From SWELKER@delphi.comFri Sep 15 20:43:52 1995 Date: Thu, 07 Sep 1995 20:14:25 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: b5-creative@best.com Subject: The Icarus Factor ^ Part 1 "The Icarus Factor" (Revised Edition) by Dawn L. Welker ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5's 2,500,000 tons of spinning metal remain a constant in a world where constants, such as stable governments and empires, are falling. The Station's inhabitants, over a quarter million humans and aliens, struggle to create a peace in a place where the horizions are boiling over with storms. Storms that will try, stretch, and even break those who dare stand in the way. Captain John Sheridan was a man who had weathered many storms in his few months of command on Babylon 5. Currently, the Earthforce captain was in the station's real, honest-to-god baseball diamond, participating in a little "recreational therapy." "Fo-ul ball," replied the computer in a crisp, female voice. The rising hostilities between the Centauri Republic and the Narn Regime, his own involvement with General Hauge's group, the unanswered questions regarding his wife, Anna...all of these things battered Sheridan's conscious with unrelenting fury. Then there was Morden.... Morden was on the same ship that his wife was on before it mysteriously exploded. No one really knew what had happened to the *Icarus* during its archaeological survey of an ancient world out on the Rim. Sheridan now recognized that world to be Za'Ha'Dum; a place of power for an ancient race known only as the shadows. The shadows, according to the two ambassadors, had destroyed the *Icarus* and anyone who would not serve them, to keep their presence a secret.Morden had claimed that he knew nothing about Anna. "Like hell you don't," he thought as he slammed another ball outfield. "Home run," replied the computer. The Earthforce captain *had* interrogated Morden but was forced to let him go in the end. If he hadn't, then Morden would've given in and the shadows would've been tipped off into knowing that the other races were aware of their caling to arms. Somehow, Sheridan could not accept the fact that his wife was dead. Neither could he accept the possibility that his wife might be an instrument of the shadows as well. "NO," he thought, vehemently, and hit the ball so hard that it sent a bolt of fire through his arms and shoulders. "Home run," replied the computer. Either way, Sheridan would have to go to Za'Ha'Dum and *see for himself* what really happened to his wife. * * * * * Morden was aboard the Earth transport *Zelazany*. He was tired from the "kind" hospitality that Captain Sheridan had showed him while he was on Babylon 5. The captain had released him saying that "it was all a mistake." Yes. It was. Holding a man in a cell for ten hours without *charging* him with a crime. Big mistake, indeed. *The last one you'll ever make*, thought Morden, acidly. As it was, Morden's "associates" were *very* concerned about what had happened on Babylon 5. He was sure, however, that the concern was *not* about *his* safety as much as it was keeping the gathering a secret. Morden knew where he stood with the shadows: E X P E N D A B L E. Night and day they followed him. The shadows were invisible to the human eye, but *he* knew that they were *always* with him, like an impenetrable sense of doom, dark, cold and unrelenting. The shadows had taught him how to communicate with them. He couldn't do that just yet because they issued garbled sound that *was* audible to human ears, and he didn't need to raise suspicions any further. No, he would meet with them and another on the Mars Colony...in a *safe* place. Then he would assuage their fears *and* have his revenge. Morden laid his head back on the seat and fell asleep with a dark smile on his face. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- That concludes the revised Part 1. Please remember that the synopses in the story are for *the benefit of my reader* who *is not* familiar with the B5 Universe( and no, showing him a tape of "ITSOZHD" is *not* an option. I look forward to your critiques & suggestions. Dawn ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright(c) PTN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "The Icarus Factor" is copyright(c) 1995 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. "The Icarus Factor" will be released to Babylonian Productions upon request. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;30;43mRainbow V 1.19.1 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.comWed May 24 17:06:11 1995 Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 19:25:38 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann To: babylon5-creative@netcom.com Subject: The Icarus Factor - Part II Ok folks, here's the second part of "The Icarus Factor" from the twisted mind of yours truly.... Dawn L. Welker (swelker@delphi.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It was really strange, Chief. He said that is was nothing...shadows." Zack Allan was explaining the mysterious event that took place during Michael Garibaldi's unplanned "sabbatical". Garibaldi was curious because the securi-vid segment of Morden in Holding Cell 23 had been classified: ultra-violet. The Chief of Security didn't like this at all. Add to it Sheridan's own ambivalence to tell him *why* he released Morden after he held him for interrogation for 10+ hours without charge. "You said the Captain said it was 'nothing....shadows'?" asked Garibaldi. "Yes sir," replied Zack, "I didn't see anything myself...although...," paused Zack, somewhat hesitantly. "What?," asked Garibaldi. Zack continued as if he were walking on eggshells,"Ms. Winters said she thought she saw something." The Chief of Security did a double take, "Ms. Winters? You mean to tell me he agreed to a scan?," he asked somewhat increduosly. Zack shook his head, "No...the Captain said he knew Morden wouldn't agree to a scan." Zack started to squirm," He arranged for Morden to be moved from I-15 to Holding Cell 23...and..had Ms. Winters escorted to her quarters through Blue-Seven." Garibaldi's jaw tightened. That *SONOFABITCH*, he thought.It's a good thing you're my CO, Captain, he thought.Jeff would *NEVER* have done that. *DAMN HIM*, he thought. Garibaldi stifled his anger, "That means she passed Morden....you said she thought she saw something....any idea as to what?" Zack was looking *very* uncomfortable. "Zack, this is *me* you're talking to, remember?" said Garibaldi."She said she thought she saw a shape...said it felt cold...empty," replied Zack. Garibaldi's eyebrows furrowed. "Do you need me for anything else, Chief?" asked Zack. "No....you can go," replied Garibaldi," and thanks, Zack...I owe you one." Zack smiled and left. The Security Chief sat down to contemplate what he had just heard. He rubbed his forehead and let out a frustrated sigh. Shadows, he thought, where did I hear that before...Jeff...the message. Garibaldi's eyes lit up. If these were the same Shadows that Jeff told him about then things were starting to look *very* bad indeed. And what was Morden's connection to all of this? *Damn*, if he only had clearnce to that securi-vid tape. *He*, not Sheridan, was responsible for the saftey on Babylon 5. He had to find some way to view the tape... Morden was a simple trader while on the Icarus. His specialty was in rare and "unique" items and his price was just as high.After all, if he had to endanger himself to find these artifacts then the pay had to be equally high.Such was his situation on the Icarus. His employ was on Earth.His misssion: to find and bring back any technology found on this ancient world.Morden really didn't care *how* his employ would use this technology. The only thing he cared about was the pay, and he was given half