Mission Log: "Spec Ops"
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Section One, Observation Room 5...
Nikita is restless inside the sterile white confines of the hexagonal room. She exercises, paces, throws her pillow, tries the steel door -- finds it locked, as usual...
Section One, outside Observation Room 5...
A man is watching Nikita's activities via a monitor. Operations, Madeline and Michael stand nearby, also watching Nikita.
MADELINE: Her strength is returning.
OPERATIONS: Yes. Not that she ever seemed what you would call weak.
MICHAEL: I'll set up a program.
OPERATIONS: No.
MICHAEL: She's ready.
OPERATIONS: Yes. But we've decided to let Jurgen handle it.
MICHAEL: Why?
MADELINE: You're the one who brought her out. You're too close to the situation. We need complete objectivity.
OPERATIONS, looking past Michael, at Jurgen, who is walking up: Jurgen. Are you familiar with the case history of an agent named Nikita?
JURGEN: I just got the file.
OPERATIONS: About six months ago she was placed in abeyance, then sent on a mission against the Freedom League. At first we thought she was dead. Then we received word that she'd been taken prisoner.
JURGEN: You think she cooperated with the League. (It isn't a question)
MADELINE: That's what we want you to tell us. We want a complete evaluation, physical, psychological, and emotional.
JURGEN: She's mine?
MADELINE: You own her.
OPERATIONS: Find out the truth. You have one week.
JURGEN, looks at Michael: Good to see you, Michael.
He turns and walks away.
Section One, Observation Room 5...
Michael enters Nikita's room.
NIKITA: Michael! I was wondering when you'd come see me.
MICHAEL: You were in Observation. It wasn't permitted.
NIKITA: Does that mean I'm out now?
MICHAEL: As of an hour ago.
He places a small device on a wall, flicks it on.
Section One, outside Observation Room 5...
The tech monitoring Nikita sees his screen go fuzzy.
TECH: I've lost sync on Five.
Section One, Observation Room 5...
MICHAEL: We have two minutes. Do you know a man named Jurgen.
NIKITA: I've heard of him. Special Ops.
MICHAEL: You'll be spending some time with him.
NIKITA: Is that bad?
MICHAEL: Yes. Operation's not convinced you're telling the truth. Jurgen's been assigned to find out for sure.
NIKITA: Well, I won't let him.
MICHAEL: It's not going to be easy. Supposedly you were tortured for six months. Progress too slowly, you'll seem damaged. Too quickly, and they'll be suspicious.
NIKITA: I can handle it. When are we going to see each other.
MICHAEL: I don't know. Just be careful.
Removing the signal jammer from the wall, he walks out.
Section One, briefing table...
Michael, an operative named Marco, and several others are being briefed by Operations.
OPERATIONS: We received a message this morning from a contact in Hong Kong concerning a man named Kudrin.
MARCO: Wasn't Kudrin in the Freedom League?
OPERATIONS: Yes. He was at a base we incinerated two weeks ago. Apparently he survived.
MICHAEL: That's impossible.
OPERATIONS: Not so. Our contact is reliable. It's very likely Kudrin is back in touch with the remnant of the League. We need him alive for questioning. Michael, put together a team. You'll leave in an hour.
Preoccupied, Michael seems not to hear.
OPERATIONS: Michael?
MICHAEL: Of course.
Section One, Munitions...
Emerging from the back of his department, Walter rolls up a gate and sees Nikita standing at his work station.
WALTER: Wow! Look who's here, back from the dead! Hi, Sugar! (He gives her a big hug) I wanted to come see you but they wouldn't let me.
NIKITA: I know.
WALTER: The Freedom League, was...was it bad, what they did to you?
NIKITA: It was bad enough.
WALTER: Anything I can do, you tell me.
NIKITA: Oh, I'll be fine. But thank you.
WA:TER: So what's next?
NIKITA: I'm not sure. I'm going into rehab with a man named Jurgen. Do you know him?
WALTER: Yeah, I know him.
NIKITA: And?
WALTER: I've seen him help people. I've seen him destroy people. You can catch me later. There's a mission on the pad.
NIKITA: What's the mission?
WALTER: One of the Freedom Leaguers survived the assault. Could have been one of the guys that worked you over. We bring him back, maybe you can pay him back. Wish us luck.
