Pine Gap (2018): Season 1, Episode 6 - Episode #1.6 - full transcript
In a race against China, A-Crew desperately scour the South China Sea for signs of the missing US pilot while the net closes in on the Pine Gap mole.
We have a pilot down. Priority one.
It's in our mutual
interest to stand together.
I think Australians
need to be for Australians,
Americans need to be for Americans.
The sacrament of the alliance.
Prosperity without freedom
is just another form of poverty.
Trust, but verify.
Denver, this is Alice.
Please advise on pilot status.
Confirming
successful ejection, Alice.
Activate GPS locators
as per guidelines.
Thank God he's alive.
Thank you, Denver.
On it here, at priority one as well.
The distress beacon
is on 503.7 megahertz.
And we have three satellites
on that frequency.
We've also got three other
signals right across that range.
Now 10, 12, 16...
Chinese?
Must be.
Active jamming.
Sorry, what?
The fucking Chinese
are trying to block our guy's signal
by jamming his frequency range.
Come on, guys, priority one.
It doesn't get any more serious.
The jammers are active
over 300 megahertz now.
They don't know his exact frequency.
But one of those signals
could be our guy, right?
Doubtful. He probably turned his GPS
off as soon as he could.
If he'd had it on from the start,
the Chinese would get to him
way before we could.
He's just got to wait until...
he thinks they've given up.
Man, they want him bad.
You think?
A captured American pilot shot down
over Chinese airspace?
Claimed airspace.
Yeah.
The propaganda value is priceless.
And you know it.
Well, if he wants to be rescued,
he's gotta do something.
Might depend on the food and water
he's got and whether he's on land.
- On land?
- It's possible.
There's islands all over that area
and he ejected at 12,000 feet,
so he would have had some control
over his landing spot.
We had three minutes of malware
activation this afternoon.
We're going to need all the leave
and return logs for this shift.
Earlier today, an American F-16 on a
routine freedom of navigation flyover
was unlawfully targeted
by a Chinese surface-to-air missile.
Captain Saul Pearson
successfully ejected
although his location
is currently unknown.
And we're doing everything
in our capabilities
to recover Captain Pearson
and return him safely home.
I've spoken with his family
and offered my support and prayers
at this
understandably difficult time.
And on behalf of the American people,
I believe now
is a seminal moment in history.
If we do not recover Captain Pearson,
free and unharmed,
my response must be...
...will be swift and decisive.
God bless
the United States of America.
We can rule Gus out.
He only left the ops floor briefly,
never actually left the building.
And Moses?
Mr Moses Dreyfus
was actually outside the operations
building for some minutes.
And he had his own alarm
on the malware transmission,
which he hadn't told me about.
But he was right about one file
getting out. I did check that.
So, was it genuine?
Or designed to fool us?
Also, an AUSTRAC alert
from my ASIO mate
shows that Moses
withdrew 12,000 bucks
from his savings account yesterday.
W-w-wait a second.
If he is stealing secrets
in order to pay a blackmailer,
why is he giving them cash on top?
That doesn't make sense, does it?
I mean, it's gotta be
one thing or the other.
OK.
We can't keep this to ourselves
any longer.
Go get him.
Yeah.
But one file did leave the base,
hey?
Yes. Although it's encrypted, sadly.
We might still have time
to stop it going public.
Or falling into enemy hands,
which could ruin the week.
So... have you heard
from your legal counsel today?
Yeah. He's all briefed up,
ready to go.
Jacob, this is madness.
If we don't sort this, we will both
be paying two lawyers in Canberra
to show up in court tomorrow
and argue over a cat.
Yeah. I know.
So, let's just be sensible
about this.
OK.
He's mine. Hand him over.
Are you happy
letting a judge decide this?
No. I'd be happier if you
just gave me back what's mine.
I just think we should park this
for a while.
There's no point getting personal
with all this other shit going on.
It's been personal ever since
I got here, so why stop now?
No. No. No. You kept me in the dark
on a serious investigation.
You didn't tell me where you lived.
You threw a barbie for A-crew
and didn't invite me.
None of that was about you.
Bull... shit!
You have one dodgy ASIO mate
who knows how to access data
on the quiet.
Until we needed that,
we didn't fucking need you.
No. No. No. Except you know how good
I am with this stuff, Kath.
It was personal. Admit it.
We didn't need the help.
Really? 'Cause you were doing
such a fantastic job on your own.
Well, what would you have done?
Well, for starters,
I would have double-checked
who was in the collections room.
When? On...
That Wednesday. Three weeks ago.
See, all these names were all from
a list that Rudi gave Ethan.
But neither of you
actually went back
and checked the original entry logs.
Well, why would we have?
I trust Ethan and Ethan...
...trusted Rudi.
Yeah.
And one thing that you should have
learned from being married to me
is that shockingly... sometimes,
just once in a blue moon,
trust can be misplaced.
Rudi was in there?
And he was not on the list
that he gave to Ethan.
But he was the one who said you all
had to look in the cafeteria, right?
And then he ran in,
searching desperately for a phone
that was found in the microwave
by...
Wait. Hang on. No. No.
Who found the phone?
Who was actually closest
to the microwave? I know this...
It's fucking Rudi.
It's certainly a compelling case.
Rudi? That's impossible.
No. I have checked it.
Jacob is right. He was in there
for about three minutes.
No. I'm sure that's right.
But it's still impossible.
I'm happy to front him.
No. You and I have to front him.
Well, it's why they pay us
the big bucks.
No. Kath, we just got the... buck.
Shared facility, shared everything.
The buck stops at both of us.
My God, don't you just wish
sometimes
that you owned a five-acre hobby farm
off the grid, solar panels...
Grow what you need,
watch the sunset.
Yeah.
Forget all this crap.
Like Diocletian and his cabbages.
If only we could believe it was crap.
Ain't that the truth.
OK.
One step at a time, agreed?
First Moses.
Yeah.
Then Rudi.
Right.
If you need proof
that the malware's been deleted...
No. Sit.
First...
...while you initially discovered
the systems were compromised,
we now question
whether you had a deeper involvement
in the whole affair.
What?
Is there anything you'd like to say?
Bearing in mind contrition now
will be viewed favourably later.
But...
Um, no. No. I have to... Wait? What?
You think I put it there?
Did you?
Are you kidding?
If it was me, I would have done
a so much better job.
You analyse the code in that malware?
I mean, getting it in
was a stroke of genius.
But the malware itself is ancient.
And where do you think I live? 2004?
Assuming that is the case
and even if you haven't been
stealing data from this facility,
we still need to satisfy ourselves
that you haven't been compromised.
They think you're rooting a minor.
What?
Having sex with an underage girl.
Sex?
Sex?
Come on, Dreyfus, don't play dumb.
We know
she's been a regular visitor.
We also know
that you suddenly withdrew 12 grand
from your savings account...
No.
..yesterday.
This... That's not for...
Um...
Welfare. They screwed her over.
She couldn't get anymore
until she paid them back.
I was just helping... helping her out.
But nothing... We never... No.
What's her name?
Marissa.
Marissa who?
I don't know.
So that's just her working name?
No.
What is the nature
of your relationship?
Math.
Check with her if you like.
We will.
You read our minds.
Hi.
Hi.
Hey.
So, we hear about the mine tomorrow.
Well, as if it won't happen.
Well, unofficially
we hear it's looking good,
but the Treasurer
still has to make the final call.
Get real.
You're pouring billions
into the economy,
you're building roads
and train lines
and employing thousands of people,
for what, 50 years?
It's a no-brainer.
You've been reading up on us.
It's been pretty hard to miss.
I mean,
there's been something on Shonguran
pretty much
every day since I got here.
Yeah. Well,
we will find out tomorrow.
And, if the news is good,
do you stay with the project?
For a year at least. Maybe two years.
How much longer are you here for?
Um... 18 months.
Mom, can I have some money?
Yes.
And... There.
I'm glad it's getting used.
Yeah. I love it.
Listen, what are you doing tomorrow?
Well, I... I have
school drop-off and then...
Why? What's on offer?
I just thought
we could meet somewhere,
you know, figure out what's going on
between us, if anything, or not.
It's up to you.
We could hike up to Mount Gillen.
There's, like, a track
that goes around the mound.
People go there early, but we will
probably have it to ourselves.
You don't have to.
Just thought we could get out of town
and the view is spectacular.
You can even see the base.
Pine Gap?
