M I L L E N N I U M "MATRYOSHKA" #MLM-314 First Draft Written by Erin Maher & Kay Reindl -------------------------- TEASER INT. RETIREMENT HOME - EVENING An elderly hand reaches down and carefully places a battered record on an old- fashioned record player. "Till Then" by The Mills Brothers begins to play. The hand reaches down into a box and carefully removes an old Cornell Woolwich paperback, tattered and dog-eared. The hands pause, then flip the book open and crease it down the middle. Various lines have been highlighted. After a moment, the book is closed. A pocket watch is removed, the stem punched to open the face. The clock has stopped. The hands close the watch. Other items are removed: a bundle of old black-and-white photographs, a small wooden Matryoshka doll... then the hand pulls out a battered fedora hat. The hat is settled on the head of MICHAEL LANYARD (70's), an elderly man but still broad-shouldered and handsome. He adjusts the fedora. MATCH CUT TO: EXT. OUTER OFFICE (1945) - DAY A younger Michael Lanyard (20's), now as rakish as his fedora, carefully takes of his hat as he waits to enter an impressive-looking office. A SECRETARY, who obviously takes her job very seriously, turns to address him. SECRETARY You can go in, Agent Lanyard. He's expecting you. Lanyard nods, twisting his hat in his hands. Taking a deep breath, he strides into the office. INT. TOLSON'S OFFICE (1945) Assistant Director CLYDE TOLSON rises as Lanyard enters. LANYARD This is an honor, sir -- TOLSON Sit down, sit down. Lanyard obeys, looking around at the elaboratelt outfitted office. He watches curiously as Tolson closes the blinds and dims the lights. Lanyard looks flummoxed as Tolson offers him a cigarette. Tolson lights his own cigarette and sits down opposite Lanyard, flicking a switch on a slide projector. Cigarette smoke rises through the shaft of light, creating a surreal atmosphere. Lanyard gazes at a slide of a sprawled body, its limbs twisted and broken. TOLSON This is the former Dr. Daniel Carew, a top-class physicist. He was found brutally murdered in New Mexico two days ago. As Tolson speaks, he clicks the slides forward, showing dozens of shots of the same broken body from various angles, and the surrounding crime scene. TOLSON Carew was engaged in an experiment -- LANYARD What kind of experiment? TOLSON I can't tell you that. I can tell you this experiment is critical to a victory for the United States. We can't afford to lose another scientist. Lanyard leans forward in fascination. TOLSON Both President Truman and Mr. Hoover are concerned that this matter be brought to a swift -- and confidential -- conclusion. Tolson pauses, before speaking with weightier significance. TOLSON You've been hand-picked to carry out this assignment. We expect results, and we expect them quickly. Tolson hands Lanyard a folder. TOLSON You'll travel by military transport to Santa Fe. A car will be waiting for you there. Again, let me stress the utmost secrecy surrounding this case. You report only to me. Do you understand? LANYARD I do, sir. Tolson stands, with Lanyard quick to follow suit. Tolson then scrawls on a business card, before handing it to Lanyard. TOLSON My card, with my private number. Keep me posted. Lanyard looks at the business card, a phone number handwritten across it. MATCH CUT TO: INT. LANYARD'S ROOM - EVENING The same business card, yellowed and worn. Lanyard sets it down and picks up a worn photograph of a little girl (NATALIE). Lanyard gently caresses the image with his fingers, before turning it over. With great pain and sorrow he carefully writes on the back of the picture. Lanyard blots it dry, then removes one last item from the box: an old .38 handgun. He lowers his gaze from the photo to check the weapon's chamber. Lanyard clicks the chamber shut, then sits for a moment... before unexpectedly raising the gun to his head. As he does so, the CAMERA PUSHES URGENTLY towards the writing on his photograph. The GUNSHOT is deafening... and the words can finally be read: "I am become death." ACT ONE INT. NURSING HOME - DAY A record revolves silently on a player; the needle stuck in the inside groove. A gloved hand lifts the needle. It's EMMA HOLLIS. She examines the record as BARRY BALDWIN snaps off his gloves with an air of finality. He looks at Emma. BALDWIN You gonna dance to that or bag it as evidence? EMMA "Till Then". You ever heard of The Mills Brothers? BALDWIN Let's wrap this up. I don't even know what we're doing here. The guy obviously offed himself. Emma continues bagging evidence -- Lanyard's fedora, the Matryoshka doll -- and takes a tape out of the VCR. She flicks the guard up to reveal that the tape is broken inside. Emma bags it. EMMA What's with the attitude? "The guy" was an agent. BALDWIN Right. Fifty years ago. So what? A lot of old agents wound up eating their guns. Ness, and the guy who got Dillinger, and -- Emma glances at Baldwin, surprised. BALDWIN You work for the FBI, Hollis. At least learn its history. EMMA Speaking of history, take a look at this. She hands Baldwin the worn business card. BALDWIN This is Clyde Tolson's private number -- EMMA That's Assistant Director Clyde Tolson to you, Baldwin. Emma fastens her box closed and snaps off her gloves. EMMA Did you check that guest register? Baldwin stares at her. Emma sighs. EMMA Give it to me. The front desk wants it back -- She takes the register and flips it open, scanning the pages. BALDWIN Let me guess. No visitors, the guy was a lonely old -- EMMA You couldn't be more wrong. As Emma flips through the pages, one name keeps emerging at regular intervals: PETER WATTS. INT. FBI BULLPEN - DAY The guest register lies on a desk in front of FRANK BLACK. The box of Lanyard's effects sits close by. Frank lift out and studies the items in the same manner Lanyard did: he creases the Cornell Woolwich book, opens the watch, thumbs the bundle of photographs, caresses Natalie's photo. He hefts Lanyard's weapon and fingers the brim of his hat. BALDWIN (O.S) It looks like a ritualistic suicide. Period music, period clothing, personal momentoes... FBI issue weapon. As Baldwin continues to talk, Frank picks up the Matryoshka doll and examines it curiously. As he turns it around in his hands -- -- he has a vision: as he turns the doll over, it suddenly changes from pristine condition to a decayed state. Frank freezes, stunned. He examines the doll more closely, opening it up to look inside. It's empty. Baldwin looks over Frank's shoulder, innocently. BALDWIN ... so. Case closed? Frank is no longer in agreement with Baldwin. He sifts through the crime scene photos and contemplates the momentoes. FRANK I'd like to see his old case files. BALDWIN You agreed this was a suicide -- FRANK There may be more to it. BALDWIN Be honest. What really interests you and Hollis is the connection with Peter Watts. As he speaks, Emma arrives - her arms loaded with file folders. She dumps them on Frank's desk. EMMA Lanyard's case files. I figured you might want to take a look. Baldwin shakes his head. BALDWIN If you think this is anything other than a suicide, go right ahead and investigate. I'll wait for the coroner's report, which will prove I'm right. As Frank opens the file... INT. LANYARD'S CAR - NIGHT (1945) ... the same file, new and unworn, rests on the seat of Lanyard's car. The graphic photos of Carew's corpse are scattered across the seat. Lanyard, cigarette in hand, is at the wheel of his 1940's car. "Till