Babylon 5 s04e18 Episode Script

Captain, I just thought you should know.
They've got your dad.
Traced him through his medication picked him up at a safe house just outside of Chicago.
We've got a couple days before they can move.
We should be able to break him out.
Now, I've got some people who can help, but they want a meeting.
John, I don't like the way this sounds the way it looks, I don't like anything about it.
It stinks of a setup.
Michael and I have had our problems lately but he has never given me reason to think he meant me harm.
All right.
What do you want me to do? You've already done it.
It's a tranq.
Don't fight it.
- What are you? - Give it up or they'll hurt you! Do you have any allergies or illnesses I should be aware of? Are you currently taking any medication? Have you had any trouble with your heart? When I ask a question, you will respond at once.
You will not hesitate, you will not consider, you will not lie.
Cooperation will be rewarded.
Resistance will be punished.
Do you understand? Paingivers.
We bought them from the Narn during the war.
They're most effective.
If you come within 3 feet of me, you will be hurt.
If you come within 2 feet, you will be rendered unconscious.
There's nothing to be gained by trying to harm me.
I am not the enemy.
To be the enemy, I must have some personal stake in what happens to you.
I'm not interested in that at all.
I'm here to do a job, nothing more.
You are a name, a file and a case number.
That is all.
I have no desire to inflict pain but I will do so when and as it is required.
The level of discomfort you experience will be entirely up to you.
I'm not here to negotiate or to assist you.
Then why are you here? To ensure your cooperation.
To that end, I will use whatever means I feel are appropriate.
Do you understand? No.
No.
It was a simple enough question.
There's no reason to endure all this just to determine if you have a grasp of English.
So do you understand? Do you have any allergies or illnesses I should be aware of? Are you currently taking any medication? Have you had any problems with your heart? No.
Good.
Then we can begin.
It was the year of fire.
The year of destruction.
The year we took back what was ours.
It was the year of rebirth.
The year of great sadness.
The year of pain.
- And a year of joy.
- It was a new age.
It was the end of history.
It was the year everything changed.
The year is 2261.
The place, Babylon 5.
Good morning.
- Good morning.
- It's not morning.
- It isn't? - No.
And how do you know that? When you came in before, I saw daylight through the door.
When you came in now it's dark outside.
Daylight? You mean that? Well, if that's daylight and that's night, then we may as well assume that this is morning again.
Good morning.
I'd forget my head if it wasn't nailed on.
Which reminds me.
Never contradict me.
Oh, my.
Look at the time.
This is interesting.
I hadn't seen this before.
During your time at the academy and all your years during the war, afterwards you never showed any particular interest in politics.
So you don't consider yourself to be political? - No.
- That's interesting.
Yes.
That's very interesting.
You see, that's what they thought.
That's why you're here.
If you never showed any interest in politics then it's not likely you'd start running around trying to overthrow your own government unless you had been under the influence of outsiders.
Is that a fair thing to say? That you've been under the influence of other people? No.
No.
Really? I find that most remarkable.
I mean, aren't we all under the influence of others? It's part of being in the world.
Somebody in the office is in a bad mood, pretty soon everybody's in a bad mood.
We're all influenced by other people.
You've really never been influenced by anyone else? Are you that far removed from other people? Well, no matter.
I'll put it down as your first fabrication.
This is really excellent corned beef.
You have to get just the right mustard.
The brown with the seeds, not the yellow kind.
And not too much of it.
If there's too much, it irritates the corners of my mouth.
Oh, would? Would you like some? I know they haven't fed you since you got here.
That's at least two days.
Besides it's lunchtime.
Isn't it? Isn't it lunchtime? You just said it was morning.
Well, you can't have a corned-beef sandwich for breakfast.
It would upset your stomach.
Corned-beef sandwiches are for lunch.
If it's morning, you can't have it.
If it's lunchtime you can.
Is it lunchtime? I'm sure it's lunchtime somewhere.
Excellent answer.
Here.
I ate half of that myself.
Killing you does nobody any good.
I told you, I'm here to ensure your cooperation.
And I can't do that if you're dead, now can I? It does prove, though, how everything is a matter of perspective.
You think you see daylight, and you assume it's morning take it away, you think it's night.
Offer you a sandwich, if it's convenient, you'll think it's midday.