From the top. Yeah.
Yes.
Have you told Canberra?
I had to. But all I reported was
a loss of classified information.
No detail.
ASIS is sending Gemma McMillan up
so that she can get a look
at the big picture.
Langley put Dani Griffin
on the plane again
for exactly the same reason.
What does she know?
Everything.
In fact, she knew it all
from the beginning.
What?
And we agreed that I'd let it run
and she'd turn a blind eye.
Thanks a lot.
How are we
supposed to help each other
if you withhold information
like that?
You want to have a conversation
about withholding information?
OK. Yep. Fair point. OK.
We sink or swim together now, OK?
Let's just hope what they stole
isn't too sensitive.
Jesus.
How are D-crew going
down on ops floor?
Have we found that pilot?
We're still searching.
God.
No luck using the entry logs to
narrow down our suspects, I gather?
Come and see.
Well, you're looking happier.
I got the offer.
The Fort Meade gig.
When are you leaving?
I've still gotta say yes.
Come on...
Open position, promotion,
so close to home, what that means.
It's pretty obvious
what you're gonna choose.
It's still not easy.
The problem we've got
isn't geography, Gus.
We made it.
Have you two ordered yet?
No. Good thinking.
Food would be good.
So... what are we in the mood for?
Crocodile or buffalo?
There. Look.
OK? So, I'm legal and everything.
But as it turns out we weren't doing
anything. OK? I slept on the sofa.
Yeah. 'Cause no-one's
ever had sex on a sofa.
So, where's your favourite spot?
Men's toilets?
Probably with him, right?
And the $12,000 he gave you?
What did that pay for?
Welfare.
I screwed up so he helped me out.
You know, he's a bloody lifesaver.
And he just gave it to you?
No pressure at all?
No coercion of any kind?
It was just to get me back on
welfare. Alright? That's all it was.
We weren't doing nothing else.
Except sitting on a sofa,
legs crossed, end of story.
Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
Look, I asked him for help
and he helped me. OK?
But he didn't have to.
And I wasn't going to troll him
if he didn't.
I might troll you two, but,
if you don't leave him alone.
You get where I'm going?
We're done here.
It's 20-minute intervals. And...
Rudi.
Well...
...Moses may well be weird,
but his girlfriend is not underage
and he has not been compromised.
They really are just friends. So...
...that means
it's one of these three.
Or you.
Alright.
Yes, I was in the collections room
briefly that day.
But if you... genuinely believe
I'm technically gifted enough
to reprogram a video card
and do all that stuff
with a telephone,
then I'm very... flattered.
Why?
Well, I knew I hadn't done it.
And... we should just accept that?
And I knew you needed me.
And I knew I wouldn't have got
anywhere near this investigation
if I brought you a list
with my name on it.
Are you kidding me? I mean,
should... should we just believe that?
It's a fact.
So what? You were also
in the cafeteria, mate.
You were in there for seven minutes
and you were closer to the microwave
than anyone.
They're also facts.
Do you know my story?
I figure we're about to.
I know you lie.
I joined in '74,
posted to West Berlin in '78,
with my wife at the time.
And, yeah, that was still common
for a man like me back in the '70s.
But when the Stasi acquired photos
of inappropriate behaviour
they thought they had me.
I was told I could work for them
or be exposed.
Instead I risked everything
and told my field manager
exactly what happened.
And my country did not judge,
they simply threw me a lifeline
and for the next 11 years
the Germans believed
I was their double agent
when in fact I was a triple.
And to this day, I thank God
that my whole life prepared me
to be one thing in the open
and another thing in secret.
So, where's a violin?
Have you got a violin?
Let him finish.
In an era when I could have been
fired for homosexuality,
America believed in me.
They have always believed in me.
And I could not sit back now
and see it betrayed.
I would not disqualify myself from
finding out who this person was.
It's all true, Kath.
So... What? We're telling
the truth now, are we?
So, after my barbecue you come back
here, deliver your notes
and then you go through my computer.
Yes. Well spotted.
What for?
I knew we'd swapped files
but I had to be sure you hadn't
held anything back about Ms Delic.
That's all I was after,
because I know how people look when
they're playing a double game, Kath.
They look like her.
Sinclair.
You're kidding.
They found the pilot?
TV. It's everywhere.
What's everywhere?
The stolen file.
They got one more
from somewhere.
We do not have a full picture
of their movements.
OK. So, we should vet and confirm.
Confirm what?
That Adib's a terrorist with a
history of anti-American violence?
Alice, we
await your confirmed intelligence.
Stand by.
We don't have this intelligence.
You can't just go ahead.
Looks like they've got the vehicle
going.
They're getting ready to leave.
It's our shift log.
Please confirm targets
are a known FTO.
We've breached apex security comms
and have three vampires
in their possession.
Thank you, Alice.
Moving to full deployment.
That missile strike
might have been a false flag.
There's nothing false
about those three vampires.
We can't confirm
they were on that plane.
We've confirmed
they've got missiles.
They've cracked apex comms
and the President is in range.
I'm acting on that.
Thank you, Alice. Target achieved.
The mention of "Alice"
means Pine Gap.
And this footage
offers strong support
to those elements
of the Australian public
who have argued
Pine Gap's modern role
puts us right in the middle
of America's post-9/11
controversial drone strike program.
Of course, how and why this clip
found its way into the public domain
is part of a much bigger question.
Sources close to the Prime Minister
have suggested
that he isn't at all happy
about sensitive information finding
its way into the public domain
and it is expect...
The National Security Council
is meeting at the White House
in two hours.
It's being shared
all over the world now,
but it was initially uploaded
to the newsfeed of a well-known
Darwin radical named Johnny Watson,
which means it must have been
emailed from here straight to him.
The PM's called for
an 8:00am Cabinet meeting.
Wants a briefing prior.
At least from the email
we'll get the sender's address.
And from there,
identification should be... easy.
Hopefully that's
some kind of silver lining.
Just because
you have an Aussie agent
saying they didn't have enough intel
to be sure that
those were the same terrorists
that shot down the Burmese plane.
As disturbing as this footage is,
Bobby,
and I'm sure someone is going to be
in trouble over leaking this...
Yeah, you bet.
Nonetheless, it was in response
to a clear and present threat.
Absolutely.
And we have to remember, Steve,
that these terrorists have a history
of anti-Western attacks.
And, Steve, they had three missiles
hidden in their truck.
So, why is it controversial?
Well, it's controversial because
this Aussie agent said
they'd didn't have enough intel
to prove
that they were the same terrorists
that shot down the Burmese plane.
Now, in a situation like that,
if you follow strict protocol,
her boss, the guy she was talking to
at the time,
he should have got in touch with
the people operating the drone,
asked them to pause
while they checked everything out.
But the President
was only seven miles away.
Exactly. And they had a vampire
aimed directly at him.
So the boss made a split-second call
to chuck out the rule book?
Yes. Yes. And by doing that he saved
the President's life, undeniably.
You just can't forget that.
In context, therefore...
In context, therefore, it was
a great act of quick thinking.
And we should be goddamn thankful
that we have men like...
Let me in.
Oi, didn't I just save your arse?
It's a nice way
of saying thank you.
Hey. At least talk to me, yeah?
Say something!
I'm not doing any bad shit anymore,
OK? I promise.
We can still be friends, right?
Moses?
Are they making you do this?
OK. Well, yeah.
I'm not going to beg or anything.
If that's how it's going to be,
done.
Thank you.
For everything.
And a really big thanks
for getting me out of all that shit
with welfare.
I won't forget you.
Have a good life.
Yeah.
Don't expect to be the next
ambassador to Australia any longer.
Even if you are
completely exonerated,
the headlines from today will stick.
We have a room waiting for you
at the base.
Thank you. Who's coming up from ASIS?
Gemma McMillan?
I believe so. ETA tomorrow morning.
I thought she was coming up
from Canberra.
That's correct.
Well, what's she using, a camel?
Anyone figured out
how that drone footage even got out?
Is that why they dragged you
off the bus last night?
Figure out how it was done?
Yeah.
And?
Can't say.
Come on.
Must have been fucking clever.
Unless there's some crazy
chink in the armour somewhere.
No.
All I can say
is that it took a ton of nerve,
and, yes,
it was absolutely ingenious.
And you won't give us any more hints?
I will say this -
me, personally,
I never would have thought of it.
Well, that's cool.
Well, do they know who did it?
