brennen
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lurkers-guide


								<h3>Synopsis by Matthew Murray (n9641343@cc.wwu.edu)</h3>


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/father.jpeg">

								Sheridan is sitting alone at the conference table in the War Room when

								Ivanova comes in.  Sheridan tells her it's strange to have the place so

								empty, and though Ivanova insists the war is over, Sheridan isn't so

								sure that it is, with all the trouble back on Earth.  The quarantine

								has pretty much shut down Babylon 5, but Sheridan is sure they will

								find a way back from this setback as well.  Ivanova asks him why he's

								worried, and though Sheridan insists he isn't, she knows better.

								Sheridan explains that he hasn't spoken to his father much since they

								broke away from Earth, and that his last letter mentioned strangers

								hanging around town, asking questions about his family.  Sheridan told

								his parents to get out while they could, but he hasn't gotten any word

								since the embargo.  Ivanova says that, being a former diplomat, his father

								couldn't just disappear, but Sheridan is still worried.  He asks if

								everything else is okay, and Ivanova tells him that, despite a few

								problems in customs since Zack took over for Garibaldi, they haven't

								had a major incident.


								<p>

								Zack enters the docking bay to find an incident in progress--a minor

								fight, which one of the security guards says was started when several

								new arrivals to the station wouldn't allow their cargo to be inspected.

								They couldn't detect anything from the scans, so Zack moves to open

								a crate, but the owner insists it's private property.  Zack orders the

								man to move, but he doesn't.  As a last recourse, Zack fires his PPG at

								the crates, which angers the man even further.  Zack moves to the

								crates, but before he can open one, it opens itself, and a small

								levitating device floats out.  Zack recognizes the device.

								"It's a camera."


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/smile.jpeg">

								"That's right," the man tells him as the camera films Zack and the

								other security officers with their weapons drawn.  "A camera.  It goes

								with the territory.  I'm a reporter and this is my crew.  And you just

								made the evening news."


								<p>

								Franklin meets up with Sheridan and tells him that he pulled some

								of his doctors off duty in two other MedLabs to help move the

								cryogenically frozen telepaths in some of the freezing units, which are

								malfunctioning due to overuse, to other working units.  Sheridan tells

								him to do what he has to, but wishes he didn't have to keep the telepaths

								frozen.  Franklin is worried, though, that they could prove dangerous

								to themselves or others with the leftover Shadow technology still in

								their heads.  Sheridan agrees and knows that even though the Shadows

								are gone, they will need to deal with what they left behind for a long

								time.  Sheridan's commlink beeps, and a voice informs Sheridan of

								someone's arrival.  Sheridan tells him he's on his way.  "I thought we

								saw the worst of it with the Shadows, the Vorlons, the war..." Sheridan

								tells Franklin.  "But there's something far worse than the Shadows:

								reporters."


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/randall1.jpeg">

								Sheridan arrives in his office, and the reporter is only too happy to

								see him.  He introduces himself as Dan Randall from ISN, and is quite

								upset since Ivanova threatened to throw him out an airlock unless he

								provided a full manifest of his equipment.  Randall says they changed

								the manifest so they would be allowed on the station.  Sheridan insists

								they would have let them on, but not their equipment since ISN is only

								a source of propaganda for President Clark, and Randall would never do

								an objective story.  Randall insists that there is no such thing as a

								completely objective journalist, but that he, and others still on ISN,

								want to try to slip the truth through in small pieces, the best they

								can do under the circumstances.  Randall asks

								Sheridan to work with him so that Sheridan's point of view will be

								represented and that, otherwise, there's no guarantee.


								<p>

								Garibaldi is in Downbelow, speaking with someone about retrieving a

								priceless family artifact, which Garibaldi recognizes as a Drazi

								religious statue the man is using to hide stolen valuables in.  He

								makes a deal for its retrieval and a percentage of what's inside.

