Redheaded Telepath
Send criticism to [xazqrten@cox.net]. Without, it there can't be any
improvement.
This little tale sees our favorite redheaded telepath in a
slightly warped light. It starts in Season 4 shortly after “Epiphanies”,
totally ignores Season 5's mess, and continues far beyond the series end.
==============================================
Chapter I
It was early in the morning and sleep wasn't going to come
easily; worry played on her mind. The confrontation with
Captain Sheridan was the prime contributor to her spiraling
anxiety. She wondered what would happen when he found out what
abilities she really possessed. He was upset about the Z'ha'dum
experience, and there she’d used just a little of the “powers”
she knew the Vorlons had engineered into her. She shuddered to
think of what else Lorien had done when he enabled her to freeze
the new Vorlon ambassador allowing Sheridan to take him out.
**************************
Earlier:
"Lorien, will this guarantee that I can block Kosh?" queried
Lyta.
"It will suffice; however, in order to accomplish it, I have
had to make more changes than I first thought," came the measured
reply. "The Vorlons made some extensive changes to your synapses
in order to accommodate their needs."
"Just how extensive?" she asked.
"Very," responded Lorien. "With their modifications and the
enhancements I am making, you will one day be very formidable."
Laying back in a relaxed position Lyta was almost asleep as
the First One placed his long fingers on her head and rubbed gently.
It felt so good.
As he worked Lorien said, "Just relax and think of pleasant
things."
Hours, or was it days, later she awoke feeling better than
she had in years. "Is this all there is to it?" she inquired.
She felt so at peace with herself she could almost like Bester.
[Yecch! Where did that thought come from.] "Are we ready?"
"As much as we can be," replied Lorien. "Lyta you must
understand that with the changes I had to make, you will be
learning about yourself for the rest of your life."
"Is that good or bad?"
"It will be what you make of it."
"Lorien, I know it’s late in the asking, but with all these
changes will I still be human enough to have children?" she asked
with a sigh.
Lorien replied, "If you wish, and now we must return to the
war room."
The plan played out as Sheridan, and Lorien had figured and
the new Kosh was eliminated. With the new Vorlon ambassador gone,
it was hoped they would no longer know what was being done or
planned by Sheridan and his ‘Army of Light’ on Babylon 5.
*************************
She was thinking about calling Ambassador Delenn when
the communications panel beeped. "Lyta Alexander here," she replied.
"Lyta, this is Ambassador Delenn; could I see you?"
"Of course," she responded. "When?"
"Now."
Ten minutes later Ambassador Delenn was sitting in Lyta's
quarters with a worried expression on her face.
"What can I do for you, Ambassador?"
"Lyta, I heard what happened between you and John after
we got back from Z'ha'dum last time. I know you can say no, but I
need to know all that happened from your perspective."
Lyta recounted the conversation with Sheridan. "The worst
part is that I could have told him and fixed it so Bester would not
have found out even if he scanned the Captain."
With a startled look Delenn said, "You could WHAT?"
What followed was a short form of her time and
conversations with Lorien when she was being prepared to set up
the new Kosh.
In a low voice Lyta said, "I did not know this at the time. It
wasn't until after the Captain chewed on me that I began thinking
of something Bester said on the way to Z'ha'dum. He said, ‘You
have been blocking me ever since I got here. A good question is
why? A better question is how?’ I didn't realize until later that I
wasn't consciously blocking him. It seems that there were other
things going on. The Captain assumed that it would take a very
powerful telepath to do what I did and not be noticed by Bester.
That is only part of it."
Delenn asked, "Since - as you humans say - the other shoe is
about to hit the floor, just what is it?"
"Do you know where the Captain is?"
"No. Why?" responded Delenn.
"Close your eyes and think of him," requested Lyta.
At first the ambassador saw only darkness while thoughts of
John drifted through her mind. Mentally she said, "John?"
Delenn almost jumped off the couch when she heard John's voice
answer, "Delenn, is that you? Where are you?"
In his office in C&C, the Captain almost fell out of his chair
when he heard the crystal clear voice of his beloved call his name.
In response he answered instinctively. He looked up, but he was
alone except for Ivanova and the full compliment of duty officers and
technicians.
"Captain, are you all right?" asked the Commander.
"Yes. I thought I heard Delenn call me."
"John, we’re alone; maybe you should call it a day."
"John, tell Ivanova I heard that and you are perfectly
all right," came the voice in his head. "Tell her she has a thread
loose on her left cuff."
Looking like he had been hit by a bolt of lightning Sheridan
asked, "Ivanova, could you leave me alone for a few minutes?"
"Sure, Captain, let me know when you are ready to
continue," she said as she turned to leave.
"Delenn?"
"Yes, John."
"Delenn, where are you?"
"I am with Lyta Alexander."
"Where?"
"In her quarters. John I think you should come here and
bring Ivanova with you."
Exiting his office, Sheridan told Ivanova about Delenn's
Request, but not how he received it.
In the turbo-lift Ivanova asked, "Does this have anything to
do with what happened in your office."
His only response was, "Yes." The rest of the way they walked in
silence. At Lyta's quarters the door opened just as they arrived, as
if someone had seen them arrive.
As he entered Lyta's quarters, the first thing out of the Captain's
mouth was an inquiry. "I suppose there’s a good explanation for
why we’re here at this time of night?"
With a voice that was odd for her Delenn simply said, "Yes."
A bolt of intense surprise and a smidgen of fear shot
through Sheridan as he found himself looking at himself from what
had to be Delenn's point of view. Shaking, he sat down next to
Delenn. Ivanova sat down in a chair near Lyta and watched
everything dumbfounded.
From Ivanova, "John, are you all right."
Sheridan replied, "I think so. Would someone tell me what I
just experienced?"
Delenn looking first at John then at Lyta, "John, Lyta
has some things to tell you from her work with Lorien. Lyta, it is, as
you humans say, your show."
Lyta responded, "Okay, but I am not so sure about the
human part of it. Captain, Ivanova," and told them what she had
told Delenn earlier. "I’ve been working hard for the last few
weeks trying to make heads or tails of some of the things that have
been happening to me. It seems that I keep doing things without
understanding how. I’m wondering if this is what Lorien meant.
It's like piloting a shuttle, you do it, but you don't know how to
design and build one. I seem to instinctively know how, but not
why."
"Can you explain how I could hear Delenn when I was in
C&C and what happened just now?" queried Sheridan.
"Sort of. You were sensitive to Kosh and even carried part
of him inside you for some time. I have carried Kosh many times. I’m
sensitive to you. I can hear your thoughts all over the station. It’s
not a scan. It’s more like listening to a transmitter with a
receiver. I’ve erected a block to keep it out, and I’ve suspected
the reason I didn’t sense you at Z'ha'dum is that Lorien was
blocking me or anyone else for that matter. I simply projected Delenn’s
thoughts into you and vice versa, sort of," said Lyta sounding much
like a frightened little girl.
Sheridan, "No scanning was involved?"
"No. Ivanova, you can detect if you are being scanned,
correct?"
