From: "Daniel Collins" Subject: Agents Of The Dark, A Dream Given Form, 4.1 Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 16:35:28 +1100 ~ ~ ~ Agents Of The Dark ~ ~ ~ Series Four: A Dream Given Form Part One: Set In Motion By: Daniel Collins * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Turner awoke to the bumpy jump from Hyperspace as his liner cleared the jump gate. He got up to his window that showed the gate slowly moving away into the distance. He turned and looked toward the front of his ship. His friends had given him a rather detailed description of what he would be looking for, and straight ahead was where it lay... It was five minutes later that his shuttle was in the docking bay and he had collected all of his possessions, what little he had, and headed toward the main door. He wasn't the only person visiting this monumental place in Earth Alliance history, he followed a long queue of passengers and technicians all disembarking the shuttle. As soon as he cleared his shuttle, a shining new sign stood above him with security officers on both sides, and technicians busily working away behind it. "Welcome To Babylon..." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "It was a time of great change for everyone in the Earth Alliance. The Earth-Minbari War had changed everything and everyone's views on the galaxy. Whilst the military started to construct a new fleet, a new cradle was born in space. This would be a place where everyone, from every race would meet and peace would form. This was the dream, a dream that should be given form, It was time for peace throughout the galaxy, and this was where it began. This is the story of the original Babylon station, And this station was Earth's Best hope for peace..." - Major James Brooker * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Soon after passing through the Customs checks, Turner made his way throughout the station, studying its layout, getting a feel for the different locations. He knew what he had to do now, and he also knew that he had a very strict deadline if he wanted to continue serving the Greater Cause. A ship would be docking with the station in seven hours, if he wanted to live, he had to be on that ship. Turner consulted a map, a small, but familiar buzzing in the air alerted him to the rear of the station's schematic. A part of the station, labelled Reactor Core. "Yes." Turner grinned, "Yes that will do just fine." He turned and headed off in a different direction, as he looked at his surroundings, he realised that there wasn't much to be impressed with. This Babylon Station was in shambles from head to tail, technicians in every access corridor, all busy with their work trying to get every system functioning, not knowing that within eight or so hours, they'd all be reduced to nothing but space dust. His associates had told him what was at stake, somehow - they felt the need to rid the galaxy of this threat. Whatever threat it represented to them, the station was in no position to be a threat, but Turner hadn't been told the full story. What he did know was that his associates needed to be able to strike when the time was right, and although that time may not be for another ten or a hundred years, any threats that they recognised, had to be eliminated. And that was Turner's job, to eliminate Babylon... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Turner didn't have a lot of time to get his job done, he had by seven to plant the device and it was already twelve. In seven hours he had to find a way around the many technicians in the area, as well as station security, and then he had to get out of there in one piece. It wasn't as easy as anyone could've described, but it was continually told to him that it must be done. It must be done... On the outside, Babylon was a large station that wasn't even half completed. The command section had just about been completed, and some of the middle was being constructed, the rear was almost non existent, except for the fact that there were several structures outlining the shape of the station as a whole. However, no one would know that the outside wasn't really there because the inside of the station was larger than any other station the Earth Alliance had built before. There wasn't much on the inside, and most of the people onboard were technicians, work crews, businessmen looking for good locations of negotiations, traders and the lurker's who have nowhere else to go. Turner was passing through one of these sectors where the brand new station didn't exist, already the walls and corridors had the feel for the homeless, and Turner quickly wanted to get out of the area. A lonely man covered in his cloths, rags and his belongings grabbed Turner's leg and called to him. "Help me! Please! Help me!" Turner looked at him, and gave a small grin to the old man. "What do you want?" he asked. "What do I want?" The man repeated. "Sir, if you could give me what I wanted, you would make me the happiest man in the galaxy!" "What do you want?" Turner asked again, growing impatient that his time was quickly slipping away. "I want to leave this place. I don't want to be ridiculed for being who I am. I want a new- wait... a fresh start. I want it all to be new - another chance at life." The man replied. "But you are old, and you're life is near it's end." Turner said. "But all I ask is to move to a better place, and I might still have some life left." The man insisted. "And this is what you really want?" Turner asked. "Yes. More than anything, I want a new start. Can you help me, Sir?" the man asked. "Old man," Turner said putting his hand on his shoulder, "I will do my best to help you leave this place." "You will?" the man asked, Turner nodded with a small smile. "May God Bless you!" "Thank you, and you." Turner replied, and continued down the corridor. He quickly looked at the time, and his time had just been compromised once again. There wasn't a lot of time to get off this station. He knew that at least one of his promises would be carried out though. The old man he had just met would leave this station. But Turner wasn't so sure about the old man getting a new start at life... But to Turner, to get something for nothing was good enough... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * With the clock continuously ticking in his ear, and his associates continuing to tell him where to go, Turner soon found the reactor core. There were about three people in the area, which meant that Turner would have to use means other than hitting them on the head to get them out of there. He quickly looked for the nearest access panel, since they'd still be open until the station would go online, and he commenced his work... A loud beeping alerted the work crew in the area of the reactor core. Everyone came to a halt, and tried to work out what was wrong. "Warning, this area must be evacuated immediately..." a computer's voice came in. Many of the worker's started looking around, "What's wrong?" and "Where's the problem?" were heard among them all, but the computer warned again... The workers didn't want to take any chances, so they quickly left the area... ...and Turner moved in. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * There was a loud humming of the reactor core as Turner worked away on his device. Time was definitely a factor against him now. There was only an hour before his ship out of here would dock, and there was less than 5 minutes before the technicians realised there was no problem with the reactor core or the surrounding areas. Turner worked with the reassurance that his associates might lift a finger to help him if his life were ever in danger, but the word "might" stuck in his mind, and forced Turner to work harder. Perhaps, too hard. Time was slipping by a lot more quickly than Turner would have liked to. With five more wires to connect, and then to get his arse out of there in one piece, with two minutes before he was locked away, and under an hour before his ride would arrive - Turner was extremely agitated... With his work finally complete, Turner packed up and made calmly for the exit down one of the corridors. It was down this corridor where trouble arrived... The original three technician's voices were heard further down the corridor, and approaching Turner's location. "I thought nothing was wrong with the bloody thing!" one voice said, and the others continued in the conversation. Turner looked for the nearest hiding place, but there wasn't any available. So he continued walking ahead. "What are you doing here?" the first technician asked when he saw Turner. "Er, I appear to be a little bit lost." Turner replied innocently, "I'm supposed to be heading toward Customs, and when I found that I was near the Reactor Core, I remembered from your maps that I was a long way off!" Turner smiled. "Yeah, I keep telling everyone that this station needs more maps posted around." The technician replied, "Alright then, Customs is that way, three decks up." He said, pointing to where they had come from. "Good luck." "Thank you." Turner replied. Turner walked off, and the technicians continued in their original direction, "So, as I was saying..." and they continued in their conversation... The clock was ticking as Turner quickly made for Customs, and his ticket off the doomed station. Every time he looked at his watch, another few seconds had slipped away, and time was racing against him... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * :: Lower Sectors :: Jacob lay in his rugs, and a small smile grew behind his ever-aging face. He looked at the others around him - all in similar situations to his own, all of them were just as unfortunate as he was. Was. Such a great word for Jacob, especially since his encounter with the young man earlier. He had said that he would try his best, to help Jacob start again, and rebuild his life that was now in shambles. Jacob now rested every last faith in that man. A man he knew almost nothing about, but a man he was sure could help him. It was just as Jacob closed his eyes that a siren screamed through his area, followed by a yellow flash and a loud bang that Jacob would never hear... :: Outside Babylon :: "Let's get that panel in place and be done." One of the workers called. "Alright." Said another, about to place the panel in dispute onto the station's hull. "It looks so much different from the outside, doesn't it?" The first worker asked. "Sure does." The second replied, "What's that!?" As the first worker looked at where the second had pointed, they both soon realised that something was drastically wrong. But they'd never be able to fix it as the entire wall in front of them exploded in their faces... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Turner was relieved to have made it to customs so quickly, and that his two associates, always unseen unless they needed to be seen, were able to keep up. Turner felt a sudden relaxation come upon him, with the added assurance that he'd make it out with thirty minutes to spare. The Customs Officer took Turner's Identicard and looked over it. Turner felt more relief that he'd soon be off the station, but then he felt a rumble in the decks below him and everything behind him seemed to erupt in flames. The flames grew fierce and were reaching towards him. In complete shock, Turner saw the queue behind him disintegrate to flames, and he felt his confidence race away as his associates left him behind. "Noooo!" Turner screamed, and the flames soon after engulfed him as well. His associates weren't to get too far either as they're ship crumbled in the explosion that took out Babylon Station. Their screams filled the remaining air around them, and then there was nothing left. All that remained was a spinning forward section of the station, which whirled away, helpless and unstopping from Babylon's original site. Turner's job had been completed, but in the process, Turner could no longer serve the machine. A dream that everyone around him held seriously, a dream he no longer would see. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * In the ensuing months, EarthDome tried to work out what went wrong to destroy Babylon. All the investigators came out empty handed, and could only point to a mechanical fault. Since no evidence was left behind, EarthDome could only attempt to build a replacement. Because Peace was needed in the galaxy, and one way or another, it would be achieved... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * And so concludes this stand alone story of a possible reason for Babylon's destruction, Stay tuned for the continuation to Agents Of The Dark...