05x10 - A Tragedy of Telepaths

[bunniefuu]

Personal log June 16, 2262.

My first CO once told me: "When someone asks you why you took on a job the worst answer you can give is 'Because a friend asked me to.

'" I should have listened.

This place is one long exercise in frustration.

After I denied permission to the telepaths who came here asking to form a colony President Sheridan overrode my decision.

Now they've walled themselves up in Brown Sector.

They've welded shut the air doors, disabled the tubes and the access wells.

They're dug in so deep it'll take forever to get them out again.

But we can't wait forever.

Neither can they.

They may go on a hunger strike until they receive the Homeworld they've demanded in return for not revealing everyone's secrets.

I hate hunger strikes.

It's a no

-win situation for everyone.

It'd be nice if Sheridan could get into this.

He let them stay here, he might be able to talk them out.

But he's up to his ears with ambassadors who are getting bushwhacked .

by unknown parties turning their shipping lanes into k*lling zones and have started blaming each other.

They're not happy about the telepaths having found out most of their secrets.

For now they're more worried about the att*cks, which represent a money problem.

That's only because they think all the teeps are holed up in Brown Sector.

And because they figure we'll k*ll the telepaths when we go in to dig them out.

And who knows?

Before this is all over, they may be right.

What they don't know, because I haven't told them yet is that we think some of the telepaths got out before they closed off Brown 12.

They could be anywhere on the station by now X

-factors in this whole equation.

Londo and G'Kar are still on Centauri Prime preparing for Londo's rise to emperor .

when their regent dies, so they're in no position to help.

I wonder if he could use a good starship captain right now.

I speak a little Centauri.

Well, maybe not.

I'll just have to find a way to deal with this because I'm here and it's my command.

And why am I here?

Because, although we've been separated by a lot of years and a lot of life Sheridan's still a friend.

And he asked for my help.

You know what?

That's still a crummy answer to the question.

Then again, maybe I'm just cranky because I don't think anyone's gonna like my solution.

The God's honest truth is I don't think we're gonna get out of this without a lot of dead people on the deck.

Maybe a whole lot of dead people.

Lochley to C & C.

C & C online.

I need a secure gold channel to Earthcom.

Access Earth Dome district Psi Corps Headquarters.

Message destination?



- Bester, Psi Corps.



- Stand by.

Do you want a header on the channel interface in case he's not available?

Yeah.

Yeah, tell him Tell him Captain Elizabeth Lochley called, and tell him Tell him we need his help.

And so it begins.



- There's a hole in your mind.



- What do you want?

No one here is exactly what he appears.

Nothing's the same anymore.

Commander Sinclair is being reassigned.

Why don't you eliminate the entire Narn Homeworld?

I see a great hand reaching out of the stars.

President Clark signed a decree declaring martial law.

These orders have forced us to declare independence.

Unless your people get off their encounter

-suited butts and do something

- You're The One who was.



- lf you go to Za'Ha'Dum, you will die.

Why are you here?

Do you have anything worth living for?

I think of my beautiful city in flames.



- Giants in the playground.



- Get out of our galaxy! We are here to place President Clark under arrest.



- So how's it going?



- Well, so far so good.

I got another team doing the same thing in Brown 9 as a distraction.

With any luck, before they know we're here we'll be inside.

Well, how are they keeping you out?

They've got patrols all over the place.

I guess they're sensing where we are and they rush in steel plating and weld it to the other side.

But that takes time, more than it should take to burn through a door.

Yes, it does.

So, what's taking you so long to burn through?

Well, they've got other ways to slow us down.



- No!

- What?

What is it?

There's a b*mb.

There's a b*mb on the other side of the door! What?

How do you know?

I just know, that's all.

There's no b*mb.

Remember what I said about other ways of slowing us down?

Listen to me.

Listen to me.

There's no b*mb.

They're just putting that idea into your head.

There's a b*mb on the other side.

I know it!

- Chief, I'm telling you!

- All right.

We can't have him working a cutting torch while he's unstable.

It's okay.

It's all right.

Get him out of here.

You gotta listen to me! Wait, wait, wait.

How many others?

About a dozen, maybe more.

It takes about half an hour to get somebody here.

Each one burns through a bit, then flips out.

We gotta wait to bring somebody else in.

By the time we burn through they got 3

-inch plating on the other side and we gotta start over or move on and hope we get through someplace else before they find us.

But a single telepath would have to be on a direct sightline to do that.

That's right.

So there has to be a whole lot of them just on the other side of this.

There any other way in?

Well, nothing safe.

Meaning?

