Lyta becomes closer to Byron and the colony of telepaths, while Franklin investigates a secret from the Hyach race's distant past.
Cast[]
Regular[]
- Bruce Boxleitner as President John Sheridan
- Jerry Doyle as Michael Garibaldi
- Mira Furlan as Ambassador Delenn
- Richard Biggs as Dr. Stephen Franklin
- Bill Mumy as Lennier
- Tracy Scoggins as Captain Elizabeth Lochley
- Stephen Furst as Vir Cotto
- Jeff Conaway as Security Chief Zack Allan
- Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander
- Peter Jurasik as Ambassador Londo Mollari
- Andreas Katsulas as Ambassador G'Kar
Guest Starring[]
- Robin Atkin Downes as Byron
- Fiona Dwyer as Kirrin
- Jack Hannibal as Peter
- Stuart McLean as Carl
- Jana Robbins as Ambassador Tal
Co-Starring[]
- Roger Hewlett as Thug
- Skip Stellrecht as Security Guard
Featuring[]
- William Scudder as Drazi Captain
Uncredited[]
- Christina Gavin as Sarah
- Unknown as Kosh
- Unknown as Ulkesh
Cast Notes[]
- Regular characters who appear in this episode are Stephen Franklin, Zack Allan and Lyta Alexander.
Summary[]
Introduction[]
Stephen Franklin records a log about his new work on cataloging new species' diseases for the Interstellar Alliance, noting the multiple dangers that are impending. He is currently with a pak'ma'ra, curious about their apparent imperviousness to outside infection despite being carrion eaters. The pak'ma'ra claims his people are "very special, chose of God." They can eat all creatures except seafood. Franklin wants to do an internal analysis, but the pak'ma'ra objects that the analytic liquid is "not on approved list". Franklin insists it is all right. The pak'ma'ra throws up the compound.
Zack Allan has been summoned to customs due to an arrival of new telepaths who lack the right papers. Allan is reluctant, as there is a continually increasing number of telepaths arriving, but one of them says they are with Byron Gordon. Gordon himself arrives with Lyta Alexander, and insists he will have all the appropriate papers ready for Allan, and that John Sheridan's promise extends to however many telepaths want to arrive. Allan lets them enter, though afterwards mentions to the security guard there will be trouble down the line. He catches Alexander to talk.
Indeed, as the new telepaths enter the elevator with Gordon, one privately demonstrates the unusual gift of telekinesis as a trick for the others.
Act I[]
Allan bluntly asks why Alexander is with Gordon, as he does not like the way the group hangs together and he is skeptical of Gordon himself. Alexander is offended, and reminds him of all that has been asked of her in the past three years. She feels Gordon is finally the one who actually cares about her. Allan objects, saying he cares about her, but also admits he cannot offer her another reason.
Elsewhere, in Downbelow, Gordon and some of his group pass through a hallway and are confronted by a gang. The lead man objects to their free stay and supposes they think they're better than everyone else. When it is obvious the gang wwill not let them pass, Gordon invites the man to hit him a few times, without returning blows. He proves a point that the man's anger will not be satisfied by violence against him, and, bewildered at the response, the gang let the telepaths go.
Franklin sees Ambassador Miziri Tal, who has relayed a request of Franklin to the Grand Council of Elders to meet. When the ambassador's attaché Kirrin arrives, he explains he wants medical information from the Hyach. He insists the information will be kept confidential and encrypted. The attaché presses the question of whether Franklin would sacrifice his life to keep the information from falling into enemy hands. Franklin confirms this. When Franklin leaves, the attaché notes this is still a mistake and wonders what will happen if Franklin finds out certain aspects of their genetics. The Elders have already made the decision, the ambassador notes. The attaché then promises to kill Franklin if their secret gets out.
Act II[]
Alexander sees Gordon and the wounds inflicted on him. He insists he is fine, and that responding with violence would only have made things worse. Further, no organization that has employed violence has lasted. They must be different. When Alexander gets excited about fighting back he changes the subject, noting the fire he sees in her. They kiss. She starts to leave, and admits she does not feel she belongs with his group, and that is why she never stays the night. Gordon asks her to stay the night, and they walk out among the others. When Gordon mentions what Alexander just said, the rest embrace her.
In MedLab, Kirrin delivers the last of the files. Franklin asks her why the files only cover 800 years of the 7,000 years of their history. She evades his logical request and leaves. He asks the computer how much data B5 has, but its records only goes back 800 years, too. He deduces the Hyach are hiding something.
