Brainwash Transcript

By Debora May and Dana

Teaser
Section Briefing Room
Operations, Michael, Birkoff
Operations: (brings a face up on the holographic screen) Jason Darrow, a freelance arms dealer, was picked up yesterday in the Mediterranean.
Michael: I thought he was in Argentina. What is he doing in the Mediterranean?
Operations: (with dry humor) Floating. A Greek fisherman picked up Darrow's body in one of his nets. NATO intelligence found a list of names in his possession. Birkoff, where are we on the list?
Birkoff: We've been monitoring his network. Nearly everyone on the list is known to us.
Operations: (not pleased) Nearly?
Birkoff: This guy right here. (New face comes up on the screen) Coleman Reilly. Doesn't show up in any of our databases. We matched a location, found a Coleman Reilly who's a bartender. No gray activity. Looks like he's clean.
Operations: Two as another match. (shuts down the screen) Check out Reilly. Michael, you take it. (Michael nods)
Exterior shot of a tall building. Cut to the interior, a bar or restaurant. Coleman Reilly (CR) is talking to customers at the bar. Nikita walks by, dressed in a dull brown suit and geeky glasses, her contact with the van. She sits by the window and looks down (it's a long way down). Cut to Michael and Birkoff in the van.
Nikita: (audio) I'm in place.
Michael: We're ready. (Cut back to Nikita)
Coleman Reilly: Good afternoon. What can I get you?
Nikita: I'll have a vodka, rocks, please.
Coleman Reilly: Coming up. (Cut to the van, they are running a scan on Reilly's voice. The computer repeats CR's words and voice. He may have a slight Australian accent. Computer reads "Voice Print Match")
Coleman Reilly: There you go. (Puts her drink on the table)
Nikita: Thank you.
Coleman Reilly: Enjoy. (Nikita uses a large ring on finger to scan the glass for fingerprints. The fingerprints are sent to the van for analysis. Cut back to the van, watching the computer process the information. Coleman Reilly's face comes up on the computer screen)
Birkoff: It's him. (Cut back to Nikita)
Nikita: (to CR as he is passing by her table) Excuse me ...
Coleman Reilly: Yeah?
Nikita: Do I know you from some place?
Coleman Reilly: I don't think so. (cut to the van, Birkoff and Michael are listening to the conversation)
Nikita: (audio) No, I'm sure. What gym do you belong to? (cut back to CR)
Coleman Reilly: I don't. Sorry.
Nikita: You look so familiar ... Wait, I know, Jason Darrow. We met through Jason Darrow.
Coleman Reilly: (shakes his head, no response to the name) I think you must have me confused with someone else. (He smiles and leaves. Cut to van. Birkoff is watching the computer process the audio)
Birkoff: He's telling the truth. Wrong Coleman Reilly.
Michael: (in radio) He's clean, Nikita. Come in.
Cut to the restaurant. In the background, you can hear
Coleman Reilly: Just a second, I'll be right there.
As Nikita watches, Coleman Reilly picks up a chair and throws it through the window. He leaps out after the chair. There is a really cheesy shot of his fall, then the body crashes through the roof of a car. Final shot is of Nikita's face as she watches this happen.

