Earth: Final Conflict (1997–2002): Season 3, Episode 14 - Scorched Earth - full transcript

Previously on Gene Roddenberry's
Earth Final Conflict:

I'm not working at Doors
International for Taelon money.

Hey, play CEO by day
and guerrilla by night.

Relax, Augur. Take your allies
where you can find them, okay?

Why the hell would you be
breaking into a secured area?

Doors has a small fortune invested
in these coventures with the Taelons,

not to mention my reputation.

Focus on your own
business, Miss Palmer.

Let us handle ours.

You served as Boone's Lieutenant
for 3 years during the SI war.

That is correct.



Kincaid participated in
the invasion of Taiwan,

where faulty intelligence
landed his unit

smack in the middle
of a very nasty ambush.

Pulse generators are set.

- Got to the uplink dish?
- Yeah.

The satellite access codes.

Any problem getting them?

You mean other than having
to lie, cheat and steal?

As covert operatives it's our
job to lie, cheat and steal.

All for the good of
human kind, of course.

And that's why you'll always
be a professional covert op.

- This is my last campaign.
- You surprise me, Samira.

I thought you get as much of a
thrill as I do from saving the day,

dragging the world back from
the imminent nuclear disaster.



Here we are in the middle of nowhere,
beautiful view of the Himalayas,

hacking into the Chinese and
Indian launch map systems.

Yes! They both had their nuclear
arsenals lit up like bright new pins.

For a start

I'm transmitting a
series of neutrino pulses

to lock the alignment
of the launch maps.

Are you sure this is gonna work?

If it doesn't, we won't
be here to see the flak.

That's certainly a comfort.

If these coordinates are correct,

then every Chinese and Indian
nuke is now inoperative.

Till they get the
launch maps realigned.

By which time the world
will come to its senses,

and will have solved
out this bloody mess.

Alright, just in
time for the next war.

Let's face it.

There's nothing more exciting than
saving the world with the one you love.

What's going on?

Incoming!

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.

Samira.

Thanks to the valiant efforts
of Colonel Dennis Robillard

and the late Captain Samira
Farid, nuclear war was averted.

But a new hitherto unknown weapon,

which came to be known as
quantum vortex, was launched

taking 100,000 lives.

I could almost smell the battle.

Thanks.

Not bad for a computer
generated imagery, huh?

Besides writing the
autobiographical script,

Dennis also created the
virtual actors for us.

I understand the Taelons are trying to
get Robillard on the Coventures project.

Yeah, he's playing hard to get.

Maybe you can be more persuasive.

I mean, you two worked
closely together in the past.

Not that closely.

There's been another bombing, Major.
This time it's the Chinese embassy.

I'm on my way. Duty calls.

Thank you, Madam Ambassador.

You know the Taelons will do
anything they can to help you.

If we have other questions, I'll call.

I have relocated the Chinese and Indian
ambassadors, their families and staffs to

CIA and FBI safe houses for the duration
of the SI War Armistice this week.

Usual warning?

Global call, 60 seconds
before the detonation.

Enough time to get everybody out.

Classic guerrilla tactics.

You rotated through the
war zone as I recall, Major?

Six months in the Nepalese trenches.

You?

I served in Intelligence, never really
got the opportunity to go overseas.

I put in for a transfer, but...

my CO insisted I was
more valuable stateside.

Well, these bombings keep up, they
could easily reignite the conflict.

You may get your shot
at combat, after all.

We got a security breach.
No idea what was stolen.

I'll start in all department
inventory immediately.

Right, we need to do it in-house.

The last thing I want us
to bring the police in.

Zo'or finds out about this,
he could limit our access

to Taelon technology
through Coventure program.

It's just like the other
embassy attacks, Da'an.

Thanks to the warning no one was
hurt, but the building was demolished.

And we thought we had
brought peace to your world,

when we adjudicated the
Sino-Indian peace awards.

Old animosity die hard.

I guess there's nothing like
the anniversary of the Armistice

to bring out the worst in people.

It is unimaginable for us that members
of the same species would wage war,

let alone hold a grudge
after the conflict is over.

Unimaginable?

What about the Taelons

before the schism that split the
species and created the Jaridians?

The Jaridians carry within them
the demon of violence, which

we removed from our species.

What you call the demon of violence,

is the willingness to
fight your own battles.

You're beautiful when
when you're preoccupied.

Dennis, hi.

I'm getting nowhere in my
investigation of the security breach.

