Text 5617, 115 rader
Skriven 2006-08-03 14:15:00 av Robert E Starr JR (6114.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: Questioning "Beauty i
=================================
* * * This message was from Vorlonagent to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.m * * *
         * * * and has been forwarded to you by Lord Time * * *         
            -----------------------------------------------             

@MSGID: <hOCdncrJz6Toqk_ZnZ2dnUVZ_vGdnZ2d@comcast.com>
@REPLY: <1154299595.210535.118240@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com>

"Matt Ion" <soundy@moltenimage.com> wrote in message 
news:fPdAg.308064$Mn5.236132@pd7tw3no...

>> The Vorlons visited Earth long before they created human telepaths, which 
>> were engineered after humans developed (acquired) interstellar space 
>> flight. Maybe back when the Vorlons visited Narn, there were already 
>> telepaths there.
>>
>> My point before being, the Vorlons wouldn't think the Narn would be 
>> useful in a war with the Shadows because the Narn had no spaceships in 
>> which to get anywhere. The Shadows obviously thought differently since 
>> they wiped out the Narn telepaths, suggesting they (the telepaths) had 
>> been around a good, long time in order to become powerful enough to 
>> become a threat to the Shadows based there.

The Shadows put a major base on a southern continent of the Narn Homeworld. 
To seed the Narn with telepathy in advance of the war, the Vorlons would 
have to anticipate the Shadows setting up a base there.  If they anticipated 
the Shadow base, there would certainly be other more-effective 
counter-measures the Vorlons could have used than Narn telepaths.

Ergo the Narns likely had telepaths naturally because they had them prior to 
the previous Shadow War.  It's always possible that a Vorlon engineered narn 
telepaths just for the halibut.

Moreover, using younger races in telepath-warfare seems limited to only the 
Narn Homeworld.  If telepathy was so effective, why did Babylon 4 save the 
day when it appeared?  With the Vorlons and a few other First Ones backing 
them, younger-race telepaths should have decisively turned the tide against 
the Shadows.  We saw what one ad hoc effort did in "Shadow Dancing" and that 
was without any First Ones on the field of battle.  Which raises the 
question, "If the Vorlons were using younger-race telepathic warfare against 
the Shaodws during the previous Shadow War, why weren't the Shadows better 
and more effecitvely prepared to deal with it for the current Shadow War?"

My best guess is the use of Narn telepaths against the Shadows was something 
of a desperation move that worked better than expected. So much so that the 
Shadows couterattacked telepathically against everyone with any ability.

It's possible that telepathy-warfare was always in play when the First Ones 
did most of the heavy-lifting in the older Shadow Wars, but in the fashion 
of of First-One--->Shadow Ship.  The Shadow hive mind could well have 
evolved as a defense against First-One telepathic attacks.  Given that the 
First Ones were never large in number the hive mind would be able to focus a 
lot of energy against each one.  It's much easier to defend myself from a 
few large opponets than a swarm of bees.


> Here's a postulation expanding on this: the Narns already had teeps 
> naturally, and when witnessing their effect on the Shadows in the previous 
> war (an effect which was severe enough for the Shadows to wipe them all 
> out), the Vorlons decided they should meddle with the genetics of the 
> other younger races that they were "guardians" of, and create teeps among 
> them as well, knowing one day the Shadows would return...

Especially if the Vorlons' original plan was to let the younger races, 
enhanced with telepathy and a little organic technology, fight the Shadows 
to exhaustion, then roll over Shadow-poisoned worlds with planet-killers. 
Sheridan's nuking of a Shadow city arguably put Phase 2 into operation ahead 
of schedule.


> Is it ever mentioned whether the Minbari actually had teeps 1000 years 
> before, or did theirs too appear since that time?

It seems likely but not assurred that the Minbari had teeps naturally.  Our 
only clue is that their role in minbari society is well-ritualized, which 
says they've been around for a while.  How long "a while" might be is open 
to debate.

The Minbari relationship to the Vorlons makes them a unique case.  I have no 
evidence of this, but it's certainly possible that the Vorlons could have 
offered telepathy to the Gray Council during or after the last Shadow War. 
The Gray Council is easily both machiavellian and secretive enough to allow 
telepathy to filter into society without letting the minbari people know the 
hows or whys.  Delenn as former Gray Council and as the aide and protegee to 
a leader of the Gray Council, ought to have found out about it however and 
she never mentioned anything, even in private.

If the human experience is any judge, the vorlons can't seamlessly introduce 
telepathy into a starfaring race so the Minbari either

1) Were given telepaths by the Vorlons with the knowledge and complicity of 
the Gray Council

2) Were given telepaths by the Volrons before they got starflight (which 
raises the question of why give it to them)

3) Had telepaths naturally.


-- 
John Trauger,
Vorlonagent


"Methane martini.
Shaken, not stirred."


"Spirituality without science has no mind.

Science without spirituality has no heart."

-Methuselah Jones
                   
--- SBBSecho 2.11-Win32
 * Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (1:14/400)