Act 1
Section hallway.
Operations and Madeline.
Operations: Where are we?
Madeline: We searched Reilly's apartment, we're going through his things now.
Operations: We uncover anything interesting?
Madeline: That's what I'm about to find out. Apparently Birkoff and Walter have a difference of opinion over something they found.
Cut to room interior. Birkoff and Walter are discussing the problem as Madeline enters.
Walter: How can I run an impedance match if I don't hook it up to the scope?!
Birkoff: If you hang a probe on it, you could overload the circuit. We don't know the electrical characteristics of this thing.
Madeline: What's going on?
Birkoff: Walter wants to subject it to a series of tests that could damage the circuitry. This thing has got gate arrays we've never seen. I think we should use fiber optics.
Madeline: (examining the shell) What is it?
Birkoff: It's called a phasing shell. I've seen white paper on it, but it's all been theoretical.
Madeline: Explain.
Birkoff: It isolates the subject with a frequency envelope and creates images, audio ...
Walter: It's just a fancy virtual reality mechanism.
Birkoff: No, In VR you're passive, just watching the show. The interaction is primitive. The phasing shells use the input they get from the subject. Supposed to provoke a much more profound reality.
Madeline: What's it used for?
Birkoff: There's not a lot of hard data on it yet. From what I've been able to put together, it can be used for psychological programming.
Walter: (disgusted) Brainwashing.
Madeline: That would explain Reilly's response to a seemingly innocent question.
Birkoff: Apparently the program is very protective of itself. When Nikita asked about Darrow, she trespassed into a trigger zone. (Walter nods)
Madeline: OK, so what are the subjects being programmed to do?
Birkoff: Speculation at this point. The only way to find out is to put someone in it.
Walter: What? That's crazy! I mean, there's too many unknowns. We've got a hundred million dollars worth of test equipment here-
Birkoff: Won't work.
Walter: Why not?
Birkoff: It will only give us half the picture. The other half can only be seen inside someone's head.
Madeline: I want some answers. Find a volunteer. (Walter is shocked)
Later, same room. The "helmet" of the shell is raising up.
Nikita: (enters) So what am I doing (she sees the shell) - doing -
Birkoff: We need you to test this out.
Nikita: What is it?
Birkoff: It's a phasing shell.
Nikita: A phasing shell (as if that's supposed to mean anything to her. She looks at Birkoff) What's a phasing shell?
(Cut to Michael and Madeline, observing from an adjoining room. Michael is NOT PLEASED Nikita is to be the guinea pig. Cut back to the shell room)
Walter: We're not quite sure. (He gestures for her to get into the shell. Nikita steps up and Walter helps her get situated. Cut to Michael, who is doing the blank stare routine. Under the calm demeanor, there is a lot of concern about Nikita's safety. Walter begins to lower the helmet. Nikita twitches, pulls back)
Nikita: Walter, is this safe?
Walter: (obviously lying) Ah - yeah. (He begins to adjust the helmet down again). Just a little bit lower, that's it. (The helmet settles on Nikita's head. Birkoff closes the door; it slams loudly and hollowly in the room)
Birkoff: It's important that you remember everything you see. We're going to ask for a detailed debrief when you're done.
Nikita: (very uncertain) Sure.
(The helmet begins to flash. We see images flashing by)
Nikita: Who are all these people?
Birkoff: We can't see them.
Madeline: What's happening Birkoff?
Birkoff: It's subjecting her to a menu.
Madeline: Why?
Birkoff: Searching for a response.
Nikita: (Laughs) This is so cool.
Walter: It stopped.
We see images of a young blond girl, behind a fence. On the other side there's a group of boys with sticks. We hear a taunting kid's voice
Boy: Ni-keeeee-ta! Come over here to see what we've got.
The girl runs away. Nikita twitches and pulls in the shell's restraints. Michael is watching worriedly.
Boy: Nikita, you can run but you can't hide.
Kids are chasing her; sticks are struck on the ground and hit against a chain link fence. A fight breaks out. The images are jumpy and somewhat unfocused. Nikita cries out and breathes heavily.
Boy: Ni-Keeeee-ta, let's see how tough you are now.
Nikita begins to fight back, both in the images and standing in the shell. The images end. The helmet lifts up, Nikita sighs and smiles)
Birkoff: I think that's it. (Walter gets Nikita out of the shell. She yawns and stretches like she's just waking up. Cut to Michael, tipping his head up slightly, taking a deep breath of relief and closing his eyes briefly)
Walter: How do you feel?
Nikita: Good. That was a trip.
Scene moves immediately into the debrief. Madeline, Michael, Nikita.
Madeline: What did you see in that square?
Nikita: Oh, something that happened to me a long time ago. I-I'd forgotten about it. People and places weren't exact, but it was that day.
Michael: What day?
Nikita: A group of older kids ... beat me up. I don't really remember why, but it was ... horrible.
Michael: But you were smiling when it was over.
Nikita: Because I won this time. I beat them up.
Madeline: (smiles) And you didn't back then?
Nikita: No. (She obviously doesn't want to remember the original experience) It's funny - even though I put it out of my head until now, I felt like a load had been lifted ... like I'd been carrying it around this whole time without realizing it.
Madeline: That's it? (Nikita nods) Thank you Nikita. (Michael watches Nikita leave) We don't know any more than we did before. We need to find out who gave the shell to Reilly.
Michael: Birkoff's working the software. We've got a team tracking the hardware.
Madeline: Good. Keep an eye on Nikita.

