brennen
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lurkers-guide



								<p>

								At C&C, Ivanova delivers a message to Sheridan from Captain Maynard of

								the Cortez.  The Cortez is coming to Babylon 5 to pick up supplies.

								Ivanova notices that they are asking for a lot of supplies, and

								Sheridan explains that it is because they have been travelling for five

								years.  The Cortez is an Explorer ship, a rare sight for most people

								since such ships are nearly always out mapping the edges of known space.

								Sheridan is informed

								that the ship is coming through the jumpgate, and everyone is amazed by

								it; it's nearly as long as Babylon 5 itself.  Sheridan tells

								everyone at C&C to take a good look.


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=128 height=96

								src="/lurk/gif/026/cortez.gif"> The Cortez.


								<p>

								Sheridan and Captain Jack Maynard of the Cortez spend some time getting

								reacquainted.  Maynard talks about some of the mapping he did on the

								rim, and says that he returned to fix one of the Euphrates jump gates

								and to resupply.


								<p>

								Delenn approaches them, and Sheridan introduces the

								two.  Delenn makes a request to convene the council to discuss the

								problems in sector 19, and Sheridan agrees to do so.  Maynard is

								confused about Delenn's apperance, not understanding how a Minbari can

								look so unusual.


								<p>

								"There's the story she told us," Sheridan explains, "but

								then the Minbari never tell you the whole truth."


								<p>

								Maynard agrees.

								They talk about Babylon 5, and Sheridan talks about how busy the job is

								keeping him.  Maynard says that he never thought Sheridan would accept

								such an assignment.


								<p>

								Garibaldi is in MedLab, being examined by Dr. Franklin.  Garibaldi says

								that he appreciates Franklin's help, but eats whatever he wants

								whenever he wants, and as much as he chooses.  Dr. Franklin says that

								Garibaldi can no longer do that, as he is iron-deficient and has high

								blood pressure.  Dr. Franklin says that, to remedy the situation,

								Garibaldi needs to be put on a restricted diet.  Garibaldi objects,

								saying that it is almost time for him to make Bagna Cauda, an Italian

								fondue that contains olive oil, garlic, butter, anchovies, and other

								ingredients, but Franklin says he shouldn't have it, and that he should stay

								away from salt and bread especially.  Garibaldi says that, without

								those things, he can't make Bagna Cauda.  Dr. Franklin still won't

								allow Garibaldi to eat it, and gives him a list of other things he

								shouldn't eat.  Garibaldi looks at the list and is angered that most of

								his favorite foods are there.


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=128 height=96

								src="/lurk/gif/026/diet.gif"> Unpleasant diet plan.


								<p>

								Dr. Franklin says that he is serious and that this gives him

								the opportunity to call in the ranking officers for a nutritional

								profile, as they probably all have poor eating habits.


								<p>

								Sheridan tells Maynard about his first day on Babylon 5, regarding the

								Narns and Centauri, the Vorlons, the Minbari's feelings toward him, and

								Delenn's chrysalis.  Sheridan says he is handling things one day at a

								time.  Maynard says that he never imagined Sheridan would be on the

								station.  He wonders why the President would choose someone the Minbari

								didn't like.  He also wonders how Sheridan is doing, since this job was

								not what he was trained for.  Sheridan says that he can make a

								difference on Babylon 5, and that doing that is important.  Maynard doesn't

								understand how Sheridan could be satisfied with a desk job, but

								Sheridan says, "Well, it's a hell of a desk to be tied to."


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=150 height=112

								src="/lurk/gif/026/toast.gif"> Toasting Sheridan's desk job.


								<p>

								Garibaldi reports to Sheridan about a recent wave of shoplifting cases.

								Sheridan is upset that Garibaldi

								would come to him with such a minor problem.  He says that he is sure

								Garibaldi can handle the problem, and expects a full report as soon as

								the guilty parties are apprehended.  Garibaldi thought that Sheridan

								wanted to know everything that happened on the station.  Sheridan says

								he wants to know everything important that happens, but wants Garibaldi

								to take care of the details.


