Synopsis written by Richard Heider.
*Alternate synopsis written by Rosa L. Smothers can be read here.

---

TEASER
Smile, you're on ISN.

SPACE

      Outside the station, a maintenance shuttle is delivering a large piece of equipment to a White Star, which opens up its wing to receive it. Possibly it's an engine or weapon component. Also standing by in the vicinity are warships of all the alliance worlds.

WAR ROOM

      The Captain sits alone at the conference table, his eyes on the Starfury model before him, but his mind obviously elsewhere engaged. Commander Susan Ivanova enters on the upper level and descends the steps.

Ivanova: I figured I'd find you here.
Sheridan: Feels strange to have the place this empty!
Ivanova: It's the War Room. The war's over.
Sheridan: Says you! Yeah, the Shadows are gone, but, uh, with all that's going on back home, maybe there's some life in the old girl yet! Any more ships come in from Earth?
Ivanova: Just a couple of scavengers, no loyalties to anyone back home. Alien traffic's the same as ever. But as far as Earth goes, this quarantine's got us pretty much shut down.
Sheridan: Mm, this is trouble!
Ivanova: Definitely trouble! With the commercial transport fees, we were finally starting to get our heads above water. Now, without that revenue, it's gonna be tough!
Sheridan: Eh, we'll get by. We always have! This place has been declared dead more times than Lazarus, but we keep coming back!
Ivanova [smiles]: Yes, we do! So what's got you so worried?
Sheridan [looking worried, he shakes his head]: I'm not worried!
Ivanova [grins]: Tell that to your face! Come on, John, I've known you too long to start playing stupid now.
Sheridan [gets up and starts pacing the room]: Right before we broke away from Earth last year, I talked to my Dad. I couldn't say much. But he could see what was coming. Since then, we've passed a few messages back and forth on ships en route here or back home. His last letter mentioned something about some strangers hanging around town, asking questions about me, the family, the farm.
Ivanova: Do you think would use your family to get to you?
Sheridan: It's possible! I told them to get out while they could! I gave them some names! And then we get hit with this damned embargo, and I don't know what the hell's going on back home!
Ivanova: You told me about your dad. He's a smart guy. He can take care of himself. [But she looks worried herself.] And being a former diplomat, he's too visible to just disappear.
Sheridan: Yeah, maybe. I just hope they get out in time! [Pauses, then changes the subject.] Everything else okay topside?
Ivanova: So far. Some businessmen from Earth are upset because they can't go home now without being questioned and searched. Some problems in Customs, but Zack's on it. You know, the more that I think about it, the more I'm glad that we picked him to take over when Garibaldi left. We haven't had a major incident yet.

CUSTOMS

      She should have knocked on wood. Zack charges in on a scuffle between some guards and a group of travelers.

Zack: Whoa, whoa! Everybody back! Everybody back, back! [The two groups separate under Zack's forceful prodding.] What the hell's going on here, Ramirez?
Ramirez: Scanners turned up something suspicious in those crates, sir. We went to take a look and they got in our way! [One of the travelers shifts his weight back and forth nervously and rolls his eyes. Looks like he wants to fight.]
Zack: Explosives?
Ramirez: Scanners say no. Could be weapons, contrabands, dust.
Zack: Well, then, let's open them up!
Traveler [blocking Zack]: Hey, that's private property! We've got rights here!
Zack [torqued]: What you're gonna have is my foot 16 inches up your butt if you don't get the hell out of my way!

      The traveler doesn't budge. He tries to stare Zack down. It works, as Zack turns away. Or does it? Zack spins around, drawing and aiming his sidearm. The traveler ducks as Zack triggers the weapon over the man's shoulder and blasts the lock on one of the crates in question. The traveler gets off the ground and back up on his high horse.

Traveler: You're crazy! I'm gonna file a report with your superior officer!
Zack [unimpressed]: Well, you do that, Sunshine! Ramirez, check the box!
Ramirez: Yes, sir! Good shot, Chief!
Zack [eye to eye with his antagonist again]: Well, don't say that --- until you know what I was aiming at!

      Zack shoulders the man aside as he and his men approach the box. Its lid opens before they get there and a small machine pokes its nose out. The guards draw their weapons in reaction. The machine floats slowly upward.

Zack: What the -------? [The light dawns.] It's a camera!
Traveler [high and mighty]: That's right! A camera! It goes with the territory. I'm a reporter, and this is my crew! And you just made the evening news!

      Zack and his men have been had. They lower their weapons. Zack grins at the camera, not with amusement but with embarrassment. He's probably wishing for a do-over on the PPG shot.

BLUE SECTOR

      Dr. Franklin is headed for Sheridan's office when he meets the Captain coming out of a tube. He just wants to inform him that he's having problems with the freezers in cryo and has to move half of the frozen telepaths (Ship of Tears) to another unit. The process is going to pull several of his doctors off their normal duties for a while. Their discussion of the situation simply reminds us of what we already know. And then Sheridan drops something new into the pot.

Sheridan: You know, you fight a war, and everyone forgets the people that get caught in the middle. Something tells me we'll be dealing with this legacy the Shadows left behind for a long, long time! [His link breeps.] Yes?
C&C (voice): Captain, he's here.
Sheridan: On my way. [His face and his voice say he'd rather not. He turns to Franklin.] I thought we saw the worst of it with the Shadows, the Vorlons, the war. There's something far worse than the Shadows --- reporters!