Shell Room.
Walter and Birkoff are working on the shell. Madeline enters.
Madeline: What have we got?
Birkoff: The team is sifting through everything they can get their hands on. We have no idea where Reilly got the phasing shell, or why it was in his apartment.
Madeline: And still no connection to Darrow?
Birkoff: Not yet. But I wanted you to see this. (He moves to a small computer screen) I downloaded the shell's software to see what I can learn. It was created using a common compiler. It's untraceable. But check this out. Copy 3 of 5. Whoever created this software loaded it 5 times.
Madeline: So there may be four other machines out there?
Birkoff: That's right.
Madeline: Assuming the other four are as ordinary as Reilly; we have subjects being conditioned to do something that doesn't require expertise. The only act an untrained person can successfully complete is a suicide assassination. (None of them likes this possibility). Work around the clock. I want to know where this thing came from.
Nikita's apartment, nighttime. She is drinking some water. She begins to flashback to some of the shell images. She also starts to wipe the countertop obsessively. She goes to bed, but hears footsteps in her apartment. She sees a shadow and gets her gun. A big bearded man enters her bedroom.
Nikita: What do you want? (She doesn't seem surprised to see him. He approaches her. She shoots him, but he disappears)

Act 2
Still in Nikita's apartment.
She is in bed, but sleeping poorly. She wakes and goes into the bathroom. The same man appears in her mirror. She whirls around, but there is no one behind her. Nikita is extremely rattled. He appe ars below in her kitchen.
Man: Think you can keep me out?
He disappears again. Nikita runs into the kitchen and doublelocks her front door. Now he appears above, on her bedroom landing.
Nikita: Leave me alone!
She grabs something off the wall and throws it at him. He disappears again. There is a knock at the dock. Nikita looks as if she is afraid she is losing her mind-is there really someone at the door?
Michael: (from the door) Nikita, it's me.
He continues to knock. She tries to pull herself together and opens the door, leaving the chain on. Michael looks as cool and in control as ever. She is rumpled, frazzled and fairly distraught, although trying to hide it from him.
Michael: Are you OK?
Nikita: What are you doing here?
Michael: Can I come in? (Nikita looks back over her shoulder at her apartment, wondering if her vision is going to reappear)
Nikita: No. (He catches her fear and hesitation. The look in his eyes changes.)
Michael: What's wrong?
Nikita: Nothing ... I was just sleeping.
Michael: I ... wanted to make sure ... you're OK.
Nikita: I'm fine - really - thank you for checking - I'm just going to go back to bed.
Michael: Call me if you need anything. (He leaves. Nikita closes the door, looking as if she wishes she'd asked him to stay. She stands with her back to the door, looking around the apartment)

Section, Shell room.
Madeline is moving around the phasing shell, making notations. Michael comes to the doorway, hands clasped together. The fingers on his top hand are tapping against the bottom hand.)
Madeline: Yes, Michael?
Michael: Do we know any more about it?
Madeline: Not really. I was just making a few notes. (Michael enters the room)
Michael: About what?
Madeline: People tend to externalize themselves through their designs. Sometimes you can get a psychological profile just by studying structure.
Michael: And what can you tell so far?
Madeline: Whoever designed this came from an oppressive environment. It didn't occur to them to make it ergonomic. These are people who have been living with the bare necessities their whole lives; probably generations.
Michael: Eastern Europe.
Madeline: Yes. Or maybe Asia.
Michael: Do we know how potent it is?
Madeline: Potent?
Michael: How many times it takes.
Madeline: You're worried about Nikita.
Michael: Not worried.
Madeline: Is there anything I should know?
Michael: No.
Madeline: Do you have any indication that she can't perform?
Michael: No. (He won't look at her)
Madeline: I wouldn't expect anything other than minor changes after one exposure. If it's more than that, I'm sure you'll be the first to know (very slight smile) and that you'll keep me appraised.
(Editor's note: I thought these 2 scenes were very underplayed and very well done. Nikita's act would have fooled anyone except Michael, who is so attuned to her moods and emotions. In this scene, Michael and Madeline are much more like co-workers, rather than supervisor and employee. They have obviously worked together a long time and have a healthy respect for each other's abilities. -dm)

