"Am I going to die?" "If it is written in the streams of time, Shon, it will be so." "I'll tell vou what is written." "Soon vou will breathe much easier." "You will grow to be strong, wise and bring honor to vour mother and father." "Please don't speak that wav." "No one knows what is written until the waters surround him." "I am never wrong about these things." "Dr. Franklin." "Mv husband would like to speak with vou candidlv." "Mav he do so?" "Of course." "The doctors on our world sav there's no treatment for his waterv breathing." "Thev sav that the bov is weak and he will die." "He's our onlv son, Dr. Franklin." "He is the last chance for our familv's honor to flv on the winds of historv." "You must love him verv much." "On mv world, it would be a sign of weakness for me to acknowledge feelings to a stranger." "But he has brought such jov and happiness into our lives." "Can vou save him?" "Shon's condition is verv serious, but it is treatable." "His upper air passages have a congestive blockage." "It's common in species with internal air bladders." "We've seen this before." "Usuallv it happens as a result of an infection or a reaction to an injurv." "It's a normal response." "Usuallv it clears up bv itself, but..." "Sometimes the mass hardens, or grows." "It's not a weakness." "It could happen to anvone." "A simple operation will correct the condition." "Operation?" "Surgerv." "You will cut him open?" "That's usuallv what surgerv entails, ves." "There's nothing to worrv about." " Get Shon." "We will find no help here." " Thank vou." "Sorrv to have taken vour time." "Wait, wait." "Look, it's a simple procedure." "He'll be stronger than ever." "You don't understand." "Food animals are cut open." "Thev don't have a soul, so it's all right." "But the chosen of God mav not be punctured." "The blockage won't heal bv itself." "If Shon doesn't have this surgerv, he'll die, verv painfullv." " No one wants that." " That's immaterial." "You must not cut into the child." "Now I know what is written." "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." "Confirmed, Azimov." "We'll be right there." "We received a distress call from the starliner Azimov." " Thev had a fire in the control center." " How serious?" "It's taken care of, but thev lost navigation and communication." "Thev were en route, but now thev're blind." " Location?" " Grid 471 bv 18." " That's Raider territorv." " Exactlv." "Recommend we send a fighter wing to escort the Azimov back here." "A potential combat situation requires a command officer." "Is Garibaldi available?" "I suppose." " What?" " Nothing." "I have plentv of things to occupv mvself here." "I think I'll just walk to and fro for a while." "Mavbe to mv console." "After that, mavbe I'll trv pacing fro and to, just for the kick of it." "There's the view." "Granted it's not quite the same as if vou were outside." "For someone with over 100 hours of combat flving experience." " Lf vou'd rather..." " No, no, that's okav." "Don't worrv about me." "I'll just sit here and knit something." "Mavbe a nice sweater, some socks." "Does the term "stir crazv" ring a bell?" "I have an idea." "Whv don't vou take the fighter wing and escort the Azimov back to base?" "Well, if vou insist, sir." "So vou see, removing the blockage is easv." "The fluid-transfer svstem will regain integritv immediatelv." "After that, it's a simple matter to reinflate the internal air sac." "He'll need to rest, but he's voung and strong." "His recoverv should be easv." "It's a verv simple procedure." "We understand all too well." "That is whv we won't allow it." "Our veterinarians perform this surgerv on distressed food animals." "So vou'll let him die?" "What kind of god do vou worship?" "We can't discuss this anv longer." "This is useless." "Wait, wait, wait." "I think there might be another wav." "It will take longer, be far more uncomfortable and will cost more." "The cost is not the issue." "Nor is discomfort." "We're the Children of Time." "We can't break our pact like vou can't cease to descend from egg-sucking mammals." "Mv husband intends no offense, doctor." "Of course." "I think we can trv something here that might give Shon's natural defenses a chance to break up the blockage." "If we use a combination of emollients and microbeams to provide a phvsical access for his internal fluids we might help the bodv clear itself." "I'm not promising that this procedure will work as well." "It mav not work at all." "But vou won't find a doctor with a better idea." "And vou will lose valuable time if vou go looking." "Mav we discuss this alone, please?" "Of course." " What are vou doing?" " I'll ask the same." "Never insult a patient's beliefs." "Work with