before he boarded the Icarus. He would have to be careful. There would be well over fifty scientists crawling on this world; he didn't need any of them snooping in his direction. If he had to, he would see that they had an "accident" of sorts.His employ demanded secrecy concerning his mission...if somehow it were traced back to Earth..No, thought Morden, no..I'll find their precious technology and be living high on the hog in two weeks. Science Officer Anna Sheridan was beside herself. The ancient world depicted on her vid-screen seemed as mysterious as the race that once inhabited it. The sky was red and the surface was rocky and barren. Tall oblisques dotted the surface of the planet like serpents teeth. One of them appeared to have hieroglyphics imprinted in black on its rough surface.She zoomed in on the oblisque and saw : - - - > ( 7 - engraved in the oblisque. Pre-Sumerian? She thought. No...wait, she remebered seeing something like that in Narn. Could it be that the Narn had connections with this race? "Computer," she said, "cross-reference the hieroglyphs with those found in Narn culture." "Working," said a mild female voice. "Match found," replied the computer. Anna did all she could to keep from bursting out in laughter, "Corrolate match on screen with given hieroglyph," replied Anna. "Stand by," replied the computer. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- That's all for now( my fingers are giving out). Will have Part III by Friday( hopefully). I welcome your critiques, comments and/or suggestions...*especially* from the scientifically minded folk out there. Thanks, Dawn (swelker@delphi.com) `[1;36;41mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.comFri May 26 15:14:52 1995 Date: Wed, 24 May 1995 18:42:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann To: babylon5-creative@netcom.com Subject: The Icarus Factor-Part Three Here is Part III of "The Icarus Factor".Many thanks for your comments and critiques...keep 'em coming! One small note, in part One, the ship that Morden was on ( leaving B5) should be spelled *Zelazany* (like the author), not Zelzany. Thanks, Dawn L. Welker (swelker@delphi.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Garibaldi's link chirped,"Sheridan to Garibaldi." The Chief of Security lifted up his wrist and spoke into the link, "Garibaldi." "Mr. Garibaldi, meet me in my quarters in ten minutes," replied Sheridan."Will do, Garibaldi out," responded the Chief. Garibaldi wonder what was going on. Usually the only time the Captain called him to his quarters was when it concerned a serious matter that Sheridan didn't want to discuss in his ready room. Maybe I will *finally* get some answers, thought the Chief as he headed out of Central Security.He still wasn't thrilled with Sheridan after he heard what happened to Talia. He couldn't bring it up because it would give Zack away, and Talia would *never* tell him about it since it *really* wasn't his buisness.Besides, would Talia *really* want him to know? Garibaldi shook his head. "You wanted to see me, sir?" asked Garibaldi as he entered the Captain's quarters. Sheridan gestured for Garibaldi to sit down. The Chief sat down on one of the bar stools. He noticed the little, black scrambler sitting on the bar and frowned. Sheridan only used that when he met with Ivanova, Franklin and himself to talk about matters that were best kept from prying ears."We may have a new threat to the Station, Mr. Garibaldi," said Sheridan flatly as he sat down at the bar stool opposite Garibaldi. "Sir?," questioned the Chief of Security, his curiousity piqued. Sheridan had something else in his hand, it looked like a data crystal," It has been brought to my attention," said the Earthforce Captain,"that the Ministry of Peace are hiring *select* Station personnel to report any *unusual* behavior...weed out dissidents if you will." A chill went up Garibaldi's spine, Jesus...*ZacK*, he thought."Do you have any leads on this?" asked Garibaldi. Sheridan shook his head,"No, only that a Pierce Maccabee was aboard the Station two days ago and held an introductory meeting for a select few," Sheridan handed the data crystal to Garibaldi."I want you to look over the data and found out everything and anything you can on this guy and this 'Ministry of Peace'," said Sheridan looking at the crystal. Garibaldi looked at the crystal,"Bureau 13?" he asked. Sheridan frowned,"I don't know...it could be them, Psi-Corp...hell, even Earth Dome. I'm depending on *you* to find out what you can, Michael." The Chief nodded. He got off the barstool and headed out..then stopped. "Something else?"queiried Sheridan.Garbaldi turned to face the Captain, "About the securi-vid from two days ago...you classified it ultraviolet.Why?" Sheridan got up, "You once told me that you didn't trust anyone, Mr. Garibaldi....Given the circumstances," he continued, nodding towards the data crystal,"I'm finding that a wise mentality to take." Garibaldi smiled, but it quickly disappeared,"You think that someone might be involved with this group is also Security?" Garibaldi didn't need to think of *who*. The Captain averted his eyes and looked back at him,"I don't know...but I can't afford to take any chances." Sheridan looked down,"I know I overstepped my authority, Michael,but I can't allow that information to get into the wrong hands.We don't know who we're dealing with and it could blow our cover wide open." Garibaldi nodded, *now* was not the time to go hunting for shadows. "I'll give this a look over and let you know what I find," said the Chief as he left. This is bad, thought Garibaldi, *really* bad. To top it off he would have to keep an eye on Zack and all of his personnel. The Chief of Security hoped to God that Zack wasn't really involved with these nuts; he knew *too* much about what Sheridan did to Morden. Garibaldi stuffed his hands into his pockets. No, he thought, this was not good at all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's all for now...hope to have Part IV( this is going to be a long story if you have already guessed) on Sunday.Your critiques/comments are welcomed as always. Dawn (swelker@delphi.com) `[1;33;47mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.comSat May 27 17:03:42 1995 Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 17:28:02 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann To: babylon5-creative@netcom.com Subject: The Icarus Factor - Part IV Many thanks to my "Science Consultant", Richard Hazelwood, who helped me with the stats for Za'Ha'Dum for Part IV.I will be in need of a new "Consultant" since Richard is making headway into the RW.I want the story to have a believablity in both character and science, so if you have any suggestions( or corrections) to that end, let me know.Also, thanks to those of you who wrote back with your comments.I am always open to your comments/critiques. Dawn L. Welker (swelker@delphi.