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lurkers-guide



								<h3>Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)</h3>


								<P>

								Sheridan and Delenn are sleeping in her quarters when she is awakened

								by a call. The caller, Ruell, has received a message, ostensibly from

								Delenn, indicating that Lennier will return to Minbar

								permanently. Ruell is calling to arrange for a replacement, or as many

								replacements as Delenn may desire. But this is the first Delenn has heard

								about it.


								<P>

								Meanwhile, Londo, Vir and Zack Allan are in Impound Area 31. Londo is

								protesting the impounding of his very fine brevare; Babylon 5 has had

								a problem with infestations recently, and Zack's orders are that all

								foods are to be impounded for three days. Londo grows ever more

								annoyed and abusive, and Vir takes Zack aside to talk to him. Londo

								seizes the opportunity to open a bottle and take a drink. A few

								seconds later, he drops the bottle and falls convulsing on the floor.

								Londo is taken to Medlab, where Dr. Franklin takes over.


								<P>

								Lennier enters Delenn's quarters and begins discussing her schedule for

								the day. But Delenn tells him of Ruell's call and asks for an

								explanation. Lennier, who was planning on telling her later that day,

								is surprised that Ruell moved so fast. He awkwardly explains he does

								not feel needed anymore, now that Sheridan has become Delenn's "other

								half." He feels in the way and uncomfortable, but he does not blame

								either Delenn or Sheridan.


								<P>

								"I know why," whispers Delenn, which only makes the surprised Lennier

								even more uncomfortable. He assures her he will keep his vow of being

								ever at her side should she need him, but he has decided to join the

								Rangers and has been accepted. Despite the dangers involved in being a

								Ranger, he will leave the following morning. Ever since Marcus' death,

								explains Lennier, he has felt a loss of a part of himself, a part he

								hopes to find again this way. He also hopes to earn Delenn's

								respect. "You always had my respect," says Delenn. "Yes, in most

								ways," replies Lennier. "But I only wish to add a few more, to become

								more of what you may want me to be; more of what you may find... My

								decision is made," he concludes. He promises to visit between training

								cycles, but he assures Delenn that this is the calling of his heart

								and he must follow it.


								<P>

								Garibaldi finds Vir in the Zocalo, and explains that Londo was not

								poisoned. He has suffered a serious heart attack to the left heart. As

								Franklin explains to Sheridan in MedLab, because of Centauri

								physiology, there isn't much he can do to help Londo. Londo's diet and

								stress have seriously affected his health, and he is not responding

								well to therapy. Centauri Prime is sending an artificial heart system,

								but it will take at least three days to get to Babylon 5. The best

								Franklin can promise is to keep Londo alive 24 hours on life support.


								<P>

								Late in the evening, Delenn is standing watch over the unconscious

								Londo. Sheridan joins her, and they agree that, despite everything,

								they will miss Londo if he dies. Sheridan also brings up Lennier's

								recent decision, and Delenn confirms Sheridan's fear that Sheridan is

								at least part of the reason Lennier has decided to leave.


								<P>

								Before they leave, Sheridan explains that if Londo makes it through

								the night, he has a chance. But at this point it is no longer up to

								medical science or Dr. Franklin. Londo himself must fight to make it

								through. "Good luck, Mollari. Good luck," says Delenn softly, and they

								both leave MedLab.


								<P>

								Meanwhile, Londo is dreaming. He is somewhere in Down Below, and he

								hears Delenn's disembodied voice wishing him luck. He wanders a bit

								looking for her, and eventually enters a dark room, where a figure is

								veiled and shrouded in black. It is Delenn, who invites him to

								sit. She tells Londo that he is dying. "I know," he replies.


								<P>

								"Do you want to live?" asks Delenn. "What difference does it make?"

								replies Londo. Besides, he says, it is better to die this way than

								at G'Kar's hands, which he has dreamt for twenty years

								now. Perhaps he should die now, to spite fate if nothing else.


								<P>

								"Do you want to live?" asks Delenn again. "What difference does it

								make?" replies Londo yet again. Nobody in Centauri Prime cares one way

								or another. Delenn lifts her veil, revealing her face, and asks yet

								again. "Do you want to live?" Londo does not respond, and Delenn tells

								him she is not allowed to ask again. "Yes. Yes, I want to live,"

								whispers Londo.


								<P>

								But that isn't enough, says Delenn. A word is also required, she adds,

								but she will not explain what she means. "I do not understand,"

								says Londo to himself. "Yes you do," replies the disembodied voice of

								Delenn. Londo finds himself alone in darkness, and as he turns and

								walks into it, the silhouette of G'Kar appears next to him.


								<P>

								Vir is sitting at the bar in the Zocalo, nursing a drink, when he is

								joined by Lennier. They start to talk, each having heard about the

								situation the other is going through. Eventually, they stand up to

								leave. Vir promises to catch up with Lennier on the latter's next

								visit, and says goodbye using the traditional Minbari farewell. But

								overcome, he then hugs the clearly uncomfortable Lennier before they

								each go their separate ways.


								<P>

								In his dream, Londo is walking towards the bar in the Zocalo. The

								Zocalo is empty, as is the bar and all the bottles in it. But

								suddenly, Sheridan is sitting next to him. Londo asks him if one ever

								gets used to being dead, and Sheridan replies that he was only dead

								long enough to know he didn't like it. As they walk away from the bar,

								Sheridan asks Londo about the latter's prophetic dream of his own

								death. Londo tells him he has always felt Sheridan would be there, but

								has never been able to understand that part. Finally, Londo tells

								Sheridan he does not want to die. "Then turn around," answers

								Sheridan. Londo is startled, but doesn't turn. "Turn around," repeats

								Sheridan, more sternly. "I cannot! Don't you understand?" whispers

								Londo, who can sense that standing behind him is G'Kar. "Then you'll

								die," says Sheridan simply, and turns into a ball of light and

								disappears.