Section One, corridor near Van Access...
Nikita waits inconspicuously at an intersection of corridors for Michael to walk by.
NIKITA: Michael.
Michael joins her in the side corridor.
NIKITA: Is it true that someone survived the assault?
MICHAEL: A man named Kudrin. Did you hear about him when you were with the League?
NIKITA: No. But he might know that I was there for only two days instead of six months.
MICHAEL: Right.
NIKITA: If he's captured and questioned by Madeline....
MICHAEL: I'll take care of it. Just make sure you handle Jurgen.
Hong Kong
It's night, and the streets of Hong Kong are drenched with neon and thick with autos. Michael, Marco and a female operative enter a long hallway -- a market, of sorts, where drugs, women and anything else one can think of is available. Striding down the hallway, Michael sees Kudrin up ahead. Kudrin spots the Section team and turns to run. Michael and the others set off in pursuit, with Michael quickly outpacing the others. Kudrin bursts through a doorway into a crowded kitchen; in his flight he knocks over several workers. Michael is hot on his heels. Kudrin flees into a restaurant. Reaching the doorway, Michael raises his laser-sighted pistol and fires a single shot. Kudrin falls; there are shouts of alarm as the restaurant patrons scatter. Marco and the other operative arrive.
MARCO, to Michael: We were supposed to take him alive.
MICHAEL: I had no choice.
MARCO: Hope you can sell that to Operations. (He bends over Kudrin, feeling for a pulse at the neck) This must be your lucky day.
MICHAEL: What do you mean?
MARCO: He's not dead. Not yet, anyway. Maybe he'll pull through.
MICHAEL, with but the slightest hesitation: Bring him in.
Section One, Rehabilitation...
Nikita arrives at the door.
JURGEN: It's open.
Nikita enters, walks along a catwalk above where Jurgen sits at a Go table, then down a flight of stairs into a room of concrete and steel.
JURGEN: Do you know what this is?
NIKITA: Go.
JURGEN: Do you play?
NIKITA: No.
JURGEN: You should. You'd be surprised what it can teach you.
NIKITA: I'm not much for games.
JURGEN, removing his glasses, rises and walks around the table to face Nikita: Why are you here?
NIKITA: They sent me.
JURGEN: Why are you here?
NIKITA: To increase my proficiency levels.
JURGEN, taking one step closer: Why are you here?
NIKITA: To become a better operative.
JURGEN: Thought you didn't like games.
NIKITA, softly: I'm here because I don't want to die.
JURGEN: Good. You might just live. If you obey one simple rule. Don't tell me any more lies.
NIKITA: The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but?
JURGEN: That's right.
NIKITA: I'm not sure that's possible in Section.
JURGEN: No need to worry about the Section. You need to worry about me.
NIKITA, with a faint smile, sits down at the Go table: Shall we begin the session?
JURGEN: We just finished. I'll see you tomorrow.
Section One, Medical, holding room...
Kudrin lies on a gurney, hooked up to monitors and an I.V. Madeline stands beside him.
MADELINE: Mr. Kudrin. You've had a rough couple of days. The doctors say you're going to live. That's the bad news. There is no good news.
As she moves around to the other side of the gurney, Michael watches through an observation window.
MADELINE: You'll notice the pain is minimal, given the severity of your wounds. That's because we've pumped you full of painkillers. The painkillers we use are highly addictive, and they work very quickly. If the supply is cut off, you'll suffer not only the pain of your wounds, but the pain of withdrawal. Most people find the combination unpleasant. The remaining members of the Freedom League -- where are they?
Kudrin does not speak, turning his head away.
MADELINE: When you feel you'd like to speak with me, just push the button next to your hand.
She leaves.
Section One, Rehabilitation...
Nikita is running on a treadmill in the center of the holo-dome. Jurgen watches from outside the dome.
JURGEN: Hostile action.
Nikita draws a laser pistol, shoots a half-dozen holographic enemies as they appear, one right after the other, and disintegrating as she shoots them.
JURGEN: One-twenty.
Nikita continues running on the treadmill.
JURGEN: That's enough.
Nikita emerges from the dome, picks up a water bottle, finds it empty.
JURGEN: Sorry. I must have finished it.
Nikita shrugs on a black leather jacket. A man appears out of nowhere, grabs her from behind. Another man blitzes her from the front. Nikita fights them, but they get her down.