Then" plays on the radio. Lanyard peers out the windshield. A road sign reading 'Los Alamos, 2 MILES' looms closer. A Skull and Crossbones symbol is crudely painted over the writing. Lanyard glances at the sign, furrowing his brow. He turns his attention back to driving and SLAMS on the brakes! He skids to a halt in front of a military roadblock. A rifle swings into place inches from Lanyard's head, wielded by a poker-faced Soldier. Around the car, dozens of soldiers take up their positions - rifles aimed. LANYARD Lanyard, FBI. I'm expected -- Lanyard stops as a car's headlights shine across his face. He squints to see past the lightt, as a military vehicle halts behind the roadblock. A soldier opens the door of the car and salutes. A silhouetted figure (GENERAL GROVES) gets out of the car and strides out of the dazzling headlights to lean towards Lanyard. GENERAL GROVES Welcome to Los Alamos, Agent Lanyard. INT. GROVES' CAR (1945) - NIGHT Lanyard and Groves share the back seat of a military vehicle. Lanyard lights a cigarette. LANYARD That was quite a welcome, sir. GENERAL GROVES I pride myself on running a secure facility. LANYARD Carew's death must have come as quite a blow to you, then. Groves raises an eyebrow, unamused at Lanyard's flippancy. GENERAL GROVES I'm not happy about you being here. My men are capable of handling the situation... LANYARD The President feels differently. Groves snorts, shakes his head. GENERAL GROVES He feels differently because Hoover put a flea in his ear. Hoover and Tolson have been itching to get in here ever since the military ended the FBI's jurisdiction. LANYARD Jurisdiction over what? Groves bits down on his cigar. GENERAL GROVES That's confidential. LANYARD I'm here to investigate a murder. I need some answers -- GENERAL GROVES The work here is more important than the death of one man. This project is going to end the war. LANYARD No one working on it is safe with a killer on the loose. GENERAL GROVES And the project isn't safe if any Tom, Dick or Harry is allowed to prowl around. LANYARD I understand your concern, considering the magnitude of what you're testing up here. I'd guess it's some kind of super-weapon. A bomb, probably. Groves glares at him. GENERAL GROVES Let me make this clear. You're not to interfere with the work of the scientists in any way. You will not ask them about the project. You will not mention the "gadget". You will not inquire as to anyone's role in the project. You will not ask their names or inquire about their backgrounds. You will not mention the "gadget" -- LANYARD You already said that. The car rolls to a halt. As the driver gets out to open Groves' door, the General looks seriouslt at Lanyard. GENERAL GROVES It's important. INT. REC ROOM (1945) - NIGHT Men, each with a circular numbered badge pinned to their chest, are playing various games; ping-pong, pool, cards, etc. Some just sit and talk together. "Till Then" plays in the background. Groves, Lanyard sat beside him, sits at the head of a table. Ten men are seated around it, all focused on Groves - who gestures to Lanyard. GENERAL GROVES Ask your questions. Lanyard looks at the men, all stare back at him blankly. LANYARD I'm investigating the murder -- GENERAL GROVES Death. LANYARD (firmly) -- murder of Doctor -- GENERAL GROVES Badge number 643 -- LANYARD -- Daniel Carew. I'll need statement's from each of you as to Carew's mood and movements prior to his murder. GENERAL GROVES Death. LANYARD General, please. GENERAL GROVES I warned you, Mister -- LANYARD Agent -- GENERAL GROVES Lanyard. Lanyard pulls out a case file, unamused. He deliberately lets it fall open so that the crime scene photos fall across the table. The scientists are horrified, yet fascinated, by the images. LANYARD Carew's skull was shattered. His eye sockets were smashed. Half the bones in his body were broken -- not fractured, splintered. Twisted apart. GENERAL GROVES There's no need -- LANYARD Carew was one of you. I understand he had a magnificent mind. Unfortunately, it wound up smeared across the floor of his lab. Any one of you could be next. The scientists look at each other. Finally, one speaks out: SCIENTIST He worked with Dr. Alexander. Alexander found his body -- LANYARD Which one of you is Alexander? SCIENTIST He's... not here. GENERAL GROVES *He* happens to be working. Lanyard fixes Groves with an icy gaze. SCIENTIST Dr. Alexander hasn't been the same since he found the body. LANYARD That's understandable. Seeing something like this is a terrible thing -- SCIENTIST It's not just that. He's been upset since the test -- GENERAL GROVES (furious) That's enough! The interview's over. Everybody get back to work -- LANYARD I'll need to talk to Alexander. Alone. GENERAL GROVES I can't allow that. LANYARD I can't imagine Mr. Tolson will be happy to hear that. And when he's not happy, Mr. Hoover most assuredly is not happy. And Mr. Hoover does have the ear of the President. Groves glares. GENERAL GROVES Talk to him, then. But only about Carew's death. You don't have the clearance to hear any details of this project -- LANYARD Certainly, General. I'll do my best to remain ignorant of any and all details of the project. He gathers his files, nodding to the scientists as he does so. LANYARD Thank you for your time, Dr. Oppenheimer ... Dr. Fermi... Dr. Teller... Lanyard settles his hat on his head with a flourish, and grins at the stunned Groves. EXT. ALEXANDER'S HOUSE (1945) Lanyard steps over a Matryoshka doll on the porch. He KNOCKS on the door. Nobody answers. Lanyard tries the door -- it's open. INT. ALEXANDER'S HOUSE (1945) Lanyard steps inside. The house is empty. He hears a CREAK and stops. LANYARD Hello? Dr. Alexander? Silence. He takes another step. Another CREAK. He looks down at a loose floorboard. Lanyard moves onward... towards... INT. THE BASEMENT Lanyard finds that the basement has been converted into a pristine laboratory. A blackboard is covered with complicated mathematical calculations. Lanyard makes sure he's alone, then begins searching. He opens a desk drawer. Inside, a bank book lies on top of some torn notepad papers. The name PAUL KROLL is written on the front. Lanyard turns the page -- there's only one entry: a deposit for $10,000. Lanyard replaces the bank book. His attention is caught by a piece of notebook paper. A hasty scrawl reads: "I STILL FIND IT IN MY HEART TO PITY HIM..." Lanyard replaces the paper and closes the drawer. He moves over to the bookcase. Various scientific texts are neatly places on the shelves. He picks up a copy of The Bible... angry lines have been written across the pages. A few passages are completely blacked out. In handwriting a little like Alexander's, but slanting in the opposite direction, someone has written "THE TYRANNY OF GOD HAS ENDED!!!" Shocked, Lanyard replaces The Bible, then unconsciously wipes his hands on his trousers. He hesitates before picking up a photograph that rests upside down on the top of the bookcase. The photo is of a huge atomic mushroom cloud, rising up from the desert. Lanyard stares, open-mouthed. ALEXANDER (O.S) Some gadget, huh? Lanyard drops the photo back on the bookcase as he turns to see DR. ALEXANDER -- a sickly-looking man, standing with his hands in his pockets, smiling slightly. ALEXANDER Make yourself at home. As they say here in New Mexico, "mi laboratory es us laboratory." Lanyardy flashes his badge. LANYARD Agent Lanyard, FBI. ALEXANDER My first G-Man. Aside from those