								<P>

								Meanwhile, Londo's body continues to deteriorate. In a desperate bid

								to keep him alive, Franklin injects a drug directly into the left

								heart, causing Londo to clutch at his chest in agony inside his

								dream. Franklin stabilizes Londo, but the latter's body is under too

								much strain and will not be able to take this much longer. With only a

								few hours left until morning, Franklin decides to stay at Londo's

								bedside should anything occur. "A deathwatch?" asks Vir, who has just

								walked into MedLab. "Maybe," answers Franklin. "We'll just have to

								wait and see."


								<P>

								Londo is lying on the floor in the darkness of his dream. "I don't

								want to die," he pleads sobbing. "Please, Great Maker, I don't want to

								die! Not like this, please!"


								<P>

								"You are afraid," says Vir inside the dream. "Yes," answers

								Londo. "Then don't die," replies Vir, echoing his words at Londo's

								bedside. Londo doesn't think he has a choice, but in the dream Vir

								disagrees. There is a choice to make, but it must be made quickly.


								<P>

								"What is wrong with me?" asks Londo. "Your heart can no longer bear

								the weight of your conscience," replies Vir. Londo claims there is

								nothing wrong with his conscience, but refuses to turn around at Vir's

								urging, again sensing G'Kar behind him. He invokes the prophetic dream

								of his death as proof that he will survive this, but Vir

								disagrees. "Prophecy is a guess that comes true. When it doesn't, it

								becomes a metaphor," says Vir, adding, "You are out of time,

								Londo. Turn around!" "I can't. I don't know what he wants of me!"

								complains Londo. "Yes you do!" replies Vir. Londo answers that perhaps

								his death would be for the best, but Vir disagrees. "No, not for the

								best. Because I will miss you." "And I suppose," replies Londo,

								touched by Vir's sentiment, "that I will miss you." Londo turns and

								walks into the darkness.


								<P>

								His body goes into shock, as Franklin calls for a trauma team. G'Kar

								enters MedLab silently, and watches as Londo starts convulsing. "Now,

								Mollari," says G'Kar in Londo's dream. "Now we end this."


								<P>

								Then G'Kar and Londo are in the Throne Room of the Imperial Palace in

								Centauri Prime, where Londo claims he does not want the throne. G'Kar

								tells him it is because he knows he does not deserve it. He reminds

								Londo that he stayed silent and said nothing when the Centauri used

								asteroids and mass drivers on the Narn homeworld (<a

								href="../guide/042.html">"The Long, Twilight Struggle."</a>) Then they

								find themselves in Emperor Cartagia's Shadow Cabinet room, where G'Kar

								was whipped (<a href="../guide/069.html">"The Summoning."</a>) G'Kar

								reminds him of the torture he endured at Cartagia's orders, and again

								accuses Londo of saying nothing while he witnessed it. "It would not

								have mattered!" counters Londo. "It wouldn't have changed anything,

								it wouldn't have stopped."  "You are wrong, Mollari," says

								G'Kar. "Whether it was me or my world, whether it was a total stranger

								or your worst enemy, you were a witness! It doesn't matter if they

								stopped, it doesn't matter if they listened. You had an obligation to

								speak out!" "I couldn't!" "And that is why," concludes G'Kar, "you

								don't deserve to be Emperor."


								<P>

								Londo clutches at his left heart, and G'Kar tells him he is only

								moments away from dying.  "There must be something I can do," pleads

								Londo. "Only one word was required of you the first time we stood

								here, and only one word is required now," replies G'Kar. Londo reaches

								out to grab at G'Kar, but finds himself chained to a column, dressed

								in rags. G'Kar, sitting in Cartagia's place, demands a word, a single

								word, as Londo is whipped with the electro-whip. At the same time,

								Franklin is delivering electric shocks to Londo's body, trying to get his

								hearts beating again. At the 39th stroke of the whip, Londo screams in

								his dream, and his hearts begin to beat weakly but steadily.


								<P>

								Londo, again standing in the darkness, pleads for his life,

								sobbing. G'Kar, towering above him, explains that Londo is not sorry

								for what he did, but only for getting caught, for almost destroying

								his homeworld. Despite his denials at these accusations, Londo does

								not say the word; he has never apologized for anything in his

								life. "It's your life, Mollari," says G'Kar. "Make of it what you

								will." He leaves Londo, now crying openly, alone.


								<P>

								"I'm sorry!" yells Londo finally, as his condition stabilizes and his

								left heart begins to operate normally. Londo wakes up and sees G'Kar

								standing silently close to his bed. With growing strength, he says:

								"Sorry... Sorry... I'm sorry, G'Kar... I'm sorry." G'Kar is deeply affected

								and walks out of MedLab, leaving the flabbergasted Vir behind. Londo

								falls back asleep.


								<P>

								Londo, much recovered, is complaining to Vir about the food in Medlab, and how

								he will not be able to cut down on the stress, either on Babylon 5 or on

								Centauri Prime, should he return. "The Universe is an evil place,"

								says Londo. "But at least it has a sense of humor."


								<P>

								In Docking Bay 4, Lennier waits for his transport to come. Just as

								Rangers walk in and go into formation, Delenn enters and complains

								that Lennier didn't even say goodbye. "No, never goodbye," replies

								Lennier. "I'm yours forever, Delenn, heart, body and soul. I will see

								you again in a little while, and with luck, I will perhaps be a better

								person." "That is not possible, Lennier," says Delenn, "but you are

								welcome to try. Be well, my good and dear friend." "And you," replies

								Lennier, then joins the Rangers and leaves. Sheridan enters the bay

								and silently embraces Delenn, as they walk back to the station.