Babylon 5 s01e08 Episode Script

Identicard, please.
Thanks.
Commander.
Benson, Dex wants his money.
I'll have the credits for him first thing tomorrow.
- You said that yesterday.
- It's not my fault.
Neither is this.
Twenty-four hours, Benson.
Then we find you again.
Then we cut your head off! Come.
- Were you followed? - No.
I've identified the target.
When do we take him out? Soon.
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.
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 5.
Benson, security level two.
You wanted to see me, commander? Chief.
- You haven't been with us very long.
- Six months, sir.
Were you informed of the regulations about use of the casino by station personnel? If I may ask Security personnel are prohibited from gambling on duty.
Off duty, it's limited to 50 credits a week.
You're exceeding those limits.
That's not true.
You can check the casino records.
We have.
But we both know a lot of unregistered side-betting goes on, don't we? Our information is, you've been losing heavily.
Your information's wrong! Look, okay, sir I do ride the limits pretty close, but I've never gone over.
If you were to get into debt with the wrong people you'd be a security risk.
You could be blackmailed.
- Yes, sir.
- Lf you are in debt to these people we will find out.
I'm giving you one last chance.
If you have anything to tell us, do so.
Very well.
I'm taking you off active duty pending the outcome of the investigation.
Dismissed.
He's lying.
I can tell.
Everyone lies, Michael.
The innocent lie because they don't want to be blamed.
The guilty lie because they don't have a choice.
Find out why he's lying.
The rest will take care of itself.
And the power source? I couldn't bring it.
An energy pod would've never gotten past the scanners.
So I improvised.
It'll be here.
And breathe out, please.
One more time.
Excellent.
That'll do fine.
I never get to examine a Minbari unless there's something wrong.
Examining one of your people in prime condition gives me a baseline.
I was talking to Dr.
Hernandez while I was waiting.
Is it true that you used to? What is the term? Hitchhike on starships? Yes, yes.
Well, I wanted to see it all.
I traded my services as ship's doctor in exchange for free passage.
It didn't matter where they were going.
Naturally, all that ended when the war started.
Were you involved in the war, doctor? Towards the end when things got bad for our side xenobiologists were told to hand over our notes on your people to be used in genetic and biological warfare.
And did you? I took an oath that all life is sacred.
I destroyed my notes rather than have them used for killing.
Thank you.
What about you, ambassador? What did you do during the war? A topic for another time.
Good day, doctor.
Good day.
- You have it? - Yeah, I got it.
Biggest energy pod I could find.
I don't know what this is about, I just want my money.
The credits will be deposited to your account within the hour.
- What about my transfer? - That will be all.
I think we're ready to proceed.
- Alpha 7 to Alpha Leader, I'm hit! - Pull out! Pull out! Alpha 7! He's gone.
Picking up enemy transmissions.
Stay in formation! - Hold the line! No one gets through! - Understood.
Alpha Leader, a Minbari is on your tail.
I'm on him.
Targeting fighter! No, Mitchell, stay in formation! It might be a Oh, my God.
It's a trap! Mitchell! Computer.
Sinclair to Maintenance.
Sinclair to Maintenance.
Observation.
Security.
This is Commander Sinclair.
All sectors, report in.
All sectors, report.
Earth Central, this is Babylon 5.
Earth Central, please respond.
This is Earth Station Babylon 5 to all ships in Grid Epsilon, please respond.
Computer.
Computer! Online.
- Was an evacuation ordered? - Negative.
Condition: green.
Scan for any other life forms.
Confirmed.
One other life form detected.
- Location? - Central corridor, Blue Sector.
Computer.
Computer! What the hell is going on around here? Maybe you're asleep.
Maybe you're insane.
Maybe you're dead.
Maybe you're in hell! Not that it matters much, Commander Sinclair because wherever you are, wherever you go you're mine.
Mr.
Garibaldi.
- Ambassador.
- I apologize for intruding but I was supposed to meet Commander Sinclair an hour ago.
He never came.
Have you seen him? No.