CONFERENCE ROOM

      The reporter in question sits alone at a small table, cooling his heels. When the door opens, admitting Sheridan and Ivanova, he jumps up and approaches them belligerently.

Reporter: Captain Sheridan! Dan Randall, ISN News! Thank goodness, someone reasonable to talk to! [His look at Ivanova tells us he's already found her not so reasonable.]
Ivanova [smiling brightly]: Thank you! [To Sheridan]: He's such a sweet talker!
Randall [ratcheting his anger up another notch, not that it needed it]: She ---- threatened to grab me by the collar and throw me out an airlock if I didn't turn over a full manifest of our equipment!
Ivanova [sternly]: Unauthorized shipments are a threat to station security! We had to!
Sheridan [shocked]: Commander! Did you threaten to grab ahold of this man by the collar and throw him out an airlock?
Ivanova [looks down to the floor and mumbles a reply]: Yes, I did.
Sheridan: I'm shocked! Shocked and dismayed! I'd remind you that we are short on supplies here! We can't afford to take perfectly good clothing and throw it out into space! Always take the jacket off first! I've told you that before! [To Randall:] Sorry, she meant to say, "stripped naked and thrown out an airlock"! I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

      The reporter is caught betwixt and between. Half of him wants to continue the confrontation. The other half starts to laugh. He turns away for a long moment, and then back again.

Randall [more equably]: Maybe ------ I should start again.

      He sits at the little table, and Sheridan follows suit. Susan has to stand --- no third chair.

Ivanova: That would be wise.
Sheridan: Yes, very!
Randall [takes a long, deep breath]: We changed the manifest because we knew if you found out we were a news crew, you wouldn't let us on the station.
Sheridan: Well, that assumption was your first mistake. We have an open door policy.
Ivanova: And an open airlock policy.
Sheridan: Commander!
Ivanova: Sorry. [But not very.]
Sheridan: President Clark put the embargo around Babylon 5, we didn't.
Randall: Oh, then you would have let us on?
Sheridan: You, yes. Your equipment, no. Mr. Randall --- everyone knows that ISN is a propaganda arm for President Clark. You didn't come here to do an objective story!
Randall: There's no such thing. The "objective journalist" is one of those great myths you read about, like a griffin, or a phoenix, or an honest politician. Everybody's got an agenda whether they admit it or not! [Gets real earnest.] But you try not to let it get in the way of the truth! Look, I won't lie to you. You're absolutely right about ISN, which is why most of us quit as soon as Clark took over. But a few of us stayed on, figuring we could try to --- slip the truth in quietly and in small bites while the big boys weren't looking. That's exactly why I fought to get this assignment!
Sheridan: So you could tell the whole truth?
Randall: No. Not the whole truth. Just as much as I can without getting into trouble. But even a little truth is better than none. Captain, we're here now. And one way or another, we have to go back with a story. If you work with us, we can try to get your side of things across to the viewers. W-we'll have to be careful, but it can be done! If you don't, we'll do the story anyway, and there'll be nobody to represent your point of view. Now, is that really what you want?

      Sheridan looks at Ivanova. He's thinking it over.

THE BAZAAR

      Garibaldi has opened shop at a small café table. A client has brought him a problem. A seedy-looking character with a Yiddish accent is showing Garibaldi a photograph.

Client: This particular statue means a great deal to me and my family. We lost it when we were evacuated from the Eridian colony. [The photo shows something that looks like a Drazi version of Buddha.]
Garibaldi: It must have great sentimental value, huh?
Client: Oh, substantial! Yeah, while we were gone, the scavenger fleet got past our sensors and ransacked the entire colony! Oy, it's a terrible thing! Yeah. It belonged to my dear departed wife Leticia. A good, woman, but, uh --- a shouter, yeah. The universe is a quieter place without her. [Looks up.] You'll forgive me for saying so. [Back to Garibaldi:] It's been in my family for generations. Mr. Garibaldi, please, can you help me?
Garibaldi: This statue, no, uh, intrinsic value?
Client: Oh, no, no, none whatsoever!
Garibaldi: I see. [Shifts tone.] Ask me if I believe in God. Well, go on, ask me!
Client: I, uh, don't understand...
Garibaldi: No-no-no-no, come on!
Client: All right. [Laughs a bit nervously.] Do you believe in God, Mr. Garibaldi?
Garibaldi: No. And d'ya wanna know why? Because if there were a God, then maybe just once in my life somebody would sit in that chair and not assume that I'm an idiot. This is a Drazi statue. It's Shokalla, one of the minor deities. You said the Maker. [Actually, if you look carefully above, he didn't. But according to the script I just received (Thanks, Joe!) he was supposed to have said "...Leticia, Maker rest her soul. A good woman..." Who knows why the one line got dropped but the other was left in?]
Client [squirming]: S---so, so my grandfather converted. We stuck with it! S---so, so what are families for, right? So we believe in the Maker, so what? We still have our culture, our language...
Garibaldi: I don't care what you believe in! The point is, apart from the Centauri, all of the other Maker religions are monotheistic! They don't allow the keeping of alien gods! Something about eternal damnation, plague, pox, the usual --- not the kind of things you wanna pass on to your kids!
Client: Look. Mr. Garibaldi, I-I-I have no reason to tell you...
Garibaldi: I'm not finished! Now, you're right! The statue itself is worthless, but it's big enough to hide lots of stuff inside! Now, my guess is, when the evacuation began, you grabbed as many valuables as you could and you hid the rest. Your identicard says you're a xenoarchaeologist, which means you would have had access to artifacts from other worlds --- like this! [The client is sweating bullets, and daubs his face with a tiny kerchief.] And what better hiding place than a statue to a god your own people would avoid and the scavengers would ignore, because we all know that most Drazi statues have no actual value! [Hands the man a napkin to take over from the useless kerchief.] Well, it must have been a real shock when you made it to the safe haven and you found out the scavenger fleet was piloted by Drazi, and Shokalla is the patron saint of pilots.
Client [throws up his hands]: All right! How much do you want?
Garibaldi: Five hundred credit deposit, twenty percent of everything I find inside this thing.
Client: Ten.
Garibaldi: Fifteen, and I let you walk out of here without telling the Drazi you've been poking holes in their deities!
Client [not too happy about it]: Done. Let me know if you find it. [Starts to rise.]
Garibaldi [putting his hand on the man's arm]: Not if. When!

