Operation Buffalo (2020) s01e02 Episode Script

1
Who's gone?
Carmen. She she's gone.
CORINNE: The rumours are true -
you're flying hookers in.
Again, not the issue.
And you've lost one? Seriously?
I haven't seriously lost one,
but one may be seriously lost.
Identify yourself.
It's Leo, General.
You should know they've brought
the test forward to tomorrow.
Do you actually know
what they're really doing here?
Because I don't!
Word is the Defence Minister
has certain appetites.
MOLLY: Maybe some insurance
might be useful.
You're gonna have to
stay put for a while.
But this is where
we send people to die.
You know Alice? She told me
last week that she'd been raped.
(EXPLOSION)
MURPHY: Hilly, mate,
this is ridiculous.
You know? Carmen could be
any-bloody-where.
If we had more men
HILLY: It's just you and me!
We can't have more men.
Do you understand?
MURPHY: I know we can't have
more men. I'm saying "IF"
HILLY: Hold on, hold on,
hold on, hold on, hold on,
hold on, hold on.
Jesus.
(JEEP DOOR CLOSES)
Fuckin' hell.
Oh, shit!
Dead?
Nuh.
You right, mate?
He's out.
Hey, Murph
..there's a girl over here.
Please, God, let it be Carmen.
Ahh
(CLEARS THROAT)
Shit.
Hilly
..do you think it could be him?
Who?
The rapist, mate.
Jeep.
Pretty girl.
Leo said this is what happened
to Alice, wasn't it?
Who is she?
NEWSREEL NARRATOR:
After the detonation,
much of the real work begins.
Scientists and soldiers
at Maralinga
examine equipment
and infrastructure
to see how they've responded
to the bomb.
As our boys trudge
through the desert and the heat,
they amass vital data,
which will inform both
government and the military
as to how to wage a nuclear war.
(GEIGER COUNTER CRACKLES)
(MEN CHATTER)
(GEIGER COUNTER CRACKLES)
(MEN CHATTER)
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
(LAUGHS FORCEDLY)
(EXHALES HEAVILY)
(SUITCASE LATCHES UNCLIP)
(EXHALES HEAVILY)
(SOBS)
(GROANS)
(HEAVY KNOCKING AT DOOR)
MAN: (OUTSIDE) Lunch
is being served in the mess, sir.
Right. Yes.
Thank you.
(WIND WHISTLES,
VEHICLE APPROACHES)
(CAMERA CLICKS)
WILLIAMS: (MUFFLED) Hello?
Hello? Testing.
Can you hear me?
Ugh. Bloody things.
Oh, God.
(STATIC)
BRESTON: (MUFFLED) Oh, yes.
I think I have you now,
Williams.
WILLIAMS: Ah. (INHALES)
Didn't get to 60, then?
What?
(LOUDLY) Didn't get to 60, then?!
Oh. Oh. Uh, it'll be about
40 by 10, or thereabouts.
(STATIC)
Not for long.
(BREAKING UP)
Not quite what we predicted.
MYER: What?
Shut up, Myer. We're talking!
(STATIC)
What?!
Ugh.
BRESTON: You'll find
it was 40 by 10.
They've shut it off?
What?
MYER: It only put out 35
(STATIC)
(ALL SHOUT IN FRUSTRATION)
(STATIC)
(MEN CHATTER)
So, if you'll forgive me,
Mr Moore,
what is the purpose
of your stay?
His Excellency thought
it might be a good idea
for me to spend some time
..to
..observe things around here.
Observe?
I see.
Your bloody marys, General.
Thank you, Swanny.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Keep 'em coming.
And we'll have the chablis
with the main.
SWANNY: Very good, sir.
Any particular part of the camp
you'd like to observe, Mr Moore?
MOORE: Let me assure you both
that His Excellency is a great
admirer of the work
you chaps are doing here.
And you well know the esteem
in which he holds you personally,
General.
But?
No, Major, there is no 'but'.
(CHUCKLES) Please understand,
I'm not here to poke holes.
You must know the huge
importance of this project
to Britain and the Empire.
There is no greater priority
for the cabinet
because nuclear is our future.
Her Majesty herself
is constantly briefed
on the subject.
She's keen to know all there is
to know about this place.
I say! That's a damn fine show,
isn't it, Leo?
It is, sir.
CRANKY: She's such a delightful
young thing, isn't she?
So, you're a career diplomat,
eh, then, Mr Moore?
I am, sir.
Well, if they've sent you here,
you're clearly prospering.
