Conference hips::babylon5

181.0. "The Babylon Project : Crusade" by HIPS::WATSON (Eenie meenie minee moe...That one!) Fri Feb 28 1997 15:59

    
    This spinoff series, which is still in negotiations and may not happen,
    deals with the exploits of the Rangers. 
    
    
    A summary of the idea behind Crusade follows, but is cntains a rather
    big spoiler for B5 upto and including Epiphanies.
    
    Rik

    
    
    
Crusade takes place about a year or two after the events of the B5 arc. 
The Shadow War is over, but the allies of the Shadows, their dark 
servants, remain homeless and masterless, now looking for a home, and to 
become masters of others. Toward that end, they target Earth, to make an 
example of us that the others will get in line. But their attempt at 
conquest and destruction ends badly for them. 

As they retreat, they leave behind a little gift. If you've heard the 
phrase "poisoning the well", this comes from the old Roman trick of 
poisoning the wells in villages when they were driven off, making the 
place unlivable for the victors. The Shadow allies do much the same 
here: they release a biogenetically engineered virus, a piece of 
leftover Shadow technology. 

The virus has an incubation period of roughly five years, during which 
time it adapts to its host species. At the end of that adaption period, 
it turns lethal. Released into the atmosphere of Earth, it will 
essentially wipe out every man, woman and child on Earth who was there 
when the virus was released. Unless a cure is found. 

But the science that made the virus is literally thousands of years 
ahead of us; we could break it in time, but we don't have time. Our only 
hope is the Ranger fleet, which goes out to scour worlds on the Rim and 
elsewhere for leftover First One cities. The First Ones are gone, but in 
many cases their ancient cities, their sealed vaults, their secrets, 
still remain. Somewhere, out there, in one of those ancient deserted 
cities, is the cure we need to save humanity. 

The pilot movie or episode would deal with the assault on Earth and the 
release of the virus; the series itself would deal with the search, with 
the crews sent to find it, with the ancient and Lovecraftian secrets 
they uncover, the forces arrayed against them, the emotional aspects of 
family members unable to return home to Earth without wearing protective 
environment suits, and all of Earth under quarantine, under the threat 
of death. 

So the show does have an arc, though it's a bit less rigorous and 
political than was the case with B5. It keeps the show on track but 
leaves it flexible enough to grow and change and develop in some new and 
interesting directions. It'll be a much broader canvas, more oriented 
towards exploration and a sense of wonder. But at the same time it puts 
Earth itself right at the center of the story. 

One thing we have learned to do on Babylon 5 is how to create virtual 
sets. We have gotten so good at that, that you almost can't tell. In 
Falling Towards Apotheosis there is this shot on Centauri Prime with a 
gargoyle looking over the garden which looks extremely convincing, but 
it is all done in the computer. So we now have the capacity to do more 
in the way of virtual sets and give us the range to do more planetary 
stuff and more ship stuff. 

Q: Fans love the three-dimensional characters you created for Babylon 5. 
What sort of characters can we expect to see in the sequel? 

Central characters would include one of the nine surviving Zathras 
brothers, one of the family Zathras; the command staff of one of the 
main explorer vessels The Excalibur; a warrior caste Minbari; the lone 
survivor of a world wiped out by the Shadow allies; a lone Technomage 
sent back to see if the coast is clear for the others to come back; a 
bioigeneticist and a representative from Interplanetary Expeditions, 
whose goal may not be the same as the rest. 

The series draws from the best of what B5 has developed over its course, 
the things that the fans have indicated they`d like to see developed: 
the Technomages, exploration, the political situation back on Earth, 
more about the Minbari warrior caste, and of course, more of the family 
Zathras. 


>Usenet Posts

>George Johnsen talks about some issues from Epiphanies:

Hey-

The thinking behind the 'fury display was a particle ejector with 
sufficient ejector power to allow the stuff not to follow the 'furies in 
their travels.  (Besides, even though it would be expensive to use, 
these folks needed SOMETHING to cheer about, so Sheridan blew the 
budget)

The Black Omega drop mechanism has a launching charge in it that pushes 
each one down in alternating sequence. This causes them to avoid each 
other and still be transported in the most compact package possible. 
Remember that the B'O'Furies had their engines lit, ready for drop, with 
control systems active.  These guys are clever enough to have a drop 
sequence programmed to accomodate pilot issues, as well as clearance 
issues.

George Johnsen
CoPriducer, B5

>Someone reassures JMS that even if the stories are known, it's the 
>story-teller who matters more:
 
Thanks...and yeah, I'll be at Marcon this year, story-bag in hand....
                                                                 jms

>JMS is not terribly observant sometimes.  He just now noticed that 
>George has been poking his nose into the newsgroup:

I just saw the first message I can remember from George Johnsen, B5 
co-producer and head of Post Production on BABYLON 5.  His message here 
was signed George Johnsen <[email protected]>.

For those interested in the details of post-production -- sound, music, 
editing, CGI, other stuff -- George is the guy to ask.  George is 
one-third of the Terrible Triumverate without which B5 would not happen, 
and even if it did happen, wouldn't be a fraction as good as it is.  
(The other two being me, one presumes, and John Copeland, one fears.)

Everybody join in welcoming George...make him feel at home...and feel 
free to ask him all the technical questions you've considered asking me, 
but knew you wouldn't get back an even reasonably intelligent reply.  
(Insert evil laughter here.)

(George also makes a *great* convention speaker, incidentally.  Simply a 
word to the wise.)

George also did the closing voice-over in season 1 of B5, by the way.  

This newsgroup is now officially bi-producial.  Bi-producerial. 
Something....
                                                         jms

>How many days will you be staying at I-Con?

I'm pretty sure we'll all be there for all 3 days...I know Harlan and I 
will, pending any last-minute adjustments.
                                                         jms

>George Johnsen talks more about PPG caps:

Follow on to the PPG cap composition conversation-

The Hero versions have machined aluminum caps, that have a nice positive 
"snap" when they go in.  The cast resin  and cast rubber versions are 
cast integral to the gun.

BTW, I always liked that solder sucker.  It is a constant reminder of 
what looks ordinary to one looks really exotic to others.  I guess it's 
a great inside joke to all of us who sat up late at night working on our 
Altair 8800's with the very same tools!

George Johnsen
CoProducer, B5

>About Megacon:

My main B5 presentation will be that Saturday, March 15th, from 3-4:30, 
at the Orange County Convention Center there in Orlando.  I'll be there 
with bloopers, some scenes from episodes to air in May, and other 
gimcracks.
                                                 jms

>JMS quotes and answers:

"You have pretty consistently said that you would *end* B5, and that 
there would *never* be a sequel.  Instead, you would do something in the 
B5 universe, but not realated to the B5 storyline.  The description sure 
sounds like a sequel to me."

What I have said about this from the beginning, and the ONLY thing I 
have ever said about this, was that there was a side-story in the B5 
universe that could go off from the main story.  That has been quoted in 
many different places, and on line, and definitely includes any plans 
for "Crusade."

BTW, that new characters were mentioned does not exclude any current 
cast members...doesn't include them, either, but bottom line, that ain't 
a complete list of characters.  There's room and flexibility in there, 
depending on what happens.
                                                         jms

>JMS quotes and answers:

"Are there any plans to put any of [my books] back in print?"

Ehhhh...no, not really.  

I'd rather see my next novel come out first, since it's going to be a 
better book than those preceding it.  (Yes, I'm writing it now in my 
copious free time.)
                                                 jms



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