“Babylon 5: The River of Souls” is a made-for-television film for Babylon 5. “River of Souls” is set in the year 2263 but was released after the series was concluded. It is usually recommended to be watched between season five‘s “Objects at Rest” and the series finale, “Sleeping in Light”.
It opens at a deserted-looking planet, closing in on a large, circular building. Inside, there are lights strung up and it appears there is an archaeological expedition underway. One of the men, Dr Robert Bryson, thinks it is only a little longer until they reach the main vault. His companion, Klaus, does not. There are easier vaults to get at in the main city. Bryson says that easier means that someone else would have already entered them; you’d have to be insane to dig this far in soft ground. That is Klaus’ other point. Bryson says that nothing good comes easily; according to Klaus, nothing bad does either.
A wall is found with a symbol on it, which is different as none of the other walls had one. Bryson says he has seen this symbol on a hundred worlds. Beneath it is a disc, on one side is a death symbol, on the other side life. Life in death, life eternal. Bryson wants the wall broken down to see what is inside.
Inside is an immense chamber, with rows of glowing balls in niches on the walls. A voice says ‘Yes’ as the vault is broken open, but something opens on the top of the building and a beacon emerges. Bryson tells Klaus that the globes contain souls, if you believe in them. Yes, there’s money to be made, but that’s a by-product of the real goal. Immortality. A whispering passes through the chamber, seemingly coming from the globes. The beacon has been noticed, so Klaus says they need to get back to the ship fast. If whoever built the vault has come back, maybe they will let them live if nothing is touched. Everyone but Bryson heads out, and he takes one of the globes. Outside, a ship shoots at the others but Bryson hides. He tells the globe not to worry; they will find a way.
On Babylon 5, Lochley is wandering the stalls when Corwin approaches her. She says it’s been three days since there has been any kind of crisis and that one was not a biggie, so she’s taking a chance to relax. Which is asking for trouble. Lochley says that Sheridan was like a lightning rod, attracting trouble. She talks about the Pauli effect, where whenever a scientist named Pauli entered a physics lab, something, and usually something expensive, would break or go wrong. For her, it’s the Sheridan-Garibaldi effect. With both of them gone, most of the problems have gone as well and the station has become almost manageable. Lochley then asks what Corwin wanted to speak to her about. Garibaldi has just arrived. Immediately, a fight breaks out.
A man then leaves the bar and knocks on a door in a certain rhythm. The other side is a virtual house of ill repute. The man tells the owner he knows how to use the suits, but there is a shock and a scream from the room he has entered.
Garibaldi is talking to Lochley. He and Lise have inherited a lot of black projects and research problems that William Edgars started and never told anyone about. Garibaldi is tracking them down. If they are good, they are kept. If not so good, they are out. He’s meeting with a researcher who has been doing things for the past couple of years. Lochley will not even know Garibaldi is here. Lochley doubts that. Garibaldi told the researcher to meet at Lochley’s office; he knew she wouldn’t mind. The researcher is Dr Bryson, a doctor of archaeology with a side degree in cultural anthropology. It turns out Lochley has heard of his original specialisation and the two are happily chatting until Garibaldi interrupts.
Bryson thinks Edgars was a visionary. Garibaldi thinks he was a nut out to own or invent everything. He was willing to fund Bryson’s programme, so that makes him a good man in Bryson’s eyes. The programme is Life Eternal, the search for eternal life. Humans can live 110-115 years but some alien races live double or triple that. With older civilisations, some sustain life for thousands of years or eliminate death entirely. Garibaldi thinks that if immortality exists, it will cost so much only the rich will be able to afford it. Bryson thinks he’s close and needs a few more days of preliminary analysis. Garibaldi wants to have his data for the last 3 years, rather than wait for everything. Or the funding stops. Bryson replies he will need some time to get his notes together and Garibaldi says he will pop by in the morning.
Corwin brings a Mr Clute to see Lochley. He’s the man from earlier. Clute says that the holobrothel is dangerously faulty. Lochley says they don’t have a holobrothel. Apparently, they do now. The owner claimed it was sanctioned by station personnel. He was lying.
In his quarters, Bryson is hooking something up and moves it closer to the globe. A face appears and Bryson says he has made contact.
Zack visits the holobrothel. He wants the owner, Jacob Mayhew, to pack up and leave. He won’t, he signed for a 6-month contract. His permit? Well, it may not say he can run a holobrothel, but it doesn’t say he can’t either. He’s also not breaking any laws; if a potential customer brings a suitable picture, it can be used as long as it isn’t published or publicly exploited. Mayhew seems to be one of those people who knows how to skirt the edges of the law.
When Bryson increases power to his equipment, something leaves the globe. The figure says they took us away, they had no right. They should have been let die. This is probably not quite what Bryson was after, but he doesn’t notice that. Only a living mind preserved at the moment of death. And something from the globe escapes into the station.
Mayhew has his lawyer, Riley, harass Lochley with claims and suits. Delaying tactics basically; by the time the matter is sorted, the lease will have expired. Then a ship comes through the jump gate. Garibaldi recognises it, from “Soul Hunter”, and tells Lochley what it is. Soul Hunters come when someone is about to die. At which point Zack starts coughing.
More is explained about what Soul Hunters do, and the globe Bryson has is far larger than the ones seen before. It seems there is an entire planet’s worth of souls in there, and most of them are very, very angry. Bryson falls under their spell. More Soul Hunters arrive and plan to take back the globe no matter what. Problems ensue. And, of course, the holobrothel ends up tangled up in them.