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Za'Ha'Dum was an aging planet. It's star, a G6vi, was starting to drift off of the main sequence and now was about 110% as bright as it was before.Very little life remained on the planet; save for the single-celled life forms and aquatic life. Most of the land life seemed to be burrowers. There was also an increase in volcanic activity.The gravity on Za'Ha'Dum was about 1.3 that of Earth's. It's atmospheric content contained mostly N2-O2, with trace amounts of CO2 and volcanic gasses. Anna Sheridan observed the information that was coming back from Survey-One, which was sent out over an hour ago. Anna wished she could've gone with them. Perhaps it *was* better to wait. No telling if this ancient civilization was destroyed by a deadly virus or not...better to wait. But dammit, she was restless. The computer would take about three hours to make a correlation between the hieroglyphs of this civilization to that of the Narns. She didn't want to wait, she wanted to go out and explore the ruins of this unkown civilization. She was glad to be on this exploration, though, waiting and all aside. While being the wife of *the* Earth/Minbari War hero had its advantages, it also had its disadvantages. Her acceptance to the Hawking Science Institute for instance. Many of her "friends" ( except her sister-in-law) believed that she was accepted because her husband pulled a few strings, a word here and there.Her hard work and research made little difference to them; it was overshadowed by fame, by being the wife of Captain John Sheridan. Not that she had any regrets about marrying John. He was a hard-working, compassionate man who had as much love of puzzles and mysteries that she did.Plus, there was his sense of humor and over-all ebulience that she found hard to resist...even when she got angry with him. It's just that Anna wanted to be accepted for what *Anna* did..not for being the *wife* of the war hero. That's why when Dr. Chang mentioned this expedition to her, she grabbed onto it with both hands. Not only to satisfy her own curiousity about this unknown civilization, but to also prove that she had an identity of her own: unique and separated from that of her husband. Separated...well there certainly had been enough space between them over the years. But Anna knew what she was getting herself in for when she married the Earthforce Captain.Their relationship had been tried over time by prolonged absences and "meetings" that took place over the Stellar Com. Fortunately she had two things to keep her mind from dwelling on his absence. One was her work at the Institute and the other was her age-old friendship with her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Sheridan. Liz's husband, Dan, was also in the military, so she understood. Sometimes Anna would come over and help Liz out with the kids, sometimes the two would get together for lunch just to talk.Liz was happy for Anna when she heard about Anna's acceptance on the *Icarus* as Science Officer.God, she missed talking to Liz. Well it would over in two weeks, and Anna would have a *great deal* to talk about with Liz and with John. "All I know, Mr. Macabee, is that Mr. Morden was held in interrogation for over ten hours without being charged," said a voice whose face was shadowed in darkness on the Stellar Com. "By whose authority?", queiried Macabee. "Captain Sheridan's," replied the voice. "But the regulations state..," "I know what they state, sir," interrupted the voice,"that's why I'm telling you....his behavior has been somewhat...*unusual* these past two days...I thought you should know." "Indeed," replied Macabee, as he got up out of his chair and walked up to the screen," what, exactly, do you mean by...*unusual*?" "Well," hesitated the voice,"he manipulted Ms. Winters into scanning Morden without his consent. Ms. Winters was being escorted to her quarters through Blue Seven while Morden was being transfered to a holding cell in that same vicinity..they passed each other.Ms. Winters screamed and Mr. Morden said something like 'wait' and then they moved him on." Pierce Macabee looked concerned,"Is Ms. Winters alright?" "I believe so," replied the voice. Macabee shook his head,"Do you have any idea as to why Sheridan did all of this...the interrogation...the scan?" "I think it has something to do with his wife being on the *Icarus*...same as Mr. Morden. One of them is alive one of them is dead...he wanted to know why." Macabee nodded,"I see that Captain Sheridan is in need of our assistance. We can't let a Station Commander go about with this kind of behavior.Yes, I believe we can help him.However, do you have any proof to back this up?" "Yes...I believe I can get it," replied the voice, some what aggitated."Very good," replied Macabee,"I will contact you shortly." There was a long pause, "is there anything else you want to say?," questioned Macabee. The figure looked like it was shuffling,"What *exactly* are you planning to do with Captain Sheridan?" "Help him, of course," replied Macabee with a slick smile as he ended the transmission. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thus concludes Part IV. Part V should be out Tues/Wed-ish. Again, if you have any critiques or comments let me know...*especially* with the scientific stuff. Thanks, Dawn (swelker@delphi.com) From SWELKER@delphi.comThu Jul 13 19:15:00 1995 Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 18:12:20 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: b5-creative@best.com Subject: The Icarus Factor - Part V(Revised) After reading "IF" up to part VIII I realized that I needed to revise part of it. I think having the conflict with the "Night Watch" and Sheridan giving Garibaldi the data crystal on Morden is a bit much to be believed for the two characters.In an episode of B5, would Garibaldi give a report to Sheridan saying "this guy's an empath" and that's it? I think not. And I don't think Sheridan would be too happy about it either. So I am going to develop the NW thread some more and put the Morden thread in later on in the story. I apologize if this disturbs the flow of the story for some of you; I just didn't think that-that particular part was true to their respective characters. Sincerely, Dawn L. Welker (swelker@delphi.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "End," said Michael Garibaldi, as he sat back in his swivel chair and rubbed his temples. The Chief of Security was in Security Central viewing the information on Pierce Macabee. Garibaldi sat up and removed the data crystal from its decoder. He rolled the crystal in between his thumb and index finger. The crystal and Macabee had a great deal in common. Both were smooth, cold, and, both of them hid their true contents under the guise of clearness. The chief leaned back and thought about what the crystal *had* revealed to him. Apparently, the mission of the Night Watch was to be on the look out for anyone who planted "false ideas" and "misinformation" into the rest of society. What *really* bothered Garibaldi was that Macabee failed to say *who*, exactly, defined those terms. Was it one person or an entire organization? At least he could see why Captain Sheridan was more than a little concerned about this group. The "accidental" death of the late President Santiago was a start. Dr. Jacobs' report proved that the former Vice-President Clark, *did not* have a virus, and, therefore, had lied about his illness to get off *Earth Force One* the day before it exploded. If Clark *was* being backed up by Psi-Corps and Psi-Corps *was* responsible for the "accident", then they would not want that "misinformation" to get out into public view. The solution to the problem: The Ministry of Peace using the Night Watch as its blood hounds.Garibaldi shook his head and frowned. For all of Earth's growth in technology it had failed to learn from the mistakes within its own history. Garibaldi had to find some solid evidence; find out who was backing up the Ministry of Peace. More importantly, he had to find out which Station personnel were involved with the Night Watch. He recognized a few C&C technicians in the vid. He would need Ivanova's help in finding out *who* those people were. He could pretty much keep tabs on his own people. The Commander was on duty now and would be off in three hours. Garibaldi leaned forward and sent a message to her: Dinner, my place, 20:00. Refusal *is not* an option. ***** "I think Ms. Sheridan should see this for herself, Captain." The Science Officer overheard Paul Alvarez's report to Captain Richard Hnley. She walked over towards the captain's chair, "May I, sir?," she asked. Hunley nodded in approval. "*What* do