Scene 1: A view of a Microscope is followed by a view of people walking
through a shopping mall. The camera focuses on a young operative,
Ingram. He appears to be looking for something. Inside Section, Birkoff
watches. Shot again to the Microscope; an older man looks through it.
Ingram: Nothing near the south entrance.
Nikita: (at Section) He should keep going.
Birkoff: (to Ingram) Go deeper, I'll coordinate with other units.
Ingram: A description would be nice.
Birkoff: Still no update. A male, under twenty, is all we know.
Ingram: (sees children walk by) Could it be a child?
Birkoff: It's possible. (pause) All units, new intel. Male, 18. Dark hair, cloth
overcoat.
Nikita: (spots someone with that description) Ingram, your sector, southeast
corner. Stay on him.
Ingram: Are you sure this is the one? He doesn't look 18 to me.
Birkoff: That's got to be him. Kill him.
The young man gets into a crowded elevator. Ingram comes up to him and
draws his weapon, but the man opens his coat to reveal a chestful of
explosives. Gasps from the onlookers. Ingram hesitates.
Birkoff: Do it. Kill him.
Ingram swallows hard. Flash to the man with the microscope. The young
man takes his finger off the trigger. Then he explodes. Ingram's monitor
shows only static. Nikita gives her usual stricken look.
Scene 2: Section One, War Room
Operations: This is the last known photograph of Vero Menchik. It was
taken when he was six years old; we ran a twelve year growth progression.
Is this the boy you saw yesterday?
Nikita: Yes, it is.
Operations: (nods) How does a child get transformed into a suicidal
bomber? (Operations clicks his remote) We can thank this man, Ivan
Chernov. He steals or kidnaps children off the streets, trains and conditions
them for several years, then sells them to terrorist organizations to use as
they see fit.
Nikita: His ideology?
Operations: None, except making a profit. That would make him harder to
track but for one habit. Cocaine. We've established contact with one of his
connections. Michael, you and Nikita will meet Chernov, establish a
relationship, locate his operation, put him out of business, take Chernov
alive. The initial meeting is set for two o'clock this afternoon; you'll be
leaving in one hour. (Operations and Michael get up and leave; Madeline
comes up to Nikita)
Madeline: Have you had a chance to study Chernov's psych profile?
Nikita: I just got it.
Madeline: He's old school Russian. He prizes strength. And because you're
a woman, he's likely to test you.
Nikita: I'll look forward to it.
Madeline: He won't challenge you personally. He'll leave that to his
subordinates. The stronger you are with them, the more intrigued he'll be.
But make no move against Chernov himself.
Scene 3: What looks like a church balcony. The meet with Chernov.
Michael and Nikita arrive.
Chernov: You are Michael?
Michael: Yes. Chernov?
Chernov: Yes. How nice to make your acquaintance.
Michael: (nods)
Chernov: And this is?
Michael: A colleague.
Chernov: Ah yes, your beautiful bodyguard. I was told about her. I brought
some colleagues as well. Not as a threat but useful, in their way. (to his
colleagues) Check the goods.
Chernov's muscle approaches Nikita, who soundly kicks his butt.
Nikita: You can take the goods when we're ready to give them to you.
Chernov: With your permission... (the other man of his approaches the
briefcase. Nikita just extends a hand - he backs off. Michael turns to
Nikita and nods. Nikita picks up the briefcase and hands it to Chernov's
man, who opens it.) I believe $200,000 was the amount we agreed on.
The account number?
Michael: 210463
Chernov does some things on a palmsized computer; looks like he's
establishing a modem connection. Meanwhile, his man tests the cocaine
and then turns to him and nods.
Michael: I'll look forward to our next transaction. (He and Nikita turn to
leave)
Chernov: Why wait, Michael? Let's do it now. I'll give you an extra half
million for your colleague.
Michael: She's not just a colleague. She's a friend.
Chernov: Well. That makes a difference. Make it an even million then.
Michael: (nods) Done.
Nikita: (looks surprised as Michael walks past her.) Michael, what's
happening?
Then one of Chernov's men shoots her with a tranq dart and she goes down.
Scene 4: Section One, Operations loft
Birkoff: Sudan was successful, but with higher casualties than expected.
Ops: Egypt?
Birkoff: 90% successful. The variance was due to operative error. Felix
missed his mark by nearly a full minute.
Ops: The profile?
Birkoff: Tapes indicate the profile was solid. Felix messed up.
Ops: And not for the first time. Put him in abeyance.
Birkoff: Will do.
Ops: That's it.
From outside the loft, we see Felix watching the conversation. He heads
down the hallway and grabs Birkoff by the shoulder, spinning him around
in a way that could be interpreted as horsing around, but isn't.
Felix: Birkoff!
Birkoff: Felix.
Felix: What was that all about?
Birkoff: Routine progress report.
Felix: Did he talk about Egypt?
Birkoff: Sure.
Felix: My name come up?
Birkoff: (lies) No.
Felix: You're lying. (slams Birkoff against the wall) I'm in abeyance, aren't
I?
Birkoff: Back off, man.
Felix: Am I in abeyance or not???
Birkoff: I don't know.
Felix: You're a little tin god, aren't you? Pushing buttons, deciding who
lives, who dies? Guess what. Little tin gods die too. (Birkoff drops the disk
he was carrying. Felix releases him and leaves. Birkoff runs into Michael
in the hallway.)
Birkoff: Michael, you're back. (with some relief)
Michael: It was an easy sale, didn't take long.
Birkoff: Got a second? I just had a little run-in with Felix.
Michael: Don't worry about him. He'll be in abeyance soon.
Birkoff: That's what pissed him off.
Michael: Then what's the problem?
Birkoff: He threatened to kill me. What do you think I should do?
Michael: Don't let him. (Michael walks away)
Scene 5: Chernov's compound. A child sits on a bed in a chickenwire
fenced cage. A guard walks by. Nikita lies in a similar cage. The guard
leaves the room; Nikita awakens and talks to Birkoff via the usual hidden
communications stuff.
Nikita: Birkoff I'm in.
Birkoff: Did they do a scan?
Nikita: (feels her arm) No, transponder's still there.
Birkoff: Activate it. We've got your location, de-activate.
Nikita: How long before the team gets here?
Birkoff: We'll get there as quick as we can.
Chernov walks in.
Chernov: Welcome. I apologize for the Spartan accommodations. It's only
temporary, I promise you. (he unlocks her cage) As you know, my name is
Ivan Chernov. Your friend never did tell me yours.
Nikita: That's because it was none of your business.
Chernov: Well, we'll have to call you something, what shall it be?
Nikita: My name's Nikita.
Chernov: Nikita. A good Russian name - though usually given to a man.
Still, a touch of home is always nice. Take off your clothes, Nikita.
Nikita: (looks at him) Go to Hell, Chernov.
Chernov: Well, you can remove them yourself, or I can stun you again and
these two can strip you while you lie helpless on the floor. The choice is
yours.
Nikita: Tell them to leave.
Chernov: Nice try, but I've seen you in action. Naturally, I prefer to have
my colleagues nearby.
Nikita jumps up and takes off her clothes. As usual, no underwear. Gee,
you think that would be painful with all the running around she does,
wouldn't you? Some kind of light thing scans her body.
Chernov: Put your clothes back on before you catch cold. You see, Nikita,
you are here for a very special reason.
Nikita: And that is?
Chernov: The future. (Chernov walks away)
Nikita: Birkoff, did you get that?
Birkoff: Yeah, what did he mean?
Nikita: You don't know?
Birkoff: No.
Nikita: Then there's something going on the Section doesn't know about.
You should call off the attack.
Birkoff: I'll have to clear it with Operations.
Nikita: Then, do it.
Scene 6: Section One, Operations loft - Birkoff talking to Operations and
Madeline
Ops: The mission is less than an hour from engagement.
Birkoff: Nikita thinks there's something going on that we don't know about.
Madeline: Do you agree?
Birkoff: From what I heard? Yeah.
Ops: All right, put it on hold. Inform Nikita. (Birkoff leaves)
Madeline: Nikita was right to ask for a delay.
Ops: Yes, she should be commended. Looks like we were right about what
Chernov's really up to.
Madeline: Perhaps so. But I hope not.
Scene 7: Chernov's compound. Chernov walks up to Nikita.
Chernov: Are you feeling all right?
Nikita: I'm fine.
Chernov: It's in your own interest to be frank with me.
Nikita: Frankly, I'm not wild about these accommodations.
Chernov: (smiles) The results of your scan were very favorable. You'll fit
in nicely to our work here. (he turns)
Nikita: What work?
Chernov: You have no idea?
Nikita: There's rumors that you sell children to terrorists.
