“Dust to Dust” is episode six of season three of Babylon 5.
The episode opens with a security guard arguing with a shop owner, who is refusing to take something down because he didn’t do anything wrong. Captain Sheridan arrives and the shop owner apologises for having to call him. He says that this thug – indicating the security guard – barged into his shop to tell what he could and couldn’t do. The guard says he had no choice, as the man broken the rules.
Sheridan wants to know what rules and the shop owner says to him that he saw the news. For, in the previous episode, “Voices of Authority”, whilst Ivanova was connected to the machine within the planet below, she had come across a recording of then vice- president Clark talking to someone – by the sounds of it Mr Morden – about the killing President Santiago. This was smuggled back to Earth and released publicly.
The shop owner has leaflets and signs with pictures of Clark behind bars and similar. He says that Clark helped in the assassination of Santiago and people want to show how they feel. Sheridan asks if that’s all and the guard says that this is sedition; the captain says it is an opinion, and the senate hearings are dealing with it. The guard insists that it is an attack on the presidency and starts mentioning the Ministry of Peace before Sheridan interrupts him, stating that the ministry isn’t here.
Sheridan continues, saying that an opinion is not disloyalty or an attack on the office of the president, as there is a difference between the position and the person currently occupying it. This is the fourth incident in two days and the captain has had enough. He says that if it happens again whoever is responsible will be disciplined, and asks the guard if that’s clear. The guard starts responding that he was only following orders (which has long been a terrible response) but Sheridan repeats his question as to whether it is clear. To which the guard assents.
Ivanova arrives in Garibaldi’s office, asking why he wanted to see her. He replies that he has her favourite person in the whole universe waiting on Gold Channel 3. Garibaldi switches on the screen, revealing the Psi Cop Bester; ‘favourite’ in the sarcastic sense. Garibaldi apologises to Bester for keeping him waiting – he’s probably not sincere – and Bester says that he is arriving on Babylon 5 in about seven hours. He is in pursuit of an individual who is a danger to the station, Earth and the Psi Corps. Ivanova comments that’s two legitimate things to worry about. Bester asks for everyone to be ready for a briefing on his arrival in seven hours.
Afterwards, Garibaldi comments to Ivanova that they are just coming to poke around again. Every time it is the same old gaga and they aren’t falling for that line again. Elsewhere, a man in a corridor is off his head, screaming to make it stop and attacking people at random. Perhaps Bester wasn’t selling a line again.
At a meeting with Dr Franklin, Ivanova, Garibaldi and Delenn, Sheridan states that they have a major problem, as Bester is arriving. Delenn does not know who he is, so Ivanova, followed by Garibaldi and Franklin, explain Bester, Psi Cops and the Psi Corps to her.
Telepaths are not supposed to engage in unauthorised scans but Sheridan does not believe that Bester can be trusted to honour this, given everything that is happening. None of them are strong enough to block him and, if they are scanned, Bester will find out about Lyta Alexander, the Rangers and Delenn, and that they are involved in digging up evidence on the assassination. If that happens, Garibaldi says either they will be brought in and shot for treason, or they can kill Bester. The doctor is not up for murder so Ivanova suggests wounding Bester. Just a little. Delenn wants to know if there is any way to prevent Bester from coming onto the station. Ivanova offers blowing his ship up as a way. Delenn has an alternative, but she says it’s risky.
In “A Day in the Strife” Londo had got Vir assigned as the new Centauri ambassador on Minbar. Now Vir has returned for a visit and Londo greets him. Vir has enjoyed Minbar, saying the people are friendly and warm. Except for the warrior caste, who Vir thinks don’t like foreigners. Londo wants to know if the Minbari speak of him; Vir says only behind closed doors.
In sickbay, Franklin is dealing with the man who went crazy in the corridor. The man is babbling about a mountain falling on him. Another doctor enters with a woman, which she believes is related. There are no similar symptoms so Franklin asks why they would be connected. The woman was found just down the hall from where the man went nuts. She had been on Mars six months earlier when she was trapped in a landslide. A mountain fell on her in other words. Franklin realises the cases are connected, and states that the man needs to be checked for Dust.
Bester’s transport is heading in, asking for permission to deck. In C&C, Ivanova orders the command deck cleared. When everyone has left, she says that nothing works with you people, nothing but force. Then activates the forward defence grid. She gives the order to fire but Sheridan belays it. Ivanova says that everything is at risk with Bester onboard, but he says Delenn’s plan will work.