Well.
So, do they have bases
like this in China?
Outside China
I know they have one in Argentina,
but it's a lot smaller.
It only has two antennas.
We're all the same, really,
aren't we?
We just want to be safe and happy
and our leaders
want to be rich and powerful.
Sure. But there are
still differences too.
You see, Americans play chess, right,
where the object of the game
is to kill the other king.
A fast attack, total victory.
But we play go,
where the object of the game is
to gradually own the most territory,
slowly acquire a winning position,
which is a completely different
approach to life, business,
even relationships.
Ha.
Decision on the mine?
No. Other stuff.
I'll call them back.
Anyway, here we are. Water?
I...
I've been meaning to ask you...
...the day that we met
outside the art gallery,
had you been watching me?
For a few minutes.
But I had seen you
at the courts a few times.
You know, you... you do stand out.
At least you do to me.
That day you looked really lonely.
I could relate to that,
especially out here.
So I thought to myself we might
get on together, you know, friends.
Look, Belle, can I just say...
...I would love to keep seeing you.
But it's easy for me
and it's not for you.
I get that.
But I would love
whatever is possible, if that's...
So, the file got out,
the pilot is still missing
and we could lose our jobs.
What a week?
Latte with one.
We are spending
way too much time together.
Sinclair.
Yes, Mr Prime Minister.
We executed raids at Watson's place
in Darwin at 6:00am.
Joint operation. Seized that idiot's
server, all the hard drives,
restored the email
and found who sent it to him.
Sorry, just on the phone
to Canberra.
A very difficult conversation.
I can imagine.
Could we have a moment?
In a minute.
Who was it?
Not one of your workers here
unfortunately.
So we still don't have
the full picture.
But I would guess you know them.
Alice, this is Pentagon.
The Pacific Fleet
is now at Defcon 2. High alert.
I can't see a thing
behind all this Chinese jamming.
How are they keeping this up?
They wouldn't bother
if they'd already found him.
So he's still out there at least.
Alive, right?
He could still be alive.
And transmitting by now, you'd think.
He'd have to be.
We just can't see it.
What if we widen the subtuner?
Won't we just lose accuracy?
Yeah.
But if his signal's strong enough...
Look, there.
It's got space now.
And he is transmitting.
Where?
11.08 north.
115.03 east. Or thereabouts.
Wait. So, is it repeating or...?
No. No. No. Wait. I've got it.
Jacob, we've found a signal
which could be Pearson.
Passing the geo.
But it mightn't be exact.
Alright. EMINT, can we get a look
at that geo, please?
10 seconds and I'll be overhead.
Almost in range.
Transferring to the main screen.
OK. 11.8 north, 115.03 east.
Overhead now.
And magnifying.
Still magnifying.
Still magnifying.
Closer. Closer.
There. He's there.
And that's an airforce parachute.
On the north tip
of the Spratly Islands.
Just got lucky, that's all.
Alright. Shut up.
Shut up.
Alright. Pentagon, this is Alice.
Confirming we have coordinates
and visual confirmation
for Captain Saul Pearson
from imagery.
Thank you, Alice. Nice work.
Any Chinese naval strength
in that vicinity?
Yes. Stand-by for latest intel.
Yes.
How did you obtain this footage?
I got a text.
From?
I don't know.
You didn't recognise the number?
Well, there wasn't one.
You know how you can send a text
to yourself?
Well, someone picked up my phone
and sent me a text on my phone.
How did they unlock it?
Why would I have a locked phone?
I have nothing to hide.
And if he gives it back to me,
I can show you.
So someone was using your phone
but you don't know who.
Well, no.
I was on the court.
And I mean, at the risk
of stating the obvious,
I don't think
they wanted me to see them.
So, this was at the basketball game?
Yeah. The night before last.
And some of our people
are on your team, right?
Yeah.
But they're all just gardeners.
Simon, Eloise, Deb,
Gus and his nerdy mate
and that new chick
was sitting behind us.
Look, it could have been
any of them.
I logged in, put my hair up and
dropped my phone in my sports bag.
I didn't get it out
until I was riding home.
And that's when I found this.
"Look under the flag
at Anz Hill tomorrow. -00pm.
"Be worth it. Promise."
So I did.
And that's when I found this under
the flag, a plain old USB stick.
Your IT guys might be able
to get something off it.
And you emailed it to...?
Johnny Watson up in Darwin.
And he put it on his newsfeed.
Which is unauthorised disclosure
of a special intelligence operation.
Although "disclosure" means
making secret information known.
This drone strike was already
headlining news around the world.
We all knew about it,
who was killed.
We just hadn't seen it yet.
And for the record, I have fully
cooperated with your investigation
despite no welcome to country
and no acknowledgement at all that
we are meeting on Arrernte land.
Do not leave Alice Springs
until we say you can.
We've been here 60,000 years, lady,
I'm not going anywhere.
Ethan,
you and I really need a minute.
- If you can just...
- Later.
At the moment, let's stay on topic.
Does this change anything?
Look. Not really.
Just a little bit more detail.
I mean, the computer in the
collections room transmitted a file
to a nearby phone.
Our offender emailed the file
to themselves then fried the phone,
then went home.
And we've just heard that
they got the file to Immy DuPain
by transferring it from
a personal laptop to a USB device
and then dumping it
out at ANZAC Hill.
And the people
at the basketball game
who were also at the cafeteria
when the phone was destroyed
were Jasmina, Deb and Eloise.
All equally plausible.
Can we pull CCTV
from the basketball courts?
No. We can't. There is none.
This is Alice Springs.
We're not in Manhattan, Dani.
Is there anything
in the text message?
The way they've spelled "tomorrow"
or the use of a colon?
Who's the best COMINT analyst?
Because we need someone who knows
these three girls well enough
to be able to spot something little.
Well, that would be Jasmina, and,
unfortunately, she's one of them.
How about Simon Penny?
You'd call him back?
We need answers, Kath. If he hasn't
packed up and left yet, call him.
Ethan, A-crew have located Captain
Pearson but there's still a problem.
I have to go.
How about you?
No. Wait.
Kath.
Call Simon Penny. Godammit.
We can only rescue Pearson
by chopper.
But the Chinese have put a squadron
of fighters in the air
and three destroyers
within 50 miles.
The Joint Chiefs
have advised the President
that in order to conduct a rescue
he must order an attack.
Ethan...
He can rely on us
for accurate intelligence
when one of the analysts in A-Crew
is a traitor.
How did we get here over one pilot?
Ethan, my phone call to Canberra
this morning.
Kath. Not now.
No. Now, for fuck's sake.
Do you mind?
Our Treasurer is about to announce
his approval
of the Shonguran gas mine
in... half an hour ago.
And our Prime Minister
doesn't want to be taking
$200 billion of Chinese money
with one hand
and helping to sink
one of their ships with the other.
He doesn't think
it would be very smart.
Well, you tell your Prime Minister
he does not get to dictate
American foreign policy.
We are one snap decision away
from a major conflict.
Jacob, I've got signals
from 26 Chinese railguns
targeting the Pacific Fleet.
We have several 347 and 349
fire control radar systems active.
And a JY-8 mobile radar transmission
is now coming from five signals,
all on the move.
Please keep real-time progress
of location coordinates.
Shit. They've activated the
guidance systems on three D-41s.
Gus, I'm gonna need some help here.
D41s? What? They've got mobile
nuclear devices launch ready?
Yes. But they're moving
and switching on and off.
Infra-red pictures show
14 land-based silos being opened.
Alice, it's imperative
we know the exact location of...
Operations floor, stop.
We have no concurrence
for this operation, so stop it now.
What?
Australia has no concurrence
with this.
And both countries
need to approve all operations.
Well, the Australians
can stop working, then.
Tracking guidance system movement
on those D41s. Moving south.
Gus, walk away now.
Screw you.
We are talking about
an American pilot out there
who will be captured...
Everyone, stop.
...or die without our help.
Without Australian concurrence
this entire facility
must stop this tasking immediately.
Stop! Now!
Deputy Chief Sinclair
has her instructions.
Please comply with the order until
we have both sought clarification.
Take over.
Yes, sir.
Still tracking.
Get the fuck away!
Resume your stations!
We have protocol
for these circumstances.
Kath.
They will be followed.
They will be followed. Is that clear?
Does everyone understand?
Hey.
Easy.
