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Rules for Foreign Telepaths

SeafroggysSeafroggys Ranger
in Babylon 5
Man, I've been trying to dissect some of the things in B5 recently...

So I was thinking. Yeah we all know about the Psi-Corps and their stringent rules. However, as far as we know, alien telepaths were free to transit Earth space like any other alien (we saw quite a few on B5 proper). We also saw, at different times, humans using alien telepaths to do things that human Psi-Corps members would not do.

So this establishes a problem, and pretty much undermines the whole point of the Psi-Corps. A corporation, an investigator, or whatever, could just hire a Centauri or Minbari telepath and not have to worry about the strict regulations of the Psi-Corps. From an economics perspective, this is similar to shifting jobs overseas (or rather, hiring immigrants). From a moral perspective, eh...what are your guys' thoughts?

Comments

  • DarthCaligulaDarthCaligula Elite Ranger
    That's a good point. They never addressed this in the show, and I never even thought about this before.
  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Minbari telepaths are supported by the people for the good of the people, and I doubt would ever get involved in anything questionable - it is, after all, an honor based society.

    Now the Centauri telepaths, I see that happening quickly.

    However, telepaths of all races were considered a major military aspect, and I suspect that even in cases where telepaths were in other territories, because they were often militarily linked to their species' governments, that they were closely monitored by Psi Corps. B5, being an open station for all species, was probably much more "free" for them than elsewhere in Earth space.
  • WORFWORF The Burninator
    I would imagine that hiring an alien telepath isn't cheap, so the average human probably couldn't afford it.

    Worf
  • SeafroggysSeafroggys Ranger
    Yeah Centauri Telepaths could make a killing (economically speaking) in the EA. We've seen regular humans hire Centauri Telepaths (Passing through Gethsamene) so they're not outrageously expensive. Brakiri telepaths would also be on the open market too.

    But we're just talking about market services, I haven't even got to the civil rights issue. How would a Psi-Corps member feel having an alien telepath have more rights than them? Would the EA actually ban alien telepaths from their colonies (outside of B5), and how would they have been able to justify that on a civil rights platform, during the Santiago administration? Or even the Luchenko administration, pre-Telepath War?
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    Consider the implications of using one, though. Being branded as an exploiter of foreign services within the territory of an organization as powerful and manipulative as the Psi Corps is not the brightest of ideas. Unless you have the prestige, money, and means of covering your bases well enough, it's probably something that would result in getting black-listed by the Corps or entities connected to it or its services. None of this was ever really stated in the show, but it would fit with how the Psi Corps functioned.
  • WORFWORF The Burninator
    In Passing through Gethsemene, it was a group of people that had made it their life's work to track down one person. I suspect it took their combined funds to be able to pay the centauri telepath.

    Worf
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Didn't one telepath say that scanning alien minds was very unpleasant? That would push the price up considerably.
  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    And I still come back to the security threat issue of alien telepaths in earth space - the mere existance of an alien telepath on Earth would be tantamount to endorsing espionage, either against the EA or against Earth corporations. Psi Corp would doubtfully allow them to wander around without full surveillance, and so while they might have been allowed to visit, they certainly wouldn't have been even as free to move about as Psi Corps was.
  • PSI-KILLERPSI-KILLER Needs help
    There was a differnece between commerical telepaths and militery telepaths. It appears all races followed the same rules. Don't forget Abbut, the "vicker" , even Kosh had to hire him since Vorlons could not do it themselves I guess do to some treaty or law. It would have been cool for vicker to come around again after all firstones left.
  • DarthCaligulaDarthCaligula Elite Ranger
    I've always thought that part was pretty stupid. Death Walker was a great episode except for those vicker parts which were just embarassing to watch.
  • PSI-KILLERPSI-KILLER Needs help
    vicker was amazing, I would drink with that dude anyday
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    On that note, something I always wondered in Season 5 was why Garibaldi didn't just recruit some nonhuman telepaths for his espionage devision, rather than trying to twist Byron's arm into getting him some. Hell, law of averages says there'd be some Ranger telepaths, who'd be exactly what he'd be looking for. And that was after the Rangers opened up to everyone in the Alliance, they would have some more diversity than just Minbari and the odd (certainly very odd) human.
  • SeafroggysSeafroggys Ranger
    So we've buried the economic issue, but there's still the morality issue.

    "Sorry Abbai Telepath, we can't allow you in Earth space because of the way you were born" is pretty bad. That's essentially what Psi-Corps would have to do. Definitly under Clark but I'm talking about Santiago era and pre-Crusade Luchenko.

    [QUOTE] On that note, something I always wondered in Season 5 was why Garibaldi didn't just recruit some nonhuman telepaths for his espionage devision, rather than trying to twist Byron's arm into getting him some. Hell, law of averages says there'd be some Ranger telepaths, who'd be exactly what he'd be looking for. And that was after the Rangers opened up to everyone in the Alliance, they would have some more diversity than just Minbari and the odd (certainly very odd) human. [/QUOTE]

    I just had a thought. The Rangers would be an awesome place for human rogue telepaths to join. Why the hell not? The Corps couldn't do a damn thing about it once they joined up.
  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Vicker is actually Vcr (aka, the present day VCR).

    as for Abbot, I am not sure he would really qualify as a telepath as it seemed he could only affect other telepaths directly, though he did record information from all.
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    [QUOTE=DarthCaligula;190343]I've always thought that part was pretty stupid. Death Walker was a great episode except for those vicker parts which were just embarassing to watch.[/QUOTE]
    And speaking of Talia, was it ever explained whatever happened to her, after she left B5? I seriously doubt that they cut her up, like Bester told Garibaldi to piss him off.
  • SeafroggysSeafroggys Ranger
    I don't think he meant physically "cut-up", but a mental "cut-up" makes a lot more sense.
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    [QUOTE=Seafroggys;190364]I don't think he meant physically "cut-up", but a mental "cut-up" makes a lot more sense.[/QUOTE]
    I dunno, I really think he was intentionally trying to get a reaction out of Garibaldi. You know, to check to see if his little "fail safe" was working as intended.
  • WORFWORF The Burninator
    I believe JMS said once that Bester did say it to provoke Garibaldi but at the same time, he was telling the truth.

    They wanted to know what "modifications" she'd had during season one and that was the way to do it.

    Worf
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