who tap my phone and read my mail, of course, but I haven't had the pleasure of meeting them. LANYARD I'm looking into the death of Dr. Carew. ALEXANDER I'm assuming I'm a suspect, since you're ransacking my office -- LANYARD With all due respect, you hardly look strong enough to have inflicted the damage that was done to Dr. Carew. ALEXANDER Yes, I heard about your graphic description to my co-workers. He notes Lanyard's startled look. ALEXANDER This is a small, insular community. News travels fast. LANYARD I understand you found the body. A shadow crosses across Alexander's face. ALEXANDER I did. LANYARD I just have a few questions -- ALEXANDER I'm afraid I don't have any answers. LANYARD You saw Dr. Carew's body. There's a vicious killer here, capable of the most extreme evil -- ALEXANDER We're all capable of evil, Mr. Lanyard, or we couldn't have created all this horror... Lanyard is tired of Alexander's evasions and steps closer. LANYARD What about Paul Kroll? Is he also responsible for this evil? Alexander is startled. Lanyard notices Alexander's left hand is shaking. Alexander notices Lanyard's gaze, and uses his right hand to steady his shaking left. He turns away from Lanyard, face half in shadow. LANYARD Who is he, Doctor? Who is Kroll? NATALIE (O.S) Papa! Papa! Alexander's face lightens, as NATALIE (4) darts into the room. Alexander straightens himself with some effort, as LILY UTTERSON (20s) also arrives. Lily stops when she sees Lanyard. LILY I'm sorry, Doctor... Natalie wanted to fetch you for dinner... ALEXANDER That's quite all right, Lily. Mr. Lanyard was just leaving. LANYARD (resigned) Agent Lanyard. Alexander picks up Natalie, who is clutching a large Matryoshka doll. Lanyard hesistates... then, reluctant to continue his inquiries in the presence of a young woman and daughter, gives in. LANYARD We'll speak later. ALEXANDER Undoubtedly. INT. LANYARD'S ROOM (1945) - EVENING Lanyard is sitting on a small bed in a darkened dorm room. Shafts of light pour through the gaps in a venetian blind. "Till Then" is playing loudly, to mask Lanyard's paranoia. He clutches a black phone in one hand, a cigarette in the other. He's in the middle of a frustrating conversation: LANYARD I'm sure this call is being monitored -- there's no such thing as privacy here -- INTERCUT WITH: INT. TOLSON'S OFFICE (1945) - NIGHT Tolson sits tapping a cigarette into an ashtray. TOLSON Just explain your conclusion, Agent Lanyard. LANYARD It's not a conclusion, just a suspicion. I think Alexander might be involved in... Lanyard glances at the empty window and lowers his voice. LANYARD (CONT'D) ... espioniage. TOLSON Alexander's no spy -- LANYARD The account he opened for Paul Kroll is the kicker. This Kroll was arrested in Santa Fe for assault. He was bailed out by Alexander's nanny, Lily Utterson. Aside from that, Kroll doesn't exist. There are no other records of him. TOLSON I don't see the connection. Lanyard looks flummoxed. LANYARD The lack of a paper trail hints that he might be a spy. His arrest shows he's capable of violence, and the fact that Alexander handed him $10,000 smells of blackmail or worse -- TOLSON You're there to solve a murder. Do you understand? LANYARD There's a kid and a young lady in that house -- TOLSON You're doing a fine job, Agent Lanyard. Concentrate on catching our killer, and don't overreach yourself. (pause) Believe me, Lanyard, we know who the spies are. CLICK. Annoyed, Lanyard slams the phone down. EXT. ALEXANDER'S HOUSE (1945) - NIGHT A frustrated Lanyard, cigarette drooping from his mouth, stands staring at Alexander's residence. A single light shines from inside. Lanyard lights another cigarette... he freezes as a curtain is drawn back and Natalie appears. He shrinks back to hide. He sees Natalie set her Matryoshka doll on the windowsill. She talks to them as she lines them up in descending order. Lanyard smiles at the enchanting sight. The magic moment ends as loud voices are heard, and the little girl clambers down. The curtain swishes closed. As Lanyard moves forward, a sinister shadow moves rapidly past the window, knocking the dolls down as it brushes against the curtain. ALEXANDER (O.S) It's over, it has to be over! LILY (O.S) Doctor... please... Another male voice, harsh and blurred, cries out: KROLL (O.S) He's trying to finish me -- There's a SHRIEK as glass CRASHES inside the house. The light goes out. Lanyard drops his cigarette and takes out his flashlight and gun as he races across the dark porch into the house. INT. ALEXANDER'S HOUSE (1945) - NIGHT Lanyard moves cautiously into the dark room. There's a sound of weeping. His flashlight catches Natalie, huddled on the floor clutching one of her smaller Matryoshka dolls. It's broken; crushed. Lanyard spins round as a figure moves into his sight -- LILY. LANYARD Get the kid out. LILY You don't understand -- LANYARD Go! Lily grabs Natalie. There's another CRASH! Lanyard whirls his flashlight to illuminate the sneering features of PAUL KROLL. Kroll is smaller than Alexander, his features cruder, eyes wild and rolling. Lanyard aims his gun at Kroll. LANYARD FBI! You're under arrest! LILY No! Lily grabs Lanyard's arm. He drops his flashlight, which rolls away. Lanyard dives for it, as a gun is aimed at his head. M.P (O.S) Hold it right there! The lights go on. Lanyard is crouching on the floor, one hand reaching for the flashlight. An M.P holds a gun to his head. LANYARD Wait! I've got the killer! Lanyard turns. Sprawled on the floor where Kroll was moments ago is a dazed Alexander. LANYARD Where did he go? Where's Kroll? ALEXANDER Away... CUT TO: INT. FBI BULLPEN - DAY Frank looks down at the folder, confused. He leafs through the pages, looking for something. EMMA What's wrong? FRANK Something's missing. The report just suddenly ends, with no solution to the case, no conclusions drawn... EMMA Maybe Lanyard was just sloppy. Frank shakes his head. FRANK His other reports are detailed, complete. He worked this case, turned in a half-completed report, and resigned. It has to mean something... Frank stops as he turns over the last piece of paper: scrawled in pencil is an ouroboros symbol. ACT TWO EXT. CEMETARY - DAY A wreath stands against Lanyard's grave. Mourners drifts away to reveal PETER WATTS's presence. He stares down at the grave site. EMMA (O.S) Mr. Watts. Watts turns to see Emma approaching. He's very surprised and not pleased at her arrival. WATTS What are you doing here? EMMA Investigating a death. WATTS There's nothing to investigate. Michael Lanyard killed himself. EMMA Don't you want to know why? Watts turns away and starts walking to his car, Emma follows. EMMA Frank thinks Lanyard's death is tied to the Millennium Group. WATTS Frank thinks everything is tied to the Millennium Group. EMMA Was Lanyard a member of the Group? Watts stops and turns to face Emma. WATTS No. He was nothing more than a damn good FBI agent. He worked with Ness on the Torso killings, which gave him enough insight into sexual homicide to enable him to solve a series of stranger killings the following year. That case was taught when I was at the Academy. I was fascinated by the way his mind worked. I sought him out. We've -- we'd -- been friends ever since. (pause) Is there anything else, Agent Hollis, or can I go now? Emma hesitates, but decided to go for it: EMMA I'm curious about the Millennium Group's connection to the FBI -- WATTS A lot of Group members are former agents. You know that. EMMA I