Into The Looking Glass
Transcript by Cathy

VAN ACCESS

Team comes in from a mission, Michael and Nikita among them, with one hostage.
Operations: What happened to the others?
Michael: Nikita killed them.
Operations: All we need is one to break the code.
Madeline walks up, looks at Michael like she is trying to evaluate him; he turns and leaves. Operations approaches Madeline.
Operations: He seems to be accepting the situation.
Madeline: He has no choice. Without Gelman's process, Nikita must remain on the maintenance or else she dies.
Operations: Where are we with that therapy?
Madeline: On schedule. In seven days, the conversion will be irreversible.

SECTION ONE - HALLWAY

Michael approaches Birkoff
Birkoff: I got a message for you. Birkoff passes Michael a mini-disc.
Michael: Who sent it?
Birkoff: Impossible to tell. The backtrace would only go so far. All I know is that it was sent last week on a delay; showed up now.
Michael: Did you read it?
Birkoff: No. It's gene coded. To tell you the truth, anything that shows up this way is something I'd rather not see. Can I go now?
Birkoff leaves. Michael punches in a code on a keypad he pulls from under a desk, goes to a computer and puts the disc in. Typing shows on the screen.
"DNA sample requested to access database."
He puts his finger on a pad and pulls it back, bloody. The disc plays; it's Adrian.
Adrian: Michael. I've made this tape in case you are unsuccessful in getting the parameters of Gelman's mind control process. What you need to know is this. Nikita can be saved.

WHITE ROOM

Madeline watches as Nikita beats the crap out of a man in the chair. The Torture Twins enter and Nikita steps back.
Madeline: You can go, Nikita.
Nikita: I'd like to stay.
Cut back to Michael watching Adrian's recording.
Adrian: Your primary focus will be stimulating obstructing emotions. Sympathy, fear and love. It may be too late for me but you might be able to return Nikita to the way she was.
In the White Room, Nikita watches with no emotion and even with some interest as the man in the chair screams. Madeline watches Nikita's reactions.

COMM CENTER

Nikita walks into Comm and meets up with Walter.
Walter: I hear Algiers went well.
Nikita: Like clockwork.
Walter: You don't prep again for 24. Any plans?
Nikita: Liberia sim will keep me busy.
Walter: When do you sleep?
Nikita keeps walking. Walter sees Michael standing behind them and goes over to him.
Walter: What are we going to do with her?
Michael: (hands Walter a mini disc) I need everything on here.
Walter: I already have the hardware for Mityan.
Michael: This isn't profile.
Walter inserts the disk, types.
Walter: Quarantine nexus chamber... cerebral inhibitors... ultrasonance unit with a sensory deprivation channel. Our girl's not going to go quietly. You're going to need restraints.
Michael: It's been taken care of.
Walter: You thought of everything. But it's going to take time.
Michael: We don't have time.

MADELINE'S OFFICE

Michael enters; Madeline is working at the wall computer.
Madeline: Thank you for coming, Michael. How's Adrian?
Michael: Fine.
Madeline: Is there anything we can do to make her stay more comfortable? (She pauses; Michael doesn't respond so she moves on.) Gelman's process no longer exists.
Michael: I know.
Madeline: What are your plans?
Michael: Plans?
Madeline: Regarding Nikita.
Michael: As long as she receives the maintenance, you've got no reason to be concerned.
Madeline: That's what I told Operations. He's not convinced. Regardless of Adrian, he's thinking about reinstating your cancellation orders.
Michael: I understand.
Madeline: You're not afraid to die, are you Michael?
Michael: No. You've seen to that.
Michael leaves.

THE PERCH

Operations and Madeline enter together.
Operations: Where are we with locating Adrian?
Madeline: Michael's done a good job making her disappear.
Operations: Then increase the manpower.
Madeline: I already have three teams in the field. Any more exposure would alert George.
Michael: What about Michael? Does he have a next move?
Madeline: I don't know.
Operations: You saw the lengths he went to with Adrian. I don't think he's finished - not by a long shot.
Madeline: Then manipulate his time until we're done with Nikita.
Operations: How much more time do you need?
Madeline: Five days.
Operations: Keeping Michael in play will prevent him from interfering. What do we have that requires an undercover position?
Madeline: The Terrogamo mission.
Operations: That should suffice.

WAR ROOM

Operations is briefing everybody. He pulls up a holoscreen with a man in a trench coat.
Operations: The man you see here is Allessandro Terrogamo. Until recently, he's been middleman for a number of French factions. Terrogamo recently moved up, trafficking in nuclear hardware, software and we've just discovered, biotechnology. His next transaction takes place in 72 hours. His contact is a courier who works for Horst Dante, a high profile supplier. Dante is the key to taking Terragamo down.
Michael: How do you plan to infiltrate the meet?
Operations: We're going to intercept with hard product. Establish a cover profile as the courier and take Terrogamo out. Michael, your team leaves in one hour. That's all.
Operations leaves. Michael walks with Birkoff.
Michael: Where's Nikita?
Birkoff: Liberia. Faso mission.
Michael: She's going to need some downtime when she returns.
Birkoff: She's already put in a request to join the Merigo mission.
Michael: Has a team already been assigned?
Birkoff: Yes. She's leading it. There's no way to take her off point.
Michael: There's a way.
Birkoff: You don't have to tell me.
Michael: All I need is the Liberia profile.
Birkoff: It'll be on your panel.

DANTE RESIDENCE - FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

A man in a leather jacket walks back and forth. He is strangled from behind and taken out of play. Inside the house, the lights go on. Michael is holding a gun on Dante and his girlfriend in bed.
Dante's girlfriend: Horst. Horst, wake up! Wake up!
Dante: What the hell is going on?
Dante's girlfriend: Horst! (they drag her off)
Dante: Easy!
Michael: Your bodyguards are dead.
Dante: What do you want?
Michael: The bioware you plan on selling Terrogamo.
Dante: It is in the safe.
Dante slowly rises from bed and walks over to the safe. He flips up a concealed panel, types in a code and the safe opens. He draws a gun but of course Michael is too quick for him and neutralizes him.
Michael: (To the other operatives) Take him in. (into his comm set) Team One has possession. Target is en route.

SECTION ONE - HALLWAY

Walter and Michael meet up.
Walter: It's done, but you better move quick. Liberia went bad. Nikita was I.D.'d and Faso has a hit squad after her.
Michael: I know.
Walter: You know? Michael, that's impossible. It happened when you were out in the f- Michael!
Michael: Don't worry. You're not involved.
Walter: That's not what I'm worried about.

OUTSIDE NIKITA'S APARTMENT

A masked man rappels down to her balcony, enters the apartment quietly. Nikita is sleeping. His footsteps are audible as he walks through. As he pounces on her, she struggles and fights, rolls off the bed.
Nikita: Who sent you? Faso? Michael? Michael?
They continue to fight. She shoots him in the shoulder and he runs off. She finds a syringe on the ground after he leaves and realizes he was trying to tranq her.

VAN ACCESS

Michael and Nikita meet up.
Nikita: How did Minyon go?
Michael: We got what we needed.
Nikita: Liberia was the complete opposite. Faso wants my head on a platter. One of his men already paid me a visit.
Michael: I heard.
Nikita: You'll watch my back. Won't you?
She grips his arm, testing to see if he's the one she shot. He doesn't flinch.
Michael: We have to protect each other.
Nikita: Like always.
Nikita walks away.

MADELINE'S OFFICE

Madeline, Operations, and Nikita are present.
Nikita: It wasn't Michael last night. I'm certain. She hands Madeline the syringe.
Madeline: She's right. Michael would never have failed.
Operations: Then, who was it?
Nikita: Must have been one of Faso's men.
Operations: I want you to move to secondary quarters until this is cleared up.
Nikita leaves. Madeline and Operations trade a look. Madeline seems to be evaluating things - trying to figure out what/how much is a lie.

MICHAEL'S OFFICE

Walter enters.
Walter: Congratulations, Michael. I don't know what you did, but it worked. Nikita's on permanent downtime until further notice.
Michael: Where do they have her?
Walter: That's a Birkoff question.
Michael: Find out.

WHITE ROOM

Dante is restrained in the chair, slits under his eyes. A videotape of Dante's girlfriend begging is playing. She repeats the same line over and over.
Dante's girlfriend: Please, Horst, give them what they want!
Madeline: Are you ready to talk?
Dante: She doesn't mean anything to me.
Madeline: She's pregnant.
Dante: You are lying.
Madeline activates a monitor and two heartbeats are seen.
Madeline: Your girlfriend's is the one that sounds stressed. The other is your unborn son.

SECTION ONE - HALLWAY

Michael and Operations meet up.
Operations: Michael. Dante broke.
Michael: Where's his courier meeting Terrogamo?
Operations: (gives a location)
Michael: I'll handle it.
Operations: Birkoff will take tactical. I'll have him download the details to your panel.

SECTION ONE - HALLWAY

Michael puts his hand on Birkoff's shoulder as he walks past a corner.
Michael: Birkoff.
Birkoff: What's going on? You're supposed to be meeting with Terrogamo.
Michael: You take care of it.
Birkoff: Me? I'm not a field op.
Michael: I need a window. There's not many people I can trust.
Birkoff: No. It'll never work.
Michael: Terrogamo's expecting a courier. Tell Walter to get you set up.

NIKITA'S TEMPORARY HOUSING

A big glass and steel structure with staircases.
Nikita: (to another operative who seems to be guarding her) I'll be back in a couple of hours.
She walks downstairs and outside where Michael promptly shoots her with a tranq dart and she falls. He drags her under the stairwell where another blonde female puts on her jacket and walks off down the street. This completely fools Nikita's bodyguard. Michael throws Nikita in the mission van and drives off.
Nikita's bodyguard: Shadow team, I'm on her.

MICHAEL'S HIDEOUT

Nikita is slowly regaining consciousness. She starts to fight. She is restrained.
Nikita: Why am I here?
Michael: I want you to come back to your senses.
Nikita: I don't care about you.
Michael: Yes you do. You just need time to remember. You're going through withdrawal.
Nikita: From what?
Michael: Gelman's maintenance drug.
Nikita: Why do you care?
Michael: Drink this. (he brings her some green liquid. She pretends to drink but then spits in his face)
Nikita: Don't come near me. You had me emotionally, Michael - you blew it. Does it hurt to be on the other side? Are you in pain? (mockingly)
Michael: You have to drink this.
He takes the green liquid into his own mouth, forces his mouth down on hers and holds her mouth shut 'til she swallows.
Nikita: You're dead Michael! When they find out you're off profile, you're dead!

MUNITIONS

Birkoff approaches Walter.
Walter: Yeah, you need something?
Birkoff: A Glock 17 with a stealth holster. Two or three clips. Field locator.
Walter: You're actually going to cover for Michael.
Birkoff: I can do it.
Walter: And end up in an early grave.
Birkoff: Thank you for the vote of confidence.
Walter: Hey, now, come on. Actually I'm proud of you. I'll get you your goodies. When do you go?
Birkoff: Operations has a meeting tomorrow at Center. That'll give me 22 hours to locate Terragamo.
Walter: You scared?
Birkoff: You can't imagine.
Walter hands him the Glock, after some difficulty Birkoff succeeds in loading it.

MICHAEL'S HIDEOUT

Nikita is writhing around with some kind of electronic hood on her head. She's sweating, moaning, looks like she is in drug withdrawal. Then she sees that he's in his t-shirt only and has a bandaged arm.
Nikita: It was you the other night. Why are you doing this? I tried to kill you. I want to go back.
Michael: Not yet.
Nikita: How long are you going to keep me here? I need to get back on my maintenance. Please, Michael. Please. (She continues to moan) I'm scared.. I'm scared.
Michael: It'll be over soon.

