Excuse me. Perhaps you might help me.
I'm looking for Ambassador Delenn.
Could you tell me where I might find her?
Of course. This way.
Shuttle one's ready to go, Commander.
Any change in those seismic disturbances?
The surface layer's calmed down,
but we're still picking up rumbles
from further down.
Normally I wouldn't bother,
but we are in orbit over this thing.
All right. Let's go check it out,
just to be sure.
Agreed.
Shuttle one,
you're clear to begin geological survey.
Confirmed, Babylon control.
Initiating launch.
I have to go play diplomat for a few hours.
Let me know when the survey team comes back.
Will do.
Ms. Winters.
Hello, Commander.
Problem with the transport tube?
No, not really.
It seems like every time I get into the tube,
Mr. Garibaldi's there. It's like he knows.
Talia, Mr. Garibaldi is many things,
but he's not omniscient.
I think I'll take the stairs.
I think I'll join you.
Range to surface-- 40 miles.
Close enough.
Activate scanners.
Set for maximum depth.
Let's see what's going on
under all that dirt.
What the hell's that?
We've lost power. Get it back.
I can't. I have no controls here.
It was the dawn of the third age of mankind,
10 years after the Earth-Minbari war.
The Babylon project was a dream given form.
Its goal-- to prevent another war
by creating a place where humans and aliens
could work out their differences peacefully.
It's a port of call,
home away from home
for diplomats,
hustlers, entrepreneurs,
and wanderers.
Humans and aliens
wrapped in 2,500,000 tons of spinning metal,
all alone in the night.
It can be a dangerous place,
but it's our last, best hope for peace.
This is the story
of the last of the Babylon stations.
The year is 2258.
The name of the place is...
Babylon control to shuttle one.
Shuttle one, do you receive?
Confirmed, Babylon control,
we're receiving you.
What the hell was that?
All of our read-outs blacked out for a second.
Same here, Babylon control.
It was some kind of massive power surge,
right off the scale.
Knocked half our systems off-line.
It must've come from deep inside the planet.
What's your situation?
Shuttle controls are partly fried.
We've achieved a low-grade orbit,
but can't make it back unassisted.
Can you send someone out here to give us a lift?
Confirmed. We'll send 2 Starfuries a.S.A.P.
Stand by. Don't go anywhere.
Don't go anywhere? As if we could.
O.k., we've got a while to wait.
Who's got a deck of cards?
You sure they're all right?
They're a little shaken, but otherwise fine.
They'll be back on board in a few hours.
Good. Keep me informed
and find out what's going on down there.
Sorry.
It's quite all right.
An interesting riddle, Commander.
I thought the planet beneath us
was uninhabited.
That's what we thought.
None of our prior surveys
found any sign of life down there.
Perhaps not now, but in the past,
someone or something might have lived down there.
If that's true,
it would seem you may have awakened something.
Perhaps.
We'll know more later.
Now, as far as these new trade routes
are concerned...
Babylon control,
this is delta leader.
We have retrieved shuttle crew from planet
and are returning to cobra bay for recharge.
And I want every piece of equipment we have
loaded onto the shuttle--
spectral analysis, thermal probes, the works.
We'll reconvene tomorrow morning,
8:00 sharp. Yes, sir.
Dr. Tasaki.
Lieutenant Commander.
What was that?
I have no idea.
We were told the planet we're orbiting
is stable, safe, and uninhabited.
Now it appears to be none of those things.
Incorrect. We still don't know for sure
if anyone's actually alive down there.
The seismic activity planet-side
could've triggered an automatic system
of some kind.
We'll know more once we go back down.
What are you going to do now?
In order, process the data we collected
from the power burst,
then call my wife in Proxima. She loves mysteries.
This doesn't worry you in the slightest?
On the contrary. It scares the hell out of me,
but what better way to go out than in the cause
of advancing scientific knowledge?
Is this a multiple choice question?
'Cause I have some ideas.
And we will agree to release
our trade routes to sector 119,
provided that our ships in that area
are allowed free use
of the local Centauri jumpgate.
You drive a very hard bargain.
It's a fair deal, Ambassador.
Your government stands to profit substantially
from access to that sector.
The jumpgate fees
are pocket change by comparison.