One has one's hopes.
Tell me, where did you school?
Winchester.
Ah.
Good.
And then?
Cambridge.
Tell me, did you ever
make the acquaintance
of those two utter bastards
Burgess and Maclean?
Mm
No, I
..never had the pleasure, sir -
or, should I say, the shame,
sir.
Hanging's too good for them,
I say.
Commie traitors.
Hm.
CRANKY: Actually, you know,
when I think about it,
Russia's probably worse than hell.
So let them rot in Moscow
with Khrushchev, eh?
(LAUGHS)
(CHUCKLES)
My wife loves anything to do
with spies.
Can't get enough
Graham Greenes in her diet.
You know, I have it
on good authority,
Greene is a part-time spy too.
I've heard the same thing,
General.
Mm.
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
(DOOR OPENS)
Sir, Mr Moore, I'm
I'm afraid I'm being paged.
May I be excused, sir?
Yes, of course, Leo.
Thank you, sir.
We'll get to the reports later.
Mr Moore.
Please tell me you found Carmen.
We found someone else.
(SIGHS)
Fuck.
It's just never easy, is it?
Dead or alive?
Alive.
Man or woman?
Both. (CLEARS THROAT)
(SIGHS)
(MOVIE CAMERA WHIRRS)
I thought you released three
of those last night, Dr Ratchett.
RATCHETT: Six last night, actually.
And another six this morning.
(CAMERA CLICKS)
Need to establish a trail.
If ever there is one.
No trail so far?
I guess that's good news, then.
Very good news, Baxter.
It means the plume doesn't travel
..which means the radiation
doesn't either.
BAXTER: Whoo!
Wow. Looks like
that balloon's travelling.
RATCHETT: That's nature's work,
my boy, not the bomb's.
It's a question of radium's
atomic weight, you see -
very heavy.
The cloud goes up,
the cloud comes down.
But for my purposes, of course,
I need to track the wind.
Uh, now you've lost me.
Uh (CHUCKLES)
That's one of the great things
about science -
it's a marvellous
conversation stopper.
(WIND HOWLS)
(NEWS MUSIC PLAYS OVER P.A.)
ANNOUNCER: Prime Minister Menzies
is to set out on a tour
to the United States
and the United Kingdom,
in which he will have
a series of meetings
with both
President Dwight Eisenhower
and British Prime Minister
Anthony Eden.
The atomic bomb tests in Maralinga
are set to be at the top
of the agenda at both meetings.
Australia is clearly doing its bit.
(MEN CHATTER)
MAN: Hey, keep those buckets coming.
Keep those buckets coming.
The line's stretching quick.
Get in, get out.
Get in, get out.
BRESTON: Oh, I needed that.
Fresh air is a beautiful thing.
MAN: Oh, Dave! Mate!
(GROANS)
Feelin' a bit butchers, eh?
(SIGHS)
Yeah, Vic. I feel like shit.
Ah.
(VOMITS, COUGHS)
OK. OK.
(GROANS)
I'll get you up to the RCU.
(SIGHS) Thanks, Vic.
I feel really cold
all of a sudden, mate.
You get crook enough,
they'll send you to Adelaide
for a few weeks' recovery.
Yeah.
That'd be pretty sweet.
Thanks, mate.
That's alright.
Ta.
BAXTER: (OUTSIDE) Dr Ratchett?
Yes?
The scientists
want to have a word with you.
Just give me a couple of minutes.
Righto.
MAN: X-rays are fine, Leo.
No fractures.
It's a nasty blow, though.
Just needs bedrest.
CORINNE: Mm-hm.
Lewis, is there any sign of
sexual intercourse?
LEWIS: And that would be
relevant here because?
Because I'd assumed that
you'd given her a complete
examination.
Well, it depends what you mean
by 'complete', Leo.
I'd be surprised
if a consulting physician,
when presented with a patient
suffering from
evident cranial contusions
and potential subdural haematoma,
would instantly stampede
towards the vagina
in order to ensure
the examination was complete.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Just being thorough.
Well, I must say,
yours is a very strange
and specific brand of thoroughness.
(VEHICLE APPROACHES, HORN HONKS)
CORINNE: Excuse me
for a moment, gentlemen.
Marilyn!
WOMAN: Yes?
Oh, yep. Yep, I'll do it.
Quickly, take him straight through
to Private Room 3.
Oh, God. Here we go. Come on.
That's it. I've got you now.
Come on.
(WOMAN SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(CHUCKLES)
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(CHUCKLES)
That's Russian.