Ivanova replied, "Yes."
"Ivanova, John, Delenn, each of you think of anything you
wish for a moment," said Lyta in a hesitant voice. "John, you
shouldn't worry about the future you saw, it can be changed.
Delenn, what Lorien told you about John is not written in stone.
Ivanova, Marcus loves you very much, but he is afraid to tell you."
John and Delenn not being telepaths could not tell if they
had been scanned and looked at Ivanova.
"She didn't scan us Captain, not even lightly," Ivanova
responded to the unspoken question and almost jumped out of her
skin when she realized she was seeing everything from first the
Captain's perspective, then Delenn's, and finally Lyta's.
"Ivanova, what’s wrong?" asked Sheridan.
Ivanova explained what had just happened and looked
wide-eyed at Lyta. "You did that and never scanned me in any way. How?
"As I said before, I am not sure. It seems to be no effort with
those to whom I’m close. As if that wasn't enough, watch."
Ivanova, Sheridan and Delenn found themselves looking at
the gaming tables in the casino in the Zocalo as if they were
standing amongst the patrons. A minute later they were back in
Lyta's quarters. All eyes were on Lyta.
With the look of someone truly frightened to the bone, Lyta
said hesitantly, "Now, Captain do you see why I’m scared; I don't
know what I’m capable of and the thought that I could hurt
someone and maybe not be aware of it is frightening." With that she
caused the table in front of Sheridan to rise about half a meter and
float.
If Sheridan's, Delenn's and Ivanova's jaws could have
dropped any further, it would have been physically painful. The
Captain's mouth worked but nothing came out.
Looking at Lyta with a shocked expression on his face,
Captain Sheridan asked, "Have you been checked out by Doctor
Franklin recently?"
"No."
"Will you consent to a complete medical work-up?"
"Only if the records are deleted from the computer after we
are finished," Lyta replied.
"I will notify Doctor Franklin first thing in the morning.
Goodnight." Saying that, the Captain and the others left.
In the passageway well away from Lyta's quarters, the
Captain looked at Ivanova and asked, "Were we ever scanned back
there?"
Ivanova replied, "No sir, she didn't do any scanning and she
still knew what we were thinking. Captain what do we make of
seeing things on the Zocalo? I’m beginning to fret about what
Lorien really did to her."
"John, are you or Ivanova afraid of what we have just
witnessed?" asked Delenn.
John said, "No, but I think I see why Lyta is afraid. Lorien left
her with abilities that may be beyond our imagination and she
doesn't know what they are or what she can do with them. I’m
very interested in the results of this medical exam Steven is going
to give her. Remember what he found in me. Ivanova, how do you feel
about this?"
"Captain, you know how I feel about telepaths. I have
grown to like and trust Lyta, but this gives me the willies. She can
read you and not even scan. I’ve never heard of that before."
Referring to the table incident, "She wasn't telekinetic before."
Back in his quarters, John looked at Delenn, "Just before we
took out the new Kosh, Lorien said, ‘You have never seen an
enraged Vorlon. They are more powerful than you can possibly
imagine.’ Lyta just demonstrated telepathic abilities I have never
heard of before in any species, and she did it without even giving it a
first thought, much less a second. I wonder if she might even be able
to kill someone with only a thought."
"John, she is like a little girl who is terrified by the
unknown. The problem is she is the unknown, let us wait and see
what Steven finds."
****************************
Chapter II
Lyta walked into Med-lab and into Doctor Franklin's office.
"Good morning, Miss Alexander, the Captain said you would
be coming in."
"Doctor, please call me Lyta and I’m ready to start
whenever you are."
"You know this may take several days."
"Yes. I don't have anywhere to be, so let's get to it."
Dr. Franklin ran every kind of physical and psychological test
he had available on her. It took the whole week, but he finally finished.
After recording all the results in data crystals, he deleted all traces
of the files from the Med-lab computers as Sheridan had directed. He
called the Captain and let him know the results were ready.
***************************
Dr. Franklin and Lyta entered C&C and crossed to the Captain's
Office. On the way, the doctor noticed that several of the male
members of the watch openly stared at Lyta. She wasn't dressed in
the severe leather outfit with her hair pulled back, instead she had
on a nice fitting light blue blouse and trousers of some very thin,
comfortable Minbari cloth that Delenn had made for her. Her
dazzling red hair was down and set her whole appearance off. If
physical appearances could cripple, Lyta's could kill today.
”Stunning” wasn’t the right word. The effect even made the Captain
stare when she and Franklin entered his office.
Still staring Captain Sheridan asked, "What do you have for
me, Steven?"
An hour later the Captain was looking at Lyta as he asked,
"Just what do the negative brain scans mean? You are telling me she
is in better than perfect health physically, but her brain
scans show no activity?"
"No, Captain, what I said was all we see on our scanners is
noise. We tried to see at the synapse level but they don't look like
anything we’ve ever seen before. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd
say she has changes similar to the telepaths we have in ‘cryo' only
hers are so advanced beyond theirs that theirs look almost simple in
comparison. Hers incorporates no physical technology that we can
detect," replied the doctor.
Sheridan looked at Lyta. "Well?"
Sitting up in her best imitation of a prim and proper little
girl she replied, "Captain, last week I told you as much as I knew.
Since then, I have been having dreams in which I seem to be
discussing my plight with Lorien. In the dreams I am assured that
my moral restrictions are such that I have an automatic limiter
governing how hard I strike out at someone. I have had violently
hateful thoughts about Bester that were stronger than I would have
thought possible. It had the effect of shutting down my telepathic
receiving abilities until the worst of my anger dissipated."
"So you won't trash someone out of hand."
"Captain, I wouldn’t have done something like that before, no, I
won’t do it now; however, that leaves a lot of leeway."
"Captain, there was something else we discovered by
accident," Dr. Franklin offered. "With Lyta's permission we repeated
it and recorded it." The doctor played another data crystal. It showed
the doctor purposely making a small cut in Lyta's right arm. The cut
only bled enough to fill the wound and immediately coagulated. Ten
minutes later the wound was gone and nothing remained to show it had ever
existed.
Sheridan looked at Lyta. She gave a little shrug of her shoulders that
said, "Don’t ask me."
"Talk to me, Steven. I am having difficulty grasping this.
The tests showed that her IQ had gone up considerably. How do
you explain that?"
"I can't. There is one item that I did not record. A little boy
was brought in with a broken arm. After we scanned the injury and
while I was preparing a prescription, Lyta put her hand on the boys
arm, and helped settle him down. When we went to set his arm, it
didn't appear to be broken any longer. I had his arm rescanned. The
break wasn't there anymore. I destroyed the records of the scan. I
put his arm in a cast anyway to hide what had happened. The cast
will be removed in a few days and no one will be the wiser."
Sheridan looked at Lyta again. This time his eyes had a
wary appearance to them. Lyta only shook her head sideways.
"Steven, you are telling me that with no effort she can heal
wounds, scan the whole station simultaneously, block a P-12
psi cop, and send a telepathic signal across light-years of space, not
to mention that she is smarter than before."