								<p>

								Sheridan, Ivanova, Warren Keffer, and the leader of Zeta Squadron are

								in the officer's lounge, listening to some of Captain Maynard's stories

								about the rim.  Maynard says he wants to hear their stories, but the

								others say that his stories are more interesting.  Keffer asks Maynard

								where he is headed next, and Maynard says that he is going back to the

								rim to build jump gates so the area can be explored.  Ivanova asks

								about Maynard's experiences in hyperspace, but Maynard is unsure what

								she means.  Keffer tells Maynard about the Universe Today article a few

								months earlier asking if something was living in hyperspace.  Maynard

								isn't sure about the answer to that, but does say that he has seen

								something out there, and that it is "stranger than any one of us can

								imagine."


								<p>

								Sheridan escorts Maynard back to his quarters, and asks if his comments

								about hyperspace were true, or if he made it up.  Maynard says that

								they were true.  "Well," he continues, "it wasn't in hyperspace,

								though.  But you know, things can get kind of weird out on the rim,

								too.  It's funny.  You never know what you're going to find when you

								look over the edge of what's known and into what's not.  We were in

								sector 857.  I took my nav officer, Lietuenant Patrick, with me for a

								look around in one of our scout ships.  Well, I noticed that we'd

								gotten out of sight of the Cortez, and I was, I was just about ready to

								turn back when I saw something.  It was maybe a thousand kilometers

								away--black against space.  Now, the reason that I knew it was there is

								that it blotted out the stars behind it.  I don't know the exact shape

								of it, but...it was big.  I turned to Pat, to ask him if he could see

								it, and when I looked back, it had vanished."


								<p>

								Sheridan tells Maynard

								that he is the second person in a month to tell him that something

								strange is happening out on the rim.  He asks if Lieutenant

								Patrick saw anything.  Maynard says he only saw a blink--a change in

								space.  "He doesn't know what it was any more than I do," Maynard

								continues.  "But it's there.  And it was real.  It still sends a shiver

								up my back when I think about it."


								<p>

								Garibaldi is talking with a young man named Orwell.  Orwell tells

								Garibaldi that it will be very difficult to obtain the items he wants.

								Garibaldi says he can pay for it, but Orwell thinks it will be

								difficult to obtain because Garibaldi won't accept substitutes, and it

								is extremely difficult to find the items.  Garibaldi offers a bonus and

								tells Orwell not to

								mention anything about it to Dr. Franklin.


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=128 height=96

								src="/lurk/gif/026/orwell.gif"> "How much to tell <em>nobody?</em>"  "You

								couldn't afford it."


								<p>

								Meanwhile, Sheridan is in

								MedLab, talking to Dr. Franklin, who says that Sheridan should lose ten

								pounds, and should avoid meat, fat, and should eat lots of vegetables.


								<p>

								"I'm not sure I understand the intent of this meeting, Teronn," Delenn

								tells the Minbari who is speaking with her.


								<p>

								He explains that the other

								Minbari on the station are afraid that Delenn is no longer one of

								them.


								<p>

								"I am more 'one of us' at this moment, than I have ever been.

								More than you will ever know," she tells him.  She says that she

								appreciates the concern, but says she can't tell him anything else.


								<p>

								He tells her that they need to understand what has happened.


								<p>

								"Understanding is not required.  Only obedience."


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=128 height=96

								src="/lurk/gif/026/delenn.gif">


								<p>

								Teronn says that

								they would be obedient if they could be assured that she was still one

								of their own kind.  He says they have the right to know if she is.  "If

								you can not give us what we need," he continues. we will ask permission

								to send a representative to speak directly with the Grey

								Council...unless you object." She does not object.  Teronn leaves.


								<p>

								Dr. Franklin tells Ivanova that she too needs to go on an increased

								diet in order to replenish deficiences in calcium, iron, and other

								minerals that are hampering the healing of her leg.  He hands her a

								food plan, and after looking at it, she protests that she will gain

								weight.  As she leaves angrily, she says, "Figures.  All my life, I've

								fought against imperialism.  Now, suddenly, I AM the expanding Russian

								frontier."  As she leaves, Dr. Franklin adds, "But with very nice

								borders."


								<p>

								Sheridan escorts Maynard to the Cortez.  Sheridan tells Maynard that he

								wishes he were going along.  Maynard says he understands Sheridan's

								feelings, but does regard his job as just a job.  He says that

								interesting things don't happen very often, but Sheridan doesn't

								agree.  "The adventure is out there, Jack.  A man has to go meet it."