think there might be more to it -- Watts becomes angry at Emma's intrusive manner. WATTS You don't have the right to ask those questions. Now, if you'll excuse me, Agent Hollis... Emma watches Watts stride over to his car. Behind her, a heavily tinted car is parked. The OLD MAN peers through a slight open window, his face obscured. After a moment, he rolls up the window and the car creeps away. INT. FBI BULLPEN - EMMA'S AREA - DAY Emma and Frank both sit staring at a huge pile of folders. From the apparent disorderly piles, they've searched through them all. EMMA There's no mention of Kroll in the VENONA documents, so he wasn't a spy -- FRANK And the military records don't list him either, so he wasn't at Los Alamos in any official capacity. EMMA It's as if he never existed. FRANK That's not the only puzzle. During the time Lanyard was in Los Alamos, Alexander requisitioned a small amount of plutonium. EMMA Right. So? FRANK His work involved calibrating bombs. The bombs were completed. He had no use for plutonium. EMMA SO what did he do with it? FRANK Conventional wisdom says Alexander was a spy, and that he defected to Russia, along with his daughter. EMMA So he might have taken the material with him. (a beat) No plutonium, no Paul Kroll -- BALDWIN No case. Emma and Frank turn to see Baldwin, who tosses a file onto a nearby pile. BALDWIN The autopsy report on Lanyard. Poor bastard killed himself, just as I thought. Case closed. FRANK Not quite. There's still the question of why. BALDWIN Which is not only not an FBI matter, but impossible to figure out. The guy's dead. There's nobody left to answer your questions. EMMA Not necessarily true. Frank and Baldwin turn to look at Emma, who is searching through some papers. EMMA Frank, Lily Utterson bailed Paul Kroll out of jail. Lily Utterson's name is on the requisition form. He sent her for the plutonium. BALDWIN (contemptuously) The *nanny* did it? Emma's already pounding on her computer keyboard, searching the database. She grins in triumph. EMMA Voila. Baldwin and Frank lean over Emma to look at the screen. Information scrollsd down the monitor. FRANK Quite a file to keep on a nanny. EMMA She's in the nut file. Writes lots of letters to the President. FRANK Threats? EMMA (wryly) Advice. EXT. MENTAL HOSPITAL - DAY A dingy and forgettable building. INT. MENTAL HOSPITAL - DAY ROOM An elderly hand folds a letter into an envelope. The hand belongs to Lily Utterson. She seals the envelope and places it on a stack of similar envelopes. Around her, various patients watch TV or read magazines. Frank and Emma stand close by, looking weary after a long wait. Lily notices them. LILY I just had to speak my mind about that Mr. Hussein -- FRANK We're interested in Mr. Kroll. Lily looks inquiringly at Frank. LILY Yes, dear? EMMA (patiently) Paul Kroll. The man you bailed out of jail. The man to whom Alexander gave money. (a beat) The man Michael Lanyard heard arguing with you and Alexander. LILY You've lost me, dear... FRANK Do you remember Mr. Lanyard? LILY Oh, yes. A handsome man, though somewhat bereft of manners -- FRANK (bluntly) He killed himself last week. Lily reacts. Then freezes, raising a hand to her mouth in shock. LILY Oh, my goodness... EMMA We think his death is connected to what happened at Los Alamos -- to Alexander and Paul Kroll -- LILY It was all such a long time ago, dear... FRANK You bailed Paul Kroll out of jail in Santa Fe. After that, he disappeared. Where did he go? LILY He didn't go anywhere... EMMA Then there'd be mention of him in the Los Alamos military files. There isn't. LILY Los Alamos was filled with nameless people. Some of them got their names back after the war. Some didn't. EMMA What do you mean? LILY You can't imagine the secrecy. The greatest secret of the war, greater even than D-Day. People left their names at the front gate, became numbers... people lived and died -- and were born -- with no names... Frank exchanges a look with Emma, both confused. Lily glances around, then leans forward to speak confidentially to Emma... LILY I like you, dear, so I'll tell you a secret of my own. Nobody named Kroll went anywhere. You'll never understand, dear, until you look at what isn't there. INT. FRANK'S CAR - DAY Frank is driving. Emma sits beside him, searching through files. EMMA Well, that's going to be fodder for a big "I told you so" from Baldwin. Just the nattering of a dotty old woman... FRANK Not quite. EMMA Come on, Frank. That was nattering. EMMA Maybe. But she's not a dotty old woman. She knew exactly what she was telling us. EMMA She didn't tell us anything! FRANK She was very specific about what stayed in Los Alamos. Emma looks at Frank, suddenly sharing his thought. EMMA Kroll stayed. So we're looking for a body. INT. FBI BULLPEN Emma watches, slightly puzzled, as Frank shuffles through some stacks of paper. He finds what he's looking for and hands to it to Emma. Emma reads the paper - it's a DEATH CERTIFICATE: dated AUGUST 1945. The address is P.O. BOX #1663, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. The name -- JOHN DOE. Emma looks at Frank, puzzled. EMMA I don't get it. FRANK After the war, all those anonymous birth and death certificates were filled in with names. All except this one. EMMA You think this is Kroll? FRANK It stands to reason. He didn't officially exist; he would have been the one John Doe who never got matched up with an identity. EMMA Can we get an exhumation order? FRANK Already done. I'm leaving for Santa Fe in an hour to oversee things. Emma stares at Frank, astonished. EMMA We can have the Santa Fe field office -- FRANK I have to do this myself. EMMA Frank... I know you're concerned about the possible involvement of the Group, but getting emotionally involved -- Frank shakes his head, intensely. FRANK The more I think of Michael Lanyard's life, the more I see the noose tightening around his neck. He was played, just like me, and just like you. And he lost... EMMA (sighs) Let me know if you need anything. Frank looks at her for a moment, then begins collecting papers. Without looking up: FRANK Thank you, Emma. INT. MILLENNIUM GROUP OFFICE Peter Watts enters the dimly lit room. The Old Man is seated behind the desk. OLD MAN How was the funeral? WATTS Sir, aside from myself, Lanyard didn't have many friends. I wanted to honor his memory. OLD MAN Your friendship with Lanyard was tolerated, Peter. You speaking out of turn to Emma Hollis, however, is not. WATTS I didn't say anything to Emma Hollis. OLD MAN That's not what Miss Utterson said. (a beat) Our little flower's been talking. INT. ALEXANDER'S HOUSE (1945) The house is still a mess after the violence of the night before. Lily, wearing a scarf, wearily tidies the room. She stops when she hears a KNOCK at the door. She opens the door to reveal a man in an overcoat, his back to her. LILY Yes? The man turns... it's Clyde Tolson, natty as ever. He flips open his badge ID. TOLSON Tolson. FBI. LILY If you're looking for Mr. Lanyard, I believe he's under arrest for threatening my employer. TOLSON I know. I'm not looking for Mr. Lanyard. I've come to see you. I have what some may call a proposition for you, Miss Utterson. Lily looks startled. INT. MENTAL HOSPITAL - DAY ROOM The usual activity in the room. Lily painstakingly addresses an envelope which reads: "The President of the United States." WATTS (O.S) Still keeping the world from titling off its axis? Surprised, Lily smiles at Watts - who is hovering