back. Sheridan heads off
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with the station's Starfuries to intercept the Earthforce fighters and
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deter them from attacking the Worm. Through bullying, Sheridan is able
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to
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get them to head back to the station with him.
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</P>
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<P>
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Then a jump point opens and a Centauri battle cruiser emerges near the
|
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Worm. To make matters worse, renegade Narn fighters led by G'Kar arrive
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and begin a space battle. (See <A HREF="#NO">Notes</A>.) The three
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underground fighters continue the attack on the Centauri despite
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Sheridan's request that the come back to the station. G'Kar is captured
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by the Centauri creating a dual hostage standoff. But, the Centauri
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battle cruiser is also crippled from the battle.
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</P>
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<P>
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Sheridan has Garibaldi bug Laramie's lab before allowing Laramie to be
|
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released. Garibaldi also discovers that as yet Laramie has discovered
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nothing of value. The two hostage holding parties each make demands for
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release of their respective hostages and then set simultaneous execution
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times.
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</P>
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<P>
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As the Worm drew closer, Coles lay in a fetal position trying to ignore
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the memories inside her mind. Lennier sat making weapons like a madman.
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Delenn locked herself in her quarters and fell into nightmares in which
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she and Sheridan battled over and over. Sheridan saw himself transformed
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into a Minbari. Everywhere, chaos. Reverend Galaxy awakens with a plan.
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</P>
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<P>
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Ivanova explains that a mad man, Galaxy, together with the Fermi Angels,
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was planning to blow up Babylon 5
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as the Worm passes over. Garibaldi goes to Laramie and after some
|
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arguing, Laramie admits him. Laramie agrees to help.
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</P>
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<P>
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Lennier and Garibaldi end up in a tussle that results in Garibaldi being
|
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stabbed. Delenn summons Sheridan to the garden where she attempts to
|
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kill
|
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him, first offering a weapon to the Captain. Sheridan is possessed with
|
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anger and begins to slash at her and then the power went out.
|
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</P>
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<P>
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The Worm passed through the station. The power surge met Laramie's
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counter
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surge and all power went out. After the worm passed, the Centauri agree
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to release G'Kar for Mollari and vice versa. The station and the people
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on it begin to return to their senses, somewhat embarrassed about what
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they
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had done.
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</P>
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<P>
|
|
As some things begin to return to normalcy, there are apologies for bad
|
|
judgments. And a final meeting about the Worm. Little was learned;
|
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Laramie, Coles, and Kosh each offer nothing of substance. Garibaldi is
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given free reign to deal with all of the resulting conflicts and claims
|
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and basically locks all the various parties in a conference room until
|
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they can settle the difficulties.
|
|
</P>
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<P>
|
|
The book ends inside Kosh's mind. The alien had sensed a presence, "What
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are you...?", Kosh had asked. And a reply came as the Worm receded,
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"What
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are you?"
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</P>
|
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|
|
<H2><A NAME="UQ">Unanswered Questions</A></H2>
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|
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<UL>
|
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<LI>
|
|
What was the Worm? Anything that a Vorlon can't even comprehend has to
|
|
send some shivers down ones spine.</LI>
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<LI>
|
|
What does Psi Corps hope to gain through breeding Narns and Humans? Could
|
|
it have happened given the Narn's continued desire for telepaths as seen
|
|
in many episodes?
|
|
</LI>
|
|
|
|
|
|
</UL>
|
|
|
|
<H2><A NAME="AN">Analysis</A></H2>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI>The very suggestion that there are phenomenon in the universe that
|
|
the
|
|
Vorlons can not even comprehend is a nice touch. All too often, powerful
|
|
races seem to be able to comprehend everything. This portrayal of the
|
|
Vorlons suggests that they are creatures just like the humans, only more
|
|
advanced.</LI>
|
|
|
|
<LI>The willingness of Clark to show his hand in this book fits
|
|
remarkably
|
|
well with where the Third Season has gone. This foreshadows the level to
|
|
which Clark has ruthlessly maintained a grip on power through plants of
|
|
loyal followers.</LI>
|
|
|
|
<LI>One does have to wonder if Clark is at all involved in any of the
|
|
groups that we have seen in early episodes such as the Home Guard.</LI>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<LI>
|
|
The dream where Sheridan sees himself as a Minbari is rather interesting
|
|
in light of the suggestion that some or many Humans carry Minbari souls.
