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411. Time To Be Heroes
Aired in the U.S. April 16, 2000
Dialogue transcribed by Cathy
OPERATIONS' PERCH
OPERATIONS: Yes, George. I understand. I’ll make it the first order of business. (he terminates the call and turns to Madeline) George wants Section Eight up and running as soon as the bio-containment is done.
MADELINE: And he wants us to handle it?
OPERATIONS: He has his reasons.
MADELINE: Who do you have in mind?
OPERATIONS: Michael and Nikita. If they succeed, George may want them there for good.
MADELINE: I don’t see any reason why they won’t accept. This way, Michael and Nikita can get their fix of spending time together. And it distances them from us.
OPERATIONS: Think of it as some breathing room. After all we’ve put Nikita through lately, I can’t help but think they’re planning some type of retaliation.
MADELINE: You trained them well.
WAR ROOM
OPERATIONS: Three days ago, Section Eight was destroyed by a class B threat called Crystal Sky. This is Crystal Sky’s first significant dent in Section’s armor. Chances are, this victory will give them the nerve to strike again.
MICHAEL: What’s our tactical position.
OPERATIONS: Davenport will be handling any movement. You and Nikita are on special assignment. George wants Section Eight operational, but we have to go outside the box on this one. You’re going to build a team of recruits who will eventually replace eight’s manpower. The new recruits will be put on an accelerated clock, which means that they will become full fledged operatives in a short time. Claire Brooks and Neil Hudson. We already own these two. They’re in long-term containment.
NIKITA: They’re just kids.
OPERATIONS: What were you when you came in here? All of you. They just haven’t had a chance to make a name for themselves. We’re picking up the others now. Patrick Donoghue. Old enough to make a fertilizer bomb, but not old enough to do the time. His friends call him “Darwin” – the missing link. Too many video games and X-rated Internet sites. Darwin’s a volcano waiting to explode. Give him enough time and enough rope; he’ll fill a morgue. Jasmine Kwong. Orphaned at birth; her parents wanted a boy. Chinese law says one child per family, so they sent Jasmine to a foster home with similarly placed girls. Our intel confirms that she is quietly putting together financing to make a major statement about this particular segment of Chinese policy. Trent Hammett. Genius-level intelligence, personal worth estimated at $100 million and only off six hours of day trading. Wall Street suspects insider trading. Our intel implies Trent found a better way to beat the system. That’s it. Get them functional.
SECTION EIGHT
MADELINE: Welcome to the farm. This is where you’ll be training. Some of you will succeed. Some of you will not. Those of you who graduate will become operatives assigned to Section Eight.
DARWIN: Isn’t this the part where somebody jumps out and says “Surprise!”?
TRENT: Yeah, yeah, where’s the cameras? Where’s the cameras at?
CLAIRE: Shut up and listen to her.
JASMINE: Why us?
MADELINE: Each of you possesses a specific skill, which we will sharpen and utilize.
TRENT: Wait, this is for real? Yo, ya’ll can forget about this. And while you’re forgetting it, get me a lawyer!
MADELINE: Trent, is it?
TRENT: Yes, Trent. What?
MADELINE: Once you come through those doors, you have two choices. One is compliance. The other is self-explanatory. Make no mistake. If any of you have any delusions about leaving here, I’d erase them immediately.
JASMINE: Who died and made you god?
Madeline does not answer. Instead, she turns and picks up a stack of newspaper clippings, which she begins to distribute. One by one, the teens look at their own death notices.
MADELINE: As far as the world is concerned, you’re all dead.
DARWIN: We’re gonna be secret agents. Cool.
SECTION EIGHT: BARRACKS
TRENT: Uh-uh, no, see, see, I will not room like this!
NEIL: We’ll all close our eyes when you get undressed, we promise.
TRENT: Huh, excuse me! There’s been some sort of mistake in here.
DARWIN: Yeah. I say we crash boy-girl, boy-girl.
JASMINE: Dream on. Girls on one side, dogs on the other.