JURGEN: Stop.
The two men abruptly walk away.
JURGEN: Your report said they used neuroshock.
NIKITA, lying on the ground, catching her breath:Yes, that's right.
JURGEN: It damages nerve tissue. Sometimes it's permanent.
NIKITA: Meaning what?
JURGEN: You may have already reached your maximum performance level.
NIKITA, sitting up: It's not good enough?
JURGEN: No.
NIKITA, getting to her feet: Then I'm going to have to try and do better.
JURGEN: Michael's report didn't mention neuroshock.
NIKITA: Well, he wasn't there. I was.
JURGEN: He did the initial debriefing.
NIKITA: I was in pretty bad shape. Then I made a final report later.
JURGEN: I'll see you this afternoon.
Section One, corridor near Van Access...
Nikita and Michael stand watchfully at one end of an empty corridor.
NIKITA: He found some discrepancies between your report and mine.
MICHAEL: That was deliberate. A complete agreement would suggest collusion.
NIKITA: What happened to Kudrin?
MICHAEL: They're keeping him alive.
NIKITA: Have they questioned him yet?
MICHAEL: They're doing it now.
NIKITA: So what do you want to do?
MICHAEL: Wait.
NIKITA: So what are we going to do -- you and I? Something happened between us, Michael. We can't keep pretending that it didn't.
MICHAEL: This isn't the right time.
NIKITA: We may never have another time. We can kiss. We can touch. There's nothing stopping us.
MICHAEL: They'll know. They'll see it in our eyes when we look at each other. And it won't be long before they figure out the truth.
NIKITA: And they'll cancel us.
MICHAEL: Yes.
NIKITA: I'd be willing to die if it meant in the meantime I could live -- really live -- for just one day. (She leans closer, wanting to kiss him)
MICHAEL: Nikita, wait.
NIKITA: Until when?
MICHAEL: Until you've finished rehab. Until their attention is somewhere else.
NIKITA: And after that, will there be another excuse?
MICHAEL: I don't know. I just know right now it's too risky.
NIKITA: I came back for you. For us to be together.
MICHAEL: That's going to be difficult now. We'll have to be careful.
NIKITA: I'm tired of being careful.
MICHAEL: Get over it.
Nikita pulls back, then turns and walks away.
NIKITA, angrily: 'Get over it.'
Section One, Medical...
Michael and Madeline stand outside the holding room's observation window through which they can see Kudrin.
MICHAEL: He talked?
MADELINE: He gave me the location of a safehouse in Munich. It may lead to other locations.
MICHAEL: I'll take a team out tonight.
MADELINE: It's a start. But I think he knows more.
MICHAEL: More about what?
MADELINE: About the League. What else?
MICHAEL: Nothing.
MADELINE: How's Nikita?
MICHAEL: She seems fine. What does Jurgen say?
MADELINE: Nothing -- yet.
Section One, Systems...
Birkoff sits at the computer station controlling the sim-rep table. Operations is present, along with Michael and another operative. A three-dimensional holographic replica of the Munich safehouse hovers above the table.
BIRKOFF: From what we've been able to extrapolate with Kudrin, our best point of entry is here.
OPERATIONS: Where's the host system?
BIRKOFF: In here.
OPERATIONS: Room traffic?
BIRKOFF: Minimal. But they will be there to protect the computer.
OPERATIONS: It has all Freedom League data on it, including their directory?
BIRKOFF, nodding: Most of your hostile activity will be in the corridor, which means we can't saturate. We set off an alarm too soon, they'll destroy it themselves. I'd run it single.
OPERATIONS: Only one?
BIRKOFF, producing data that hovers above the sim-rep, and a red line that links the data to the rep) If you enter from here, you'll get into the room with minimal resistance.
OPERATIONS, turning to the other operative: You take it.
MICHAEL: No.
OPERATIONS: What?
MICHAEL: I've run this pattern before. I have a higher P.O.S.
OPERATIONS: All right. Do it.
BIRKOFF, to Michael: Once you get the host table, give me a pulse. I'll be bringing everyone in for egress. If we pull this off, it's more intel in one place than we've ever seen.
Munich, Freedom League safehouse...