I need to see for myself, Mr. Alvarez?" "I really can't make it out, Ms. Sheridan...a sphere with more of those hieroglyphs engraved on it. The sphere seems to be glowing from the inside...some kind of chemical reaction, maybe. If you could translate these hieroglyphs then maybe we could find out *what* it is," replied Alvarez. This was the moment that Anna had waited for ever since she stepped on board the *Icarus*. "Captain," she said, trying to hold back her excitement, "my correlations on the Narn hieroglyphs between those of this civilization are complete. They bear a likeness with about a 98% margin for error. I believe I could decipher them. Permission to join Survey-Two, sir?" Hunley rubbed his peppered beard in consideration and the long lines around his mouth seemed to deepen. He didn't want an unknown, an possibly dangerous, device brought into his ship. At the same time, he didn't want to expose his Science Officer to any unnecessary risks, even though risks went hand in hand with the uniform. His hazel green eyes darkened with his decision, "Permission granted...but proceed with caution, Ms. Sheridan," he said, somewhat gravely. Hunley had filled out many death certificates during his career, he didn't want to add Anna's to the list. "Yes sir," she replied, her blue-green eyes giving way to the excitement she tried to conceal, "and thank-you, sir." Hunley nodded, "Mr. Alvarez, Ms. Sheridan will be joining you shortly." "Aye, aye, sir. Alvarez, out," he replied. Presently, Survey-Two consisted of Paul Alvarez, Jed Grierson, Mackey Tobias, Jonathan Harper and Morden. Survey-Three and Survey-Four were also examining the ruins of this mysterious world. Morden took a wide view of the planet. Welcome to hell, he thought. Morden spotted a cave about one mile south from where Survey-Two was positioned. Quadrant 87, which hadn't been cleared for exploration yet. There were no survey teams near that vicinity. Morden decided to check it out for himself. Afterall, why would a civilization leave its technology on the planet's surface? No, they would hide it *within*...that cave, maybe. Morden started to walk towards the cave, bending down to the surface occasionally, pretending he was examining some of the broken oblisques.Funny, he thought, the hieroglyphs look somewhat Narn in context. *Continued* `[1;37;40mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.comThu Jul 13 19:17:55 1995 Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 20:31:10 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: b5-creative@best.com Subject: The Icarus Factor - Part 5B Commander Susan Ivanova was tempted to refuse Garibaldi's invitation just to spite him. She stood outside the door to his quarters and decided to tap the chime. "Enter," came the reply. Ivanova stepped forward and the door swung up and to the right side. The Commander was embraced with a heady incense of oregano, garlic, red pepper, and parsley as soon as she entered Garibaldi's quarters. There was the chief, pulling a dish out of a small oven. Ivanova smiled. Normally, crew quarters were not equipped with such devices, but Garibaldi managed to convince Sinclair that cooking helped him to relax, and so it was allowed. His culinary wizardry was rivaled by no other, and his food surpassed that of the finer Zocalo resturants. And Franklin wonders why they've put on so much weight, thought Ivanova with a slight smile. "I received your message," said Susan and she walked towards the oven to see *what* it was the chief had prepared. She felt the warm heat exiting from the oven and her forehead started to feel moist. "I should warn you, however, that I was tempted *not* to come. *No one* tells Ivanova what can and cannot be refused." "You can leave if you want," replied Garibaldi as he wiped the perspiration off his forehead, "I'm sure Captain Sheridan or Doctor Franklin would be more than happy to take your place." "Just kidding," replied Ivanova, holding up her left hand. "So what have you conjured up this time?," she asked as she saw the steam rise up from the dish in long, ethereal wisps. "Stuffed Manicotti," he replied, with some pride. Ivanova's eyebrows furrowed in uncertainty. "They're big pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese and are baked in marinara sauce for two to three hours to soak up the herbs and spices." "Mmmm," replied the Commander. Garibaldi transported the porcelain dish to a small table. "Madam?," he said, gesturing Ivanova to a chair. Ivanova smiled, "Room service, too, huh? Not bad, Garibaldi, not bad at all." "Of course," replied the chief as he gently pushed Ivanova's chair towards the table. He then picked up a pitcher of clear liquid that was beaded with condensation,"Normally, I'd serve wine with this meal...but since both of us are going back on duty..." "Water's fine," replied Ivanova. "You'll like this, too," he said as he filed her glass, "it's not that synthesized stuff." Ivanova took a sip and found it mildly refreshing. The water had a light, sweet taste to it, almost a cross between strawberry and cherry. It tickled her throat as it went down. It was a big difference from the sharp, pungent taste of synthesized water. "This is good," she said, "what is it?" Garibaldi smiled as he filled his glass, "Corcovian Spring Water from Aldos Seven. Use it on rare occasions." "And what's so rare about this?," queried Ivanova. "What's so rare is that neither of us have had a real meal in a *very* long time," said Garibaldi as he served a portion of the manicotti onto Ivanova's plate. "True," replied Ivanova. Having a real meal was a luxury when your Station was overflowing with Narn refugees.Yet, she wondered what the chief was up to,"So what's on your mind, Garibaldi?," she asked. "Eat first," he replied, " I don't want to spoil your appetite." Ivanova felt a knot in her stomach. Her forest green eyes darkened with concern. Eat first. **Continued** `[1;34;40mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.comThu Jul 13 19:15:14 1995 Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 18:04:04 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: b5-creative@best.com Subject: The Icarus Factor - Part V-C Anna Sheridan had joined Survey - Two and was examining the sphere that Paul Alvarez reported about. The sphere itself, was about the size of a volleyball and seemed to be composed of obsidian. The obsidian was not a solid black, however. Light gray whisps within the sphere seemed to have the iridescence and milky texture of moon stone. A soft, red glow within the sphere clashed against the blackness giving the sphere an eerie blood-red hue. It was almost as if the "blood" had been polluted by something vile and sinister. A shiver went up Anna's spine. Then she examined its rectangular base. The sphere and its base were proportioned so that a triangle seemed to form from the top of the sphere to both ends of its rectangular base. The base seemed to be composed of brick-red stone, similar to mars-stone.Hieroglyphs were engraved across the base. The hieroglyphs had the dark, shiny texture of obsidian. Anna took out her Comp-Serve pad and a tapped lightly across its smooth, flat service. The small, square screen became alive with Anna's notes on the hieroglyphs. "Well?," asked Alvarez, his deep brown eyes seemed to sparkle with curiousity. Anna gently placed the sphere back down, "Don't know, just yet. I'm guessing that it is a type of healing device, maybe. Will know for certain as soon as I get these hieroglyphs logged in." "Or it could be a weapon," suggested Mackey. "Oh great," retorted Harper, " nice to know that we could become toast at any moment." "It's possible," replied Grierson. Are you crazy!?!, glared Harper at Grierson. He then placed a light hand on Anna's left shoulder and bent his 6'3" frame