We will continue tasking
over the subcontinent, Russia,
but nothing, absolutely nothing
on the South China Sea.
Sit down, Mr Kitto.
Easy.
Ethan.
You and I do not have a problem,
you know that.
Does Australia want an alliance
or not? It's that simple, Kath.
Of course we do.
America's support is vital to us
unless,
unless you drag us into a war
with China and then we're fucked.
Well, the only reason POTUS
is thinking twice about an attack
is the risk
of a nuclear retaliation.
That's his only hesitation.
Well, I can assure you
China will not fire nukes first.
Really?
Because they are arming everything.
Weren't you listening in there?
I was listening.
I was listening to Jas.
And she had just heard a call
between Chairman Chen
and his premier.
The top two men in China
were on their own personal cells?
They wanted us to hear.
And whilst they made it clear
that they would defend their country
with everything else they have,
they will not fire nuclear weapons
first, no matter what.
And what you just told me,
the minute POTUS hears that,
he's going to start
a conventional war immediately
just to save one fucking pilot.
So don't get shitty at us
for non-concurrence.
Because as far as I can see,
that's it for peace in Asia.
Only momentarily.
We can take out their silly little
man-made islands in 10 minutes.
And then they're going to sink
half a dozen ships.
Then, and then, and then what?
They can't match us militarily.
You'll never actually win, Ethan.
If you couldn't win in Afghanistan
or Iraq...
You couldn't win in Korea or Vietnam,
how in fuck of all fuckeries
are you going to beat China?
It's not about winning, Kath.
It's about maintaining dominance
which, I might add,
is in Australia's interests
as much as ours.
Trying to keep your foot
on China's throat
is not in Australia's best interests.
Look, the stability
of the whole of Asia
has been guaranteed
by our leadership.
That's how it's worked since 1945.
We keep everybody in check.
And for the long-term stability
of the whole region,
that is a dominance
that we have to maintain.
You've just got to
get out of the 20th century.
Right. Now, I love America,
but you are no long...
You are no longer
the greatest country in the world.
You're just not.
With the strength China has today,
America could never have stability
and dominance in Asia again.
It's one or the other.
It doesn't mean you'll lose anything.
But things change.
You know, as a nation
it's time to just age gracefully...
...you know, be adult.
Just don't start a fucking war
with China.
Give them some room.
Now, Jas
hasn't logged that phone call yet.
How do we want to do this?
Ethan, how is it down there?
Pretty hot, they tell me.
103 today, sir.
Well, before you go putting on
an ice vest or anything, just...
...give us the straight facts.
What the hell is Beijing up to?
Well, Mr President, the truth is
they have a third of their nuclear
arsenal armed and ready to launch.
Yeah, but what are they thinking,
Ethan?
We know what they're doing,
they're beating their chest
and trying to look scary.
Well, good for them.
But there is an American life
at stake.
Can we hear what Chen is thinking?
Sir, for the last month,
we have been listening 24/7 to
Chinese political and military comms
and we know beyond doubt
that if attacked,
they will fight
to protect and defend
what they view
as their sovereign territory.
Yeah, but with or without
nuclear weapons?
They are armed and ready, sir.
So are ours.
That can mean a lot of things.
Or nothing.
I can only pass on the intelligence
that we have, sir.
And I have seen nothing
suggesting that they won't use them.
Nothing?!
Nothing to suggest
it's just a posture?
Even though they know our arsenal
is four times bigger than theirs?!
Mr President...
...every piece of intelligence
I've seen
indicates that any attempt to rescue
Captain Pearson using armed force
will trigger an immediate nuclear
strike on continental America.
Sir.
Regardless of the consequences.
This means that much to them.
Jesus Christ!
OK.
And, Ethan...
...thank you.
I just lied to my president.
You just saved
thousands of lives.
Pentagon, this is Alice.
Nothing to report.
Looks like we've got a stand-off.
Roger, Alice. Thank you.
Beijing and the White House
are both now actively seeking
a diplomatic solution.
That's good news.
We were wondering if common-sense
might get a guernsey sooner or later.
A what?
Don't worry. It's called humour.
Shouldn't have bothered.
Operations floor.
Whilst talks are progressing,
Australian concurrence can resume
monitoring the situation
on the South China Sea.
Thank you.
Jas.
Can I talk to you?
Yeah?
So, a non-concurrence.
Who would have thought
that'd ever happen?
Well, it's over now, at least.
You think?
Doubt we've heard the last of it.
So I have to reply to Fort Meade.
Tonight.
Yeah. Yeah, you told me.
You haven't had any second thoughts?
No. Have you?
What was happening
between you and Kath, just now?
Nothing.
Do you think
we could have worked it out?
If you don't s...
...if you don't stay, we...
we'll never know.
After an agreement was reached
between Washington and Beijing
regarding Captain Saul Pearson's
safety,
he was rescued by a Chinese frigate
and immediately flown to Beijing
where he is now
in the American embassy.
But with both leaders
claiming the moral high ground...
A toast.
Congratulations.
To Shonguran's successful project.
And to the Arrernte people. Xie Xie.
We're getting a bit in return.
Ganbei.
Ganbei.
You played a good long game, Paul.
Welcomed me in, buddied up.
Made sure we were too far in
before you put jobs on the table.
Too late to say no then, wasn't it?
We both played
a pretty good long game, mate.
I'll be watching
to see how yours plays out.
Xie Xie.
Yeah, so...
Let me get this straight -
you need help identifying
who sent this text message
from this phone to this phone?
Correct.
And it's... Immy DuPain's phone?
Yeah. It was at the ball game
two nights ago but it wasn't her.
We're hoping there's something about
the punctuation, the spelling...
It's kind of a stretch.
The way it's phrased, perhaps?
There's no clear marker
from any normal comms analysis.
But...
...as it turns out,
I actually know who sent it.
Who?
Before we get to that...
...I haven't told my wife
what happened.
I haven't even packed up
the apartment.
Yes. We've noticed.
OK. So...
I'm assuming nothing's
become irrevocable
in terms of official reports.
What the fuck are you getting at,
Simon?
I'm wondering if I can't come back.
Simon, your position here
is untenable.
No-one trusts you!
We can't trust you!
Can you work like that?
Honestly?!
Do you wanna know who it is or not?
It's in the time.
It says 'delivered, 8:19'.
I got there at 8:22.
I know that 'cause I got
a text message from my daughter.
Fuck.
That totally gives it away.
OK, deal.
Now, who do we arrest?
Big day.
Yeah.
And the judge even gave you the cat.
Yeah, I'm just...
looking at his orders.
Well, go, you.
Still, all a bit of fun, hey?
I never even liked
that hairy little shit anyway.
Isn't it lucky I'm so gracious?
Shake hands...
...well played, moving on.
That is me.
No thoughts of revenge whatsoever.
Hey.
And Rudi got it right at the start,
That's gotta hurt.
Let's go find a place
where we can...
...swap some more stories.
Hey, Dad.
Hey, son. How you doing?
Yeah.
Good, good.
Hey, you're getting better at this.
Yeah, well...
practice makes perfect.
Look, I saw on the news today
about that drone strike over there.
Yeah.
Yeah, they don't really know
how that got out.
Yeah.
No, I know.
And I really... I actually haven't...
I haven't actually seen it myself.
To be honest.
Well...
...you know the guy in charge
of things?
You know, all the people
here are basically saying
that he saved our President's life.
Are they?
Yeah.
That's what they're saying.
And...
...you work there, yeah?
Yeah, well, sort of.
Not in, like, the...
Not in that area. Yeah.
No.
But you knew these guys, yeah?
No. Not really.
No.
You can't even recognise
their voice?
No. Not for sure.
OK.
I s'pose...
...only work with people
for one or two years...
I mean, it's... not the same
as...
...say, well, you and me.
For example.
So, we've been...
...talking...
...since you was three years old,
son.
So I wouldn't have...
...much trouble picking your voice.
Hey...
...I'm real sorry, Dad, I'm...
Yeah.
You gotta go.
Yeah. I'm sorry.
No. It's OK.
I get it.
Gus.
I understand things.
Alright?
Yeah. Thanks, Dad.
OK.
You just...
You keep doing
what you're doing down there.
Alright, son?
We'll...
We'll talk soon, yeah?
I love you.
Love you too, Dad.
That missile strike
might have been a false flag...
There's nothing false
about those three vampires...
We cannot confirm
these guys shot down that plane!
We've confirmed they've got missiles.