      As the man walks away, a Minbari in the crowd turns around to face Garibaldi.

Lennier [smiling]: Hello, Mr. Garibaldi!
Garibaldi [smiles back]: Hey, Mr. Lennier! Welcome to my, uh ---- "office"! Something I can do for you?
Lennier [taking a seat]: I had heard --- that you resigned. At first I chose not to believe it. But now ---- Why?
Garibaldi: Well, I, uh --- served my time in hell, now I get to make my own life, uh --- Why is that so strange?
Lennier [keeps the smile]: With Minbari, there is no "time limit" on serving the needs of our people. It is an honor!
Garibaldi [snorts]: Well, then, let's just say I've had all the honor I need for a while, and leave it at that. How's Delenn?
Lennier: She's well. She sends her regards. The Captain was...
Garibaldi [interrupting]: I, uh -------- heard that Londo's back. [Well, he had to say something to change the subject --- no matter how lame!]
Lennier: Yes. [Gives him a long look.] You sure everything's all right, Mr. Garibaldi?
Garibaldi: Oh, yeah, fine. I, uh --- I just don't want to talk about ------- [Shakes his head, smiling ruefully.] Yep, works every time! Speak the devil's name and he shall appear!

      Over Lennier's shoulder, two men have entered the room and are heading Garibaldi's way. Captain Sheridan leads Dan Randall.

Sheridan: Michael.
Garibaldi [icy]: Captain.
Sheridan: Mr. Lennier, I'd like you to meet Dan Randall. He's a journalist from Earth. I'd like you to show him around, and act as his liaison while he's here.
Lennier [puzzled]: Mr. Allan would be...
Sheridan: We need Mr. Randall to believe that everything he sees and hears is the truth, and not trumped up for his benefit. You could help ease his mind!
Lennier [rising]: Then I am happy to serve! If you'll come with me, Mr. Randall, we will begin your introduction to the station.

      And with an exchange of bows, Lennier takes Randall off on his tour. Sheridan is left to lock eyes with Garibaldi. The latter's gaze is the first to break, and Sheridan turns and leaves. Garibaldi turns his attention to the photo, but his mind takes him elsewhere.

FLASHBACK

      He finds himself in that cell again. The unseen interrogator keeps drilling away at him.

Voice: You work for no one but us! You work for no one but us! You work for no one but us! You work for no one but us! Us!! Us!!

THE ZOCALO

      And just as suddenly, he's back. Shaking, Garibaldi puts the photo in his coat pocket. He gets up and leaves.

SPACE

      Parked nearby, a Drazi Sunhawk is being repaired by station maintenance men in EVA suits.

A TRANSPORT TUBE

      Lennier and Randall are riding between levels. In the car behind them are three of the reporter's crew, two of whom are "driving" a hovercam apiece. One of the cams seems to have a mind of its own --- or does it? The two men break the silence simultaneously, speaking over each other.

Lennier [referring to the cams, leading into a question]: So these units...
Randall: As we docked...

      They break off as soon as each realizes the other is speaking. Lennier yields the floor with a little bow.

Lennier: You were saying.
Randall: As we docked, I saw an alien ship being fixed outside.
Lennier: Many ships belonging to the League of Non-Aligned Worlds were damaged during the recent war. [The one cam, which has been hovering very close to Lennier's head, actually bumps him. Is there a little hint of a smirk on the face of the woman operating it? He reacts very much as if a fly were buzzing around his head.] Some of them would not have made it back had we not allowed them to berth here and make repairs. [This time the cam actually bonks him sharply.]
Randall: And do they pay for these repairs?
Lennier: Only for the actual material used. The time needed to make the repairs is donated freely. [He takes another bonk from the cam. He's being very patient about it.]
Randall: That's very generous.
Lennier: It's the least we could do. [Bonk!] Here we are! [The doors open.] After you, please!

