CHAPTER EIGHT: Shadow's Of Epsilon 3

Captain Nanette personal log. Well something strange happened today. Gram was in Docking Bay 2 when he heard a voice calling for help. When he opened the door Casthmatic was in there, now we searched the docking bays all five of them and found no one, but according to Gram—Casthmatic was sure shook up. And one hour later we found Iris in the coolant room, he was telling me that he now knows the truth to the secrets of X'ha'dum. I asked him what it was, but would not commit. Shortly after seeing Iris we meet someone who claims to be Rama, at first I was not sure, but when Delteine came to see Rama she claimed that Rama came to her in a different form, in the form of a half Human half Minbari named Deltalenn. When I asked Rama's new name she said it was Deltalenn, she told Delteine and me that she has always been a female Minbari hybrid and that her mother is actually the wife of Valen. Deltalenn later said that the three Children of Valen are, Delenn, Casthmatic, and herself. She said that both Casthmatic and her never children in the past and that is why they are here now in the future, only Delenn had four children—David, and Delenn 2nd. The third child was of genetic, but not born of Delenn, this would be Iris, and the last is Delenn 3rd, who was a genetic experiment of frozen DNA, and this would be Deylnn. After hearing this I just stood there I did not know what to think of, but my thoughts troubled me, we all now were lost in time. I was not sure if I should tell where we were going, but I told them anyway. I told them that we are going to Epsilon 3, the planet that echoed the image of Babylon 5. I myself saw this to be a holy trip—the crew thought so to, but I could tell that Iris and Casthmatic were still extremely shook up—what scared them. Second thought I don't want to know! The Vorlon's assure me that we will be safe there as the planet takes us back to regular time to defeat the Liberators.

Delteine patches in to Nanette quarters where the recording for her log is going on. "Captain Nanette we approach Epsilon 3."

Nanette presses the com, "Thank you, jump when we arrive, I will be there shortly."

"Yes captain."

I just talked to navigation under command by Delteine. Well I have to end my message; I just wanted to make a message of what has happen to my crew. If we don't make it back, please tell my children that I loved them and that I am truly sorry that I put my career before them. (Recording ended).

In C&C. "Delteine?" Says Captain Nanette who looks around the C&C.

Delteine looks at the pale planet ahead of them, but they are still in hyperspace, technology alouds up to check on the situation before jumping. "We near Epsilon 3 captain."

Nanette looks at the security feed picture of their jump area. "Delteine!"

Delteine looks at Nanette. "Yes captain?"

Nanette keeps staring at the picture...it looks safe to enter. "You can just call me Nanette it would seem more formal."

Delteine nods, "All right," Checks the hyperspace beacon. "We're there."

Nanette looks at Delteine, "Jump."

The Armada comes out of hyperspace into regular space, there is a dead-like planet, and Nanette is looking for an energy source. "This is close enough."

Delteine and Nanette turn around. It is Draal. "I am the keeper of the Great Machine, there is a vessel docking—there is one person in suspended animation, she is ready to be welcomed back to the crew of the Armada. Now to get back in time go due south and open a jump gate at 120 clicks, wait two hours to jump again." Draal cracks a sarcastic smile. "Good Luck!" Draal disappears.

Nanette calls Iris. "Iris please go to docking Bay 3, there is a person down there who needs assistance."

Iris patches in from Med Bay where he was meditating. "Yes Nanette."

Nanette shuts off the com and looks at Delteine. "Delteine set for 120 clicks and set automatic jump for two hour when we enter hyperspace."

Delteine nods, "Yes Nanette."

Iris slips his card through the scanner to open the door, in the center of the room is a person lying down and non-responsive of Iris's entry. As Iris nears the body, he notices the same fluid that makes his skin once glossy from the Vorlon Empire. As Iris takes a good look at whom it was it was Deylnn, but Deylnn looked more like the photos of the legionary Delenn 3rd, this must have been the result of the transformation. The only way he could recognize her is by the pin Deylnn always wore near the base of his neck. How was he going to explain this to Nanette? All Iris knew is that now he—or better now described as a she has transformed into a young female Human-Minbari hybrid dressed in ice white. This puzzled Iris, Deltalenn also was male to female and said that she was like this after the Great War in 1261. As Iris turned to a com to tell what he found. "Iris to Nanette, come in Nanette."