Comm.
Madeline approaches Birkoff, at his computer, as usual.
Madeline: You found something?
Birkoff: I started thinking. The original images, before the subject input is synthesized, they had to be digitized ...
Madeline: Birkoff? It's four in the morning. What did you find?
Birkoff: This. (He is very proud of himself. He pulls up some of the early images from the shell)
Madeline: What am I looking at?
Birkoff: Just watch. (The computer zooms in on a couple of metallic-looking boxes)
Madeline: What is it?
Birkoff: Company logo.
Madeline: Did you get a match?
Birkoff: De Lure Electronics, Chadwich, England.
Madeline: Have Michael assemble a team. (She pats Birkoff's shoulder as she leaves.)

Walter's office
Nikita, enters, smoothing her hair. She is still shaky, but hiding it pretty well.
Nikita: Hi, Walter.
Walter: Oh, hi, sugar. What's cookin'?
Nikita: Oh, nothing. Just had a few things to take care of.
Walter: What things?
Nikita: (trying hard to be casual) Did you guys get everything you needed from the phasing shell?
Walter: (pause) For now. Why?
Nikita: Oh, no reason. (Pokes around his work station) What's this? (He gives her a look. She is still trying to be casual with her questions) Oh, I just thought ... if you needed to - run any more tests - I'm here.
Walter: (not buying any of this) I can see that.
Nikita: What's the matter?
Walter: You tell me.
Nikita: Nothing! I just thought it was important ... it's no big deal!
Walter: Stay away from it, Nikita, now that's for your own good. That thing is dangerous.
Nikita: (As she leaves) Whatever ... .
Walter is not convinced. The final shot is of Walter's face showing his concern.
A private plane is taking off. Birkoff is at his laptop. Michael is in a suit and tie.
Birkoff: Here's what we know so far about De Lure. They make magnetic read heads for disk drives. They've been in business for eleven years.
Michael: Owned by whom?
Birkoff: A privately held venture capital ... there's no public record.
Michael: What's the plant? (So, what happened to profiling missions?)
Birkoff: We've accounted for every square inch of it that's visible. Nothing unusual about it, except for this. (Michael crosses over and sits next to Birkoff, watching the computer screen)
Michael: Shipping and receiving?
Birkoff: The amount of activity cannot be accounted for by their disk drive operation alone. They're doing something else there.
Michael: Underground?
Birkoff: I don't think so. Bringing up the geotechnical date right now. Here we go. This area here is too warm. This is where we have to get in.
Michael: Good.