      The four Earthers step out, along with the other cam. Lennier and his nemesis hang back for a moment, and the Minbari takes the opportunity to deliver a head-butt that nearly drops the hovercam. He steps out while the cam is recovering its equilibrium.

BROWN SECTOR CORRIDOR

      Randall checks with his crew as Lennier rejoins them. The pestercam is trapped behind the tube doors. Too bad!

Randall: Are we recording? [To Lennier, as well as to the camera:] Where are we now, Lennier?
Lennier: This part of the station is known as Down Below. Babylon 5 has always had an underclass. [As they walk, they cross paths with specimens of various races.] People who come here in search of a better life and find themselves stranded when they run out of money. They become a cheap workforce for some of the less reputable businessmen.
Randall: So they're exploited.
Lennier: Sometimes, yes. The Captain stops it when he hears of it. He's instituted work programs so that they can earn money while helping to repair the station. More people have come here since your President declared martial law on Earth.

      Two Medlab techs rush through with a patient on a gurney, with Dr. Franklin in the lead. Lennier buttonholes him.

Lennier: Doctor! [To Randall:] This is Dr. Stephen Franklin. In addition to his other duties, he operates a free clinic for these people. Doctor, this is Dan Randall. He's a, uh, journalist from Earth.
Franklin: Oh yeah! The Captain said you were on your way! Uh, sorry, we're in a bit of a hurry. We just had a case of cardiac arrest. [Turns to go, but Randall interjects.]
Randall: Well, then, perhaps we can talk later.
Franklin [distracted]: Yeah, I'll try! A bit busy here! [His link breeps.] Yeah!
Voice: Dr. Franklin, the cryo units are ready for restart.
Franklin: I'll be right there.

      Randall's cam has picked up the whole exchange.

THE ZOCALO

      As Lennier enters from one direction, once again shadowed by the pestercam and its operator, Sheridan and Londo enter down a staircase, engaged in lively banter. The Ambassador is at his most bombastic.

Londo [loudly]: Perhaps you do not understand the nature of my concern, Captain!
Sheridan [graciously]: I understand completely, Londo!
Londo: No, I don't think so! When I said my quarters were cold, I did not mean, "Oh! I think it's a little chilly in here. Perhaps I'll throw a blanket on the bed!" No! I said it was cold! As in, "Oh, look! My left arm has snapped off like an icicle and shattered on the floor!" [Shakes his finger in Sheridan's face.] This is highly inappropriate, Captain!
Sheridan [smiling]: You're right! There are several other parts of your body I'd much rather see snap off! [There's that cam again, soaking it all in.]
Londo: Well, your sense of humor is very funny!

SHERIDAN'S QUARTERS

      Randall has managed to get John and Delenn to sit for an interview. He's begun the conversation even while one of his assistants is trying to put some makeup on Delenn's face, to her mild annoyance.

Randall: So it was never your intention to break away from Earth?
Sheridan: No, no, we declared independence as a last resort, to protest the illegal bombings of civilian targets on Mars and Proxima 3. We'll rejoin Earth Alliance as soon as President Clark rescinds the martial law decree and steps down.
Randall: Mm. And you still contend that Clark is responsible for the death of former President Luis Santiago?
Sheridan [a flash of anger, but not at the interviewer]: Santiago was an impediment to Clark's plans. I mean, with Clark, anything that gets in the way disappears!
Randall: Ambassador Delenn, this must strike you as very confusing.
Delenn: Not at all. This sort of thing happens everywhere --- which, I suppose, is good, in that it gives all races something in common, and bad, for much the same reason. [She has locked eyes with John, who chuckles gently and takes her by the hand. Randall doesn't fail to notice.]
Randall: I see the two of you have become very close over the last few years.
Delenn [warily]: Yes. Very.
Randall [trying for friendly]: Any truth to the rumors you might eventually marry? [John and Delenn exchange serious looks.]
Sheridan: No comment. [Grins.] For now.
Randall [laughs politely]: Well, as relationships go, you certainly have the odds against you. You were both on different sides during the Minbari War, and I'm sure there are other forces constantly pulling at you.
Delenn: Of course. But the heart does not recognize boundaries on a map, or wars, or political policies. The heart does --- as the heart does. [Her voice breaking a little, she turns to John for reassurance.]
Randall: And if others don't understand?
Delenn: If they don't understand, we will make them understand. [Here her voice takes an air of command, her former authority as Satai slipping through.]
Randall: Then you're not concerned about the possible repercussions?
Delenn: It will be a struggle. Still...
Sheridan: There is no force in this galaxy that can stop what we have done here together. [The cam is soaking it in.] Nothing will be able to stop us.

THE BAZAAR

      Later, Randall strolls into the bar where Michael Garibaldi is sitting at his "desk". Seeing the reporter, Garibaldi reacts with a muffled grunt of annoyance. Randall turns on the charm.