|
|
This may suggest that Sheridan, like Sinclair, has one.
|
|
</LI>
|
|
|
|
<LI>
|
|
The suggestion that Kosh is a powerful telepath is unsurprising, but the
|
|
ambassador's ability to communicate at such a distance seems rather
|
|
remarkable given what we know about telepathy among the other races and
|
|
the need for some physical proximity. Although, Ironheart, <A
|
|
HREF="/lurk/guide/006.html">Mind War</A>, had reached a level where
|
|
contact and proximity were no longer necessary.
|
|
</LI>
|
|
|
|
</UL>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<H2><A NAME="NO">Notes</A></H2>
|
|
|
|
<UL>
|
|
<LI>
|
|
The book refers to G'Kar as an ambassador, given the alleged time setting
|
|
of the book this is inaccurate. However, if you just assume that
|
|
ambassador is being used as shorthand for head of the Narns, the book
|
|
works. The setting is supposed to be early 2260, before <A
|
|
HREF="/lurk/guide/047.html">A Day in the Strife</A>, which is the episode
|
|
where G'Kar's position as leader of the Narn is challenged.
|
|
</LI>
|
|
|
|
<LI>
|
|
The book refers to Delenn as being a member of the Grey Council still.
|
|
This was not true during the time setting of the book, but it perhaps
|
|
should be interpreted to mean that someone of high birth or position in
|
|
Minbari society does not typically wield weapons. But that notion is
|
|
also
|
|
contradicted by Delenn's fighting scene with Marcus in
|
|
<a href="/lurk/guide/045.html">"Matters of Honor."</a>
|
|
</LI>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<LI>
|
|
The arrival of Narn fighters seems implausible given the time setting and
|
|
the probable use of any remaining fighters to attack the Centauri back
|
|
home.
|
|
</LI>
|
|
|
|
</UL>
|
|
|
|
<h2><a name="JS">JMS Speaks</a></h2>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
|
<li> Gerald, the reality is that as humans, we're all flawed.
|
|
Errors and inconsistencies in something as big as a novel, written by
|
|
someone who doesn't work on the show, isn't involved in it day to day,
|
|
are gong to slip through. That is inevitable. I try to keep track of
|
|
it all, read as much as I can, to keep it in line, but the *only* way
|
|
to keep it 100% canon is to invest all the time I currently spend doing
|
|
that on the series, which is a 24 hour a day job.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
A writer comes in, has a notion for a book, or gets one
|
|
assigned to him; the writer then goes away and around that notion
|
|
writes 100,000 words or so. I don't see it again until the finished
|
|
manuscript comes in, almost always at the last minute. The *only* way
|
|
to make sure that every word of that is canon is to work hand in glove
|
|
with the writer through every page. The reason the B5 series is as
|
|
consistent as it is, is because that's what I do, day in and day out.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
So the broad strokes are always going to be pretty much
|
|
consistent with the series; of the next batch, we'll probably do some
|
|
backstory in the B5 universe taken from my notes. But some of the
|
|
details will always be off a bit, because you're turning the work over
|
|
to the hands of others. There is simply no other way to do it short of
|
|
my adding Editor and Publisher to my list of hats.
|
|
|
|
<li> It's either their ignorance or they don't care...but you're
|
|
correct, in the B5 universe you can't have two races interbreeding just
|
|
like that. (In fact, I seem to recall pointing this out in my notes on
|
|
the manuscript; odd that it hasn't been attended to, from what you're
|
|
saying. I can only assume that it slipped between the cracks.)
|
|
|
|
<li> Initially Dell kept going for one-word titles, and I generally don't
|
|
like that, so I told them to have the writers come up with more
|
|
interesting titles.
|
|
|
|
</ul>
|