Racing Mars

Airdate: April 21, 1997

Episode # : 76

Production # : 410

Guest stars: Jeff Griggs as Dan Randall, Mark Scheidner as Wade, Donovan Scott as Captain Jack, Clayton Landley as Number Two and Marjorie Monaghan as Number One.

Episode Plot

Sheridan's Office

Ivanova and the Captain discuss the lack of shipments they are receiving from Earth. They agree that they will have to begin purchasing from the black market, provided the smugglers want to trade with B5. Ivanova insists that she deal with the smugglers. She also insists that Sheridan take a couple of days off.

Dr. Franklin and Marcus are bored, sitting in a storage compartment in the transport vessel. Marucs is driving Franklin up a wall with his games. Marcus then notices that there is someone eavesdropping on them. Marcus quickly puts a strangle hold on the stranger.

Marcus:"It would appear, Stephen, that we have a spy. . . "

Transport

Marcus and Dr. Franklin interrogate the passenger. The stranger's name is Captain Jack. Marcus ensures that he keeps an indiscreet distance from Franklin and himself. They continue questioning.

B5 / Sheridan's Quarters

Sheridan is unhappy because he can only get ISN on the viewer. For the first time, he watches Garibaldi's discussion with the ISN journalist, Dan Randall. To say the least, Sheridan's not a happy camper.

Crowded Area

Sheridan finds Garibaldi. He wants to find out why Garibaldi said what he did to Randall, and why he deliberately and openly defied, even undermined, Sheridan. Sheridan reminds Garibaldi of his still-intact pledge to keep the info regarding the resistance to himself.

Garibaldi: "Yeah, the interview. Look, I don't work for you anymore."

Sheridan: "I know, and I supported your decision, but. . . "

Garibaldi: "But now you don't like it because I'm challenging your authority."

Sheridan: "There's a difference between challenging and undermining. Your opinion is. . .

Garibaldi: "my opinion. You know, free speech was one of the things you were supposed to be fighting for. "

Sheridan: "I thought we were friends."

Sheridan and Garibaldi continue arguing, and the Captain finally storms off in a rage, frustrated because Garibaldi won't even tell him why he is defying Sheridan.Transport

Dr. Franklin and Marcus eat; Captain Jack provides the dinner music. . .

Jack: "Lyta had a little Vorlon. Her skin was pale as snow. Everywhere that Lyta went, the Vorlon was sure to go."

Jack performed the song to prove that he is the "contact" that Marcus and Franklin have been waiting for. He provides new identification for both of them, indicating that they are "newlyweds" or course to Mars for their "honeymoon." The good Doctor Franklin isn't too hot about the idea; Marcus thinks it's funny.

Babylon 5

Garibaldi is approached by men who "overheard" his heated discussion with Captain Sheridan. They identify themselves as people who are displeased with Babylon 5's secession from the Earth Alliance. For now, they just want to share their disgust of Sheridan with Garibaldi, but Garibaldi just keeps walking.

Mars!

Captain Jack relates the rumors and stories he's heard about B5. He indicates that the Resistance was afraid the B5 had forgotten about them. Marcus reassures Jack that Mars had received little recent attention because of the Shadow War and all. . .

Jack: "What war?"

Marcus is stunned: "I'm finally a war hero, and no one knows about it. And worst of all, I'm married to YOU. [Franklin]"

Babylon 5!

Commander Ivanova converses with some smugglers, using charm, wit and intimidation to convince them to help smuggle medicine, equipment, etc., into the station in return for protection. One of the smugglers appears to be attracted to her. . .

Mars

Captain jack leads Marcus and Dr. Franklin through several mining tunnels where the members of the Resistance hide. Several men approach Marcus and the doctor with guns.

Mars

The members of the Resistance aren't convinced that Dr. Franklin and Marcus are the legitimate contacts. They are especially reticent to accept them because Marcus is carrying his Minbari fighting pike. They agree to extract blood to take a DNA sample and match the results with B5 before taking any further action.

Babylon 5

Sheridan stands by himself, upset about his encounter with Garibaldi. Delenn enters the garden area and comes to him. [note: she has the best timing of anyone]

Delenn: "If you could look any more unhappy, please do not tell me. There are some things I would rather now know."

Sheridan: "I'm mad at myself. I went to see Michael today. I figured we could talk through this. Well, we ended up going around and around. I got hot. A few months ago I would have trusted him with my life. Now, I don't know. I sometimes feel like I'm better at fighting wars than at relationships. I keep thinking I can turn him around if only I could just figure out the right words!"