Randall: Can I talk to you for a moment?
Garibaldi: Where's your entourage?
Randall [grins a shade too broadly]: Picking up some background shots of the station for editing later. Can I sit?
Garibaldi: That's between you and your chiropractor. I don't get involved.
Randall [laughs, sits]: We're just about done. Our ship leaves in two hours. You're the only one I haven't talked to yet.
Garibaldi: Not much point to it. I'm not responsible for anyone here but me.
Randall: Yeah. [Pauses.] I understand you recently resigned as head of security for Babylon 5.
Garibaldi: That's right.
Randall: Would you like to talk about it?
Garibaldi: Not especially.
Randall [pauses, shifting in his seat to come closer, more confidential]: Mr. --- Garibaldi. You're the only one of the inner circle who's been here ever since Babylon 5 went on line. You have a unique perspective! I'd be remiss if I left here without getting a few minutes with you! Look, you can talk about anything you want. Your time here, what you did during the war [hmm, which war is he referring to?], your coworkers, President Clark, whatever! You've got a free shot!

      Something's clearly eating at Michael as he thinks it over.

SHERIDAN'S OFFICE

      [According to the script, there was to have been a subtitle at this point, reading "10 Days Later..."]

      Commander Ivanova has brought her dinner tray into the office and has just poured coffee before bringing it all to the desk and sitting down. The Captain strolls in with a tray of his own.

Sheridan: Looks like you had the same idea I did!
Ivanova: Who's got time for dinner these days? I just figured I'd grab something to eat while we watch the stellarcast. [Sheridan sits in his chair.] Is Delenn coming?
Sheridan: She was right behind me, but Marcus had some questions.
Ivanova: Mm. Do you have the same ugly feeling I have about all this? I mean, we both know there's gonna be some bias here.
Sheridan: Well, that's another reason I went along with this. We knew they were gonna take a shot at us sooner or later. Might as well get it all out in the open, see what they've got. We did the best we could! Anything we said, we kept down to short, declarative sentences, to make it harder for them to quote us out of context. We didn't have a big crisis while they were here. What can they do to us?
Delenn [just entering the room]: Sorry. Has it started yet?
Sheridan: Just about. Well, let's see what's on. With our luck, it'll probably be a commercial!

      He gets up, stands in front of the Babcom monitor (we are looking out of it at him), and presses a button on his link. [The screen --- our screen --- abruptly goes black. Yup, it's the end of the act, and it's time for a festival of commercials.]

YOUR TELEVISION SCREEN

      Back from commercial, we are no longer watching Babylon 5, but instead, the Interstellar Network News, in the mode of And Now For a Word. A spinning galactic disk fills the screen and then collapses into a starburst, from which we fly into an image of the Earth and Moon. A chrome Interstellar Network logo falls into place in front of the Earth as a female voiceover announcer speaks:

Announcer: This is an Interstellar Network News Special Report. [The first logo folds itself into the familiar ISN oval. Some might say it resembles a certain eyeball logo, but what do they know?] Reporting live from the ISN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, your host, Alison Higgins.

      Alison, a new face to us, appears atop the same virtual tower we saw in Word. She speaks with that same self-important-but-hyper-friendly air as our old friend Cynthia, only more so. [And the actress does such a good job selling the character in this and subsequent appearances that if I should ever meet her, I'd have to restrain an impulse to throttle her.]

Alison: Good evening. Almost two weeks ago, we sent reporter Dan Randall to get a behind-the-scenes look at the current situation on Babylon 5, which broke away from Earth last year and was recently added to the forbidden list for travel and commerce. We'll have that story for you later in our broadcast. First, these headlines. [A screen over her shoulder shows the disk of Mars and the legend, "Mars Held Hostage: Day 259".] President Clark announced today that Earthforce troops have now reclaimed 75 per cent of the colony which broke away in an act of sedition 259 days ago. Today, to the cheering of its citizens, they liberated New Vegas and Flinntown. To celebrate this latest victory against the tyranny of a fanatical few who have endangered the lives of our citizens, Clark proclaimed today a planetary holiday! Curfew has been extended two full hours until nine PM Earth Standard Time, so --- go out and enjoy!

      As in Word, the broadcast is peppered with text crawls and popups. Alison segues into the next story.

Alison: Meanwhile, hearings began today in the newly-reconstituted Senate as the Committee on Anti-Earth Activities heard testimony from witnesses in the fields of entertainment, business, and local politics. The first day of testimony confirms what President Clark announced late last year --- that these and other fields have been infiltrated by alien sympathizers determined to bring down Earthgov! Each witness named at least ten people who will now be taken into custody and questioned. The first of these, tri-vid writer producer Lee Parks, freely admitted his involvement in the conspiracy.

      A clip from the hearings follows. Parks, under close guard, stands (barely) in a prison jumpsuit and shakily parrots his lines. It's obvious that he has, at the very least, had the stuffings beaten out of him --- repeatedly.

Parks: I voluntarily confess that I helped alien governments undermine Earthgov by using my tri-vids to convey messages of rebellion, disregard for authority, immorality and violence. I realize now that I was being used by outside forces to harm my own people. I apologize to my family, my wife Deborah, and my fellow citizens for my crimes. Assisting me in these acts of sedition were tri-vid writer Carleton Jarrico and actors Beth Trumbo and Adrian Mostel.

      [All four last names are those of Hollywood figures blacklisted as communist sympathizers in the 1950s. As far as I know, however, they never got quite this treatment.]