Well we've got maintenance ducts all through here, but they're pretty fragile.

Too thin for a lot of guys in flak jackets and fully armed.

Captain like I was saying even if they could handle the weight only one person can crawl through at a time, especially at the end.

And then they're fully vulnerable and exposed.



- Nobody can help if you get into trouble.



- Find me one.

Captain.



- I'm going in.



- I object.

Objection noted, Mr.

Allan.

Find me a way in and I will find my own way back out.



- Was she there this time?



- She was.



- Did she get the message?



- I don't know.

It was all we could do just to send it.

So much metal in the way.

We'll have to see.

I don't understand it.

These reports.

When we are at peace, we cut production on ships and weapons 25 percent and invest that money in domestic economy: Manufacturing, research and development.

Sensible.

Wise.

Who thought it up for you?

Right now, even though we are not at w*r with anyone our production of w*r material has increased 15 percent.

Why?

With everyone now on the same side perhaps you're planning to inv*de yourselves for a change.

I find the idea curiously appealing.

Once you've finished k*lling each other, we can plow under all the buildings and plant rows of flowers that spell out the words "too annoying to live" in letters big enough to be seen from space.

Would you like some spoo?

It's fresh.

Get that away from me.

Spoo needs to age.

It takes time to cultivate its flavor.

To eat fresh spoo is to insult a Centauri.

I don't even know where you got it.

I saw it on a tray heading into the south end of the palace.



- I assumed no one would mind if I took it.



- That's right only Narns can stomach it fresh.

Well, if that's true, and I'm the only Narn in the palace, then where was it going?

Mollari where was it going?

How do I know?

Do I look like a chef to you?

What's in the south end of the palace?

Well the memorial gardens, the old living quarters.

Mostly shut down now, have been for years, and And the underground cells.

Take me there.



- It's late.



- Now.

Hello?

Is there someone here?

Na'Toth?

What are you doing here?



- Did they get you as well?



- "Get"?

No.

No, the w*r is over, Na'Toth.

Did we win?

Narn is free, Na'Toth.

We stand now as one among equals.

When did you get here?

I thought you were dead.

We all thought you d*ed on the first wave of att*cks on Narn.

Almost.

We had no warning.

We saw nothing heard nothing until a second star appeared in the morning sky.

And then the sky exploded.

Five million Narn k*lled in the first few minutes of the att*ck.

There are no words, G'Kar.

It was as if the universe itself had turned against us and said, "Die.

" Die.

Die.

I awoke in the ruins of the capital.

A Centauri boot was on my throat.

I tried to bite him.

It's the last thing I remember before I awoke on the ship coming here.

They wanted us as trophies of their victory as sl*ve labor and as entertainment.

They put me here because I was not sufficiently entertaining.

But that was over two years ago.

She was my aide, Mollari and my friend.

You knew her.

You spoke to her.

What is she still doing here?

I have no idea.



- She was probably just forgotten.



- Forgotten! You put her in this cell you chained her to the wall and then simply forgot that she was here?

I didn't do anything, G'Kar! I didn't know she was here.

I would have been back on Babylon 5 when she was brought here.

Then why is she still here?

The w*r is over.

Why is she still here?

Probably because the emperor gave the order.

After that, I doubt he gave it much thought, and thus forgot to countermand the order.

These things happen in a monarchy.

When I was still new to the royal palace, I looked out the window and saw a guard standing in the middle of a courtyard nothing to protect, nothing to guard, no doors.

I couldn't figure out what he was guarding so I asked around.

No one knew not even the emperor.

Finally, they searched through the old records and found the truth that 200 years before as winter came to an end the emperor's daughter saw the first flower growing up through the snow.

To keep anyone from walking on it she assigned a guard to stand watch over it every day.

After that she never gave it much thought, and thus never countermanded the order.

As a result every day for 200 years a guard would stand in that place long after the flower was gone.

Long after the reason had been forgotten.

Long after the princess was gone.

As I said, G'Kar these things happen.

They just happen.

It was a mistake.

And now we are going to correct this mistake.

Order her release at once.



- No, I can't do that.



- Don't you tell me you can't do that.



- You're prime minister.



- The prime minister cannot issue an order countermanding the word of the emperor.

That would be treason, punishable by death.

Only the regent can do that and I don't think that we can count on his support.



- Later, when I become emperor

- Too long.

She could be dead by then.

Then there is nothing I can do.

There is something you can do.

You will find it and you will do it.

In one way or another, we will leave here with Na'Toth or by G'Quan, I swear l'll see this palace in flames, and I'll see you burn with it! Got your message.