COMM CENTER

Operations enters Comm, goes up to Birkoff
Operations: Have you heard from Michael?
Birkoff: He checked in about an hour ago. Everything's going according to profile.
Operations: Good. Keep me posted.
Birkoff: Yes, sir.

MICHAEL'S HIDEOUT

Michael takes a cotton swab and wipes Nikita's gums with it. She is shivering and shaking, even in her sleep. He goes over and removes the hood from her head. He takes off the handcuffs. She appears limp, unconscious. He carries her over and sets her down in the window, drawing back the curtain so she can look outside.
Michael: Look.
Next, Nikita is lying in a big black cylinder with a pulsing red light, apparently undergoing the next step of her deprogramming. Michael walks through the cabin, goes upstairs. Inside the cylinder, Nikita suddenly wakes and looks alert. Michael goes upstairs and watches the disc of Adrian again on his laptop.
Adrian: Once her system is cleansed, you'll proceed with sensory deprivation and emotional building blocks. Your primary focus will be stimulating obstructive emotions. Sympathy, fear and love.
Michael heads back downstairs. Nikita is lying on the floor, shaking. He puts his gun down to check on her. She grabs the gun, springs to her feet and points it at him.
Michael: Nikita, listen to me.
Nikita: Shut up! Tie yourself up. Tie yourself up! Tie yourself up.
Michael sits, cuffs himself to the chair.
Michael: You're through the worst of it, Nikita.
Nikita: Shut up! (Her voice is still vicious but she appears shaky, quavering. She is unable to shoot him.) Sorry! (anguished)
She pistol whips him and runs outside, jumps over a fence and runs into the street, where she almost gets hit by a man in a silver Mazda truck. Nikita gets the man in the pickup truck to drive her to a payphone (they're speaking German).
Here is the translation, courtesy of Schneewittchen:
Man: Hey! Didn't you see me?!
Nikita: Do you have a telephone?
Man: No, I don't have one.
Nikita: Can you take me to one?
Man: Yeah, no problem. Are you okay?
Nikita: Yes.
Meanwhile, Michael breaks the arms off the chair, thus freeing himself. Elsewhere, the man lets Nikita out of the truck and she runs to a phone and dials.
Voice: Identify.
Nikita: Nikita. 31J7.
Voice: Go ahead.
Nikita: Request permission for a secured line.
Voice: Designator?
Nikita: Operations.
Voice: Switching.
Michael pulls up behind her on a motorcycle.
Michael: Hang up, Nikita. In one more day, you won't need them.
Back at Section One, Operations crosses the perch and hits a button, answering the phone.
Operations: Yes?
Voice: Nikita for you, sir. Go ahead Nikita.
Operations: Nikita? Nikita, what is your location?
Michael: You have to decide for yourself.
Nikita hangs up.
Operations: What happened?
Voice: We lost contact.
Operations: Trace the call!
Back at the phone booth.
Nikita: (weeping) What have they done to me? (She collapses against Michael) Oh, it hurts. It hurts.

THE PERCH

Operations is pacing. Madeline enters.
Madeline: Is something wrong?
Operations: Nikita just called, on an outside line.
Madeline: That's odd. What did she say?
Operations: Nothing. The call was disconnected.
Madeline: I'll check with her shadow team. See if it had anything to do with Faso's men. Has Michael checked in?
Operations: Birkoff said he reported about an hour ago. Do you think they're together?
Madeline looks concerned, says nothing.

MICHAEL'S HIDEOUT

Michael is watching Nikita who appears to be taking a nap in the sensory deprivation tube. She wakes, rubs her face.
Nikita: I slept.
Michael: Yes...
Nikita: There's still pain.
Michael: It'll go away.
Nikita: When?
Michael: When you let it go, Nikita.
He starts to kiss her softly.
Nikita: Michael. I love you.
Michael and Nikita then proceed to have sex in the black sensory deprivation tube.