Alison: Parks was later conveyed to a hospital where he will receive proper care and treatment so that he can one day return to society an active and productive citizen.

      [In a later episode, we'll be treated to a look at the "proper care and treatment" Clark affords his victims.]

      A fanfare introduces a variation on the ISN logo, over which a text display echoes the Announcer:

Announcer: This year in history! 300 years ago today, in 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth. In 1999, North American President Bill Clinton created the President's Commission on the Future. In 2018, the foundation for Luna Colony was laid in the Sea of Tranquility. And 100 years ago today, the Psi Corps was created!

      Another fanfare takes us back to the desk, and we find Dan Randall now occupying the chair.

Randall: Good evening, I'm Dan Randall. When we first approached the Ministry of Information with the idea of traveling to Babylon 5 for this story, they advised against it. They believed it would put the safety of myself and our 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!

      A shot of the activity outside the station.

Randall (VO): From the outside, Babylon 5 is all business as usual. Note that ship berthed outside the station. We'll come back to it.

      A shot of the Down Below tour, focusing on the most miserable of the lurkers.

Randall (VO): The conditions inside Babylon 5 are another matter altogether. Most of the human residents have been forced to live in squalid, filthy, possibly disease-ridden areas of the station, denied proper sanitation and health care. The better quarters are reserved for high-ranking alien guests and those who run the station built with the tax dollars of many of these citizens.

      A shot of Randall walking with Lennier.

Randall (VO): It's ironic that Minbari, who fought Earth in a war of aggression, have been appointed keepers of these poor, struggling pockets of humanity trapped in the coldness of space. Here, a high-ranking Minbari reviews the terrible conditions.

      A shot of the gurney being trundled through.

Randall (VO): Any attempt at protest is cruelly put down, and those responsible are sedated and taken away. The question is, taken where?

      Shot of Sheridan and Londo's "argument".

Randall (VO): During our tour, it became clear that the alien governments are calling the shots on Babylon 5. Even the station's renegade leader, John Sheridan, appeared subservient to the tempers of alien representatives. What's not as clear is why a decorated war hero who fought aliens during the war and allegedly broke away from Earth to achieve greater freedom would tolerate such behavior!
Londo [wagging his finger in Sheridan's face]: This is highly inappropriate, Captain!

      We return to the ISN studio for Randall's transition to the next part of his report.

Randall: To find some answers to these questions, we turned to the experts. Dr. William Indiri is Dean of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School [the good doctor appears at his office desk in an inset over Randall's shoulder] and a leading expert on xenopsychology and Minbari War Syndrome. Dr. Indiri, you've seen the same footage I have. What's your analysis?
Indiri [now full screen]: Well, Dan, we have to start off by remembering that many veterans of the Earth-Minbari War suffer from a kind of inferiority complex when it comes to alien life forms. Some of my colleagues have compared it to the Helsinki Syndrome. That's where a hostage begins to identify with his kidnappers.
Randall [again sharing the screen --- as he does whenever he is questioning]: And what does this have to do with Babylon 5?
Indiri [back full screen for his answer]: Well, as I said, many who fought the Minbari during the war felt they were up against a vastly superior technological force, and in fact, at that time and under that administration, that was correct! It's not such a great leap from recognizing technological superiority to ascribing greater ethical and moral values and even --- even genetic superiority to alien races. Right here on Earth, for instance, we have the "cargo cult", which saw airplanes during the Twentieth Century and assumed they and their pilots were gods! It's much the same thing.
Randall: Dr. Indiri, in your professional opinion, could this "Minbari War Syndrome", or an unhealthy fascination with aliens, cause a person to turn against his own people, his own race?
Indiri: It is theoretically possible, yes. We all remember the fascination with alien religions that gripped Earth culture after we made our first contact with the Centauri. The assumption was that an advanced species may be nearer God than we are --- [grins] which was obviously not the case with the Centauri, goodness knows! But it caused many humans to turn against the belief systems they had been raised with --- even turn violent!
Randall: Thank you, Dr. Indiri.

      Randall now transitions into his next bit.

Randall: The second rule of journalism is, no one does anything without a reason. [A demonstrably false assertion, I'd say!] 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. This puzzle started to come together when our cameras happened to overhear what would turn out to be a very important conversation! Listen carefully.

      Footage of the encounter in Down Below:

Randall: Then perhaps we can talk later?
Franklin [distracted]: Yeah, I'll try! A bit busy here! [His link breeps.] Yeah!
Voice: Dr. Franklin, the cryo units are ready for restart.
Franklin: I'll be right there. [The video freezes.]
Randall (VO): A small piece of conversation [now we're back in the studio] overheard by chance! We'll find out what those few words really mean when we come back.

      And we return to our festival of commercials.

YOUR TELEVISION SCREEN

      Back from commercial, the same audio-visual introduction leads into the same announcer. Our man Dan is still seated at the desk atop the tower.