The truth is fluid.
The truth is subjective.
Out there, it doesn't matter what time it is.
In here, it's lunchtime if you and I decide that it is.
The truth is sometimes what you believe it to be and other times what you decide it to be.
My task is to make you decide to believe differently.
And when that happens the world will remake itself before your very eyes.
- Not a chance.
- No? You've done it before.
- When? - When haven't you? When you were a soldier, you fought the Minbari.
The Minbari were the enemy.
That was the truth.
And then one day, someone said the Minbari are no longer the enemy.
And that was the truth.
And you not only accepted them as allies, you embraced them.
You took one of them as a lover.
That's not the way You swore an oath to Earthforce because you believed in it.
That was the truth.
Now Earthforce is supposed to be the enemy.
Now that is the truth.
It all depends on what you believe and what other people tell you to believe.
The truth is fluid.
The truth is subjective.
No! Governments make policy.
Soldiers have to accept those policies, even when they're completely contradictory.
It's the very definition of your job.
A soldier accepts that the face of truth changes on a daily basis.
Unless you're rejecting everything that you said you stood for.
Is that what you're doing? Thanks for the sandwich.
You're right.
The corned beef is perfect.
The mustard's a little weak for my tastes.
Now you're being evasive.
Better than being dishonest.
Really? You said it was lunchtime, even though you knew almost certainly that it was not.
You said that you've never been influenced by other people and you and I both know that's impossible.
I, however, have spoken the utter and unvarnished truth from the moment I came through that door.
Now which one of us is being dishonest? I just remembered it's time for supper.
You know, about that sandwich, captain it's a funny thing about toxins.
I've always felt that if you eat a little poison every day you'll get used to it.
It desensitizes you until you can swallow large amounts of it with no difficulty whatsoever.
I've always thought that that was a metaphor.
I could just never decide what for.
The contents of the sandwich will not kill you.
As I said, they want you alive for now.
But the toxins will begin having their desired effects in just a few minutes.
I'll be back when they've had a chance to clean up the place.
Good morning.
How are we feeling? Poison's all flushed out? Well, let's see.
Yes.
It must have been a rough night.
The jaundice will pass in a couple of hours.
I'm sorry I had to do that.
Part of the process.
We have to break you physically before we can get to your mind.
Personally, I find it distasteful and crude.
But they don't listen to me.
Well, actually they do listen to me.
They listen to both of us.
My superiors monitor all of the interrogation rooms randomly throughout the day.
If they don't see some indication that you're willing to cooperate well, I can't be held responsible for the consequences.
The best thing for you to do is cooperate.
They'll let you go then.
You're dehydrated, which is not surprising considering that you just upchucked everything you've been eating for the last four days.
This'll help.
You need to build your salts back up restore your body's fluids.
Here.
Captain, I've told you the truth from the beginning.
Now I'm telling you that this is safe.
Understand l'm the one and only ally you have in this place.
I won't lie to you.
What I tell you will be the absolute truth.
This is safe.
Drink it.
I recommend taking it in small sips to start with until your body adjusts.
We don't want a repeat of what happened last night, now do we? I've been going over your files the last night.
I found some omissions that we need to correct.
There are just a few bookkeeping points, nothing of a compromising nature.
Your second in command her name was Susan lvanova? Is that correct? Earth has all the records.
Well, yes, but only up until the time you broke away.
After that, everything gets a little fuzzy.
We just need to confirm her name for the records.
There's no harm in that.
No reason you shouldn't tell me.
Sure, there is.
And why is that? Because you want it.
I told you, I don't want anything.
I really don't care.
But my superiors don't like blank spaces in their records.
They want everything neat, tidy and complete.
- Feeling better? - A little.
Good.
Then perhaps you'd care to join me? It's for your own good.
Don't want you to hurt yourself.
Oh, and by the way, I should mention, your father sends his regards.
He's being held at another facility a few miles from here and one of my associates is handling his case.
When I stopped by to pick up your report, I passed him in the hall.
- Then he's still alive.
- Alive and well.
- Why are you telling me this? - Why not? I told you, I have no vested interest in helping you or harming you as long as the job gets done.
He made a request.
It didn't go against my orders, so I passed it along.
"Thank you" would be the appropriate response.
Thank you.
Yes.
I imagine that we'll only hold him as long as we hold you.