They've cracked APEC's comms
and the President is enraged.
I'm acting on that.
Thank you, Alice. Target achieved.
It's in our mutual
interest to stand together.
I think Australians
need to be for Australians,
Americans need to be for Americans.
The sacrament of the alliance.
Prosperity without freedom
is just another form of poverty.
Trust, but verify.
Denver, this is Alice.
Please advise on pilot status.
Confirming
successful ejection, Alice.
Activate GPS locators
as per guidelines.
Thank God he's alive.
Thank you, Denver.
On it here, at priority one as well.
The distress beacon
is on 503.7 megahertz.
And we have three satellites
on that frequency.
We've also got three other
signals right across that range.
Now 10, 12, 16...
Chinese?
Must be.
Active jamming.
Sorry, what?
The fucking Chinese
are trying to block our guy's signal
by jamming his frequency range.
Come on, guys, priority one.
It doesn't get any more serious.
The jammers are active
over 300 megahertz now.
They don't know his exact frequency.
But one of those signals
could be our guy, right?
Doubtful. He probably turned his GPS
off as soon as he could.
If he'd had it on from the start,
the Chinese would get to him
way before we could.
He's just got to wait until...
he thinks they've given up.
Man, they want him bad.
You think?
A captured American pilot shot down
over Chinese airspace?
Claimed airspace.
Yeah.
The propaganda value is priceless.
And you know it.
Well, if he wants to be rescued,
he's gotta do something.
Might depend on the food and water
he's got and whether he's on land.
- On land?
- It's possible.
There's islands all over that area
and he ejected at 12,000 feet,
so he would have had some control
over his landing spot.
We had three minutes of malware
activation this afternoon.
We're going to need all the leave
and return logs for this shift.
Earlier today, an American F-16 on a
routine freedom of navigation flyover
was unlawfully targeted
by a Chinese surface-to-air missile.
Captain Saul Pearson
successfully ejected
although his location
is currently unknown.
And we're doing everything
in our capabilities
to recover Captain Pearson
and return him safely home.
I've spoken with his family
and offered my support and prayers
at this
understandably difficult time.
And on behalf of the American people,
I believe now
is a seminal moment in history.
If we do not recover Captain Pearson,
free and unharmed,
my response must be...
...will be swift and decisive.
God bless
the United States of America.
We can rule Gus out.
He only left the ops floor briefly,
never actually left the building.
And Moses?
Mr Moses Dreyfus
was actually outside the operations
building for some minutes.
And he had his own alarm
on the malware transmission,
which he hadn't told me about.
But he was right about one file
getting out. I did check that.
So, was it genuine?
Or designed to fool us?
Also, an AUSTRAC alert
from my ASIO mate
shows that Moses
withdrew 12,000 bucks
from his savings account yesterday.
W-w-wait a second.
If he is stealing secrets
in order to pay a blackmailer,
why is he giving them cash on top?
That doesn't make sense, does it?
I mean, it's gotta be
one thing or the other.
OK.
We can't keep this to ourselves
any longer.
Go get him.
Yeah.
But one file did leave the base,
hey?
Yes. Although it's encrypted, sadly.
We might still have time
to stop it going public.
Or falling into enemy hands,
which could ruin the week.
So... have you heard
from your legal counsel today?
Yeah. He's all briefed up,
ready to go.
Jacob, this is madness.
If we don't sort this, we will both
be paying two lawyers in Canberra
to show up in court tomorrow
and argue over a cat.
Yeah. I know.
So, let's just be sensible
about this.
OK.
He's mine. Hand him over.
Are you happy
letting a judge decide this?
No. I'd be happier if you
just gave me back what's mine.
I just think we should park this
for a while.
There's no point getting personal
with all this other shit going on.
It's been personal ever since
I got here, so why stop now?
No. No. No. You kept me in the dark
on a serious investigation.
You didn't tell me where you lived.
You threw a barbie for A-crew
and didn't invite me.
None of that was about you.
Bull... shit!
You have one dodgy ASIO mate
who knows how to access data
on the quiet.
Until we needed that,
we didn't fucking need you.
No. No. No. Except you know how good
I am with this stuff, Kath.
It was personal. Admit it.
We didn't need the help.
Really? 'Cause you were doing
such a fantastic job on your own.
Well, what would you have done?
Well, for starters,
I would have double-checked
who was in the collections room.
When? On...
That Wednesday. Three weeks ago.
See, all these names were all from
a list that Rudi gave Ethan.
But neither of you
actually went back
and checked the original entry logs.
Well, why would we have?
I trust Ethan and Ethan...
...trusted Rudi.
Yeah.
And one thing that you should have
learned from being married to me
is that shockingly... sometimes,
just once in a blue moon,
trust can be misplaced.
Rudi was in there?
And he was not on the list
that he gave to Ethan.
But he was the one who said you all
had to look in the cafeteria, right?
And then he ran in,
searching desperately for a phone
that was found in the microwave
by...
Wait. Hang on. No. No.
Who found the phone?
Who was actually closest
to the microwave? I know this...
It's fucking Rudi.
It's certainly a compelling case.
Rudi? That's impossible.
No. I have checked it.
Jacob is right. He was in there
for about three minutes.
No. I'm sure that's right.
But it's still impossible.
I'm happy to front him.
No. You and I have to front him.
Well, it's why they pay us
the big bucks.
No. Kath, we just got the... buck.
Shared facility, shared everything.
The buck stops at both of us.
My God, don't you just wish
sometimes
that you owned a five-acre hobby farm
off the grid, solar panels...
Grow what you need,
watch the sunset.
Yeah.
Forget all this crap.
Like Diocletian and his cabbages.
If only we could believe it was crap.
Ain't that the truth.
OK.
One step at a time, agreed?
First Moses.
Yeah.
Then Rudi.
Right.
If you need proof
that the malware's been deleted...
No. Sit.
First...
...while you initially discovered
the systems were compromised,
we now question
whether you had a deeper involvement
in the whole affair.
What?
Is there anything you'd like to say?
Bearing in mind contrition now
will be viewed favourably later.
But...
Um, no. No. I have to... Wait? What?
You think I put it there?
Did you?
Are you kidding?
If it was me, I would have done
a so much better job.
You analyse the code in that malware?
I mean, getting it in
was a stroke of genius.
But the malware itself is ancient.
And where do you think I live? 2004?
Assuming that is the case
and even if you haven't been
stealing data from this facility,
we still need to satisfy ourselves
that you haven't been compromised.
They think you're rooting a minor.
What?
Having sex with an underage girl.
Sex?
Sex?
Come on, Dreyfus, don't play dumb.
We know
she's been a regular visitor.
We also know
that you suddenly withdrew 12 grand
from your savings account...
No.
..yesterday.
This... That's not for...
Um...
Welfare. They screwed her over.
She couldn't get anymore
until she paid them back.
I was just helping... helping her out.
But nothing... We never... No.
What's her name?
Marissa.
Marissa who?
I don't know.
So that's just her working name?
No.
What is the nature
of your relationship?
Math.
Check with her if you like.
We will.
You read our minds.
Hi.
Hi.
Hey.
So, we hear about the mine tomorrow.
Well, as if it won't happen.
Well, unofficially
we hear it's looking good,
but the Treasurer
still has to make the final call.
Get real.
You're pouring billions
into the economy,
you're building roads
and train lines
and employing thousands of people,
for what, 50 years?
It's a no-brainer.
You've been reading up on us.
It's been pretty hard to miss.
I mean,
there's been something on Shonguran
pretty much
every day since I got here.
Yeah. Well,
we will find out tomorrow.
And, if the news is good,
do you stay with the project?
For a year at least. Maybe two years.
How much longer are you here for?
Um... 18 months.
Mom, can I have some money?
Yes.
And... There.
I'm glad it's getting used.
Yeah. I love it.
Listen, what are you doing tomorrow?
Well, I... I have
school drop-off and then...
Why? What's on offer?
I just thought
we could meet somewhere,
you know, figure out what's going on
between us, if anything, or not.
It's up to you.
We could hike up to Mount Gillen.
There's, like, a track
that goes around the mound.
People go there early, but we will
probably have it to ourselves.
You don't have to.
Just thought we could get out of town
and the view is spectacular.
You can even see the base.
Pine Gap?
From the top. Yeah.
Yes.
Have you told Canberra?
I had to. But all I reported was
a loss of classified information.