Announcer: ISN's Special Report on Babylon 5 continues with Dan Randall.
Randall: Welcome back. In our last segment, I asked you to pay special attention to this ship berthed outside Babylon 5. [It appears in inset.] This warship is part of a fleet created by Sheridan and Minbari Ambassador Delenn, and was used in their recent military campaign. [This one sentence, by the way, is all we ever learn about what Clark's government has told the people about the Shadow War --- just that there was some unspecified military campaign.] You'll note that station resources are being used to outfit and equip the warship. Once again, alien worlds benefit while Earth Alliance taxpayers pay the bills! But that's not the full extent of it! Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not [as footage of the battle of B5's secession (Severed Dreams) plays behind him], Babylon 5 was fully armed with state-of-the-art weapons systems just prior to breaking away from Earth!

      [Two true statements for the price of one! That is, if a full year counts as "just prior". The upgrade took place in Gropos. As for "perhaps ... perhaps not", how could that possibly be false?]

Randall: Weapons used to destroy our own ships during its act of secession! Another piece of an interestingly curious puzzle! But what does it mean? Where is the key, the Rosetta Stone that will unlock the mystery? The mystery that is Babylon 5? Is it hidden, or right out in the open?

      Footage from the interview with Sheridan and Delenn.

Randall (VO): I see the two of you have become very close over the last few years.
Delenn [warily]: Yes. Very.
Randall [trying for friendly]: Any truth to the rumors you might eventually marry? [John and Delenn exchange serious looks.]
Sheridan: No comment. [Grins.] For now.
Randall [laughs politely]: Well, as relationships go, you certainly have the odds against you. You were both on different sides during the Minbari War, and I'm sure there are other forces constantly pulling at you.
Delenn: Of course. But the heart does not recognize boundaries on a map, or wars, or political policies. The heart does --- as the heart does. [Her voice breaking a little, she turns to John for reassurance.]
Randall: Then you're not concerned about the possible repercussions?
Delenn: It will be a struggle.
Randall: A struggle against --- Earth?

      [The wall behind Randall is different. The chair is different. His suit is different. But ISN doesn't need to worry that anyone outside of B5 will see through the fakery --- they carefully avoid showing any real shots of Randall during the interview.]

Delenn (VO): Of course. If they don't understand, we will make them understand.
Sheridan [on screen]: Anything that gets in the way disappears!
Randall [on screen]: 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!
Sheridan: There is no force in this galaxy that can stop what we have done here together. Nothing will be able to stop us.

      And we're back to the studio.

Randall: "Nothing will stop what we have done here together." If this sounds troubling, there may be good reason! While on Babylon 5, I managed to speak with Michael Garibaldi, former head of security for the station, who resigned recently under mysterious conditions.

      Footage from Garibaldi's table in the bazaar.

Garibaldi: Look, don't get me wrong. I like Sheridan. He's --- I don't know, he's just different since he got back from alien space! It's --- sometimes he thinks he's the Second Coming! He --- he, he has, like a God complex! You can't talk to him anymore! He doesn't listen! Well, that's, that's not true, he listens to Delenn, this other alien Lorien, who was here for a while, maybe a few others. I --- I just wasn't comfortable with the situation anymore! You know, he thinks he knows what's best for everybody else! Now maybe that goes with being a CO, but this ----- ah, I just think he's gone over the top!
Randall: Do you think you'll get into trouble for saying this?
Garibaldi [snorts]: Yeah, probably! But somebody's gotta say something!

      Back to the studio.

Randall: With information we received from sources aboard Babylon 5, we were able to slip into a restricted area on the station. What you are about to see --- may shock you!

      Footage of the restricted area. Randall speaks quietly to avoid attracting unwanted attention. [And by the way, it sounds as if a few Night Watch moles have gone undetected.]

Randall: We're standing in an area immediately adjacent to the Medlab facilities. We've just seen several stretchers with unconscious humans moving down this hall to a room at the far end. We're trying to get a better look. [Steps into a room lined with cryo units.] These --- are cryogenic freezer units. Babylon 5 is not supposed to maintain more than four or five of these cryo units at any given time, and only then when required by a medical emergency until they can be sent back to Earth for treatment. There are at least twenty or thirty of these units here! And these names --- [points out the panel with Carolyn Sanderson's name on it] --- we checked the station manifest, and these names do not appear on any of the passenger, crew, or travel logs! So, where did these people come from, and what are they doing here?

      The piece ends abruptly as the sounds of approaching voices spook the ISN crew into running. We cut back to the studio.

Randall: We were looking for a Rosetta Stone. We may have found it in the cryogenic lockers with their cargo of frozen humans. Now we can begin to see a picture forming. [Cut to video of lurkers huddled in Down Below.] An imprisoned population of humans, powerless, homeless, unable to escape --- who won't be missed if they disappear! [Dr. Franklin and his medics wheel the unconscious lurker past the camera.] When they do vanish, they're taken away by medical personnel, stored in cryogenic suspension, and taken out as needed, their records erased from the central computer system. [Cut to video of the alliance fleet being serviced outside.] Meanwhile, alien ships are being built, repaired, and equipped outside the station. [Now back on Randall.] You don't assemble a fleet unless you intend to use it. So what's the next target of this so-called "last, best hope for peace"? We're finally prepared to answer that question. We believe that answer will shock some of you, horrify others, and anger all of you! We'll have that, and some concluding thoughts, after this.

      The screen goes black as the commercial break begins.

      Back once more from commercial, the ISN logo and fanfare segue directly to Dan Randall atop his tower, this time with no voiceover.