in the doorway. LILY Judging from the papers, the world hasn't a prayer. It's good to see you. Watts sits across from Lily. She stares at him unsmilingly. Suddenly, there's no trace of the "dotty old woman" who received Frank and Emma. WATTS It's good to see you, Lily. LILY And you, Peter. WATTS I understand you had visitors. LILY Who I talk to is none of your business. That's never what we were about. You know that... Watts follows her gaze to a small surveillance camera in the corner of the room, above the door. Lily addresses it angrily: LILY And *you* know that, too. She returns her look to Watts. LILY The Group's actions lost us Frank Black -- WATTS You've heard about Michael? LILY Yes... WATTS And you have the nerve to lecture *me*. LILY That's unfair, and you know it. We've had fifty years of peace -- WATTS And fifty years of agony for Michael Lanyard. You are why he killed himself. LILY (strongly) You don't mean that, Peter. Watts' gaze softens. WATTS I didn't come here to argue. LILY You came to warn me. WATTS It's dangerous, what you do. Who you talk to. LILY Fifty years ago, we were five steps ahead of the world. But now the Group only looks back. Even you, after all this time, focus on your failures, instead of seeing what's under your nose. WATTS What do you mean? LILY Frank Black isn't the only one, Peter. (a beat) There is another. EXT. LOS ALAMOS STREET (1945) - NIGHT Lanyard, looking disgruntled, heaves his suitcase into his car. As he turns to get in, he notices a harried-looking Lily hurrying down the street. Lily stumbles, dropping her purse. Sh drops to her knees to collect the contents that have rolled out. Lanyard moves over to help. Lily looks up, startled -- LILY Thank you, Mr. Lanyard -- LANYARD Are you all right, Miss Utterson? Lily hesitates as Lanyard helps her to her feet. It's plainly obvious she's in dire straits. LILY I've got to run an errand for Dr. Alexander, and I'm worried -- Natalie's alone... LANYARD What's the errand? I'll give you a hand, and you can run home to the little girl -- LILY No! That is, it's confidential -- LANYARD (sarcastically) Gee, that's a new one. Lily places a hand on Lanyard's sleeve. He looks at her -- she's suddenly gone very big-eyed and dewy. LILY Things are... I'm frightened. Natalie shouldn't be in that house... LANYARD (alert) Is it Kroll? Is Kroll there? LILY He may be. He wasn't when I left, but... please Agent Lanyard... I need your help. I need your help to get her away. Lanyard hesitates for a moment, then nods. LANYARD FBI at your service, ma'am... EXT. LOS ALAMOS GRAVEYARD - DAY Frank watches as a bulldozer tears open an ummarked gravesite. WORKER Hold it! The bulldozers halts its destruction. Two workmen with shovels begin scraping the last remaining dirt from the top of a coffin. They eventually stop... and stare into the open grave. WORKER Never seen anything like that before. Frank strides to the edge of the grave and looks inside. Instead of a coffin, a heavy lead box, wrapped in chains, lies nestled in the cold earth. As Frank kneels down to touch it, he has a vision: a bomardment of atomic images -- Trinity, Hiroshima, the Bikini Atoll tests, the Nevada Test Range -- it's a powerful and destructive series of images. Frank sits back on his heels, astounded... perhaps realising he's going to find more than he bargained for in the lead coffin... ACT THREE INT. MORGUE - DAY The coffin rests on the floor. Someone holding a pair of bolt cutters SNAPS through the rusty chains. The lid is opened and a stale gust of air escapes into the room. Frank is present with DR. CATON. They both heave the lid off with effort... to reveal a dessicated body inside. It's preserved quite well. Dr. Caton flicks a Geiger Counter on and sweeps the wand around the body. DR. CATON Faint amounts of radioactivity. The level isn't dangerous. FRANK I need to know who this is... and how he died. TIME CUT TO: INT. MORGUE A computer screen shows the image of the dead body's skull, contained in a grid. As the image rotates, the computer adjusts the grid to try and determine the 3- dimensional properties of the dead man's head. DR. CATON That's coming along. We're lucky the corpse was in good shape. With only a skull, this can take days or weeks. FRANK Did you learn what killed him? DR. CATON Radiation poisoning. Small amounts over a period of time, topped off with a disastrously large dose. The computer BEEPS. Caton swivels round in his chair to the screen. DR. CATON It's complete. It'll take awhile to get the ID -- Frank stares at the screen. FRANK It's Doctor Sergius Alexander. Caton is surprised. DR. CATON A physicist? That can't be. No scientists died at Los Alamos. Frank is dialling his cellphone. FRANK Apparently, one did. INTERCUT WITH: INT. FBI BULLPEN Emma answers her ringing cellphone. EMMA Hollis. FRANK Emma, it's Frank. It's not Kroll. It's Alexander. He never left Los Alamos. He died in his own basement. EMMA Why would Alexander have been buried as a John Doe? Frank looks at the computer screen again, his mind working... FRANK Maybe they didn't know they were burying Alexander. EMMA Because of the disfigurement by the radiation? Frank doesn't disagree, but it's obvious he does. FRANK Maybe. And if Alexander never left Los Alamos, then where's his daughter? INT. MENTAL HOSPITAL - DAY ROOM Natalie's photograph is still spattered with blood from Lanyard's suicide. Emma holds the photo out towards Lily. Lily just sits in her chair, smiling. Emma doesn't return the smile. EMMA No more games, Lily. It's time for some real answers. You told me to look for what's not there. This little girl disappeared from history. Where did she go? LILY Russia, I'd expect. Her father defected, you know. EMMA We both know that he died in Los Alamos, of radiation poisoning. LILY You've found him then. Emma realizes something from Lily's stoic expression. EMMA It wasn't an accident, was it? Alexander killed himself. Why? LILY Did you know that after the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Edward Teller wanted to begin work on the hydrogen bomb? The world was still feeling the effects of the first atom bombs and Teller wanted to take hydrogen, a substance found in the life of this world and its people, and turn it into a weapon of mass destruction. Oddly for some, it led to fifty years of peace. EMMA For you? Lily smiles sadly, hinting that perhaps at some stage it did. EMMA It also led to the Cold War... and the creation of the Doomsday Clock, the countdown to the end of the world. Lily nods, clearly impressed. LILY If the world had engaged in an atomic war with hydrogen bombs, the atmosphere would have been destroyed, making out world no more livable than the surface of the Moon. Teller and the others who worked on the hydrogen bomb found a way to create evil from life. And still, there are those who search for other ways to do this same work. (a beat) "I have become God", they used to say. But they had, and the good men faced a moral dilemma. EMMA Was Alexander a good man? LILY Alexander's dilemma was greater than that of the others, because he had a child to protect. EMMA So, like the good scientist he was, he needed to understand what he was afraid of in order to adequately protect his daughter. (a beat; realizing) It was evil he was trying to understand. Is that what he needed Kroll for? Lily leans forward and fixes Emma with a direct gaze. LILY Have you ever seen pure evil. Agent Hollis? Most people think they have, but they haven't. EMMA Did Lanyard see it? Is that why he killed himself? Did he see it in Kroll? Lily smiles, indulgently. LILY I believe he saw it, but not in Kroll. And not fifty years ago. Emma frowns, as if the entire answer is just at the edge of her consciousnes. Lily notices and grasps her hand. LILY If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime. (a beat) I hope I've taught you to fish, Emma Hollis. INT. FBI BULLPEN Emma sits at her desk with Lanyard's personal effects spread before her: the doll, paperback books, the hat, etc. Her hand hovers over each item, as if trying to glean information from them by osmosis. She picks up the videotape and examines it. She flips back the tape guard and contemplates the frayed ends of tape inside. INT. ALEXANDER'S HOUSE - DAY The door CREAKS open to reveal Frank Black. He steps inside. The whole area is a mess; furniture overturned, curtains ripped, dishes smashed, etc. Nobody's been here since Los Alamos was deserted after the war. Frank moves carefully through the living room, stepping over pieces of a small Matryoshka doll. The basement door is slightly ajar... MATCH CUT TO: INT. ALEXANDER'S HOUSE (1945) Lanyard is inside the house, he sees the basement door. The door SLAMS behind him! He wheels round, but nobody's there. Lanyard shakes his head, before hearing the sound of running feet... underneath him. He takes a step forward, looking down at the floor, trying to follow the noise. His flashlight illuminates the dusty floorboards as he walks. The beam catches the broken fragments of the small Matryoshka doll. Lanyard kneels down to pick up the pieces, then freezes as he hears a WHIMPER. LANYARD Hello? No answer. He continues in trepidation... The flashlight shines through the open basement door. Lanyard hears a muffled sound -- like cursing, or ranting -- coming from somewhere in the room. He sweeps the room with the beam... nothing. Empty. The light illuminates a bookcase, which is canted out from the wall. Lanyard moves forward... the MURMURING grows louder. He puts his shoulde to the bookcase and shoves it easily aside... A door is revealed to another room. Lanyard reaches slowly for the door handle... as soon as he touches it... the door EXPLODES outwards! Lanyard is knocked to the ground! His flashlight rolls across the floor, barely illuminating running feet as a figure dashes past him. Lanyard picks himself up and runs through the semi-darkness after the figure. A shadow lunges at him and he throws his arm up as the figure rounds on him, swinging a lamp. The lamp connects and Lanyard goes down. Dazed, he pulls himself upright and stands panting, listening. Nothing. Lanyard turns back towards the private lab... as the figure looms behind him... Lightning flashes! And Lanyard spins round to see Alexander, fully illuminates briefly. Lanyard swallows his pounding heart. ALEXANDER (rasping) Get out. LANYARD Is Kroll still in the house? Alexander doesn't answer. Lanyard takes a step as THUNDER RUMBLES. Alexander clenches his hands, glances at Lanyard, then dashes upstairs in a panic. Lanyard watches Alexander vanish through the open door. Lanyard runs up the stairs two at a time. He reaches the top where Kroll suddenly appears and shoves him aside. Lanyard tumbles back down the stairs, as Kroll wraps his strong hands around Lanyard's throat. Lanyard and Kroll hit the floor! Lanyard, eyes wide, chokes at Kroll applies more pressure to his windpipe. Lanyard notices the evil glint in Kroll's eyes... LILY (O.S) Kroll!! Kroll stops killing Lanyard, and turns to see Lily at the top of the stairs, defiant. KROLL (greedily) Where is it? LILY Where's the girl? Kroll almost slithers towards her as Lanyard tries to get his breath back. He looks around wildly for Alexander... KROLL I need it, Lily. *He* needs it. LILY Liar. You'll destroy it because he will use it to kill you. Lanyard hears the WHIMPERING sound again. He looks around and crawls backwards towards the private lab. Kroll and Lily continue to talk. The private lab is dark and seemingly empty. Strange gothic equipment throws macabre shadows across the walls. LANYARD (quietly) Alexander? (a beat) Natalie? Lanyard hears something fall to the floor and looks up to see a Matryoshka doll rolling towards him. He looks in the corner to see Natalie, scared and eyeing him fearfully. Lanyard grabs the doll and moves carefully towards the girl. LANYARD Everything's going to be fine. Natalie holds her arms out towards him. Lanyard smiles and hands her the doll. She hugs it tightly. Lanyard kneels. LANYARD Do you know where your daddy is? Natalie clutches her doll and shakers her head. Lanyard goes to pick her up but freezes -- his attention attracted by something on the floor. He gets up slowly and moves towards the lab table, gazing in horror at: A handprint, burned into the floor. Lanyard turns and kneels down next to Natalie. LANYARD Natalie... we've got to go. I have to get you -- Natalie SHRIEKS as Lanyard is jerked backwards! Natalie loses her grip on her doll and it falls, rolling across the floor... past the burned handprint and into a crevice in the old floor. Lanyard srambled to his knees, surprised to see the face of a frightened Alexander. ALEXANDER You'll have to go. LANYARD Not without the little girl. I don't know what kind of game you're playing here, but Kroll's a dangerous man. ALEXANDER I know that, Mister Lanyard! I'm trying to get rid of him. Don't you understand? Lanyard watches as Alexander turns to his lab table, moving towards a lead container. Lanyard's eyes open... LANYARD Oh, now, hey... Doctor -- Alexander spins round, eyeing Lanyard. ALEXANDER So much energy... so much anger released because we presumed to take the place of God... I made a horrible miscalculation, Mister Lanyard, and I intend to correct it. Lanyard gets to his feet, watching Alexander. Alexander continues his prepations. ALEXANDER It has become clear that man, like the atom, is not one but two. I thought I could resolve the conflict within us as we resolved the atom, by tearing it apart. Good and evil could exist seperately. But the soul releases evil like the atom. Alexander reaches towards the container, as Lanyard realizes what he's doing and lunges at him -- LANYARD Doctor! NO! Alexander plunges his arm into to lead container, and grips the ball of pure plutonium inside with his hand. ALEXANDER "I am become death, destroyer of worlds..." Lanyard grabs Alexander's shirt and pulls him backwards. Alexander hits the floor and writhes, seizing... then stops. LANYARD Alexander? The Doctor doesn't move. From the corner, Natalie watches with eyes wide, as if she doesn't recognise her father. Cautiously, Lanyard turns Alexander over... expecting him to be dead... instead, Kroll's face stares up at him! Lanyard is shaken. LANYARD My God... KROLL We are all sons of bitches... Kroll looks somehow softer, as if he and Alexander have "fused" back into one whole being.... so he/they can finally die. Kroll reaches a shaky hand to his face... confusion flits aross his roughened features... KROLL Is... is this my face? As Lanyard looks into the eyes of a man who tried so hard to abolish evil he became it, he says the only thing he can: LANYARD Yes. At peace... Kroll's hand falls to the ground and he breathes his last. Natalie WHIMPERS. Lanyard, his own face full of compassion, turns towards her and grabs her in his arms. INT. ALEXANDER'S HOUSE - PRIVATE LAB Frank Black