But, of course, that means that as long as you continue to resist we can't let him go.
- You've been interrogated before.
- Yes.
Anyone I know? You'd be surprised.
Well, it's certainly strange you don't seem to know the rules.
Perhaps I should explain them in case you've forgotten.
This is your confession.
It goes on at some length.
So allow me to summarize.
You plead guilty to charges of treason, mutiny, conspiracy to commit mutiny sedition, terrorism - That's a lie.
Conspiracy to overthrow the government, illegal seizure of Earth property assault on fellow officers, sabotage - Now, just a minute.
Willful destruction of public property disobeying direct orders of superior officers and the murder of 547 officers and crew on board the E.
A.
S.
Roanoke.
- I won't sign it! - You will sign it! You will sign it, and you will read it aloud in full view of the public so they'll know that we haven't forged your image or your signature.
You will name your accomplices.
You will apologize to the families and friends of those who died fighting you.
And in the end, you will beg for mercy on the grounds that you're under the influence of aliens who are trying to subvert the government and undermine the president.
I demand to see an attorney! I demand the presence of a full military tribunal! - You have no right! - No, you have no rights! There's no courtroom here, captain.
No tribunals, no attorneys, no justice, no mercy no fairness, no hope, no last-minute escape.
You will walk through that door when you confess and not one second before! Good morning.
There, now.
That should do it.
Now, would you please repeat what you told one of our other interrogators last night? I was one of those who was responsible for manipulating Captain Sheridan into turning against his own government.
Don't do this.
I confess to taking part in a conspiracy to overturn your government.
You're giving them exactly what they want.
Precisely.
And when he's done, he'll be able to leave.
Continue.
We can edit out the interruptions later.
Those who worked with me in this conspiracy were Commander Susan lvanova Minbari Ambassador Delenn Senator Ross Fowler.
He's not actually involved in any of this but he's recently become a source of annoyance to the president.
Waste not, want not.
I can personally verify all of the charges against him.
However, Captain Sheridan was not responsible for his actions.
He was not mentally competent - Stop it! Listen to me! Listen to me.
Now, I don't know what they did to you in here.
I know it must have been terrible but it's all out here.
It's all flesh.
Now, I know you feel that they've won but as long as you don't break inside, they can't win.
Don't do this.
He's trying to save you trouble, captain.
He's your alibi.
He's the one chance you have of avoiding the death penalty for your actions.
I know the Drazi.
I've worked with your people.
I fought alongside them in the war.
You're a strong race, a proud race.
You'll bend, but you don't break.
The ones that have done this to you, they are the ones that have been broken.
- There is nothing I can do.
- Yes, there is! You can fight.
You can refuse to surrender.
You can refuse to be broken.
You just have to say, "No, I won't" one more time than they can say, "Yes, you will.
" Captain The moment you surrender you become expendable.
I'm afraid.
I've never been afraid before.
We're all afraid.
Don't give them what they want.
Don't.
Don't.
I have nothing more to say.
I will not cooperate any further.
Are you sure? Do you understand that this is your last chance? What are you doing? Do you understand that this is your very last chance? Yes.
Oh, no, no, no.
No, let him go.
He's done nothing to you.
I've never even seen him before in my life.
He's got nothing to do with this.
For God's sake, let him go.
No.
Room 17.
Now, I was asking you about Commander lvanova.
What are you gonna do with him? It's nothing you need to concern yourself with.
Now, about your contacts with the Resistance.
If you could provide me with, say, three or four names it would go a long way toward convincing my superiors I said, what are you going to do with him?! You must understand he was expendable from the moment he arrived.
We are all expendable.
Just parts in a machine.
You're lucky.
You were deemed nonexpendable when you got here.
Even I don't fall into that category.
But the patience of my superiors is not without limit.
You are alive because it's convenient and because they want you honestly and sincerely broken in case someone scans you.
It has to be a sincere apology.
This will encourage the others who worked with you to reconsider their position.
It would save us a tremendous amount of time and trouble.
Unless you become an even greater source of time and trouble.
I'm sorry they had to do that.
But as I told you, it's not my choice.
You will cooperate with the state for the good of the state and your own survival.
You will confess to the crimes of which you have been accused.
You will be released, and return to society a productive citizen if you cooperate.