Have you tried the observation dome? Yes.
Lt.
Commander Ivanova hasn't seen him since last night.
Commander.
Commander, this is Garibaldi.
Excuse me, I'll get back to you later.
Who are you? What have you done to my station? Nothing.
You, however, are a different story.
I'd like to say I have your undivided attention, but it's not true.
Your mind is in here with me, but your body is somewhere else.
Wrapped in cybernetic implants, all tied up in a cerebral matrix.
A virtual reality cybernet.
Then you're saying all of this is not real.
What is real, commander? This? There you are.
I've been looking all over for you.
Garibaldi? No! No need for alarm.
As you said, a simulation only.
See? Commander! Commander! Commander! How's it going, commander? We can kill him as many times as we like.
We're locked together, here in your mind.
It's a shadow play, without form or substance.
But I'm real, commander.
And you're real.
And the pain The pain for you is also real.
Commander.
Commander.
Jeff! - Garibaldi to C and C.
- Online.
We have a problem.
Cut cerebral discharge.
Cutting power 50 percent.
Curious! We have the memories of your entire life to play around with.
But your thoughts are rooted, here in this station.
- It means a lot to you, doesn't it? - You said we? My associate is watching over your body.
He's making sure nothing happens to it until we get what we came for.
To do that, we'll walk across the bridge of synapses and neurons into the very heart of your memories! Why are you doing this? To find the truth.
Ten years ago, you were at the Battle of the Line.
The final battle of the Earth-Minbari War.
For 24 hours, you were out of touch with Earth.
- My ship was damaged.
I blacked out.
- So you testified.
Just one problem.
I don't believe you.
And I'm not the only one.
It's been a long time, but we're finally gonna get to the truth even if it kills you.
- Anything yet? - No.
You? Not yet.
All personnel are searching.
But it could take days.
We may not have days if he's hurt.
I've asked our base in the Tigris Sector to track every ship that left.
Send a couple maintenance bots outside the station.
- Go over the hull.
- What do they look for? A body.
If someone shoved it outside, the station's gravity will hold it.
There are days I'm very glad I don't have to think the way you do.
Your name is Jeffrey Sinclair.
Rank: commander.
Age: 39.
Born on Mars Colony, May 3rd, 2218, Enlisted in Earthforce Defense, 2237.
Promoted to fighter pilot, 2240.
Promoted again to squad leader less than a year later.
A career officer, like your father and his father and his father.
Smart money said you'd make admiral one day.
So, what happened, commander? Where did you fall off the merry-go-round? I don't have to tell you a thing.
And I'm betting, you don't have time.
Security's probably looking for me.
Assuming you're still on Babylon 5.
Assuming we haven't taken you somewhere else.
But you're right, you don't have to tell me anything.
What about someone else? Hello, commander.
Mitchell? Alpha Leader, a Minbari is on your tail.
I'm on him.
Targeting fighter! No, Mitchell, stay in formation! It might be a Oh, my God.
It's a trap! Mitchell! - I've got a clear shot! - Break off! I'm hit! Ejecting! Why did you do it, commander? Why did you betray us? Mitchell's dead.
This isn't real.
We fought for you.
We fought beside you on the line.
We swore we would all go down together.
But you're alive.
And we're dead because of you! It's not true.
I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen.
You never listened.
- I tried.
- What? - I tried! - Tried to do what, commander? Afterburners on my mark! Mark! - You tried to ram the Minbari cruiser? - Yes.
It was in my report.
And then what? I don't remember.
I blacked out.
I've never been able to remember.
You don't want to.
You don't want to remember the day you betrayed your race.
The day you became a traitor! The day you That's enough! Well, well, looks like the pain is real for both of us.
I heard the news, It.
Commander.
Is there anything I can do? - Lf he's missing - We're doing all we can.
- Try the telepath, Talia Winters.
- She's a level P-5, requires proximity.
She's not trained for search and recover.
All we can do is hope for a break.
You're all right? You snapped out of the cybernet.
I'm all right! He caught me by surprise.