Randall: Welcome back. We have one last interview to show you. It's brief, but telling! Not so much for what's said, but for what's denied!

      The video clip begins with Dr. Franklin finishing up with a wounded Narn and handing the case over to a colleague. He then addresses the camera directly.

Franklin: Our jobs here are to serve the needs of both the human and alien and alien populations. Now, that can be very difficult some days. The different biologies mean what cures one race, kills another!
Randall (off screen): And how long do patients stay here on average?
Franklin: Well, just a, just a few days. We're not really set up to handle long-term care.
Randall: Then you don't use cryogenic suspension to freeze patients for work later.
Franklin [shakes his head]: Very rarely. [This conversation is drifting into territory he'd rather not enter. We know why, if Randall does not.] And only in extreme cases.
Randall: And at the moment?
Franklin: No, no, we-we don't have anyone in cryo right now. [And it's not hard to see he's being evasive.]
Randall [pressing]: No one.
Franklin: That's right.

      Back on Randall in the ISN studio.

Randall: Rule number three: People only lie when they have something to hide. [Well, that's patently absurd, but if you buy the premise, you buy the bit, and Randall and his cohorts are counting on sneaking that one past the audience unnoticed.] We know there are humans in cryo at Babylon 5 --- we saw them, as did you! [No, Dan, we saw some panels! Just to be a stickler for accuracy...] So what are they hiding? I'd like to turn back to Dr. Indiri for a moment. [The good doctor, still at his desk and grinning like the Cheshire cat, floats into frame over Randall's shoulder as Randall turns to "face" him.] Doctor Indiri, does any of what you've seen here worry you?
Indiri [switching to an appearance of profound gravity --- or is it grave profundity?]: Yes, it does, Dan!
Randall: Why?
Indiri [shrugs]: Well --- over the years since the Minbari War, from time to time we have seen cases of Minbari War Syndrome develop into cases of severe pathology! [Gets excited, his voice rising.] The worship of alien races turns into a kind of self-hatred! We have had cases of self-mutilation, attempts to look more alien, and some cases that ---- Well, these are too extreme for your audience to hear! [Calms down, but not for long.] The point being, radical cases of Minbari War Syndrome lead to the desire to become alien oneself! And to make others around you the same way!
Randall: So, you're saying that Captain Sheridan could be --- sick! Mentally disturbed!
Indiri: Mmmmm..... Dan. I don't like to make long-distance diagnoses! But yes, that would be my assessment, based on what I've seen here.
Randall: And if he is unstable --- that might make it easier for others to use him for their own purposes.
Indiri: Well, he would certainly be more receptive to alien influence! And more prone to obey orders from aliens!
Randall: Thank you, Dr. Indiri. [Cut to Randall.] You've seen the same evidence we have, heard directly from the players involved in the story. The truth, as always, is self-evident once you find the key. [A still image of Delenn from the interview floats into place.] And this is the key! The key to medical experiments conducted on humans kept in cryogenic freeze. The key to Sheridan's heart, by his own admission! The key to their fleet, and their plan for humanity! [Delenn disappears as Randall comes into closeup.] Perhaps the Minbari surrendered at the Battle of the Line because they had come up with a better way to conquer Earth! Not with the sword, but with the genetic code! Has the war really ended, or has it simply changed shape? Has Sheridan's self-hatred grown into a desire to save humanity by making us into them? A program to mix human and Minbari DNA sounds absurd, fantastic! But it's already been done once. Delenn has shown him the way. Half human, half Minbari --- she did it; why can't we? If it's good enough for the woman he loves, why not everyone else? And if we choose not to cooperate, if we do not see the "wisdom" in his alien-influenced logic, then there's an alien fleet waiting and ready to be used against us --- his own people --- as he did once before. [A still closeup of Delenn fills the screen.] Is this the face of humanity's future? Sheridan's future? [And back to Randall.] The fault, however, is not his own. The fault is ours --- for not seeing his condition in time to deal with it. It is my belief that he is not an evil person. He only needs our help to come back to us. Minbari War syndrome is a very real problem. Add to that the pressures of command, and the loss of his family's home when their farm was burned to the ground last week, his father still missing. Our job 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, for ISN. Good night.

SHERIDAN'S OFFICE

      Just as we were when we left, we are again looking out through the Babcom monitor into the office. What follows plays out in dead silence --- no audio.

      Ivanova, a study in impotent anger, stands before the screen seething for a moment before turning on her heel and storming out.

      Sheridan stands rigid at the window far across the room, his back to the monitor, hands clasped behind his back.

      Delenn rises from her chair near the desk and goes to her man. She pleads. He ignores her. Seeing the state he's in, she resignedly turns away. Then with determination she follows Ivanova's lead.

      Sheridan, now alone, bestirs himself and walks out dejectedly. But a second later he strides back in, right up to the screen. With cold fury, he stabs his finger at a button on his link.

      "Beep." The screen goes black.

      What has happened to the ISN staffers we used to see before the "interruption"?

      Have you noticed how "journalists" like to smear their targets by posing baseless, leading, and unanswered questions? Has Dan Randall stopped beating his wife?

"THE ILLUSION OF TRUTH" synopsis © 2007 Richard Heider. Do not reproduce without author's express permission.