Good morning, Lieutenant Commander.
Morning.
Nothing personal,
but you look like hell.
Oh, I know, I know.
C&c woke me up an hour early.
They're picking up some unusual tachyon emissions
in sector 14.
It looks pretty routine,
but I authorized Alpha Seven to go check it out,
just in case.
Sector 14--
that's a pretty long haul in normal space.
Three hours. He should be there fairly soon.
God, I hate mornings.
We noticed. Personally, I find it the best part of the day.
Me, too.
We all have our cross to bear.
The time I learned to really appreciate mornings
was during the three years I spent being taught by jesuits.
We used to get up at 5:00 in the morning for sunrise mass,
then an hour of meditation before class.
We would sit...
Quiet...
At peace...
Breathing in...
Breathing out.
Breathing in...
Breathing out.
Breathing in...
Breathing out.
[Clank] Well...
What?
Boy, that was great. Just hit the spot.
I see you cleaned your plate, too.
Guess I'd better get going.
Me, too. It's nearly 7:30.
7:30? I didn't even--
I slept through breakfast?
This isn't fair!
Something, Lieutenant Commander?
No. Nothing. I'm fine. You'll have to excuse me.
C&c, this is Ivanova.
I realize I'm late, but I'm on my way.
I'll notify your next of kin.
4...3...2...1.
Oh! Garibaldi, you're a dead man!
Alpha Seven to Babylon control, I'm closing on target.
[Beep beep]
Registering increasing tachyon emissions.
Visual sightings?
Negative. Nothing yet.
Stand by.
Babylon control,
I'm getting something on the scanners.
[Static]
Confirm, Babylon control. There's something out here.
Can you identify, Alpha Seven?
Not quite. I can't make it out.
No.
That's not possible.
That can't be. It just can't be.
It--no!
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 Alpha Seven.
Please respond.
Babylon control to Alpha Seven.
There's nothing, Commander.
What about the homing beacon?
We're still receiving it.
Based on trajectory,
the fighter seems to be returning to base.
Eta--1 hour and 15 minutes.
We can't raise the pilot on any of the open frequencies.
It's possible whatever he ran into out there
fried his communication system.
Are you still picking up those unusual tachyon emissions?
Yes. We had another burst just about the same time
we lost contact with Alpha Seven.
Then it seemed to stabilize.
Better notify Dr. Franklin.
Tell him to have medlab standing by in case of injury.
Minbari flyers unit, you are clear for journey.
Thank you, Babylon control.
Are you sure you don't require a pilot, Ambassador?
Quite sure.
Some things one must do alone.
I believe I'm ready to proceed.
At your discretion, Babylon control.
Alpha Seven coming into scanner range.
Alpha Seven, you're clear to dock.
Proceed to main bay.
That's strange. He's just sitting there,
not approaching the docking bay.
Run a full scan of Alpha Seven.
On it.
No structural damage.
Hull integrity looks fine.
Life signs...
There's no life signs.
Commander, he's dead.
What was the cause of death?
Well, Commander, it's hard to explain.
There was no damage to the body. No shock, no trauma.
Everything points to death by natural causes.
So why's that hard to explain?
Because in this case, the natural cause was old age.
Come on. Garibaldi, he just turned 30.
I know, and he looked fine from the outside,
the doc says his internal organs
were like those of a man three times his age.
Then how did he get back here?
As best we can tell, just before he died,
he managed to set the ship's auto pilot
to bring him back to the station.
Recommend we send a team out to investigate,
find out what's going on out there.
If there's a hazard to navigation--
not yet. Not until we have a better idea
of what we're facing.
Meanwhile, I want all traffic routed clear of sector 14.
Michael, I want that ship examined with a fine-tooth comb.
Something fatal happened out there. I want to know what.
Begin monitoring for beacon.
My people just finished going over Alpha Seven's fighter.
This is the buckle
off the pilot's safety harness.
Looks like he managed to scratch
something into it before he died.
"B4."
B4 as in Babylon 4?
What I can't figure is why.
B4 vanished without a trace over 4 years ago.
I don't get it.
Nor should you without one other piece of information.
I ran a check on sector 14.
The tachyon emissions are coming from
the exact location where Babylon 4 disappeared.
Maybe whatever happened to b4 is happening again?
That's one possibility.
There is another. What if--
[beep beep]
Sinclair.
Commander,
we just started picking up a distress signal in sector 14.
I thought I ordered all ships to stay clear of that area.
Affirmative.
Then who--
the distress caller identifies herself as--
[static]
Commander, it's Babylon 4.