No detail.
ASIS is sending Gemma McMillan up
so that she can get a look
at the big picture.
Langley put Dani Griffin
on the plane again
for exactly the same reason.
What does she know?
Everything.
In fact, she knew it all
from the beginning.
What?
And we agreed that I'd let it run
and she'd turn a blind eye.
Thanks a lot.
How are we
supposed to help each other
if you withhold information
like that?
You want to have a conversation
about withholding information?
OK. Yep. Fair point. OK.
We sink or swim together now, OK?
Let's just hope what they stole
isn't too sensitive.
Jesus.
How are D-crew going
down on ops floor?
Have we found that pilot?
We're still searching.
God.
No luck using the entry logs to
narrow down our suspects, I gather?
Come and see.
Well, you're looking happier.
I got the offer.
The Fort Meade gig.
When are you leaving?
I've still gotta say yes.
Come on...
Open position, promotion,
so close to home, what that means.
It's pretty obvious
what you're gonna choose.
It's still not easy.
The problem we've got
isn't geography, Gus.
We made it.
Have you two ordered yet?
No. Good thinking.
Food would be good.
So... what are we in the mood for?
Crocodile or buffalo?
There. Look.
OK? So, I'm legal and everything.
But as it turns out we weren't doing
anything. OK? I slept on the sofa.
Yeah. 'Cause no-one's
ever had sex on a sofa.
So, where's your favourite spot?
Men's toilets?
Probably with him, right?
And the $12,000 he gave you?
What did that pay for?
Welfare.
I screwed up so he helped me out.
You know, he's a bloody lifesaver.
And he just gave it to you?
No pressure at all?
No coercion of any kind?
It was just to get me back on
welfare. Alright? That's all it was.
We weren't doing nothing else.
Except sitting on a sofa,
legs crossed, end of story.
Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
Look, I asked him for help
and he helped me. OK?
But he didn't have to.
And I wasn't going to troll him
if he didn't.
I might troll you two, but,
if you don't leave him alone.
You get where I'm going?
We're done here.
It's 20-minute intervals. And...
Rudi.
Well...
...Moses may well be weird,
but his girlfriend is not underage
and he has not been compromised.
They really are just friends. So...
...that means
it's one of these three.
Or you.
Alright.
Yes, I was in the collections room
briefly that day.
But if you... genuinely believe
I'm technically gifted enough
to reprogram a video card
and do all that stuff
with a telephone,
then I'm very... flattered.
Why?
Well, I knew I hadn't done it.
And... we should just accept that?
And I knew you needed me.
And I knew I wouldn't have got
anywhere near this investigation
if I brought you a list
with my name on it.
Are you kidding me? I mean,
should... should we just believe that?
It's a fact.
So what? You were also
in the cafeteria, mate.
You were in there for seven minutes
and you were closer to the microwave
than anyone.
They're also facts.
Do you know my story?
I figure we're about to.
I know you lie.
I joined in '74,
posted to West Berlin in '78,
with my wife at the time.
And, yeah, that was still common
for a man like me back in the '70s.
But when the Stasi acquired photos
of inappropriate behaviour
they thought they had me.
I was told I could work for them
or be exposed.
Instead I risked everything
and told my field manager
exactly what happened.
And my country did not judge,
they simply threw me a lifeline
and for the next 11 years
the Germans believed
I was their double agent
when in fact I was a triple.
And to this day, I thank God
that my whole life prepared me
to be one thing in the open
and another thing in secret.
So, where's a violin?
Have you got a violin?
Let him finish.
In an era when I could have been
fired for homosexuality,
America believed in me.
They have always believed in me.
And I could not sit back now
and see it betrayed.
I would not disqualify myself from
finding out who this person was.
It's all true, Kath.
So... What? We're telling
the truth now, are we?
So, after my barbecue you come back
here, deliver your notes
and then you go through my computer.
Yes. Well spotted.
What for?
I knew we'd swapped files
but I had to be sure you hadn't
held anything back about Ms Delic.
That's all I was after,
because I know how people look when
they're playing a double game, Kath.
They look like her.
Sinclair.
You're kidding.
They found the pilot?
TV. It's everywhere.
What's everywhere?
The stolen file.
They got one more
from somewhere.
We do not have a full picture
of their movements.
OK. So, we should vet and confirm.
Confirm what?
That Adib's a terrorist with a
history of anti-American violence?
Alice, we
await your confirmed intelligence.
Stand by.
We don't have this intelligence.
You can't just go ahead.
Looks like they've got the vehicle
going.
They're getting ready to leave.
It's our shift log.
Please confirm targets
are a known FTO.
We've breached apex security comms
and have three vampires
in their possession.
Thank you, Alice.
Moving to full deployment.
That missile strike
might have been a false flag.
There's nothing false
about those three vampires.
We can't confirm
they were on that plane.
We've confirmed
they've got missiles.
They've cracked apex comms
and the President is in range.
I'm acting on that.
Thank you, Alice. Target achieved.
The mention of "Alice"
means Pine Gap.
And this footage
offers strong support
to those elements
of the Australian public
who have argued
Pine Gap's modern role
puts us right in the middle
of America's post-9/11
controversial drone strike program.
Of course, how and why this clip
found its way into the public domain
is part of a much bigger question.
Sources close to the Prime Minister
have suggested
that he isn't at all happy
about sensitive information finding
its way into the public domain
and it is expect...
The National Security Council
is meeting at the White House
in two hours.
It's being shared
all over the world now,
but it was initially uploaded
to the newsfeed of a well-known
Darwin radical named Johnny Watson,
which means it must have been
emailed from here straight to him.
The PM's called for
an 8:00am Cabinet meeting.
Wants a briefing prior.
At least from the email
we'll get the sender's address.
And from there,
identification should be... easy.
Hopefully that's
some kind of silver lining.
Just because
you have an Aussie agent
saying they didn't have enough intel
to be sure that
those were the same terrorists
that shot down the Burmese plane.
As disturbing as this footage is,
Bobby,
and I'm sure someone is going to be
in trouble over leaking this...
Yeah, you bet.
Nonetheless, it was in response
to a clear and present threat.
Absolutely.
And we have to remember, Steve,
that these terrorists have a history
of anti-Western attacks.
And, Steve, they had three missiles
hidden in their truck.
So, why is it controversial?
Well, it's controversial because
this Aussie agent said
they'd didn't have enough intel
to prove
that they were the same terrorists
that shot down the Burmese plane.
Now, in a situation like that,
if you follow strict protocol,
her boss, the guy she was talking to
at the time,
he should have got in touch with
the people operating the drone,
asked them to pause
while they checked everything out.
But the President
was only seven miles away.
Exactly. And they had a vampire
aimed directly at him.
So the boss made a split-second call
to chuck out the rule book?
Yes. Yes. And by doing that he saved
the President's life, undeniably.
You just can't forget that.
In context, therefore...
In context, therefore, it was
a great act of quick thinking.
And we should be goddamn thankful
that we have men like...
Let me in.
Oi, didn't I just save your arse?
It's a nice way
of saying thank you.
Hey. At least talk to me, yeah?
Say something!
I'm not doing any bad shit anymore,
OK? I promise.
We can still be friends, right?
Moses?
Are they making you do this?
OK. Well, yeah.
I'm not going to beg or anything.
If that's how it's going to be,
done.
Thank you.
For everything.
And a really big thanks
for getting me out of all that shit
with welfare.
I won't forget you.
Have a good life.
Yeah.
Don't expect to be the next
ambassador to Australia any longer.
Even if you are
completely exonerated,
the headlines from today will stick.
We have a room waiting for you
at the base.
Thank you. Who's coming up from ASIS?
Gemma McMillan?
I believe so. ETA tomorrow morning.
I thought she was coming up
from Canberra.
That's correct.
Well, what's she using, a camel?
Anyone figured out
how that drone footage even got out?
Is that why they dragged you
off the bus last night?
Figure out how it was done?
Yeah.
And?
Can't say.
Come on.
Must have been fucking clever.
Unless there's some crazy
chink in the armour somewhere.
No.
All I can say
is that it took a ton of nerve,
and, yes,
it was absolutely ingenious.
And you won't give us any more hints?
I will say this -
me, personally,
I never would have thought of it.
Well, that's cool.
Well, do they know who did it?
Well.
So, do they have bases
like this in China?
Outside China
I know they have one in Argentina,
but it's a lot smaller.