Why don't you take a look?

Thanks.

But no, thanks.

Welcome to the world
I gladly left behind.

Come on.

You're not telling me you don't
miss peeking through keyholes?

- Spying on the unsuspecting?
- Not a bit.

I don't miss the violence, I
don't miss keeping secrets either.

No, I've had my fair
share of the good fight.

Let someone else step up to the plate.

So, what, you're just gonna sit things out
and let the rest of us have all the fun?

Fun?

Personally, I think the fun went out
of the game when the Taelons showed up.

Don't you?

I'd like to personally supervise
the inter-agency task force

that has been set out to
deal with these bombings.

Human problems are not my priority.

Tell me, Agent Sandoval.

Is it my imagination, or is there
some another agenda at work here?

I don't know what you mean, Zo'or.

Your psychological profile
indicates a great frustration

at never having directly
participated in armed combat.

My imperative is to serve you, Zo'or.

But I cannot deny that a part of me
sees these bombings as an opportunity

to test myself on the field.

I find myself growing
increasingly intrigued

by your human desire
for mortal combat.

Hello.

- I'm looking for Colonel Robillard.
- Come in.

He'll be out in a moment.
Who shall I say is calling?

Major Liam Kincaid.

Nice to finally meet you, Major.

I got it from your expression that
you've seen Renee in the docu-drama.

Samira is a hologram.

Pleasure to make your
acquaintance, Major Kincaid.

I have to go, Dennis.

Interesting.

I presume from the reaction you
also find it a bit ghoulish.

Well, it's certainly different.

Just think of it as a means of keeping alive
in your heart the ones that you've lost.

Lost loves, fallen comrades.

You saw action. Taiwan, I believe.

- You've checked me out.
- I know you're a pal of Renee's, so I

did a bit of hacking and pulled
up your file. There are some

temptations that are just too
difficult for an old spy to resist.

These bombings, Colonel.

They seem to me to be a continuation
of the war, and I'm concerned, frankly,

that they might be leading us into
another international conflict.

Well, there was never any real
satisfaction in the Armistice.

Chinese and the Indians felt that
we'd shoved peace down their throats.

Which we did thanks to
the Taelon intervention.

Just like angels from above.

I was hoping I could get you
to help with this investigation.

With all due respect, Major,
and as I have already told Renee,

I'm retired from that sort of thing.

Well, that world ended for me when the
Taelons started solving our problems.

The world was a far riskier
place before they came, but we...

took our chances and
made our own choices.

As far as I can tell, by disarming
the Indians and the Chinese

you only postponed what was an inevitable
resumption of nuclear hostility.

That's absolute nonsense.

We had the firepower, the muscle,

and the political will to make
the peace and keep it, too.

But for those people who chose to give
up free will in exchange for whatever

security it is that
the Taelons provide.

People?

Like me, for instance?

I'm telling you, Augur, she
looked completely real.

Yeah, so do my holos.

Yeah, but yours don't kiss you
goodbye before they wink out.

And this hologram welcomed
me in, walked around the room...

- It walked around the room?
- Right, no holo projector.

Hmm, I gotta meet this guy. Tell
me something, what's he really like?

Well, hard to say. Kinda sharp.

With a smart alec
answer for everything.

Definitely won't give
an inch in an argument.

Really? Is it me or this sounds
like my description of Renee?

How funny you should mention Renee.

She got a little prickly when I
asked about their relationship.

Really?

The Taelons want Robillard
for his holographic research.

I want him because there's no
one better suited to translate

Taelon technology for our purposes.

I agree, which raises a large issue.

I believe Dennis is a great asset to
the Resistance, I want to approach him.

Too risky, we don't
know where he stands.

At best he seems
indifferent to the Taelons.

But then indifferent,
Jonathan, I can feel it.

Renee, I know how fond you
are of Dennis, but the whole...

Do you really think I'd risk
the lives of Resistance fighters

because I'm fond of someone?

What's the matter with you?

I thought you'd be on the mother ship.

Zo'or declined my assistance in
his meeting with Colonel Robillard.

I gather Zo'or feels I lack
the political skills required

in such a negotiation.

I don't know, Da'an.

I think you've got your bases
covered when it comes to politics.

Warning: the Taelon embassy
will be destroyed in 10 seconds.

- It's my secure line.
- They have access to our systems?

We're the only ones in the
embassy. We got to evacuate!

The embassy's structural
spine seems to have held up,

but the interior was
completely disintegrated.

