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410. He Came From Four
Aired in the U.S. April 2, 2000
Dialogue transcribed by Cathy
STRIP CLUB
MICK: Hello, maybe I could be of some assistance…although I’ve never actually done this before.
NIKITA: I figured you’d pick a place like this, Schtoppel.
MICK: Excuse me, this is a business meeting. Well, you took your time arriving.
NIKITA: So, I’m here now. Better be good.
MICK: Oh, it’s big, love. Very big. It’s like this. Will you look at the talent on that one?
NIKITA: Mick. Talk.
MICK: I hear Section is still looking for its misplaced command clone?
NIKITA: How do you know about that?
MICK: Which part you mean? The smooth pilfering that went down or the part about the command program written by Oversight? Yeah, I know about that. It was on its way to Section One when it disappeared. Word has it that it’s supposed to take over should one of Section’s big cheeses get taken out of play.
NIKITA: So what?
MICK: So, I know who has it, that’s what.
NIKITA: Go on.
MICK: I don’t think you understand. These people are very serious.
NIKITA: Who?
MICK: It doesn’t work that way, love. This time, I want a meeting with Operations. Just the two of us, mano a mano. I want to be sure I’ll be taken care of.
NIKITA: Bye, Mick.
MICK: Okay. Hold on, hold on. I’ll spill it, but I need protection. I am serious. Hardwire security, bodyguards 24-7, the works. So, uh, what’s it going to be? Janis Strait has it. He’s Red Cell. Not a very friendly chum. Middle of the totem pole but very ambitious.
NIKITA: Where do I find him?
MICK: He’s running tactical out of one of their substations… Oh, no!
Hostiles enter; a fire-fight ensues.
NIKITA: Mick!
Nikita throws him a gun.
MICK: What am I supposed to do with this? I don’t like guns! I don’t like guns! (Mick shoots himself in the toe) Man down! Man down! Man seriously injured!
Mick limps out of the room where he’s met by the stripper.
STRIPPER: Forget something?
She points a gun at him.
MICK: What? What do you want? Look, you’re very…talented. You’ve got a great future ahead of you. Don’t do this. Don’t.
Nikita shoots the stripper.
MICK: Well you took your sweet time, didn’t you? That floozy almost blew my brains out! Can you help out?
NIKITA: Let’s go.
MICK: I almost shot my toe off in there!
OPERATIONS’ PERCH
MADELINE: Was Nikita successful?
OPERATIONS: Yes, she has a name. Janis Strait. He’s planning on using the command clone to leverage his way up the ranks of Red Cell.
MADELINE: Unless we get to him first.
OPERATIONS: Or we don’t do anything at all.
MADELINE: If we move now, we can recover the C-clone and Oversight can proceed with its beta test.
OPERATIONS: Which, if successful, will put me out of a job.
MADELINE: If we don’t act, George will think we failed.
OPERATIONS: Either way, we’re stuck holding the short stick.
WAR ROOM
OPERATIONS: Six hours ago, we received intel confirming the location of our hijacked package. The target veils itself under the guise of a historical society, a cover for a Red Cell substation in Antwerp.
BIRKOFF: It’s in the heart of the city; they’re using the local population as a human shield.
OPERATIONS: Janis Strait runs the operation. He has scheduled a rendezvous with his superiors in twenty-four hours. We believe it will be at this meet that he will turn over the package. Michael, you and your team are mobile as of now. Profiles will be ready within the hour. We cannot lose this package.
MISSION
BIRKOFF: First team, I have you moving into position. Wait a minute -- we have an off profile approach. It’s a delivery van. Looks clean. All teams hold. Civilian on deck.
MICHAEL: Birkoff, sweep the van.
BIRKOFF: The van is clean. No match on the driver. All the hostiles are accounted for inside.
MICHAEL: Where’s the civilian?
BIRKOFF: He’s moving off site now.
MICHAEL: We’re clear. Birkoff, commence tactical guide.
BIRKOFF: All teams forward. Move in.
MICHAEL: First team is on site.
BIRKOFF: First team, report.