is knelt in exactly the same place as Lanyard was when Alexander died. He's reading from yellowed journal pages. He folds up the pages and puts them back into Natalie's Matryoshka doll -- the same one that rolled into the crevice. Frank contemplates the burned handprint on the floor. From the look on his face... Frank knows the entire story... FADE OUT. ACT FOUR INT. FBI CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY Emma, Baldwin and Frank sit at the table. Documents and files are scattered before them. Emma, on her phone, hangs up. EMMA We should have the videotape in a few minutes. FRANK While we wait... Frank sets the large Matryoshka doll on the table. Emma frowns as Frank opens it and removes the yellowed journal pages. FRANK Sergius Alexander's last will and testament. BALDWIN In a *doll*? FRANK The doll was the only place the pages would be safe. BALDWIN Safe from whom? EMMA From Kroll. Frank nods. BALDWIN So you figured out who the guy was? FRANK Kroll and Alexander were the same person. CUT TO: INT. ALEXANDER'S HOUSE (1945) - LIVING ROOM Alexander rages, viciously kicking items across the floor. Lily tries to calm him, and Natalie peers out from the kitchen. FRANK (V.O) Alexander didn't like where his experiment was taking him, so he tried, through force of will, to rid himself of Kroll. INT. BASEMENT Alexander tears through the lab, into the private lab where he shoves a lead container off the table. FRANK (V.O) It didn't work, however, and Kroll took his revenge on Alexander by murdering Carew. Alexander knew the only way to get rid of Kroll was by taking his own life. INT. LIVING ROOM Alexander puts his hat on. He turns to open the front door, and his hand begins to shake. Alexander clenches his fist tightly. FRANK (V.O) But Kroll was uncontrollable, unpredictable. He'd already killed a man. So Alexander locked himself in his lab and wrote down an account of his experiment, then he sent Lily to obtain the material he needed. INT. PRIVATE LAB A clawed hand scrawls Alexander's journal, making huge black marks over Alexander's carefully written prose. Kroll smiles devilishly, then convulses. When he straightens up, he's transformed back into Alexander. He looks at the torn and twisted pages of his journal. FRANK (V.O) Even then, Kroll wouldn't leave Alexander in peace. He tried to destroy Alexander's confession, so Alexander did the only thing he could. Alexander turns to see Natalie clutching her doll, standing at the door. His mouth twitches in a faint smile and he holds out his arms. Natalie runs to him. Alexander rips out the final journal page, takes the doll, and shoves the pages inside. FRANK (V.O) He hid them. INT. FBI BULLPEN - CONFERENCE ROOM Frank replaces the journal pages inside the doll. EMMA And then he killed himself. FRANK I believe so, yes. BALDWIN This is all very interesting -- well, actually, no it isn't -- but what does it have to do with Lanyard? FRANK Lanyard was there, when Alexander died. So was Lily. (a beat) So was the little girl. A lab tech pops his head into the room. LAB ASSISTANT Emma Hollis? Emma turns. He hands her a package and leaves. She opens the package and removes the repaired videotape... and an aged photo of Natalie. She slots the tape into a nearby VCR. EMMA From what the guy in the lab said, Lanyard watched and rewound this tape so many times that it snapped. BALDWIN For your sake, Hollis, this had better be something other than "Superstars of the Super Bowl". Emma ignores him and pushes "PLAY". The tape starts. Emma's shoulders slump as they see what looks like a 'Discovery Channel' show about Giant Pandas. BALDWIN So he killed himself because Ling Ling lost another cub...? EMMA Let me fast-forward. She does. More pandas. Emma fast-forwards frantically. FRANK Wait a minute. Emma stops the tape at what looks like END CREDITS. A small screen in the corner of the screen shows a trailer for 'next week's exciting show'. Emma hits PLAY. The trailer shows a woman in her 50's (ADULT NATALIE) on camera. Over this... ANNOUNCER (V.O) -- stem cell research, which is forging new paths for molecular biology... NATALIE At the very least we'll be able to grow replacement organs. At the most, I believe we may even be able to quantify the very nature of humanity, to delve deeply into the soul... ANNOUNCER (V.O) Next week, on "Science Frontiers". Natalie's face vanishes, replaced by END CREDITS. There is a glitch in the tape where it's been repaired, then it jumps to another science show. Emma REWINDS the tape, freezing it on Natalie's image. She holds the photo up. While not a perfect match, the similarity is striking. EMMA "I am become death." BALDWIN Are you trying to say that the old guy *recognized* this woman? EMMA He must've been looking for her ever since she disappeared. And when he heard her mention the soul -- FRANK It reminded Lanyard of the last moments of Alexander's life, as he tried to explain to Lanyard what he's tried to do. (a beat) Lanyard must have watched this tape dozens of times before he was sure. The paused tape flutters, then SNAPS. Rippling static fills the screen. Frank looks soberly at Emma. EMMA We can track her down, Frank. Although stem cell research is all privately funded -- Frank stands. FRANK Privately funded... EMMA The Millennium Group? FRANK If it's the Group... I have to -- I *need* -- to do this myself. EMMA How are you going to find her? FRANK The same way Lanyard tried to. (a beat) She needs to know... that she has a choice. INT. TOLSON'S OFFICE (1945) - DAY Cigarette smoke spirals around the dim office. Tolson rises in alarm as the door SLAMS open! Angrily, Lanyard stands in the doorway, holding a file folder. LANYARD Where is she? LILY (O.S) She's safe. Stunned, Lanyard watches Lily emerge from the back of the darkened office. She's no longer the demure nanny she was at Los Alamos; she's looking sexy and slinky in a professional-looking suit. LANYARD What are you going to do with her? TOLSON She'll be well taken care of. LANYARD By who? The loving "nanny" who thought more of some experiment than of getting her out of harms way? TOLSON Miss Utterson had a job to do. Just as you did -- and still do, if you'd like. HOOVER (O.S) There's a bigger picture here, Agent Lanyard. Startled, Lanyard turns to see J. Edgar Hoover lean into the light. HOOVER The war is all but won, but there was a time, not too long ago, when the outcome was uncertain. Through an awesome display of power, we have ensured that America shall be a formidable world leader. That doesn't mean, however, that we can rest on our laurels. There is much work yet to be done. Work that the FBI cannot do. LANYARD Are you saying you are above the law, sir? HOOVER Don't look at me like that, Agent Lanyard. You saw the chaos the world fell into during this war. We very nearly let a raging madman take control of the world. LANYARD Is your taking control, not through bloodshed but through silent manipulation, any different, sir? Tolson and Lily are shocked. Hoover, however, is not. He smiles indulgently at Lanyard. HOOVER I knew you were the right man for us, Agent Lanyard. The bigger picture -- Lanyard SLAMS the file down on Tolson's desk. LANYARD Is that why you've removed pages from my report? To protect the "bigger picture"? TOLSON People have to make sacrifices -- LANYARD Fine. Let me start with this. Lanyard places his badge on top of the file folder. LANYARD My letter of resignation is in the file. TOLSON Agent