TRENT: What’s up with her? Is she usually this mellow or is she just, like, really with the program?
NEIL: Claire and I came in around the same time. Six, seven months ago. It’s hard to keep track of time when you’re on their clock. I’ll tell you one thing, man. Spend enough time here and you’ll act the same way.
Walter enters, wheeling a cart.
DARWIN: Room service.
NEIL: What you got, pops?
WALTER: Form a line, single file.
DARWIN: What’s up?
WALTER: Inoculations.
JASMINE: Told you Darwin had rabies.
WALTER: Not your sleeve, just, uh, pull up your shirt.
DARWIN: Ah, this keeps getting better and better.
TRENT: Excuse me, uh, just where did you plan on sticking that there thing?
WALTER: Right under the ribcage. Let’s go, cowboy.
DARWIN: (to Neil) I think Trent just crapped his pants!
TRENT: Shut up.
WALTER: Come on, I’ll give you a lollipop, right afterward.
TRENT: Hey, yo, what is, what is that stuff?
WALTER: Compound glucose chip. Gives a DNA-specific thermal tag to our satellite. So we can monitor you.
TRENT: Yo! You know what he’s doing? He’s jacking us so we can’t escape!
WALTER: Give the man with the bad haircut a kewpie doll.
Walter waits for the last patient: Jasmine.
JASMINE: Forget it. You ain’t sticking that thing in me.
Walter picks up a gun.
WALTER: One of two things is going to enter your body today, sweetheart.
DARWIN: (chuckling) Make that three.
JASMINE: More lame ultimatums. Don’t you guys know anything other than violence, or is that your patented response to anyone with a mind of their own?
Walter grins.
SECTION EIGHT: COMM
BIRKOFF: Hey, I’m all done here. Everything’s online.
NIKITA: Thank you, Birkoff.
BIRKOFF: Did Operations give you any idea how long you’re going to be here?
Nikita says nothing, distracted by watching the recruits on a monitor.
JASMINE: (on the monitor) Speak for yourself, white trash. I don’t see you getting any action unless someone’s planning on blowing up a trailer park.
DARWIN: (on monitor) You can sweet-talk me all you want, cupcake, you’re still not getting in my pants.
NIKITA: I’d say we’re going to be here a little while.
SECTION EIGHT: COMM
NIKITA: This is Comm. It’s similar to what we have at Section. We use this area for tactical command.
TRENT: Zothor mainframe. I didn’t know these things went into production.
DARWIN: What’s the biggie? It’s just a computer.
TRENT: It’s THE computer, numb-nuts.
DARWIN: (to Nikita) Like we care about any of this.
NIKITA: I’m sorry, are you bored?
DARWIN: Yeah. (to Michael) When do we get to kick some ass?
Michael jabs him in the throat. Darwin crumples, gasping.
MICHAEL: When you’re ready.
NIKITA: Any more questions? Good, let’s move on to Ordinance.
SECTION EIGHT: WEAPONS TRAINING
NIKITA: Okay, listen up. Weapons 101. What I have here is a Styr Aug.
DARWIN: 508 millimeter barrel with a flash suppressor. Monster hardware, blondie. Do you mind?
Nikita gives him the gun.
DARWIN: Six-groove rifling. 650 rounds a minute. With a built-in 1.4 times optical sight that can be converted to electro-optical.
He shoots several rounds, accurately.
NIKITA: I can see you’ve done this before. Thank you.
DARWIN: Only in a video game.
We see the various recruits learning to shoot.
SECTION EIGHT: BARRACKS
DARWIN: How’s the joe?
NEIL: Ugh…oh, it blows.
DARWIN: Figures. This place is turning out to be a big-time downer. You know, you’d figure the blonde would be down for some partying. She’s obviously been neutered. Real Joan of Arc wannabe. Bet you ten to one, she has a pocket rocket made by Smith and Wesson. (Neil laughs) And that Michael – that man is in thundering need of an attitude adjustment. Get him laid, you know? At least he’d crack a smile. I can’t even hear what he’s saying half the time, you know? “Pass…the sugar.”