Obviously what I consider a tent,
you consider a pocket.
But you are right.
It is a reasonable demand.
Done and done.
I will have my government issue an agreement by--when?
Tomorrow this time?
What a pleasure it is
to deal with someone reasonable.
Negotiations are so much more enjoyable
when certain individuals are not here to interfere.
I would suggest that there is a difference
between being unreasonable and being angry.
Ambassador G'Kar is angry much of the time,
but even the greatest anger fades with time.
My dear Ambassador Delenn,
I am sure that for you this is true,
but for G'Kar and his people,
they will do all that they can to destroy us
until the universe itself decays and collapses.
If the Narns all stood together in one place
and hated all at the same time,
that hatred could fly across dozens of light years
and reduce Centauri Prime to a ball of ash.
That's how much they hate us.
You don't have to respond in kind.
Of course we do. It's a natural law.
Physics tells us that for every action,
there must be an equal and opposite reaction.
They hate us, we hate them,
they hate us back,
and so here we are--
victims of mathematics.
Ambassador.
He never listens.
He will... Sooner or later.
How can you be sure?
Because the alternative
is too terrible to consider.
Without the hope that things will get better,
that our inheritors will know a world
that is Fuller and richer than our own,
life is pointless
and evolution is vastly overrated.
Good day, Commander.
The signal seems to have diminished a little
in the past few hours.
Are you sure it's a beacon?
Well, once our instruments came back on-line,
we were able to run a few tests.
It's definitely a series of regular signals
repeated at specific intervals,
but so far,
we haven't been able to decipher them.
How's Dr. Tasaki?
He's like a kid with a new puzzle.
He wants to go back down and check it out
first thing tomorrow morning.
A glutton for punishment.
All right. I'll authorize it,
but only on the condition that we can find some way
to get him down there safely.
Agreed. I'll take care of that
first thing tomorrow morning.
Oh, by the way, Commander,
have you heard any news today
from the Mars colony?
No. Why?
Well, there's always something about it
in the daily Earthforce status report,
but it just came in and there wasn't
any word from Mars. Nothing.
Now usually, that's a sign
that they're running military exercises,
but we would have gotten some warning about that.
Probably just a glitch in the system.
Good night, Lieutenant Commander.
Good night, Commander.
Quickly, what is the third principle
of sentient life?
Draal.
Incorrect answer.
The third principle of sentient life
is the capacity for self-sacrifice,
the conscious ability to override evolution
and self-preservation
for a cause, a friend, a loved one.
It has been too long, Delenn.
You have forgotten your training.
Soon you will have forgotten
all about your old friend Draal.
Not if I live to be 1,001.
Ha ha ha!
Then why would you keep your good friend
standing out here in this drafty hall
instead of in your warm quarters?
Tanker 12, are you in position
to refuel our return transport?
Roger, c&c.
Our hose jockey is ready to connect.
With new questions being raised about the cost
of maintaining a presence in space,
senator pol quat of the Indonesian consortium,
upon leaving an Earthdome hearing on new programs,
asked why less affluent nations
should be asked to pay an equal share of the costs
if they do not receive
an equal share of the benefits.
Elsewhere in the news--
we're just getting a late-breaking story.
As ISN viewers may know,
all contact with the Mars colony
has been cut off since noon today Earth standard time.
We're now receiving confirmation
that an open revolt is in progress
against the Earth-appointed provisional government.
We're receiving reports of heavy fighting
outside the capital city
and armed skirmishes within the city itself.
Troops have been ordered from bases in Syria planum
to reinforce patrols in solis planum
and outlying regions.
I'm told we have a live feed
from ins reporter Derek mobotabwe,
relayed from our station on Olympus mons.
Reporting substantial casualties
from the continued fighting.
Death toll may be in the hundreds or higher.
The insurgents struck before dawn
with heavy weapons
seized in a daring midnight raid
on a reserve military base.
The guerrillas, whose ancestors
migrated to Mars from Earth over the past 100 years,
have demanded independence for the Mars colony,
or, and I quote,
"the sand will run red with Earther blood."
Provisional governor chakan said--
help me.
Help me.
Venus team two, this is environmental control.
Head converter around to tower three.
Gotcha, environmental control.
We're on our way.
Commander.