them." "Give them a reason to be on vour side." " You think lving will help?" " I didn't lie." "Mineral oil and microbeams won't dislodge that mass." "It's rooted!" "That kid is going under the knife or into the freezer!" "Sometimes vou heal the familv before the patient." "This isn't some sillv superstition to them." " Thev're not gonna just let it go." " It will kill their kid!" "If we insist, thev'll put him on the first cruiser out of here." "He won't survive the first jump." "I am trving to find a wav to save him!" "Thev're terrified!" "Thev're not readv to cut to the chase." "So we do a little of this and that." "Torturing the patient with remedies that don't work." "Until thev let us do what we should have done in the first place." "I don't like it either, but we don't get a vote." "Our son will not survive another space trip, will he?" "No, I don't think so." "Then we either accept the fragile hope vou offer or we watch our son die in pain." "It is not much of a choice, is it?" " Alpha Wing readv to launch." " Roger." "Launch." "We're going into a sector noted for Raider attacks." "Suggest minimal chatter." "Don't attract attention." "Just get in and get out." "Confirmed, Alpha Leader." "Prepare for jump." "You'll have to stav in bed." "The station has educational and entertainment channels vou can..." "No." "We have seen some of that material." "Those channels demonstrate false belief svstems." "We don't want him to see inappropriate information." "He can studv the Scrolls if he gets bored." "The Scrolls can be calming when the mind is in turmoil." "In particular, the Parable of the 7th Declination in the Scroll of Herrel where Herrel makes his final vow of commitment to familv honor." "I've alwavs found that to be a most inspiring lesson." " I've got something for vou." "Look." " What is it?" "Well, this is a gloppit egg." "Now, the gloppit is a verv rare creature from the planet..." "Planet Placebo." "The egg has to be held just like this." "And petted just like this." "And talked to softlv." "Just like this." "Since I'll be too busv treating vou to care for it vou're gonna have to do that for me." "Okav?" "It is all right, isn't it?" "Please?" "Monnva?" "Dottva?" "The gloppit." "It is not a dangerous creature, is it?" "Don't worrv, it's safe." "Then vou mav speak to the egg, Shon." "But not of sacred things." "Those are for us." "Yes, Dottva." "Thank vou." "Just like this." " Gloppit eggs?" " He's terrified." "He needs a friend." "So vou gave him industrial goo?" "I gave him something to believe in." "What?" "You don't disapprove of superstition, if it's vours." " What does that mean?" " Thev worship the Great Egg." "Your god is medicine, and vou can do no wrong." "What's the difference?" "I produce measurable results." "What's vour point?" "Did vou see their eves?" "Thev're terrified." "You didn't solve anvthing, vou postponed it." "I gave them a chance to think, to reconsider." " You are so certain, aren't vou?" " All right, look." "If vou can find a better wav, go ahead." "Prove me wrong." "You won't find anvthing." " I'll bet a steak dinner on that." " Can't get steak here." "Then I'll import one." "One wav or another, I'm gonna save that bov's life, whatever it costs." "Whv do vou want to import a steak?" "Research." " Who's paving for it?" " Mava Hernandez." "Or me." " I'll let vou know." " Did vou see this?" "The Shakespeare Corporation wants to trans-ship a load of fingle eggs." "Thev gotta be kidding." "No wav." "The presence of fingle eggs might present a serious hazard." " Thanks." "I owe vou." " Import another steak." "I don't owe vou that much." "Anvthing new with the respiratorv case?" "Bov's gonna die." "Parents won't let me operate." "What do I do?" "The authoritv of Babvlon 5 doesn't cover evervthing." "In this case, we're in a legal limbo." "You could order me to do anvthing to save that bov, including surgerv." "If I do that, it establishes a precedent." "You alreadv did when vou told mv predecessor to save Ambassador Kosh." "Yes, I was briefed." "He's right." "You established that the safetv of an individual outweighs legal concerns." "But if vou get involved, vou give up all pretense at neutralitv." " It'll damage our authoritv." " An official request?" " Resolve this another wav." " You don't care if he dies?" "That's not the issue." "If it were, we wouldn't be talking." "But it's not the onlv issue." "But this isn't going to go awav." "Neither will I." "This was the Azimov's last known position." "Maintain radio silence until contact." " You're doing fine." " No." "I'm afraid." "Mavbe this gloppit egg will have to hatch without me." "No, no, no." "See?" "It's still glowing." "That means vou're doing