We're on our way.
Is the signal still on line?
Shaky, but it's there. Do you want me to patch it through?
Not yet. Ivanona, check the archives
and get me the secure code for Babylon 4.
On it.
Ever since the war,
every Earthforce command and control center
was configured to broadcast its I.D. Code on a sub channel.
Sort of a tag to prevent counterfeit orders.
Exactly.
Coming up. The archival I.D. And the one we're getting now.
Coded signal matches 100% to archival code.
Babylon 4 recognition signal confirmed.
This is nuts.
A station just doesn't disappear
and reappear four years later
like some kind of flying dutchman.
Only one way to find out.
Let's see it.
I repeat--Earth station,
Babylon 4 requesting help. We need assistance.
I repeat--Earth station,
Babylon 4 requesting help.
This is Commander Jeffrey Sinclair of bab--
this is Earthforce Commander Sinclair.
We read you. What is your situation?
Oh, thank god. We don't know.
Have to abandon ship.
We're caught in some kind of flux.
Power's at 30%, ship's damaged.
We need help to evacuate.
We must get out before it's too late.
What is your crew complement?
Uh, skeleton crew-- 1200, maybe 1300.
We'd just gone operational when--
oh, god.
It's starting again.
It's starting agai--
signal's too weak. We lost it.
And one more thing--the date stamp on the message
is four years out of date.
You're not starting to believe this, are you?
It can't be Babylon 4. It's impossible.
What's the maximum we can evacuate at any time?
About 250, using half our shuttles in swing shifts.
That's 5 round trips, 90 minutes turnaround.
Figure 10 hours total.
Good. I want a fighter escort
prepped and ready to launch immediately.
We're going to find Babylon 4.
So I won't lie to you.
We don't know for sure what's waiting for us out there.
All we do know is that we've already had one man killed
while investigating sector 14.
We're still picking up unusual tachyon emissions,
possibly related to Babylon 4's alleged reappearance.
We don't know what effect
those highly concentrated emissions
will have on our ships...
Or the people inside.
There's a definite risk factor at work here.
If anyone wants to pull out, now's the time.
No questions will be asked.
All right.
Saddle up. We hit space in 20 minutes.
Let's go, Mike.
Fighter squadron zeta, you're clear to launch.
Escort wing, you're clear to launch on my Mark.
Mark.
All ships escort
position and coordinate homing beacons.
Maintain formation until contact.
Babylon control,
if you don't hear from us in eight hours,
notify Earth Central, but do not send additional ships.
Confirmed, Commander. Good luck.
All right. Let's get this show on the road.
Eta--2 hours 57 minutes.
Time to target.
2 hours 3 minutes.
This is the part I hate most--the waiting.
Mmm.
Mind if I ask you a question?
Sure.
O.k., it's morning. You're getting ready to go to work.
You pull on your pants.
You fasten and then zip or zip and then fasten?
What kind of question is that?
I don't know. We got two hours to kill--
forget it.
Just a question.
Why do you want to know?
Why do I want to know?
Because I think of these things sometimes.
I was getting dressed this morning.
For a second, I couldn't remember which I did first.
I started thinking about it.
Does everybody do it the same way?
Is it a left-handed, right-handed thing?
You think about this stuff a lot?
Yeah.
Look, o.K. I'm sorry I asked.
You're so serious all the time.
Not every conversation has to be
the end of the world as we know it.
I didn't mean to--
never mind.
It's o.K. I'll just watch my console.
Don't worry about it.
Fasten, then zip. You?
Fasten, zip.
How much longer?
1 hour 57 minutes.
You want to talk socks?
No.
Just a question.
I'm not having this conversation.
Summoned...
I come.
In valen's name,
I take the place that has been prepared for me.
I am grey.
I stand between the candle and the star.
We are grey.
We stand between the darkness and the light.
We welcome you, Delenn.
For too long, the nine have been eight.
Your task has been necessary,
but your absence has diminished us.
We rejoice at your return.
It is my honor to serve.
Why have I been called?
It has been 10 cycles
since Dukhat has left this world
to take his place with valen
and the nine who were.
10 cycles since our people have had a leader.
The time of mourning is complete.
We must now choose another.
In your absence,
we have discussed, debated, prayed for guidance.
We must choose wisely and well.
Why was I not told of these deliberations?
We thought it best in light of our decision.
You have been chosen to lead us.
Of all the council, you have seen most,
traveled most,
know much of the other species--
their worlds and governments.
There could be no other choice.
My calling is to serve, not to lead.
My work on Babylon 5...