I take it
you heard the news from Mars last night?
I did. Terrible to see places were I grew up
going up in flames.
That's right, you were born on Mars.
Do you still have family or friends there?
No, thank god. You?
Not anymore.
Garibaldi's taking it pretty hard.
Yeah, I figured as much.
I'll try to check on him later.
You all right, Commander?
I don't know.
Last night, just before I went to bed, I saw--
what?
I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired.
What's the status on Epsilon 3?
The geology team leaves in a few hours.
Good. Keep me informed.
Damn.
Have I already thanked you
for arranging for my quarters last night
and for the fine meal this morning?
Yes, you have.
Good. Then I need not do so again.
Have I told you about rathenn?
Yes, you have told me of rathenn,
of all of my teachers,
and many of my family.
You have told me everything...
Except why you are here.
What is there to tell?
I have lived my entire life on Minbar.
Now I'm seeing what is out here.
Yes. A curious answer for one who taught me
that a half truth is the worst kind of lie.
Our world is changing, Delenn.
I'm not sure when it began to change.
Perhaps the war,
perhaps the death of Dukhat.
Perhaps the darkness was there all along
and we refused to see it.
If you're referring to the growing division
between the religious and military castes--
that and more than that.
There is a sense that we are lost and drifting.
In the streets, in the temples,
you can hear it in their voices,
their manner,
an anger just beneath the surface,
a growing dissatisfaction,
a self-involvement above the needs of others.
It is not the same world in which I was born, Delenn.
Not the same world at all.
I'm going to the sea.
Draal.
No.
You're still too young to go to the sea.
There is so much you could do back home.
I don't know what good it would do.
Better to find a place out there
in the sea of stars
where I can be of service before the end.
I hear the call of the stars, Delenn,
and I must answer.
Then...
When you leave here...
I will never see you again.
I'm afraid so.
Which is why we should enjoy our time together, Delenn.
Don't look so sad.
This should be a time of great joy.
My feet are firmly on the path,
and the road beckons me down to the sea.
There I will find the purpose and meaning
that I have lost among my own people.
Be glad, Delenn.
Be glad.
When...
When do you have to leave?
Not for a while.
We have time.
We have seen very little of one another
these last few years,
and there is much that I want to hear.
Then I will talk and talk and talk
until you fall asleep from the sound.
Ha ha ha ha!
And I will be glad of it.
And I will dream of the sea.
What the hell do you mean
you can't get a signal through to the Mars colony?
Sorry. Communications are out
except for authorized personnel.
Let me get this straight.
I'm an Earthforce security officer,
clearance level ultraviolet Alpha,
and I'm not considered authorized personnel?
If you try again later--
I've been trying all damn morning.
Now, all I'm asking for is one clear channel.
I'm sorry, Mr. Garibaldi,
but there is nothing we can do
until the government decides to lift
the communications blackout.
I'll file your request,
and if things change, I'll notify you at once.
Now, we'll be providing fighter support
in case you run into any trouble
while you're down there,
but I don't want you taking any unnecessary chances.
We won't.
Just get your readings,
make a low-altitude scan of the surface,
and get out in one piece.
We'll be monitoring your progress from c&c.
Good. I work best with an audience.
Anything else?
Just one thing. The Starfuries are designed
for combat in space, not inside an atmosphere.
Don't drop too low or you're on your own.
Understood. All right, move it out.
We've got a mystery to solve.
Ivanova to Sinclair.
Sinclair.
They're on their way. I'll meet you in control.
I'll be there.
If you'll excuse me, Ambassador, i--
yes, yes, I know.
Commander, what will you do
if you find anything of value down there?
The odds of that are pretty small.
It's probably just an automated homing beacon
left over from hundreds of years ago.
Yes, but if it isn't, will you tell me?
No.
Just making sure we know where we stand.
Survey one, you will hold at coordinates 7 by 13
and await arrival of escort wing.
Escort wing standing by.
Launch fighter escort.
Delta six, this is delta leader.
Let's be awake out there.
Roger that, delta leader.
I'm on his tail.
I appreciate the commission, gentlemen.
See you next month.
See you then. Thank you.
I need to talk to you.
Transport tube out of order?
Wait! Look, I'm sorry, but I need your help.
