Babylonian Encounters: The Sanctuary Of Enever

"Hello Babylon 5" by Egri

Timeframe: Season One and After

Location: GREEN SECTOR, Deck 2, Segment 7 (one unit Forward from Na'Toth's  quarters)

Name:  The Sanctuary of Enever

DATA FILE

There is no Minbari temple in The Garden's Religious and Cultural Centre on Bablyon 5, but deep within the station is a sacred place to which only Minbari of the Worker Caste have unrestricted access: The Sanctuary of Enever. The Minbari known as Enever was the first of his race on the Station. In fact, he was here before construction was even begun, as Enever was a space-architect of the Worker Caste.

His duty to his Caste and to the Grey Council was to contribute funds on the behalf of the Minbari Federation to support the construction of Babylon 5, as well as to contribute the Minbari hand and eye to the construction of a space station that was both functional and beautiful. He succeeded, but at a great personal price.

Enever was already dying when he arrived at Epsilon III. He came with a crew of 50 Minbari architects and engineers of the Worker Caste. Enever told no one of his illness until he was very near the end. He suffered in silence. Enever endured the great pain through meditation and prayer. He worked night and day to devise plans that were pleasing to both Minbari and human eyes, and acceptable to EarthGov. Enever and his fellow Minbari workers designed the hull exterior "to reflect the light of errant and missing souls", an expression they explained to their confused human counterparts as an allusion to the tragedy and loss experienced by both sides in the Earth-Minbari War.

The architect's body was found shortly before the official opening ceremonies for the new station. His Worker Caste colleagues brought him home immediately for final ceremonies. But they left something of Enever behind, in the diplomatic aide's quarters he had used during his time on the station. These quarters became The Sanctuary of Enever, a meditation space within the deck reserved for Babylon 5's most important ambassadors and their aides.

Only a member of the Worker's Caste can open the door to this sanctuary. In the center of the room is a small dais on which a lavender crystal stands on a pedestal. When the door to the room is closed, the crystal glows to life. A holographic model of the Babylon 5 station is then projected within the room. Once can use hand gestures to expand the model to zoom in on particular areas and features.

Curiously enough, the model somehow stays up-to-date with the station's current configuration (including its complement of fighters, defensive systems, ships and shuttles docked in the Zero-G Docking Bay, and other internal features). In fact, the map is more accurate than the station's official maps, which are imprecise for certain areas of the ship. How the holographic model is updated is uncertain, as the walls of the sanctuary are unusually well-shielded against all manners of eavesdropping and electronic surveillance.

Once every year on the anniversary of the station's official opening, a member of the Worker Caste arrives from Minbar to conduct a special ritual of remembrance for Enever. At other times, members of the Worker Caste come here to meditate and pray. The Worker Caste say: "In this place, the eye, the hand, and the mind are in harmony; the soul is united".

The sanctuary's door will open for any member of the Worker Caste but only for members of that caste. Station personnel have not been able to break the code that controls access to the room.

PLOT HOOKS

• One rumor about the sanctuary is that the hologram has another setting: it can also project an ever-outward spiraling network of jumpgates and star systems, with Babylon 5 at its center. Many of these are unknown to Earthforce and IPX, both of whom would like access to the sanctuary in order to map them.
• Ambassador Kosh has been witnessed entering and leaving the sanctuary without Minbari escort. The Minbari refuse to comment about this. Commander Sheridan once asked Ambassador Kosh: "What do you do in there?" Kosh replied: "Silence makes the mind sing."*
• Anyone with psi-skills who passes by the sanctuary will sense the presence of a powerful mind at work within the room - even when no one is inside. If they venture within the sanctuary, they will be drawn to the lavender holographic crystal on the dais. It is psychically active.
• Immediately below the sanctuary is a 7' x 3' x 3' cavity that is surrounded by very advanced machinery. Scans reveal the outline of a body within the chamber... one with a Minbari skeleton.

OGL MECHANICS

ASPECTS:

• High Concept Aspect: A living tribute to Enever
• Trouble Aspect: Many wish to enter 
• Only the Worker Caste has the key
• One hologram hides another
• A favorite haunt of Ambassador Kosh

*Thanks to +Jeremy Whalen for letting me use this fine Koshism.