- That it?



- Yeah.

This will lead you into Brown 12.

If they don't have the other end walled up already.

It's pretty tight in there.

So if it's closed up you won't be able to turn around.

You'll have to crawl out backwards.

All right.

I'm going in.

Give me one hour.

If I'm not back by then, seal up this side and keep trying to cut through someplace else.

I sent for help, but they won't be here for another day or two.

You got a flashlight?

Thanks.

All the information's on my desk in case something goes wrong.

Captain.

I think you'd better.

There's a hell of a lot more of them than me.

If they mean to hurt me, that's not gonna help.

All right.

See you on the flip side.

She went where?

Right down the shaft, right smack in the middle of them.

Zack just gave me the news.

You gotta give it to her, she's got guts.

She is crazy.

She was crazy when I knew her almost 20 years ago she's just as crazy now.



- You hired her.



- Don't remind me.

You know, the thing is these guys aren't the problem.

I mean, if they got out we'd arrest them and throw them in a cell.

But they're in a cell anyway.

They just made it for themselves.

Sooner or later, they're gonna have to surrender or starve.

We can get at them then.

So as far as I'm concerned they're not an issue.

It's the ones who got out that I'm worried about.



- You think they might resort to sabotage?



- Possibility.

All right, all right, I will talk to her when and if she gets back.



- Anything else?



- Yeah, one thing.

A Drazi security patrol found this at the site of the recent att*ck on their shipping lines.

This is Brakiri metal.

It looks like it was blown off during the fight.

Brakiri?

They're not the type to go around attacking other races without provocation.

There are probably two dozen dead Drazi that would disagree with that assessment.

The Drazi plan on introducing this at the next Council meeting tomorrow.

As a courtesy, they wanted you to know.

Better lay on extra security.

I have a hunch there's gonna be trouble once this gets out.

I don't doubt it.

I don't get it, Michael.

I truly don't.

I mean, after a while you'd think this would get a little easier.

But lately it feels like it's all falling apart.

Everything is fraying at the edges.

I mean, instead of everybody trying to hold things together I feel like they're all grabbing at threads and pulling in a hundred different directions.

Do you really want an answer to that?

You got one?

Yeah.

Why is it that we always break up our history by the wars, not the years of peace?

The Hundred Years' w*r the w*r of 1812, the first three world wars the Dilgar w*r, the w*r of the Shining Star the Minbari w*r, the Shadow w*r.

Why the w*r, but not the peace?

Because it's exciting.

And because on some level people like to see something big fall apart and explode from the inside out.

And right now, John, we're that something.

Take me to him.

Hello, captain.

I regret that we should meet again under these circumstances.

Well, that makes two of us.

Hello, Lyta.



- Captain, glad you could make it.



- I had a sense that it might be safe.

Of course, I could have been wrong, but it was worth the risk.

I don't know how much you've been following the news topside We hear very little.

Well, you've walked into the middle of a firestorm.

Somebody's been attacking the shipping lines of the Alliance worlds and they're looking for someone to lash out at.

When you threatened to reveal their secrets, you got the full benefit of their paranoia.

Any chance you might have had to get a Homeworld for your people it's pretty much sh*t to hell.

From where I sit, that renders this standoff meaningless.

With respect, captain, that's not your decision to make.

Listen to me.

If you care about your people you have to come out, and come out now.

If we have to come in after you, someone's gonna get hurt or k*lled.

I'd rather avoid that if I can.

So would I.

But we're not leaving.

Then at least help us to identify your people who are still operating outside.

That would help put their minds at ease.

We don't betray our own kind.

We will stay here as long as it takes to communicate our message.

We were created to serve normals.

Now that the Shadow w*r is over we deserve compensation.



- A home.



- Won't happen.

They'll see you dead first.

Then we will die.

Maybe you're willing to die but what about the rest of you?

Anyone who wants to come with me can do so.

I'll bring you out, give you whatever help I can.

This may be your last chance.

There's nothing you can say that will make them leave.

Then why did you let me come here?

Why did you agree to see me?

To say goodbye.

While you have not gone out of your way to be kind to us you have been fair.

And that requires comment.

Especially since I have the feeling that this is the last time we will see one another.

Well.



- Did you get through to Narn?



- Yes.

They can have a ship standing by to intercept us midway to Babylon 5 then take her home.

The hard part is still getting Na'Toth out of the palace and onto our ship first.

We have to do it without k*lling a guard without raising any alarms and without anyone noticing that she is gone.

For my next trick, I shall fly around the room under my own power.

Yes?



