Original subtitles

Good morning, lieutenant commander.

Morning.

Nothing personal. But you look like hell.

I know, I know. C&C woke me up an hour early.

They're picking up some unusual Tachyon emissions in Sector 14.

I looks pretty routine, but I authorized Alpha Seven

to go check it out, just in case.

Sector 14? That's a pretty long haul in normal space.

Three hours. He should be there fairly soon.

- God! I hate mornings. - We noticed.

Personally, I find it the best part of the day.

Ah, me too.

We all have our cross to bear.

The time learned to really appreciate mornings

was during the three years I spent being taught by Jesuits.

We used to get up at 5 o'clock every morning for sunrise mass.

Then an hour of meditation before class.

We would sit..

...quiet, at peace.

Breathing in, breathing out.

Breathing in, breathing out.

Breathing in

breathing out.

- Well! - What?

Boy, that was great. Boy, just hit the spot.

I see you cleaned your plate too.

- Guess I better get going. - Me too, it's nearly 7:30.

7:30? I-I didn't even..

I slept through breakfast? This isn't fair!

- Something, Lt. Commander? - No, nothing, I'm fine.

I'm fine. You'll have to excuse me.

Uh, C&C, this is Ivanova, I realize I'm late

but I'm on my way.

I'll notify your next of kin.

Four, three, two, one.

'Oh! Garibaldi, you're a dead man!'

Alpha Seven to Babylon Control, I'm closing on target.

Registering increasing Tachyon emissions.

- Visual sightings? - 'Negative.'

Nothing yet. Stand by.

Babylon Control, I'm getting something on the scanner.

Confirmed, Babylon Control. There's something out here.

- Can you identify, Alpha Seven? - No, not quite.

I can't make it out. It..

No. That's not possible.

That can't be, it just can't be. It..

No!

It was the dawn of the Third Age of mankind

ten 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

two million five hundred thousand 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.

Babylon Control to Alpha Seven, please respond.

Babylon Control to Alpha Seven.

There's nothing, commander.

- What about the homing beacon? - We're still receiving.

Based on trajectory the fighter seems to be returning to base.

ETA, one hour and fifteen minutes.

But we can't raise the pilot on any of the open frequencies.

It's possible that what ever he ran into out there

fired his communication system.

Are you still picking up those unusual Tachyon emissions?

Yes, we had another burst just about the same time

we lost contact with Alpha Seven.

And then it seemed to stabilize.

Better notify Dr. Franklin

tell him to have Medlab standing by

in case of injury.

'Minbari Flyers unit, you are clear for jump.'

Thank you, Babylon Control.

'Are you sure you don't require a pilot, ambassador?'

Quite sure. Some things one must do alone.

I believe I'm ready to proceed.

At your discretion, Babylon Control.

Alpha Seven coming into scanner range.

Alpha Seven, you're clear to dock. Proceed to main bay.

Well, that's strange, he's just sitting there.

He's not approaching the docking bay.

Run a full scan of Alpha Seven.

On it.

No structural damage. Hull integrity looks fine.

Life signs..

There's no life signs.

'Commander, he's dead.'

- What was the cause of death? - Well, commander, it's, uh..

Well, it's hard to explain.

There was no damage to the body

no shock, no trauma.

Everything points to death by natural causes.

So why is that hard to explain?

Because in this case the natural was old age.

Come on, Garibaldi, he just turned 30.

I know, and he looked fine from the outside

but the doc says his internal organs

were like those of a man three times his age.

Then how'd he get back here?

As best we can tell,

just before he died he managed

to set the ship's autopilot

to bring him back to the station.

Recommend we send a team out to investigate.

Find out what's going on out there.

If there's a hazard to navigation--

Not yet, not until we have

a better idea what we're facing.

Meanwhile I want all traffic

routed clear of Sector 14.

Michael, I want that ship examined

with a fine-tooth comb.

'Something fatal happened out there'

I wanna know what.

Begin monitoring for beacon.

Our people just finished going over Alpha Seven's fighter.

This is the buckle off the pilots safety harness.

Looks like he managed to scratch something into it

before he died.

"B4."

B4? As in Babylon4?

What I can't figure is why.

B4 vanished without a trace over four years ago.

- I don't get it. - Nor should you.

Without one other piece of information.

I ran a check on Sector 14.

The Tachyon emissions are coming from the exact location

where Babylon 4 disappeared.

Maybe what happened to B4 is happening again?

That's one possibility.

There is another.

What if..

- Sinclair. - 'Commander.'

