- Pilot, after being yanked into a doorway by a rogue Bio-Mech
The resistance leader Cypher [See And Madness Shall Reign] is brought blindfolded to the Power base. Cypher excitedly reveals to Power that the much talked of Eden II is real! The bad news is that the parts of the underground railroad that leads the escape route to Eden II has been captured by Dread. The leaders of Eden II want to set up a new checkpoint and they want Power to meet with them to help set it up.
Power is skeptical - he has always doubted if Eden II really exists [See Wardogs] Cypher hands him a scrap of cloth with the Wardog insignia on it. On the cloth is written 'Dear Matt, We Made It, Vi'. That is enough to convince Power and he agrees to meet with the Eden II representative.
The meeting takes place in the deadly area of Dark Town; made inhabitable by proton bombing during the Metal Wars which left behind a deadly acid fog and high levels of radiation. Troopers in the area no longer respond to Dread's orders, having been shorted by exposure to the acid fog - but they still are a threat.
A Dread eye in the sky observes Power and his team making their way through Dark Town. Dread sends Blastarr in to deal with Power. Dread continues to research Power's various appearances and concludes that Power must have some form of teleportation to enable him to be in so many places at once.
In DarkTown, Power meets with John, the representative of Eden II. John assures Power that Eden II is real and gives Power a data crystal, containing information about how the new checkpoint will be set up. But they are interrupted by Blastarr and more troopers. Fortunately, the acid fog has a strange effect on the Bio-Dread and the team are able to subdued him quickly and make their escape. John disappears into the fog, but not before he hands Power a small white box.
At the base, Power opens the box to discover, an orange. It is final confirmation that Eden II does indeed exist.
Comment
: This episode was to be the setting for a future second season episode where Eden II would be introduced to the audience. Steigers mentions that eventually, both Power and Dread would discover Eden II. A helmet was added to Pilot's Power Suit - which while it does looks slightly out of place with her suit, was probably added because the writers needed to make it fit in with the acid fog concept. [Pilot's Powersuit, unlike the others, has minimal headgear; only a pair of wraparound sunglasses and her comm gear.]
The episode also features some comical CGI work with Blastarr on an exercise regime...Straczynski's odd sense of humour perhaps pervading through there...
As an aside,the orange must be writer JMS's favourite fruit since in an episode of Babylon 5 [which is also a referance in Captain Power to Tank's origins] Captain Sheridan is given an orange blossom flower by Technomages and the character of Captain John Sheridan is revealed as having a fondness for oranges and orange juice.
©Copyright Bernice Low