So,

the Resistance has finally found the
means to damage Taelon infrastructure.

We will not tolerate an
attack on the embassy.

And you must not rest until the
culprits are brought to justice.

It's imperative that
you return to your cells

and take all operations
underground for the time being.

We're all at serious risk of
being exposed by the task force.

We could be looking at the state of
emergency crackdown all over again.

Everybody has to lay low,
or we all pay the price.

Compete circuit.

756-935.

One.

Take assembly to the
second level, please.

Someone's at the door.

- Door.
- Colonel Robillard.

Ronald Sandoval, FBI.

What can I do for you?

I am part of task force assigned
to investigate the embassy attacks.

Working with Kincaid?

- I am his superior.
- My question still stands.

What can I do for you?

As a former Intelligence officer, I
thought you might have some insight

into why, whoever is
continuing to fight the war SI,

has dragged the Taelons into the fray.

So, you believe the Taelons
were hit be the same people

who are terrorizing embassies, right?

Stands to reason.

What do you make of this development?

I couldn't begin to guess,

and as I have already explained it
to your man Kincaid, I'm retired.

Private citizen, who's fought
all the wars any man could want.

I understand.

I must say I am disappointed.

- My latest book. Familiar with it?
- Familiar?

It holds an honored position on
my bookshelf alongside Machiavelli,

Von Clausewitz, Linebaugh.

I'm very flattered.

I don't want to sound
fawning, Colonel,

but your experiences were instrumental
in my choice Intelligence as a career.

So, I am your professional
inspiration, am I?

Then what in the world led
you to work for the Taelons?

To quote your book.

Intelligence knows no
true politics, but power.

- And the Taelons are that power.
- Yes, but I also wrote:

the superior enemy's best
weapon against a covert operative

is the seduction of power.

And that only weapon
against such a foe

is the incorruptible commitment

- to oneself.
- Of course.

And I would use such a weapon
if the Taelons were our enemy.

Indeed.

If they were.

Indeed.

To avoid any ambiguity, Colonel,

my commitment to
myself is incorruptible.

Just another day at the office, huh?

It isn't every day somebody
tries to blow up a Taelon embassy.

Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine.

Especially when the Resistance
seems to be laying low as ordered.

I heard you stopped to see Dennis.

Tried to get him to lend us
a hand in the investigation,

but he blew me off
politely, but firmly.

I had a talk with Jonathan.

About bringing Dennis
into the Resistance.

What's your take on that?

I honestly can't tell where
Robillard stands on the Taelons.

It's people like us who he
perceives as having placed our lives

in their care, that's
who he has a problem with.

All that said, I like the guy.

But I have to say the hologram
he's got of his dead girlfriend...

It's a little creepy.

Major Kincaid, I need to see you
on the mother ship immediately.

I just had a conversation
with the Bureau forensic unit

working the Taelon embassy bombing.

What have they got?

According to their findings,

the embassy was assaulted
with a quantum vortex.

And nobody's seen or deployed a
quantum vortex since the SI war.

So, whoever's behind this is also
responsible for slaughtering 100,000 people.

Is it true, Zo'or?

If you are referring to the reports
of the use of a quantum vortex

on the embassy, Da'an,

yes, it is true.

You seem remarkably
unconcerned by this information.

It is still unclear who is responsible

for the embassy attack.

It is completely and utterly
irrelevant who is responsible.

It is enough that there's someone out
there with such a devastating weapon.

And perhaps with access to the truth.

You know, the Taelons are
willing to bend over backwards

to get you on the Coventure team.

Most people would
consider that an honor.

Oh, I'm very flattered to find
myself in a very unusual position

of being pursued by the Companions.

As opposed to simply
serving their needs.

Well, what's that supposed to mean?

We're partners with the
Taelons, not their servants.

Oh, come on, Renee.

I always assumed you're
get-it-done-yourself kind of woman.

- And now?
- And now...

Well, let's just say
that you seem to be...

an apologist for our alien
Companions, let's leave it at that.

No, let's not.

You make it sound as if I work
for the Taelons, not with them.

What are you smiling at?

It's just...

you're your most beautiful
when you're angry.

I wouldn't go there, Dennis. It
might upset your holographic ghost.

So, I guess they finally figured
out you water down the drinks, huh?

Business is bad for
everyone since the bombings.

Your contacts able to come up
with any answers on my break-in?

Zip.

None of the fences I know were offered
anything even close to what was stolen.

Listen, is there any
chance at getting a peek

at what Robillard's
doing holographically?

Well, as long as you approach him
with the appropriate reverence,

ah, he'll probably
welcome you with open arms.

Oh, if I didn't mentioned it already, help
yourself, it's only 200 dollars a bottle.

So, did Robillard give you an answer
or anything on working with the Taelons?

Well, since we're paying for
it, his work belongs to Doors,

but if you mean is he gonna lend
his name and public support to it,

- I don't think so.
- Ah, then he's not a fan of the Taelons.

He doesn't appear to be.

You know, I read Robillard's autobiography
and that guy's got a real attitude.

But I suppose your feelings for him
let you look past his rough exterior.

Well, you suppose wrong, Augur.

As usual.

Major Kincaid is convinced the Resistance
had nothing to do with the bombing.

And I'm actually beginning
to agree with him.

What is it, Agent Sandoval?

A piece of evidence that appeared
insignificant to the Bureau,

that may very well be our
first real break in this case.

Memo to board.

Internal security has cleared
97% of employees in all branches.

Full clearance is expected no later
than tomorrow morning by 11 o'clock.

I prefer my visitors to knock
before entering, Agent Sandoval.

A cross-index of new forensic data

indicates minute traces of radiation
in the embassy that was attacked.

Radiation can only be found

in Doors-Taelon Coventure technology.

What are you saying?

I'm saying that the quantum
vortex deployed against the embassy

was created with material
from your division.

Are you accusing me of
terrorism, Agent Sandoval?

I have enough evidence to bring you
to the mother ship for questioning.

Your cooperation would
make an arrest unnecessary.

I want this place sealed
as active crime scene.

I can't tell you how happy we are
to have you working with us, Dennis.

Your work in holography is gonna
put my company on the vanguard

- of the entertainment revolution.
- It's nice to be appreciated, Jonathan.

But you wouldn't come down
here just to pat me on the back

for giving you the foothold
in the movie business.

You're right.

I was hoping to get your final
decision on the Taelon Coventure.

You started...

as the Taelons' biggest booster.

Then became the man
behind the Resistance.

Now you're their partner.

I'm afraid I'm just not capable of
that kind of bouncing ball pragmatism.

So, yes, I've made my decision.

I'll not lend my name to the project.

I'll not work with the Taelons.

Nor will I work with
Taelon technology. Ever.

- I'm disappointed, Dennis.
- Well, Jonathan...

I guess we'll just
have to live with that.

Aren't you afraid someone
else will come to call?

And see that you're lying
about using Taelon technology.

I think I've seen my last visitor.

It must be lovely to be so wanted.

It's what they want me for

is the problem.

Miss Palmer,

I've always assumed you
and I were on the same team.

We need to have a discussion
about how you view a teammate.

It seems to me, Miss Palmer,

that you're not taking this
issue as seriously as you should.

I'm taking it very seriously,
Agent Sandoval, but I'm also

completely innocent
of any of your charges.

We haven't charged you with anything.

No, no. But you've made it abundantly
clear that you think I was involved

in some way in the attack
on the Taelon embassy.

We both know the truth is the
Taelons have no better friend than me.

I admire your conviction, Miss Palmer.

But the fact remains

that the embassy was attacked

with material from your division.

- Hey, is everything okay upstairs?
- Yeah, it's quiet up there.

You've not proven your lack of complicity
in this theft to my satisfaction.

Of course not, it's impossible
to prove I wasn't involved.

You know there's not a shred of evidence
to show I had anything to do with this.

Ah. Miss Palmer,

the public needs someone to blame.
You are the president of the division.

- The ultimate responsibility lies with you.
- That argument will never fly.

Given the level of destruction
involved and the sentiment out there,

I think the grand jury will
see it exactly the way I do.

In light of your close
relationship with the Taelons,

I decided not to pursue
this matter any further.

For now.

You're free to leave, Miss Palmer.

What do you want, Sandoval?

Remember my act of good faith here.

There will come a
time for reciprocation.

Oh, come on, what did you find out?

You know, I'd really would
rather wait until... Here he is!

Well?

Look, I even let you
hack into Doors database

you can play coy with
me. What's going on?

Listen, I just spend
five nauseating hours

- being questioned by Sandoval.
- It was an inside job.

The whole point was to steal Taelon
technology and point suspicion at you.

At me?

Damn it, Dennis.

You seem terribly upset, Renee.