I know. Can you speak it?
Just the little I picked up
in the war.
Did you get any of what she said?
Well, a a bit.
What bit?
The word 'people', I think.
We need Jones.
Check her luggage, will you, Lewis?
I need to call Baxter.
Uh, Jones speaks Russian? Really?
Don't leave her unattended.
Jones speaks Russian?
Nice luggage.
Hi, Alice.
Hi, Leo.
I need to talk to Baxter.
How do I?
Oh. Allow me.
Huh.
Baxter? Are you there?
BAXTER: Yeah, Leo.
Mate, can you get someone
to find Jonesy
and send him
to the hospital post-haste?
Consider it done, mate.
Tell him he may be here for some
time - he should bring a book.
(HANGS UP PHONE)
Thank you.
(GUNSHOT)
(BIRDS SCREECH)
(MEN CHATTER)
You've spent time in Cairo, Rupe.
What do you make of it?
Between you and me, Prime Minister?
Of course.
I'd get the hell out of there.
Egypt, Middle East - they're ancient.
Their problems are entrenched.
You know, I've always toed
the positive line
for you and Winston,
but, God, Tony, it will take
at least two decades
to sort out the issues
of Jerusalem alone!
Winston bequeathed you
a political and military disaster,
and he did so deliberately.
Churchill never wanted
my sun to rise, did he?
(DISTANT GUNSHOT)
I'm not sure how to put this, but
..are you in any way vulnerable?
(DISTANT GUNSHOT)
I beg your pardon, Prime Minister.
Vulnerable to what, specifically?
Your Mr Moore.
I've had word that he was
a very close acquaintance
of Guy Burgess.
Did you know about that?
Really, Tony.
Tongues are wagging in Whitehall,
Rupe.
I've been told. (SIGHS)
What are they wagging about,
specifically?
That your chief of staff
was having it off with a KGB spy.
That enough?
That was at least two years
before he came to work for me.
Nevertheless
..the most sensitive place
in the Empire, apart from Suez,
right now is Maralinga.
(DISTANT GUNSHOT)
It's in your patch,
and it's nuclear.
I can't have tongues wagging, Rupe.
What are you suggesting?
Do you love him?
I do.
(DISTANT GUNSHOT)
I'm sorry, but if you persist
in maintaining this relationship,
you'll have to resign from the FO.
Oh, don't worry, I'll make it
as dignified for you as I can -
make you a lord or something.
On the other hand
..if we were to come
to some arrangement,
I could make you permanent secretary
of the Foreign Office.
Well, you know
Dutchy's about to retire.
Listen to me, Rupe.
We have been friends for 35 years.
I want to look after you.
Oh, what do you mean by
"some arrangement"?
(GUNSHOT)
(BIRD SQUAWKS)
Eeyore! (CHUCKLES)
MAN: (IN DISTANCE) Sir!
How many have you bagged,
you mad bugger?
Oh, just the one.
(BREATHES UNSTEADILY)
SCHNEIDER SISTERS:
When the joint is jumpin'
And the night is right
And everybody's feelin' right
We get out the thimbles
and the old washboard
The kids go crazy
and they yell for more
Gonna dance and romance
to the Washboard Rock'n'Roll
Wanna do that
Washboard Rock'n'Roll ♪
(EXHALES HEAVILY)
(PHONE DIAL WHIRRS)
(LINE RINGS)
Uh, hello. I'd like to speak
with Minister Lachlan, please.
It's Molly Lipton.
Yes. Yes.
Oh, OK.
Yep.
Yes. It's Adelaide 9239.
Yes, I know the Minister.
We were together yesterday
in Maralinga.
Tell him it's very urgent.
(HANGS UP)
Hello?
(SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE)
LEWIS: So, these labels tell us
that everything in this trunk
was made in France and Italy.
It's expensive stuff.
Uh, nothing from here or Russia.
Any papers?
None that I could find.
You know, this luggage is English.
Hamstrow & Young.
My family swears by it.
I think she's English
and she's well connected.
You don't dream
in a second language.
Well, who says you don't?
Anyway, you're an Australian, Leo -
if only you had a FIRST language.
She speaks Russian.
Is that what we've come to?
Are we that paranoid,
someone just has to be able
to SPEAK Russian?
Do you have any idea
how parochial that sounds?
Do you recognise any of these?
Never seen anything like them
in my life.
JONES: What's up, boss?
Did Hilly and Murph fill you in
about the girl they found?
Yep.
