Chapter 30: A Voice From Beyond

Galen placed the Apocalypse Box on the conference table with reverent care, its black surface seeming to absorb the light from the overhead fixtures. The symbols etched into its sides pulsed with a faint inner radiance that made Ivanova's eyes water when she tried to focus on them directly.

"I don't understand," she said. "What does this have to do with—"

The Box began to glow.

Light spilled from its surface, coalescing into a translucent figure that stood at the head of the table. The hologram—if that's what it was—resolved into the unmistakable form of Captain Matthew Gideon, his uniform pristine despite the circumstances of his death.

"Captain Ivanova," Gideon said, his voice carrying the same authority it had possessed in life. "Mr. Garibaldi. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

Garibaldi's jaw dropped. "What the hell—"

"Matthew?" Ivanova stared at the apparition, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. "But you're dead. Galen said the entire crew was killed when the Excalibur was destroyed."

"I was," Gideon replied. "But death, as it turns out, is more complicated than any of us realized. Thanks to Galen's intervention, my consciousness was preserved within the Box's matrix at the moment of my body's destruction."

"This is impossible," Ivanova said, though her voice lacked conviction. After everything she'd seen during the Shadow War, after Vorlons and ancient races and technology that defied explanation, impossible had become a relative term.

"Is it?" Gideon asked. "You've seen what the Vorlons could do, what the Shadows were capable of. Is it so hard to believe that there are other technologies, other possibilities beyond our current understanding?"

"Even if you are real," Ivanova said, her skepticism warring with hope, "why should we trust information from... whatever this is? How do we know you're not some kind of Drakh trick, designed to lead us into a trap?"

Gideon's expression grew serious. "Because I've seen what's coming, Susan. The Box doesn't just preserve consciousness—it grants access to knowledge beyond the normal flow of time. I've witnessed the Drakh's true plans, seen the scope of what they're preparing."

"And what exactly are they preparing?" Garibaldi asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"Something that makes the plague look like a minor inconvenience," Gideon replied. "But that's all I can reveal for now. What matters is that your current weapons and defensive systems won't be sufficient for what you're about to face."

"What do you mean?" Ivanova asked.

"The Drakh have been busy since the Excalibur's destruction. They've enhanced their defenses, incorporated new Shadow technology into their installations. Your pulse cannons and standard defensive screens will be useless against what they've built."

Gideon's form flickered slightly, as if the effort of maintaining his presence was taxing the Box's systems. "But there are modifications you can make, upgrades that will give you a fighting chance. I can transmit the specifications directly to your engineering systems."

"Modifications based on what?" Ivanova demanded. "How can we trust technical specifications from a dead man trapped in a mystical artifact?"

"Because those specifications are based on three years of research aboard the Excalibur," Gideon replied. "Everything we learned about Shadow technology, every adaptation we made to counter their weapons—it's all preserved in here, along with my consciousness."

Galen stepped forward. "Susan, I know how this sounds. I know it's difficult to accept. But Matthew is right about the modifications. I've seen the Drakh installations myself. Without these upgrades, the Titans won't survive the first engagement."

"This is insane," Ivanova said, but her voice carried more uncertainty than conviction.

"Maybe," Garibaldi said quietly. "But insane doesn't mean wrong. And if there's even a chance that this is really Gideon, that he has information that could save Earth..."

He looked at Ivanova. "We've trusted each other through worse situations than this. What's your gut telling you?"

Ivanova stared at the translucent figure of Matthew Gideon, searching his face for some sign of deception, some indication that this was an elaborate hoax. But the eyes that looked back at her held the same steady determination she remembered from their brief encounters, the same unwavering commitment to the mission that had defined his life.

"All right," she said finally. "What kind of modifications are we talking about?"

Gideon's form solidified slightly, as if her acceptance had somehow strengthened his connection to the physical world. "Pulse cannon recalibration to counter Shadow bio-armor, defensive screen modifications to deflect organic energy weapons, and sensor upgrades to detect cloaked vessels."

"How long will it take?" Ivanova asked.

"If your engineering team works around the clock, six hours. Maybe eight."

Ivanova was quiet for a moment, weighing the risks. Delaying their arrival at the Drakh stronghold could give their enemies time to prepare additional defenses. But arriving with inadequate weapons could be suicide.

"Galen," she said finally, "you're absolutely certain about this?"

"As certain as I can be about anything in this universe," the technomage replied. "Matthew's information has been accurate so far. I see no reason to doubt it now."

Ivanova nodded. "All right. We'll make the modifications. But if this turns out to be some kind of trap—"

"It won't be," Gideon said. "I give you my word as a captain and as someone who died trying to save Earth. These modifications will work."

"Then we'd better get started," Ivanova said, standing from her chair. "Time isn't exactly on our side."

As she headed for the door to brief her engineering team, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd just crossed a line from which there would be no return. They were about to modify their ship based on the advice of a dead man's ghost, trusting their lives to technology that shouldn't exist.

But then again, that was pretty much par for the course when it came to saving the galaxy.