There is static and the com goes dead. Iris hears his name. "Iris…"

Iris turns around. "Deylnn, are you all right?"

Delenn 3rd is shivering cold, she is shocked and scared. "What has happen to me?"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, even he is not certain. "You don't know?"

Delenn 3rd shakes her head, but it make her dizzy. "No, all I did was go to sleep on Minbar and now awaken to this." Delenn 3rd looks at herself in a clear glass panel. "In Valen's name," A shock look come to Delenn 3rd face. "I'm loosing it Iris, what have I've become?"

Delenn 3rd buries her face in her palms, which have became much slender and fragile compared to his once scared, battered hands. "Delenn 3rd, I am not certain how this happened, but there must be a reason."

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris and she speaks. "A fa'an, zum'A ni'velo zhalen!"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, he does not understand what he just heard and wonder if it is his hearing. "What did you say?"

Delenn 3rd looks confused. "I said that I feel zhalen!"

Iris thinks for a second. "Zhalen?"

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris' confusion. "What are you talking about Iris?"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd. "You said to me that you feel zhalen."

Delenn 3rd nods, "Yes—alone."

Iris thinks of the word. "Zhalen means alone?"

To Delenn she hears this Alone means alone? "I don't know—I suppose. Nehan" Delenn 3rd caught herself, "something must fa wrong with my speech?"

Iris nods agreeing with Delenn 3rds new problem. "Yes, I see." Thinking to himself after catching the word 'fa', fa must equal 'be'. "Delenn 3rd?"

Delenn 3rd looks at Iris. "Vi'is—ah bad! Sorry, ah Ingliss must be, being mixed with the ver'kaffmin language."

Iris listens but the language is getting worse. "Yes, it might do best if you don't speak, it seems more you speak the more alien you become."

Delenn 3rd nod, "Vi'is!"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, "Follow me, I am going to take you to the Med Lab, maybe we can figure out what is happening to you?" Delenn 3rd takes out a piece of paper and write: Yes. Meaning "yes", seeing this Delenn 3rd throws the paper to the ground in frustration. Iris notices that they don't have much time before Deylnn become just Delenn 3rd with no memory of Deylnn.

Back on the bridge the Armada is only seconds away from jumping. When the time is up the Armada opens a jumping point into an electrical storm that last only for a second. When they are out of the storm the internal clocks read: May 17, 3999. Delteine looks at Nanette. "We have a date."

Nanette looks at Delteine, "Read it to me."

Delteine looks at the number, "It is the 17th of May the year is…"

Nanette looks at Delteine who is shocked. "Well?"

Delteine looks back at Nanette. "It is 3999; we've jumped 738 years."

Nanette ponders, that can't be right, why would Draal make them loss in time? "738 years—I don't understand, I thought we've been home by now!"

Delteine shakes her head disappointed. "Apparently not."

The com comes on, it's Iris. "This is Iris."

Nanette rises from her chair and presses the com switch. "Go ahead."

Nanette sounds disappointed. "Did the jump go well?"

Nanette really hates it when people rub it in. "Well not to my standards."

Iris changes the subject. "Can you read Minbari?"

Nanette thinks about the question. "What type of rhetorical question is that?"

Iris becomes impatient with the patient he is trying to treat whom at the moment is writing an imperfect language that makes both of them impatient in the patient ward of Med Bay. "Can you, or can you not?"

Nanette does not understand Iris' current situation. "Well somewhat, when I signed on with the Invincible we were to be fluent in two languages, I choose Minbari and Drakh, and I was the top of my class."

Iris sends the written work over to the computer, it takes awhile to download. "Good, can you read this?" It finally downloads and this is exactly what Nanette see. English translation:

To Nanette The year we should be in is the year 3999. Re. Delenn 3rd

Nanette looks at the writing. "I never knew you could write Minbari?"

Iris looks at the neat curves, even tracing them is difficult. "No I can't, Delenn 3rd did the writing. The writing say's a greeting and the year 3999. I have a feeling that is our time—correct Nanette?"

Nanette reads the message. "Yes—but how did you know?"

Iris looks at Delenn 3rd, "I think you need to come to the Med Lab now, and bring Deltalenn with you, I believe I just found the last key to our mission to defeat the Shadow's and Liberators! And don't worry, there is no threats instead I believe we will soon learn why we are all here." Iris turns off the com