"Apparently."
Lyta said, "Captain, I might explain some of it, but Lorien said
that I would need a lifetime to completely understand what I am or
will become. I am beginning to think it will take an incredibly long
lifetime."
"What am I supposed to do about this, Lyta?" inquired
Sheridan.
"The safest thing to do would be to kill me if you still can,
Captain. If I take Lorien at his word, it seems that I can already do
things neither the Vorlons or Shadows can. Remember Lorien said
that I would become very formidable. Just what would the oldest
First One consider formidable?" Lyta asked in a voice that was
slow, matter of fact, and completely devoid of any trace of emotion.
Then she continued, "Captain, people on the station already hate and
fear me because of my involvement with the Vorlons. If they find out
about this, they will totally flip out."
From the doorway came the low quiet voice of Delenn,
"There will not be any killing, John. From what I have already
observed, it would be an exercise in futility anyway. I agree with
Lyta. What would the oldest First One consider formidable?"
Sticking her head in the doorway just behind Delenn,
Ivanova asked, "Lyta, can you come to my quarters after you’re
finished here?" Lyta nodded in response.
Saying, "If no one has any more questions let's call it a
night." And looking tired as he came from behind his desk, Sheridan
took Delenn’s offered arm and walked out into C&C on his way
home.
"I’ll be off watch in an hour and a half," Ivanova said to
Lyta as she was leaving C&C.
Lyta nodded in response and for the first time noticed the starved
stares she was getting from the male watch standers. She smiled,
warmly, and a feeling of pure ecstasy momentarily washed over the
young men.
**************************
Chapter III
Standing in front of Ivanova's quarters Lyta waited a moment before
pressing the buzzer button on the panel next to the door. The door
opened and there stood the Commander in a shimmering electric blue
nightgown.
"Hi, you wanted to see me?"
Stepping back, Ivanova invited Lyta into her quarters. She motioned
Lyta to have a seat and went to her bar cabinet and made herself a
drink. She asked Lyta if she would like one. There was a look of utter
surprise on Lyta's face. She nodded yes.
Susan made the drinks, handed one to Lyta and sat down on her sofa.
She took a sip and regarded the telepath for a full minute. "You were
surprised that I offered you a drink. How could I surprise you? You
said that you could hear people - even non-telepaths - as if they
were broadcasting."
"Yes, it’s not the normal way people treat me and yes to
the second part. As for you surprising me, I have learned how to
tune out individual thoughts like you tune out the background noise
in C&C. Just because I can hear someone's thoughts does not give
me carte blanche to listen in. I would not want it done to me."
"I overheard your recommendation options to the Captain. You
healed a broken arm with a touch. Yet, you told the Captain he should
kill you while he still can. Do you think that you are really that
dangerous?"
"Yes. You can not possibly imagine what it’s like to heal
someone with only a thought."
There was a chime from the doorway. "Come in, Delenn."
The door opened and the Minbari ambassador entered. She
took a seat on the couch and Ivanova offered her a cup of tea. She
accepted and took a sip.
Lyta looked at both women and observed, "This is not a social
occasion is it?"
Delenn looked her straight in the eyes and said, "No, this is about John."
Lyta said nothing and waited for her to continue.
"You know about John at Z'ha'dum and Lorien's efforts to save his life?"
Lyta nodded.
"What you do not know is that Lorien said he could only give him
twenty years of his life back."
Lyta nodded again, took a sip of her drink and said nothing.
"Dr. Franklin said he found things in John that were repairing
him and keeping him going. Lorien said it was only the application
of energy and that he had used his life force to give John those
twenty years. He said he did the best he could. The young boy with
the broken arm, you did not use your own energy to heal him did you?"
"No, I only made it possible for his own body to heal itself. Why?"
"John does not know I am here. I think he would be furious if he did."
"Let me guess, you think because of the extent of the Captain’s
injuries, the short time available, and a possible lack of knowledge
about humans, Lorien didn’t do as good a job as he might have if he
had more time."
"Yes."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Would you work with Dr. Franklin and John to see if you could finish
what Lorien started?"
"Does either Dr. Franklin or the Captain know about any of this?"
"No. I will discuss it with Steven in the morning. I think he will
want to try just for the knowledge to be gained."
Ivanova, "It could be useful in learning how to help the telepaths in
‘cryo'. Not to change the subject, but since you don't need to scan
to read anyone's thoughts, what is it like when you do scan?"
"It depends on who I’m scanning. Do you want me to do a very light scan on you?"
"Yes, I want to know if I can sense you."
Lyta took another sip of her drink and shifted to a more comfortable position.
"You can start anytime you want."
"I already finished. You hate Psi-corps and all it stands for -
especially Bester - whom you blame for your mother's death."
"You actually actively scanned me!?"
"Yes."
"I didn't feel anything. Let me get my blocks up first."
Nodding Lyta took another sip and smiled a silly little girl smile.
Ivanova said, "Ready anytime."
Lyta stood up and took her glass and set on the shelf; turned and
told Ivanova about her relationship with her family and her feelings
about not being able to go to her father's funeral.
Ivanova looked like she had been hit with a board. "I didn’t
feel it at all," came her shocked response.
"There are several telepaths on Babylon 5 and I have been practicing
scanning them. They’re not aware of it any more than you were. They had
blocks up also. It does not seem to matter."
Delenn asked, "Lyta just how powerful are you? P-12? What?"
"Ambassador, the “what” is appropriate. I have no way of knowing.
While blocking Bester, I accidentally scanned him through his blocks
as if they weren't there. To me he is, as he likes to call Michael
Garibaldi, a mundane. I think if I got really angry I could hurt him
very badly. The problem is things like that don't bother me anymore.
It’s not worth the effort, little as that would be. Ivanova, if you
wish, I can fix it so no one can sense your telepathic ability
anymore and you won't be able to block. No one except me will ever
again be able to read your mind. Not even a Vorlon."
"Ambassador, when I was in trouble and in danger you were my friend,
you and the Captain have sacrificed much because of me. I will try to
do as you ask, but no promises about results. It would be better if the
Captain does not know. He is very afraid of me. He sees me as a
power beyond control. I know this because he feels so strongly about it
I have trouble completely blocking him out when we are in the same room.
His carrying Kosh almost makes us sort of soul mates."
Ivanova said, "It is similar to how I described me and my mother
to John. That may be what frightens him."
Lyta, in a small voice, "I would never do anything to harm
him. Nor will I allow anyone else."
"Delenn, we need to discuss how we can do what you ask?
Let's talk to Dr. Franklin in the morning."
Thoughtfully, Ivanova said, "Do you think anything could
ever be done for Talia Winters?"
"I honestly don't know. I will keep it in mind."
The women talked for another hour. Before Delenn and
Lyta took their leave, Lyta projected into their minds all the horrors
she had undergone at the hands of Psi corps. She wanted them to
appreciate where she had come from. The looks on both their faces
were a reflection of those memories. They understood.