Chernov: That's true. And why not? We're all capitalists now. Manipulating
people to buy things or make things. I simply manipulate them to be things,
and I plan to branch out into another line of business.
Nikita: Such as?
Chernov: We'll be discussing that shortly. In fact, I have hopes that you'll
find it interesting.
Nikita: Don't hold your breath.
Chernov: Don't judge too quickly. You'll join us whether you like it or not,
so you better make the best of it. You're free to move around. Take things
in, get a feel for the place. The grounds are under heavy surveillance and
are constantly guarded, so please, do nothing foolish.
Scene 8: Section One. Birkoff sits down at his computer in Section,
reaches for his glass but catches a sniff of something and stops before he
drinks. Next he's in Walter's area running a scan on it.
Walter: You're right. Cyanide.
Birkoff: I knew it.
Walter: You're sure it was Felix?
Birkoff: Who else?
Walter: Can you prove it?
Birkoff: No. But he threatened me.
Walter: Anybody hear him?
Birkoff: No.
Walter: Better tell Michael.
Birkoff: I tried, he won't help.
Walter: What are you going to do?
Birkoff: I've got to get rid of Felix somehow.
Walter: You can't just walk up to someone and kill them. Even in here!
Birkoff: He might do it to me. What's he got to lose, he's in abeyance!
Walter: What mission is he scheduled on?
Birkoff: Bulgaria.
Walter: That's in 72 hours. Libya is leaving in 24. Why don't you reschedule
him.
Birkoff: I'd need an excuse.
Walter: Do a psych workup that matches him better for Libya. File a report
and - pfft, he's history.
Birkoff: That could work. Thanks, Walter.
Scene 9: Nikita wanders around Chernov's compound. Children are in a
karate class.
Instructor: Again!
Children give karate yells. In another cage, children watch a video of
Chernov speaking. It's like a classroom. A dog barks, suspended in a cage.
In another cage, there is a class on guns.
Instructor: You see the barrel attaches to the stock right here. Put it in
gently.
Nikita looks appalled. She goes up to a guard.
Nikita: What is in there?
Guard: It is off limits.
Nikita: Chernov said I could go anywhere I wanted.
Guard: Not here.
Nikita walks downstairs, sees an argument between a teenage boy and a
guard.
Boy: The scope is misaligned. It's defective.
Guard: You are defective. You are incompetent. Do you understand me?
Boy: It's just -
Guard: Shut up! (grabs him by the shirt) I am the one doing the talking.
(Nikita intervenes)
Nikita: Leave him! (she belts the guard; Chernov appears.)
Chernov: Nikita! I asked you to do nothing foolish!
Nikita: He's a boy.
Chernov: And you wish to protect him?
Nikita: Yes, he's being hurt.
Chernov: He's not a boy at all. By any normal definition, he's a thing. I'll
show you. Go and get a knife. (the boy leaves and gets a knife) See this
woman? Slit her throat. Slit her throat! (the boy attacks Nikita but she holds
him off)
Nikita: (uncomprehending, to the boy) What have they done to you?
Chernov: That's enough. (Another guard drags the boy away) The fact that
you tried to help him means nothing. As I said, he's a thing, a product. I
should know, I built him. I think it's time for you to proceed to the next
phase.
Nikita: What's the next phase?
Chernov: You're ovulating. If I believed in fate, I would say that you were
destined to come to us when you did. The timing is absolutely perfect.
Nikita: Timing for what?
Chernov: You're going to be a mother.
Nikita attacks him, but two guards restrain her as she fights.
Nikita: You're crazy! You're crazy! Let me go! You touch me, I'll kill you!
Don't you touch me!
In Section, Michael watches with a blank look on his face.
Scene 10: Chernov's compound. Nikita is lying on her cot. She gets up
slowly.
Nikita: Is anybody out there?
The guard enters.
Nikita: I need water and painkillers, quickly. Please.
The guard leaves, expressionless.
Nikita: Birkoff are you there?
Birkoff: I'm here.
Nikita: Send the team now.
Birkoff: Are you all right?
Nikita: Just send the team.
Birkoff: Right. Red team, move in.
Nikita: How long?
Birkoff: 23 minutes.
The guard returns with water and painkillers. Nikita groans in pain.
Nikita: Oh, it hurts. (he gives her the stuff) Thank you. (she takes the water,
throws it in his eyes and decks him, taking his gun away.) Get up. (She
marches him upstairs to that area she wasn't allowed in before. It's the
laboratory. Chernov is in there with other scientists; she targets him). Out,
out! Tell them to leave.