He's tough.
Breaking him won't be easy.
What's happening out there? From what I see on the monitors, they've launched a full search.
- How long till they hit this sector? - Three, maybe four hours.
He was right, not much time.
- You should rest.
- No! We're close.
Walking through his mind, I'm convinced he's hiding something! But we have to accelerate the program.
Break his grip on reality.
I can increase the dosage of metazine, but he might start hallucinating.
Do it.
Then bring up the cyberfield It's dangerous.
It could shatter his mind or kill him.
Then he dies.
Moving through Blue Sector, continuing search.
We've finished sectors Blue 1 through Blue 3.
Nothing.
We need to cover more ground.
Put on everyone you can.
We have.
I even put in Benson.
Benson? He's inactive, pending the investigation.
We checked his files.
He's clean.
He's got a surplus in his account.
That's impossible.
I checked the other day, and he was tapped out.
See, he's got 5000 credits in his account.
This wasn't here 24 hours ago.
Check this list of payments.
There's five grand left after he paid off debts.
Original deposit was 15 thousand? Where did Benson get 15 grand? I don't know.
The deposit cleared at 0300 hours.
At 0700, the commander went missing.
Find Benson.
I wanna ask him some questions.
Increase cyberfield 30%.
Let's see it, commander.
What are you hiding? What happened on the line? Push, commander.
Remember.
What are you doing here? What do you want? Help me.
The whole station's looking for me.
They think I had - I don't have time for this! - I don't care! All I want is What the hell was that? What have you got going on in here anyway? Oh, my God! Terminate! You saw something, didn't you? Just before you blacked out.
I almost saw it with you.
Gray figures.
What does this mean? When did this happen? What are you hiding?! I'm not hiding anything.
We all hide things, commander.
That's why we bounced back here again.
This is where you hide? Behind duty and responsibility.
- Things you'd never understand.
- Wrong.
You're wrong.
We're both patriots in our own way.
If I fail, more will come until the job is finished.
But now it's time, commander.
We're going to find out what you're hiding.
We're going to find out now.
- Where did you find the body? - Floating outside the Red Sector.
Not much left.
It depressurized fast when it was shoved out into space.
It's Benson.
Whoever killed him couldn't have carried the body far without being noticed.
Tell the search teams to concentrate on Red Sector.
Commander.
Commander Sinclair.
For the last time, what happened at the Battle of the Line? I was trying to ram the Minbari cruiser.
Then something passed in front of my eyes.
I blacked out.
Next thing I know, it's 24 hours later.
The war The war was over! The Minbari had surrendered on the eve of their victory.
They gave up.
Just like that! You expect us to believe you slept through the whole thing? Your ship was off-screen for 24 hours.
You didn't just black out.
Your ship disappeared! The screens malfunctioned.
The hearing proved that.
Why are you doing all this? The Minbari surrendered at the line.
Precisely my point! They surrendered! Why?! I think they took one look at our defense and realized what it'd cost to invade Earth.
Why risk lives in a frontal attack when they could attack us from within? But they needed a fifth column.
People like you.
Look at Earth, commander.
Alien civilization.
Alien migration.
Aliens buying up real estate.
Alien funding of Babylon 5.
What they couldn't take by force, they're corrupting inch by inch! What does that have to do with me? Nobody wants to die, especially not out there in space, so you surrendered.
They took you aboard their ship and asked you to work for them be their eyes, their ears, their voice.
You agreed.
You and God knows how many other people! And then they let you go.
You're insane.
I never betrayed Earth.
How can you be sure? You just said you don't remember! - Mitchell.
What about Mitchell? - That's enough! You talk about the war, Mitchell and the rest, but you didn't know them! They were my friends.
I watched them die one by one.
For years, whenever I saw a Minbari, I had to fight the urge to strangle them.
All I could see was Mitchell and the rest dying.
Dying.
- Why? - We were outnumbered and outgunned.
We never had a chance.
You say we could have won, but you weren't there.
When I looked at those ships, I didn't just see my death I saw the death of the human race! Then why did they surrender? I don't know! Maybe the universe blinked.