Next day in Med-lab Lyta and Delenn had a very long
discussion with Dr. Franklin about the how and when for
starting to work on Captain Sheridan. The doctor suggested that
Lyta read as much as possibly about human physiology and latest
surgical techniques. Lyta suggested a shortcut that shocked the
doctor. She explained exactly what she needed to do and promised
not look at any personal memories.
"Dr. Franklin, I can do this while you sleep. You will
think it’s all a dream. It can save much time and I will get the
benefit of your first hand knowledge about the telepaths and our
technical limitations."
Steven looked skeptical. He wasn't sure about any of this, but he
would do it for the Captain. Lyta had proven that she detested to the
extreme the idea of scanning anyone. She had also saved their collective
butts before.
That night the doctor had the most relaxing, refreshing sleep he
could remember in years. Damn, he felt good. He even whistled on
the way to Med-lab. He met Lyta in the passageway and smiled. He
related his well being and asked when she would begin the scans.
It seemed she already had. She explained that to get the most out
of the scanning she had made efforts to relieve the mental strain
he had been under for the last few months. She explained that it
made for more efficient scanning. She took data crystals from Dr
Franklin to fill in on knowledge and techniques that were not part
of his training and experience. She was wearing another of the outfits
Delenn had given her today and to be truthful she enjoyed the looks
she was getting lately. She figured that people, especially men, would
find it harder to hate someone who was very attractive. It was a
good move.
On her way back to her quarters she strolled through the Zocalo.
Garibaldi was sitting in front of a cafe having what appeared to be
breakfast. As he saw her approach he motioned for her to join him. His
thoughts were obvious even to a non-telepath. Sitting down she said,
"Good morning Mr. Garibaldi."
Garibaldi nodded and said through a mouthful of food, "Call me
Michael, please."
Lyta ordered coffee and a pastry. The signals she got from
Garibaldi were disturbing. While she had never scanned him in the
past, she had been close enough to get a general feeling for him.
Something wasn't quite right. "Michael, how have you been lately?
It’s been a while since I last saw you."
Thoughtfully he answered, "I've been getting by. It takes time
to build a clientele. What brings you through here? You aren't the
most popular person on the station."
"I know. I just had to get out. Looking at the walls in my
quarters gets old rather quickly. Besides hiding out won't change
any opinions."
"Aren't you a little afraid that someone might want to get even
for things that have happened. You weren't responsible, Lyta, but
I don't think it matters to some. They just want their own brand
of justice."
"Well, I won’t hide."
Garibaldi couldn't help noticing just how good Lyta looked. He
had not thought about her that way before. She was one of the nicest
people he had ever met and had up to now thought of her as a sort of
little sister. He felt a little guilty. He noticed that she had a comm.
badge on the back of her left hand. She explained that the Captain
gave it to her because of the feelings about her in some quarters.
They traded small talk while he finished his breakfast. Getting up
he took his leave. She finished her coffee and pastry while slowly
looking over the people all around her. Except for some looks of
honest appreciation and pure lust, nobody seemed to notice her.
Finally she got up to leave. Since she had her perceptions restrained,
she didn't notice the one stranger who seemed to glare at her back.
************************
Chapter IV
Sitting behind his desk in C&C Sheridan looked expectantly
at Delenn, Ivanova, and Steven. They simply looked back. "Okay,
who's first?"
Ivanova started, "Captain, it seems that no one has seen Lyta
in almost three months."
"Maybe she went off station. After all we don't exactly have
her on a leash."
Steven interrupted, "She was getting prepared to work with me on
the problem of the telepaths in cryo'. I gave her a mountain of data
crystals and had the computer boys give her a direct link from her
quarters to the Med-lab computers and other equipment. She wanted
access to the cryo' units and I gave it to her."
"Is she using it?"
"Yes. Almost continuously. If she’s in her quarters, I’m wondering
when she sleeps. There doesn't seem to be more than a few minutes
between her accesses. You know she scans me to get data to fill any
gaps she finds in the crystals."
"Has it been a problem?"
"Not at all. She gets rid of my mental tension just before she
scans me. Matter of fact that's how I know when she’s going to scan
me. I get a tremendous feeling of well-being that lasts for hours.
It's better than drugs."
"Steven are you becoming addicted to her scans?" asked Delenn.
"No. It doesn't have that type of feel to it. It is just so very
relaxing."
"Delenn?"
"It is what she does when she must scan anyone. It makes it
easier and doesn't traumatize the person being scanned."
Sheridan, "Ivanova."
"She has made it possible for me to get the first really restful
sleep in years. She says in my case there is no scanning being done,
but I’m not sure I believe her."
"Why?"
"Captain, there are things in my background that I haven't ever
been able to face head on. Lately, I have been able to face them and
come to terms with them. They don't frighten or depress me anymore.
I couldn't have done this on my own."
"Do you mean the memories are different?"
"No. They are the exactly the same. I just feel differently about
them. It's as if I can see how I reacted to them before. I just don't
feel the same way about them anymore. John, I have dreamed that I was
visited by members of my family and friends and that I have discussed
all this with them, coming to terms with each and everyone of them.
Some of them are dead. If it isn't Lyta, who then?"
"Are you afraid or angry."
"Neither, just a little bit confused. I have to admit I sleep better
and I don't seem to bite people quite as quickly or as hard. The watch
section seems to be more relaxed now when I’m around. I thought I was
losing my edge."
Delenn added, "It has been happening with me also. I can't describe
it. Things just don't seem to be so harried lately. I have been dreaming
that my old mentor has been helping me meditate and understand myself
better. Do you really think Lyta is responsible?"
"I don't know. How would we prove it? Ask her?"
Dr. Franklin shifted in his seat.
"What's on your mind Steven?"
"If Lyta is responsible, what should we do? She isn't exactly Psi
Corps anymore. She hasn't hurt anyone."
"John, we don't know if she did it. As far as I am concerned, the
results for me have been very desirable. I feel more confident and
content than I have since before the Earth-Minbari war."
At that moment, with no warning, Draal appeared in the office and
addressed the Captain, "Could we speak together Captain?"
"In my cabin in fifteen minutes, if that is okay by you?"
"That will be fine. Your guests are welcome, also." With that he
vanished again.
Delenn asked, "Steven how is the fugitive telepath doing?"
"Just fine. He doesn't mind taking the drugs to suppress his
scanning ability. In fact he says he got terrible headaches before he
started taking it."
"Does Lyta know he is on the station?"
"She knows. Why do you think he was having headaches. I didn't tell
him why. I think that is how she kept him from scanning anyone after
he first came aboard the station. The harder he tried to scan the
worse the headaches became."
"Well, we have an appointment with Draal. Everyone, my quarters in
fifteen minutes."
Holding his comm. link up to his mouth, "Sheridan to Lyta
Alexander."
"Yes?"
"Would you report to me in my cabin in fifteen minutes?"
"Yes sir."
************************
Fifteen minutes later everyone including Lyta was seated in
various locations in the Captain’s quarters. Draal appeared in a bright
flash of light. "Draal loves to make an entrance," quipped Delenn.