Neil and Darwin both laugh.
SECTION EIGHT: BARRACKS
Claire is hiding a silver suit in her trunk.
TRENT: Mind if I have a look? Where’d you get that?
CLAIRE: Stole it from ordnance.
TRENT: Trying to make a fashion statement?
CLAIRE: You heard the relic. We’re all satellite tagged.
TRENT: I’d like to buy another vowel, please.
CLAIRE: Think Superman.
TRENT: You gonna fly out of here?
CLAIRE: Okay…it’s like…Superman can see through anything but lead, right? What do you think that’s made of? Titanium. We’re talking lead plus. So the moment I put that on, I’m off their satellite scope.
TRENT: All right, you got the wears, but how you plan to bail?
CLAIRE: South portal.
TRENT: I checked it on the schematics; it’s sealed.
CLAIRE: I have the key code. You’d be surprised what you pick up when you keep quiet and pay attention.
TRENT: You’re crazy, they’re going to kill you.
CLAIRE: Only if they catch me
SECTION EIGHT
Michael and Nikita are sitting at their leisure. Michael is rubbing Nikita’s feet.
NIKITA: Michael. What’s happening here?
MICHAEL: What do you mean?
NIKITA: Why the time pressure to make these kids operatives. Operations is planning something, isn’t he?
MICHAEL: I don’t know.
NIKITA: Well if this is for real, we’re going to be here forever.
MICHAEL: Is this so bad?
SECTION EIGHT: BARRACKS
Darwin plays loud music on his stereo.
JASMINE: Do you mind? (no response) Yo, gwailo! Yeah, you, rebel without a clue. Bite me!
DARWIN: Whip it out.
Jasmine runs across the room and begins beating Darwin.
TRENT: In his face! In his face! Kick his ass! Kick his ass! (Nikita enters) Hey, yo, how many times have I told you to stop fighting? What would Nikita say if she saw you right now? What would she say? You guys don’t listen.
The other recruits separate Darwin and Jasmine, holding them apart.
DARWIN: Come on, come on!
NIKITA: What’s going on?
DARWIN: Ask her. She’s the one who tried to do a Jackie Chan on me.
JASMINE: He plays that hillbilly headbanger crap 24-7! All I did was ask him to turn it down!
DARWIN: Who you calling an in-breeder, eggroll?
Nikita slams him up against the wall.
NIKITA: Keep the volume down. Understood?
DARWIN: Yes ma’am.
MICHAEL: Where’s Claire?
NEIL: Girl was here a minute ago.
MICHAEL: Where is she?
TRENT: Look, uh, just calm down, all right? I’ll tell you. But you’ve got to promise not to kill her.
MICHAEL: Where is she?
TRENT: She’s headed for the south portal.
NIKITA: She’s not on our thermo.
TRENT: She found a way to beat it.
MICHAEL: (to Nikita) Stay interior.
Michael and Nikita head off in opposite directions.
NIKITA: Claire! Claire!
Claire steps down a ladder and runs, but Nikita sees her. Claire runs, Nikita in hot pursuit. She gets to the portal and opens it to find Michael, already there. She’s cornered between Michael and Nikita.
CLAIRE: I want to go home.
NIKITA: I’m sorry. You can’t. It’s impossible. I’m sorry.
CLAIRE: (crying) I’m scared.
NIKITA: I know.
SECTION EIGHT: TRAINING AREA
Claire and Trent watch Darwin and Jasmine spar.
CLAIRE: You were the only one that knew.
TRENT: I told Michael, but I had no choice.
CLAIRE: You could have kept your mouth shut.
DARWIN: On top, just where I want you.
TRENT: The man was about to put a major damper on Neil’s life.
CLAIRE: I would have kept my mouth shut.
NIKITA: Trent, Claire, you’re up. Trent, offense. Claire, defense.