down so that his helmet was even with Anna's, "Be *real* careful with that thing, will ya? I'd hate to think that you were logging in some kind of self-destruct/activation mode." His slate gray eyes seemed to be restless with a wild energy. Anna let out a chuckle, "Well, Grierson *is* right...it *could* be a weapon of sorts...." Not you, too!!, glared Harper as he did a double take. "...but I have just as much interest in getting off this world in one piece as you do, Mr. Harper," continued Anna, with a slight smile. "Yeah...I *bet* you do," replied Harper, jokingly, as he straightened out his tall, thin frame. Anna shook her head. At 25, Harper was the "baby" of the entire *Icarus* crew. His playfulness could irk her sometimes, but now was not one of those times. "Actually, I think the damn thing looks like a crystal ball...don't you think so, Morden?," asked Harper. No reply. Harper turned to his left, "Morden?," he asked. A cloud of concern seemed to darken his fair complexion," Where the hell is Morden?" Grierson, Mackey and Anna looked around them. Morden was nowhere to be found. "There he is," said Mackey pointing to thin, black line," it looks like he's going towards the cave...quadrant eighty-seven....eight-fourteen." "Eight-fourteeen," replied Grierson rather gravely, "Grierson to Morden. What the hell are you trying to do?" "Grierson?," came a questioning reply, "What am I trying to do? Nothing of interest, actually. Just thought I'd see if I could find any more of those spherical devices. How's Ms. Sheridan's research going?" "Don't try to side-track me, Mr. Morden. You know *damn* well that quadrant eight-fourteen is unauthorized for exploration. Get back here," said Grierson, rather sternly. "Is it really?," came Morden's cool and relaxed reply, "well maybe I can change that." "Dammit, Morden!!," cursed Grierson. Morden's connection went to static. A tension seemed to form over their group, as if someone had pulled a sheet of sarran-wrap tightly over them. "Grierson to Captain Hunley, we've got a problem sir." "Hunley, here. What's the matter, Mr. Grierson?" "Mr. Morden has decided to go on a little expedition of his own in quadrant eight-fourteen, sir," reported Grierson as he tried to hold back his anger. "Damn!," cursed Hunley,"we haven't sent any research teams to examine that area yet; there's no telling *what* he'll find....Ok, you and Mr. Tobias go after him. If you have to put him out, then do it, but get him away from that cave," replied Hunley, rather sharply. "Aye, sir. Grierson out. Mackey, your're with me." Mackey nodded and followed Grierson. "Can I go, too?" asked Harper. "Negative," replied Grierson, "you and Alvarez stay with Ms. Sheridan...find out *exactly* what that thing is, clear?" "Clear..," replied Harper with an air of disappointment.He watched as the two, tall figures lumbered after Morden. ***** "That was delicious, Michael," said Ivanova as she touched the edge of her mouth with a napkin. "Thank-you," replied Garibaldi, as he removed the dish and the two dinner plates from the table, "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He then returned to the table. His face seemed to darken and look heavy, "I guess you're wondering why I asked you to come here," he said, disturbingly. "The thought *had* crossed my mind," replied Ivanova. Why did she have a feeling that there was an axe hanging above them, just waiting to drop? Garibaldi pulled out the trapezoid-shaped scrambler from his pocket and placed it on the table. The axe dropped. "A couple of weeks ago we had a visit from the Regional Director for the Ministry of Peace, a Mr. Pierce Macabee. Apparently he picked a few, select memebers on the Station to work in an extension of the ministry called the Night Watch. They are supported by Earth Dome and are paid an extra fifty-credits a week, above and beyond their normal salary," said the chief, flatly. Ivanova frowned, "Fifty credits for *what*?" Garibaldi hesitated, "To keep an eye on things...make sure no one plants any false ideas or misinformation lest they scare the natives." The lines around Ivanova's mouth deepened; she had heard a variation of this story before, "Uh huh, and just *who* decides *what* these 'false ideas' and 'misinformation' consist of?" "Exactly," replied Garibaldi. "The captain wants me to find out which of the Station personnel are working on the Night Watch. He also wants me to find out who is backing up this Ministry of Peace." The Commander was mildly relieved that Sheridan had backed up Garibaldi's search, but she still felt a little nervous about the whole thing, "So where do I come in?," she asked. "I noticed that a few C&C technicians were in attendance at Macabee's Night Watch meeting. I can find out which of my people are involved, but I neeed you to help me find out whic of the C&C personnel are involved..and fast. Considering how much information passes through both our sections..." "Understood," replied Ivanova, flatly. The chief didn't need to spell it out for her. "How do I recognize them?," she asked. "They wear these thick, black armbands with with an eye and 'Night Watch' embroidered on them in a gold color." "Will do," replied Ivanova as she got up out of her chair, "Well, I need to head back to C&C. Thanks again, for dinner," she replied, somewhat nervously. "Anytime," said Garibaldi as the two headed back to their respective posts. **Continued** `[1;35;40mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered `[1;35;44mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.comSun Jul 30 00:07:19 1995 Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 18:07:04 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: b5-creative@best.com Subject: The Icarus Factor - Part VI The cave looked as if it came straight from hell. The entrance was lined with jagged stalagmites and stalactites which made it look like the mouth of a giant lamprey. The entrance itself seemed to roll back into pitch black nothingness. Morden looked upwards. The stalactites seemed to be closing down on him. Too late to go back now, he thought. Morden took some rope and a flood light to the edge. He tried to see how far down the bottom of the cave was. Unfortunately, the light seemed to bounce off the thick, black fog that swirled below. Something down there was jamming his Servi-Comp. Something his employ was looking for, perhaps? They had told him that it would be about 30' to the bottom. Morden brought extra rope in case they were wrong.He pulled out an anchor from his back pack and threw it around a sturdy stalagmite. He then affixed the rope to the anchor. Morden removed a utility belt from his pack and tightened it around his waist. He then put the Servi-Comp inside his pack and slid it on his back. He then affixed the rope to a clip on his utility belt and placed the rope behind his back pack and under his arms, wrapping the rope around each arm once. Morden gazed outside one final time. Two, tall, hazy figures were closing on the entrance. Grierson and Mackey would be here in minutes. Morden took a deep breath, gripped his flood light and stepped of the edge. "Are you picking up anything?," asked Grierson as the two men sped towards the cave. "Negative on that, sir. Something's jamming the readings," replied Mackey as he gazed at his Servi-Comp. Better notify the Captain." "Grierson to Captain Hunley," linked Grierson. "...nley...ere..y...gain...trans...eaking..p," sizzled the response. The two men stopped. What the hell, thought Grierson as he tried to fine-tune his link, "Captain, something's jammimg our signal, we can't read you, over." The reply was sheer static this time. Grierson cursed under his breath. "Mackey, go back to the *Icarus*. Bring them up to speed on what's happened. Sounds like they're having a bit of trouble