We just started picking up a distress signal in Sector 14.

I thought I ordered all ships to stay clear of that area.

- 'Affirmative.' - Then who?

'The distress call identifies itself as..'

'Commander, it's Babylon 4.'

We're on our way.

- Is the signal on-line? - It's shaky but it's there.

You want me to patch it through?

Not yet.

Ivanova, check the archives

and get me the secure code for Babylon 4.

Ever since the war, every Earthforce command

and control center was configured to broadcast

its ID code on a sub channel.

Sort of a tag to prevent counterfeit orders?

- Exactly. - Coming up.

The archival ID and the one we're getting now.

Coded signal matches 100% to archival code.

'Babylon 4 recognition signal confirmed.'

'This is nuts.'

A station just doesn't disappear and reappear

four years later like some kind of Flying Dutchman.

- Only one way to find out. - Let's see it.

Repeat, Earth Station

Babylon 4 requesting help.

We need assistance.

I repeat, Earth Station Babylon 4 requesting help!

This is Commander Jeffrey Sinclair of Bab..

This is Earthforce Commander Sinclair. We read you.

- What is your situation? - Oh, thank God.

We don 't know. Have to abandon ship!

We're caught in some kind of flux.

Power's at 30%. Ship's damaged.

'We need help to evacuate'

'we must get help before it's too late.'

- What's your crew complement? - Uh..

Skeleton crew, 1200, maybe 1300.

We'd just gone operational when..

'Oh, God.'

It's starting again.

It's starting ag..

The signal's too weak. We lost it.

And one more thing, the date stamp on the message

is four years out of date.

You're not starting to believe this, are you?

It can't be Babylon 4. It's impossible.

What's the maximum we can evacuate at any time?

About 250, using half our shuttles in swing shifts.

'That's five round trips, 90 minutes turnaround.'

- Figure Ten hours total. - Good.

I want a fighter escort prepped and ready to launch immediately.

We're going to find Babylon 4.

So I won't lie to you.

We don't know for sure what's waiting for us out there.

All we do know is that we've already had one man killed

while investigating Sector 14.

We're still picking up unusual Tachyon emissions..

...possibly related to Babylon 4's alleged reappearance.

'We don't know what effect'

those highly concentrated emissions

will have on our ships

or the people inside.

There's a definite risk factor at work here.

If anyone wants to pull out

now's the time.

No questions will be asked.

Alright. Saddle up.

We hit space in 20 minutes.

Let's go, Mike.

Fighter Squadron Zeta, you're cleared to launch.

Escort Wing, you're cleared to launch on my mark. Mark.

All ships escort position, and coordinate homing beacons.

Maintain formation until contact.

Babylon Control, if you don't hear from us in eight hours

'notify Earth Central, but do not send additional ships.'

'Confirmed, commander. Good luck.'

Alright, let's get this show on the road.

'ETA, two hours, fifty-seven minutes.'

Time to target?

Two hours, three minutes.

This is the part I hate most. The waiting.

Hm.

- Mind if I ask you a question? - Sure.

Okay, it's morning, you're gettin' ready to go to work

you pull on your pants, do you fasten, then zip

or zip and then fasten?

What kind of question is that?

Well, look, we got two hours to kill.

- Forget it. - Just a question.

- Why do you wanna know? - Why do I wanna know?

Because I think of these things sometimes.

I was getting dressed this morning, for a second

I couldn't remember which I did first.

I started thinkin' about it.

Does everybody do it the same way?

Is it a left handed, right handed thing?

Do you think about this stuff a lot?

Yeah.

Look, okay, I'm sorry I asked.

Now, you're always so serious all the time.

Not every conversation has to be

the end of the world as we know it.

- I didn't mean to-- - Never mind, i-it's okay.

I'll just watch my console.

Don't worry about it.

- Fasten then zip. You? - Fasten, zip.

How much longer?

One hour, fifty-seven minutes.

You wanna talk socks?

- No. - It's just a question.

I'm not having this conversation.

Summoned, I come.

In Valen's name, I take the place

that has been prepared for me.

I am Grey.

I stand between the candle and the star.

We are Grey.

We stand between the darkness and the light.

We welcome you, Delenn.

For too long the nine have been eight.

Your task has been necessary

but your absence has diminished us.

'We rejoice at your return.'

It is my honor to serve.

Why have I been called?

It has been ten cycles since Dukhat left this world

to take his place with Valen and the nine who were.

Ten cycles since our people have had a leader.

The time of mourning is complete.

We must now choose another.

In your absence, we have discussed

debated, prayed for guidance.

