Babylon 5

This is Earth Alliance Fighter Squadron Black Omega to stolen transport.

You are ordered to surrender your vessel and prepare to be boarded.

If you attempt to escape you will be fired upon and destroyed.

Do you understand?

Repeat, surrender or...

There's a problem, Commander.

- You missed a button. - You're bright and cheerful this morning.

Got an offer on the table from Universal Terraform

to do some surveying and I'm seeing them in an hour to talk terms.

That's a big operation. Sure you want to get involved with a mega-corp?

Jeff, I've been around the block a few times. I can handle myself.

- You worry too much. - You don't worry enough.

Perfect combination.

Gotta hurry. See you at lunch?

Can't. I have a budget meeting with the construction guild. Have to make some cuts.

- Can't say I'm looking forward to it. - I'm sure it'll be fine.

It's been quiet for the last week, the whole place is on schedule.

What could go wrong?

Confirm, Seven Tango Seven, you are clear to dock.

Affirmative, Babylon Control.

I'm looking forward to my visit.

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 5.

You know, I've often wondered what it's like to be a telepath.

It's like staying in a hotel room where you can just hear the people talking next door.

You can try and shut it out, but it's always there.

The key is not to eavesdrop unless you're invited.

So is it difficult to block out other people's thoughts?

Depends on the thoughts.

- Destination? - Blue 14.

Casual thoughts are very easy to block,

but strong emotions have a way of slipping through sometimes

whether you want them to or not.

Blue 14.

Ooh I think I'm in love.

Earth transport Spinosa is now embarking in Docking Area 9.

Yes?

No, sir. I just never met a Psi Cop before.

Yes, sir. I'll bring you there myself.

This way.

Would you tell me a little more about the target?

It's a Class 4 world, designated Sigma 957.

Not much of an atmosphere, mostly nitrogen and oxygen.

And their fly-by sensor picked up traces of diridium.

Byproduct of Quantium-40.

Usually. We need that verified. If so, we'll send out a life sciences probe

make sure we're in accord with the all the regs on planetary exploitation.

But, we can't afford that unless we're certain it's worth the effort.

How can it not be worth it? There's a shortage of Q-40 on Earth.

They're backed up six months on jumpgate construction.

Which is why we need absolute confidentiality.

I need your word that you won't mention this to anyone, including the Commander.

- My personal life has nothing to do... - I know, I know.

I was told to ask, so I'm asking.

We each have our marching orders, Ms. Sakai.

So do I have your word?

- She's telling the truth. - Well, then, we have a deal.

There is one other thing. The target is in a...

contested sector of space.

So we'll need the approval of one other party

before we can proceed with the survey.

Commander? Some VIPs here to see you, sir.

Send them in.

No, it's a fine time, I...

Get out of my head.

You wanna talk to me, talk to me.

My apologies, Commander.

- It saves considerable time. - I don't care.

I don't like people rummaging around in my head.

I thought the Psi Corps had rules about this sort of thing.

There are rules, and there are rules, Commander.

When telepaths go rogue, someone has to take them down.

Only Psi Cops are qualified to do that.

Since we bear a greater responsibility, we're afforded greater latitude

in the interest of efficiency. - Yes, I'm sure you are, Mr...

Bester. This is my associate, Ms. Kelsey.

We're looking for a rogue telepath.

We have reason to believe he may be on this station.

We need to set up a meeting as soon as possible with your resident telepath

as well as your security and command personnel. Then we will proceed...

I'm not turning this station upside down

because you're hunting down one rogue telepath.

Not just a rogue, Commander.

This is a special and very dangerous individual

whose presence here threatens the entire Earth Alliance military structure.

This is our basic guest quarters.

The vibe shower's in the back and through that door...

- Price? - 500 credits per week

based on Earth standard rotational cycles.

Fine, fine.

- If there's anything else you need... - No. No, thank you.

Welcome to Babylon 5. We are at your disposal

with a range of onboard facilities perfectly suited to human

and non-human travelers.

For your shopping convenience the Zócalo is accessible...