In a voice that seemed to boom Draal said, "Captain you and your
friends have some grave misgivings about what Miss Alexander has been
doing for the last three months. It is to be expected. She has been
working very closely with me and Doctor Franklin her every waking hour.
That has been twenty four hours a day non-stop."
"Draal, no human can go three months without sleep."
"That is correct, Captain, nevertheless, she has. In fact calling
her down here has interfered with some data that she was assimilating."
"Assimilating. Exactly what do you mean?"
"Captain she has learned all that was on the data crystals that
the good doctor gave her and used light scans on him to fill in gaps
in the crystal data. She has been doing extensive deep scans on the
telepaths that are in cryo'. She has been using the great machine to
access records on a dozen different planets. Her efforts with each
of you was an attempt to let you function at your peak efficiency. It
seems to have been successful. The efficiency of each of you has
increased without any extra effort, your troops are working better
as a team, each of you sleep better and feel better. What is the
problem? Don't you trust her?"
The Captain and the others all looked at Lyta. She simply
smiled. There were attempts to all talk at once. Lyta asked, "Why
didn't anyone tell me when the telepath came aboard? You do
know he’s a very high P-12 and he’s even more powerful that
Bester."
Franklin, "We didn't know that when we helped him escape Psi Corps.
Are you responsible for his headaches?"
"Yes. You can take him off the drug. I’ll keep him from scanning anyone."
Sheridan, "Could he be a plant? Like Talia Winters?"
"Yes. I can scan him and know for sure. He won’t be able
to hide anything. If we have one like Talia again, I can sense it. You
wouldn't be able to hide it from me. I won’t scan him without his
permission unless you can prove he’s a danger to the station."
Sheridan replied, "Agreed. Steven you can handle this?" With
that the doctor took his leave. Lyta also left. Sheridan asked, of
those still there, "did I hear something in Lyta's voice when she
mentioned the telepath?"
"Yes, John, there was. Have you seen him?"
"Captain, he’s about 1.9 meters tall, weighs 95 kilos, thirty
years of age, and looks the worse for wear," said Ivanova and pulled
up a head and shoulders shot of him from security files.
What was looking at him from the screen was a roughened
lined face that with some imagination could be regarded as
handsome. The appreciative looks that both Delenn and Ivanova
shared as they looked at the presentation spoke volumes.
"Okay, he isn't a bad looking man. What interest could Lyta
possibly have in him."
With a boom to his voice Draal said, "Captain!" and vanished.
Sheridan looked from Delenn to Ivanova, "Did I miss something?"
"John, only everything," came Delenn's reply.
Ivanova asked, "Captain describe me, please, then Delenn."
He did accurately, as a beautiful, female human, Earthforce
commander. Delenn he described as a very attractive, Minbari-human
female hybrid. When asked what else, he alluded to his relationship
with Delenn and the fact that Ivanova was not involved with anyone at
the present time.
Delenn, "John, now describe Lyta."
He did as a telepath.
Delenn said, "John, you think of her as an ‘it’. As you say
telepath. You don't think of her as a female or human. She is a tool
to be used when needed and not thought about otherwise."
Ivanova said, "Delenn is right, Captain. You treat Lyta like a
mechanic treats his tools. Use them when necessary and put them away
until you need them again. She is always isolated when we don't need
her. I sometimes wonder why she even bothers."
"Is there some point to this?"
At the door as she was leaving Ivanova turned and said, "Yes."
"John, when you were planning to move against Kosh, you told Mr.
Garibaldi you left him out of planning sessions to prevent Kosh from
reading anything of the plans in his mind if he scanned him. Lyta did
the same to us about what she was going to do when Bester went to
Z'ha'dum. It was valid when you did it to Mr. Garibaldi, it was valid
when she did it to us. The rushed evacuation of Z'ha'dum and the forcing
of the Shadows' helpers to leave most of the Shadow technology behind
may eventually save us in the future. Did we want to face that
technology again?"
"So, you are saying I owe her an apology?"
"No, she has already been very properly dressed down. You don't
apologize to a screwdriver. Why should you apologize to her?" Then,
standing on tip toes, Delenn kissed him and said, "Goodnight John."
Alone now, the Captain pulled up all the information in the security
files on the new man. He was an interesting fellow; and judging by a
full length shot of him, the description Ivanova had given, and the
head-shot photo had not done him justice. He still couldn't see why
Lyta was interested in him. He thought of how she had been dressed
the last time he saw her before tonight. It had been almost three months.
She had been wearing an outfit Delenn gave her. Some kind of dressy
getup. She had not been dressed up tonight. She had been dressed as
usual when she expected to perform some duty. She wore the severe
leather outfit with her hair pulled up short in a manner that looked
almost painful. Remembering how he had summoned her over the comm. link,
it was obvious she had come expecting to be trashed. Making himself a
drink he sat on the couch and began to think of things that had
transpired over the last year or so. He was remembering when she
had come aboard to warn them of the sleeper agent. She had only
given a very short explanation of what had happened to her after
she scanned Kosh and was taken back to earth.
He tried to imagine what it was like to be ruthlessly interrogated
by Psi Corps. They wanted information she didn't have. With no one to
protect her, what kind of hell had they put her through? He shuddered
at the thought. To call it a living nightmare of the worst kind
wouldn't be right. It hadn't been a nightmare. It had been real.
She was almost killed trying to get to Babylon 5 to warn them about
a sleeper agent. She was almost killed on the station and after
exposing the sleeper, she had to run for her life again.
She had put her life on the line to help them learn about the
weakness of the Shadow battle cruisers. She had put her life and
sanity on the line when she, Ivanova, and Delenn had come looking
for him at Z'ha'dum. She damn sure had it on the line when she set
Kosh up to be taken out. She had blocked Bester when asked to do
so. As Delenn had said she might even have saved them much death
and heartache in the future by what she did at Z'ha'dum this time.
She had been properly rewarded by being threatened with being
turned over to Psi Corps. As he thought about this it occurred to
him that Ivanova and Delenn were correct. He had only missed everything.
The fact that she came to his quarters ready to be trashed again
made it painfully obvious that she did not scan him or the others.
She was as good as her word.
******************************
Chapter V
Next day in Med-lab Dr. Franklin informed the telepath he was
taking him off the drug he was using to suppress his telepathy. He
explained that it was not necessary anymore. He also warned him
that the headaches might return if he tried to scan people.
As the man was thanking the doctor for his help Lyta
Alexander came breezing through the door. She was dressed in another
of the ensembles Delenn had given her. The flaming red hair was back
down and the well fitting light powder blue clothing brought out her
best features. If one didn't know Lyta had no desire for fashion,
one could believe she meant for the men on the station to drool
until they died from dehydration.
Cheerily, "Good morning Doctor Franklin. Am I late?"
Steven was wondering, [late for what?] but only replied, "No.
I am just finishing with Mr. Blaine. Mr. Blaine may I introduce you
to Miss Lyta Alexander, our resident staff telepath." Emphasizing
the ‘miss'.