Delenn: "He has to find his own way, as do you. In the past, those two paths have crossed. Now, perhaps, they don't. It is the way of things."

Sheridan: "I know, that doesn't make it any easier. Hey, I don't mean to be so morose. You came looking for me for a reason."

Delenn: "Ivanova tells me that you have taken the day off."

Sheridan: "At gunpoint"

Delenn: "This this may be a good time. As you know, when Minbari become close as we have become close. . . "

Sheridan: "Not ANOTHER ritual!"

Delenn: "It is our tradition"

Delenn indicates that this ritual is designed to find each other's pleasure centers! Done with great deliberation, meditation, prayer, the usual. Sheridan asks how many rituals there are; learns there are fifty. Delenn, asking Sheridan is he has anything better to do, receives a definitive no! Sheridan's mood has already improved.

Mars

Dr. Franklin and Marcus are still being held prisoner. The second renegade leader (number two) enters their cell. He informs them that their identicard information and their DNA samples did not match up. During the discussion, the "Number one" leader enters and proposes to learn more about Marcus and Franklin. Captain Jack suddenly retreats to the wall, rubbing his neck. [You can see this one coming up] Both Marcus and the doctor notice his behavior. Suddenly, Jack pulls out a PPG and Marcus quickly shoves Number One [a nice looking tall blonde] out of the way. Marcus fires his PPG and hits Jack on the shoulder. Something slithers off of Captain Jack, who then runs awat.

Mars

Marcus examines the small creature that had slithered off of Jack's neck. The creature is covered with "microfibers" that override the body nervous system. Overriding the nervous system would provide direct access and control to the brain, the central unit of the system. The creatures control of the host body increases as the creature grows in physical size. Two people enter and inform Number One that they were unable to locate Captain Jack, but they were able to find out that he stole a thermal grenade from a local weapons locker.

Transport Pod / Mars

Captain Jack is contacted by Number One via a communication system. He tells her that he can't come back because he would be a threat to the Resistance

Jack: "I can't come back. They found me in the middle of the night and put that thing on me. In me. I wanted to warn you. I wanted to say something, but it wouldn't let me. Now it's too late. "Number one "But we killed the thing"

Jack: "You killed part of it. But you can't remove the whole thing. The thing is, they grow back. They **always** grow back."

Number one: "Jack, don't do anything stupid!"

Jack: "I heard these tunnels can withstand just about anything. I've always wondered if that was true or not." (Suddenly, a tentacle of some type reaches up over Jack's shoulder. Jack notices it.) " I guess I'll finally find out what my tax money's been doing all these years. . ."

Jack detonates the grenade, and the explosion rocks the transport tube.

Babylon 5

Sheridan approaches Garibaldi. He apologizes to Garibaldi about his previous behavior. An alien woman approaches at the same time [I think it's a Brocuri [spelling?]]

Alien woman: "You're him aren't you? You're Sheridan."

Sherian: "Uh, yes. . ."

Alien woman: "You're the one that went to Z'ha'dum. You died there and came back with knowledge of good and evil. . . "Sheridan is uncomfortable with her behavior. She begs Sheridan for a "blessing." Garibaldi grabs her by the shoulders and tells to to wake up. Sheridan tells Garibaldi to leave her alone. Garibaldi punches Sheridan, who falls to the floor.

Sheridan: "Because of everything we've been through, you get that one for free. Next time, I'm taking you're head off!"

B5 / Delenn's Quarters!

Sheridan asks permission to enter her quarters. Upon entering, he finds a whole lot of Minbari in her living room. Delenn reveals that they are present to "pray and meditate" for Sheridan/Delenn during their "pleasure" ritual. Also, they will make sure things do not get "out of hand" [You've just got to see this next part. . . ] Sheridan gives a sigh of resignation, then Delenn drags him into her bedroom. She then closes the door.

B5

The Captain, looking quite fatigued, walks into an elevator lift. Lennier is present. Confused, he turns to Sheridan.

Lennier: "Um, 'Whoo Hoo'?"

Sheridan doesn't know whether or not to be embarrassed.

B5

The men who spoke to Garibaldi earlier now mention the scuffle with Sheridan. They ask Garibaldi for help.

Man: "You give him to us when we ask you to. We'll see to it that he gets the help he needs. Are you with us?"

A LONG pause

Garibaldi: "I'm with you. . ."

