“A Late Delivery from Avalon” is episode thirteen of season three of Babylon 5.
The episode opens with the jump gate activating and a ship coming through. In C&C Ivanova comments to Sheridan that that’s the first, and it will take a long time before they get back to the level of trade they had before they broke away from Earth. They also need the docking fees now more than ever. Sheridan replies that he doesn’t want the station to rely just on the Minbari for support; he wants to create a broader base of protection.
Garibaldi is arguing with a man about the cost of a package he has had delivered from Earth, saying that 100 credits is three times the delivery cost of a package of that size. The man the chief is arguing with represents the post office, and he replies that that was before the revolution. In his little corner of EarthForce, the mail still gets delivered, using whatever means necessary. Garibaldi complains that this is extortion; he is told it is simply business. The costs of delivery have gone up and these are passed onto the consumer. That’s Garibaldi, in case he was confused. Garibaldi replies that that is his box to be told no, it is the property of the Earth Alliance Postal Service. Until Garibaldi pays the required 100 credits. Garibaldi says that is the last package he is getting from Earth in a long time, and lists what’s in it. Which is food. The man puts the box back on the shelf – it seems as if he liked the sound of the pepperoni in the box.
On the transport that is approaching the station the tannoy announces that all passengers debarking should make their way to the shuttle bay. In a bunk, a man is having a dream. He is running down corridors and a door opens and wind blows out of it. The man shuts the door but another opens and there seems to be thunder and lighting. The man runs in his dream until he sees a sword. He smiles and reaches out for it.
Dr Franklin is with Marcus in Downbelow and the doctor says that Marcus was right, it’s bantha flu. Franklin wants everyone on the level inoculated and two of the infected taken to isolab and quarantined. Marcus asks if the doctor minds him tagging along, as they are nervous around strangers. Franklin agrees, and wants to know how Marcus knew it was bantha flu so fast, as the symptoms have not started showing yet. Marcus replies that bantha flue is caught when alien food is mixed with human food and ferments. He saw one of the lurkers eating out of a waste bin.
Marcus thinks it’s bad enough that the lurkers have to live like this without adding disease into the mix. Franklin makes a comment about how not everyone would think lurkers dying was a problem, more a solution. Marcus replies that he used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then he decided it would be worse if life was fair, because that would mean that the terrible things that happen to people was because they deserved them. So now he takes joy in the unfairness of the universe. Back in Medlab, Franklin asks about the symbol the Rangers wear, and Marcus explains it. It shows the Minbari and the humans, two halves of the same soul, uniting against a common enemy. That the Minbari believe that to understand battle, you have to understand the language, and Franklin asks what else he was taught.
At customs, the man from the shuttle sets an alarm off as he enters the station. Security tells him to step back as the scanners have detected a weapons violation. The man throws back his cloak and draws a sword. The guard tells him to hand over the sword and the man asks if he has been gone so long. He is Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, King of the Britons, and no man takes Excalibur from him and lives. The guard is about to shoot but Marcus and Franklin are passing and Marcus tells the guard to leave Arthur to him.
Arthur recognises Marcus’s accent as also being British, and Marcus tells him that the guards meant no harm, they were not notified of his return. Marcus mentions sending word to the Knights of the Round Table but Arthur replies that they are all dead. He has simply been gone a very long time; he isn’t mad. Franklin says that he will take full responsibility for the situation and Marcus explains that he is a doctor. Arthur replies that he doesn’t need a doctor but Marcus says his journey was a long one and the captain requires that Dr Franklin check to see that he is in good health.
In Medlab, no ID or travel documents can be found for Arthur, so Franklin asks for DNA and fingerprints to be checked. Arthur asks the doctor if he has a problem, saying that Franklin doesn’t believe Arthur is who he says he is. Franklin admits he doesn’t, and asks how Arthur got here 1,700 years after he supposedly died. Arthur claims the last thing he remembers is the Battle of Camlann, and that he would return when he was most needed. He isn’t sure why he came to the station, only that it is the place he is most needed.
Garibaldi is meeting with the others and he says King Arthur is just a story. Franklin replies that there is enough historical evidence that there is someone behind the Arthurian legend. And muses how what it would mean if a legend was actually walking amongst them before saying to Sheridan that of course he isn’t the real Arthur. Sheridan wants to discuss the treaty but Marcus doesn’t want to let it go. He says that the Vorlons have been to Earth, taken him out of his time and revived him when needed. As they did with Mr. Sebastian – aka Jack the Ripper – in “Comes the Inquisitor”.
Marcus says that Arthur’s story is that a ship appeared, took him to a place where he was healed and then Arthur was preserved so that he could return when most needed. Franklin replies that Arthur’s speech patterns are too contemporary and his vocabulary is all wrong. The doctor wonders what tipped Arthur over, as it isn’t organic in nature. Before they can get any further, Franklin gets a call saying that the patient in Isolab 1 has escaped.
In Down Below, an old woman is sobbing and Arthur asks her why. The woman says that they took it, she knew they would sooner or later as security won’t get involved and eventually they take everything. Arthur asks what they took and she tells him it was a picture of her late husband. They took it for the frame, which is valuable and he husband told her to sell it, but it was all she had left of him. Arthur asks her where he can find these men.
G’Kar is speaking to a human, asking how he can be sure that everything he asked for is there. The man replies it’s a sweet deal, taking messages to and from G’Kar’s people on Narn, and he doesn’t want to mess it up. They hear the sound of fighting and see several thugs attacking a man. The leader is saying the man was supposed to pay 100 credits yesterday, and now he has to beat the crap out of him. As G’Kar watches, Arthur appears with his sword drawn. He tells the men they have something that doesn’t belong to them, then corrects himself, saying he suspects they have quite a few things that don’t belong to them, but they will start with the picture. He tells them to hand it over or face the consequences.
The men attack and Arthur defeats them quite efficiently, something G’Kar clearly enjoyed watching. The leader tells Arthur he will pay for it, as he has friends, and more people appear. At which point G’Kar jumps in and says that alright, so does Arthur.
Garibaldi has men looking for Arthur, who has made a new friend in G’Kar, who enjoyed a fight with such clear-cut distinctions, bad guys versus good guys, and the good guys won. Arthur is having some memories of a battle, and it’s clear from them that he isn’t going to be Arthur (well, he might have been; after all, Jack the freakin’ Ripper!). They are related to an old misunderstanding with very bad consequences.
Sheridan’s plan for Babylon 5 is to seek assistance from the members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds and Garibaldi takes on the post office. When one of his men comments on this, Garibaldi points out they took on two carrier fleets. The guard replies that this is the post office – they could get in real trouble.