Great Machine
Encyclopedia
The Great Machine is an enormous technological complex of networked machines beneath the surface of the planet Epsilon III in Babylon 5
.
Following the exodus, the inhabiting species eventually died off or left Epsilon III, leaving only one member of their race, a being named Varn (Curt Lowens
), to function as the custodian of the Great Machine. Varn himself had a series of ten assistants named Zathras
to perform the physical repairs and maintenance of the Machine itself, although this was not known to anyone until the year 2260. Varn continued to operate the Great Machine until his health finally began to wane in 2258, and the Machine began to malfunction as a result, destabilizing the planet. An expedition by Babylon 5 personnel brought him back to the station where he informed them of his identity and his function. Unfortunately, the Great Machine also broadcast an emergency beacon that was detected by the expunged faction, who traced the signal back to its location. There was a resulting standoff between Babylon 5 and the fleet of faction ships over custody of the Machine. A member of the Minbari religious caste
named Draal
, facing retirement and exile, offered to take Varn's place as custodian of the Great Machine and to protect it against those who would abuse it. With the assistance of Londo Mollari, Draal returned with Varn and assumed control of the machine, using its weapons systems to destroy the faction fleet when they attempted to land. Draal then warned Babylon 5 station personnel that the Machine and the planet were off limits to everyone until the time was right. Varn then began to train Draal about the machine's workings until his death in 2259.
Draal kept the Great Machine off limits until 2259, when Babylon 5 became involved in the Shadow War. He offered the services of the planet to assist in the search for other First Ones
, and to provide communication and historical information that would assist them in the effort. The Great Machine was essential in creating the temporal rift that allowed for the passage of Babylon 4 1,000 years into the past to fulfill its role in the previous Shadow War, and for obtaining the clandestine radio transmissions that proved Earth vice president Clark was directly responsible for the assassination of President Santiago in 2258. While Draal had pledged the Machine's defenses to the aid of the station in the war, they were never needed, and instead, Epsilon III was used as refugee relief area for victims displaced by the War.
After the Shadow War concluded in 2261, President Clark began to escalate the violence and atrocities of his police state to control dissent, including an attempted seizure of Babylon 5. After the coup was thwarted, Babylon 5 seceded from Earth, and began to broadcast intelligence reports of Clark's regime to counteract his propaganda. Because of the distance between Earth and Epsilon III, Babylon 5 enlisted the Great Machine's power supply to enhance the signal so that it could traverse the distance and bypass the jamming equipment used by Earth to block the transmissions.
Following the civil war between Earth and Babylon 5, nothing is known about the Great Machine's activities.
While the Machine has many regulatory and automated systems, the size and scope of it requires the prolonged presence of a sentient mind to function as an operating system, which is located at its center. To protect this individual, the Machine has advanced medical augmentation facilities that can rejuvenate and extend the life of the custodian far beyond the species-normal lifespan. Using the interface, the custodian can utilize the facilities of the Machine to observe the entire system and even far reaches of the galaxy.
The Great Machine has a variety of defensive systems, such as ground-to-air missiles. While most of these systems are unknown, one of the primary weapons is a directed energy beam weapon of enormous power capable of destroying an entire fleet of ships in a single, continuous burst.
Most of the Great Machine's abilities are unknown, however, as their uses were only required primarily between the years 2259-2261, and only in a limited capacity. Outside of these mitigating circumstances, the Great Machine remains off-limits to all uninvited visitors and its technology a secret for its own protection.
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
.
History
The Great Machine was constructed sometime around the earth year 1758, 500 years prior to the establishment of Babylon 5. The identity of the race who built is is unknown, although the race that formerly inhabited the planet did play a part in its maintenance and supervision. Eventually, the offensive potential of the machine provoked a schism in the custodial species between those who sought to use it with restraint against those who sought to use it for conquest. The violent faction was eventually expunged, and knowledge of the planet's location had been lost to them in the process.Following the exodus, the inhabiting species eventually died off or left Epsilon III, leaving only one member of their race, a being named Varn (Curt Lowens
Curt Lowens
Curt Lowens is a German actor of the stage and films, and a survivor and resistant of the Holocaust.-Life and career:...