VAN ACCESS

Operations and Madeline walking together.
Operations: The trace came back. I have a team in motion.
Madeline: I'll call you at the Center when she's found.
Operations leaves and Madeline walks away. Meanwhile, Walter is seeing Birkoff off.
Walter: Mind if I tag along?
Birkoff: You sure about this?
Walter: Makes about as much sense as anything else around here.

TERROGAMO MEET

An industrial plant. Walter and Birkoff walk through, and pause at a doorway where a guard meets them.
Guard: I gotta search you.
He approaches Walter, who is wearing a black hat and coat.
Walter: Don't even think about it.
Birkoff: We're here to see Terrogamo. You've got five seconds to inform him or we leave.
Walter: One. Two. (Terrogamo's guard gets the clue and goes to find him. Walter notices Birkoff is turning white.) Relax. Breathe.
Birkoff: I think I'm going to throw up.
Walter: Do it after the meet.
Walter and Birkoff walk outside and meet Terrogamo.
Terrogamo: Gentlemen. Sorry to keep you waiting.
Walter: Just don't let it happen again.
Terrogamo: Dante never mentioned a second courier. Who are you?
Birkoff: Are we here to do business or what?
Terrogamo: Business. Of course. (The guy with him hands over a briefcase to Walter) Euros, just like you requested.
Walter opens the briefcase, shuts it again.
Terrogamo: Do you mind?
Birkoff extracts a small metal case, hands it over.
Terrogamo: (pulls out a vial) Make me smile.
Birkoff: It's called CR-14. If even a small drop enters through a pore in the skin, death is almost instantaneous. (Terrogamo suddenly gets a strange look on his face) Oops, I may have spilled some when I was pouring it into the vial.
Terrogamo falls dead, everybody shoots. Walter, laying on his back, shoots a guard off the roof. Birkoff and Walter, having taken out everybody outside, go back into the plant. There's a guard there but Walter drops him.
Walter: That wasn't so bad, was it?
They leave.

MICHAEL'S HIDEOUT

Michael and Nikita, holding each other.
Michael: We can't stay here.
Nikita: I know.
Michael: We have to be stronger than them.
Nikita: I'd rather die than go back now.
Michael: Don't say that.
Nikita: Why?
Michael: Because I can't live without you.

SECTION ONE - HALLWAY

Operations and Madeline meet Michael as he returns.
Operations: Well done. I was at Center. I heard the Terrogamo mission was a success.
Operations looks pleased. Madeline still looks skeptical.
Michael: Thank you.
Operations: I look forward to reading the debrief.
Michael: I'll have it on your desk this afternoon.
Nikita enters.
Operations: Nikita, you were to remain at secondary quarters until further notice.
Nikita: Or until Faso's hit squad was caught.
Operatives drag in several terrorists.
Operations: Good work. Take them to containment. There's a briefing in an hour. Both of you are in play.

MADELINE'S OFFICE

Madeline: Come in, Nikita. Sit down. We know you were with Michael. Tell me what happened.
Nikita: He kidnapped me.
Madeline: Why?
Nikita: Tried to turn me.
Madeline: And?
Nikita: It didn't work.
Madeline: You have no feelings for him?
Nikita: He thinks I do.
Madeline: You lied?
Nikita: Lying about my emotions was the only way I could convince Michael to return to Section.
Madeline: Thank you Nikita.
Nikita: I did this for Section. Not for you.
Madeline looks skeptical. She goes to meet Operations.
Madeline: She said now that Michael's pet project is complete, he can concentrate on his job.
Operations: Nikita, the team player. Never thought I'd see the day.
Michael and Nikita cross the floor at the same time, walk together for a moment.
Michael: Did you read the sim?
Nikita: Twice.
Michael: We leave in an hour.
Their hands touch, lightly caress, unobserved.

THE END

Edited by Dana
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