Questions

• Who planted the keeper on Captain Jack?
• How did the people who planted the keeper on Captain Jack know about his involvement with the Resistance?
• Who are the people Garibaldi promised to help?
• What organization is Garibaldi now working for?
• What was the large ship being escorted toward Mars by a group of Starfuries? If it was a member of the Resistance, where did it come from and what was it carrying? Number One?
• "Woo Hoo?" -- What were they doing in there?
• With everything Sheridan has done, how does he have all of his credibility intact?
• The people who confront Garibaldi speak of an entire group that opposes Sheridan. Well, who, what and where are they, and what do they plan to do?
• Seriously, what "help" will they, whoever they are, REALLY give Sheridan :::if::: they capture him?
• How does the keeper keep growing back, and how big is it? In War Without End, Londo's keeper was small, but this episode revealed that Captain Jack's keeper was big.
• What are Garibaldi's real intenions?
• Since the Mars Resistance officers captured Marcus and Franklin, took their identicards but failed to take their PPG's, this implies that they trusted them, perhaps even had had prior contact with Franklin and Marcus. If so, then the Resistance already knew about Captain Jack's infection with a keeper.
• How many people (Mars Resistance members and otherwise) have been infected by keepers?
• Also, since Jack reported that someone "put it on him," who put the keeper on the Centauri regent to the throne?
• Was the woman who begged Sheridan to give her a "blessing" a setup arranged by Garibaldi's "friends" or was she legit?

Notes / Interesting Facts

• Careful examination shows that the people who contacted Garibaldi said that Sheridan's actions were "Not good for the
• PRESIDENT
" Surely someone who opposed Earth and the Earth Alliance would not say such a thing. Perhaps they accidentally gave away their intentions. In this case, assuming Garibaldi is still working for Sheridan (see Predictions section below), he has an excellent chance to help 1) save Babylon 5, 2)discredit the President, and 3)prove his loyalty.
• Another possibility: Garibaldi may still be loyal to Sheridan and the cause/alliance, but Sheridan may not know about it. In this way, Garibaldi would be protecting Sheridan, preserving the alliance and working undercover with complete credibility. And, the only way he could do that would be to alienate Sheridan. Surely Garibaldi's deliverance of Earth (perhaps psi-corps, although they don't look like it, they look more like nightwatch) officials would probably prove to Sheridan that Garibaldi was doing all of this undercover work because he found a threat to station security that he couldn't take out merely with a team of security agents armed with PPG's.
• When Garibaldi was asked the question "Are you with us?" it may have been some sort of key phrase. Remember, in his flashbacks his captors told him "You work for no one but us" and this may have been a test. Therefore, these may be the same people who originally captured him, now here to make sure their work is successful.
• Food bars taste like sand
• Number One claims that the resources of the Resistance are very limited, but it would seem that she is holding information back, perhaps a great deal of information regarding the strength of the Resistance.
• Delenn literally yanked Sheridan into her bedroom. What did they do in there!
• Lennier was noticably uncomfortable in Delenn's quarters. This is justified because he has professed his love for Delenn to Marcus, stating it was not "romantic" love but a more noble love. Still, he must experience a great deal of discomfort when put into the situation he was put into.
• Sheridan found that all channels but ISN were blocked; as he was going through channels, he tried to access the "Adult Channel." What if Delenn caught him?!
• Mars has been subjected to the news blockout and embargo as long or longer than Babylon 5. People even haven't heard anything more than rumors about the Shadow War.
• Obviously, the people who plant keepers in the Resistance groups wish to wipe out the Resistance. It is very likely that Garibaldi's "contacts" have the same intent.
• A keeper can be partially killed, but it always grows back.

Predictions

• Here's one: Garibaldi may STILL be working for Sheridan. Remember all the way back to the episode Z'ha'dum. When Sheridan was leaving, he asked Garibaldi to do something important for him. For a moment, Garibaldi balked. Then, he decided to do so. Maybe Garibaldi is still working for Sheridan but doing so undercover. Sheridan must have known that Earth would eventually move against him, and so made preparations to save the station. Here, Garibaldi could be loyal to Sheridan, but is working "undercover" in order to seek out and possibly destroy all the threats to station security. Otherwise, why wouldn't Sheridan have already kicked Garibaldi off the station? Also, since Garibaldi and Sheridan have now had an unpleasant encounter, Garibaldi now has credibility with the enemy. He can now be a spy for Sheridan. Therefore, he will remain loyal to the alliance. He's got nowhere else to go.