Drumming out Lyta?

[QMCO5]

In The Gathering Lyta objects to scanning the Vorlon because she could be "drummed" (an archaic military term) out of the Psi Corps. Taken at face value this statement doesn't accord with later revelations about the Psi Corps, particularly Ivanova's exposition on the Psi Corps in "Midnight on the Firing Line." (1) Since the comment was in the series pilot, then it may be put in the category of things that JMS decided to tweak, amend or change regarding his story. (2) Taken as a valid statement perhaps she meant that she could be forced out of commercial work, which is perhaps the most desirable and rewarding occupation for a telepath. (3) Taken as a valid statement it may allude to the two alternative consequences for declining Psi Corps membership, imprisonment or taking drugs. Although Ivanova implies those two negative consequences are voluntarily chosen, perhaps they could also be involuntarily imposed by the Psi Corps for breaking their rules.

What do you think? Which of these possible explanations is correct? Or, is there another answer.

QMCO5

 

[RW7427]

I think it was Sheridan that said the only way out of Psi Corp was death. Perhaps she could have been killed.

 

[fisheggs]

I take it as a peon/pawn (P5) responding to the rules. She became a pawn who became a queen.

 

[RMcD]

It just means JMS didn't have everything worked out yet at the time he wrote the pilot script..

Other signs of this are that he assumed Vorlons would have hands, as in their original designs, and that Lyta had no idea why B5 was numbered 5, which was ridiculous in light of recent Earth history.

But from Midnight on the Firing Line onwards, everything is remarkably (actually amazingly) consistent..

 

[deaded]

and that Lyta had no idea why B5 was numbered 5, which was ridiculous in light of recent Earth history.

But from Midnight on the Firing Line onwards, everything is remarkably (actually amazingly) consistent..

Ridiculous? Do you have any idea how many Americans are unable to name the Vice President? You over-estimate people.

 

[RMcD]

Okay, but I'd like to think that Lyta seems like the kind of person who'd be pretty tuned in.. Although, come to think of it, maybe they aren't allowed to watch the news in Psi-Corps..

I think JMS just scaled back how big he wanted the Earth Alliance to be between the Gathering and Season 1..

 

[GaribaldisHair]

I would imagine that JMS had B5 worked out in line with this summary from Neil Gaiman in his intro to the Rising Stars comic series (not verbatim as I don't have it in front of me).

If he is anything like me he will know how it begins, how it ends and some, but not all, of how it middles ...

Seems a pretty logical summary to me.

 

[A_M_Swallow]

"Drummed out" is what telepaths tell the mundanes. In the military you became a civilian but telepaths do not become mundanes.

Lyta would have certainly have lost her licence. I suspect that drugs would not be an option since Psi Corps can send teeps to prison. According to the books Psi Corps prisons are very nasty places.

Lyta may have been killed for performing an unauthorised deep scan; Psi Corp is that sort of bully. She was meant to spend the first year hiding the scan from Psi Corps, however they know because they organised it.

 

[A_M_Swallow]

{snip} and that Lyta had no idea why B5 was numbered 5, which was ridiculous in light of recent Earth history.

I think she did know. The prime aim of the question was to tell the audience what was going on.

There may be a second reason - look where she is standing. Sinclair and Lyta had a long talk whilst walking through the aliens sector. She walked beside him. When she asks the questions about why B5 she is standing facing Sinclair and has good line of sight. This would allow her to perform a passive/surface scan. Talia used a similar technique to find the missing dancer in "Born to the Purple". Lyta discovered that the government genuinely does not know what happed to Babylon 4.

 

[Flounder]

I think she simply didn't know. Although an alert person should have. So it was exposition de luxe. Lyta in "The Gathering" was a by-the-book person, and not somebody who would scan people casually. She pretty much had to be told that her life, as well as Kosh, was on the line before agreeing to scanning Kosh.

The question was better asked later. By Delenn, I think. "Why Babylon 5" as in, "why did you rebuild it"? It could have been "exposed" then.

By the way: I want one of those "Personal logs" that all important characters keep to be stolen and used in a plot sometime, and not only used for exposition.