Is concluded.
The prophecy--
the prophecy will attend to itself.
We will pray for guidance
and select another to take your place.
From this day forward,
your place is with the council,
with your people, as leader.
You have carried your burden long enough.
It must be a great relief,
knowing you will never again return to Babylon 5.
Entering sector 14,
picking up high-intensity tachyon emissions.
Anything on the screen?
Not yet.
It's--
hang on.
The scanners are picking up an object.
It's big, all right.
Confirmed. It's...
Son of a gun.
Babylon 4.
Signal the others. We're going in.
Hitting some kind of distortion field.
Tachyon emissions up 50%. Shuttle one to escort wing.
Take position 18 kilometers from the station and hold.
We'll go in and check it out first.
Once we know it's clear, we'll signal you
to proceed with the evacuation. Let's do it.
Monsters!
I'll stop you!
I know where you are!
You want him?
Your turn.
You sure?
I'll cover you.
I see you. You think I can't?
I got to get off this station!
Come on, show yourselves!
Come on!
Easy, easy, easy!
Got to get out of here.
Hold it! It's all right.
We'll take him.
[Sobbing]
I got to get out of here!
Major Lewis krantz. Babylon 4.
Assigned to supervise the final stages of construction.
Commander Sinclair.
This is my chief of security Michael Garibaldi.
Oh, thank god you're here.
Was your ship passing through this sector?
Not exactly.
We're from another station-- Babylon 5.
Babylon 5, you say?
Oh, my god.
What...
What year is it?
It's 2258.
Then it's true.
We have to hurry.
We have to get everyone off the station quickly before--
what the hell?
[Garibaldi] Commander!
[Shouting and screaming]
They've burned through levels seven and eight!
Can't stop them! They're everywhere!
Garibaldi!
I've rigged the fusion reactors!
There's not much time!
Get going! I'll hold them as long as I can!
Come on, this isn't a conversation!
Jeff, it's o.K.! I finally understand!
This is the moment I was born for!
Now go! Go!
Go!
Wait! Wait!
Go! Move!
Take that! Take it! How about you?
Take some! Take some! Take some!
Wait!
Garibaldi!
What--
what was that?
It's different for everyone.
A flash...
Forward...
Backward.
All of us.
The entire station.
We've become unstuck in time, Commander.
That's why we have to get out of here quickly!
They are waiting for you in the great hall.
I know.
They cannot begin without you.
If I enter the great hall,
I'll never leave it again.
I will live out my days and my nights in that place.
Yes.
It is a great honor.
I cannot do it.
I cannot accept the calling.
In over 1,000 years, no one has refused.
Then perhaps it is time.
[Shivering]
I hear their calling.
I know the reasons for it,
and part of me yearns to accept.
But I must listen to the greater calling of my heart.
And what does your heart tell you?
That I must stay where I am.
That I must remain with Babylon 5.
That I have a part to play
in the change that is coming.
They will say it is just the voice of ego
and of pride.
Perhaps.
I wish to reconvene the council.
I must speak to them.
That has never been done.
But...
If it were to be done at all,
this is as good
and as bad a time as any.
Do you know what you're doing?
Are you fully aware of the consequences?
Yes.
I am.
Then I will call the great council together.
We've re-established
communications with the shuttle escort.
The first group is being evacuated.
What about the Commander?
He's still aboard.
Babylon control this is shuttle wing 2
requesting permission to launch.
Shuttle escort number 2, you're clear for launch.
It started 24 hours after the station went operational.
We began noticing discrepancies in the time track system.
We thought it was a computer glitch.
Then all hell broke loose.
Anything else unusual happen
before the station vanished?
Yeah.
This.
Says his name is Zathras.
We don't know how he got aboard,
where he came from, or what race he is.
I've never seen an alien like him before.
Ohh!
Ohh.
Not the one.
No.
Not the one what?
Not the one. Won't talk. Can't talk.
Not the one. They told me.
They did. Zathras listens.
He does, yes. Zathras listens and does what he is told.
He's been talking like that since we caught him.
Where'd you find him?
That's the weird part.
One minute, we're alone in the conference room.
The next, there's a flash, and there he is.
The one is hurt.
Must find. Zathras must find...Help.
What are you doing here?
Need this place.
Need this.
Use to fight.
They told Zathras
biggest of all Babylon stations.
We need.
Needing, we take.
There is no more to telling.
Why do you need Babylon 4?
Zathras tells...
You let Zathras go.
Finish what Zathras came for.
Zathras tells,
maybe we don't break Zathras' scrawny little neck.