- Prime minister?



- Yes?

I was told to inform you that the next cruiser for Babylon 5 will be leaving tonight.

Yes, all right.

Thank you.

Wait a minute.

Close the door.

Let me look at you.

Turn around.

Yes, yes, very nice.

I think you may be just what I am looking for.



- Would you mind taking off your clothes?



- Mollari! Not necessarily at this moment, and certainly not in front of the It's animal magnetism, what can I say?

What would you like to do now prime minister?

Borrow your clothes for a while.

Of course.

Emperor Cartagia also played this game with me but I'm not your size, prime minister.

Oh, I'll make do.

As you all know, there have been further att*cks on ships from the member worlds.

We have called this closed session together because the Drazi ambassador has asked to speak to you about this.

Ambassador?

This piece of debris was found at the site of one of the most recent att*cks against our ships.

Our scientists have analyzed and found it to be of Brakiri origin.

What?

This is an outrage.

We believe that the Brakiri have been using the telepaths who spied on us to get information about our shipping lines and our defense systems.

We believe that they are working with us only so they can steal from us.



- That is a lie!

- Well, the Brakiri are pack rats.

Everybody knows that.

You invent nothing.

You only take from others.

Today we have dispatched warships to the border of Brakiri Space.

For every one of our ships that is intercepted and destroyed we will destroy one of their ships.



- Then you declare w*r on us.



- We are defending ourselves! Before you answer that, ambassador I believe the Gaim ambassador also wanted to speak.

We too have found debris from an attacking ship in the ruins of one of our vessels.

We too have analyzed it.



- And was that debris of Brakiri origin?



- No, it was made by Drazi.

So you try to blame us.

You try to get others to att*ck us to create a diversion to conceal the truth that you're responsible all along! No! This is a trick.

That's exactly what I think it is, a trick.

You find pieces of their ships, they find pieces of your ships.

Someone is hitting your people and leaving material they hope will implicate the rest of you.

Someone is trying to divide the Alliance sow distrust, make you lash out at each other.

I had Mr.

Garibaldi do a complete examination of those two pieces.

They weren't blown off a ship.

They were cut off.

The edges are too smooth.

They planted them where they knew you would find them hoping for exactly this reaction.



- But who would do that?



- I don't know.

But I do know that blaming each other right now is the worst thing that we could do.

Together we can figure this out.

But if we start fighting each other there won't be enough pieces left to work it out.

We ask you to give us just a little more time.

We are gathering as much information as we can, as fast as we can.

But it still takes time.

Any ship that crosses Drazi Space without proper authorization will not survive the mistake.

Yes, good, she is still here.

I have new orders for you and they're to be followed precisely.

Are there any other occupied cells in this wing?



- No, Excellency.

This is the only one.



- Good.

You will retire from this cell, never come back.



- And never allow anyone else to come back.



- What about her food and water?

She will not need either.

Do I make myself clear?

Then wait three days.

Wall up the hallway so no one will find what is left of her.

Do you understand?

Will you follow my plan precisely, without variation?



- Yes, Excellency.



- Good.

Go now.



- Have you come to k*ll me, Mollari?



- No.

Pity.

For I will k*ll you at the very first opportunity.

Yes, I suspect you have to get in line for that honor.



- Good, G'Kar.

Were you seen?



- I don't think so.

Help me, we don't have much time.

Cargo Chief Robinson, dock at Bay 7.



- Captain.



- Bester.

So good to see you again.

I told you they were trouble.

You wouldn't listen.

That's all right, I'm used to it.

I'm here now.

It's all going to be just fine.

G'Kar, we must hurry! The ship leaves within the hour.

Well?

It will have to do.

Can she make it?



- The landing bay is some distance away.



- She is strong of will, if nothing else.

She can walk to the other side of the planet if need be.

Just the landing bay will be fine.

Come.



- How do we avoid being noticed?



- We don't.

We do everything we can to be noticed.



- And thus become invisible.



- I don't understand.

The royal court has been trained not to see what is inappropriate.

Now, we must hurry.

Here, this will help.



- I can't believe I'm doing this.



- Neither can I.

All right, come.

Diamonds! As many diamonds as you like, my good woman.

Oh, the things I will show you.

The things we will do with one another! The world is ours.

Yes, the world is ours, my dear.

You! You, don't you agree that the world is ours?

Oh, yes.

Yes, my dear.

And when we are alone Oh, no, don't turn away from me.

It will be wonderful, a paradise of passion! Just the two of us.

Oh, Great Maker, I will be glad to be back on Babylon 5, where at least it will be quiet.