It's night -- Michael peers through a halloween mask scraped into the paint of a blacked-out window, sees a computer station and several armed men. Leaping through the window, he fires a silenced submachinegun. The Freedom League men fire back. In the exchange the terrorists fall, and the computer is destroyed.
Section One, The Perch...
OPERATIONS, angrily: Everyone was hit. The computer was yours. What happened?
MICHAEL: By the time I'd secured the room, they had destroyed the computer.
OPERATIONS: What's going on, Michael?
MICHAEL: Nothing.
OPERATIONS: When Nikita was missing you had a rough time. Now that she's back, you're having another.
MICHAEL: It has nothing to do with Nikita.
OPERATIONS: You of all people should know the dangers of an emotional involvement with colleagues. Is there anything you want to tell me, Michael?
MICHAEL: No.
Section One, Rehabilitation...
Nikita walks in, starts down stairs. Seeing Jurgen, who stands inside the holodome consulting a PDA, she stops, unzips the top of her sweatsuit, fluffs her hair, and proceeds on down.
NIKITA: Another firefight sim?
JURGEN: What else did they do to you, besides the neuroshock?
NIKITA: Sleep deprivation. Propaganda. Threats. Oh, promises.
JURGEN: Promises? Of what?
NIKITA: Money. A safe haven on some island.
JURGEN: Sounds great. Why didn't you accept?
NIKITA: Well, I didn't believe them.
JURGEN: They'd kill you whether you cooperated or not.
NIKITA: That's right.
JURGEN: So...why resist? Why not get it over with?
NIKITA: Why does anybody resist torture?
JURGEN: Most don't. Why did you?
NIKITA: Loyalty.
JURGEN: To the Section.
NIKITA: Yes, that's right.
JURGEN: I told you before. If you want to live, don't lie to me.
NIKITA: I'm loyal to the Section. That is the way we're trained, isn't it?
Section One, corridor...
Michael intercepts Madeline as she walks along a catwalk.
MICHAEL: Birkoff just cracked Freedom League's directory.
MADELINE: So I hear.
MICHAEL: There's no longer any reason to keep Kudrin alive.
MADELINE: He may still have some useful information.
She proceeds down stairs, Michael following.
MICHAEL: We have all we need.
MADELINE: Why are you so anxious to see him die?
MICHAEL: He's wasting resources.
They stop. Jurgen is leaning against a wall, waiting for them.
JURGEN: Not necessarily. Ask Kudrin about Nikita.
MICHAEL: What about her?
JURGEN: He may have been in the camp when she was tortured. He could tell us exactly what they did to her.
MADELINE: Is that important?
JURGEN: Yes. There's something...she's not telling me.
MADELINE: She's probably repressing the worst of it.
JURGEN: It's not repression.
MADELINE: Deception?
JURGEN: Anything Kudrin could tell us would be useful. Unless Michael objects.
MICHAEL: No. It's a good idea.
MADELINE: Then it's settled.
She walks away. Michael and Jurgen stare at one another for a moment. Then Michael turns and walks away.
Section One, Medical, holding room...
Madeline stands beside Kudrin's gurney. Jurgen leans against a wall. Michael is looking in through the observation window.
MADELINE: We're interested in a woman who was held at Base Camp 4.
KUDRIN: There was no prisoner in Base Camp 4.
MADELINE: That's not true. She was rescued during the assault.
KUDRIN: Impossible.
MADELINE: She was held for six months. We want to know what your people did to her.
KUDRIN: We don't hold prisoners. We interrogate, then dispose of them.
MADELINE: Whatever was done to her, we won't hold it against you personally. In fact, the only way that you can make things worse for yourself is if you lie.
KUDRIN: There was no prisoner. Certainly not for more than a few days.
Section One, Rehabilitation...
Nikita is again in the holo-dome, shooting several more "hostiles" to end the sequence.
JURGEN: All right.
NIKITA: How am I doing?
JURGEN: Your reflexes are at 90 percent. But your coordination is no better than 75.
NIKITA: Yeah, I can feel it. I'm still out of sync.
JURGEN: So, we'll step up the pace.
NIKITA: All right.
She follows him down off the holo-dome platform, into the lower level.
JURGEN: Have you started playing Go yet?
MIKITA: No, I haven't.
JURGEN: Why not? I told you to.
NIKITA: I didn't realize it was an order.