Mister Blaine responded by staring. Finally he said, "Pleased
to meet you Miss Alexander, my first name is Paul. I didn't know
Babylon 5 had a resident telepath."
"Actually Mr. Blaine, it’s an unofficial title. I’m only a P-5
rating so my usefulness is very limited and you can call me Lyta,"
responded Lyta.
Blaine could not help himself, she was beautiful, he unconsciously
tried to scan her. He didn't get a headache, but he might as well
have been scanning a black hole. Shocked, he realized that he sensed
absolutely nothing. This rattled him as he was leaving Med-lab.
"What did you mean by ‘am I late'?" queried Franklin, looking Lyta
up and down. He had to admit you couldn't miss her.
"I just wanted to get a look at the competition, Steven. That was
the telepath no one told me about?"
"Lyta, the day a telepath comes aboard this station and you don't
know about it before I do, I'm going to be on the first ship home.
Well, you looked what is your opinion?"
"He will do quite nicely."
"For what?"
Lyta just gave him a very smug smile and left.
Lyta left Med-lab and strolled toward the Zocalo she was
in no particular hurry; she even stopped along the way and did
some window shopping. She was beginning to feel really good. She
had never tried to have a relationship with a man before and that
gave her a mild case of butterflies-in-the-stomach.
Upon reaching the Zocalo area she sat down at a table in front of
a bar/restaurant and ordered fruit juice and a small salad. She wasn't
hungry, but it gave her an excuse to sit and watch the people go by.
She was thinking that she should do this more often. It would be more
enjoyable to share the experience with either Delenn or Ivanova. Funny
how small her circle of friends was. She supposed when all was said
and done she was fortunate to have even those two. She really liked
Zack Allan, but it didn't work out. She thought of him as a sort of
brother. That wasn't what Zack had in mind; however, he accepted it
with good grace. She felt sure that someone would pass through and
latch onto him. He was a good man.
Looking around she spotted the new telepath, Paul Blaine he said
his name was. Maybe he would notice her and invite himself over. One
always had hope. Without warning Captain Sheridan seemed to come out
of nowhere and seated himself across the table from her.
"Lyta we’re going to move you to other quarters where we can keep
a closer eye on you. Where you're living now makes it next to
impossible to watch you. Your belongings will be moved later this
morning and Commander Ivanova will let you know exactly where your
new quarters are." He noted a look of mild surprise on her face and
continued, "Do you have a problem with that?"
She could feel fear and apprehension exude from him and blocked it
out with difficulty. If he was this afraid of her she could be in for
a very rough time. Her memories of the Psi Corps interrogation were
burned into her brain and his threats of a few months ago made all her
alarm bells go off. In a very quiet careful voice she replied, "No sir."
Sheridan got up and left without another word. He momentarily
wondered about the look of surprise on her face. He also wondered
how a telepath of her abilities could be surprised by anyone. He let
it pass and continued on his way. Today was going to be another pain
in the ass.
Lyta sent one thought to Epsilon III, "Draal!" and no longer
interested in what she had been thinking and doing she left her table
and walked to one of the public comm. units and called Ambassador
Delenn's quarters. Delenn answered almost immediately.
"Ambassador Delenn, how may I be of service?"
"Ambassador, this is Lyta Alexander. I think I need another favor.
Could I see you for a few minutes?"
"Of course. You know where my quarters are."
Shortly Delenn heard her doorbell chime. "Come in."
The door opened and Lyta walked in. "Ambassador I need
to get to Epsilon III. Could I get someone to run me down there in
your shuttle."
Taken aback Delenn asked, "Are you in trouble again?"
"Ambassador, I don't know, but I have reason to believe I am in
danger." She projected her encounter with the Captain into Delenn's
mind.
Delenn didn't know what was going on, but based on what Lyta had
just shown her she had reason to be afraid and John was what she had
a right to be afraid of.
Asking Delenn to store the ensembles she had given her as
gifts, Lyta waited with one small suitcase for her to make the
arrangements.
Thirty minutes later after getting clearance to depart, Delenn's
shuttle cleared Babylon 5 and headed toward Epsilon III.
Captain Sheridan walked into C&C just as the shuttle made its turn
and moved away from the station. "Commander, where is Delenn's
shuttle going?"
"She didn't say, Captain. It looks like she is going down to
Epsilon III."
"She didn't say why?"
"No sir."
"And you didn't ask her?"
"No sir. She is an ambassador and to be honest I don't have
any right to ask."
"Sorry, I'll just have to wait until she returns. Did Lyta
Alexander contact you about her new quarters assignment? Where
did you put her?"
"No sir. Just down the passageway from me. They are really nice
too. The last thing we need is for someone to get to her."
"Commander, I was ready to say that it isn't possible, but when
I spoke to her earlier, I managed to get right up next to her
without her sensing me coming. I wouldn't have thought anything
could distract her like that in a public place."
"Are you serious?"
"Very serious."
"Then this move is coming none too soon."
"Commander, I need to see you in my office for a few minutes."
Saying that he headed for his office and a cup of what passed for
coffee.
Five minutes later the Commander entered the office and took an
offered cup of tea. "What's on your mind, Captain?"
Sheridan recounted his meeting with Lyta especially the look of
confusion or was it disguised fear. "After all she has been through,
I thought fear had been taken out of her dictionary. Was I wrong?"
"Captain how much do you know about what Psi Corps did
to her after she scanned Ambassador Kosh?"
"Only what she told us just before she exposed Talia Winters. Why?"
"At an informal get together in my quarters with me and Delenn,
Lyta used projection to let us experience what she went through during
her interrogations by Psi Corps. We only got the mild short version.
It was the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced. If I knew
I had to face that again, personally, I would gladly cycle myself
out an airlock. It would be much more merciful."
"Thank you, Commander." After Ivanova left the Captain called
security and requested the recorded records from the Zocalo monitor
cameras covering the time he had been talking to Lyta. As luck would
have it, someone had zoomed in on the woman and left the audio and
video recording the whole time.
Tapping the intercom he asked Ivanova to come back into
the office again.
Ivanova upon entering Sheridan's office, "Yes sir, what can I do
for you?"
Sheridan ran the tape sequence several times then looked at
Ivanova. "Want to bet she isn't on Delenn's shuttle?"
"No way, Captain. She believes she is in grave danger, alright. She
is going to the one place where no one can get at her."
"Epsilon III. You think Draal will let her stay down there?"
"Yes. We didn't pick up the usual surge when Draal communicates
with us. She probably contacted him telepathically. We don't get any
readings on that."
"She just reaches out and says ‘Hey Draal, I want to come
down for a visit'."
"In her case, most certainly, yes."
Raising his comm. badge to mouth level, "Captain Sheridan to Lyta
Alexander." No answer was forthcoming, not that he really expected one.
C&C reported that a fix on the badge indicated it was in Ambassador
Delenn's quarters. He wasn't surprised.