Maybe God changed his mind.
We got a second chance! And in 10 years, nothing's ever made you doubt your story that you blacked out, is that it? No! Nothing.
- Except - Except what? There's a hole in your mind.
What was that, commander? Come on, you're close.
You're almost there.
What happened that day? What happened at the Battle of the Line? Don't you want to know? Don't you want to know? Yes.
- Yes, I do.
- Then go.
Look, see! Now! Now! Now! - Alpha 7 to Alpha Leader, I'm hit! - Pull out! Pull out! Alpha 7! He's gone.
Picking up enemy transmissions! - Hold the line! No one gets through! - Understood.
Alpha Leader, a Minbari is on your tail.
I'm on him.
Targeting fighter! No, Mitchell, stay in formation! It might be a Oh, my God.
It's a trap! Mitchell! - I've got a clear shot! - Break off! I'm hit! Ejecting! Stabilizers hit.
Weapons: 0.
Defensive grid: 0.
- Power plant near critical mass.
- Not like this.
If I'm going out, I'm taking you bastards with me! Target main cruiser.
Full velocity ram.
Afterburners on my mark! Mark! Why are you doing this? What do you want? Why are you doing this? Who are you?! I know you.
I know who you are.
I know you.
Minbari broken through.
I have to report.
Get back to my ship.
Got it? Listen to me next time.
No more, huh? I'm sorry, all right? I didn't mean it.
- Just get it done.
- All right.
Commander.
Commander! Security to C and C.
I found the commander! I'm following him Security, this is C and C.
Please repeat.
- Security? Where did it come from? - Red 6, level 2.
I'm on it.
Commander! Commander Sinclair, please report in.
Commander? Commander Sinclair, please report in.
- Look out! - Get down! What the? Commander, I What the hell?! Commander? - Mr.
Garibaldi.
- Yeah, go.
We found someone.
The commander has been treated with psychotropic drugs.
He may be delusional.
In his present state, he may be dangerous.
Yeah, thanks.
I kind of got that impression.
Keep me informed.
Look.
Ambassador! Stay back! It's me, commander.
You're safe.
No one will harm you.
Stop.
I know I know you.
I know who you are! I'm your friend, commander.
Ambassador Delenn.
Your friend.
No! I know you.
I know you.
Welcome home.
How long have I been out? A day.
I flushed the drugs out.
Your system's been through a shock.
Where's the prisoner? On his way to Bay 12.
He's being transferred home.
- They want him back on Earth for trial.
- Why there instead of here? His group is trying to prove collusion between Earth and Minbari officials.
There's a rumor it's a covert operation run from inside the government.
They won't get much out of him.
When you broke out of the cybernet, a feedback charge fried his memory.
I wanna see him.
- I don't think that's a - Now! Just a sec.
We need the prisoner for a moment.
Alone.
He's all yours.
You never told me your name.
I don't remember.
You couldn't pull off something this big without help.
Who are you working for? I can't help you.
I don't remember anything.
It's no use, commander.
We've tried.
He's gone.
Move him out.
- Commander.
- Command Commander Sinclair.
There's There's something in my head.
It says maybe you're still inside.
Maybe we're both still inside.
Prison vessel, you're clear for jump.
Come.
- Commander, you are better? - Yes.
I wanted to thank you for your help.
I was messed up.
Delusional.
Strange that seeing you snapped me out of it.
I'm glad that I could help.
Now, I suggest rest.
It will help you heal.
Commander.
Out of curiosity, do you remember anything from your experience? No.
Sorry, not a thing.
He must never know what happened.
If he should find out he must be killed.
Do you understand, Delenn? Yes.
Computer.
Personal log entry.
I remember.
I was taken inside a Minbari cruiser.
Interrogated.
Tortured.
Was that the Grey Council? Maybe.
Maybe.
Before they surrendered, they must have blanked my memory and let me go.
And Delenn, what was she doing there? What is it they don't want me to remember? I have to find out.
I have to.