One of the new telepaths, Peter, is leaving the Zócalo when he gets lost. The men who accosted Gordon earlier intercept him and take his food. Peter defends himself by telekinetically throwing a pipe at the attacker. The man retaliates and beats him several times.
Act III[]
Peter is tended in MedLab when Alexander and Gordon arrive. Gordon is very worried, and says he was attacked by "one of you." Gordon does not have a description but thinks he knows who is responsible. Peter comes out of it a little bit and telekinetically throws a table to the wall. Alexander and Gordon leave to find the others.
Meanwhile, Gordon's followers have found one of the hostile men and are making him think he is on fire. Gordon arrives in time to make them back off, but the man collapses. He goes to check on the man just as Allan arrives. Allen blames Gordon and arrests him, despite Alexander's plea to let him go.
Gordon is in a cell, feeling the hurt the other telepaths are causing to the men in the gang, including the leader, but the guard does not believe him when he asks to talk to them to calm them down.
Meanwhile, Franklin continues his research. He finds a recording by a Drazi pilot of a rare "Hyach-do" sighting. The Hyach-do asked to come with the Drazi, but they refused. Franklin performs a search on this new term and leaves MedLab. He is followed and taken captive by Kirrin.
Act IV[]
Kirrin takes him to a secluded area, and Franklin confronts her with what he has found: the Hyach-do were a related sapient race whom the Hyach eradicated. The ambassador reveals herself, too, and admits more of the sad history: intermarrying with the Hyach-do was forbidden and they were also forbidden to leave their homeworld, with the genocide itself taking centuries to accomplish. Ironically, the Hyach needed something in the Hyach-do's genetics to survive; their numbers now are actually shrinking. They ask Franklin's help to find what the missing link was, but he refuses, holding them responsible for their ancestors' crimes since they helped cover up the genocide. He also says such help it is beyond his power, and they would need the resources of many worlds, who would have to learn the Hyach's secret – something their elders would never allow. The ambassador orders Kirrin to let him go and leave. She agrees to let the other Alliance worlds learn their secret, and asks Franklin's forgiveness, pointing out that none of the living Hyach took part in the genocide. But he says only the Hyach-do can forgive them.
Gordon is brought to Allan and is informed that the injured mundane man confirmed his story that Gordon himself tried to help, so he is free to go. However, he notes the man worked for Carl Townsend, whose body they found an hour ago. He also notes they hassled Gordon's group earlier, and now they have been attacked or killed. Gordon (who saw this while he was in the cell) insists that had he not been locked up he may have been able to stop the violence. Alexander arrives to walk him back to their compound. When alone, Gordon is frustrated that his followers still have not let go of anger and violence like he has tried to teach them. Alexander reminds him that the men were very violent themselves, but Gordon still blames himself for not doing more. She starts to get intimate with him, but warns him first about not exactly knowing what the Vorlons did to her. He enthusiastically wants to continue. However, during the lovemaking not only Gordon, but all the telepaths get glimpses into what she has seen. While in the liquid chamber being changed by the Vorlons, she saw other fetuses and fully-grown people all in liquid chambers, quietly being changed. They are all stunned.
Act V[]
Gordon is now angry as he learns the truth: the Vorlons created telepaths over the centuries for their war against the Shadows. They could have had normal lives, but were told they were different and that they were somehow responsible. Gordon now wants the other races to acknowledge the role they were forced to play and the aid they gave against the Shadows by giving them a homeworld of their own. He wants to plead the Alliance for it, and, if they refuse, he will force them.
Memorable Quotes[]
DVD Release[]
This episode, along with the other 21 from Season 5 have been released on DVD with extensive Special Features.
External Link[]
Babylon 5 Season 5 "Wheel of Fire" | ||||
<<< Previous Season • "No Compromises" • "The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari" • "The Paragon of Animals" • "A View from the Gallery" • "Learning Curve" • "Strange Relations" • "Secrets of the Soul" • "Day of the Dead" • "In the Kingdom of the Blind" • "A Tragedy of Telepaths" • "Phoenix Rising" • "The Ragged Edge" • "The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father" • "Meditations on the Abyss" • "Darkness Ascending" • "And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder" • "Movements of Fire and Shadow" • "The Fall of Centauri Prime" • "The Wheel of Fire" • "Objects in Motion" • "Objects at Rest" • "Sleeping in Light" |
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