De Lure Electronics
Michael is now wearing glasses. He passes his scanner card through the security system.
Guard: You're clear. (Michael enters the building.)
(Cut to Birkoff in the van. He is watching Michael's glasses video feed. )
Birkoff: Follow the corridor to the end. Go down to the lower level.
(We see an Asian woman (Chen Park) and two laboratory assistants walking down a ramp.)
Chen Park: The electrodes were supposed to be carbon fiber'd, not metal. Who's responsible for this?
Flunky: Well, ah ...
Chen Park: It gets corrected today.
(As they continue down the ramp, we see Michael is following them, not too closely.)
Birkoff: See the door? The security access is on the right.
Michael: Got it. (He uses some hand held thingy to get access with his scanner card and to enter the proper code numbers. Inside the door is a set of sealed doors. He steps to the side, waits for a technician to exit. Breaks the technician's neck (a very smooth move) and goes in the sealed doors. )
(Cut to the van)
Birkoff: OK, let's do it. (The team prepares to go out)
Michael is in a lab, very white and sterile. (Plot hole-nobody notices a 6' tall man, dressed all in dark colors, wandering around the lab?) He scopes out the guards and sees the same Asian woman he followed before. She is going from desk to desk, harrying all the lab techs (who, by the way, are all Asian as well). There is another phasing shell under construction in the middle of the laboratory.
Chen Park: (to one of the technicians) It's wrong, do it again.
Michael comes up behind her and puts his gun in the small of her back.
Michael: Come with me, please.
Chen Park: Guard!
Michael shoots one guard, then the other. But the second guard has hit Chen Park. The second team is coming in to help with extraction. Michael bends down to pick up Chen Park.
Michael: Don't die on me. He picks her up over one shoulder and leaves.

Section. Shell room.
Nikita enters. She turns on the machine and closes the door.

Act 3
Section. Shell room.
Nikita is seeing images of the same man she saw in her apartment last night.
Man: Honey, I really don't like it when you contradict me like that in front of our friends.
Cut to a shot of Nikita, sitting/hiding in a corner. The man takes off his belt. Cut to Nikita, standing and shaking in the shell.
Nikita: Please...
In the images, someone is sobbing.
Man: I'm going to have to teach you a lesson. Get over here.
Nikita: Please, don't, don't....
The image of the man is beating someone with the belt. There are screams and the sound of the belt whipping down. The image of Nikita gets up and approaches the man.
Nikita: (image) Don't touch my mommy. You leave her alone!
Man: Allright, it's your turn. You want it? You want it you got it. You're just like your mother... You look at me, huh?
The image of the man is approaching Nikita with the belt. The image suddenly changes to that of an Asian man. Nikita begins to fight back, both in the images and in the shell. The image of Nikita suddenly lands on top of the man and chokes him.
In the room, the machine shuts down. Nikita takes off the helmet, smiles, almost like a junky getting a fix. Walter enters.
Walter: What are you doing here?
Nikita: Hi, Walter. (She gives him a dreamy smile)
Walter: What did you do?
Nikita: You should try this thing. It's amazing.
Walter: I told you this thing is dangerous.
Nikita: I don't care. It's helping me. I'm finally getting rid of the things that have been holding me back.
Walter: This thing's not going to help you get rid of anything! Do you know what they're going to do to you if they catch you in here?
Nikita: So don't tell them.
Walter: Don't come back here, Nikita. (He grabs her arm as she tries to walk by him.) Promise? Promise me! (She pulls her arm out of his grasp and leaves, giving Walter a cold look as she leaves)

Section.
Medical team is bringing in Chen Park.
Michael: Sanitize her and send her to injury. (Starts walking down the hall, quickly)
Walter: Michael, I've got to speak to you.
Michael: Later.
Walter: It's about Nikita.
Michael: What about Nikita?
Walter: She got into the shell last night -- unsupervised. (This gets Michael to stop)
Michael: Does anyone else know about that?
Walter: No.
Michael: Okay.

Comm
Operations, Madeline, Birkoff.
Birkoff: (to one of his technicians) Dig deeper. That's all bogus. This woman's no benefactor. Follow the money. (To another techie) Move over, let me do this. (Operations and Madeline approach)
Operations: Where are we?
Birkoff: So far, we know the woman's name might be Chen Park. She claims to be a South Korean businesswoman, but voice analysis places her from Mongolia.
Operations: Check out that part of the world, religious factions, malcontents ... Don't stop at our databases. See if you can swap intel with some of the agencies in the Far East.
Birkoff: (To a tech, as he changes computers again) Let me get in here.