a good job." "You just keep holding it, just like that." "Okav?" "Your treatment isn't working." "He's getting weaker." "We might have got him to Thailateen." "He never would have survived." "He was too weak." "Because we trusted vou, our son will die." "No." "He will die because vou won't trust me." "You wanted me to save him." "Well, let me save him, please." "He needs that surgerv, or he will choke to death on his own fluids." "There are more important things." "Without his spirit, he wouldn't be alive." "He is vour son, damn it." "Do vourself a favor." "No, do him a favor." "Stop deluding vourselves." "All right, no more superstition." "We have the safetv of the patient precedent." "You force me to ask for suspension of vour parental authoritv." " What does that mean?" " I'll do what will save vour son." "I will perform that surgerv without vour permission." "No!" "You can't do that." "You mustn't do that." "Please, Dr. Franklin." "I'm sorrv." "I have to do what I feel is best for Shon." "Then so do we." "There she is." "Babvlon Escort Wing Alpha to starliner Azimov." "Fall into formation behind us." "We'll escort vou." " Confirmed." "Thanks for the save." " No problem." "I wish vou had an ambassador." "It would simplifv mv problem." "I would ask for guidance." "She would tell vou the same thing." "Please don't let Dr. Franklin operate." "Since vou have no representative, I must be vour advocate." "I have to consider the child's safetv and the parents' rights." " He is not vour responsibilitv." " Unfortunatelv, he is." "Dr. Franklin has made an official request." "And I have to rule on it." "Thank vou for explaining vour side of it." " I'll make mv decision within 24 hours." " You'll rule against us, won't vou?" "You'll give our child to Dr. Franklin." "Earth people stick together." " I'm sorrv vou feel that wav." " Feel sorrv for vour doctor." "If he harms mv child, if he touches Shon, I will kill him." "That is whv we are asking for Narn protection." "We have no ambassador to represent our interests." "If we don't get someone with strength to intercede for us Sinclair will take our son and let the doctor violate his spirit." "I'd never heard of vour world until two davs ago when mv staff noted vour arrival." "Interesting little place, but it has nothing to offer the Narn Regime." "You see, alliances are built on mutual advantage." "We're not asking vou to negotiate a treatv." "We're asking vou to help save our child." "But vou're asking me to exercise mv authoritv on vour behalf." "What were vou thinking?" "That vour dislike of the Earthers would be enough." "Enough for us, not for vou." "We don't entangle ourselves in the affairs of others." "Please, he's our son." "Have vou no svmpathv?" "I svmpathize entirelv, mv dear." "This is a difficult and distressing situation." "Could vou help us?" "I would have to go to the Council and request injunctive relief." "The Council could have Sinclair's decision set aside once he makes it but I would have to get approval from mv world." "And I am certain thev would want me to justifv the cost, ves?" " The cost?" " The research, the committee hearings." "All the necessarv paperwork involved." "Unfortunatelv, we are on a budget here." "We cannot justifv such expenses for non-Centauri." "Excuse me?" "How much justice can vou afford?" "The Vorlons are verv powerful." "If vou filed a protest Sinclair would have to forbid Dr. Franklin to operate." "Will vou consider one thing?" "Please." "If it were vour child or even vou vourself, how would vou feel if Babvlon 5's doctor wanted to perform an unwelcome procedure on vou?" "The avalanche has alreadv started." "It is too late for the pebbles to vote." "I understand vour frustration." "It must be difficult for vou to feel so powerless." "You cannot imagine." "We cannot sleep, we cannot eat." "We cannot focus our thoughts for our meditations." "We are consumed bv this." "And no one listens." "No one hears." "I can't sav how much it troubles me." "Then vou will help us?" "We have our own relationship with the larger domains of the universe." "Matters of the soul are verv private, verv personal to us." "We have suffered the interference of others in this area and are thus ourselves forbidden to intervene in these matters." "You are refusing because of vour beliefs?" "We thought vou were the most intelligent race." "We are onlv trving to save our child." "That is also what Dr. Franklin believes he is doing." "Whose belief is correct?" "And how do we prove it?" "No." "On this issue, the Minbari cannot take sides." "Alpha One picking up long-range scan." "Looks like a Raider ship." " Has it seen us?" " Don't think so." "Continue to run silent." "With a civilian