DARWIN: (to Jasmine and Neil) Watch this, she’s gonna go postal on him.
Claire attacks Trent aggressively.
NIKITA: Trent, engage! Look for the blind spot! Advance!
TRENT: Okay, okay, enough! We’re on the same team.
SECTION EIGHT: COMMAND AREA
Operations is on the screen talking to Michael.
OPERATIONS: How’s the training going?
MICHAEL: Slow.
OPERATIONS: I’m sorry to hear that. Our clock has been moved up; I’m going to need you to go into the field in two days. Details will be uploaded to your panels within the hour.
MICHAEL: These kids are not ready for fieldwork.
OPERATIONS: We have no choice. Section manpower is low. Birkoff will assist you with tactical in Section. That’s all.
SECTION EIGHT: CORRIDOR
CLAIRE: All you did was prolong the inevitable.
TRENT: What are you talking about?
CLAIRE: A day, a week, it doesn’t matter. None of us are getting out of here alive.
MICHAEL: We have a mission. There’s a briefing in one hour.
SECTION EIGHT: WAR ROOM
MICHAEL: Preliminary intel indicates Crystal Sky’s base of operations to be within this perimeter. An area approximately ten square kilometers, off road, natural cover. Our objective is field recon, lair identification, intelligence gathering only.
NEIL: (whispers to Darwin) Easy.
DARWIN: It’s a Catholic schoolgirl on a Saturday night.
MICHAEL: Everything will be sent to Section One for analysis and procedure.
DARWIN: (raises his hand) Oh, oh, sir? Are we gonna get to kill some people?
NIKITA: (ignores him) Okay, Trent will be handling field comm. Jasmine, you’re recon leader. Darwin, you’ll be our weapons and ordnance specialist. Further details are on your panels.
MICHAEL: That’s all.
The recruits get up and leave.
NIKITA: Do you think they’ll make it?
MICHAEL: No.
SECTION ONE: SYSTEMS
OPERATIONS: What I’m about to tell you is level one classified which means your panels will not be loaded. What you need to know will be said here. The details of Michael and Nikita’s mission have been leaked to Crystal Sky. I want two-man shadow teams, wide coverage. Davenport will have point. Once Crystal Sky surfaces to engage, Davenport will move his team in and eliminate the faction, except for their leader, Doc Leshem. He will be returned to Section One for interrogation. Davenport, prepare your team.
SECTION ONE: MUNITIONS
WALTER: Hey. Who died?
BIRKOFF: Michael and Nikita.
WALTER: What?
BIRKOFF: They’re about to walk into a firing squad.
WALTER: I don’t understand.
BIRKOFF: Operations is using Michael and Nikita’s team as bait to smoke out Crystal Sky.
WALTER: Are you sure?
BIRKOFF: I just came from Systems. Davenport’s team is using them as a Trojan horse.
WALTER: Then we have to contact them.
BIRKOFF: Walter. I already tried. They’re under dark cover. Operations is monitoring tactical, so there’s no way to even get them a message.
SECTION EIGHT
The recruits dress and load their weapons. Next, we see the mission van.
DARWIN: Yeah! It’s game day, boys and girls. Check it out, boys and girls! I am ferocious and ready to kick ass! (his face is darkened with makeup)
JASMINE: I’d go easy on the Cover Girl if I were you.
DARWIN: Don’t get too close to my fire. You might get burned.
MICHAEL: Birkoff, do a perimeter sweep.
BIRKOFF: I have you entering the target zone. Perimeter is clean.
MICHAEL: Moving to first mark.
BIRKOFF: (quietly) Good luck.
NIKITA: Stay on B channel. Weapons on safety. If you see anything you think is hot, tell myself or Michael.
Darwin blows her a kiss.
MICHAEL: Birkoff?
BIRKOFF: You’re good to go.
MICHAEL: Let’s go.
They all exit the van.
BIRKOFF: First team is moving in.
OPERATIONS: Second team, stand by.