*****************************
Chapter VI
On Epsilon III Delenn and Lyta made their way below to Draal's
chamber. He welcomed them. After a short discussion Draal agreed
that Lyta would be safer with him. He showed them to quarters that had
been prepared for Lyta. It was austere in the extreme. Draal himself
had not needed creature comforts for some years now. Lyta indicated
that the quarters were more than satisfactory. Delenn commented on
the lack of almost everything. The bed was a pad on the floor. She
inquired about getting a better bed, but Lyta shook her head no. She
explained that the pad would be sufficient since she seldom slept
anymore, and the austere surroundings would aid in her concentration
efforts. Being removed from Babylon 5, she, also, would not have to
deal with the incessant cacophony of 200,000 voices that never shut up.
Lyta and Draal spent an hour explaining to Delenn exactly what
would be needed to implement the upgrades they had planned for the
Whitestar fleet; the engineers needed to accomplish the upgrades and
telepaths for monitoring them as she used projection to put the
necessary information directly into the engineers’ brains. The
telepathic monitoring by Minbari telepaths would help insure that
no harm was done to the personnel undergoing the training. Draal
allowed as to how he would accommodate the extra people as long
was necessary. He wasn't happy about it, but he would do it. At
Delenn’s question of why the upgrades were needed, Lyta explained
that they couldn’t be sure that the whitestars wouldn’t have to
face much superior firepower in the future; therefore, she and
Draal had decided that they should be upgraded.
On her way back to Babylon 5 Draal appeared in her shuttle.
"Draal, you would not do this for anyone else, would you?"
"No Delenn, she is very special. After all, she is one of a kind.
She is a human Old One. Because of the changes to her physical
anatomy and mental conditioning by the Vorlons, when Lorien
prepared her to deceive Kosh, he started a chain of events that
will not reach its conclusion for a very long time. No, I don't
know what it will be. Yet." With that he vanished.
As she approached Babylon 5, Delenn requested clearance
to dock at the station. John's voice responded with clearance and
requested that it was necessary to see her ASAP. She concurred.
Delenn went straight to the Captain's office in C&C. Ivanova and
the Captain were waiting. Without fanfare Sheridan ran the security
recordings for her. The look on his face asked how had he could
have done it differently. Patiently, she and Ivanova explained as
well as possible exactly what Lyta had shown them. Even second hand
it made him want to vomit. How could one man do that to another
... and Psi Corps had expected her to remain faithful to them.
Delenn, "John, you absolutely ripped her when you chewed
her out for her actions at Z'ha'dum. You were very explicit."
"I let my ego get in the way and my anger get out of hand. She
could have just scanned me to see if I meant what I said. I wouldn't
have known."
"John, you don't understand, because you carried a piece of Kosh,
she has a bond with you that is almost a direct mental link. You
would say ‘hardwired'. To scan you would be worse than rape from
her perspective. You would have to be an immediate threat and have
her in a corner and she would still have difficulty using her
abilities against you. She is closer to you than your own family."
"If this bond is so close, why is she afraid of me?"
"Because she must keep up a strong block to keep from reading
your mind, she only reads your most powerful emotions. Anger and
anxiety. She fights to keep you out. She only sees your anger and
anxiety, but not what is causing them. When you chewed her out she
could only read the extreme anger. To her your threats were very
real. That is why she doesn't trust you anymore."
"Then, how was I able to walk up to her in the Zocalo
without her sensing my presence? What could possibly distract her
that much."
Ivanova said, "In two words, Paul Blaine."
Delenn added, "He's the new telepath Steven told us about."
"So, what has he to do with it?"
The women looked at each other and shook their heads in dismay.
Ivanova, "You may have noticed that Mr. Blaine is a male. Well,
Lyta’s a female. You may not have noticed that, but it's true. I
spoke with Steven earlier and he said Lyta made an excuse to come by
Med-lab just as he was releasing Blaine. Just in time to be introduced
to him. Before she left she said that he would do quite nicely. When
he asked for what, she just gave him a smug smile."
"Sheridan to security, relay the data from the other monitors in
the Zocalo for the same time frame as the one that you sent me this
morning."
Delenn, "John, what are you thinking?"
"Captain, the information is ready to replay on your monitor," said
the wall speaker.
Playing back the recordings, one at a time, revealed a face he
had seen recently, when Ivanova had called up the data on the
telepath Steven was treating. Checking the relative positions of
him and Lyta, it was obvious she was concentrating on him. "What
do you think it is that she says he will do nicely for."
Delenn asked, "John, did you know she was aware of him even
before his ship docked? What you don't know is that his fear of
getting caught and returned was very strong. She used her ability
to see through others' eyes to monitor him when he came off the ship.
While he was in Med-lab she used the technique she used on us to
ease those fears."
"There isn't anything in that to explain her actions toward him
in Med-lab and in the Zocalo. She could have simply walked up to
him and said hello. With her in that outfit, he would have been
anything but annoyed."
"The thing is that while helping to allay his fears she
accidentally scanned him. What she saw caused her to do a really
deep scan. She is very sorry about it," replied Delenn.
"She scanned him and didn't say so? She made like she was
waiting permission. Why?"
Ivanova, "Have you never heard of love at first scan?"
"You mean she’s in love with this guy?"
Delenn replied, "Very. She had to let him make the first move,
though. She didn't want to force the issue. That is why she was in
Med-lab to ‘meet' him the first time and why she was so preoccupied
when you found her in the Zocalo. She feels that he must believe
he is the hunter."
"Hunter, hell. He hasn't got a chance. I don't suppose you and
Ivanova are involved in this. Are you?"
"We were. It doesn't matter now. With Lyta on Epsilon III,
nothing will come of it."
"What makes you think that?"
"While I was on Epsilon III we talked about it. She believed
the best way to handle it is to erase all knowledge of their meeting
from his mind. She has already done so. She really wanted this.
However, she explained that there were more important things to do
than worry about a might have been romance."
"This wasn't going to be a romance at all was it?"
Ivanova, "No, Captain, it was not going to be a romance. This
was going to be the real thing. As in offspring."
"Ladies, I just never thought of Lyta like that."
Delenn, "Be honest John, you have never thought of her at all
unless you needed her telepathic abilities."
"Other than everything, have I missed anything else? Is there
anything I can do to fix this?"
Ivanova, "I doubt it, Captain. Right now you’re not high on
Lyta's list of favorite uncles."
"Delenn, how do I make her understand that I am not her enemy?"
"I don't know John, I just don't know."
**************************
Chapter VII
Three months later on Epsilon III;
"Lyta, how is it coming with the engineers’ training?" boomed a
voice in her mind.
"Just fine, Draal. They’re starting to make some of the upgrades
on one of the ships now. It’ll be a month or so before serious
testing can begin."
"Any more progress on the removal of the implants from the telepaths
in cryogenic storage?"
"I think I might be able to keep one of them from going insane if
we were to revive him or her. I can't do it down here. It might
present a danger to you."
"If you think it would help I can have a place of isolation
constructed for you to work in."
"Let me think about it awhile."
**********************************
Two months after that back on Babylon 5:
Paul Blaine was sitting on an examination table as Doctor Franklin
was looking over the results of Blaine's latest medical exams. Looking
at the man he asked, "Mr. Blaine you have undergone three complete
physicals in the past six months and as far as I can tell you are
in perfect health both physically and mentally."