Medical
Madeline, Chen Park
Madeline: You're dying, Miss Park. Would you like to go peacefully? (Park looks at her) Who's the target? (Park looks away) All right, then, let's talk about the phasing shell.
Chen Park: Of course. It's a remarkable device. There's no reason you shouldn't be allowed to appreciate it.
Madeline: How does it work?
Chen Park: It lets the subject to control its past, chase away the dark memories. To feel at peace.
Madeline: (dryly) So does psychotherapy. How do you get them to perform a specific task?
Chen Park: The shell puts a new face on their terror. A face we choose.
Madeline: Who's the target? (Park turns away) You claim to be Korean, Miss Park, but we know you are from Mongolia. (She touches Park's face gently) The new Chinese premier will be making his first visit to the West this week. His policies haven't been very kind to your homeland, have they? (In the background, we hear Park's heartrate speed up) Thank you.

Comm
Madeline, Birkoff, Operations, Michael
Madeline: What's the premier's itinerary?
Birkoff: He'll be in San Francisco tomorrow. In the morning, he's going to Chinatown, the Wharf, the new cultural center ... then, Monterey ... . Carmel.
Madeline: What about the other sleepers?
Birkoff: We were able to trace one other from De Lure. She's been contained. The other three are still out there.
Operations: Our end game is to prevent the assassination. The premier's only exposure will be during this 16-hour period. We've got three conditioned assassins out there; we have to stop them.
Michael: Did we advance notice the premier?
Operations: Yes. They are not willing to deviate from the schedule. It's a matter of saving face. They'll be stepping up their security.
Madeline: None of that will matter. These three people will pursue the kill relentlessly with no concern for their own welfare.
Operations: (to Michael) Run the tactical and get your people on the plane. (Michael leaves)

Nikita's apartment
Nikita is lying on the kitchen counter with her bare feet in ice water. She is going through withdrawal symptoms. There is a knock at the door. She sits up. It is obvious she has been crying. She smoothes her hair, splashes some of the ice water on her face. She goes to the door; it's Michael of course.
Nikita: Hi.
Michael: Why didn't you answer the phone?
Nikita: Oh, I must have been in the shower.
Michael: Let me in.
Nikita: Michael, it's not a good time right now. Bye. (She closes the door and moves into the apartment, quickly falling apart again. Michael kicks in the door; it crashes open as she whirls around. Michael takes his time walking around the apartment, scanning it to make sure no one else is there.)
Michael: What is going on?
Nikita: Nothing. (She avoids his gaze) I'm just working a few things out. Do you ... do you think I can get back in the shell? Just one more time? (He raises her chin so she must meet his eyes.) Please?
Michael: I'll get you through this, Nikita, but we can't do it now.
Nikita: (begging) Please, Michael, please?
Michael: You've got to pull yourself together. You're on the first team. We leave in an hour.
Nikita: Just one more time, just one more ...
(Michael slaps her across the face.)
Michael: Look at me. LOOK AT ME. (She manages to meet his eyes.) You can do this - you have to. There'll be too many questions if you don't go. (He strokes the cheek he just slapped, then puts his hands on either side of her face, very gently.) I'll be close. (He holds the position for a moment more, then lets her go.) Get ready. (She nods)

Chinatown, San Francisco
Michael and Nikita are entering the cultural center.
Michael: How are you doing? (They begin to climb the stairs.)
Nikita: I'm fine. Who're we covering?
Michael: The premier of China.
Nikita: China? (Michael gives her a look)
Michael: Yes.
(Nikita begins to scan the waiting people. She begins to see the images from the phasing shell instead. Michael sees her hesitation and comes back to her, scanning the crowd himself.)
Michael: What's wrong?
Nikita: Nothing. (She replaces her sunglasses with indoor glasses and they continue to get into position.)
(Cut to the outside. The premier arrives. There is lots of security around. The premier is the Asian man that Nikita saw briefly in the phasing shell. The premier enters the building, makes a jocular comment about the building and proceeds up the stairs. Lots of applause from the waiting people.)
Cut to Comm. Birkoff is reading something on the computer as Walter walks in.
Birkoff: Walter, did you get copied on this stuff?
Walter: What?
Birkoff: The documentation on the phasing shell. The stuff we brought in from De Lure.
Walter: No, not yet. Why?
Birkoff: It doesn't work exactly like we thought.
Walter: Whaddya mean?
Birkoff: The frequency spectrums they call out here are different from the ones we observed.
Walter: It's the same machine?
Birkoff: Yeah ... I'm probably missing something. Forget about it.