								<p>

								Maynard says that sometimes, you don't need to find it, because it will

								find you.  Captain Maynard is then called to the Cortez.  He and

								Sheridan say their goodbyes and leave.  Sheridan goes to C&C, where he

								gives the final departure clearance to the Cortez.  He watches it enter

								the jumpgate and disappear.


								<p>

								Later, Ivanova is in Sheridan's office, talking to him about problems

								she is having with two of the delegations on board.  He tells her that

								such problems should be her concern, but she informs him that they will

								not accept a solution from anyone but him.  Sheridan reluctantly agrees

								to help solve the delgations' problems, but Ivanova is not completely

								satisfied.  She tells him that she feels he has been acting strangely

								ever since the Cortez arrived.  She asks him if he wants to talk about

								it.


								<p>

								"I command starships, Susan," he explains to her, "not cities in

								space.  These problems, the...the petty complaints, the endless

								bickering, the constant negotiations.  Jack Maynard said this isn't

								what I was trained for, and he's right.  I mean, I am constantly

								sandbagged, swamped, drowned, and snowed under by nothing but trivia.

								I mean, look at this desk.  I can't find a thing on it.  You know me.

								Is this me?  Huh?"


								<p>

								She tries to tell him that command a starship and

								commanding Babylon 5 are two different challenges, but that one is not

								more difficult than the other.  She doesn't accept this as an answer

								because he never had difficulty with problems such as these on a

								starship.


								<p>

								He says that Captain Maynard was right.  "They have turned

								me into a bureaucrat, a politician."


								<p>

								Ivanova asks him if he believes

								President Clark was wrong in assigning him to the post.


								<p>

								"I don't

								know," Sheridan answers.  "Maybe he was, and it's just taken this long

								to sink in."


								<p>

								The Cortez is in hyperspace when an explosion rocks the ship.

								After they completed the jump, their fusion reactor spiked, dropping

								power to 30%, and causing the ship's tracking system to malfunction.

								This caused them to lose their lock to the jump point and rendered them

								incapable of leaving hyperspace.  Though they are flying blind, they

								continue to move through hyperspace, hoping to eventually locate a jump

								point through which they can exit.


								<p>

								Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Sheridan are sitting at a table together,

								eating dinner.  They eye the plates before them with great distate, not

								seeing the types of food they would normally eat.  Garibaldi explains

								that he was able to solve the problems with the shoplifters.  Sheridan

								tries to eat some

								of his salad, but can't.  He points at Garibaldi and accuses him of

								being at fault for the food plan.  Garibaldi tries to absolve himself

								of blame, but the three find a better solution: Ivanova gives her food

								to Garibaldi, who gives his to Sheridan, and Sheridan gives his to

								Ivanova.  They are all about to eat the meals they would prefer when

								Dr. Franklin walks by and catches them.  They all quickly switch plates

								around again and begin eating their proper meals.


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=128 height=96

								src="/lurk/gif/026/meal.gif"> Almost enjoying a meal.


								<p>

								The Cortez is still flying blind, and while power has returned, they do

								not have the time necessary to fix the navigational systems of the

								ship, as it would take them 48 hours, by which time they would no

								longer be able to locate the jump gate's signal.  Captain Maynard

								orders their communications officer to send a mayday.  Though the

								officer doesn't believe it could travel far enough in hyperspace to be

								of any use, they send it anyway.  Babylon 5 receives the mayday, and

								Sheridan responds to it, saying that help is on the way.  He orders all

								available pilots to their squadron bays.  Ivanova reminds Sheridan that

								no ship has ever escaped from hyperspace in such a situation.  Sheridan

								knows that, but rushes off to prepare anyway.


								<p>

								Dr. Franklin is examining Delenn in MedLab.  She objects to being

								examined so much, but he says that, in addition to curiosity, he has a

								responsibility to make sure she is healthy after her change.  She says

								that she is, and has suffered only minor problems, such as dizziness and

								fatigue.  He asks if anything else is bothering her, and she says no.

								He also asks if the other Minbari are accepting the change without

								question.


								<p>

								"Of course," Delenn says.  Changing the

								subject, she asks Dr. Franklin about a new delegation coming to the

								station.  Dr. Franklin doesn't understand, but Delenn explains that

								Garibaldi was waiting for them.  "I believe," she tells him, "they're

								called Bagna Cauda?"


								<p>

								Sheridan and Ivanova are in the squadron bays, addressing the pilots

								who will go out to attempt to rescue the Cortez.  Sheridan says that

								they must try, even though no ship has been found when lost before.

