“Secrets of the Soul” is episode seven of season five of Babylon 5.
The episode opens with Dr Franklin narrating his personal log, saying that every day there is something new. Sometimes what’s new is a bacteria or virus, and his job is to compile all of these, referencing the job he accepted in the previous episode, “Strange Relations”. He’s in Medlab and there’s a Pak’ma’ra that has agreed to be examined. Franklin addresses the Pak’ma’ra; his people are carrion eaters, yet they are almost impervious to infection. The reason, according to the Pak’ma’ra, is that his people are the chosen of god. Very special. They can all the creatures that walk, crawl or fly. But not fish. Franklin wants to analyse the Pak’ma’ra’s upper intestinal system, and has a barium compound for doing so. Which is apparently not on the approved list. Franklin reassures the Pak’ma’ra; it’s not an organic compound so doesn’t fall into the same category. Franklin is pleased with how everyone is cooperating, and then asks if the Pak’ma’ra is ready. It throws up the compound in answer.
Zack has been called by one of security for a travel violation. A group with no money, no transit papers and, for half of them, no ID. They are more telepaths who have come to meet Byron. Zack wants to know how many more are going to arrive. Byron arrives with Lyta; the answer is basically as many as want to. Using a simile with the question of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Byron reassures Zack that they will provide all the paperwork, as agreed. Zack tells the new telepaths to leave, and asks to have a word with Lyta. Zack is also worried about future trouble. In the transit tube, one of the new telepaths demonstrates that he can also do telekinesis – something that has been shown to be quite rare.
Zack wants to know what Lyta is doing with those people. Byron and the others. Lyta’s response that those people are telepaths the same as her. Zack is concerned about how they hang together, and about Byron. Lyta disagrees. Zack is sure they are going to be trouble and doesn’t want Lyta seeing them any more. Lyta asks who said she was seeing them; Zack replies that he’s the head of security. Lyta thinks Zack is jealous. He refuses – but also doesn’t give permission for her to scan him.
Lyta complains that she put her life on the line during the Shadow War. In return, she got told to leave her quarters and had to make an unpleasant deal and re-join the Psi Corps, in “Moments of Transition”. She risked her life a second time during the civil war and still got nothing. No life, no hop, no prospects. In Byron, she feels she has found someone who actually cares. Zack tells her that others care too. He is definitely concerned, but Lyta says that, if Byron asked her to follow him to hell, she would do it gladly. Because she believes in him.
After leaving the tube, Byron and the others are hassled. Byron tells the leader of those hassling them to hit him. And again. And again. And asks if there was any difference, and if he didn’t get what he wanted from the first three punches, what makes him think the next will be any different? His anger is nothing to do with Byron, and the leader will have to satisfy it elsewhere.
Dr Franklin is meeting with Tal, the Hyach ambassador. Their leader has agreed to grant access to the Hyach’s medical records, so that he can better understand their people. Something they have never shared with an outsider until now. Franklin promises not to share it but Tal’s attaché, Kirrin, wants to know would he betray them if his life was on the line? Would he die for them? Franklin replies that it’s nothing he hasn’t already considered. Yes, he would die before allowing his work to be used in biogentic warfare – in “In the Beginning”, Franklin refused to share his knowledge of the Minbari with Earth. Afterwards, Kirrin is concerned that it is a mistake. Tal tells her that the information is needed for them to remain in the Alliance. There is something they are concerned about the doctor finding out though.
Lyta comes to the telepaths and finds a battered Byron. She wants to know why no-one is treating him. He replies they know that he prefers not to be disturbed at times like this. Lyta asks why they didn’t retaliate; the sides were equal after all. According to Byron, violence is not their way. It’s the way of the mundanes, and the Psi Corps followed the same route. Lyta would still like to have struck back; Byron calls her a brightly-coloured fast-moving-object. She is definitely getting close to him, but she doesn’t feel like she’s one of them. The other telepaths disagree.
Franklin, on going through the Hyach records, finds a discrepancy. For one thing, there are thousands of years of history missing. So, he does start looking into it, and discovers just what the Hyach are hiding. One of Byron’s telepaths is injured badly, and the other telepaths, except Byron and Lyta, retaliate. The telepath situation is starting to deteriorate and something happens at the end that seems like it might be the beginning of what was referred to in “The Deconstruction of Falling Stars”. The reason why Sheridan is said to have stated that the telepath colony was his biggest mistake, and the Telepath War.