Why don't you just tell
me what's bothering you?

Don't patronize me.

We know you're responsible
for the breaking in Doors

and the quantum vortex
that hit the embassy.

Once I hacked into Doors database
it was easy to make the connection.

Congratulation.

- I thought we were friends.
- Exactly.

But I knew you would be weak and
vulnerable when it came to me.

That you would find excuses for
everything that I did. I'm sorry.

It really wasn't personal.

But you see, you were
just the perfect choice

on whom to point the
suspicion of guilt,

in order for me to have a little
more time for what I needed.

So, it was you who launched the
quantum vortex in the SI War.

You're wrong, Major.

It wasn't me.

Oh, I did attack the embassy.

To test my recreation of the vortex.

So I could recalibrate its
power in order to destroy

the mother ship and
all the Taelons onboard.

That'll create a shock
wave right back to Earth.

You have any idea how many will die?

Oh, yes.

On the current conditions,
it would wipe out

a good portion of the eastern
seaboard of the United States.

It's highly unfortunate, but quite
acceptable to rid the Earth of the Taelons.

Just think of it as
poetic justice after all.

It was the Taelons who launched
the quantum vortex in the SI War,

in the first place.

But the Taelons didn't arrive
on Earth till years later,

long after the quantum
vortex was detonated.

Typical Taelons lies, I'm afraid.

The truth is they've been
living here secretly for years.

They have you and the others
completely brainwashed.

Liam and I are Resistance.

I don't have time for this.

- It's true, Colonel.
- It's also irrelevant.

But if you are members of the
Resistance, surely you must be delighted

that I found a way to
eliminate the Taelons.

And murder 30 million
innocent people along with them?

Oh, I'm so sorry you
see it that way, Major.

I would've thought as
a soldier, you would've

understand by now that
the end justifies the means.

- It's over, Robillard.
- Fortunately, not.

The vortex is now armed.

And may God forgive me.

Samira is not the only
hologram around here.

This is the real me.

The result of the injuries
I sustained in the Himalayas.

- We can help you.
- Don't bother, Renee.

You will die with the Taelons
and I will take my eternal rest.

Sandoval, you've got to take
the mother ship into ID space.

What?

Robillard's got the quantum
vortex targeted on the mother ship.

Robillard? How's that possible?

It can't be deactivated.

- How long do we have?
- Less than 60 seconds.

The ID drives can't
engage that quickly.

All hands, code 5!

There's no way they can
do an ID drop in time.

- What are you doing?
- Taking the only chance we have.

Robillard used the
neutrino pulse to realign

the Chinese and Indian
nuclear arsenals.

Maybe we can alter the array to
reverse the polarity of the vortex.

You're wasting your time, Kincaid.

It's gonna backfire. A
tornado's gonna hit this place.

- The only safe spot, the eye of the storm.
- Dennis!

Dennis!

Dennis, you gotta come with us.

I shall not share my
world with the Taelons!

Sandoval, the vortex
has been neutralized.

You're out of danger.

I want the truth, Da'an.

The truth about what?

I analyzed skin samples
from Robillard's corpse.

There were traces of Taelon energy,

which carbon dating
confirms, dates back to before

the Taelons officially
arrived on Earth.

Robillard was telling the truth.

The Synod felt that a peaceful
end to such a brutal war

would be the perfect
anonymous gift to humanity.

You call slaughtering
100,000 people a peaceful end?

Unforeseeably, our neutralizing weapon

interacted with Colonel
Robillard's machinations,

to create a lethal device.

That still doesn't excuse your
secret interference into our affairs.

Does not humanity have a long
history of such secret interference?

Allende in Chile, or the Shah in Iran,

or the secret bombing of Iraq.

You don't understand, Da'an.

That's humanity's business.

You are safe, Zo'or.

Thanks to my telling Major
Kincaid selective truth,

you owe me a great debt

for saving you from the
wrath of humankind.

It is not me personally that you
rescued, Da'an, but all the Taelons.

So, spare me your talk of debts.

The last thing we wanted was an
earth devastated by nuclear holocaust.

But we did not want the humanity
at comfortable peace either.

There must have been a
better way to accomplish this.

The Synod was in agreement with me.

And we launched the vortex to
keep humanity in a state of war.

So,

we could come here and play saviors.

And, like the rest of our species, you
share the responsibility for the vortex

and benefits it has brought.

History is written by the survivors.

And we will triumph.

Subtitled by
Axarion