'We must choose wisely and well.'

Why was I not told of these deliberations?

We thought it best in light of our decision.

You have been chosen to lead us.

Of all the council, you have seen most, traveled most

know much of the other species, their worlds and governments.

There could be no other choice.

My calling is to serve, not to lead.

My work on Babylon 5--

- Is concluded. - But the prophecy..

Prophecy will attend to itself.

We will pray guidance

and select another to take your place.

From this day forward, your place is with the council

with your people, as leader.

You have carried your burden long enough.

It must be a great relief knowing you will never again

'return to Babylon 5.'

Entering Sector 14, picking up intensity

Tachyon emissions. Anything on the screen?

Not yet.

It's.. Hang on.

The scanners are picking up an object.

- 'It's big, alright.' - 'Confirmed, it's..'

Son of a gun.

Babylon 4.

Signal the others. We're going in.

'We're hitting some kind of distortion field.'

Tachyon emissions up 50%.

Shuttle One to Escort Wing, take position

'18 kilometers from the station and hold.'

We'll go in and check it out first, once we know it's clear

we'll signal you to proceed with the evacuation.

Let's do it.

Monsters! I'll stop you!

'I know who you are!'

You want him?

- Your turn. - You sure?

I'll cover you.

I see you! You think I can't?

I gotta get off this station!

Come on and show yourselves!

Come on! Easy, easy, easy!

- Gotta get out of here! - Relax.

Hold it! It's alright. We'll take him.

I- I gotta get out of here.

Major Lewis Krantz, Babylon 4.

Assigned to supervise the final stages of construction.

Commander Sinclair.

This is my security chief, Michael Garibaldi.

Oh, thank God you're here.

Was your ship passing through this sector?

Not exactly. We're from another station.

- Babylon 5. - Babylon 5, you say?

Oh, my God.

What.. What year is it?

It's 2258.

Then it's true.

We have to hurry!

We have to get everyone off the station quickly before..

What the hell?

'Commander!'

Commander!

They went thorough level seven and eight

can't stop them! They're everywhere!

Garibaldi?

Look, I've rigged the fusion reactors!

But there's no time! Get going!

I'll hold 'em as long as I can.

Look, come on, this isn't a conversation!

Jeff, it's okay, I finally understand!

This is the moment I was born for!

Now go! Go!

- Go! - Wait! Wait!

'They're coming through.'

Take that! Take it, how about you? How about you?

Take some! Take some! Take some!

Wait!

Garibaldi!

What!? What was that?

It's different for everyone. A flash!

Forward or backward!

All of us, the entire station!

We've become unstuck in time, commander.

That's why we have to get out of here quickly!

They are waiting for you in the Great Hall.

I know.

They cannot begin without you.

If I enter the Great Hall, I will never leave it again.

I will live out my days and my nights in that place.

Yes.

It is a great honor.

I cannot do it.

I cannot accept the calling.

In over 1000 years, no one has refused.

Then perhaps it is time!

I hear their calling.

I know the reasons for it, and part of me yearns to accept!

But I must listen to the greater calling of my heart.

And what does your heart tell you?

That I must stay where I am.

That I must remain with Babylon 5.

That I have a part to play in the change that is coming.

They will say it is just the voice of ego and of pride.

Perhaps.

I wish to reconvene the council.

- I must speak to them. - That has never been done!

But if it were to be done at all

this is as good and as bad a time as any.

Do you know what you're doing?

Are you fully aware of the consequences?

Yes, I am.

Then I will call the Grey Council together.

'We've reestablished communications '

'with the shuttle escort.'

The first group is being evacuated.

- What about the commander? - 'He's still aboard.'

'Babylon Control this is Shuttle Wing Two'

'requesting permission to launch.'

Shuttle Escort Wing number Two. You're clear for launch.

It started 24 hours after the station went operational.

We began noticing discrepancies in the time track system.

We thought it was a computer glitch

then all hell broke loose.

Anything else unusual happened before the station vanished?

Yeah, this.

Says his name's Zathras.

We don't know how he got aboard

'where he came from or what race he is.'

'I've never seen an alien like him before.'

Ah!

Oh!

Not the One. No.

- Not the one what? - Not the one.

Won't talk. Can't talk. Not the One!

They told me. They did. Zathras listens, he does, yes.

Zathras listens and does what he's told.

He keeps talking like that since we caught him.

- Where'd you find him? - That's the weird part.

One minute, we're alone in the conference room.

The next...there's a flash, and there he is.