), to function as the custodian of the Great Machine. Varn himself had a series of ten assistants named Zathras
Zathras
Zathras is a race of characters in the science fiction television series Babylon 5, all portrayed by the late Tim Choate. There were ten of these characters who appeared on several episodes throughout the series...
to perform the physical repairs and maintenance of the Machine itself, although this was not known to anyone until the year 2260. Varn continued to operate the Great Machine until his health finally began to wane in 2258, and the Machine began to malfunction as a result, destabilizing the planet. An expedition by Babylon 5 personnel brought him back to the station where he informed them of his identity and his function. Unfortunately, the Great Machine also broadcast an emergency beacon that was detected by the expunged faction, who traced the signal back to its location. There was a resulting standoff between Babylon 5 and the fleet of faction ships over custody of the Machine. A member of the Minbari religious caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
named Draal
Draal
Draal is a fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played first by Louis Turenne and later by John Schuck.-Overview:...
, facing retirement and exile, offered to take Varn's place as custodian of the Great Machine and to protect it against those who would abuse it. With the assistance of Londo Mollari, Draal returned with Varn and assumed control of the machine, using its weapons systems to destroy the faction fleet when they attempted to land. Draal then warned Babylon 5 station personnel that the Machine and the planet were off limits to everyone until the time was right. Varn then began to train Draal about the machine's workings until his death in 2259.
Draal kept the Great Machine off limits until 2259, when Babylon 5 became involved in the Shadow War. He offered the services of the planet to assist in the search for other First Ones
First Ones
The First Ones is the collective name of a group of aliens from the television science fiction drama Babylon 5.-Overview:The First Ones are the ancient alien races of the galaxy, the first organisms to achieve sentience and the first to become spacefaring. Of these races, Lorien's was the first,...
, and to provide communication and historical information that would assist them in the effort. The Great Machine was essential in creating the temporal rift that allowed for the passage of Babylon 4 1,000 years into the past to fulfill its role in the previous Shadow War, and for obtaining the clandestine radio transmissions that proved Earth vice president Clark was directly responsible for the assassination of President Santiago in 2258. While Draal had pledged the Machine's defenses to the aid of the station in the war, they were never needed, and instead, Epsilon III was used as refugee relief area for victims displaced by the War.
After the Shadow War concluded in 2261, President Clark began to escalate the violence and atrocities of his police state to control dissent, including an attempted seizure of Babylon 5. After the coup was thwarted, Babylon 5 seceded from Earth, and began to broadcast intelligence reports of Clark's regime to counteract his propaganda. Because of the distance between Earth and Epsilon III, Babylon 5 enlisted the Great Machine's power supply to enhance the signal so that it could traverse the distance and bypass the jamming equipment used by Earth to block the transmissions.
Following the civil war between Earth and Babylon 5, nothing is known about the Great Machine's activities.
Description
The Great Machine is a collection of massive technological systems that run throughout the surface and core of the planet. While these functions vary--weapons, surveillance, observation, communication, manufacturing, etc.--they all perform on a scale far larger than most other systems of similar design. The Great Machine is designed to be entirely self-contained and self-sufficient, and is powered by a multitude of fusion reactors, many of which exceed 15 kilometers in length.While the Machine has many regulatory and automated systems, the size and scope of it requires the prolonged presence of a sentient mind to function as an operating system, which is located at its center. To protect this individual, the Machine has advanced medical augmentation facilities that can rejuvenate and extend the life of the custodian far beyond the species-normal lifespan. Using the interface, the custodian can utilize the facilities of the Machine to observe the entire system and even far reaches of the galaxy.
The Great Machine has a variety of defensive systems, such as ground-to-air missiles. While most of these systems are unknown, one of the primary weapons is a directed energy beam weapon of enormous power capable of destroying an entire fleet of ships in a single, continuous burst.
Most of the Great Machine's abilities are unknown, however, as their uses were only required primarily between the years 2259-2261, and only in a limited capacity. Outside of these mitigating circumstances, the Great Machine remains off-limits to all uninvited visitors and its technology a secret for its own protection.