Babylon 5: The River of Souls Page #6

That is where they stay.

More go there every year.

In time, that will be all there is...

...and we will all be lost.

I don't understand. If you have

this much control over the outside...

...why not just have Bryson or someone else

destroy the globe that keeps you prisoner?

It seems even death

would have to be better than this.

That is what the mad ones say.

That is why we have to stop them.

They will destroy themselves,

you and anyone who gets in their way...

...to take revenge

on what has been done.

I was told your people

were dying anyway.

No.

No, we weren't.

That is the point. They made a mistake.

We do not have much time.

You must make them understand.

We were not dying.

You have to tell them.

Tell them they made a mistake.

We were not dying!

We were evolving!

We were evolving!

- Yeah.

- Lieutenant, this is C & C. Get up here.

I'm en route to the captain.

We've got a problem.

C & C, I'm almost there.

How far away are they?

They've taken up firing positions

all around us.

Okay. Activate defense grid, launch all

Starfuries and if they move, shoot them.

If they don't move, shoot twice.

They're probably hiding something.

Hello.

I came to see how you were doing

and to thank you.

No one has ever done for one of us

what you have done for me.

We are universally feared and hated.

Failing to understand

the nobility of our mission...

...we assume everyone

would rather see us dead.

But you have changed all that now...

...at least for me.

And I want to thank you...

...very, very much.

Thank you.

So, what happens to Soul Hunters

when they die?

- Do you save your own souls as well?

- No.

We are worthy

only to carry on the mission.

Immortality is denied us.

I came also to tell you that...

...others from my order have arrived

and they are impatient of my progress here.

Or perhaps I should say lack of progress.

They say that if the soul vessel

is not found and returned soon...

...they will come aboard

and attend to it themselves.

- We won't let them in.

- Easy.

- May I?

- Thank you.

Since we are rarely invited or welcome...

...in those places that we must go

in order to perform our work...

...we have perfected

our own means of entry.

All of our ships are made

to attach themselves...

...to any other ship and burn through.

When our order

is united and determined...

...there is no one that can stop us.

Only the Minbari succeeded,

when we came for their leader, Dukhat.

- Well, you have to get us more time.

- I will speak on your behalf, not to worry.

But I warn you, they are far less patient

of the imperfections of other races than I.

Our order is disciplined and directed.

We do not make mistakes.

Yes. You do.

What?

You shouldn't move.

I've seen Ralga.

The planet that the souls

in the globe came from.

For just a moment...

...I was dead on the operating table.

That's when it happened.

I was inside it.

They pulled me in.

No, no, no. This cannot be.

You had a dream, perhaps, or an illusion.

It's a ringed planet with a yellow sky...

...and at least two moons.

Their major cities were along the shore.

I'm right, aren't I?

Yes, but this is not possible.

Even with a conduit to the outside,

they cannot be this strong this soon.

In time, perhaps, but not now. Not yet.

Exactly.

Look at what they've been doing.

Look at the sheer power

they've been demonstrating from the start.

These aren't your ordinary souls

that you're used to dealing with.

What are you saying?

We know from the Vorlons

and others that...

...when a race evolves

beyond a certain point...

...they no longer need a physical body.

They evolve past that point

and become beings of pure energy.

Your people were drawn to Ralga...

...because you felt the imminent passing

of their physical bodies.

But they weren't dying.

They weren't about to die.

They were about to leave behind

their physical bodies...

...and evolve to the next level.

No.

It should've been their greatest moment.

The pinnacle in the evolution of any race.

And just as it happened,

just as they became transcendent...

...you took them.

You took them and you stuck them inside

a piece of glass for 10,000 years.

You made a mistake.

Those are living souls in there,

cut off in their prime.

Trapped, when they should've been

exploring the universe.

Half of them have gone mad and the ones

who've held on can't control them anymore.

Is it possible?

We assumed. We never thought

to ask or investigate.

Is this the price of our arrogance?

Maybe we can't change

what's been done...

...but we can try to fix what we can now.

- What must I do?

Talk to your people. Buy me some time.

And for God's sake,

keep them away from this station.

We've got half a billion souls

crying out for revenge someplace in here.

The last thing we need

is to show them some more targets.

I will do this.

Lochley to C & C.

Online. Captain, you shouldn't be up.

Yeah, I know. Where's Zack?

They've focused their investigation

in Brown Sector, level 11.

Brown 11.

So, what's the location

of the Soul Hunter ships?

Holding position but refusing

to back away from the station.

Great. Anything else?

Negative. Getting some atypical readings

from the reactor, but that's all.

All right. Keep me informed.

All right, let's spread out. Keep your

eyes open. This has to be the right place.

I'm telling you, Michael, this is a dead end.

We have to move on.

No. No, this has to be the spot.

This is where most of the weird reports...

...are coming from.

- Over here.

Chief, over here!

He's dead.

- No sign of injuries, no wounds.

- Look at his face.

- He looks like he's been scared to death.

- You! Hey! I wanna talk to you.

- I thought you had this area cleared.

- I did. What the hell are you doing here?

You don't think I know what you're doing?

You cordon off the area...

...scare away my customers

and interfere with my programs.

Zack, do you know this guy?

Yeah, he runs a holobrothel

down the way a bit.

A holobrothel? You know they're not

supposed to be on the station.

- Yeah, I know, I know, but...

- Hey, hey! Excuse me...

...I'm talking here.

I've already notified my attorney...

...and if you think

these scare tactics can get rid...

- Is he dead?

- Seriously dead.

- What happened?

- Scare tactics.

You mean this isn't a routine

just to get rid of us?

What isn't a routine?

- That's the holobrothel?

- Yeah.

It makes sense.

Lock all those minds up

in a jar for 10,000 years...

...first thing they'll do is find some way

to get into a body, real or projected.

They've got access to all my files,

even private ones.

You've gotta stop them.

They're my personal files.

Who cares?

What's the big deal about...?

The captain?

- You used the captain's image so guys...?

- She's a public figure.

You know, public domain.

Free speech. It's a satire.

- Satire?

- I'm not saying anything without a lawyer.

You sleaze-bucket piece of...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes