Earth: Final Conflict (1997–2002): Season 3, Episode 11 - Interview - full transcript

Previously on Gene Roddenberry's
Earth Final Conflict:

We can coerce you to our will,

but it's time-consuming and risks.

I cannot win the hearts and minds
of your race until I know them.

I've got exploding rounds in here, and if
don't give me the global, I'll use them.

Miss Palmer has been following my orders to
keep you as far away from here as possible.

- You sound pretty involved.
- Renee is running the show.

Is there anyone who still believes

that these gifts of the
Taelons come without a price?

These are the images the Doors campaign
is putting out to the American people.

And how, in your opinion, do we
improve this image, Mr. Wagner?



I need to reposition
your whole agenda.

We need something
warmer, more accessible.

I am not losing this story.

I think we already lost Jess.

He's not dead yet.

Do you see where it went down?

Yeah, somewhere over there.

This way.

What the hell is it?

It's anybody's guess,
but it's obviously Taelon.

I see Pulitzer written all over this.

Then stop talking and set up
the shot before CNN gets here.

See if there is any
sound coming off it.

I'm picking up something.



What's it doing?

I have no idea, but I'd start
rolling tape if I were you.

Subtitled by
Axarion

They have come to Earth
with the promise of peace.

An alien race called the Taelons.

But, there are those who
resist these Alien Companions.

For the Taelons' true mission,

the secrets they hide

will forever alter our world.

The fate of humanity now relies

on those who dare challenge the future

of Earth.

- I am firing the entire staff.
- Oh, yeah? What did they do now?

Nothing! Nothing! That's the problem.

Eli, somehow or other this show
gets produced week in, week out.

Well, God knows how, Shelley.

Look, we have got less than
three weeks to the season finale,

and there's not a
single concept in sight.

I don't have time to watch re-runs.

That's exactly my point. And
neither does the audience.

Meaning?

What is the most seminal
event of the 21st century?

Perhaps, even of any century.

The arrival of the Taelons.

Oh, come on! We've done at least
a dozen shows on the Taelons.

No, I'm not talking about
doing a show on the Taelons.

What I'm talking about
is interview a Companion

live in our studio.

What I'm talking about
is taking Eli Hanson

to the next level.

Yeah, it's a great idea, but
it's also an impossible idea.

Maybe a couple years ago.

But this station group
is now a Doors subsidiary.

Which means...

they long-standing
relationship with the Taelons.

Give me Renee Palmer on the line.

I can have an audience with the
world any time I choose, Miss George.

Yes, but how interesting
is a news conference?

And how many have you done
in the last five years?

What I am proposing

is an interview unlike any
other the Taelons have ever done.

One that will bring you into
homes of five billion people.

And not with just some reporter,

but with Eli Hanson, an acclaimed
journalist who has won 3 Peabody Awards.

One for his coverage of SI War.

That is all very well.

But I still fail to see the
necessity of this broadcast.

If I may, Zo'or.

The Taelons' approval has declined
significantly from a year ago.

I'm sensing a downward trend,

especially given all the
problems with Volunteers lately.

Would you excuse me for a moment?

You okay?

Yes, I'm fine.

I'm so sorry.

This idea of yours is
intriguing, Miss George.

Does that mean you'll think about it?

I will be in contact.

Renee, I told you before I don't
want this interview to happen.

Last thing the Resistance need is
increasing Zo'or's public appeal.

It's your problem, Liam, because it's going
forward, that is if Zo'or comes around.

Why are you pushing this so hard?

If Hanson doesn't do this
interview, someone else will.

More importantly it
legitimizes my position

as a liaison between Doors
International and Taelons.

And gaining Zo'or's trust only benefits
the Resistance in the long run..

You seem to be enjoying
your little charade.

Ditch your own charade before
you start pointing fingers.

I'm not the one protecting
Companions day in, day out.

You're not actually
entertaining this idea?

The security risk alone
poses a serious problem.

Personal safety is the
least of my concerns.

It is important that we
avoid any situation that might

make the Taelons and myself
appear unfavorable in any way.

Then I'll inform Ms. George that
you'll be declining her offer.

I'm not prepared to do that yet.

Although, most humans perceive
the Taelons as benevolent,

we may have unintentionally created
distance between our two species.

Distance?

By the fact that we live
up here in this mothership,

looking down upon
your tiny blue planet.

No one likes to be looked
down upon, Agent Sandoval.

Even metaphorically.

The Eli Hanson Show
might be the perfect venue

to introduce some more
human-friendly approach.

What is it?

There's been a security
breach in the Taelon archive.

- By whom?
- I don't know yet.

Have the entire security protocol reviewed
and all passwords changed immediately.

This strategy is more outrageous than
anything Zo'or has attempted thus far.

That's kind of ironic,
don't you think?

You've always encouraged Zo'or
to reach out to humankind.

- Now he's doing it.
- But he does so with contempt.

To him human beings will never
be more than a sub-species.

Look, I've already
had my talk with Renee.

Now it's time for you to do something.

I have already taken the
necessary steps. Now,

it is up to the eyes
and ears of your world.

- Hello, Dr. Heller.
- Shelley.

So, how's it been functioning?

It's time to adjust
electromagnetic pulse.

This should alleviate the pain, make
you feel a little bit more comfortable.

With all this energy radiating through my
body, I could probably power a small city.

Have you told your family?

No. I'm waiting for some good news.

So, how long do I have?

Never mind. I mean,
what's the difference?

- I'm sorry.
- Me, too.

Well, you better get
back to work, Doctor.

- I'll see you soon.
- Yeah.

You have a call coming
in form the mothership.

Put it through.

Zo'or.

I hope you don't have
disappointing news for me.

On contrary, Miss George.

I would be delighted
to appear on your show.

You have no idea what kind of
impact this will have on the world.

I'll need the list of all audience members
so that my agents can prescreen them.

I don't foresee that
as a problem. Next.

We'll need a 30 second delay to
ensure that nothing goes on air

that would make the
Taelons look unfavorable.

That point is non-negotiable.

Live means live, gentlemen. Not 30
seconds later not a single second later.

That's what makes the Eli
Hanson show what it is.

A standard bearer.

We start changing the
rules for the Taelons,

then the public gets the feeling
they're being manipulated.

And we certainly wouldn't want
Zo'or to give the impression

that he requires special treatment.

Also we'll need to rope off the
entire parking lot for Zo'or's shuttle.

And as further precaution...

no one, no one other than my team
will be permitted in the area.

Oh, I think we can live with that.

I understand a new security system
was installed for this event.

Yes, state of the art.

We want Zo'or to feel
absolutely secure, Major.

Unfortunately the stage
still poses a problem.

I'm not sure I understand.

There's only so much we
can do to limit access.

Which will make it
difficult to protect

if a fanatic form the audience
tries to storm the dais.

Oh, if that's what you're worried
about, you can go on stage with him.

We could even devote a few minutes

to the man behind the Taelons.

You mean I'll be on camera?

Yes. And we'll even get a
wardrobe to get you the new suit.

I think we should do
exactly as planned.

It's a very important
day. Excuse me, please.

Let's move this. Come on.
Up, up, come on. Let's go.

- You're looking well, Shelley.
- Not quite as well as you think.

Maybe this will lift up your spirits.

Not just my spirits, but
hopefully the entire world's.

Has Eli any idea what you're planning?

Not a clue.

Oh, well, what Eli doesn't know
can only help him with his ratings.

Have you found out what was
taken from the archives yet?

No, we're still searching the
database. It's pretty vast.

It seems like it practically goes
back to the beginning of time.

If this infiltration is
connected to the Resistance,

we should focus on the last
five years. Keep me updated.

We have a serious problem here, I just
spotted Troy Sarrazin in the audience.

Sarrazin, the anti-Taelon activist?

The one Sandoval busted
a couple years back.

The hair is different, he's grown a goatee,
but it's definitely him, the second row.

- What if he has a weapon?
- Sarrazin's not a terrorist.

You're probably right, but are you
willing to take a chance on this

and people may get hurt
because you failed to act?

Agent Sandoval, it appears you
have everything under control.

Excuse me. Sir, would
you mind coming with me?

- What's this about?
- You have to get out of here now,

for your own safety.

Back off, this prisoner's mine.

Good work, Major.

Get him out of here.

There may be other extremists in
the studio we still don't know about.

Are you saying you can no longer
guarantee my safety, Agent Sandoval?

Yes. My advice is that you postpone
this interview, at least for now.

- I cannot do that.
- But Zo'or...

The Taelons will appear weak.

Canceling this show only
serves Sarrazin's kind.

He would have won without
even having a fight.

That might be true, but for your own good,
I urge you to walk away from this show.

I am the Leader of the
Synod, Agent Sandoval.

I will not be intimidated
by Troy Sarrazin

or any other human being
on this pitiable planet.

Now, please welcome Eli Hanson!

Thank you. I'm flattered.

As you know, this is
a very special night.

Not just for me, but
for the entire planet.

I'm told that there are
some 5 billion people

watching this broadcast which is
being televised live around the world.

In fact, that seems appropriate
given that our featured guest tonight

is not from this world.

It seems hard to believe
that just 5 years ago

the word Taelon was not even
a part of our vernacular.

Now these aliens seem so
much a part of our daily lives

it's hard to imagine the Taelons
not always being here with us.

From the very first moment
the contact was made,

these benevolent
beings generously shared

their knowledge with their
new-found Earth friends,

virtually eliminating the war, hunger,

providing us with incredible
advancements to battle against disease.

But Taelons not only changed our lives,
they also made living them better,

with medical breakthroughs
for the elderly and handicapped.

The Taelons also work in cooperation
with humanity on various joint ventures.

The first of which was
called The Second Chances,

the Taelons' answer to
the fountain of youth.

The Taelons' next
project was called Mneme,

a technology which allowed us to
relive our most cherished memories.

What a memory.

Metro League Championship, 1979.

We're losing, 3 to nothing,
bottom of the ninth.

Two of our bases are loaded.

I nailed it! Over the fence.

It felt as amazing this time around

as it did back then when I was 13!

- What you've been up to?
- Checking the numbers.

We've get 82% viewership
in our key markets,

and Zo'or isn't even on stage yet.

Before we meet our
interviewed guest, we thought:

why not get to know the
man behind the Taelons?

The person who constantly puts himself in
harm's way to protect our alien friends.

Now, the Portal Authority has
been kind enough to install

an inter-dimensional
slip-stream into the studio

which connects to the
parking lot outside.

It's not that far, but it's
a hell of a way to travel.

Please, welcome Companion
Protector Ronald Sandoval.

Tell us a little bit about
your job, Agent Sandoval.

I oversee the Companion
Protection program,

as well as the Volunteer Corps.

Now, I understand that
you and Zo'or arrived here

in one of the Taelons'
spectacular shuttles.

That's right.

So, perhaps, you can explain
inter-dimensional travel

to those in our audience still
unfamiliar with the concept.

Imagine distance between
two points on a piece of paper.

By crumpling the paper up,

the distance between these two
points becomes that much closer.

ID Technology folds time and space,

bringing departure and
destination points closer together.

Let's take a look at some footage.

So, what happens if there's a crash?

That's simple, the Taelon airbag
protects the pilot like a crash bubble.

- Thank you for joining us, Agent Sandoval.
- Thank you.

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

the moment the world
audience has been waiting for.

It is difficult for
the Taelons to believe

that only 5 years have passed since we
arrived on this beautiful blue planet.

Don't you people know
what they're gonna do?!

We gotta stop them! We...

Rednaser and Herlandez,
I want you to escort this

fanatic to the shuttle and make
sure that nothing happens to him

before he gets to the mothership.

- Who's covering the stage?
- This isn't up for discussion, Major.

Did you authorized a lockdown?

Of all the species in the
cosmos, human and Taelon

are unmistakably linked to a purpose even
greater than either of us ever realize.

Now, that I've got your attention...

- Shelley, what the hell are you doing?
- Taking over the show, Eli.

I want the whole world to know
just who the Taelons really are.

I'm dying, Eli, I'm dying from
exposure to Taelon radiation.

I got it from one of
their early space probes.

What do you want? I'm eating.

- Get down to the studio right away.
- Why?

Just turn on your television.

Agent Sandoval, wherever you are,

I won't hesitate to
kill your dear Companion.

Nobody fires until I give the signal.

This device on my arm
has been modified to send out

an electromagnetic pulse more
powerful than any known Taelon energy.

You'll only kill yourself
in the process, Ms. George.

It doesn't concern me.

I don't have a whole
lot of time anyway.

And Zo'or, I suggest you take a seat.

You're gonna be here for a while.

Come on, Shelley, let's
talk about this, huh?

Eli, this hero act of
yours is not working.

You know, maybe it's in you, to kill
a Taelon, but I know I'd never hurt me.

Eli, you've always had bad instincts.

- You broke my leg!
- Take heart.

You just made the cover
of People Magazine.

Coming up for the next half hour,

the darker side of the Taelons.

The side they don't want you to see.

I wanna make it clear that I mean
no one in this audience any harm.

Then why is it that you won't
let them leave, Ms. George?

These people here have nothing to do
with it, yet you endanger their lives.

The problem is if I let them leave,

I have to let those Volunteers
outside in, Agent Sandoval,

and I just can't do that.

Besides, I think they'd wanna stick
around for this historic moment.

- So, where are you?
- Outside.

Look, is there any way in?

Hacking the security codes could take hours,
that's more time than neither of us have.

Well, Ms. George must be
the connection to Sarrazin.

No, Sarrazin was a pacifist,
he wouldn't kill a Taelon

no matter how much he hates them.

Well, this is obviously
their backup plan.

Well, right now I'm more concerned
with that device on her arm.

It's a synaptic neuro-suppressor,
it sends small electrical charges

to her nervous system to control pain.

She must have modified it somehow
so she could use it as a weapon.

Why don't we ran
some of our own tapes?

The uncut version.

This footage is provided
courtesy of the Taelons archives.

I'm sure the Taelons have
no objection to the truth.

Unless, of course, you
have something to hide.

Why took you so long?

Don't even start with me, okay? That
woman can off Zo'or, for all I care.

What I know is how did she
get into the Taelons archives.

It had to be an inside job. She
must have paid off some Volunteer.

There's a price for everything.

- Yeah...
- So, what did you find out?

Well, I enhanced the EMP device
from the image off the TV.

It's definitely black market, a few
people can even make a product like this.

Yeah, and they get a fortune for it.

- How dangerous is it?
- Well, let's put it this way:

For Zo'or's sake, I hope he's
made peace with the Commonality.

Let's talk about Julie Peyton,

and all things the
Taelons tried to hush up.

We've been given a unique
opportunity to spread our message.

Let's not waste it.

Reverend Mary.

Julie, are you okay?

Not really.

What's the matter?

Let's talk about Second Chances,

and what was really behind
this alien fountain of youth.

I'll tell you.

Planting false memories into people,

and turning them into devoted followers
with catastrophic consequences.

Ladies and gentlemen, our
very first transformation,

the young and the
beautiful, Pearl Bell.

We are very excited to present
to you today our first group

that has just completed
the transformation process.

After the success
of my transformation,

this group was selected to demonstrate
the effectiveness of the procedure across

the broad range of
races, ages, and sexes.

What's the matter with you, people?

You let the Taelons remake you?!

And into what? You have no idea
what they're doing to your bodies,

and you're all
encouraging this to happen!

Are you all blind? You can't
just see what they're doing to us?

We're becoming toys for the Taelons!

How dare you!

The Taelons saved my father!

No one's gonna touch them! No one!

I'm measuring the intensity of
the EMP's electromagnetic field.

What is it?

Well, I don't know if Ms.
George knows it, but...

If she pulls the trigger on Zo'or, she'll
be taking the studio audience with her.

Nice. Live, for the
whole world to see.

Let's turn to Mneme technology.

And this was supposedly a way for people
to re-experience their most sacred memories.

But what was the Taelons' real
motivation behind this benevolent gift?

Blackmail.

My only desire is to make
you a friend, Mayor Duboi.

For instance,

you told a national viewing audience
that you were reliving a baseball game.

As your friend, I know what
you were really reliving.

Publicly, you embrace family values.

Yes, this is good.

Yes, this is nice.

This is good. This is nice, this is nice...

Privately...

you embrace teenage prostitutes.

I find the contrast fascinating.

You set me up!

I was right about you
sexless freaks the whole time.

You're gonna blackmail the
Senate, and the UN, too?

My intention was only to
understand your kind.

That you are species
of liars and cheats.

It's convenient.