MICHAEL: Everyone’s been killed.
BIRKOFF: Janis Strait?
MICHAEL: He’s dead.
BIRKOFF: What about the package? Check the drives.
MICHAEL: It’s gone.
OPERATIONS’ PERCH
OPERATIONS: No, George, we haven’t. No, not yet. We’re running the data now. I’m going to ignore that. My only agenda here is seeing that the C-clone is returned and tested. With all due respect, George, we’re handling it. We don’t need outside support. It will only slow us down. No, of course not. No, never – I’ll make the arrangements as soon as he comes. (Operations terminates the call and looks at Madeline) George seems to think we’re dragging our heels. He thinks we intentionally sabotaged the mission.
MADELINE: Did he have a course of action?
OPERATIONS: Someone to supervise the search. He’s from Section Four.
VAN ACCESS
OPERATIVE: (to other operatives) We’re going to be in back.
NIKITA: What’s going on?
WALTER: Oh, I’m just waiting for the show to begin. Oversight’s sending in a ringer to look over our shoulders.
NIKITA: Operations is allowing this?
WALTER: He has no choice. And if I were you, I’d find a safe place to watch from. This guy’s on his way up. You’re at ground zero.
A young boy enters Section.
JEROME: My name is Jerome. From Section Four. I’ve come here to help.
Jerome walks down the corridor; Operations and Madeline follow a few paces behind.
MADELINE: What do you think?
OPERATIONS: I don’t want to laugh. This kid may well be the future of Section.
MADELINE: Maybe. But he’s still a child, and a child can be controlled.
OPERATIONS: He’s all yours.
SYSTEMS
WALTER: Well, I’ve seen just about everything now.
NIKITA: He’s just a kid.
WALTER: Hmmm.
BIRKOFF: And then some. Section Four is telekinetics and visual projection.
WALTER: Which, in plain English, means he’s a first-class freak.
NIKITA: Michael, what do you know about Section Four?
MICHAEL: It’s new. Never been tested.
WALTER: And we’re the guinea pigs. It’s -- it’s freezing in here, isn’t it?
BIRKOFF: They had a problem with ventilation. A rheostat shorted out.
The lights flicker as Jerome enters Systems.
OPERATIONS: The clock is ticking. The longer we fail to move, the more time our unknown has to disappear.
MADELINE: We’re implementing a two-pronged attack. I will assist Jerome. Michael and Walter will coordinate. Nikita and Birkoff will continue to search data files.
MICHAEL: Do we have a match for the driver?
OPERATIONS: Birkoff?
BIRKOFF: Sorry. Um, so far nothing. He’s a civilian. There’s no way he’s part of an organized hit. We zeroed out all known potentials and I’m increasing the parameters on unknown factors.
OPERATIONS: ‘Til the C-clone is isolated, I want a copy of all results.
BIRKOFF: It will be on your desk.
OPERATIONS: From here on out, I want updates hourly. That’s all.
Operations leaves.
MADELINE: Jerome?
SYSTEMS
NIKITA: There.
BIRKOFF: It’s only a partial. I don’t have a clear shot.
NIKITA: What about reflective images?
BIRKOFF: I’ve got him in the store window. I’ve got him in the limo, parked at the curb.
NIKITA: Is that a bank across the street?
BIRKOFF: If it is, I could tap their ATM camera.
NIKITA: Birkoff, how do they find someone like Jerome?
BIRKOFF: They don’t. They create him.
NIKITA: You mean he was a normal kid?
BIRKOFF: I highly doubt it. Kids like Jerome are given a series of tests. If their numbers are high enough, they’re put into the program.
NIKITA: The program?
BIRKOFF: Yeah. They become remote projectionists. Requires total stimulus isolation. In other words, they’re raised like veal. No emotions, no physical contact. It makes them all brain.
SECTION
MADELINE: Anything?
JEROME: Not yet.
MADELINE: Would you like to see more?
Nikita enters the observation area where Michael already stands watching.
NIKITA: Any luck?
MICHAEL: No.
MADELINE: Jerome, our window is closing. We need answers.