Cut back to the cultural center.
The Chinese premier and a city assemblyman are entering the main room. There is music and dancing being presented.
Premier: You see, we're planning several centers like these through China. I was telling my staff we should kidnap the talented designers and take them back ...
They continue moving into the room. Nikita crosses the room behind them. Michael is off to one side, closer to the stage. Nikita is scanning the observers in the room when she has another flashback to the schoolyard beating. She covers her left ear. She watches the dancers and flashes back to her mother's abusive boyfriend. She puts her hand behind her left ear. The audience begins to applaud for the dancers. Nikita scans the room, sees a man entering that also has his hand behind his left ear.
Nikita: Michael, black hair, black shirt. Rubbing his ear. It's one of them.
Michael: How do you know?
Nikita: Because I KNOW.
Michael: Go. (Into his comm unit) We're doing a surgical on the ground floor. Send fill in and back up Nikita.
(The would-be assassin is taken down with a stun gun to the neck.)
Nikita: (heard on Michael's audio) Michael, he did have a gun.
Michael: Get to the security team. We've had an attempt.
Nikita makes eye contact with the premier. He bows politely to her. She flashes to the abusive boyfriend, but for an instant it's the premier whipping her with the belt. She shakes her head to clear the image.
Michael: OK, Nikita, we're moving. (She rubs her left ear again. The security team hustles the premier away.)

Comm
Birkoff is reading off his computer.
Birkoff: With these modifications in place, the phasing time can be reduced drastically. (He thinks for a second, then calls Ops on his comm unit.) Sir?
Operations: What is it, Birkoff?
Birkoff: Is Nikita on first team?
Operations: She is, why?
Birkoff: We have to call her out.
Operations: What are you talking about?
Birkoff: The mission's at risk.

The cultural center
The premier is being hustled out by his security. Michael follows close behind, his arms crossed in front of his chest (and his gun in one hand under his coat). As the premier begins to go down the stairs, an Asian woman appears at the top of the flight of stairs. Michael sees her pull a gun and quickly shoots her. She falls down a short flight of stairs.
Michael: That's the second sleeper, Nikita, there's still one left.
Nikita looks down the stairs to see the premier, 2 security men and the assemblyman headed down the stairs.
Nikita: The assemblyman.
Just as she says this, the assemblyman pulls a gun and shoots both security officers. Nikita shoots the assemblyman. Michael moves down the stairs and covers the premier. The premier is looking up at Nikita. She rubs her left ear and has another flashback, of the premier wielding the belt. Michael checks all around the stairs and landing to be sure all is clear, then looks again at Nikita. Something in her fixed gaze or body position tells him there is a problem. He begins to climb the stairs, carefully keeping his body between Nikita and the premier.
Nikita: Get away!
Michael: Nikita, non. (I swear the pronunciation sounds like the French "non" not the English "no")
Nikita: Get out of the way! (Her flashbacks cut back and forth between the boyfriend whipping her with the belt and Michael's face as he continues to approach. Michael lowers his gun to point at the floor.) You don't know what you're doing; get out of the way! (There is another flashback to the schoolyard beating.)
As Michael comes too close to her for her to shot either him or the premier, she turns the gun on herself. Michael grabs her hands and points the gun to the ceiling. It fires four times. Michael's hand slips up and takes her gun from her. Nikita collapses into his arms. He has one arm wrapped around her and holds her closely and gently.

Tag
Section, Shell room.
Nikita enters. Cut to Michael, walking down the hall. Cut back to Nikita, walking around the machine. Cut back to Michael, who hears a crashing sound. He comes in to see Nikita with a metal bar smashing every panel in the machine. Her final shot is to destroy the helmet. Michael watches silently. She turns to him in tears.
Nikita: What have I done? What have I done?
Michael: It's OK. We'll get you through this.
He takes her hand and leads her out of the room.
FIN

Back to Season 1 Episodes