As lines go, Mr. Garibaldi, that's not terribly original.
That's not a line, damn it. I...
[Sighs]
Can I just have 5 minutes. Please?
O.k.
Look, I appreciate you taking the time.
This is really important to me.
Before I came to Babylon 5, my last job
was working security on the Mars colony.
I was there for about a year.
The job wasn't great.
We got nothing but flak from Earthdome,
but one thing made it worth all the grief.
Her name's Lise Hampton.
We met a few days after I got there, and we...
Got involved.
Sounds serious.
It was.
We even talked about marriage a few times,
but I was--
look, I was messed up.
After being fired from my last 4 jobs,
I kinda figured I had something to prove.
So when Jeff asked me to come work Babylon 5,
I asked her to come with me.
She said no.
We argued. I got hot.
I said a lot of stupid things,
the kind of things that come back to haunt you
in the middle of the night.
The last time we spoke,
it ended up with a slammed door
and me on the last flight out.
We haven't talked since then.
For the past 2 years, I've wanted to call her,
I've needed to call her, but...
I didn't know if she'd even want to hear from me.
And now this.
Talia, I have to talk to her,
I need to know if she's o.K.
I sympathize, Mr. Garibaldi, I do.
I hope you realize that.
But what do you expect me to do about it?
If you can't get through, how am i--
Psi-Corps has got an intelligence
and training operation in Syria planum.
How did you know about the center?
That's supposed to be classified.
It is, but that's never stopped me before.
The point is they've got the equipment
to put together a relay, get me into the local com-net.
I could take it from there.
You're asking a lot.
I know.
And if there were any other way, I'd take it.
Talia, I can't sleep not knowing if she's o.K.
You're my last hope.
All right.
I can't promise anything,
but I'll do what I can.
Thanks.
Survey one to Babylon control.
Now beginning our final run.
Initiating atmosphere drop to 5 kilometers
inside the atmosphere curtain.
Negative, survey one.
Do not enter atmosphere.
The fighters won't be able to follow you in.
Don't worry, Babylon control.
I'm not going far, just enough
to get some samples. You can't expect us
to come this far without getting some--
doctor, there's something down there,
coming our way fast.
Take evasive action! Get us out of here!
Too late. We've got lock-on.
Hang on.
Aft stabilizers hit.
40% power loss.
Full power to engines.
One more like that, and we've had it.
Incoming.
Babylon control to fighter escort,
can you reach the shuttle?
Negative, Babylon control.
All fighters, target guns on lower atmosphere.
Wide-angle firing pattern.
Babylon control, what the hell are you doing?
Incoming fire is distracting the missiles,
pulling them off course.
Hit your afterburners, maximum burn.
With any luck, they can't follow you
outside the atmosphere.
We won't have enough fuel to get back.
The fighters will tow you back in.
Now do it before the missiles lock on again!
Survey one to Babylon control.
We're clear. Returning to base.
Confirmed, survey one.
Upon arrival, you will report for debriefing.
And just one more thing.
On your trip back, I'd like you
to take the time to learn the Babylon 5 mantra:
"Ivanova is always right.
"I will listen to Ivanova.
"I will not ignore Ivanova's recommendations.
Ivanova is god."
And if this ever happens again,
Ivanova will personally rip your lungs out.
Babylon control out.
[Beep]
[Sigh]
Civilians.
Just kidding about that god part.
No offense.
All our previous scans
failed to show any life forms
or any automatic systems
on the surface of the planet
or for a depth of 2 miles
inside Epsilon 3.
Doctor, those missiles had to come from somewhere.
Agreed.
And if you'll come with me,
I think we've solved the mystery.
We didn't go deep enough.
Here.
This is a computer-enhanced
high-resolution scan of sector 14.
We snared it just before we were fired upon.
I don't see anything.
Not yet.
Increase magnification.
There. That's one of the first group of missiles
fired at us.
It came from underground.
That fissure,
is it natural or artificial?
Hard to say. My guess is it's artificial.
It was probably opened by one of the quakes
that have hit that region lately.
So it's possible this is an old automatic defense system,
that there's no one actually down there anymore?
That's my theory, yes.
How deep is that fissure?
Ah, that's the interesting thing.