Resistance will be punished.
Cooperation will be rewarded.
Good night.
I'll see you in the morning.
You will cooperate with the state for the good of the state and your own survival.
You will confess to the crimes of which you have been accused.
You will be released, and return to society a productive citizen if you cooperate.
You will cooperate with the state for the good of the state and your own survival.
You will confess to the crimes of which you have been accused.
You will be released, and return to society a productive citizen if you cooperate.
Resistance will be punished.
Cooperation will be rewarded.
Good morning.
I should tell you that unless you begin to cooperate you won't be receiving any more intravenous nutrition.
It's bad enough they had me take you off solid food.
Don't compound the error further.
That piece of paper and a few words from you are all that's standing between you and that door.
Don't you see how foolish this is? I'm not keeping you here.
They're not keeping you here.
You're keeping you here.
And are you suicidal or simply self-destructive preferring to let us do the work for you? Don't you want to leave? Don't you want to be free? Walk through that door? Feel the sun on your face again? Yes.
Then sign it and speak.
That's all.
Then you can go.
They don't want you dead.
They want you as a symbol, not a martyr.
As a warning to others.
- Then you'll kill me.
- No.
Absolutely not.
I told you, I won't lie to you.
They'll come for you eventually.
But they'll wait until you've been forgotten.
Until your fate no longer means anything to anyone.
They'll come in the night.
It will be very quick.
But until that time you will have your freedom.
If anything, they'll encourage you to travel so that more people can see you as a symbol of the preeminent truth of our time that you cannot beat the system.
I'm telling you the truth.
Sign and speak and you can leave here.
It's really that simple.
I know you can do it.
I know you want to do it.
Well? No.
I I really wish you hadn't done that, captain.
I really sincerely wish you hadn't done that.
I I have no control over what will happen next.
It's out of my hands.
Right.
Now, listen to me.
Wake up.
There's something you have to understand.
Focus.
Focus on me.
Do you know why they're doing this to you? Because you're a war hero, one of the few to come out of the Minbari War.
They've invested a considerable amount of time and effort making you a hero in the public's eye.
The problem is, when a war hero starts believing certain things and saying certain things, the public listens.
They figure maybe there's something to it.
Your credibility has become a threat to their credibility.
So one of them has to go.
The best way out for everyone is for you to confess and lay the blame for what's happened on the alien government.
Whether it's true or not doesn't matter.
Truth is immaterial.
They can sell it.
And they will let you live.
Note, I said, it is the best way.
I did not say, it was the only way.
The other way, captain is a posthumous confession.
Your signature is not a problem.
They have your image on file.
They can create you reading the confession.
That's not as good as having you where people can see you so they know it's true that even you can be broken, you cannot resist.
With a video record, there will always be doubt.
It's not the same as breaking you but I'm told that as of this morning it is an acceptable option.
I can save your life.
Right now.
If you'll let me.
You know it's funny.
I was thinking about what you said.
The preeminent truth of our age is that you cannot fight the system.
But if, as you say, the truth is fluid that the truth is subjective then maybe you can fight the system.
As long as just one person refuses to be broken refuses to bow down.
But can you win? Every time I say no.
Captain John Sheridan, will you or will you not sign a confession and endorse it before a public hearing? No.
Do you understand that this is your last chance? Do you understand that this is your very last chance? Room 17.
Almighty God, look upon your servant lying in great weakness, and comfort him.
Deliver him from all evil and set him free from every bond.
No man lives to himself, and no man dies to himself.
If we live, we live unto God.
If we die, we die unto God.
Therefore into your hands, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock.
Receive him into the arms of your mercy.
May his soul rest in peace.
Amen.
What? What? Good morning.
Now, before we begin your interrogation, I'll need some information.
Do you have any allergies or illnesses? Are you currently taking any medication? Had any trouble with your heart? Answer my questions when they are asked.
Resistance will be punished.
Cooperation will be rewarded.
Do you have any illnesses or allergies that I should know about? Are you currently taking any medication? Have you had any trouble with your heart? Answer my questions when they are asked.
Resistance will be punished, cooperation rewarded.
Do you have any allergies or illnesses that I should know about? Are you currently taking any medication? Have you had any trouble with your heart? You will answer my questions when they are asked.
Resistance will be punished.
Cooperation will be rewarded.