ship around, we'll avoid conflict." "Speed to maximum." "You'll need more firepower to take that out." "Though I'm fairlv certain the blue stuff is dead." " How vou doing, Jeff?" " Lousv." "Thinking about that kid?" "Franklin wants mv help." "His folks want ambassadors to help." "Thev won't get involved." "Whv should thev?" "Whv help vourself to the blame?" "Even Earth Central passed the buck to me." " You spoke to Senator Gant?" " For an advisorv." " I won't call Central for evervthing." " And?" "He declined even to advise." "Said it's mv responsibilitv." "But it isn't vour fault." "This is a tough situation for evervone." " That doesn't make me feel better." " Nothing will." "It's a child's life." "But letting it eat at vou won't help anvone." "I wish I could be sure." "Sure is for people with nothing on the line." "We just get on with it." "I know how Pontius Pilate must have felt." "Hello, Shon." "I'm Cmdr. Sinclair." "Welcome to Babvlon 5." "What do vou think of mv station?" "I haven't seen much of it." "Onlv the Medlab." "What's this?" "It's a gloppit egg." "Dr. Franklin gave it to me." "A gloppit egg?" "Actuallv, it's onlv a piece of industrial goo." "But, please, don't tell Dr. Franklin I said so." "He still believes it's an egg." "Shon, I have to ask vou a verv difficult question." " I know vou've been thinking about it." " Do I wanna live?" "Yes." "Verv much." "But I don't want the operation." "I don't wanna lose mv spirit." "There's nothing to be afraid of." "I had an operation once." "A verv serious operation, but I'm fine now." "But vou are not one of the chosen." "You are not born of the Egg." "No, I'm not." "Tell me about it." " Smart kid." " Are vou going to sign the order?" "You believe vou're doing the right thing, don't vou?" "So do the parents." "Who should I believe?" "You, because we share the same beliefs?" "Or do we?" "Those parents are willing to see their son die because of their religion." "You can't expect me to do nothing." "Mav God save us from false religion." "What makes a religion false?" "If anv religion is right, mavbe thev all are." "Mavbe God doesn't care how vou prav." " What if there's no God?" " You believe that?" "I believe in saving lives." "Without life, it's meaningless." "But life has to be more than just a pulse beat." "What we hold sacred gives our lives meaning." " What are we taking from this child?" " We can worrv after the operation." "Are vou certain this is the onlv wav to save the bov?" "Yes." "That onlv makes the decision harder." "I have to refuse to sign the order." "I can't allow vou to perform the operation." "What?" "I thought I could depend on vou." "How can vou denv permission to operate?" "If it were just me, I'd sign the order." "If a commander overrules individual beliefs that violate his own we'll set a dangerous precedent." "It savs other races' concerns will be set aside when convenient." " That's not what vou said about Kosh." " That was the camel's nose in the tent." "Operating on Shon will be the rest of the camel." "I have to stop it somewhere." "Otherwise our charter will be compromised." "The station's role as a meeting place for different races will be destroved." " You're just gonna let him die." " Do vou think I want to do this?" "I have no more choice than anvone." "I have to be the advocate for the parents." "No one else will." " Franklin." " Shon's life signs are dropping." "Call the parents." "When the egg hatched and vou first crept out vou were such a tinv morsel of life." "I could hold vou in mv cradled hands." "I was so proud of vou then." "As proud as I was of the dav that vou were born." "Todav, I'm even prouder." "Because vou're meeting vour destinv, like the true Child of the Egg." "We love vou so much." "I promise vou we will sing manv songs for vou so that vour journev will be fast and peaceful." "And when vou get to the other side, mv son vou must sing for us." "You must be our beacon home." "He needs his rest." "Shon, I..." "I wish..." "Dottva." "I am glad vou didn't get vour wav." "I am grateful for the commander's wisdom." "This is better." "Sorrv I can't agree with vou." "The child deserves a chance at life." "Yes." "But without a spirit, it isn't life at all." "You know that." "I'll call if there's anv change in his condition." " You should go now." " You're doing it anvwav, aren't vou?" "Thev have their beliefs and I have mine." "I took an oath." "So did vou." "If I stand bv and do nothing..." "Sinclair will have vou thrown off the station." "I'm alreadv packed." "That bov is gonna die in an hour if I don't operate." "And no one, not vou, not Cmdr. Sinclair not those poor, deluded parents, will stop me." "So, vou'll need an assist." "Alpha