Ooh.
[Clicks tongue]
Great war.
Terrible war.
There is much killings.
Everyone fighting.
A great darkness.
'Tis the end...
Of everything.
Zathras warn, but...
[Clicks tongue]
Oh, no one listen to poor Zathras, no.
[Clicks tongue]
Great war.
But...
Great hope of peace.
Need place.
Place to...
Gather to fight, to organize.
You need Babylon 4 as a base of operations
in a war, is that it?
[Clicking tongue]
Oh.
To help save galaxy...
On the side of light...
So they tell me.
Must have...
Or it is the end of all.
The one needs us.
The one tells us to go.
We go.
We live for the one.
We would die for the one.
We pull this place through time
to save us all.
Pull through time to where? The past, the future?
Where you come from, what year is it?
By my world time, it is year 4993.
But what is that in Earth time?
If we don't know where you come from,
the date doesn't do us any good.
Much apologizing.
Mathematics not Zathras' skill. Zathras go now.
Major!
It's back!
Let's get him! Hey!
There it is again.
What the hell?
Ohhh...
It is the one.
[Sinclair] He's in pain.
Yes.
Much pain.
[The one] Ohhh!
Warned him, Zathras did.
But willing to sacrifice himself...
For others.
He stopped the time-taking
to let these escape station.
You're saying
he deliberately stopped Babylon 4
to let the crew get off.
Uhh! Mmm!
Commander, don't.
Fixed.
Zathras fixed.
Take. Hurry.
Stop him!
You o.K.?
Yeah.
I think so.
Where is he?
I got him.
All right.
What happened?
I'm not sure.
[Whirring]
You must leave now.
Finished we are.
There is no more time.
Leave, or be trapped here forever.
Better help with the evacuation.
All right, I'll link in.
Come on, bring him.
You wish to speak, Delenn.
Now is your time.
This council
stopped the war against the humans
because of prophecy...
Because valen
said that the humans, some among them,
had a destiny that we could not interfere with.
It was my place to study them,
to determine if the prophecy was correct.
I have not yet finished that task.
How much more is there to learn, Delenn?
They are a primitive people.
I doubt the prophecy.
It may have referred to others.
It did not.
How do you know?
What is it that makes the humans so special?
What is it that draws you to them?
They fight. They argue.
They are ruled by passions and fears.
Yes...
And that is their strength.
They do not seek conformity.
They do not surrender.
Out of their differences
comes symmetry...
Their unique capacity
to fight against impossible odds.
Hurt them, and they only come back stronger.
The passions we deplore
have taken them to their place in the stars
and will propel them to a great destiny.
Their only weakness is that they do not recognize
their own greatness.
They forget that they have come to this place
through two million years of evolution, struggle,
and blood.
They are better than they think
and nobler than they know.
They carry within them
the capacity to walk among the stars, like giants.
They are the future.
And we have much to learn from them.
But why you?
Why not another?
It is my calling...
The calling of my heart.
No ruling of this council
can override that call.
Delenn.
If you reject this decision,
if you turn away from the honor
this council has chosen to give,
if you leave us again,
you may not be allowed to return again.
You may lose your position within the council.
Is this truly what you want?
Think hard, Delenn.
This council has never before been divided.
We may best avoid division
by removing you from our company.
You could become outcast.
I understand...
But I must do what I believe is right.
Then we shall put it to a vote.
Who among us
will honor Delenn's request?
This council has spoken.
We withdraw our decision.
Another will be chosen to lead us.
Go now...
So that we may reflect on our choices
and debate what is to become of your position.
[Shouting]
Aah!
Don't panic! Everybody just calm down!
We'll clear you all out
as soon as we can load you into the shuttle.
Hey, hey, come on, watch the shoving.
O.k., let's go. Five.
Just five!
[Shouting]
1...
2, 3, 4, 5. Let's go. Hold it.
Close them up!
Let someone out!
O.k., five more.
Go. 1, 2, 3, 4...
5. O.K., next group. Next group.
Wait up. Everybody just relax. Just relax!
What was that device you handed over?
Time stabilizer.
Help survive when make next time jump.
That must've been what happened to our pilot.
He was caught up in the time distortion
and killed by it.
Yes. Mmm.
Where's your stabilizer?
Gone.
Gave it to the one.
Now I have none.
[Chuckles]
So without this time stabilizer,
what happens to you when it jumps?
Zathras die...
But Zathras die for cause.
Maybe...
Stop great war.
Maybe Zathras great hero.
Maybe build statue to Zathras...
And others come... Remember Zathras.
What if we take you with us, put you on trial?
Zathras not of this time.
You take,
Zathras die.
You leave, Zathras die.
Either way, it is bad for Zathras.
If you'll just tell us how to stop this!
No, no, no.
You're willing to let yourself die
to steal a space station?
Zathras does not want to die.
But if it is the only way,
then Zathras dies.
It is life.
[Whirring]
[Beep beep]
Sinclair.
Just got the message. Tachyon emissions are way up!
This place is starting to go wherever the hell it's going!
What about the evacuation?
One more pass, and we'll have everybody off the station
except you and the command staff.
If you're coming, you better do it now.
This place is falling apart faster than--
so this is it.
You're just going to leave.
Lise.
I don't understand you, Michael.
You've got a good life here. We've got history.
You've met this Sinclair character twice,
and now you're off to Babylon 5, just like that.
Doesn't what we have mean anything to you?
Lise, my god. What are you doing here?
I don't know.
I'm starting to wonder the same thing myself.
You think you've got something to prove,
that somehow maybe taking this job
will mean the last five years didn't happen.
But I'm a part of those years, Michael.
And I will not go to Babylon 5 with you.
It's got to be one or the other.
When you make up your mind,
you know where to find me.
Oh, Lise, wait. No.
You got to listen to me. Please.
Don't leave me again. We can work this out. I--
Lise!
[Shouting and screaming]
Garibaldi!
Garibaldi, are you o.K.?
Yeah. Yeah, I'm o.K. Get on down here, Jeff.
I want to get the hell off this place.
He's right! The time distortion is getting worse.
We must leave now!
I agree. What about him?
We take him with us.
He said he'd die if we did that.
And you believe him.
I don't know,
but it's clear that he believes it.
Commander,
for the next 15 minutes, this is still my command.
I'm going to have to answer for this station.
And I want proof to go with it.
Alive or dead, he's the only proof I've got.
And he's going with us.
Take him!
[Whirring]
Help him.
It's too late! We've got to get out of here!
We can't just leave him.
You think I want to? We have to leave now,
with or without you!
Go!
Leave me!
I can't.
Go.
You must!
Listen to Zathras.
You have...
A destiny.
Go!
Please!
Go for Zathras.
What the hell is going on around here?
Commander, come on!
Come on!
Last shuttle's gone! It's just us now!
Ship's warmed up and ready to go! Come on!
It's like watching a great old ship go down for the last time.
Yeah, well, you're not the Captain of the ship,
and I'm not about to let you go down with it! Come on!
Come on! Hurry!
Oh...
Zathras knew...
You would not leave him.
Zathras trusts...
The one.
Distortion field increasing.
It's off the scale.
She's going.
Time distortion repaired.
Present-time atmosphere...
Now breathable.
I tried.
I tried to warn them...
But it all happened...
Just the way I remembered.
I know.
It's time. We have to go.
They're waiting for us.
You think that bit was true--
about a great war and Babylon 4 being the base
for somebody to try and bring peace to the galaxy?
I don't know.
But if it is true, I wish them luck.
This station was built to create peace.
Maybe now it'll do so in a way
nobody ever expected.
But it's still on the same mission.
Maximum burn.
[Motors roar]
Delenn?
I wanted to say good-bye...
Until you return.
My friend... We have come too far together
to lie to one another.
I will never again
see the inner chamber of the Grey Council.
Perhaps.
Perhaps not.
In either event,
I thought you should have this.
A tri-luminary.
I can't.
There are still two others.
It won't be missed for a time.
If you are right,
you will have more need of it than we will.
These are curious times, Delenn.
I feel a great...
Change in my bones--
a new beginning, an end, I cannot say.
We are surrounded by signs and portents,
and I feel a darkness pressing at our backs.
If ever you have need of me...
I am here.
Now...
Valen go with you
and light your way.
And with you... My friend.
[Ivanova] Commander, welcome home.
Thanks.
I've been monitoring the situation from this end.
So it's true then?
Yes, it's true.
Great. And I missed it.
Not necessarily, Lieutenant Commander.
We don't know where Babylon 4 was going...
Or when it was going.
Who knows, it may show up again sometime.
Well, if it does, this time I'm going,
and Garibaldi's staying here.
[Chuckles]
The flying dutchman, he called her.
I didn't get that reference.
It's a legend--
an ancient sailing vessel that vanished
while trying to sail the cape of good hope.
According to the story,
it's reappeared again and again
over the centuries...
Trying to find its way home.
Did the flying dutchman ever make it home?
No.