The Great Unanswered Questions

[Tim_Fleming]

I've recently changed internet providers so, long story short, I am unable to post this to the B5 moderated group (I'd love to get JMS's comments on this). However I'd thought I'd share this topic with the good folks on this board.

What are the great unanswered questions that you would like to see resolved in Babylon 5: The Lost Tales

Here is my top 10 of unanswered questions

10. Does Galen forgive God?

9. What becomes of Lyta?

8. Who built the Jumpgate system?

7. Who were the "First Ones" (other than just being..."First Ones")?

6. How does the Telepath War begin/end?

5. How is Lennier redeemed?

4. Who are "The Hand" and what were they up too?

3. What is the Apocalypse Box ?

2. What became of Valen?

1. How is the Earth saved from the Drakh plague?

[Morden]

>10. Does Galen forgive God?

Now, that's really an interesting question. Let's wait how much character development those "Lost Tales" can provide.

>9. What becomes of Lyta?

That may be a part of the Teep War story.

>8. Who built the Jumpgate system?

Honestly, I do not think that we will ever get to know that race (perhaps we already do?). Might be the builders of the Great Machine, but I don't think we will hear about that question in TLT.

>7. Who were the "First Ones" (other than just being..."First Ones")?

Some things have to stay complete mysteries, this is clearly one of them in my opinion.

>6. How does the Telepath War begin/end?

As already mentioned in some other threads around here, the Teep War may be a hot candidate for a feature film in a few years, so I do not think we will get too much stuff that is set during the Teep War.

>5. How is Lennier redeemed?

As far as we know, this might be a plot element in the Teep War story...

>4. Who are "The Hand" and what were they up too?

Yeah, good question, personally I've not yet decided whether I want to see anything from LotR again or not. Actually, from all that has been said by JMS by now, it doesn't seem that he's quite concerned with this stepmother-element of his universe. I would rather prefer to get a short hint or some short explanations for this stuff than see LotR-material again. (OK would be Sheridan or Lochley mentioning: "Oh, remember this funny incidents from the last years, e.g. when this new race claimed to be more powerful than the Shadows, just to frighten the ISA...?")

>3. What is the Apocalypse Box ?

Oh yes, that's a hot one, I really hope that we will see more, not only of Galen, but also of Gideon and this issue. Could be perfectly tied to an at some point hopefully upcoming resolution of the Drakh-plague-story, I think.

>2. What became of Valen?

An ideal question to be explored in an anthology format, but somehow I doubt that we will see Valen/Sinclair again.

1. How is the Earth saved from the Drakh plague?

That would be nice to explore, as mentioned above.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Yup..I believe every one of us are wondering about every one of those questions and hoping that TLT will solve some of those riddles. It's up to JMS

[Jan]

10. Does Galen forgive God?

I doubt it.

9. What becomes of Lyta?

Part of that was suggested in the original draft of 'The Path of Sorrows'.

8. Who built the Jumpgate system?

One of those civilizations that the Excalibur is looking for.

7. Who were the "First Ones" (other than just being..."First Ones")?

Never got enough of a look at any of them to care much.

6. How does the Telepath War begin/end?

That I'd like to know!

5. How is Lennier redeemed?

Part of that, at least his final fate is alluded to in 'The Path of Sorrows', too.

4. Who are "The Hand" and what were they up too?

Upstarts, I think.

3. What is the Apocalypse Box ?

I *really* want to know that!

2. What became of Valen?

I think it's the same thing that happened to Sheridan, personally.

1. How is the Earth saved from the Drakh plague?

That would be cool to know, too.

C'mon, Lost Tales!

Jan

[AaronB]

6. How does the Telepath War begin/end?

<KOSH> In fire </kosh>

[moreorless]

Unless I'm forgetting something the Vorlons seem like the most obvious candidates for building the jump gate system. I'd have to watch Into The Fire again to be sure but didnt all the other first ones have different hyperspace entry/exit systems? The Shadows phased in and out obviously, The Walkers had that electrical discharge effect, one of the others appeared in a golden flash etc.