The One is hurt. Must find. Zathras must find. Help.

- What're you doing here? - 'Need this place.'

Need this. Used to fight.

They told Zathras, "Biggest of all Babylon Stations, we need."

Needing, we take.

There is no more to telling.

Why do you need Babylon 4?

Zathras tells, you let Zathras go?

Finish what Zathras came for?

Zathras tells, maybe we don't break

Zathras' scrawny little neck!

Ooh!

Great War.

Terrible war.

There is much killings. Everyone fighting.

A great darkness.

It is the end of everything.

Zathras warn, but..

...ah, no, no one listen to poor Zathras. No.

'Great War..'

...but great hope of peace.

Need place.

'Place to gather'

'to fight, to organize.'

You need Babylon 4 as a base of operations in a war?

Is that it?

To help save galaxy..

...on the side of light.

So they tell me..

...must have, or it is the end of all.

The One leads us.

The One tells us to go. We go.

We live for the One.

We would die for the One.

We pull this place through time..

...to save us all.

Pull through time to where? The past? The future?

Where you come from, what year is it?

By my world time

it is year 4993.

But what is that in Earth time?

If we don't know where you come from

that date doesn't do us any good!

Much apologizing. Mathematics not Zathras' skill.

- 'Zathras go now.' - Major, it's back!

- Let's get him! - Hey!

There it is again!

'What the hell?'

It is the One.

He's in pain.

Yes. Much pain.

- 'Oh!' - Warned him. Zathras did.

But willing to sacrifice himself for others.

He stopped the time-taking..

...to let these escape station.

You're saying he deliberately stopped Babylon 4

to let the crew get off?

Commander, don't.

Fixed. Zathras fixed!

Take! Hurry!

Stop him!

- You okay? - Yeah, I think so.

Alright! There he is!

- What happened? - I'm not sure.

You must leave now.

Finished we are. There is no more time.

'Leave! Or be trapped here forever!'

Better help with evacuations.

Alright, I'll link in.

Come on, bring him!

'You wish to speak to me? Now is your time.'

This council stopped the war

against the humans because of prophecy.

Because Valen said that the humans

some among them had a destiny

which we could not interfere with.

It was my place to study them

to determine if the prophecy was correct.

I have not yet finished that task.

How much more is there to learn, Delenn?

They are a primitive people.

I doubt the prophecy. It may have referred to others.

- It did not! - How do you know?

What is it that makes the humans so special?

What is it that draws you to them?

They fight. They argue.

They are ruled by passions and fears.

Yes, and that is their strength.

They do not seek conformity. They do not surrender.

Out of their differences comes symmetry

their unique capacity to fight against impossible odds.

Hurt them, and they only come back stronger.

The passions we deplore have taken them

to their place in the stars

and will propel them to a great destiny.

Their only weakness is that they do not recognize

their own greatness.

They forget that they have come to this place

through two million years of evolution

struggle and blood.

They are better than they think

and nobler than they know.

They carry within them the capacity

to walk among the stars like giants.

They are the future

and we have much to learn from them.

But why you?

Why not another?

It is my calling. The calling of my heart.

No ruling of this council can override that call.

Delenn, if you reject this decision

if you turn away from the honor

this council has chosen to give..

...if you leave us again

you may not be allowed to return again.

You may lose your position within the council.

Is this truly what you want?

Think hard, Delenn.

This council has never before been divided.

We may best avoid division

by removing you from our company.

'You could become outcast.'

I understand.

But I must do what I believe is right.

Then we shall put it to a vote.

Who among us will honor Delenn's request?

This council has spoken.

We withdraw our decision.

Another will be chosen to lead us.

Go now..

'...so that we may reflect on our choices..'

'...and debate what is to become of your position.'

Alright, don't panic! Everybody just calm down.

We'll clear you all out just as soon

as we can load you into the shuttles!

Hey! Hey, come on, watch the shoving.

Okay, let's go. Five! Just five.

One, two, three, four, five. Let's go. Hold it!

Close 'em up! Close 'em up!

- Let someone out! - Okay, five more.

Let's go. One, two, three, four, five.

Okay, that's good, that's good. Wait up, Wait up.

Everybody, just relax! Just relax!

'What was that device you handed over?'

Time stabilizer.

Help survive when make next time jump.

That must've been what happened to our pilot.

He was caught up in the time distortion and was killed by it.

Yes.

- Where is your stabilizer? - Gone.

Gave it to the One. Now I have none.

So without this time stabilizer

what happens to you when it jumps?

Zathras die.

But Zathras die for cause.