"What do you mean perfect health doc? I have never been in
perfect health in my life. Between childhood illnesses and accidents
it’s a wonder I survived to adulthood."
"That's exactly what I mean. The first exam I gave you six months
ago showed that you had some broken bones and injuries when you were
a child. They left scars and other signs that showed on the scanners.
They seem to be disappearing. Do you have any idea how this is happening?"
"Doc, your equipment must be in error. I have had a broken
foot, leg, and arm and had a toe cut off my left foot before my
twelfth birthday. You trying to tell me that didn't happen?"
"No, what I said was that the scanners don't see any signs that
they ever happened. Have you paid any attention to your feet lately?"
"Hell doc, I wash ‘em and cut my toenails. Why?"
"Take a close look at your left foot."
The lost toe was not lost anymore. It was almost back to normal.
Whatever that was and he hadn't even noticed. "Doc, how could I not
notice my toe growing back? How could it grow back anyway?"
"I don't know, but if you want I will cut it off again."
"That won't be necessary, doc."
"Okay, we're through here. You can go."
After Blaine left, Steven called Captain Sheridan and asked
him to stop by Med-lab.
Chapter VIII
Walking into Med-lab the Captain asked, "What do you
have, Steven?"
In response the doctor pointed to a group of x-rays and other
scans displayed on the reader units and waited.
"What am I looking at, Steven? It looks like several peoples files."
"Nope, they all belong to the same guy."
"Who?"
"Your second favorite telepath. Paul Blaine."
"Any explanation?"
"One. Remember the little boy with the broken arm?"
"The one Lyta Alexander helped? Sure, but Steven, she's been on
Epsilon III for almost six months. That time she actually touched
the little boy." Thinking how much Lyta wanted this man he wondered.
"Steven she really likes this guy, but unless she has very long arms;
no way."
With no warning both men felt one word in their mind very
loud and clear, "WAY!"
"Steven, what was that?"
"Captain I think that was Lyta. It sure sounded like her."
When nothing else was forthcoming, the Captain noted, "I suppose
we have our explanation."
They discussed Mr. Blaine for a few minutes; Steven explained that
the man related that his telepathy seemed to be returning to some
extent. The Captain told the doctor to purge all the older records
of Mr. Blaine from the computer records and left Med-lab.
The Captain had made up his mind; this situation needed resolving.
He called security and ordered them to find Mr. Paul Blaine and bring
him to C&C.
Some time later the Captain sat behind his desk, looked the telepath
over, and asked him to sit down. He got a cup of coffee and offered
one to Blaine. Blaine said he preferred tea. As the tea was being
heated up, Ivanova came in. Giving Blaine an appraising once-over
she said, "You sent for me, sir?"
"Commander, I want you to meet Mr. Paul Blaine. I’ve talked to
Doctor Franklin and want your input to an idea I have."
"Yes sir."
"Mr. Blaine is getting some of his telepathic abilities back
and I thought he might be interested in being our staff telepath."
Ivanova's eyebrows shot up, "Really. You know Lyta's off
station of course."
"Yes; however, I think she would approve of it. In fact she
would probably encourage it. Well, Mr. Blaine, may I call you
Paul."
A puzzled Blaine responded, "Yes sir. I need a job to meet
expenses. If you feel that I can be of use in any capacity, I will
be
appreciative."
"Fine, security will give you access to Lyta's office. Study the
rules and regulations regarding your duties. If you have questions
don't hesitate to ask."
Standing to leave he shook hands with the Captain and the
Commander and thanking him again left C&C.
"Captain, is this a good idea?"
"It wasn't my idea. I suspect it was Lyta's."
"You have talked to her?"
"No. I have indicators that he is all right."
"What indicator, if I may ask?"
"You may." He then proceeded to tell her about the meeting with
Steven in Med-lab including her one word response to his question.
"This way he pays his way, and we can move him to quarters where
he can be protected if need be."
"Where do you want me to put him?"
"In Lyta's quarters. They aren't being used."
"Captain! What happens when, if ever, she returns."
Smiling at her he said, "Not to worry."
Just after lunch Ivanova stopped by what was now Blaine's office.
Blaine was busy at the keyboard as she walked in.
"Welcome, Commander, have a seat. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
She explained that the Captain would like to move him to better
quarters. She said that Captain Sheridan felt that he might be safer
there and that she agreed. He looked surprised when he learned they
were located across the passageway from her and the Captain.
"Won't anyone complain about a nobody like me being put up in first
class quarters."
"Paul, for reasons I can't explain just now, you are anything but
a nobody. I almost forgot to tell you that these quarters were assigned
to Lyta Alexander before."
"Won't she want them back when she returns?"
"We’ll deal with that problem if it arises."
"Commander - if it is not prying - tell me about Miss Alexander.
I know that she was declared a rogue by Psi Corps and as such has
a price on her head. I have heard rumors on the station about her
being involved with the Vorlons. She seems to have a questionable
reputation. I find it odd that you and the Captain would have
anything to do with her if the rumors were true."
"Paul, how much do you know about the war with the Shadows?"
"Almost nothing. From what I hear around the station I get the
impression it was nasty and costly."
"Without having been involved at the higher levels, you can not
imagine how nasty and costly it was. Believe me when I say that the
rumors do not describe the real Lyta Alexander. You’re a telepath.
If you ever need support in that area, pray she is the one who
gives it."
"Her station file describes her as a competent and respected P-5
commercial telepath before she became a rogue. Is the file wrong."
"Somewhat. It doesn't address her present talents."
"She is more than a P-5?"
"You might say that and that is all I can tell you. You’ll
have to get the rest from her."
"Commander, what type of person is the Centauri ambassador?"
"Does a snake with two legs conjure up any images? Why?"
"He stopped in earlier with one of his aides. He asked about the
services we provide, but I think that was only a pretext for
something else. I thought I sensed a telepath for the first moment or
so after they arrived, but it disappeared almost instantly."
"The aide may have been a telepath and Londo was trying to get
information from you. Telepaths are required to report in at security
when they arrive on Babylon 5."
"I didn't."
"We knew you were coming."
Leaving Paul's office and continuing on her way, Ivanova couldn't
help thinking that if Lyta didn't grab this guy, she might have to
reevaluate her dislike of telepaths. After all, the telepaths she
had experiences with except Talia, before the sleeper personality
was exposed, Lyta and now Paul had been disastrous on all levels. She
wondered if Lyta was also responsible for her present acceptance of
Paul. Lyta had ‘accidentally' scanned him. He couldn't have any hidden
agenda. He couldn't hide it from her and the Captain said she as much
as gave him a clean bill of health. Hell, she had improved his health.
She had no pity for the Centauri telepath. After Lyta got done with
him he would be as Bester liked to say, ‘a mundane.’ She also began
to believe that Paul was a lot smarter than he acted. Lyta would not
be interested in any dummies.
**************************
End Part 1
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