Questions
This is set long after Babylon 5 and all the races we knew and loved have gone , some of the thoughts of the younger races.I don't own anything , I don't want anything and so forth, excetera excetera.
Enjoy.
Javal leaned against the door frame, sighing at this now common sight.
The young ones had escaped from the communal nursery, again. Turn your back for a moment and they were gone, along with the mornings snacks.
He no longer minded, much. It did make his job easier after all, in a fashion. He resigned himself to being satisfied that they were all gathered in one place and not giving him a headache.
All forty , quite and somewhat calm, an achievement indeed.
The Old One's presence did that. The voice, there was something about the voice.
The communal nursery was quite empty now on a regular basis. The Old One it had taught them freedoms precious value, and then, how to the pick lock codes Javal had resorted to.
Demonstrating a sense of humour, but a bad move on it's part, Javal suppressed a smirk he didn't want to be thrown out, figuratively or literally.
On some days the Old One could not move from its quarters to travel to the ambassadorial wing: the door being blocked by inquisitive little minds.
It proved one thing about the Old One.
All powerful it may be, but it could not levitate. Small revenge Javal considered for what was going to happen to him after the commander found out about these little morning escapades.
Hushed whispers came from the children, as they gathered round eagerly drinking in every word. Javal noted some of the more enterprises children had dragged along a sleeping mat or two this time.
It appeared they planned on staying today, or at least until they fell asleep. It was strange; the Old One preferred the children on basis principals, barley a cryptic word was ever said to an adult.
In frustration once Javal had demanded why, the answer made surprisingly more sense than usual.
"I have taught those with minds closed off by hatred. It is far easier to teach the young, they teach themselves"
Though teach them what? That was supposed to be his job!
Or at least it had been until the Old One had sparked off this mass rebellion.
Javal could barley contain his growing irritation when hearing how much the children now enjoyed their daily stay in the nursery .How eager they were to go each morning.
Go yes, stay no.
Thankfully the children had so far left that part out, but it was only a matter of time. Javal silently mused that maybe he could argue these expeditions were educational, the enigmatic Old One was a profound mystery, and the only known one of its kind.
However he decided to get out of this mess he had to do it quickly, Old One tolerated their continued presence at his home but for how long it would continue to do so was uncertain.
The entity was a fickle one, the adults of the confederate could go space for all it cared; it did not attend the council chambers summons, unless it had a bone or two to pick.
Joining his charges on the scattered sleeping mats Javal took in the surroundings. The room was really quite sparse, a simple step platform in the centre of the room, surrounded by shelves and tables.
Candles adorned every possible surface. Though they were hardly necessary in the station, light could be projected from the walls with a simple command; even so it kept them, as "Reminders of times past" whatever that had meant.
The room slowly dimmed; thankfully it had blown the candles out this time. After the incident last week it was doubtful it would have them lit again. Singed fur was not the most pleasant of aromas.
The youngest one clambered towards the encounter suit, over the others, small talons reaching for the shell, tugging what it could grasp. Pleading for
"Just one more, another story please, nuther one please."
The voice resonated through the suit; it seemed to penetrate every pore of the room.
"So which shall it be, Mirram?"
The answers rocketed from every part of the bouncing small crowd.
"Tell us about the Vorlons,"
"The Shadow war"
"Sheridon and Delenn"
"I want to hear about the telepaths"
"Lyta , Lyta"
The legends of Babylon 5 always enthralled the children. At first Javal was sure the Old One was making it all up. Ivanova the Rangers, Delenn, Mr Garabaldi and his household god: the stories seemed to be endless.
People like that couldn't truly exist, or so Javal had thought.
The encounter suit rumbled, the noise silencing the multitude.
The story teller would sometimes slip out of the observer into a narrative. They, and then, turned to, my good friend, I wrote, I thought.
It was impossible. There was no other word for it.
Javal accepted the records of those times were long gone, and the races long 'dead'. Until he truly listened. Then Javal had begun to understand, not all the records were lost to decay, the first type of record remained.
The story teller.
At the dawn of it all, the Old One had stood beside these mythical giants, and then it had stayed to guide us all; as the First Ones had for the Second Born, all those eons ago.
Rumours abounded that this one returned from the dead, and that was why it was the last. It had been sent by those from beyond the rim.
The prevailing silence of the Old One disturbed the younger children, the older were just impatient.
"Awww , now look what you did. He's mad and won't tell us any" The pouting complainer stared down to the floor when a second rumble emerged.
The spotted head rose, the single 'eye' focusing on who had spoke.
The intensity of the old ones stare made you feel like it could stare through the stations hull.
"I am not mad, as you put it Racell .I am simply waiting for Mirram's reply. If you overrule the smaller ones the whole is diminished."
It paused again, nothing could make it speak when it did not wish, or stop speaking either.
"What wisdom to you want to know Mirram"
The small one answered "What were the questions"
Ah the Questions. It had spoken how each developed on after they ascended, to guide the ones that followed. Legend said the Humans had carved them into their very planet for the younger races to see.
Javal ridiculed that idea, what kind of a race did something like that. .
Besides who would know? The Humans and their planet had been lost to the mysteries of time, but the legend like many about that peculiar species had a certain, novel appeal.
The suit moved serpent like, as though something was sitting, making itself more comfortable in there.
On many occasions Javal had wished he could chip away at that suit to see what truly lay beneath the metal. The children did not mind this secrecy, they almost saw it as an over grown toy. Part of the reason they came back day after day.
"The Vorlons asked 'Who are you', to know yourself is to know the other. The Shadows asked 'What do you want', to understand your desires is to know how you define the universe.
The Mimbari asked 'Who do you severe'.
The Centauri, 'What do you live for'.
Long ago the Humans once asked two questions, and then decided on 'Why'."
Puzzled faces lit the dim room.
"Why, what?" one voice piped up
"No just ,why"
"Why, 'why'" another questioned
"Ask your elders"
"You're our elder" annoying logic was strong with that one, Javal was happy someone else had to deal with her for a change.
"And I'm telling you ask your other elders"
"But why"
"Because it's amusing"
Javal had long ago suspected the reason Old One had been sent back was to stop it creating chaos, it revelled in it too much.
The stories began to flow once more, accompanied by the cheers and shivers of the young. It was easy to slip into a sleep like trance during these times. Though Javal could swear the children acted like they could 'see' the words.
Perhaps they did, no one knew the Old One's true capabilities, and even the Old Ones biology was a well hidden secret.
A pleasant hour later his feet and back ached, it was time for the young ones to eat and sleep. Hurrying reluctant children out the door before enquiring parents came to notice them gone.
The eye's focus felt as though it burned into his back , Javal turned to face the Old One, more from curiosity than deference to it's desires.
"You wish to ask something Javal"
"You never said what your question was"
He felt rather than see it smile, the candles lit themselves once more as the 'eye' dimmed faining sleep.
And it called the Vorlons elusive! At least they only expected an answer.
The Narn made you think up the question too.