JEROME: I’m sorry.
MADELINE: Sorry is unacceptable. Lives are at stake.
JEROME: I’m aware.
MADELINE: “Aware?” George sent you here thinking that you had what it took to see this through. Perhaps he was wrong.
JEROME: I wasn’t prepared.
MADELINE: We’ve been here for hours.
JEROME: It doesn’t work like that.
NIKITA: What is she doing? Why is she treating him like a hostile?
MADELINE: Stop playing games, Jerome. You have skills; we need them. People are relying on you.
JEROME: I’m doing my best.
MADELINE: Then, try harder.
JEROME: I can’t.
MADELINE: Yes, you can! That’s why you were sent to us.
JEROME: I said I can’t.
He stares at Madeline. She steps back.
NIKITA: Michael, something’s happening to Madeline.
Michael enters the room.
MICHAEL: Are you all right?
MADELINE: (her nose is bleeding) I’m fine.
MICHAEL: You should see Medical. Nikita and I will continue.
MADELINE: I think that would be best.
JEROME: I’m not a hostile. I’m here to help.
NIKITA: I know. So let’s get back to work.
Jerome touches the roses from the mission scene.
JEROME: Simmons.
MED LAB
OPERATIONS: (to the doctor) You’re excused. (doctor leaves) What did Jerome do?
MADELINE: He got angry.
OPERATIONS: I’m sending him back.
MADELINE: That won’t be necessary. I can handle him. We’re getting close. I got a name.
OPERATIONS: Jerome was successful?
MADELINE: Yes. How should we proceed?
OPERATIONS: Unless Birkoff has something to contradict this, we have to move on it. But continue your course with Jerome in case we come up empty.
MADELINE’S OFFICE
MADELINE: What are you doing here?
JEROME: I’m sorry about your sister.
MADELINE: Get out.
COMM
OPERATIONS: Has the profile been completed? As we expected, the flower delivery van was stolen.
BIRKOFF: Still cross-referencing. So far, nobody fits the parameters.
OPERATIONS: What’s the delay?
Jerome rolls himself around on an office chair.
BIRKOFF: There’s too many anomalies. I can’t accommodate the density.
OPERATIONS: He came up with a name. Simmons.
BIRKOFF: There’s no way. If it fit the parameters, we would have pulled it.
OPERATIONS: You’ve had 24 hours. You’ve come up with nothing. Run the name.
BIRKOFF: Carl Simmons, satcom expert, level four. Death certificate recorded April 1st, two years ago. The guy’s dead. How many times do you want me to run it?
OPERATIONS: Take him back to the room.
JEROME: Birkoff is wrong!
OPERATIONS: (to Nikita) Take him back, and don’t come back without a name.
NIKITA: Let’s go Jerome. Jerome?
OPERATIONS: I said, get back to work.
NIKITA: Jerome, let’s go.
OPERATIONS: When you get something, let me know.
NIKITA: Jerome.
Jerome stares at Operations.
NIKITA: Jerome! No!
She spins the chair with him in it. Suddenly the glass of Operations’ perch explosively shatters and rains down in shards.
WHITE ROOM
MICK: Now that was highly unnecessary.
OPERATIONS: You did say you wanted to meet. “Mano a Mano”, I believe that’s what you called it?
MICK: Yes, yeah, I did, but I had a bit to drink that evening.
OPERATIONS: That information you gave Nikita: where did you get it?
MICK: Look, I could tell you, but I would ruin my reputation.
OPERATIONS: It’s not your reputation you should worry about.
MICK: I guess there’s no beating around the old bush, is there? Varsac.
OPERATIONS: I heard it was Simmons.
MICK: Oh, and right you are, yes. Simmons is an alias. Unlucky fellow. Had a close encounter with a telephone pole a while back. But Varsac is the bloke you’re looking for. Is there anything else I could do for you?
OPERATIONS: No.
MICK: I do know where there’s a cache of small rockets, and there’s that nasty alliance forming in the Highlands.
OPERATIONS: I’ll expect a full report.
MICK: Does that mean I’m one of your guys now? A card-carrying member and all that? One of the guys?
OPERATIONS: You’ll continue to filter your intel through Nikita.
MICK: Oh, yeah, that will work too, yeah, thank you very much Mr. Operations. So I’m alive then?
OPERATIONS: For now.
COMM
MICHAEL: We have Varsac in containment.
OPERATIONS: Was his identity confirmed?
MICHAEL: We ran a DNA on site. H had this on him when we found him.
OPERATIONS: Simmons.
MADELINE: That’ll be all. Thank you. Jerome was right about Simmons. If this leads us to the C-clone, George will have succeeded.
OPERATIONS: And we’re as good as dead.
WHITE ROOM
MADELINE: It’s quite simple. Tell us what we want, and this will end.
VARSAC: You want me to roll over and play dead. Now what’s the fun in that?
MADELINE: We’re not here to have fun.
Outside the White Room, Walter approaches to see Jerome leaning with his head bent against the wall.
WALTER: Jerome, what are you doing…here?
JEROME: Madeline is going to fail.
WALTER: She never fails.
JEROME: She’s been interrogating the prisoner for over an hour now. She will fail.
MADELINE: Why would Red Cell destroy one of its own substations?
VARSAC: Because it wasn’t Red Cell.
MADELINE: Who then?
VARSAC: What’s important is that we have made ourselves known.
MADELINE: And the command clone?
VARSAC: We have it.
MADELINE: Where is it?
VARSAC: If I knew that, they would have never allowed me to be captured.
MADELINE: This is your last opportunity. Where is the command clone?
VARSAC: I have all day to die. You are the ones that are running out of time.
MADELINE: Jerome?
JEROME: May I try?
MADELINE: This is not your line of expertise.
JEROME: He will die before telling you.
MADELINE: Have you ever seen a man die before, Jerome?
JEROME: No.
MADELINE: Then I suggest you leave.
JEROME: I would like to experience the emotion.
MADELINE: Emotions are what get children into trouble. I suggest you pass on this one.
JEROME: You don’t have the authority to excuse me! You may want to check with Oversight on that.
MADELINE: You’re threatening me? I would never have expected it from a ten year old. But then, you’re no ordinary child, are you? You have no idea what it’s like to be a child. Feeling a mother’s touch, a father putting you on his back for a ride. You’re no child. You’re a machine.
VARSAC: No, please! Please! Please!
MADELINE: Let him go.
VARSAC: No, please!
MADELINE: Let him go!
Varsac slumps, dead.
MADELINE: You made a big mistake, Jerome.
JEROME: I know where the C-clone is. I told you I’d find it.
SYSTEMS
OPERATIONS: A new organization exists, Global March. They announced themselves with their attack on Red Cell. They have the C-clone.
BIRKOFF: Satellite recon shows them here. Dark approach is advisable.
OPERATIONS: We don’t have the time. Michael, I want you and your team mobile within the hour. Annihilate all hostiles; recover the package. As a backup, you will take Jerome.
NIKITA: Jerome?
OPERATIONS: He broke Varsac. He gave us the location. If we have problems on-site, I want him there. That’s all.
OPERATIONS’ PERCH
OPERATIONS: Who gave you access to my office?
JEROME: Why do you need all this?
OPERATIONS: You have no business in here. Now report to Tactical. You’re holding up a mission.
JEROME: Your job must be very difficult.
OPERATIONS: Birkoff. Notify Michael. Tell him Jerome will meet him in transport immediately.
JEROME: I know what you’re afraid of.
CITY STREET
Jerome escapes the Section’s black vehicle and runs up to an elementary school. Nikita follows.
NIKITA: Jerome! Jerome!
Jerome slips through the bars of a fence too narrow for Nikita to follow. He stands on the playground, watching the children play with a ball. When the ball zooms past, he catches it, but a boy dashes up and takes it from him
BOY: Gimme that, freak!
Jerome stares at the boy and the boy collapses on the ground.
NIKITA: Jerome! Jerome, stop it! Jerome, let him go. You’re not in trouble. We just need to finish the job.