Our analysis of the data
suggests the missile was fired
5 miles within the planet's surface.
There's something down there,
something important enough to require
a pretty lethal defense system.
Very good.
Thank you, doctor.
Analysis.
Well, we don't know
what other long-range weaponry might be there,
so until we know more, I'd definitely consider it
a threat to station security.
Same here.
It's also a potential first-contact situation.
I'd say we pretty much have to go down there
and check it out.
Wouldn't you agree, Lieutenant Commander?
Absolutely.
And he says, "goulash." Do you get it?
Ha ha ha!
Ah, Mr. Garibaldi.
Off duty, I see.
Hmm.
Water.
Fascinating.
I never touch the stuff myself.
Kat, the usual.
Is there something
I can do for you, Ambassador?
Yes.
Attend.
As a young Centauri,
I developed a preoccupation
with the female of my particular species.
I went to all the finest clubs,
watched the most exotic Centauri dancers.
Now, one day I was angry and upset,
but I went to the club,
I sat, watched the show,
but never saw it.
I just sat and stewed.
Suddenly, I looked up,
and this beautiful dancer
is leaning down over the stage
and looking right into my eyes,
and she said,
"whatever it is,
it can't be that bad."
And then she kissed me...
Right here.
Mr. Garibaldi,
whatever it is...
It can't be that bad.
Heh heh heh.
You try and kiss me, and I'll break your arm.
We're not that close, Mr. Garibaldi.
And the dancer?
Oh, I married her.
No. Yes.
That day!
The next day, I woke up,
I saw her in the light of day,
sleeping against my arm,
and I decided I would rather
chew off my arm than wake her up.
Oh, that's sweet.
No, no.
She had a voice that could curdle fresh milk.
Londo?
Yes, dear?
Londo!
Coming, my darling.
I'll be right there, my love bug.
Ha ha ha.
You looked as if you needed a friend.
I did.
Thanks.
You're welcome.
Now, I go to spread happiness
through the rest of the station.
It's a terrible responsibility,
but I have learned to live with it.
Heh heh heh.
Hey.
Somebody better pay for that drink.
[Beep beep]
Help me.
All right, delta flight, stand by.
We're ready to go in.
On our signal, target a 10-kilometer area
with long-range bursts
to draw off incoming fire as we go in.
Confirmed, shuttle one.
Systems ready.
Engines to maximum burn.
Hit it.
Temperature up 200 degrees.
Coming in awfully steep.
Missile sighted.
Delta flight, fire!
Let's hope tasaki was right
about that fissure being 5 miles deep.
Why?
Because, at our present speed,
it's gonna take at least 2 miles to decelerate,
assuming we don't hit anything on the way in.
This is a hell of a time to think of that.
Lights.
Decelerating.
2 miles.
2.5.
3.
Anterior thrusters, half power.
Thrusters, aye.
Anything?
Just rock.
3.5 miles.
4 miles.
Slowing descent 30%.
4.5.
We've got something.
It's an opening, all right.
Definitely artificial.
Bring us in.
Coming into a landing grid.
Environment check.
Gravity .75 of Earth normal.
Atmosphere 90% carbon dioxide,
10% trace elements.
We'll definitely need those breathers.
Life signs?
None. So far, looks like
we're the only living things in or on this planet.
All right, let's check it out.
I'm sorry, Ms. Winters,
but there's nothing I can do.
In order to preserve our confidential status,
access to our facility
is confined only to members of Psi-Corps.
We can't let anyone outside the government
know the center exists.
But Mr. Garibaldi already knows about it.
He may suspect,
but that is not the same as confirmation.
For all we know, this request on his part
is only a cover so he can confirm our location
and pass that information
along to others.
That's completely paranoid.
Possibly,
but with fighting going on
less than a quarter mile from the facility,
I think we're entitled
to a little paranoia.
How is it back there?
Not good.
The free Mars movement
has been growing for nearly a decade,
but no one suspected
they were this organized
or this well armed.
Look, I can't plug your friend
into the com-net from here,
but I can run a check on her name
and see if she's listed among the wounded.
That would help.
Thank you.
No promises, but, uh...
I'll do what I can.
Pcc relay out.
Commander.
[Clank]
Wait.
Well, that'll cut down on tourism.