themselves," said Grierson, somewhat disturbed. "I can't let you go in there by yourself, Jed," protested Mackey," None of this started until Morden went for the cave. Who knows, the damned fool probably disturbed something." Grierson almost did a double take. Sometimes he believed that Mackey actually had some telepathic abilites. "You have your orders," replied Grierson, firmly," There's no telling if he *did* bump into something or not. It *could* be a coincidence, but you know how I feel about coincidences. Besides, I made it *this* far, I'll be ok." Mackey nodded and raced back towards the *Icarus*. Morden had descended into the womb of darkness. His flood light could not pentrate the murky fog that enveloped him; it was like gazing through an extremely dark smokey quartz. Yet he continued his descent. He had about fifteen years of experience in caving and climbing from his trading buisness. He *could've* hired others to do what he was doing now, but that would mean a share of *his* money would go to them. Morden wanted...needed it all. Besides, Morden *liked* exploring the depths of different worlds, uncovering their hidden secrets and, most of all, exploring those places that only fools dared to tread. Morden didn't consider himself a fool; just a man who was trying to make a living. That had been quite hard as of late..... Morden's father had been killed in the Earth-Minbari War. He was attached to Delta Squadron onboard the Earth Alliance Heavy Cruiser *Ereshkigal*. Their orders were to patrol the perimeter of the Sol System for a Minbari fleet headed towards the Oort Gate. The *Ereshkigal* picked up a blip on its scanners which disappeared, reappeared, then disappeared again. Delta Squadron was ordered to investigate the anomaly. The readings kept fading in and out when suddenly... The "blips" solidified into Minbari Cruisers...a hundred of them at least. Lasers cutting through Starfuries like a hot knife through butter. The *Ereshkigal* then responded by firing her lasers and ion cannons into the attacking Cruisers. All of the fighters scrambled from the *Ereshkigal* and took to the Cruisers like angry wasps. The Cruisers flicked the starfuries away as if they were a minor annoyance. One of the Cruisers focused its attack on the *Ereshkigal*, dicing her like an apple. The surviving starfuries reacted vehemently. Delta squad led a kamikazi run on the attacking Cruiser, weaving in between the deadly laser fire.Three starfuries survived long enough to plummet into the heart of the Cruiser. Morden's father was one of the three. The Cruiser paused after it was hit just long enough to be caught in the *Ereshkigal's* dying laser fire. The Cruiser gave way to a blossoming red-orange explosion. The *Ereshkigal* soon followed when her engines went critical. The Minbari fleet moved on.... Morden's jaw tightened. He *hated* those damn Minbari and he hated those alien-loving sonsabitches even more. They claimed that the Earth Alliance reacted *aggressively* to the Minbari fleet on the perimeter!! They were going to wipe out the Earth completely! What were they *supposed* to do? Sit down and have a cup of fraggin' coffee?!? The alien sympathizers reacted violently to the survivors and to their families left behind. Some of them even garnered places of power within Earth Government. They used the support money( that was suppose to go to the survivors and their families) for means of "building a greater understanding" of other races so that a similar incident like the EM War didn't happen again. Sure, thought Morden acidly, talk your "peace" and ignore the needs of your own people...*especially* the ones who kept your ass from getting vaporized to begin with. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright(c) 1995 PTN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "The Icarus Factor" will be released to Babylonian Productions upon request. "The Icarus Factor" is copyright (c) 1995 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;31;45mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.comSun Jul 30 00:07:25 1995 Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 18:06:31 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: b5-creative@best.com Subject: The Icarus Factor - Part VII "Londo tells me that your people are building arms just outside Centauri space. He says that you are planning a full scale assualt on Centauri Prime. Tell me this isn't so, Ambassador G'Kar," said Captain Sheridan, quite flatly. The tall, Narn ambassador got up out of his seat in the Conference Room. He paced a bit, clenching his gloved hands. Then he fixed his blood-red eyes on the captain," We are no longer fighting the Centauri alone, Captain Sheridan." G'Kar then placed both of his hands down on the captain's desk and lowered his voice," My people now believe that the Centauri are being aided by a very old and ancient race." "Old race?", replied Sheridan as he remembered what Delenn and Kosh had revealed to him about the Ancient Ones and the Shadows. G'Kar looked at Sheridan as if he finally found one person in the universe who believed him. He nodded his huge, reptilian head," Years ago, my people were visited by an old race of beings, dark...war-like. They used our world as a place of power in their war with another race. They were defeated and left Narn for distant worlds that were long dead. There they they slept for a thousand years. Now, they are summoning their forces, gathering to rise again." Sheridan felt a cold lump forming in his stomache. He *had* heard this story before. He tried to hide that recognition from the Narn Ambassador,"And you feel that this 'old race' has some connection with the Centauri? What proof do you have to corroborate this?" G'Kar stood straight up and frowned, "The sudden attacks on Quadrant 37 and the outpost in Sector 14. The 'accidental' destruction of one our ships as it completed its jump to one of the Rim-worlds." The Earth Force captain wanted to believe the Ambassador's story. He had his own suspicions of the sudden attack on the Narn outpost in sector 14. Londo's reluctance in allowing a research team to go to the Narn colony after it was destroyed seemed to confirm that Londo *was* getting help from somewhere, but the captain needed some *tangible* evidence before he could accuse them of anything. "You said that your vessel was destroyed outside one of the Rim-Worlds. Which one?," asked the captain, almost dreading the answer. The Narn's eyes darkened and he seemed to hesitate, "It is commonly know to our people as Za'Ha'Dum." Sheridan went pale. Two research vessles that were "accidentally" destroyed outside of Za'Ha'Dum. Another person might've chalked it up to concidence; he did not. "You seem to recognize that place, Captain Sheridan," replied G'Kar, watching the captain as he thought. Sheridan nodded gravely, "My wife was on a research vessle that was 'accidentally' destroyed outside Za'Ha'Dum, two years ago." G'Kar looked concerned, "No accident, I assure you, Captain. The Planet of Death is one of their major places of power. Their forces are gathering back to that world and they do not want to be discovered." "But why would they want to help the Centauri? It sounds as if this race doesn't need any help at all," replied the captain. The Narn shook his head, "I do not know, Captain Sheridan, but I intend to fin..." Just then Sheridan's link chirped,"Sheridan.Go," he replied. "Captain, this is Garibaldi. I need to see you ASAP," replied the chief. "Mr. Garibaldi, I am in the middle of a conference. I'm sure you can wait," replied Sheridan, somewhat perturbed. "Don't think so, Captain," replied Garibaldi,"not if you want to keep an eye out for nightfall." Sheridan understood the chief's cryptic message," Very well, Mr. Garibaldi. Meet me in my office in five