Chernov: You heard her, out. Quickly! (they leave) Nikita, please.
Nikita: Sit down. (He does so) If you move, I will kill you. (she walks over
and smashes the security camera with her gun)
Chernov: You're beginning to annoy me.
Nikita: It's fate, remember. You took one of my eggs.
Chernov: Yes.
Nikita picks up a petri dish; Chernov picks up a syringe surreptitiously.
Nikita: Cloning?
Chernov: We may create clones, or we may blend your genes with those of
others whose talents complement yours. Probably both.
Nikita: So this is the new business that you're in?
Chernov: Acquiring children leaves too much to chance. By making them
in-house, we can provide the precise product that our clients require.
Nikita breaks the glass on the table.
Nikita: How many of these children have you already made?
Chernov: None yet, but we are close - very close.
Meanwhile, outside, the team led by Michael is moving in. Chernov
suddenly gets up and lunges at her.
Chernov: Nikita, we can't stay-
Nikita puts the gun to his head and stops him; he's unable to reach her
with the syringe.
Nikita: Sit down.
Outside, Michael walks in calmly shooting Chernov's guards. Another
operative tries to get the children out.
Operative: Okay, come with us.
Chernov hears the gunfire outside.
Chernov: So. This was a setup from the start. Who are you with, Interpol?
CIA?
Chernov gives himself the shot and dies on the floor, convulsing. Michael
appears. Nikita is looking stricken. As usual.
Michael: You okay?
Nikita: (nods) Yes.
Scene 11: Section One, the Libya mission is prepping. Felix is among the
operatives.
Birkoff: Leaving so soon? (He's sarcastic, feeling cocky and good that Felix
is going)
Felix: You know what your problem is, Birkoff?
Birkoff: No, what's my problem?
Felix: You're predictable. I figured you'd have me reassigned to an earlier
mission, and you did. You think I might not be coming back, but I will.
Birkoff: Oh really?
Felix: Yeah. I've been here a long time, Birkoff. There are ways, and I've
found one. You're going to see me again, real soon, and there's not a
damned thing you can do about it. (Felix leaves)
Birkoff walks over to Walter.
Walter: He's just bluffing. It's a last scare, out of spite.
Birkoff: Yeah. I mean, nobody comes back from an abeyance mission,
right?
Walter: Right. (sounding unconvinced)
Birkoff: What?
Walter: Nothing.
Birkoff: No, what.
Walter: Well, there are stories. Someone gets a hold of a profile in advance,
sees how they're going to die, and then they get around it somehow.
Birkoff: I need a gun.
Walter: You know I can't do that. All weapons must be checked out,
accounted for.
Birkoff: You must have one or two stashed away for emergencies. Look, if
Felix dies on the mission, I give it back, we have a good laugh. If not, it
might save my life. Walter.
Walter sighs, says nothing.
Scene 12: Madeline's office. She's on the phone.
Madeline: Has level eight analyzed Chernov's files? Good. (She concludes
the call, the door opens and Nikita enters) You should be resting.
Nikita: I'm fine. I wanted to ask you how much of Chernov's compound
survived the assault.
Madeline: The lab had an auto-destruct mechanism. All genetic material
was destroyed. Your egg included.
Nikita: (nods) His suicide was a mistake on my part. I know that you wanted
him alive.
Madeline: As it turns out, we don't need him. Under the circumstances, you
did well.
Nikita: Birkoff said that one of Chernov's children was sent out before the
raid. A boy named Milan.
Madeline: We tracked him to Kiev. We're staging a mission right now.
Nikita: I'd like to be on it.
Madeline: Why?
Nikita: I met the boy at Chernov's compound. I'll recognize him.
Madeline: He's carrying a bomb. We can't afford to go soft.
Nikita: I'll kill him if I have to.
Scene 13: Russia, Milan walking along, meets a man on a bicycle.
Milan: Sir? How far to Olana?
Man: About ten kilometers.
Milan: Then, I need your bicycle.
Man: What?
Milan: I have a train to catch. I need your bicycle.
Man: Get your own, you little brat.
Milan kills him, and rides off on the bicycle.
Scene 14: Birkoff at his station. He is reviewing the mission archives on
disk and does not see Felix get killed. Next scene, he is in Madeline's
office; she's busy misting a plant.
Madeline: He entered the building. It blew up six seconds later. How could
he have survived?
Birkoff: I don't know, but the mission tapes aren't totally conclusive.
