Grade 4 ignorant

[vilakins]

I've been exchanging e-mails with someone who reads the fiction on my site (yes, it has readers!) and recently he asked me what Dorian meant in the following exchange during Rescue. I have no more idea than he has, or why everyone slowly turns to look at Dorian as if he's just said something very significant.

DORIAN: Everything has its price, Avon. You have to decide whether you want to pay it or not. That's all.
VILA: Well, I don't believe in paying.
DORIAN: You mean you're here by choice?
[everyone looks at Dorian]

Does anyone have any ideas?

That reminded me of another conversation in Volcano.

AVON: Zen was picking up a signal from the ground. It could have been some kind of beam approach detector.
CALLY: You didn't say anything at the time.
AVON: No, I didn't.
CALLY: Why was that?
AVON: Because I wasn't sure.
CALLY: That wasn't the reason, Avon.
AVON: No, it wasn't.
VILA: You gonna let me in on the secret?
AVON: You wouldn't understand it if we did.

Like Vila, I just don't get it. If any of you know what Dorian meant, or what Avon and Cally were talking about, or just have some theories, please enlighten me.

Comments

[hafren.livejournal.com]

In the second, I've assumed that Avon's real reason for not mentioning a potential danger to the away team (Tarrant and Dayna?) was his anxiety to get someone down there to explore the rumour that Blake is on Volcano, but he hadn't admitted that and Cally had inconveniently read it. Prior tends to write her as able to read him, cf Hostage.

In the first, I'm not sure, except that it's his first acknowledgement that they are not there by choice, that he has set it up, hence their stunned looks at him. I can also see what the words mean to Dorian, who has paid an awful price for immortality. But I'm not quite sure what he intends "everything has its price" to mean to them. Unless he's offering Avon longer life in exchange for... no, don't go there...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

In that case, why wouldn't Vila understand if it was explained? I think Vila would be keen to get Blake back too; he likes him.

I think you have something there with Dorian. So they're suspicious looks. However was there really a choice about staying on the planet or going with him? I suppose the price could be for being rescued. [shrug]

[hafren.livejournal.com]

I think that's exactly the price. Dorian had possibly also rescued Soolin, who'd just killed a man.

I'm sure Vila would understand wanting to get Blake back. But I think what Avon doesn't want to admit is his own anxiety to do so. Of course Vila would understand that too, but it suits Avon to play the "no point in explaining to Deltas" card.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Bastard! It's still not that obvious though, is it? I wonder if they cut some dialogue; it's been done before when an ep's run too long.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

In the first instance, I think it's just because it's a really sharp comeback on Dorian's part: "I don't believe in paying," Vila says cheerfully. "Oh," Dorian (in effect) responds, "so being marooned on a godawful planet full of killer beasts with this bunch of losers while one of your best friends gets killed is your preferred lifestyle choice?"

The significant looks are just part of season 4's campery.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I think Vila would agree that he's paid a lot in other than coin since the London; I think he was talking purely and flippantly about money. And what Dorian said still doesn't make sense to me: Vila is indeed there by choice (rather than on Homeworld or a nice safe bolthole. Yes, he's paid for that choice, but it's still his choice.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Avon and Dorian both like to appear deep and mysterious, and have no objections to being obscure in the process...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

:-D You win!

Nice icon!

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Yours is adorable :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :-) I have to draw Simpsons Tarrant and Soolin yet.

Is yours from a zine cover, or maybe one of Minnie's photomanips?

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

The Volcano quote seems up my alley, but I haven't seen it in ages. When I have a moment, I'll look for the context.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I use the Hermit transcripts (http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7/Episodes/scripts/index.html).

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

Okay, the Avon-Cally thing...

Well, first, I think one of the implications is that she's nailing him on trying to pass off a deliberate lie as simple uncertainty. She might not know what his reason was, simply that it wasn't "because he wasn't sure". The implication is that he knew there was technology on that planet far in advance of what they were supposed to have, or alliances they weren't supposed to have. Which means he's knowingly sent Dayna and Tarrant into danger they didn't think they were walking into. And it means he also has reason to suspect a Federation presence he hasn't told anyone about, or that he had a prior interest in the technology that keeps the planet safe, which it supposedly doesn't have, that he kept talking about later.

My take on it? Mostly he was just insulting Vila, but there may have been implications about a signal, probably (and ultimately) a communication signal that he's trying to pass off as a harmless if out-of-place approach detection system, coming from a reverted-to-primitive neutral isolationist world that Avon was expecting to make more sense to the communications tech.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Hmm. That could fit more with the wandering geek of S3 and be something Vila wouldn't be interested in, whereas I know he would be in finding Blake.

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

Well, Vila would probably be interested in the "Yes, Avon was lying and manipulating the crew" bit. :) But, yeah, there's a good chance the implications of that signal beam were a bit technical/political, and that doesn't really seem to be Vila's interest area.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I think Vila's quite good technically, but only as a means to an end (getting through security or flying a ship). Politics would just make his eyes glaze. :-)

[labingi.livejournal.com]

Re. Vila and Dorian (I skimmed comments, so sorry if this has been said). Speaking to Avon, Dorian is, indeed, talking about his immortality and all the crap he has to go through to maintain it: from being generally "evil" to being tied to that room and periodic exhaustion, pain, scary monster, etc.

Vila, I agree, is talking flippantly about money and thieving, but Dorian responds with the idea that Vila's being kidnapped by Dorian is the price that Vila is paying for the life choices he has made that brought him to Terminal and to Dorian. (Ex. He could have left the Liberator--before or after Blake did--but he didn't, and he's paying the price for that.) Dorian is pointing out to Vila that there is more than one kind of price to pay.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

[nods] Yes, that makes sense. Though if the others get that (with their significant look at Dorian) they should have been a lot more careful on Xenon.