This Day in Science Fiction History: 9 March

Fictional Entry—Sunday, March 9, 2256 

Babylon 5 space station in orbit at the L5 point of Epsilon III near Epsilon Eridani (© 1993 Warner Bros. Television)

“Together, we stood on the eve of destruction as a result of a terrible, terrible mistake. A mistake which none of us can afford to make again. The Babylon Station is a place to work out our problems peacefully. It is, we believe, our last best hope for peace.”

Earth Alliance President Elizabeth Levy, 2248

After the conclusion of the Earth-Minbari War, the Babylon Project was conceived as a way to prevent future wars by providing a neutral territory to settle differences. The concept had been used by humans in the League of Nations and the United Nations and the Minbari and Centauri had similar groups in their histories. However, creating a multi-species meeting location unfortunately proved to be significantly more difficult than anticipated. Groups on all sides felt the project was ill-conceived and rallied against the costs and wastes of time and materials when there was so much damage from the war still needing to be dealt with.

Babylon Station was built by the Earth Alliance. Its infrastructure collapsed due to sabotage and the station was destroyed in the resultant explosion. Babylon two was also sabotaged during construction, possibly a bomb, and the station exploded. Security was increased during the building of Babylon 3. This did not prevent the destruction via sabotage of the third station however.

Finally, with massive increases in security, Babylon 4 was finished. The largest of the station, it had dual rotating sections to provide centrifugal false gravity. It also was the only station to have engines powerful enough to move it if necessary. Inexplicably, only twenty-four hours after becoming operational, the station disappeared.

The Earth Alliance still had some remaining structures and materials left over and approached the Centauri Republic and Minbari Federation governments to assist in the construction of Babylon 5. Due to the limited budget and lack of additional materials, Babylon 5 was the smallest of the Babylon stations.

Due to their massive financial investment, the Minbari Federation was given final veto power on the individual appointed by Earth Alliance to run Babylon 5. Jeffery Sinclair, one of the survivors of the Battle of the Line, was chosen as the first commander of the station.

Babylon 5 S01E01The Gathering 

Television Series

Warner Bros. Television

1993

This Day in Science Fiction History examines notable events, real and fictional, concerning fantasy and science fiction in various media.