Well, she can speak Russian.
She came to momentarily.
Do you really speak Russian, Jonesy?
Yeah.
Fluently?
Reasonably fluently, yeah.
How? Why?
Oh, since I was a child,
the Russians were always
my favourite writers.
I wanted to read exactly what
they wrote, so I taught myself.
What? You taught yourself Russian?
That's impossible.
OK, listen, can we focus here,
please?
I've got a gift for languages.
Admittedly, I did have five
or six lessons when I was about 12.
Had to do odd jobs to pay for them.
Alright! A heart-warming story,
to be sure.
Jonesy, I want you to stay
in this room.
Do not leave under any circumstances.
Corinne will give you a bedpan.
Really?
Yeah. If she wakes up again,
I want you to write down
every word she says.
In English or in Russian?
Well, Russian's gonna do me
a whole lot of bloody good,
isn't it, mate?
OK, Leo.
What? So you're just assuming
she's a spy?
My sentiment exactly.
I'm not assuming anything, Cor,
until we know more about her.
Why can't she just be a woman
who speaks Russian?
Well, she could be, of course,
because there are buckets of those
in South Australia, Corinne -
especially well-dressed, rich ones
who happen upon a nuclear facility.
I need to see the driver.
Are you coming?
Alright.
She needs some housekeeping.
I'll just be five minutes.
Don't you leave
before speaking to me first.
Yeah. OK.
And, Jonesy, if she does wake up
and you start chatting,
for God's sake,
don't give anything away -
especially about the camp.
We need to know why she's here
and what she knows,
not the other way round.
You speak any other languages,
Jonesy?
French, German, Spanish,
Turkish, a little Japanese -
wouldn't take it out at night.
God! Why haven't you applied
for intelligence?
Oh, I did.
But Australian intelligence
doesn't trust anyone
who speaks Russian or German, so
You know, I pass my spare time
writing a spy novel.
Do you?
I find it very therapeutic.
Not a bad little story either,
even if I am banging my own drum.
This one's gone blind.
Jesus.
Temporarily?
Don't know.
He probably dislodged his retina
in the accident.
Ironically, we're not all that
well equipped for eyes here.
Could have been blinded by
the flash of the bomb, of course.
Academic, really, at this point.
We need to send him
to a specialist in Adelaide
as soon as he can travel.
Wait. Oi! We need to talk.
I can't right now, Cor.
Yes, you can.
(SIGHS) OK.
(MUTTERS) It never can be easy!
What is it?
I found it in the RCU this morning.
Beside a bag we keep
for storing instruments
that have been exposed to radiation.
What sort of instrument is it?
It isn't an instrument, Leo.
None that I know of.
I think it's a woman's ring.
This? Who could possibly wear this?
If I had to take a guess,
perhaps a woman who'd been
exposed to an atomic explosion.
They brought her in this morning.
I was thinking it might belong
to the girl you lost.
Did she wear a large silver ring?
Maybe.
This is a melted woman's ring, Leo.
Why was she out there?
I don't know.
What was her name?
Carmen.
There's every chance
that she was abducted and raped,
just like Alice was, isn't there?
I don't know.
Yes, you do.
So, was she raped?
You must have checked.
She was remnants, Leo.
There's very little to check.
(SIGHS)
Who found her?
Why wasn't I told about this?
Well, the reason that
no-one can know about this
is that she was brought in
with two other blokes
in the same state she was.
Lewis thinks they were probably
black.
They were less than a mile
from the blast site, Leo.
Well, that's impossible.
There are no blacks here.
Oh, for God's sake, Leo!
Stop being so ridiculous.
If there are no blacks here,
then why does the army pay Dalglish
to drive out and push 'em out
past the perimeter?
I mean, I saw
what was left of them, Leo.
Christ!
You know you can't say anything.
I know, Leo.
They could shoot you without a trial.
Leo, I bloody know!
Can I see the bodies?
They're gone.
And they weren't bodies.
They were spirited away
in lead-lined trucks.
And if they were in the RCU,
you know
that I couldn't show you in there.
Then I probably WOULD be shot.
You keep it.
I suspect you will need it
more than I do.
(SIGHS HEAVILY)
What do you think it is?
Reminds me of something.
Could it be Carmen's ring?
Her silver ring?
Right, but
..how would that become this?
A nuclear fireball, maybe.
Last night?
Do you think it's possible?
I guess.
Oh, shit.
Oh, shit. Poor Carmen.
The little that was left of her
was found with
a little of what was left
of two black blokes.