								They don't know where the ship is, but they do know that, while the

								first mayday sent by the Cortez was strong, they are fading now.


								<p>

								Galus, the leader of Zeta squadron, asks how they can find the ship if

								they do not even know how to begin looking.


								<p>

								Sheridan says that he has

								an idea, although it is a risky one.  "The first fighter will stop just

								inside the gate, and lock onto the gate's signal," Sheridan explains.

								"The second fighter will proceed 1000 kilometers further in, and lock

								onto the signal of the first one.  The third fighter will lock onto the

								signal of the second one, and so on."  He also says that they could

								increase the range, if necessary, by moving subsequent fighters further

								out.  While it is a dangerous mission, all the pilots understand and

								prepare to leave, though both Sheridan and Ivanova wish they were

								going with them.


								<p>

								Sheridan addresses all fighters as they prepare to leave on the

								mission.  "An old friend of mine once quoted me a ancient Egyptian

								blessing: `God be between you and harm, and all the empty places we

								must walk.'  Bring the Cortez home."  The fighters then leave the

								station and enter the jumpgate, to search for the Cortez.


								<p>

								There is no longer a signal from the Cortez, but the fighters are

								positioned inside the jumpgate, relaying the message to each other, and

								broadcasting it in hopes that the Cortez will receive it, though there

								hasn't been a response yet.  Soon, the Cortez does receive the signal

								from Babylon 5, and responds, saying that their lock-on

								still isn't functioning.  Sheridan orders the Cortez to continue

								broadcasting their mayday so that a fighter can find them and

								lead them out of hyperspace.  The fighters chosen for this are Galus

								and Keffer.  They have difficulty locating the Cortez, because the radio

								locator "doesn't want to settle."  Eventually, the fighters move out so

								far that they lose contact with Babylon 5.


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=128 height=96

								src="/lurk/gif/026/furies.gif"> Starfuries to the rescue.


								<p>

								Ivanova and Sheridan are both in C&C, anxiously awaiting any

								information about the Cortez, but they hear nothing.  Sheridan asks

								Ivanova to take a break, but she doesn't want to any more than he

								does.  Sheridan says that Maynard is too good a friend to leave his

								post.  "If this turns into a wake," he says to Ivanova, "I want to be

								here."  Sheridan explains that Maynard was his first commanding officer;

								Sheridan worshipped him.  Ivanova understands his feelings, and

								says that she will be there for him if the Cortez does not make it

								back, but asks him to remember the Egyptian blessing, given him by

								Maynard, in the meantime.


								<p>

								Keffer locates the mayday from the Cortez, and radios Galus, telling

								him so.  Galus tells Keffer to go, saying that he will maintain

								position while Keffer finds the Cortez.  Keffer soon finds the Cortez,

								and approaches it.  Keffer loses contact with Galus when a Shadow ship

								appears in hyperspace and collides with Galus' ship, destroying it.

								On its way, the Shadow ship also collides with Keffer's ship, though

								luckily it only sends it spinning away, stabilizers offline.


								<p>

								Maynard and the Cortez

								manage to locate Keffer's ship, but notice only that he repeatedly

								fires in the same direction as his ship spins.  Captain Maynard determines

								that this must

								mean Keffer wants him to go in the direction of the fire.  They begin

								to lay in the course when they regain contact with Keffer's Starfury.

								They offer to come and retrieve him, but Keffer says that both vessels

								will be lost if they waste time picking him up.

								Maynard understands, and orders the Cortez

								to be taken back to Babylon 5.


								<p>

								Sheridan, Ivanova, and the others

								are relieved at the safe return of the Cortez and most of the

								Starfuries, though saddened that two fighters did not make it back.


								<p>

								Orwell is waiting impatiently for Garibaldi, who soon arrives.  Orwell

								explains that he had difficult obtaining the items Garibaldi wanted,

								but did manage to do so, and opens a case for Garibaldi's inspection.

								Garibaldi begins examining the contents when he is interrupted by

								Dr. Franklin, who realized that Orwell had the ability to gather the

								ingredients for Bagna Cauda so far away from Earth.  Orwell leaves, and

								Garibaldi says that he wants Bagna Cauda for his birthday.  Dr.