The gates don't use organic technology but perhaps that was considered to advanced to give too the younger races so early?

[Joseph DeMartino]

I'd have to watch Into The Fire again to be sure but didnt all the other first ones have different hyperspace entry/exit systems? The Shadows phased in and out obviously, The Walkers had that electrical discharge effect, one of the others appeared in a golden flash etc.

As I recall from what JMS has said, there is basically only one way in and out of hyperspace. Different technologies may produce different looking effects at the transition points, but they're all doing basically the same thing, including the Shadows.

The Babylon 5 Timeline, which I believe was at least tentatively endorsed by JMS, says that the jumpgate system is much younger than the First Ones, having been built about 7000 years ago by an unknown race who vanished without a trace around 200 A.D.

Regards,

Joe

[Joseph DeMartino]

1. How is the Earth saved from the Drakh plague?

One of the least interesting questions in the B5 universe in my estimation, since we a) knew the plague was cured and b) knew that the whole plague story was basically a red-herring in Crusade, something to get us into the larger story and then be settled by the mid-point of season two. The exact mechanism by which a disposable plot point was to be disposed is not something that keeps me up nights. I'm much more interested in how Gideon was going to die and come back (and how JMS was going to avoid having that look like a replay of Sheridan) and how his sojourn in the Apocalypse box was going to work out.

Speaking of the Apocalypse, since the word itself was analyzed a bit on this forum, I offer the following verse, Revelation 1:8 -

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Regards,

Joe

[moreorless]

As I recall from what JMS has said, there is basically only one way in and out of hyperspace. Different technologies may produce different looking effects at the transition points, but they're all doing basically the same thing, including the Shadows.

The Babylon 5 Timeline, which I believe was at least tentatively endorsed by JMS, says that the jumpgate system is much younger than the First Ones, having been built about 7000 years ago by an unknown race who vanished without a trace around 200 A.D.

Regards,

Joe

Yeah I ment the effect at the transition point, the fact the Vorlon system was idential to the younger races yet all the other first ones were different tends to suggest that they are the source for the tech at least.

I was thinking less that the jump gates were left over from the Vorlons early evolution and more that they were constructed by them(or maybe a "helper" speices?) in an effort to shape the evolution of a younger race.

[frulad]

I'm much more interested in how Gideon was going to die and come back (and how JMS was going to avoid having that look like a replay of Sheridan) and how his sojourn in the Apocalypse box was going to work out.

I'm sorry "in the Apocalypse Box"?

[Joseph DeMartino]

I'm sorry "in the Apocalypse Box"?

[Kosh] Yes [/Kosh]



I can't tell you any more than that, but in the surviving portion of JMS's commentary track for "Racing the Night" he reveals that Gideon would have died of his wounds after being shot in the season one finale, and that his conciousness would have been transferred into the Apocalypse Box before (presumably) being restored to his (or "a") body. But that's all he said. The bastard.

I just watched it the other night and I pissed off at TNT all over again. (Listening to the group commentary on "The Path of Sorrows", ditto.)

Regards,

Joe

[vacantlook]

Yeah I ment the effect at the transition point, the fact the Vorlon system was idential to the younger races yet all the other first ones were different tends to suggest that they are the source for the tech at least.

I was thinking less that the jump gates were left over from the Vorlons early evolution and more that they were constructed by them(or maybe a "helper" speices?) in an effort to shape the evolution of a younger race.

I'm much of the same opinion. The visual look of the jumping for the Vorlons was the same as that of the jumpgates and jump engines of the younger races, unlike that of the Shadows and the others. Unless jms specifically states otherwise in any future work or online postings, I figure that the Vorlons created the jumpgate system as an act of their perceived shepherding of the younger races.

[Tim_Fleming]

Anyone wanting to damage TNT Atlanta must get behind me. I get first crack.