Maybe stop Great War.

Maybe Zathras great hero.

Maybe build statue to Zathras, and others come..

...remember Zathras.

What if we take you with us, put you on trial?

Zathras not of this time. You take, Zathras die.

You leave, Zathras die.

Either way, it is bad for Zathras.

If you'll just tell us how to stop this!

No, no.

You're willing to let yourself die

to steal a space station?

Zathras does not want to die..

...but if it is the only way, then Zathras dies.

It is life.

- Sinclair. - Just got the message.

Tachyon emissions are way up!

This place is starting to go where the hell it's going.

- What about the evacuation? - One more pass.

We'll have everybody off this station

except you and the command staff.

If you're coming, you better do it now.

This place is falling apart, faster than..

'So this is it.'

'You're just gonna leave?'

Lise?

I don't understand you, Michael.

We've got a good life here, we've got history.

You've met this Sinclair character twice

and now you're off to Babylon 5, just like that?

Don't I mean anything to you?

Lise, my God, what-what are you doing here?

I don't know.

I'm starting to wonder the same thing myself.

I think you've got something to prove

that somehow, maybe taking this job

will mean the last five years didn't happen.

But I'm part of those years, Michael

and I will not go to Babylon 5 with you.

It's gotta be one or the other.

When you make up your mind

you know where to find me.

Oh, Lise. Wait, no!

You gotta listen to me. Please, don't leave me again.

We can work this out, I..

Lise? Lise?

- Lis.. - Garibaldi?

Garibaldi, are you okay?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay.

Get on down here, Jeff, I want to get the hell off this place!

He's right! The time distortion is getting worse.

We must leave now!

- I agree, but, what about him? - We take him with us!

He said he'd die if we did that.

And you believe him?

I don't know. But it's clear that he believes it.

Commander, for the next 15 minutes

this is still my command.

I'm going to have to answer for this station

and I want proof to go with it!

Alive or dead, he's the only proof I've got!

And he's going with us! Take him!

- We've got to help him! - Too late!

We gotta get outta here.

We can't just leave him!

You think I want to?

We have to leave now, with or without you!

- Come on. - Go! Leave me!

I can't.

Go! You must listen to Zathras!

You have a destiny.

Go! Please!

Go for Zathras.

What the hell is going on around here?

Commander, come on!

Come on!

Last shuttle's gone! It's just us now.

Ship's warmed up and ready to go! Come on.

It's like watching a great old ship go down for the last time.

Yeah, well, you're not the captain of this ship.

And I'm not about to let you go down with it!

Now, come on! Come on!

Hurry!

Zathras knew

you would not leave him.

'Zathras trusts the One.'

Distortion field increasing. It's off the scale.

She's going.

'Time distortion repaired.'

'Present-time atmosphere now breathable.'

I tried. I tried to warn them.

But it all happened

just the way I remembered.

I know.

It's time. We have to go.

They're waiting for us.

Do you think that bit was true?

About a Great War and Babylon 4 being the base

for somebody to try and bring peace to the galaxy?

I don't know.

But if it is true, I wish them luck.

The station was built to create peace.

Maybe now it'll do so in a way nobody ever expected.

But it's still on the same mission.

Maximum burn.

'Delenn?'

I wanted to say goodbye..

...until you return.

My friend, we have come too far together

to lie to one another.

I will never again see the inner chamber of the Grey Council.

Perhaps, perhaps not.

In either event, I thought you should have this.

The Triluminary.

- I can't! - There are still two others.

It won't be missed for a time.

If you are right

you will have more need of it than we will.

'These are curious times, Delenn.'

I feel a great change in my bones.

A new beginning, an end, I cannot say.

'We are surrounded by signs and portents..'

...and I feel a darkness pressing at our backs.

If ever you have need of me, I am here, Delenn.

Now, Valen go with you

and light your way.

And with you, my friend.

- 'Commander, welcome home.' - 'Thanks.'

I've been monitoring the situation from this end.

- So it's true then? - Yes, it's true.

Great, and I missed it.

Not necessarily, Lt. Commander.

We don't know where Babylon 4 was going.

Or when it was going.

Who knows, it may show up again sometime.

Well, if it does, this time I'm going

and Garibaldi's staying here.

The Flying Dutchman, he called her.

Yes, I didn't get that reference.

It's a legend.

An ancient sailing vessel that vanished

while trying to sail the Cape of Good Hope.

According to the story, it's reappeared

again and again over the centuries..

...trying to find its way home.

Did the Flying Dutchman ever make it home?

No.