								Lennier appears and asks Garibaldi why he resigned.  Garibaldi says

								he's done his duty, and served his time, and just wants some time to

								make his own life.  Lennier tells him that, for the Minbari, it is an

								honor serve one's people, but Garibaldi has had quite enough honor for

								the time being.  He asks about Delenn, whom Lennier says is doing well,

								but Garibaldi quickly changes the subject when Lennier starts

								mentioning Sheridan.  It's too late, though.  "Speak the Devil's name,"

								Garibaldi says, "and he shall appear."  Sheridan introduces Randall to

								Lennier, whom he wants to escort Randall around the station so that he

								can be assured of getting the most unbiased opinion possible.  Lennier

								starts Randall on his tour, and while no words are exchanged between

								Sheridan and Garibaldi, there is clearly tension in the glances the two

								exchange.  Garibaldi picks up the photograph of the Drazi statue,

								and remembers...


								<p>

								He is alone in his prison cell, sitting in a chair, while a ghostly

								voice repeats over and over, "You work for no one but us.  You work for

								no one but us."  Garibaldi's memory fades and he gets up from his table

								and leaves.


								<p>

								Randall, Lennier, and the news crew are in one of the lifts.  Randall asks

								Lennier about the ship he noticed

								being repaired outside Babylon 5 when he arrived.  Lennier explains

								that those ships, belonging to the League of Non-Aligned of Worlds,

								were damaged during the war, and are being repaired so they will be

								able to get back home safely.  Lennier says that the station charges only for

								the material needed for the repairs, which Randall finds very

								generous.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/downbelow.jpeg">

								After making sure the cameras are recording, Randall asks Lennier where

								they are.  Lennier explains they are in Downbelow, where those who come

								to Babylon 5 and can't afford to live on the station stay.  Lennier

								says that Sheridan is trying to put a stop to the exploitation the

								Lurkers often face by instituting work programs.  Just then, Franklin

								and several other medical officers run by, carrying someone who just

								had a heart attack.  Franklin explains this, and accepts Randall's

								offer to speak with him later.  Just as Franklin is about to leave, he

								receives a call on his commlink from someone in MedLab, saying the cryo

								units are ready for restart.  Franklin says he'll be right there, and

								though he tries to keep the conversation discreet, the camera, still

								recording, catches it all on tape.


								<p>

								Lennier leads the reporters through a corridor, where Sheridan and

								Londo are in the midst of a heated discussion, with Londo complaining

								about the lack of heat in his quarters.  The camera captures all of

								this as well.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/interview.jpeg">

								Sheridan and Delenn are sitting together in his office while a young

								woman finishes applying makeup to Delenn's face.  Randall is

								interviewing them, and begins by asking them if it was ever their

								intention to break away from Earth.  Sheridan insists it wasn't--he seceded

								to protest bombing of civilian targets, and they will rejoin once

								President Clark is out of office.  Randall asks if Sheridan still

								believes Clark was responsible for President Santiago's death, and

								Sheridan says that he does, that Clark doesn't let anyhting stand in

								his way.  Randall asks Delenn how she feels about all this, and she

								says that she is used to it--this sort of thing happens everywhere.

								Randall comments on how close Sheridan and Delenn have become, and

								asks if it is true that they might marry eventually, which Sheridan

								won't comment on.  Randall says that there must be other forces pulling

								against them, but Delenn says that, despite all that, the heart does

								not recognize boundaries on a map, hatred, or wars.  She says if others

								don't understand that, she will make them understand.  Randall asks if they are

								concerned about the repurcussions, but Sheridan says there is no force

								in the galaxy that can stop all they have accomplished.


								<p>

								Randall arrives at Garibaldi's table in Downbelow, and tells him that

								they are getting ready to leave.  He asks Garibaldi if he would like to

								talk about his resignation, but Garibaldi is less than enthused to do

								so.  Randall appeals to him, saying that he is the only command staff

								member who was with Babylon 5 from the start.  He promises to

								allow Garibaldi to say whatever he likes.  Garibaldi remains silent for

								a moment, as he decides what he wants to do.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/dinner.jpeg">

								Ivanova is in Sheridan's office with a tray of food when Sheridan comes

								in with a tray of his own.  Planning to eat while they watch the ISN

								broadcast, Ivanova asks if Sheridan is worried, since there will no

								doubt be some bias on the broadcast.  Sheridan says that they did the

								best they could, and that they wanted to get it out into the open as

								soon as possible, and since they managed to avoid major crises and

								chose their words very carefully, he feels there is very little ISN can

								do to them.  Delenn arrives, and Sheridan turns on his

								monitor.


								<p>

								"This is an Interstellar Network News special report.  Reporting live

								from the ISN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, your host, Alison

								Higgins."