Bester docks and is less than happy. He is taken to the captain and enters the room demanding to know what is going on before stopping mid-sentence. For standing behind Sheridan is a Minbari. Garibaldi, Ivanova and Franklin are there as well, and each is also accompanied by a Minbari.
Sheridan states that they are Minbari telepaths. When Bester demands an explanation, the captain offers him the polite version or the straight-up one. Bester chooses the straight-up version. So Sheridan tells Bester he doesn’t like him, the Psi Corps, his badge or his uniform. That his attitude stinks and he doesn’t trust Bester as far as he can throw the station. And he holds him personally responsible for what happened to Talia Winters. For, “Divided Loyalties”, Talia was revealed to have been Control, the agent onboard the station. Totally without her knowledge and revealing it destroyed her original personality.
Bester comments that they learned thinks from Talia, during her briefing and starts to say ‘dissection’ before changing it to examination. This was done simply to provoke a response, and Ivanova warns Garibaldi, who had responded. Sheridan says they cannot trust Bester to abide by the rules. Bester will not conduct business with outsiders present. So Sheridan tells him there are new ground rules; either Bester can take a drug that suppresses his powers or the Minbari will accompany them everywhere. Bester threatens, but Sheridan threatens more, suggesting they know far more about Bester that he wouldn’t want broadcast than vice versa. Which is probably true.
So Bester makes a self important speech and agrees. The drug takes three hours to take effects; he will be back in four. Bester says he is there to save their butts and maybe next time they will show gratitude. Once he leaves, Franklin comments that maybe wounding him is not such a bad idea.
Londo and Vir are at a meeting with two Drazi that is being mediated by Delenn and Lennier. Londo says he appreciates the Minbari mediating, but the dispute could be settled privately. The Drazi state that all Centauri do is lie; now, there are witnesses. The Drazi have been invaded by the Centauri and many soldiers have died defending their world. They want to know what price is peace.
Londo wants a reasonable buffer zone, one consisting of seven colonies. Originally, the Centauri asked for two, but Londo says that given the expenditure since, the demand has gone up. He also mentions what happened to the Narn homeworld, and suggests that the Drazi wouldn’t want the same to happen to theirs. The Drazi leave, followed by Londo, and Vir comments that the meeting could have gone better. Delenn replies that one is foolish, the other frightened, to which Vir responds that the problem is telling which is which. Vir has thoroughly enjoyed his time on Minbar and thinks it would do Londo good to visit. Lennier believes Londo is beyond help, or hope, but Vir disagrees.
At the briefing, Bester is discussing Dust, the thing Franklin mentioned earlier. It’s a drug that enhances the latent telepathic gene in humans, allowing them to essentially telepathically rape another’s mind. It is highly addictive. When the victim is a normal human, they recover in a few hours; if a telepath, almost never. One of the main distributors of Dust has come to the station and Franklin says Bester may be right. According to Bester, the supplier is planning to sell the drug in mass quantities to foreign governments to be used as weapons and asks Garibaldi if he knows anyone who would buy.
The answer is yes, as a man called Lindstrom is currently meeting with G’Kar. G’Kar is annoyed because there were to be no commercial sales to anyone else until after their deal. Lindstrom replies that a man’s got to live. Lindstrom is selling Dust and tells G’Kar it makes its own market. G’Kar is only interested in it as a weapon. Lindstrom warns G’Kar that the drug is made primarily for humans, and that as far as he knows there are no Narn telepaths. The Narns might not even carry the gene. G’Kar replies that once there were, but that and their families were exterminated. Lindstrom also makes a comment about the dupe G’Kar plans to use Dust on.
Bester is telling Garibaldi about how he sleeps peacefully and contentedly, the sleep of the just. Garibaldi is not impressed. Bester says that the chief may not like him, but he does what he does to protect Earth. Just as Garibaldi does. From things he doesn’t know about, threats to the human race that the public does not hear about, because the Psi Corps stops them. That they are all that stands between them and the abyss. Garibaldi is still not impressed. Bester ends up saying to Garibaldi that they worked well together and he looks forward to doing it again. Garibaldi does not.
G’Kar did not intend to dupe anyone into taking Dust. He planned to use it on himself – and does. Then goes looking for Londo, and finds some things out. During G’Kar’s time under the drug, he sees another Narn. One who, when G’Kar asks where he has been, replies ‘I have always been here.’ Now, there’s a familiar phrase.