It only has two antennas.
We're all the same, really,
aren't we?
We just want to be safe and happy
and our leaders
want to be rich and powerful.
Sure. But there are
still differences too.
You see, Americans play chess, right,
where the object of the game
is to kill the other king.
A fast attack, total victory.
But we play go,
where the object of the game is
to gradually own the most territory,
slowly acquire a winning position,
which is a completely different
approach to life, business,
even relationships.
Ha.
Decision on the mine?
No. Other stuff.
I'll call them back.
Anyway, here we are. Water?
I...
I've been meaning to ask you...
...the day that we met
outside the art gallery,
had you been watching me?
For a few minutes.
But I had seen you
at the courts a few times.
You know, you... you do stand out.
At least you do to me.
That day you looked really lonely.
I could relate to that,
especially out here.
So I thought to myself we might
get on together, you know, friends.
Look, Belle, can I just say...
...I would love to keep seeing you.
But it's easy for me
and it's not for you.
I get that.
But I would love
whatever is possible, if that's...
So, the file got out,
the pilot is still missing
and we could lose our jobs.
What a week?
Latte with one.
We are spending
way too much time together.
Sinclair.
Yes, Mr Prime Minister.
We executed raids at Watson's place
in Darwin at 6:00am.
Joint operation. Seized that idiot's
server, all the hard drives,
restored the email
and found who sent it to him.
Sorry, just on the phone
to Canberra.
A very difficult conversation.
I can imagine.
Could we have a moment?
In a minute.
Who was it?
Not one of your workers here
unfortunately.
So we still don't have
the full picture.
But I would guess you know them.
Alice, this is Pentagon.
The Pacific Fleet
is now at Defcon 2. High alert.
I can't see a thing
behind all this Chinese jamming.
How are they keeping this up?
They wouldn't bother
if they'd already found him.
So he's still out there at least.
Alive, right?
He could still be alive.
And transmitting by now, you'd think.
He'd have to be.
We just can't see it.
What if we widen the subtuner?
Won't we just lose accuracy?
Yeah.
But if his signal's strong enough...
Look, there.
It's got space now.
And he is transmitting.
Where?
11.08 north.
115.03 east. Or thereabouts.
Wait. So, is it repeating or...?
No. No. No. Wait. I've got it.
Jacob, we've found a signal
which could be Pearson.
Passing the geo.
But it mightn't be exact.
Alright. EMINT, can we get a look
at that geo, please?
10 seconds and I'll be overhead.
Almost in range.
Transferring to the main screen.
OK. 11.8 north, 115.03 east.
Overhead now.
And magnifying.
Still magnifying.
Still magnifying.
Closer. Closer.
There. He's there.
And that's an airforce parachute.
On the north tip
of the Spratly Islands.
Just got lucky, that's all.
Alright. Shut up.
Shut up.
Alright. Pentagon, this is Alice.
Confirming we have coordinates
and visual confirmation
for Captain Saul Pearson
from imagery.
Thank you, Alice. Nice work.
Any Chinese naval strength
in that vicinity?
Yes. Stand-by for latest intel.
Yes.
How did you obtain this footage?
I got a text.
From?
I don't know.
You didn't recognise the number?
Well, there wasn't one.
You know how you can send a text
to yourself?
Well, someone picked up my phone
and sent me a text on my phone.
How did they unlock it?
Why would I have a locked phone?
I have nothing to hide.
And if he gives it back to me,
I can show you.
So someone was using your phone
but you don't know who.
Well, no.
I was on the court.
And I mean, at the risk
of stating the obvious,
I don't think
they wanted me to see them.
So, this was at the basketball game?
Yeah. The night before last.
And some of our people
are on your team, right?
Yeah.
But they're all just gardeners.
Simon, Eloise, Deb,
Gus and his nerdy mate
and that new chick
was sitting behind us.
Look, it could have been
any of them.
I logged in, put my hair up and
dropped my phone in my sports bag.
I didn't get it out
until I was riding home.
And that's when I found this.
"Look under the flag
at Anz Hill tomorrow. -00pm.
"Be worth it. Promise."
So I did.
And that's when I found this under
the flag, a plain old USB stick.
Your IT guys might be able
to get something off it.
And you emailed it to...?
Johnny Watson up in Darwin.
And he put it on his newsfeed.
Which is unauthorised disclosure
of a special intelligence operation.
Although "disclosure" means
making secret information known.
This drone strike was already
headlining news around the world.
We all knew about it,
who was killed.
We just hadn't seen it yet.
And for the record, I have fully
cooperated with your investigation
despite no welcome to country
and no acknowledgement at all that
we are meeting on Arrernte land.
Do not leave Alice Springs
until we say you can.
We've been here 60,000 years, lady,
I'm not going anywhere.
Ethan,
you and I really need a minute.
- If you can just...
- Later.
At the moment, let's stay on topic.
Does this change anything?
Look. Not really.
Just a little bit more detail.
I mean, the computer in the
collections room transmitted a file
to a nearby phone.
Our offender emailed the file
to themselves then fried the phone,
then went home.
And we've just heard that
they got the file to Immy DuPain
by transferring it from
a personal laptop to a USB device
and then dumping it
out at ANZAC Hill.
And the people
at the basketball game
who were also at the cafeteria
when the phone was destroyed
were Jasmina, Deb and Eloise.
All equally plausible.
Can we pull CCTV
from the basketball courts?
No. We can't. There is none.
This is Alice Springs.
We're not in Manhattan, Dani.
Is there anything
in the text message?
The way they've spelled "tomorrow"
or the use of a colon?
Who's the best COMINT analyst?
Because we need someone who knows
these three girls well enough
to be able to spot something little.
Well, that would be Jasmina, and,
unfortunately, she's one of them.
How about Simon Penny?
You'd call him back?
We need answers, Kath. If he hasn't
packed up and left yet, call him.
Ethan, A-crew have located Captain
Pearson but there's still a problem.
I have to go.
How about you?
No. Wait.
Kath.
Call Simon Penny. Godammit.
We can only rescue Pearson
by chopper.
But the Chinese have put a squadron
of fighters in the air
and three destroyers
within 50 miles.
The Joint Chiefs
have advised the President
that in order to conduct a rescue
he must order an attack.
Ethan...
He can rely on us
for accurate intelligence
when one of the analysts in A-Crew
is a traitor.
How did we get here over one pilot?
Ethan, my phone call to Canberra
this morning.
Kath. Not now.
No. Now, for fuck's sake.
Do you mind?
Our Treasurer is about to announce
his approval
of the Shonguran gas mine
in... half an hour ago.
And our Prime Minister
doesn't want to be taking
$200 billion of Chinese money
with one hand
and helping to sink
one of their ships with the other.
He doesn't think
it would be very smart.
Well, you tell your Prime Minister
he does not get to dictate
American foreign policy.
We are one snap decision away
from a major conflict.
Jacob, I've got signals
from 26 Chinese railguns
targeting the Pacific Fleet.
We have several 347 and 349
fire control radar systems active.
And a JY-8 mobile radar transmission
is now coming from five signals,
all on the move.
Please keep real-time progress
of location coordinates.
Shit. They've activated the
guidance systems on three D-41s.
Gus, I'm gonna need some help here.
D41s? What? They've got mobile
nuclear devices launch ready?
Yes. But they're moving
and switching on and off.
Infra-red pictures show
14 land-based silos being opened.
Alice, it's imperative
we know the exact location of...
Operations floor, stop.
We have no concurrence
for this operation, so stop it now.
What?
Australia has no concurrence
with this.
And both countries
need to approve all operations.
Well, the Australians
can stop working, then.
Tracking guidance system movement
on those D41s. Moving south.
Gus, walk away now.
Screw you.
We are talking about
an American pilot out there
who will be captured...
Everyone, stop.
...or die without our help.
Without Australian concurrence
this entire facility
must stop this tasking immediately.
Stop! Now!
Deputy Chief Sinclair
has her instructions.
Please comply with the order until
we have both sought clarification.
Take over.
Yes, sir.
Still tracking.
Get the fuck away!
Resume your stations!
We have protocol
for these circumstances.
Kath.
They will be followed.
They will be followed. Is that clear?
Does everyone understand?
Hey.
Easy.
We will continue tasking
over the subcontinent, Russia,
but nothing, absolutely nothing
on the South China Sea.
Sit down, Mr Kitto.
Easy.
Ethan.