JURGEN: In Go, every move is a cover for something else.
NIKITA: Well, I'm sure it's the Section's most popular pastime.
Jurgen smiles.
NIKITA: Anything else?
JURGEN: No. (He starts to turn away) Oh. There is one thing...
He strikes, without warning. Nikita blocks the blow, lashes out with a kick, which Jurgen blocks.
JURGEN: You don't seem out of sync now.
Section One, Level 4, a remote corridor...
Nikita is sitting in a shadowy corner; when Michael comes through a doorway she rises.
NIKITA: He knows I wasn't a prisoner.
MICHAEL: How?
NIKITA: Just does.
MICHAEL: Does he know about us?
NIKITA: I don't know.
MICHAEL: I'm under suspicion, too. I destroyed a Freedom League computer. I was afraid it might contain data about their prisoners.
NIKITA: I wouldn't be on it.
MICHAEL: You asked me once what to do, and I said wait. I have a better answer now. Get away from here. Be free again.
NIKITA: You mean it?
MICHAEL: I mean it. I have a plan. It's not perfect, but it should give you two days start, maybe more.
NIKITA: Me? What about you?
MICHAEL: I'll have to stay behind.
NIKITA: And if the truth comes out when I'm gone?
MICHAEL: That's a chance I'll have to take.
NIKITA, angrily: You'll do anything, can't you -- except be with me. Michael, you can go to hell. I ran once and it didn't work. I'm not running again.
She starts to walk away.
MICHAEL: Nikita. (She stops, but doesn't turn around) There's another way. It won't be easy. It requires something from both of us. I'll get Kudrin to lie, to say you were a prisoner.
NIKITA: How are you going to do that?
MICHAEL: That's my problem. Your problem is to take care of Jurgen.
NIKITA: By doing what?
MICHAEL: Whatever it takes.
Section One, Rehabilitation...
Jurgen sits in semi-darkness, meditating. Nikita enters quietly behind him.
JURGEN: You're not scheduled.
NIKITA: I thought I'd get in extra work, if that's all right with you.
JURGEN: It's fine. What'll it be?
NIKITA: Whatever you want. Just give it your best shot.
JURGEN: You sure you're ready for that?
NIKITA: I think so.
She has one hand behind her back. In it is an assassin's knife.
JURGEN, rising to face her: What did you do on the outside?
NIKITA: You mean before I came into Section.
JURGEN: I mean during the six months you were supposedly held prisoner by the Freedom League.
NIKITA: Supposedly?
JURGEN: What were you really doing? Where did you live? How did you support yourself?
NIKITA: I don't know what you're talking about.
JURGEN, pacing: This is disappointing. I was hoping you took me seriously when I told you not to lie.
NIKITA: I'm not lying.
JURGEN: You see, it felt wrong from the start. You were repressing something. But...not a memory. More like a secret.
NIKITA: You're wrong.
JURGEN: Am I? I don't think so. I think I got it right. See, I know why you're here.
Section One, Medical, holding room...
Michael raises Kudrin's bed to a 45 degree angle. Kudrin is conscious, drenched with sweat, in obvious pain.
MICHAEL: What do you want?
KUDRIN: What?
MICHAEL: What do you want?
KUDRIN: To die.
MICHAEL: I can help.
KUDRIN: Then do it.
MICHAEL: I want something in return.
Kudrin nods.
MICHAEL: If you do exactly as I say, you'll die quickly. If you betray me, I'll see to it that you remain like this forever.
KUDRIN: Whatever you say. Just do it.
Section One, Rehabilitation...
Jurgen is circling Nikita. She keeps turning to face him, concealing the knife behind her back.
JURGEN: Tell me why you came back. It was Michael, wasn't it?
Section One, Medical, holding room...
Using tweezers, Michael removes a black pellet from a small case, drops it into the IV bag hooked up to Kudrin.
Section One, Rehabilitation...
JURGEN: He has you under his thumb, just like all the rest. What, you think you're the first? Manipulating beautiful women is his specialty. You've heard of Simone?
NIKITA: He loved Simone.
JURGEN: He's never loved anyone. Not even himself.
Section One, Medical, holding room...
Madeline has arrived, and stands beside Kudrin's bed.
MADELINE: You wanted to see me?
KUDRIN: Yes.
MADELINE: I'm listening.