1...
2...
3...
4...
1...
2...
3...
3-second recharge before firing.
Looks like it.
Can you cover that in 3 seconds?
Not a problem.
O.k. Stand by.
Go!
Get down!
You o.K.?
Yeah, yeah. Fine.
Uh, Commander?
You'd better take a look at this.
Holy...
Commander?
Yeah?
I think I've got to go to the bathroom.
Tell me about it.
[Doorbell beeps]
Come.
Ah, Delenn.
What can I do for you?
I was taking my friend on a tour of the station
and thought I would introduce you.
Draal, this is Ambassador Londo Mollari
of the Centauri Republic.
Ambassador Mollari, this is Draal,
for many years, my mentor and teacher.
I am honored.
Thank you.
I hope we're not intruding.
Oh, no, no, no.
I was just doing a little studying.
Oh.
It's Earthers. I try to find out
as much as I can about them
to try to make some sense of them,
but it never seems to come together.
They do seem to be a mass of contradictions.
Exactly my point.
Here, 6,000 years of recorded history,
a history that includes remarkable composers,
astonishing symphonies,
but what is the one song
that half of them sing to their children
generation after generation?
♪ You put your right hand in ♪
♪ you put your right hand out ♪
♪ you put your whole self in ♪
♪ and you turn yourself about ♪
♪ you do the hokey-pokey ♪
♪ you give a little shout ♪
♪ that's what it's all about ♪
It doesn't mean anything.
I have been studying it for 7 days.
I had the computer analyze it.
I swear to you,
it does not mean a thing!
We've come at a bad time, haven't we?
Uh...
Oh, no.
No, not at all.
Here. Sit.
I'll make some hot jala.
I rather enjoyed the song.
Don't tell him.
You're sure?
Trust me.
[Garibaldi] Try to raise the shuttle again.
Nothing.
We still can't get through.
Damn. 2 hours.
Mr. Garibaldi, can I see you for a moment?
I've had some news.
Yell if they link in.
Yes, sir.
Well?
They won't let you
access the local communications net.
They're not happy about
you knowing about the center, either.
Yeah, well, it's an imperfect universe.
Is that all you've got for me?
No. No, it isn't.
I asked them to check the nets
for any information about your friend.
They couldn't get into the logs
for the dead or wounded,
but they were able to access
the list of survivors.
And?
Her name isn't on it.
They can't find her name anywhere.
So either she's not on Mars anymore--
she's there, all right.
She had a life there, a career.
She wouldn't have left all that in just 2 years.
Then it's possible
that something's happened to her.
[Beep beep]
Yeah.
Mr. Garibaldi, we've got a signal.
I'm on my way.
I'm sorry.
Oh, don't be.
She's all right.
She has to be. That's all there is to it.
[Sinclair] Must be 10,
20 miles deep.
Commander, you o.K.?
We're fine.
Michael, you wouldn't believe it
incredible.
A whole new area of technology.
Machines as big as buildings
all around us.
[Buzzing]
What's happening?
Picking up seismic activity.
It's a big one.
Commander, get the hell out of there, you hear me?
Clear out!
Commander!
Jeff, Ivanova!
We've lost them.
Commander, you all right?
Yeah. I think so.
We're gonna have to find another way out of here.
This light's had it.
What the hell?
Help me.
Please help me.
You saw it, too?
Yeah.
And on the station.
Commander.
Help me...
Or your people...
All your people...
Will die.
You must help me.
[Rumbling]
Help me get him out of this.
Commander, we don't have a lot of time.
We're cut off from the way we came in,
we don't know if we can find another way back
to the ship before we run out of air.
We can't leave him like this.
I know. It's a Russian thing.
When we're about to do something stupid,
we like to catalog the full extent
of our stupidity for future reference.
[Rumbling]
Shuttle one to Babylon control.
Do you read?
Jeff, yeah. Yeah, we're getting you.
What's your situation?
We're coming out.
Tell the fighters to initiate air cover,
and have a full medical team
standing by when we arrive.
Confirmed. Initiating air cover.
I want that med team at bay 14 in 10 minutes.
I'll meet them there.
We've got a ship coming through the jumpgate.
Fine. Fine.
Mr. Garibaldi, it's big.
What the hell?