You and I do not have a problem,
you know that.
Does Australia want an alliance
or not? It's that simple, Kath.
Of course we do.
America's support is vital to us
unless,
unless you drag us into a war
with China and then we're fucked.
Well, the only reason POTUS
is thinking twice about an attack
is the risk
of a nuclear retaliation.
That's his only hesitation.
Well, I can assure you
China will not fire nukes first.
Really?
Because they are arming everything.
Weren't you listening in there?
I was listening.
I was listening to Jas.
And she had just heard a call
between Chairman Chen
and his premier.
The top two men in China
were on their own personal cells?
They wanted us to hear.
And whilst they made it clear
that they would defend their country
with everything else they have,
they will not fire nuclear weapons
first, no matter what.
And what you just told me,
the minute POTUS hears that,
he's going to start
a conventional war immediately
just to save one fucking pilot.
So don't get shitty at us
for non-concurrence.
Because as far as I can see,
that's it for peace in Asia.
Only momentarily.
We can take out their silly little
man-made islands in 10 minutes.
And then they're going to sink
half a dozen ships.
Then, and then, and then what?
They can't match us militarily.
You'll never actually win, Ethan.
If you couldn't win in Afghanistan
or Iraq...
You couldn't win in Korea or Vietnam,
how in fuck of all fuckeries
are you going to beat China?
It's not about winning, Kath.
It's about maintaining dominance
which, I might add,
is in Australia's interests
as much as ours.
Trying to keep your foot
on China's throat
is not in Australia's best interests.
Look, the stability
of the whole of Asia
has been guaranteed
by our leadership.
That's how it's worked since 1945.
We keep everybody in check.
And for the long-term stability
of the whole region,
that is a dominance
that we have to maintain.
You've just got to
get out of the 20th century.
Right. Now, I love America,
but you are no long...
You are no longer
the greatest country in the world.
You're just not.
With the strength China has today,
America could never have stability
and dominance in Asia again.
It's one or the other.
It doesn't mean you'll lose anything.
But things change.
You know, as a nation
it's time to just age gracefully...
...you know, be adult.
Just don't start a fucking war
with China.
Give them some room.
Now, Jas
hasn't logged that phone call yet.
How do we want to do this?
Ethan, how is it down there?
Pretty hot, they tell me.
103 today, sir.
Well, before you go putting on
an ice vest or anything, just...
...give us the straight facts.
What the hell is Beijing up to?
Well, Mr President, the truth is
they have a third of their nuclear
arsenal armed and ready to launch.
Yeah, but what are they thinking,
Ethan?
We know what they're doing,
they're beating their chest
and trying to look scary.
Well, good for them.
But there is an American life
at stake.
Can we hear what Chen is thinking?
Sir, for the last month,
we have been listening 24/7 to
Chinese political and military comms
and we know beyond doubt
that if attacked,
they will fight
to protect and defend
what they view
as their sovereign territory.
Yeah, but with or without
nuclear weapons?
They are armed and ready, sir.
So are ours.
That can mean a lot of things.
Or nothing.
I can only pass on the intelligence
that we have, sir.
And I have seen nothing
suggesting that they won't use them.
Nothing?!
Nothing to suggest
it's just a posture?
Even though they know our arsenal
is four times bigger than theirs?!
Mr President...
...every piece of intelligence
I've seen
indicates that any attempt to rescue
Captain Pearson using armed force
will trigger an immediate nuclear
strike on continental America.
Sir.
Regardless of the consequences.
This means that much to them.
Jesus Christ!
OK.
And, Ethan...
...thank you.
I just lied to my president.
You just saved
thousands of lives.
Pentagon, this is Alice.
Nothing to report.
Looks like we've got a stand-off.
Roger, Alice. Thank you.
Beijing and the White House
are both now actively seeking
a diplomatic solution.
That's good news.
We were wondering if common-sense
might get a guernsey sooner or later.
A what?
Don't worry. It's called humour.
Shouldn't have bothered.
Operations floor.
Whilst talks are progressing,
Australian concurrence can resume
monitoring the situation
on the South China Sea.
Thank you.
Jas.
Can I talk to you?
Yeah?
So, a non-concurrence.
Who would have thought
that'd ever happen?
Well, it's over now, at least.
You think?
Doubt we've heard the last of it.
So I have to reply to Fort Meade.
Tonight.
Yeah. Yeah, you told me.
You haven't had any second thoughts?
No. Have you?
What was happening
between you and Kath, just now?
Nothing.
Do you think
we could have worked it out?
If you don't s...
...if you don't stay, we...
we'll never know.
After an agreement was reached
between Washington and Beijing
regarding Captain Saul Pearson's
safety,
he was rescued by a Chinese frigate
and immediately flown to Beijing
where he is now
in the American embassy.
But with both leaders
claiming the moral high ground...
A toast.
Congratulations.
To Shonguran's successful project.
And to the Arrernte people. Xie Xie.
We're getting a bit in return.
Ganbei.
Ganbei.
You played a good long game, Paul.
Welcomed me in, buddied up.
Made sure we were too far in
before you put jobs on the table.
Too late to say no then, wasn't it?
We both played
a pretty good long game, mate.
I'll be watching
to see how yours plays out.
Xie Xie.
Yeah, so...
Let me get this straight -
you need help identifying
who sent this text message
from this phone to this phone?
Correct.
And it's... Immy DuPain's phone?
Yeah. It was at the ball game
two nights ago but it wasn't her.
We're hoping there's something about
the punctuation, the spelling...
It's kind of a stretch.
The way it's phrased, perhaps?
There's no clear marker
from any normal comms analysis.
But...
...as it turns out,
I actually know who sent it.
Who?
Before we get to that...
...I haven't told my wife
what happened.
I haven't even packed up
the apartment.
Yes. We've noticed.
OK. So...
I'm assuming nothing's
become irrevocable
in terms of official reports.
What the fuck are you getting at,
Simon?
I'm wondering if I can't come back.
Simon, your position here
is untenable.
No-one trusts you!
We can't trust you!
Can you work like that?
Honestly?!
Do you wanna know who it is or not?
It's in the time.
It says 'delivered, 8:19'.
I got there at 8:22.
I know that 'cause I got
a text message from my daughter.
Fuck.
That totally gives it away.
OK, deal.
Now, who do we arrest?
Big day.
Yeah.
And the judge even gave you the cat.
Yeah, I'm just...
looking at his orders.
Well, go, you.
Still, all a bit of fun, hey?
I never even liked
that hairy little shit anyway.
Isn't it lucky I'm so gracious?
Shake hands...
...well played, moving on.
That is me.
No thoughts of revenge whatsoever.
Hey.
And Rudi got it right at the start,
That's gotta hurt.
Let's go find a place
where we can...
...swap some more stories.
Hey, Dad.
Hey, son. How you doing?
Yeah.
Good, good.
Hey, you're getting better at this.
Yeah, well...
practice makes perfect.
Look, I saw on the news today
about that drone strike over there.
Yeah.
Yeah, they don't really know
how that got out.
Yeah.
No, I know.
And I really... I actually haven't...
I haven't actually seen it myself.
To be honest.
Well...
...you know the guy in charge
of things?
You know, all the people
here are basically saying
that he saved our President's life.
Are they?
Yeah.
That's what they're saying.
And...
...you work there, yeah?
Yeah, well, sort of.
Not in, like, the...
Not in that area. Yeah.
No.
But you knew these guys, yeah?
No. Not really.
No.
You can't even recognise
their voice?
No. Not for sure.
OK.
I s'pose...
...only work with people
for one or two years...
I mean, it's... not the same
as...
...say, well, you and me.
For example.
So, we've been...
...talking...
...since you was three years old,
son.
So I wouldn't have...
...much trouble picking your voice.
Hey...
...I'm real sorry, Dad, I'm...
Yeah.
You gotta go.
Yeah. I'm sorry.
No. It's OK.
I get it.
Gus.
I understand things.
Alright?
Yeah. Thanks, Dad.
OK.
You just...
You keep doing
what you're doing down there.
Alright, son?
We'll...
We'll talk soon, yeah?
I love you.
Love you too, Dad.
That missile strike
might have been a false flag...
There's nothing false
about those three vampires...
We cannot confirm
these guys shot down that plane!
We've confirmed they've got missiles.
They've cracked APEC's comms
and the President is enraged.
I'm acting on that.
Thank you, Alice. Target achieved.