Madeline: They can't cover every possible angle.
Birkoff: There's one tape missing, sector five.
Madeline: It was defective, we had to destroy it.
Birkoff: Did it show anything?
Madeline: No. (it's her "I'm lying" voice) What is this about?
Birkoff: Felix made some threats. He said he had a way out of abeyance.
Madeline: It was just talk. I'm sure he's dead.
Birkoff: Did anyone at the debrief actually see him die?
Madeline: No.
Birkoff: It just seems strange. There were three other abeyance ops, they're
all verified. Felix isn't. The one tape that could verify him...is defective.
This is some kind of test, isn't it? To see how I'll react under stress.
Madeline: What makes you think that?
Birkoff: Because it's the kind of thing that happens here all the time. Is that
it? Is this a test?
Madeline: No.
Birkoff: 'Course, if it was a test, you couldn't tell me, could you?
Madeline: No. You have a mission that reaches engagement in six minutes,
are you aware of that?
Birkoff: Yes.
Madeline: Perhaps you should return to your station.
Scene 15: Nikita in Russia
Nikita: Birkoff, I've got nothing, how about the others?
Birkoff: Nothing so far. Intel suggests he's approaching from the southeast,
maybe along the canal. (Madeline is standing behind Birkoff, obviously
watching very carefully, and with an ear bud on)
Nikita: Birkoff, I've got him. (she approaches) Milan? Hey. My name's
Nikita, remember me? I met you before. I stopped a man from hurting you
once, remember? You can't reach the target now, you should just take the
bomb off.
Birkoff: If he lets go of the trigger, you're dead, Nikita.
Madeline: Don't move any closer. He'll see it as a chance to take an enemy
with him.
Nikita: All right, we could just sit here and talk a while. (she sits) And you
could see that you and I really aren't that much different. Milan, Chernov's
dead now - did you know that?
Madeline: He'll self destruct to avoid capture. It'll happen within seconds.
Nikita: You don't have to do what he taught you to do. Do you know why
we caught you? Because we're better than he was - much better. We can
teach you to fight, kill, destroy...so much better than he did. In the whole
wide world, there'd be no one as dangerous as you, Milan - no one. Promise.
Promise. (She takes his hand and closes it around the trigger. Madeline
and Birkoff watch, concerned. Meanwhile, Nikita disables the bomb and
the other operatives lead Milan away.)
Scene 16: Section One, Munitions
Nikita: Something's been bothering me, Walter.
Walter: Yeah.
Nikita: When I apologized for letting Chernov die, Madeline said "As it
turns out, we probably don't need him."
Walter: So?
Nikita: So suppose the Section heard the rumors that Chernov was into
genetics. Maybe the whole mission was designed to see how far along he
was?
Walter: Could be.
Nikita: And if they don't need him, it's probably because they're further
along.
Walter: That could be, too.
Nikita: If the Section had a genetics lab, where would it be? Level eight?
Walter: Yeah. But you'll never gain access.
Nikita: I still remember a few tricks that Adrian taught me.
Walter: Sugar. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
Scene 17: Section One. Nikita being Nikita, goes anyway. She slides
open a door and sees a room with children in it, seated at computers. They
resemble all the main Section operatives. A little blonde girl walks up to
Nikita.
Girl: Who are you?
Nikita: A friend.
Girl: You're not supposed to be here.
Nikita: Well I know, I got lost. Don't tell anyone I was here, all right?
Girl: All right.
Nikita: What's your name?
Instead of replying, the child walks away and re-seats herself at her
computer.
Scene 18: Section One. Birkoff walks suspiciously along a corridor. He
presses some keys to gain access and hears footsteps. The door won't open.
The steps echo in the metal hallway. He frantically works the keyboard and
then cocks his gun. As the person turns the hallway, Birkoff raises the gun.
Birkoff: Die, bastard!
It's Operations, who looks...I think I'd call it amusement.
Birkoff: I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else.
Scene 19: Michael's office.
Michael: It could be your imagination.
Nikita: My imagination's got nothing to do with it. I've seen pictures of
myself when I was little. That little girl was me.
Michael: Human cloning isn't possible now, let alone when you first came to
Section.
Nikita: Maybe for Section it was possible. Maybe. Come with me, see for
yourself. What are you afraid of?
They go up to level 8. The room is empty. Nikita walks around the table,
stunned.
Nikita: I know what I saw.
Michael: Let's go.
The End