His name is Jason Ironheart.

I believe you know him, Miss Winters.

Yes, he was my instructor at the Psi Corps Training Academy.

His job is to work with telepaths level P-5 through P-10, high level training.

Jamming, long-range scanning, the development

of fringe skills, that sort of thing.

- What's his Psi rating? - He's a 10.

All instructors at the Academy are rated P-10.

- And Psi Cops? What are you rated? - P-12.

Someone has to keep an eye on the rest.

Yes, but who watches the watchmen?

One year ago, Jason Ironheart was reassigned

to Earthforce Military Intelligence

- working on a covert operation. - What kind of covert operation?

That information is on a need-to-know basis, Commander.

And you don't need to know.

Let's just say that what's in his brain would compromise Earthforce defense...

...and lead to the death of many of our covert operatives on other worlds.

We think he intends to sell that information to other governments.

That's nonsense. Jason would never do anything like that.

Our job is to find him and bring him back. Alive if possible.

Dead if necessary.

Have you had any contact with Jason Ironheart since you left the Academy?

Just letters, the last one was about a year ago.

You understand we'll have to scan you to be sure.

Is that necessary? I'm telling you the truth.

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Look, if she doesn't want to be scanned...

She's required to submit.

If she's seen him, or heard from him,

his mental fingerprints will be in her thoughts.

The process is not pleasant.

You may stay or leave as you choose.

That's enough.

I said that's enough!

She's telling the truth. She hasn't seen him.

Surprising, given your prior involvement.

If Ironheart hasn't shown up yet, he will. We must be informed at once.

Do not attempt any contact with him. Especially you, Miss Winters.

Do not approach him. Do not speak to him.

Is that clear?

Yes.

You can go now.

What level of physical threat does he represent?

That's something else you don't need to know.

Just find him. We'll do the rest.

Hello, Talia. I've been looking for you.

Talia. Talia, wait, please!

- I can't see you. The Psi Cops are here. - I know. Listen, Talia...

What did you do? Why are they after you?

- Do you know what they did to me? - Yes. Yes, I do.

That's why I waited until after they scanned you to make contact.

But it's okay. We'll be safe for a while, at least.

I have to talk to you. I need a place.

A place where I can wait, just for a little while.

Why? What's going on, Jason?

All I can say now is that I can't let them find me.

If they do, then I'll have to kill them or they'll have to kill me.

But it's not just us, Talia. There are thousands, millions of lives are at stake.

Just give me five minutes to explain, that's all.

Then, if you want me to leave, I will.

Please.

If this is your way of getting at the Commander through me...

No. Whether you believe it or not, I'm doing this is for your own safety.

Sigma 957 is not a healthy place. Strange things happen there.

It's uninhabited. There's no sentient life to threaten anyone.

Nonetheless, it is not safe. I have passed through that sector. Take my word.

- Look elsewhere. - I think you want Sigma 957 for yourself.

The Narn government doesn't have the resources to exploit a world that far away.

But you want to hold on to it anyway, out of sheer spite.

Considering what you were probably told about me, I'm sure you do believe that.

Despite your long acquaintance with Sinclair, you're new here, aren't you.

Let me pass on to you the one thing I've learned about this place.

No one here is exactly what he appears.

Not Mollari, not Delenn...

not Sinclair and not me.

My warning is sincere. Ignore it at your own peril.

Ambassador.

If I have to, I'll go over your head. I have contacts of my own in the Narn Regime.

Then I fear the Commander will miss you greatly

when you fail to return from Sigma 957.

A year ago, I volunteered for a Psi Corps experiment.

It was an attempt to make telepaths even stronger.

Turn a P-5 into a P-10, and a P-10 into...

Into God knows what.

Why?

Because in this business, whoever has the strongest telepath wins.

The military wants to scan the enemy.

The enemy wants a telepath strong enough to block the scan.

And we want someone who can cut through the block.

They said it was necessary to help protect Earth.

Anyway, the experiments went on for months.

Genetic manipulation. Mutated strains of serotonin