Yes, day will turn into night and night will turn into day and still our thirst for passion will not be quenched.



- Thomas, he's here.



- Who?

Bester.

One of the others saw him pass through Customs.

If he's here, then the Bloodhound units can't be far behind.

And this time the captain won't help us.

What do we do?

We can't let them take Byron.

And we can't be captured by Psi Corps.

I won't go back there.

I'd die first.

There is another alternative.

We can fight back.



- But Byron said

- Byron is trapped.

He can't even help himself.

We have to do for ourselves now for our own good and his.

We may be his only hope and the only hope of our kind.

I know where there are weapons.

Come on.

I take it this is the place.

I've seen this trick before.

They can hold your people off for days, weeks.

Even longer.

Fine by me.

I keep telling them there's a b*mb in there, but they won't listen.



- There's no b*mb.



- But when l There's no b*mb.

Now go on.

I'll go with you.

Put your hand on the wall.

I'm blocking them.

You can go back to work.

It's safe.

Take us to the armory or die.

The combination.



- What is the combination?



- No.

Yes.

Twelve.

Sixteen.



- Forty

-two.



- No! Nineteen.

Thirty

-seven.

And two.

And a handprint for verification.

I think we can arrange that.

I assume, captain, that this time you'll let me take custody of the blips.

If you can get them out safely, they're yours.

I'll do whatever I can not to hurt them.

You forget, we're more the same than we are different.

We're all telepaths, and we're all in this together.

Get down! Watch it!

- Get down!

- Zack! Behind you! Behind you! Go! Up there! Let's go, let's go! He's still breathing.

Medlab.

Medlab, this is Security.

I need a trauma team in Brown 9 ASAP.

This one's dead.

So is he.

Bester?

Fine.

A little depressed about the inflation rate and hemlines are going down again but otherwise

- Shut up! What the hell is wrong with you?

We got two people dead here.

Two of your people.

They're not my people.

My people are in there.

And several others just tried to k*ll me.

But then what family doesn't have its difficulties?

I'll attend to them and leave you to attend to yours.



- Byron, they're

- I know.

I know, it's started.



- I didn't want this to happen, Lyta.



- I know.

They're k*lling in my name.

I have to stop it.

There's nothing you can do.

Yes.

Yes, there is.

Good.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

We thought we might continue our discussion in private.



- There's nothing left to discuss.



- Well, we think there is.

If you'll watch the monitor, please.

Do you recognize those, ambassador?

Yes.

Those are the ships we dispatched to our border to watch the Brakiri.

And to att*ck if your shipping lines are victimized again.

Yes.

Those are our ships, ambassador.

Our ships watching your ships watching their ships.

If you att*ck them, our ships will att*ck you.

The same applies to the Gaim and the Brakiri.

On what grounds?

This is a violation of our sovereign rights.

No, it's not.

Read the Constitution.

The moment you joined the Alliance you agreed that the Alliance had jurisdiction over disputes between members.

One member race can't att*ck another without either leaving the Alliance or suffering retaliation.

We refuse to allow border disputes and skirmishes to tear us apart.

What do you propose?

Just give us some more time.

There's a lot of speculation, but there's no direct evidence that anyone in the Alliance is responsible for these att*cks.

I will not condone any m*llitary action by any member world without clear and absolute proof.

If you're content to wait for proof, we will wait with you.

And once the truth is known, we will support any action you choose to take as part of an overall response by the Alliance.

Move on your own and you are alone.

And you'll have to take the consequences.

This is not what our people signed up for, Sheridan.

No, I'm sure it isn't.

But then again, we are saving your skin.

For at least a little while.



- Well, ambassador?



- We will wait for a little while.

But we will not forget this.

You have threatened to use force against us when all we wanted was to protect ourselves.

Every great fall begins with a single mistake.

This was yours.

Do you think she will be all right?

I think so.

But it will take her spirit longer to heal than her body.

I have endured your cells.

It will be a long and difficult climb back into the light.

Perhaps.

I will tell you a true thing, G'Kar.

Getting her out of there, the danger I found it most exhilarating.

I also have worked up quite an appetite.

I think I shall go get something to eat.

And you?

Not hungry.

Goodbye, Na'Toth.

I'm glad you could make it.

Now, let's get to work.

Personal log June 18, 2262.

I don't think I've had a good night's sleep since I got here.

Tonight's no exception.

But I have to sleep.

Tonight is the calm before the storm and I may not get another chance for some time.

Tomorrow the storm comes.

Tomorrow the k*lling begins.

And God help me, I can't think of any way to stop it.