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/isn1.jpeg">

								Higgins begins by explaining that, two weeks earlier, they sent Dan

								Randall to Babylon 5 to do a report, which will be shown later in the

								broadcast.  She runs through the daily headlines: President Clark

								announced that his troops have reclaimed 75% of the Mars Colony which

								broke away 259 days earlier, and the day has been declared a holiday.  Hearings

								also began on anti-Earth activity with testimony given by members of

								the entertainment industry.  Lee Parks, a Tri-Vid writer and producer,

								testified, admitting that he used his Tri-Vids to spread anti-Earth

								messages to outside forces to use against Earth.  He also names three

								others who helped him--Tri-Vid writer Carleton Jerrico, and actors Beth

								Trumbo and Adrian Mostel.  Higgins says Parks was sent to a mental

								hospital where he will receive treatment to one day be reaccepted into

								society.


								<p>

								After a brief interlude with a segment of "This Year in History," the

								Babylon 5 story begins...


								<p>

								"Good evening, I'm Dan Randall.  When we first approached the Ministry

								of Information with the idea of travelling to Babylon 5 for this story,

								they advised against.  They believed it would put the safety of myself

								and my news crew in jeopardy.  But the first rule of journalism is,

								'You go where the story is.'  Still, nothing could have prepared us for

								what we found."


								<p>

								Randall explains that, outside Babylon 5, everything seems to be

								normal, but inside, most human residents are living in filthy and

								dangerous areas of the station, while the best quarters in the station

								are reserved for aliens and those running the station with taxes

								collected from its inhabitants.  Randall finds it ironic that the

								Minbari were appointed the keepers of these humans, and runs a clip without

								audio showing Lennier

								leading him through Downbelow.  He explains how any attempt at protest

								by these humans is put down, with the humans sedated, as is

								demonstrated by one of them, on a gurney, being escorted away by

								several medical personnel, including the Chief of MedLab.


								<p>

								Randall explains that, as they toured Babylon 5, they learned the alien

								races were in control.  Showing film of Captain Sheridan and Ambassador

								Mollari, he asks why Sheridan, a decorated war hero, would tolerate

								this from others.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/indiri.jpeg">

								Randall explains that, to answer these questions, they talked to

								experts.  He introduces Dr. William Indiri, Dean of Psychiatry at

								Harvard Medical School, and an expert on xenopsychology and Minbari War

								Syndrome.  Indiri explains that many Earth-Minbari War Veterans suffer

								from an inferiority complex, feeling that other races are better than

								humans.  Indiri explains that, during the war, under that

								administration, the Minbari were a vastly superior force, which could

								lead those who fought against them to consider them morally superior.

								Randall asks if the disease could

								cause someone to turn against their own race, and Indiri agrees that it

								is possible, since most people in such a situation could feel that an

								advanced species is closer to God than they are, eventually forcing

								them to turn against everything they believe in.


								<p>

								"The second rule of journalism is," Randall explains, "'No one does

								anything without a reason.'  They may not admit it, even to themselves,

								but the reason is there.  To understand what's been happening on

								Babylon 5 since their break from Earth, you first have to understand

								why." He plays the segment

								of video taken in Downbelow when Franklin responded to a colleague's

								call about cryo units.  "A small piece of conversation, overheard by

								chance.  We'll find out what those few words really mean when we come

								back."


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/randall2.jpeg">

								After a commercial break, the broadcast resumes, with Randall calling

								attention to one of the ships docked outside Babylon 5 upon his

								arrival.  He explains that the warship is one of a fleet used by

								Sheridan and Delenn in their recent military campaign, being fixed at

								the taxpayers' expense.  Randall explains that new weapons were added

								to Babylon 5's defense system just prior to their secession from Earth,

								and were used against Earth during the war.  Randall shows this as

								another piece of the puzzle, but wants to find the answer to it all.


								<p>

								The video taken of Delenn and Sheridan in Sheridan's office is shown.

								On the tape, we hear Randall's voice ask Delenn of possible

								repurcussions.  "It will be a struggle," she tells him.


								<p>

								"A struggle against Earth?" Randall asks her.


								<p>

								"Of course.  If they don't understand," she says, "we will make them

								understand."


								<p>

								"Anything that gets in the way disappears," Sheridan interjects.