Michael arrives on the playground.
BIRKOFF: Michael, what’s the delay.
MICHAEL: No delays. ETA in two minutes.
JEROME: I want to go home.
NIKITA: I’m sorry, okay?
MICHAEL: After we find the package.
JEROME: I want to go home now!
MICHAEL: When the mission is complete.
JEROME: Is this the way you treated your son?
Michael swings Jerome over his shoulder and takes him back to the waiting Section SUV.
BIRKOFF: First team is mobile. 20 km. to target.
In the Suburban, Jerome stares at the driver. His driving becomes erratic.
NIKITA: Michael --
MICHAEL: What’s going on?
The Suburban hits a parked car, rolls onto its side, and slides.
BIRKOFF: Michael? Nikita? Someone report.
MED LAB
MICHAEL: How are you doing?
NIKITA: Better. Where’s Jerome?
MICHAEL: Contained. Madeline’s handling it.
NIKITA: Michael, you’ve seen what he can do. Madeline can’t stop him. He’s just biding his time.
MICHAEL: Get some rest.
NIKITA: Michael --
MICHAEL: I have to go. Section team has located the C-clone.
NIKITA: Operations doesn’t really want to retrieve it, does he?
MICHAEL: Why not?
NIKITA: If it works, he’s on the endangered species list.
MICHAEL: The C-clone requires a human counterpart.
NIKITA: Something that you could fill quite easily.
MICHAEL: Get some rest.
WHITE ROOM
Jerome is restrained.
MADELINE: Your behavior was foolish. You put yourself, our operatives, and the mission in jeopardy. Fortunately, we were able to track them when they moved. Once we have retrieved the C-clone, your assignment here will be finished and you will be returned to Section Four. Is there anything you want to tell me before you go? It’s your choice. No one goes in or out without my presence. Understood?
VAN ACCESS
Michael enters Section and hands the C-clone to Operations.
WHITE ROOM
Jerome spins in his padded cell and begins screaming. When the guard looks through the window, Jerome stares at him. The guard suddenly approaches the second guard and chokes him, enters the White Room, and frees Jerome. Then, the guard falls to the floor.
JEROME: Thank you.
MAIN FLOOR
MADELINE: (she gives him the C-clone) Birkoff? Sweep this for bugs then run it into my system.
The lights flicker.
BIRKOFF: What the hell?
OPERATIONS: Birkoff, what is going on?
BIRKOFF: A power surge. I’m rerouting the bit-stream to prevent corruption. We lost a transformer. We’re crashing! Kill all nonessential processes!
OPERATIONS: What is that, Birkoff?
BIRKOFF: I don’t know but it’s coming from level three.
MADELINE: Jerome.
BIRKOFF: He’s on his way here.
OPERATIONS: Go to CNT. Close up all access points.
BIRKOFF: I can’t. He’s taken over the mainframe.
The lights go out, then return when Jerome enters.
OPERATIONS: What are you doing to Section? What are you trying to do?
Jerome looks at Operations and the man is suddenly thrown up high into the air and across the room, landing hard.
MADELINE: Paul!
Madeline runs to Operations’ side. Walter tries to join her at Operations’ side but stops when Jerome stares at him.
MADELINE: Get Medical -- now!
NIKITA: Jerome! That’s enough. It’s not their fault. That’s enough Jerome. Your visit’s over.
Operatives approach Jerome.
NIKITA: Stay back! It’s over.
Madeline and Walter help Operations to his feet.
NIKITA: Let’s go back and wait in your room.
SECTION
VOICE: Jerome’s contact has arrived and will meet him in Transport.
Nikita and Jerome walk through Section.
MADELINE: We have a problem. The C-clone was blank.
OPERATIONS: Erased?
MADELINE: I don’t think so.
Nikita escorts Jerome to van access.
OPERATIONS: Wait.
MADELINE: You find something amusing?
JEROME: There never was any C-clone test. I was the test. It should have been me you were worried about. Not some command program. On behalf of George, we thank you. Until we meet again.
A young person assists him into a tinted, glass box and wheels him out
of Section.
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