minutes, Sheridan out." "An eye out for the 'nightfall'?," queried G'Kar. "It's nothing to concern yourself over, Ambassador," replied Sheridan, off-handedly. "I see," replied G'Kar. "I would like to continue this conversation sometime soon, G'Kar. I believe what you are saying, but I can't go accusing the Centauri of anything until I can prove that Londo *is* being aided by these people." G'Kar's face seemed to brighten,"Thank-you, Captain Sheridan. I will have Na'Toth contact you about an appointment. Good day," he said as he nodded at Sheridan and began to leave. "Another thing, Ambassador," said Sheridan, sternly," Tell your people to back off on their attack. You didn't deny that your people *were* amassing forces outside of Centauri space. If you can hold them back, we just might be able to play a bluff and find out if the Centauri *really* are getting the extra help you told me about. But if your people go ahead with an attack," he said gravely, "then you'll only make things *very* worse for your people." G'Kar's face dimmed," I'll do what I can, Captain Sheridan. And thank-you, again, for your help," said the Ambassador as he left the Conference Room. G'Kar knew his people would protest vehemently about this. But he *had* to make them understand. If Sheridan helped them prove that the Centauri were being aided by another race then they would have a valuable ally. But G'Kar knew that some of his people had their own ideas about dealing with the Centauri. Ideas that rarely went in a straight line. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1995 PTN Consortium. "The Icarus Factor" is not intended to infringe upon that copyright and will be released to Babylonian Productions upon request. "The Icarus Factor" is copyright (c) 1995 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright is intact. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;31;40mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.comSun Jul 30 00:10:13 1995 Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 18:10:57 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: b5-creative@best.com Subject: The Icarus Factor - Part VIII Perspiration beaded on Mackey's forehead as he ran towards the Icarus. Then he ate dirt and crawled behind a boulder. Mackey slipped off his back pack, took out his infra-red sights and cautiously peered over the boulder. Something seemed to envelop the *Icarus*. It almost blended with the surroundings, but he could clearly make it out with his sights. It looked as if the *Icarus* were imprisioned behind the fingers of a hand...or the legs of a spider. Whatever it was, it was definitely creepy. It had a mottled, almost organic texture. He ducked back behind the boulder. Where the hell did this damn thing come from? If it *was* a ship then he *should've* heard it land; something *that* big *had* to make noise...or did it? Maybe it was some kind of stealth ship? Maybe it was *already* on the ground...blending in with everything else...waiting. Mackey didn't know. The only thing he *did* know was that the *Icarus* was in grave danger. And what about Jed? He had to tell Jed...had to warn hi.. Suddenly the hairs on the back of Mackey's neck stood straight up. He had a feeling he was being watched. Slowly, he turned his helmet and nearly dropped his jaw at what he saw. Behind him stood three creatures over seven feet tall. Their heads were shaped like skulls that had a mottled slate blue skin stretched tightly over it. Their heavy foreheads made their jet black eyes look all the more severe. They didn't have any noses or mouths. They had some kind of insectisoid-type armor. Sharp, blade-like objects pointed outwards from the sides of their wrists and from the sides of their ankles. A sickening, neon-greenish light glowered from their eyes. Mackey felt fear, and then something *very* cold. He felt as if the creatures were pinning him down with their thoughts, scanning him. They communicate telepathically, he thought. Very good, came a thought. Why are you here?!?, snarled another thought. Ask later! Put him with the rest!, snapped the third. The one to the left of the first creature violently grabbed at Mackey's right arm and hauled him up like a feather. The creature pulled Mackey in front of him. His eyes glowered with that sick greenish light, What do you want....Mac-ee? Morden had finally reached the bottom of the cave. He unhooked the rope from his utility belt. The fog remained above him, but didn't flood the bottom of the cave. Morden then slid his back pack off and took out his infra-red sights, his Servi-Comp and a PPG. No telling *what* was down here. Besides, if Grierson and Mackey followed him in then they would have to have an "accident". He took the PPG and put it in the holster on his left hip. He then entered a code into the Servi-Comp. A code which would reveal a map that his employ gave him. Just then Morden looked to the right sharply. He *could've* sworn he saw something...like two, large headlights glowering in the darkness. Then there was nothing. ***** "I certainly hope you have a good explaination as to why you interrupted my conference, Mr. Garibaldi," replied a rather annoyed Sheridan as the Chief entered his office. "Pierce Macabee," replied Garibaldi as he sat directly across from the captain. "What about him?," asked Sheridan The chief pursed his lips, "He's coming here. Tomorrow. Sixteen-hundred hours. Ivanova told me but you were in a conference with Ambassador G'Kar at the time." That got the captain's attention. "What? Why here?," asked Sheridan, increduously. "To see you apparently. Ivanova's been helping me compile a list of station personnel involved with the Night Watch. She heard something about Macabee and let me know." Sheridan checked his computer. Sure enough, there was a message from Ivanova regarding Macabee's arrival and that he wanted to schedule an appointment ment with Captain Sheridan. The message came around the same time he was in conference with G'Kar. "But that doesn't make any sense. Why would he want to see me, unless....oh, hell!," thought the captain out loud. "Morden?," asked Garibaldi. "Morden," replied Sheridan, "but why would they be interested in him? According to Earth Central, Morden is dead." "Make that past tense," replied Garibaldi as he got up and placed a data crystal in the crystal port on the captain's desk. The screen filled with a bio on Morden. "I had a bad hunch that Morden was the reason that this Macabee fella' was coming here, so I checked with Earth Central on Morden's records. He is now a living, breathing citizen of the Earth, terrible as that may sound to both of us." Sheridan's face darkened,"But that's *impossible* unless..." "Unless he has some upwardly-mobile friends?," finished Garibaldi. "That *still* leaves one question unanswered," replied Sheridan as he looked directly at the chief,"*who* blew the whistle?" "Well as far as I know, you, Ivanova, Zack and myself were the only ones who knew about the interrogation. Which means," hesitated the chief, "that one of us is a traitor. Either that, or Morden blew the whistle himself." Sheridan glared at him. "He *did* have the right to inform the proper authorites,Captain. C'mon. You *knew* what you were getting yourself into," replied Garibaldi, flatly. The captain nodded gravely as he remembered what Morden had told him, "You're playing a very dangerous game, Captain. Could cost you your command." "What about the names you and Ivanova came up with?," asked Sheridan, trying to change the subject. Garibaldi paused. He then removed the data crystal from the port and replaced it with an other. The screen scrolled the list of names. "There were more C&C techs involved with this than I would like," replied Garibaldi. Sheridan looked intently at the screen as each of the