								<p>

								"There's a lot of people back home who might be concerned about what

								you're saying.  It sounds as if you're putting the mingling of Human

								and Minbari above the safety of your own world."


								<p>

								"There's no force in the galaxy that can stop what we've done here

								together," Sheridan responds.  "Nothing will be able to stop us."


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/garibaldi.jpeg">

								The tape ends, and Randall says that, if it sounds troubling, there is

								good reason.  He says that he managed to speak with Garibaldi, the

								former security chief who explained it.  More video airs, and Garibaldi

								explains that he feels Sheridan is suffering from a "God complex" and

								is acting like he's the Second Coming, as if he knows what's good for

								everyone else.  Garibaldi says he thinks he's gone over the top.

								Garibaldi is sure he'll get in trouble for saying this, but says

								someone had to say it.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/cryogenic.jpeg">

								Randall continues by saying that, using information obtained aboard

								Babylon 5, they were able to slip into a restricted area.  The video

								airs, with Randall, on the tape, explaining what he's seeing:  A large

								number of cryogenic freezing units in use.  Babylon 5 should only be

								operating four or five at a time, and in a limited capacity.  None of

								the names on the units match those in the station's logs.  He wants to

								know where the people came from, and why they are there.


								<p>

								Randall explains that this is their Rosetta Stone.  The humans

								come from Downbelow, captured and sedated by Franklin's staff.

								Meanwhile, alien ships are being built and repaired outside the station.

								Randall says that you never build a fleet

								unless you're prepared to use it, and he and others at ISN believe they

								know why.


								<br clear=all>

								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/074/franklin.jpeg">

								After another commercial break, the broadcast resumes, and Randall

								introduces one last interview, which is significant for all that is

								denied in it.  The video shows Franklin, in MedLab, explaining his

								job.  Randall asks how long patients stay on the station, and Franklin says

								they don't stay long, since Medlab aren't equipped to handle long-term

								stays.  Randall asks if he ever uses cryogenic freezers, and Franklin

								says he does it very rarely, and that they aren't using any at all at

								the moment.


								<p>

								"Rule number three," Randall says, as the camera returns to the ISN

								news desk.  "People only lie when they have something to hide.  We know

								there are humans in cryo on Babylon 5.  We saw them, as did you.  So what

								are they hiding?"  Prodded by Randall, Dr. Indiri speculates that Sheridan's

								Minbari War syndrome is causing him to want to change humans to be more

								like Minbari.


								<p>

								Randall explains that, with all they've shown, the truth is

								self-evident, once you find they key.  The key, he feels, is Delenn,

								around whom all of what they uncovered revolves.  Randall suggests that

								the Minbari surrendered at the Battle of the Line so they could destroy

								humanity from within instead.  Though he says the idea of mixing human

								and Minbari DNA may sound absurd, it has already happened, with Delenn,

								when she became half-human.  Randall concludes that it must be

								Sheridan's plan to show others how good it can be to be half alien and,

								should they disagree, or not want to go along with the experiments, he

								will use the alien fleet he is assembling against them, to "make them

								understand."  Randall says that the fault is not Sheridan's, since Earthforce

								should have discovered his disease earlier and tried to cure it.  This

								problem was only made worse by his Minbari War Syndrome, coupled with

								the loss of his family's home in a fire the week before resulting in

								his father's disappearance, and the pressures of command.


								<p>

								"Our job," Randall concludes, "is to report the news.  Not to make it,

								or guide it.  But from this reporter's perspective, the situation on

								Babylon 5 is deteriorating quickly, and must be dealt with.  The

								quarantine order will help prevent more humans from falling prey to

								this genetics program, but it's only a short-term solution.  As for

								Sheridan, he does not deserve our scorn, our anger, or our contempt.

								He is a war veteran, and that should at least earn him our sympathy.

								We here at ISN hope he receives the best care possible so he can

								someday come back to us.  This is Dan Randall at ISN.  Goodnight."


								<p>

								The broadcast ends.  Ivanova, directly in front of the monitor, with a

								great amount of anger on her face, can do nothing but storm out of the

								room.  Delenn, initially seated, goes to Sheridan who stands, silently,

								facing the wall.  He will not speak to her, and he will not turn to

								look at her.  She goes after Ivanova.  After a moment, Sheridan turns

								the monitor off.