Anyway, I remember JMS's commentary on "Racing the Night" regarding the Apocalypse Box and I found it chilling. Moreover I have the Writers Bible for Crusade and it states that if Galen knew that Gideon was in possesion of this box then he would react extremy negatively. Apparently these items are known to the Techno-mages and they are very powerful. I sure do hate TNT (proud to say that I've not watched it since 1999).

The Apocalypse Box is an example of what I find so fascinating about Babylon 5. All the ancient mysterys and events. One may think that knowing more about these things would remove the fascination. However having learned about the nature of the Shadows and the Vorlons did not remove any of their mystique. I believe it only added to it. Babylon 5 put great characters in a fascinating universe filled with depth and mystery. What else could you ask for?

On that note here are some more mysterys that I'd love to see B5:TLT address.

4. What were the many other mistakes that the Vorlons made? This was mentioned in "Thirdspace". Why didn't they learn? This was an example of a single line of dialogue that revealed so much about a civilization, its arrogance and its ambition.

3. What was the purpose of the machine people in Earthgov? (from the unfilmed Crusade episode "End of the Line")

2. How are the Drakh ultimately dealt with? They seem like they won't give up.

1. Why did the Shadow war of 1000 years ago end the way it did? Why was Valen unsuccesful where Sheridan succeeded?

[Joseph DeMartino]

3. What was the purpose of the machine people in Earthgov? (from the unfilmed Crusade episode "End of the Line")

Between the script and what we learn in the Technomage trilogy, it is very clear that they were trying to create mages. The machine hybrids were a horrible parody of the mage chrysalis. Hence Galen's violent reaction to finding them. And Gideon's horror at the realization that the mages themselves must be the product of Shadow technology.

2. How are the Drakh ultimately dealt with? They seem like they won't give up.

Haven't read the Centauri trilogy for awhile, but I think they put up a suicidal resistance when the Centauri and the IA go to war with them and they're pretty much wiped-out.

1. Why did the Shadow war of 1000 years ago end the way it did? Why was Valen unsuccesful where Sheridan succeeded?

Valen wasn't unscuccessful. He led military forces to a military victory over the Shadows. The two instances were utterly different on every level. Valen arrived very near the end of "his" war. He rallied the demoralized Army of Light, helped it gather and prepare at the new starbase he provided, then he led it on the final offensive against the Shadows and drove them from Z'ha'dum. After that he was busy reforming Minbari society and seeing to it that the future he'd come from came to pass. The Kosh Valen knew had not yet "gone native" to the degree apparent later, Valen never went to Z'ha'dum except at the head of a battle fleet to attack the place. He never went there to just talk to the Shadows or their minions and he never met Lorien. So he never learned about the Shadow point of view or understood the actual nature of the conflict. Valen never expected to end the cycle of violence. In fact, he knew he couldn't because he'd seen the return of the Shadows as Sinclair. It would never have occurred to Valen to try to prevent the next war.

Also Valen still saw the Vorlons as essentially benign, although he was becoming suspicious of their motives and their manipulative nature even before he left Minbar to return to Babylon 5 at the time of "War Without End". Sheridan knew that they were no better than the Shadows when you came right down to it.

Finally, 1,000 years ago the Younger Races were that much younger and they weren't ready to stand on their own. The Minbari were too much the pupils of the Vorlons for the Shadows to attempt the kind of approach they tried with Sheridan, which ultimately led to his discovery of the truth and his meeting with Lorien. The Humans were the key all along, but 1,000 years ago the Humans (like the Narn, probably the Drazi and others) were not a spacefaring race, so they couldn't be a factor.

Valen didn't do what Sheridan did because he couldn't have. The necessary pieces were not yet in place.

Regards,

Joe

[vacantlook]

I've always wondered, aside from the Minbari, who else were a part of the Army of Light 1000 years ago. Of course the Vorlons provided advice and direction, but they wouldn't have actively fought as direct confrontations between Vorlons and Shadows were still adhered to then. And we know that the Narns fought a ground war against the Shadows on Narn itself, but that was tangential to what the Minbari were doing in space. Did the Minbari have any real spacefaring allies fighting along side them?