DAVENPORT: Standby acknowledged.
The recruits fan out in the wooded area. Darwin removes the safety on his gun.
NEIL: What are you doing? You heard what Nikita said – weapons on safety.
DARWIN: Be prepared.
NEIL: Yeah, like you were ever a boy scout.
DARWIN: No, but I used to kick their asses all the time.
MICHAEL: Birkoff, what does your sat-thermo say?
Birkoff hesitates, looks at Operations who shakes his head “no”.
BIRKOFF: Thermo is cold. Perimeter remains clean.
MICHAEL: He’s lying. We’re bait. Move them back.
Hostiles surround Michael’s team of recruits.
NIKITA: Move back!
A gun battle flares.
BIRKOFF: First team has engaged.
OPERATIONS: Second team, move in.
Gunfire continues. A Crystal Sky member captures Neil. Darwin points his gun at them.
DARWIN: Let him go!
NEIL: Shoot him!
Darwin hesitates. The terrorist slashes Neil’s throat. Neil drops.
DARWIN: No!
He shoots the Crystal Sky operative repeatedly. Elsewhere, Trent is shot and screams. Michael is shot and the bullet creases the side of his head. Nikita runs to him.
NIKITA: Michael! Michael! Are you all right?
Crystal Sky surrounds the senior operatives and takes them into their custody.
Flash to Section One.
OPERATIONS: Second team, has target been acquired?
DAVENPORT: We have 70 percent containment. Visual on target.
Davenport’s team captures Doc Lesham.
DAVENPORT: Second team has obtained Doc Lesham. Target en route. Request permission to go after Michael and Nikita.
OPERATIONS: Denied, target is priority.
DAVENPORT: Sir!
OPERATIONS: Michael and Nikita are collateral damage. Second team, return with target.
SECTION ONE: VAN ACCESS
Second team brings in a hooded Doc Lesham. Operations pulls off his hood and looks at him.
OPERATIONS: Take him away. Numbers?
DAVENPORT: 90% containment.
OPERATIONS: That means we still have a Crystal Sky problem.
DAVENPORT: The fracture and Doc Lesham’s abduction permanently damages their situation. But as long as they’ve got two of our key operatives, they still remain a threat.
OPERATIONS: What happened to Michael and Nikita’s team?
DAVENPORT: I suspect they’re either dead or on the run.
BARN
The surviving recruits run into the barn.
JASMINE: One entry point? Is that it?
TRENT: Yeah, lucky me, I only got shot once! What do you mean, is that it? And they better not mess up my tattoo in there!
JASMINE: (examining it) Bullet went right through. I can staple it. Give me your med pack.
TRENT: Staple? What you talking about girl, you know this is my arm; this ain’t a piece of plywood!
JASMINE: You got a better idea?
CLAIRE: Where’s Neil? Where’s Neil?
JASMINE: He’s dead.
CLAIRE: How do you know? Did you see him go down?
JASMINE: (she staples Trent’s wound closed) Yes.
CLAIRE: What happened?
DARWIN: Everything happened so fast. There was this guy…he…just…came out of nowhere. I …I just froze up, okay? I froze up. I froze.
TRENT: Don’t worry. We’ll be joining Neil soon. We’re all dead. It’s just a matter of time. We didn’t back up Michael and Nikita. We screwed up big time. You think Section’s gonna give us another chance?
DARWIN: He’s right. We have to make a run for it.
JASMINE: They’ll find us.
DARWIN: Hey, we are dead either way.
JASMINE: Not if we find Michael and Nikita.
DARWIN: You’re crazy! Okay? The four of us?
JASMINE: Why not?
DARWIN: Because Michael and Nikita are probably dead already.
TRENT: Look, look, we don’t know that, all right? Now just think about it, okay. If we could bring them back alive it might buy us some time.
DARWIN: Why do you even care about these people?
TRENT: They were just doing their jobs. We failed to do ours.
DARWIN: Give me a break.