								Franklin doesn't accept this as an excuse until Garibaldi

								explains further.  "My father always made Bagna Cauda for me on my

								birthday.  Pop was a great cook, and Bagna was his speciality.  When he

								used to cook it, I mean, the smell, oh man, the smell would fill the

								whole place.  It's funny, you know.  When I watched him cook, I knew he

								was doing it because he loved me.  He just could never say it, so he

								did that instead.  He's been gone a long time.  So, now, I make it

								myself once a year, honoring him, you know.  It's...it's the only part

								of him I got left."  Franklin believes the story, and tells Garibaldi

								to make enough for two people.


								<p>

								Sheridan is in the arboretum when Delenn comes in.  She expresses her

								sympathy over the loss of the two Starfuries.  Sheridan says that the

								hardest part of command is sending others out to die.  She tries to

								tell him that because he did so, they managed to save others; he was

								in the right place.


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=128 height=96

								src="/lurk/gif/026/delenn-sheridan.gif">


								<p>

								He asks

								what makes her think that he belongs on Babylon 5, and she answers.

								"The universe puts us in places where we can learn.  They are never

								easy places.  They are right.  Wherever we are is the right place at

								the right time.  Pain sometimes comes.  It is part of the process of

								constantly being born."


								<p>

								Sheridan says he thinks she's been doing thinking

								about this on her own.


								<p>

								"Perhaps," she tells him.  "We are both, I

								suppose, going through transitions.  But the universe knows what it's

								doing."


								<p>

								Sheridan says that he wishes he had the faith in the universe

								that she did.


								<p>

								"Then I will tell you a great secret, Captain," Delenn

								says to him.  Perhaps the greatest of all time.  The molecules of your

								body are the same molecules that make up this station, and the nebula

								outside, that burn inside the stars themselves.  We are starstuff, we

								are the universe, made manifest, trying to figure itself out.  As we

								have both learned, sometimes the universe requires a change of

								perspective."


								<p>

								Keffer is still lost in hyperspace, and running out of air, though he

								finally gets his thrusters back on-line.  He cannot, however, locate

								the jumpgate because his lock-on systems are not functioning.

								Suddenly, another Shadow ship appears, flies a brief distance, and

								vanishes.  Keffer tells the computer to analyze its flight path and

								tells it to correlate with the last sighting.


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=128 height=96

								src="/lurk/gif/026/shadow.gif"> An unlikely savior.


								<p>

								Sheridan is about to

								give up on Keffer's return when the jumpgate activates, and Keffer

								comes through it, requesting permission to dock.  Sheridan happily

								agrees.


								<p>

								Keffer proposes a toast to Commander Galus.  Ivanova asks Keffer if he

								could determine anything about the object that hit him, and indirectly,

								saved him.  He says he couldn't tell anything about it, but that

								because he knew its position when it first appeared relative to his

								position, he was able to find his way out, using its origination point

								the second time as a reference.  But he didn't know what it was.  "There

								was just this feeling that something dark and dangerous had gone by,"

								he explains.


								<p>

								Maynard agrees that the feeling is powerful.  Keffer

								wants to learn what the object was, but Ivanova says there are more

								important

								matters to attend to.  She promotes Keffer to the leader of Zeta

								Squadron.


								<p>

								Garibaldi and Dr. Franklin are in Garibaldi's quarters, preparing to

								eat the Bagna Cauda.  Though Franklin initially objects, once he tastes

								it, he admits that he likes it very much.  Garibaldi offers him

								dessert.  Franklin says he didn't authorize dessert, but Garibaldi

								doesn't care -- he simply chooses not to give any to Franklin, who then

								objects to that, but soon loses his cares in the Bagna Cauda.


								<p>

								<img align=middle width=128 height=96

								src="/lurk/gif/026/dinner.gif"> Franklin digs in.


								<p>

								Ivanova enters Sheridan's office where Sheridan is hard at work.

								Ivanova tells Sheridan that the others would like to see him in the

								officer's club.  Sheridan says that he has much work to do, but will

								try to catch up to them in an hour or so.  He asks Ivanova if she has ever

								had a long talk with Ambassador Delenn.


								<p>

								"From time to time."


								<p>

								"She and the universe seem to have a special relationship."


								<p>

								"Don't we all?" says Ivanova as she leaves.


								<p>

								Sheridan leans back in his chair to contemplate what Ivanova and Delenn

								have said.  "Starstuff," he says, smiling.


								<h3>Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)</h3>