the Darkness
Chapter 3
�S�,� he nodded.
�What else did you see?�
Diego shuddered inwardly as he remembered the ghastly shape that made him fall off a bridge in his dream. �I saw some black shape that resembled a spider. It was coming toward me right out of the dark.�
�Shadows,� G�Kar hissed through clenched teeth as the rest of his company gave each other a somber look.
�Shadows?� Diego asked, puzzled. �What shadows?�
Sheridan got up and walked over to what seemed to be a glass opening in the wall. �Let me show you something, Diego.� He took out a small crystal-like object from his pocket and inserted into a tiny opening beneath the glass. Suddenly the glass became alive. Diego saw it turn fiery red, and then he saw a strange-looking object that seemed to be flying through that redness.
�This is a recording made by one of our fighter ships in the hyperspace,� the captain explained, half hoping that Diego would not question the words �fighter ship� or �hyperspace� for, while the ship could be explained, hyperspace would be much more difficult. �This ship,� he pointed to the flying object, �was just a few yards ahead of the one that made the recording.�
Diego watched wide-eyed, unable to understand how and what exactly he was seeing. And then the spider-like shape appeared in the glass, covering it almost completely for a moment. Diego pulled back involuntarily, watching as this black spider hovered over what the captain called �a ship.� A beam of bright light came out of the spider, hitting the ship. And right in front of Diego�s eyes the ship exploded into millions of bits and pieces, and the glass went black again.
In the complete silence that enveloped the room, Captain Sheridan walked back to the table and sat down, looking straight at the man in black, whose face mirrored the confusion and horror of the scene. �Was this the shape you saw in your dream?�
Young de la Vega nodded silently, too shaken to speak.
Sheridan nodded back understandingly and continued: �The Shadows are one of the oldest and most developed races in the universe. A thousand years ago, they have started a war against other races. Many were destroyed, many others were left in complete devastation both technologically and morally. Earth was spared then. The Shadows decided that it was not developed enough to present any real threat to them.�
He fell silent for a while, letting the information sink in. John Sheridan could only imagine how their guest from the past must feel. He himself felt strange having his childhood hero, whom he always thought to be fiction, sit next to him at the table. But Sheridan noted with admiration that Diego managed to keep himself under control, concentrating fully (or as much as it was possible for him in that situation) on the captain�s speech. �Over the past few centuries,� Sheridan continued, �Earth has grown in its potential. So much so that it was recently able to join the Interstellar Alliance that other races have formed to fight against the Shadows.�
�And now Shadows have decided to correct the mistake they made a thousand years ago and to eliminate all chances of Earth�s becoming what it is today,� Lennier interposed. �We have found out a few days back that they have already sent one of their agents onto your planet.�
�So, what does this all have to do with me?� Diego could not see any connection.
�Well, you see��
�Shadows do not wish to attack us now,� Sheridan interrupted Lennier�s attempt at the rather complicated explanation. �We are strong now, we can put up a good fight.� He smiled cheerlessly. �We would probably lose eventually, but with the help of the Alliance we are sure to take quite a few Shadow vessels out with us. Naturally, the Shadows wish to avoid that. And the only way for them to do it is to attack us when we were still weak.�
�And so they picked the 19th century California?� Diego guessed.
�Yes. America made a great technological progress in the 20th century. Shadows wish to eliminate America�s potential for this war first, before they move on to the other countries.�
Diego shook his head. �I still do not see how I can help. I do not think my sword will be able to do much against that thing.�
Sheridan opened his mouth to say something, but Delenn forestalled him, �You are right,� she said. �Your sword will not help you fight against the Shadows. But your sword is not what we are after.�
�What then?�
�Telepathy.�
�What?� Diego was vaguely familiar with the concept, the idea of one being able to �hear� another person�s thoughts and feelings. But the idea that he could possess this power�
Delenn smiled at his bemusement. �The Shadows are almost impossible to beat, even with our firepower. But we have discovered that telepaths are able to trap Shadows in their minds, paralyzing them. At those times they are easy to destroy.�
�But . . . I am not a telepath. I��
�Yes-s-s . . . you . . . are,� a voice hissed behind Diego, sounding like it came out of a pipe after rattling around in there for a while.
Everyone�s eyes turned to the creature that eavesdropped on them. Apparently, the creature had no arms and legs. At least, Diego did not see anything that would resemble them. Its head was bald and even glistening. There were no traces of eyes, ears, or nose on it. A small circle that was of a slightly darker color than the rest of its head and was situated at the front end of its oblong shape could have been its mouth, but Diego wasn�t sure.
�Kosh!� the captain rose from his seat. Everyone else stared at the creature in anticipation, watching as it moved closer to the man in black. Diego rose too, awed and utterly confused. He saw the little circle on the creature�s head move apart, revealing a glowing green opening, and he heard its voice hiss, �You . . . have . . . a . . . gif-ft. You . . s-saw the dream.�
�Dream? Wh��
�The dream . . . I gave . . . you.�
�You mean, you gave me that� Why?�
�To see-e . . . if you. . . were the One.�
�Kosh is a Vorlon,� Delenn said, as if that explained everything. �Their race is as old as the Shadows. They know things about the Shadows and about ourselves that we do not.�
Diego brought his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes for a few moments, reflecting. Then he said in a quiet voice, �If it is true that I have such an ability, how can I use it if I do not know about it?�
Kosh cocked his head and hissed straight into Diego�s face: �You will . . . know when the time . . . comes-s.� Then the creature turned around and walked out just as it came in � without a sound.