Augur doesn't think we can
neutralize the EMP pulse.

But he's working on getting
the portal back online.

Well, I have some bad news myself.

I just found a suicide
note on Shelley's computer.

She's gonna go through with it,
Liam. She's gonna kill us all.

You know, even if we get this
working, which is pretty iffy,

- What are you gonna do then?
- I don't know yet.

Well, you better know.

The Taelons claim they
don't want to be worshipped.

Then why are they behind
the Church of the Companions?

And let's not forget about the Taelons'
quasi police force, known as Volunteers.

I believe we have some shots
of these stormtroopers in action.

Silent!

It's obvious the Taelons are
preparing us to fight a war

that isn't even our own.

If you're after the truth, Ms.
George, why not have a real dialogue?

Instead of filling the publics
mind with Resistance propaganda.

It's working.

What happened?

- The slip stream's not holding.
- Well, make it hold.

Look, this is crazy, Liam, and so
is this ridiculous idea of yours.

- Why?
- Because it's too dangerous.

Think about it, you have 2 seconds
to portal in there and get to Shelley

before she uses the pulse
on Zo'or and maybe even you.

What makes you think
I won't stop her first?

Liam, she's going to have to practically
be right next to the portal for it to work.

I'm open to suggestions.

You know, I hate to burst your bubble,

but the chances of you being able to
contain an EMP blast is highly unlikely,

- If not impossible.
- Wait, wait, wait, that's it.

- I'm not following.
- Virtual glass bubble from the shuttle.

If anything could contain an
explosion, that Taelon airbag.

Even though the experiment
with Julie Payton failed,

those two days she had hands were
some of the best moments of her life.

Approach Shelley from the
north-west corner of the stage.

I want you to distract
her away from the portal.

That might buy me a
couple more seconds.

How do you rationalize Second Chances?

Humankind has been searching
for the fountain of youth

since before Ma'el ever
set foot on your planet.

We were merely trying to
help you realize your dream.

Are you sure this thing
will activate on impact?

There's no guarantees.

- How about activating it remotely?
- No, not possible.

See, your only chance is
to get her to fire on you

thereby simulating a shuttle accident.

- You don't think I have a chance, do you?
- Well, there's always a chance.

This just isn't a very good one.

The Jaridians destroyed
your own home world.

Is that what you want for Earth?

Since I sympathize with
what you're going through...

I'll kill him!

Then you'll kill everyone
in this studio as well.

What are you talking about?

That weapon on your arm is far more
dangerous than I think you even realize.

- I don't believe you.
- Why would I lie?

Because you believe in the
Taelons and you believe in him.

ID pathway's almost ready.

Whether I believe or
not, isn't the point.

I found the note in your office.

On my mark. Steady.

You said you don't want
to hurt anyone, Shelley,

I'm only asking that
you keep your promise.

Look at what you've
already accomplished.

Steady.

You showed people another side
of the Taelons. You kill Zo'or,

all you do is turn him into martyr.

No.

Do you want that?

Now!

Very impressive, Major.

It seems like you scored a
few points with Zo'or yourself.

The electromagnetic field is expanding.

That bubble's gonna release all the
trapped energy back into the studio.

- Zo'or, through the portal.
- There is no time for that.

I think you have better get me back
to the mothership, Agent Sandoval.

You knew all along that
EMP blast couldn't harm you.

Shelley's life wasn't wasted.

She showed the public
another side of the Taelons.

Public?

They see what they wanna see.

What did they see?

That Zo'or's a hero, thanks to you.

Arthur, come back on me, come on.

Bring me in for close-up. Come on!

Ladies and gentlemen, what we have
seen today has been live and unedited.

And what we have been
witnessed to tonight

has been a clear indication
of what the Taelons had done,

and what they will
continue to do for humanity.

Our new-found friendship, despite
the ravings of a very small minority,

will helps us to understand that we
are no longer stand alone as a species

in the center of the moral universe.

Eli Hanson.

You think anyone knows it was you who gave
me that footage from the Taelon archives?

No.

Zo'or suspects it was the work
of some disgruntled Volunteer.

And now that Shelley is
dead, and I'm as good as,

do you think it was worth it?

I guess only time will tell.

If indeed Earth has the time.

Subtitled by
Axarion