names passed. He frowned, "Stop," he told the computer. The list froze. Sheridan looked at Garibaldi, then back at the screen, "Zack Allen?" he asked with disbelief. Garibaldi knew the captain would find out sooner or later, "Unfortunately, yes." "He..was helping me with Mr. Morden..he knows....," drifted Sheridan. "Captain?," prodded Garibaldi. This time Sheridan was the one who looked uncomfortable," He knows that I asked Ms. Winters to scan Mr. Morden...he knows..what happened." So do I, thought Garibaldi, acidly. The chief repressed his anger," Which was?" Sheridan swallowed hard," I had Mr. Morden moved to another cell and Ms. Winters escorted through the same section..." Garibaldi's face darkened, "And she scanned him." He shook his head, "You may have put the noose around your own neck but good, Captain," he replied, a little annoyed."Do you mind telling me, now, *why* you had Ms. Winters scan him? Why you let him go?" "I can't go into that right no..." Garibaldi exploded, "Dammit, Captain! You've got a slug whose looking to take your head back on a platter to Earth Central and *possibly* the Corps. Now so far, *all* the evidence speaks *against* you and you still won't tell the one person who *can* help you what the hell happened!" Sheridan looked as if he had been slapped. "With all due respect, sir," added Garibaldi as he calmed down, wondering when Sheridan was going to fire him. The captain let out a frustrated sigh, "No, you're right, Michael. I've kept you in the dark about this far too long." He walked over to his desk, tapped in a code to one of the drawers and pulled out a data crystal. "This should pretty much answer your questions," he replied as he removed the data crystal from the port and placed his crystal into it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1995 PTN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "The Icarus Factor" will be released to Babylonian Productions upon requst. "The Icarus Factor" is copyright (c) 1995 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the coyright remains intact. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;31;47mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.comSun Jul 30 00:10:17 1995 Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 18:11:27 -0400 (EDT) From: Suzann Reply to: b5-creative@best.com To: b5-creative@best.com Subject: The Icarus Factor - Part 9 Morden walked cautiously down the sloping, jagged cave floor.The dirt and broken rocks crunched underneath his boots. He had to be *very* careful. One wrong move could possibly send him tumbling to his doom. He panned the area in front of him carefully with his flood light. Some broken stalagmites dotted the cave floor. Above him was the menacing fog. The cave walls beside him seemed to narrow the further along he went. He only had about a mile to go, according to his map. Good thing too, since he only had about an hour's supply of oxygen left. Morden didn't know what *exactly* it was that he was looking for. The only clue his employ gave him was," You'll know it when you see it." Morden hadn't had anymore run-ins with the "head-light" things, which was fine with him. It was kind of eerie, since they *almost* looked like a pair of eyes. Just then, Morden heard a loud noise that sounded like sand paper being rubbed together. He grabbed his PPG and panned the entire area that he was in. A part of him wanted to get out, real fast. The other part of him wanted to find out *what* was making the noise. Can't leave now, I'm almost there he thought. He kept moving forward with his PPG in his right hand...just in case. Grierson had made it to the cave and saw Morden's rope hanging from a stalagmite. It seemed to disappear in the fog that was below the edge."Morden!," he screamed down into the cave. No reply. He then tried his com-link again but his only response was an angry static. Grierson let out an angry sigh. He would have to go in after him. As Mackey neared the *Icarus* with his "escort" he noticed that most of its crew seemed to be outside the ship. Good, they haven't killed anyone...yet, he thought. WE DO NOT KILL...IT IS YOU WHO TRESSPASS!!, sneered a thought. Mackey winced. He would *really* have to be careful with his thoughts. He also noticed that the ship enveloping the *Icarus* was huge. Long, spindly "arms" seemed to imprison the ship. The arms were attached to a main body which made the whole thing look dark and foreboding. Then he saw something that made his skin crawl. A creature that looked like it had the upper body of a giant mantis and the lower body of a spider made its way towards them. Long claws in the front seemed to be clipping at empty air.Something about it sent cold spikes through him; he wanted to break away and run. IT OFFENDS YOU, MAC-EE? came another thought. Mackey composed his thoughts, No...its just..different, that's all. DOES IT SCARE YOU? You should know...oh damn! One of the aliens slammed Mackey into the ground.He felt as if someone had driven a hot pick through his brain. When he looked up, he saw the mottled face of the mantis creature.It moved its head side to side as if it were trying to make out exactly who or what Mackey was. SERVE OR DIE. "Well?," inquired Captain Sheridan as he and Garibaldi finished watching the vid. Garibaldi stuffed his hands into his pockets, "One thing's for sure.Things couldn't *possibly* get any worse around here." Sheridan managed a half-smile, "I take that to mean that you've had some run-ins with them before?" The chief moved his jaw to the left then back, "Unofficially, yes. Offically, no. Is that why you held Morden for so long?" The captain nodded," Well, I didn't know he was working for these guys until I heard this strange sound coming from the surveillance camera in Morden's room. I then had Zack do an infra-red scan and that's when they appeared." Garibaldi was deep in thought. What was it Jeff had told him? Watch out for Shadows. They move when you're not looking at them. These guys seemed to match that description for they disappeared on the vid as quickly as they appeared. "Mr. Garibaldi?," prodded Sheridan,"Mind telling me what you're thinking about?" Just then Sheridan's link chirpped,"Yes? What is it?," he replied. "Sorry to bother you Captain," it was Lieutenant Corwin," Na'Toth wishes to speak to you. She says its urgent." Everything is urgent around here, thought Sheridan. " I don't think scheduling an appointment with me is exactly *urgent*, Lieutenant. Direct her through the proper channels, Sheridan out," he snapped. Garibaldi raised his eyebrows as if to say "And.." "Ambassador G'Kar wanted to schedule another meeting with me. We think the Centauri might be getting some outside help but we need to viable proof first." "The attack on the Narn colony?," questioned the chief. Sheridan nodded, "Both of us agree that the attack happened rather quickly and on short notice. And considering Londo didn't want anyone to investigate the matter..." "Yeah, I've been having the same thoughts myself, but that's beside the point. How are we going to keep Macabee away from this?" The captain had an almost confident smile, "If Morden *was* the one who blew the whistle then we have nothing to worry about. I have a feeling that he wouldn't want the Night Watch to go after his friends." "Yeah, but that *still* doesn't keep him from going after *you*....But, it *does* give me an idea of what we *can* do," replied Garibaldi with a knowing glint in his eyes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1995 PTN Consortium. No infringement upon that copyright is intended. "The Icarus Factor" will be released to Babylonian Productions upon request. "The Icarus Factor" is copyright (c) 1995 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;32;45mRainbow V 1.14.4 for Delphi - Registered