JASMINE: If Michael and Nikita hadn’t covered our retreat, we’d all be dead.
TRENT: And they saved our lives. More than once.
CLAIRE: He’s right. If we’re going to die, let’s go down doing something right for a change.
DARWIN: Spare us the half-time speeches!
CLAIRE: See you in hell.
DARWIN: You really want to die, don’t you?
CLAIRE: Maybe I just want to feel like I didn’t waste 19 years, all right?
JASMINE: We can do something no one expects from us.
DARWIN: What’s that?
JASMINE: Survive. Trent, get to work.
SECTION ONE: COMM
BIRKOFF: Sir.
OPERATIONS: What is it?
BIRKOFF: I found the farm team. Only four thermos. One must be down.
OPERATIONS: Where?
BIRKOFF: 46 kilometers west of the target zone.
OPERATIONS: Have Davenport assemble his team.
CRYSTAL SKY HEADQUARTERS
Michael and Nikita sit side by side in an otherwise empty room, each tied to a chair.
NIKITA: Why haven’t they killed us yet?
MICHAEL: They’re going to trade us off for Lesham.
NIKITA: How do you know?
MICHAEL: It’s the only leverage they’ve got.
SECTION ONE: VAN ACCESS
OPERATIONS: Birkoff will download the thermos to your panels.
DAVENPORT: How do you want it handled?
OPERATIONS: They’ve been exposed. Take them out of play.
DAVENPORT: Understood.
OPERATIONS: What is it?
BIRKOFF: We just received a communiqué from Crystal Sky. They want to trade Nikita and Michael for Doc Lesham.
OPERATIONS: (nods) No deal.
BARN
Trent is working at a computer.
TRENT: You guys, I think I got something. I jacked into Section’s satellite. Crystal Sky was heading east right before they went offline. Over here is mostly farmland, it’s barren. But look at over here – strong electrical usage. They’ve got to be over here, I’m sure of it.
DARWIN: Sweet. The man’s a bloodhound.
CLAIRE: Numbers.
TRENT: Ten to one.
DARWIN: That’s dicey.
JASMINE: Just the way I like it. Let’s get radical.
MISSION VAN
DAVENPORT: They’re on the move.
OPERATIONS: Don’t lose them.
CRYSTAL SKY HEADQUARTERS
A man hooks up a gas hose to the room Michael and Nikita are in.
MICHAEL: Operations passed on the deal.
He and Nikita reach out and join hands. Outside, the recruits are moving into position. While the others fight, Darwin closes the gas valve and enters the room where Michael and Nikita await their deaths.
DARWIN: Don’t look so surprised.
They all exit the room.
JASMINE: This way.
They run and confront Davenport’s team.
DAVENPORT: I have my orders, Michael.
MICHAEL: Not anymore.
SECTION ONE: MAIN AREA
Michael, Nikita, and the recruits walk into Section and stare up at Operations defiantly as he looks down on them.
OPERATIONS’ PERCH
OPERATIONS: George wanted to smoke out Doc Lesham. I’m afraid it couldn’t have been done without giving Crystal Sky a false sense of victory.
NIKITA: Section Eight?
OPERATIONS: Yes. Oversight was planning to shut it down; I used it to our advantage.
MICHAEL: Why didn’t you use abeyance operatives instead of recruits?
OPERATIONS: Even abeyance ops were too valuable for this type of mission. No one gives a damn about these kids, not even god.
NIKITA: What will happen to them now?
OPERATIONS: They show potential. I’m sending them back to the farm under new supervision. They’ll train as recruits and execute no-contest missions.
DARWIN: (in Comm) Now this is more like it.
OPERATIONS: One day, if they survive, they’ll join Section as operatives.
Michael and Nikita go downstairs.
NIKITA: What’s a no contest mission?
MICHAEL: Any operation with less than a five percent success rate.
NIKITA: Suicide missions.
The senior operatives pass by the recruits as they wait in van access.
NIKITA: Good luck.
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