KUDRIN: There was a prisoner. Blonde hair.
Michael watches from outside, via the observation window.
KUDRIN: We used the most advanced techniques. She suffered, but gave us nothing.
MADELINE: Why didn't you tell me this before?
KUDRIN: I've told you -- now. Kill me.
MADELINE: I only wish I could. But you kept this back, and you may be keeping something else back, too. I'm afraid we're going to have to let you live a little longer.
Section One, Rehabilitation...
Nikita brandishes the knife.
JURGEN, as they warily circle one another: He's dead inside. He's made you dead, too. You came to kill me because he told you to. If he told you to have sex with me, you'd do that, too. You're his slave.
Section One, Medical, holding room...
Michael presses a button a small remote control device. The pellet in Kudrin's IV disintegrates. Kudrin convulses for a moment, then flat-lines.
MADELINE: Medic to Holding -- now!
Section One, Rehabilitation...
Nikita and Jurgen are still circling one another.
JURGEN, calmly: Section will know it wasn't an accident.
NIKITA: I don't give a damn about Section.
She lunges. Jurgen grabs her hand so that the knife point is poised millimeters from his throat.
JURGEN: Neither do I. Because death doesn't matter if you've truly been alive. And now you're not thinking about Section, or being cancelled, or anything -- except what you want. To put that knife deep inside my throat. Isn't that right?
NIKITA: That's right!
Jurgen pushes her away. Nikita falls to a sitting position on the floor, head bowed in defeat.
JURGEN: Congratulations. You're alive again. As far as I'm concerned, the sessions are over.
Section One, Communications...
Nikita walks through Communications to join Michael, who stands alone near a wall.
MICHAEL: Is it over?
NIKITA: Yes.
At that moment, Jurgen walks past, headed for The Perch, where Operations and Madeline are talking.
NIKITA: He's no danger to us.
MICHAEL, coldly: You just signed our death warrants.
He walks away.
Section One, The Perch...
Nikita enters, approaches Operations and Madeline -- but doesn't get too close.
NIKITA: You wanted to see me?
OPERATIONS: Yes. Your evaluation is complete.
MADELINE: You should have told us the truth, Nikita. Jurgen told us everything. The Freedom League used forced hypnotic regression, didn't they? Reduced you to a little girl again, tried to build you back up.
NIKITA: Yes. That's right.
OPERATIONS: It's nothing to be ashamed of. Especially since you didn't crack.
NIKITA, moving closer to them: Well, I...thought if they put me through it one more time, I might.
MADELINE: The point is, we could have done a better job of helping you if we'd known. As it is, Jurgen says you've made it nearly all the way back on sheer willpower.
NIKITA: Yes.
OPERATIONS: In any event, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that a team returned just an hour ago. The last remnants of the Freedom League have been destroyed.
NIKITA: So, uh, what now?
MADELINE: You'll work a while longer with Jurgen. If all goes well, you'll be returned to active status.
OPERATIONS: Well done, Nikita.
Nikita smiles, faintly.
Section One, corridor, near Van Access...
NIKITA: Forced hypnotic regression. Does it even exist?
JURGEN: It exists. It can destroy your emotional structure in a matter of days.
NIKITA: Any residual effect?
JURGEN: Report some nightmares, just to keep it convincing. Then, in two or three weeks, come up to full proficiency. You'll be in the clear.
He starts to walk away.
NIKITA: Jurgen -- thanks.
She walks down the corridor, as though a great weight has been lifted -- then sees Michael lurking up ahead.
NIKITA: You still don't trust him?
MICHAEL: Why should he protect us?
NIKITA: I don't know. But he just did.
MICHAEL: You've been in the Section long enough, Nikita. You should know better.
NIKITA: If he was going to betray us he would have done it by now.
MICHAEL: Betrayal gets him nothing. But he has power over us, because he knows the truth, and one day he will use that power.
NIKITA: For what?
MICHAEL: We'll find out soon enough.
NIKITA, shaking her head: No. I don't think so, Michael. He's different.
MICHAEL: Different from what?
NIKITA: Different from you.
She leaves him standing there.
End
Written by Robert Cochran
Guest stars:
Bruce Payne.....Jurgen
Nicu Branzea.....Kudrin
Derwin Jordan.....Marco
Transcript by Jason M.
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