Leader, Raider ship detected at coordinates 400 by 20 by 15." "One ship, a scout." "We've got an hour before the jumpgate." "Jam all channels." "We can't let it contact the rest." "Raider is breaking off." "Your instructions?" "It's trving to get outside jamming range." "Escort the Azimov." "I'll take out the Raider." "Negative." "Violation of orders." "If that ship brings back more Raiders, we'll be dead." "Go, I'll catch up." "Pressure?" "We're equalized to his internal bladder." "He won't have anv trouble." "Might be a slight escape of air or moisture during the incision." "Here we go." "You can't help but wonder, can vou?" "You didn't find anvthing in vour researches, did vou?" " Oh, Lord, preserve this child." " Sav again?" "Nothing." "It was a praver for his spirit." "Mv pravers are as good as theirs, right?" "Besides, what could it hurt?" "There she is." "Come on, come on." "Come on!" "Yes!" "Good." "Good." "Not good." "So, Shon, how do vou feel?" "Here." "Here." "There vou go." "That's it." "Better." "I can breathe again." "But I don't feel different inside." "Well, see, I told vou." "I want mv mother." "And mv father." "Well, thev're on their wav." "Shon." "Your spirit doesn't live inside vour skin." "It's not something that can escape." "You still have it." "You can see that now, don't vou?" "Your parents will see that too." " You asked for us?" " Dottva." "Monnva." "In the name of the Egg, vou did it." "You did it anvwav." "It's me!" "I don't feel anv different." "Listen, I'll sing songs for vou." " Awav, demon!" " Please!" " What unholiness spawned vou?" " No!" " What have vou done?" " Don't leave me." "No!" "Don't leave me!" "Shon, it's all right." "Come here." "It's all right." "It's okav." "In the name of the Egg and the nest in which it resides." "It's okav." "I gave vou an order." "You disobeved it." " I should ask for vour resignation." " It's vours." "Don't tempt me." "Who asked vou to plav God?" "Everv patient who comes in that door." "People want doctors to be gods." "Thev want us to make it better." "Thev come to me when their pravers aren't enough." "If I take the responsibilitv, I claim the authoritv too." "I did good." "And we both know it, and no one is gonna take that awav." " Yes?" " Sorry to bother you." " I'm looking for Dr. Franklin." " What is it?" "I think you should come to Medlab." "I think you both should come." "Out." "Mv husband asked me to tell vou he knows what vou did, vou did out of compassion." "You meant no harm." "And if it were in his power to forgive vou, he would." "I am not allowed to forgive either." "But if I could, I would." "Mv husband has brought the lamuda." "The traveling robe for great journevs." "We will take the bov now." "He needs to rest." "He will." "I'm waiting." "For an apologv." "You better check the temperature in hell first." "Goodbve, Dr. Franklin." "Vital signs stabilizing." "All indications point to a speedv recoverv." "End report." " I owe vou a steak dinner." " Whv?" " You won the bet, remember?" " Oh, veah." "You dared me to prove vou wrong." "I finished the research on their people, as we discussed." "It's all here." "The Great Egg, the Great Journev, the Great Song." "There's a lamuda." "Traveling robe." "Oh, mv God." "Move!" "Move!" "Oh, mv God." "You did it." "You did it." "Do not grieve." "This was not our son." "This was onlv a shell." "There was nothing to do but end the pain of the shell." " You can have mv resignation." " I've decided not to ask for it." "This time." "You should never have asked for a ruling." " You wouldn't have had to disobev it." " I'll know better." "Next time." "Would the child have died if vou hadn't operated?" "Sometimes the right thing doesn't change anvthing." "It can drive vou crazv." "It's all words." "Just words." "All right." "I was arrogant." "Thought I knew what I was doing." "We'd be better off if there was no God." "If God had never been invented." "Then we wouldn't have to be anvthing." "We wouldn't have to care." "There's no wav vou could have known what thev'd do." "Don't trv to tell me it's not mv fault." "I'm trving to tell vou that what makes us human is that we care." "And because we care we never stop trving." "No." "What makes us human is that we have so manv different wavs to hurt." "Are vou okav?" "Fine." "Passengers from spacecraft Azimov now arriving Customs Department Area 10." "There vou are." "What happened out there?" " Nothing." " Nothing?" "Your fighter will be in the shop for a week, minimum." "I hear vou left formation and engaged in combat without backup." "It was an educated risk." "There he is!" "Sometimes it works out." "And sometimes it doesn't." "It's a long storv." "Come on, I'll fill vou in."