| Walkers: "Voices of Authority" |
"They don't think like we do."
"They're old, powerful, and dangerous. And they don't
like to be bothered!"
Since little is known of The Walkers, I will show
the information we do have on them through the dialog from the episode "Voices of
Authority." I'm a doing this because this is where they were focused on the most and
maybe by singling out certain scenes you can pull ideas out that you never thought of.
There is surprisingly a lot of data about The Walkers in this episode. You have to read it
and put it together piece by piece.
The show starts off with Delenn saying that we must take the chance to try and ally ourselves with some 'First Ones' to stand a chance against the Shadows. The Shadows are another ancient and powerful race, but follow what we would refer to as the dark side of the universe.
In "Voices of Authority," Ivanova goes to the planet Epsilon 3 to use the Great Machine to find some 'First Ones'. The Great Machine has records of races vast with unimaginable power, and each record has this: WARNING DO NOT APPROACH. Draal, the keeper of the Great Machine, guides Ivanova to finding the 'First Ones'. Ivanova's body stays in the machine, but her mind can travel through the galaxy. She follows a mind path to which leads her to a planet called Sigma-957.
Ivanova: (finds herself traveling through space)
I can't breathe.
Draal:
It's all right. Try to calm your mind. Focus. All life forms are connected. Look for the path. Look for the path.
Ivanova: (seeing strange blue ribbons)
I see it
Draal:
It is the power that binds us, one to another, across the darkness of space. Focus on the First Ones,
on the most ancient of ancients.
Let the path take you to them.
[mind path]
Ivanova:
I've seen this place before...Sigma 9 5 7.
[camera zooms in on the planet a little more, showing a city map worked in with the planet]
They were here.
I can feel their footprints in the sand,
I can hear their words.......whisper in the wind...its beautiful.
They're coming back again...soon......I can...
Ivanova:
Draal, Draal, something is wrong.
Draal I am not alone.
It knows I'm here.
Its pulling me in.
Can't stop it!
Draal:
It is the enemy, pull away, go back to the path.
Ivanova:
I can't. It knows I am here. It knows my name.
Draal:
Break off. I can't pull you out without killing you.
Pull away. Don't look back.
In that scene Ivanova took a mind path to the planet Sigma-957.She felt and heard the past of the The Walkers. Then a pair of Shadow eyes start glowing in space next to the planet. Ivanova was being pulled in closer to the eyes. As she got closer more eyes started to appear. This scene made me wonder if Shadows have a Great Machine/s as well, but I know this to be false. Ivanova's mind was there, not her physical self, so how did the Shadows know she was there? How did they communicate with her (calling her name)? How did the enemy pull her in? How come we see their eyes? Since the camera was looking at the scene as Ivanova's perspective, did the Shadows see Ivanova's eyes like she saw theirs? BIG question: Where was the enemy? None of these questions have been answered and I doubt they will be. The Shadow eyes kept drawing Ivanova to them until she looked away from the eyes. Then she took a mindpath out.
Later Ivanova comes back to the planet, this time physically, in the White Star with Marcus.
A ship comes out of a black jumpgate with lightning in the jumpgate. The ship is massive. Comparing The Walkers' ship to the White Star would be like comparing Rhode Island (WhiteStar) to Asia (The Walkers' ship).
The Walkers' ship drains power from the White Star and a Tiki mask appears
in the command deck of the White Star.
Ivanova:
immediately says, "The ancient enemy you fought once before has returned." We have formed an alliance with the Great Machine, the Minbari, the Vorlons,...
Interrupting Ivanova the mask says, "Vorlon tav utna chog!" and disappears.
After awhile, the White Star's power fades again and the Tiki mask appears again saying, "Zog."
Ivanova:
says in frustration, "Zog!" "Zog what?" "Zog yes?" "Zog no?"
Marcus:
"My guess is that Zog means No."
Ivanova:
"Like hell, I am not leaving here without a Yes."
Marcus:
"And how do you plan to do that?" "Put a bucket on your head and call yourself the ancient Vorlon God "Boujii."
Ivanova:
"yeah..."
Marcus:
"Fine, I'll go get a bucket."
Ivanova:
"I mean the Vorlons."
This is the White Star to departing ship...I appreciate your response, and I fully understand.
The Vorlons said you wouldn't be up for a fight like this. In fact they said in the last war they carried you, did most of the work, while you took most of the credit for it.
They said if you got involved in this one you would just get hurt.
Come to think of it...we got the Vorlons, we don't need much more help, do we? They are pretty much close to perfect, aren't they?
And strong...whoooo....
[ship shakes] Voice comes on: Vorlon du ba chok nog.
Ivanova:
I'll be sure to give them your message. In the mean time you have a nice flight. We'll be sure to give you a message when the fighting is over.
[ship shakes violently]
Marcus:
I think you are making him mad.
Ivanova:
yep
Marcus:
He is bigger than we are.
Ivanova:
I know.
"When it is time, come to this place, call our name, we will be here."
The fact that Ivanova had trouble breathing while she was in the Great Machine and that her consciousness was out among the stars suggests that she was actually visiting those places, so that maybe her mind or soul, etc. was being projected out among the stars. Maybe this is what it is like to be a telepath. In other words, if the mind path is how "all life forms are connected," then maybe telepaths are just beings who can take advantage of the mind path. So in effect, maybe telepaths are just beings who can see how other life forms are connected.
If the machine was projecting Ivanova's mind, then to be able to sense her, the Shadows (the eyes) must have some way of detecting her. This would be "The Eye," but what exactly is "The Eye" and how were the Shadows able to take advantage of it? As Ivanova got closer, more eyes started to appear, suggesting reinforcements or some sort of defense/offensive option.
The fact that Ivanova could escape by taking a mindpath suggests that maybe the Shadows are excluded from the mind path, which makes me wonder how or why they are at Sigma-957. If they are excluded then maybe they are just telepathic, but supposedly Shadows are not telepaths. However they projected themselves is a mystery.
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