Lanyard -- LANYARD I joined the Bureau to uphold the law, not to subvert it. Lanyard turns to Hoover. LANYARD I don't agree with your philosophies, sir. I still believe in what's right, and it's not right for you to kidnap that little girl. (a beat) If it takes me forever, I will find her. Before Hoover can speak, Lanyard turns and strides out of the office, SLAMMING the door shut. Hoover pulls the report towards him and idly doodled on it. HOOVER Kekule, another mad scientist, had an illuminating dream one night of snakes biting their own tails. The next day, he discovered the benzene ring. (a beat) Everything coverges, Mr Tolson... Miss Utterson. TOLSON "The center cannot hold." Hoover CHUCKLES. HOOVER Oh, but it can, Clyde. While the paths change, the center always remains. Hoover turns the report around. He has drawn a meticulous ouroboros symbol. Hoover grins at Tolson. HOOVER An enigmatic symbol for our new group. What do you think? Tolson looks at Lily. If Hoover had said the sky was green, they'd both agree. TOLSON Very nice, sir. HOOVER (echoing) Very nice... yes. It is a great pity about Mister Lanyard. He was a good man. (a beat) Tap his phone. Hoover shuffles the papers into a file folder. The folder's tab reads: "Lanyard, Michael". As Hoover withdraws his hand, a long scar is visible across his palm... MATCH CUT TO: INT. MILLENNIUM GROUP OFFICE The Old Man's hand has a matching scar along its palm. The Old Man is holding the same file folder, now tattered and worn. He sits at his desk, staring thoughtfully at the folder... The office is dimly lit and faintly sinister. The Old Man looks up as Peter Watts enters the room, and stands - almost to attention - in front of the desk. OLD MAN Mister Watts. Watts notices the file. WATTS Contemplating old failures? The Old Man smiles, twisted and rueful. OLD MAN A rocky beginning. Hoover and Tolson had the right idea, though. Recruit the best and hope for the best. WATTS Perhaps Michael Lanyard's conscience got in the way. OLD MAN I know he was your friend and I'm sorry for your loss. WATTS A pat, automatic gesture of sympathy. The Old Man frowns as he leans forward. OLD MAN You have not earned the right to be flippant. Do you have something for me? Watts silently passes the Old Man a folder. He opens it to reveal a polaroid of Emma Hollis. The Old Man closes the file and looks at Watts. OLD MAN Interesting choice. WATTS You once told me that the Group doesn't choose its members, that its members choose the Group. OLD MAN But that's not what happened with Frank Black. The Group enveloped him at his time of need, and then you smothered him with your talk of demons, angels and Armageddon. Watts flinches slighty, but remains stoic. OLD MAN I urge you to take care with Agent Hollis. She is not as vulnerable as Frank Black was. She may not need us as badly. WATTS She has a questing spirit that serves her well. (a beat) It will serve us well, too. The Old Man nods, then opens a drawer and files the folder away for safekeeping. Watts watches. PRELAP Peter Gabriel's "WITH THIS LOVE" which plays through the end of the act... INT. FBI BULLPEN - NIGHT Emma, tired after a long day, rises from her chair. She tosses some work into her briefcase... then pauses as a card catches her eye; it's the only thing in her otherwise empty INBOX. The card bears a professionally stamped ouroboros symbol and a hastily inked line reads: "Listen! For you will not soon have another singer..." Emma lowers the card and looks around. Nobody around. She glances across the aisle at a picture of J. Edgar Hoover - which seems to stare directly at her. With a half-smile, Emma opens her desk drawer and quietly stashes the card away from prying eyes. EXT. PARK BENCH - DAY Watts stands as Frank approaches... WATTS Judging from your message, you worked it out. FRANK I've worked out a lot of things, Peter. Watts nods, anxious to hear what Frank has learned. FRANK Lanyard's involvement in the Group ruined him. He couldn't even keep his job with the FBI, knowing he was surrounded by the Group in a place he knew ought to be seperate. They stole that child and took away any choice she had. Watts sits back down. He rubs his tired face with his hands. WATTS Lanyard found out. About Natalie. Frank sits next to him. FRANK He felt responsible. (a beat) It's not right, Peter, what the Group does with innocents. WATTS Sometimes it's necessary. To maintain balance. FRANK Sacrificing one child to save many? How can you justify that, Peter? To yourself... to your children? Watts' demeanour is not unlike Alexander's as he speaks; trying to keep his twin-selves together... WATTS The parallel between the soul and the atom wasn't lost on the Group, Frank. That was the beginning of their interest in evil. They tried to excise it but became fascinated by it instead. FRANK This exploration of evil destroyed Alexander. It destroyed Lanyard. (a beat) I don't want to see it destroy you. WATTS Funny... I've often felt the same way about you, Frank. FRANK Maybe we can save each other. WATTS The Group will save me. Frank shakes his head in frustration, realizing the Millennium Group will always be the gulf between them. FRANK I have a child to protect, Peter. And unlike Lanyard, I am not going to quit. Frank holds the photo of Natalie towards Watts, who only looks at it. FRANK She's doing stem cell research, tampering with the human structure, just as her father did. WATTS Sometimes sacrifices must be made -- FRANK But you people are never the ones making them. Frank takes out the Matryoshka doll from his pocket. FRANK Natalie Alexander never had a choice. If you really believe in the balance that the Group is trying to achieve, you'll let her read what her father died trying to tell her. Frank places the doll on the bench, then gets up and leaves. Watts sits for a moment... then looks down at the doll. WATTS (softly, sadly) "We are all sons of bitches..." INT. LAB - DAY White-coated researched bustle down a long, sterile hallway. They all wear circular white badges, just as the scientists at Los Alamos wore. Natalie, now in her 50's, heads for a door marked "LEVEL ONE CLEARANCE ONLY" She slides an ID card into the slot and the door CLICKS open. INT. HALLWAY - DAY Natalie walks down another hallway. There are fewer people here; this section of the lab is obviously higher-security. Natalie approaches another doorway and places her hand in a HANDPRINT SCANNER. There's a BUZZ and the door CLICKS open. INT. NATALIE'S OFFICE A computer screen shows an image of a rotating fetus. The computer is extrapolating data, color-coding cells, learning the nature of everything... eerie in its detached study of the miracle of life. Natalie taps the keyboard on her computer and hangs up her white lab coat, freezing as a patch of color catches her eye. She turns to see the Matryoshka doll perched on the edge of her desk. After a moment, she picks it up, driven by a childhood memory. She opens it to reveal: the crumpled pages of her father's journal, rolled up inside. Natalie sits down at her desk, and with trembling fingers, removes the pages. She unfolds them carefully and with naked emotion on her face... starts to read - tears welling up in her eyes. As she reads... her computer monitor comes into view... where the MILLENNIUM GROUP OUROBOROS is displayed. Also onscreen... "Welcome, Natalie. There are 316 days remaining." FADE OUT. THE END ******** transcribed from the "Writer's Draft" by Dan Owen