Are you saying
the black blokes took her?
I don't know.
But you could say that
if you wanted.
Solves a lot of our problems.
Especially Molly.
Leo, you have to tell Molly
that Carmen's dead.
I'll go to Adelaide in the morning.
(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC PLAYS)
(WHISPERS)
I never want to hear that name again.
Do you understand?
Yes.
ST JOHN: Charlie, please try him
again. I'm begging you.
I need to talk to him.
(CALL DISCONNECTS)
Charlie? Charlie?!
(GROANS)
(GROANS)
Uh
It's not my position, General,
I'm not condoning it.
I'm just saying both
our governments HAVE a position
and are adamant about it.
Yes, yes, of course.
But, you see, my wife asked me
in a letter the other day,
"How many Aborigines
have you met, dear?"
"What are they like?"
Now, my wife lives in Dorset
and I obviously live here.
Or is it Kent now?
One or the other.
Yet she assumes
that I have seen Aborigines,
whereas I have been told,
as you so rightly point out,
by two heads of government
and innumerable officials,
that there are no Aborigines
in this region.
Why would my wife be suffering
under this delusion, Mr Moore?
She's a clever girl.
And when I think about it, you know,
I've never really gone out there
to see for myself,
'cause they keep telling me
they're not there.
But, you know, sometimes I think
I damn well should
take a look for myself.
Otherwise it's, um a bit
remiss of me, don't you know?
Well, why don't you, sir?
Dammit, I will.
We'll get Leo and a driver.
Should be good fun.
But first, I feel as full
as a Catholic school.
Swanny, be a good chap and fetch
the Calvados, will you?
That should expel some slow learners.
Do we really need to bother
Major Carmichael, sir?
Doubtless he's busy.
My dear fellow,
every time I do something
without telling Leo first,
it turns out to be
an enormous cock-up.
Sir, I've had a very active career
in the public service.
Quite frankly, I don't merely
want to observe,
I want to serve.
Now, surely as busy as you are
and as busy as Major Carmichael is,
you could use an extra pair
of hands?
Yes, well, you make a good point.
Still, Leo should know
if I'm going out there.
(CRACKS KNUCKLES) Of course, sir.
MOLLY: She's missing, Bill!
Our darling girl is missing.
And she went missing
at your camp!
And you're gonna find her!
Molly, calm down and listen to me.
It's not my camp. I don't know
who you're talking about.
Her name is Carmen!
Do you hear me?!
Carmen! She was on your patch.
She was at Maralinga.
And if she's not found by tomorrow
I swear I'll take down
the lot of ya!
Christ!
I know what happens over there,
Phil.
I know everything.
And I have the negatives
and I have dozens of copies
of the photos of you and me, Phil!
I will take you down
and the government with you!
(CALL DISCONNECTS)
Hel Oh
(RANTS IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)
Minister Minister, please.
Phil! What a pleasant surprise.
Sorry, Dick. Rude, barging in.
Sir Frank, so good to see you.
Phil, you're as white as a ghost.
Well, looks urgent.
Ought I to excuse myself.
No, Sir Frank, it's just, um
..I heard from Maralinga.
FRANK: Oh, we were just
discussing Maralinga.
So, what did you hear?
Oh, it's it's good news.
The results from the latest test
have just come through.
It's all good.
I just thought you'd like to know
as soon as possible, Dick.
FRANK: All safe and sound, then?
Oh, everything's fine, Sir Frank.
Because Dick and I
were just discussing the recent
Opposition attacks in the House,
accusing the PM of keeping
secrets about Maralinga.
Nonsense, of course,
but it seems to be
cutting through a little.
Dick's opposite,
the odious Ryan fellow,
seems to be getting a bit
of a profile in the allied press.
"Odious fellow"
Sir Frank was telling me
the PM has an interesting idea.
PHIL: Excellent.
And whilst it's all
perfectly well out there,
the PM is concerned that the public
is insufficiently engaged
with the project.
He wonders if it's all a bit
distant and technical
to keep the punters interested,
and he was wondering if
the whole thing could be humanised.
Humanised?
FRANK: Mm.
Move away from the mushroom clouds
a step or two
and find a face to promote,
someone the public will like.
I told Sir Frank
we may have just the fellow.
A good-looking chap, war hero.
Ticks all the boxes, Phil.
Someone the public will trust.
Make the whole show feel reassuring.
Have him do tours, speeches.
Trust! Right. Yes.
I think it's a great idea, Sir Frank.
Well, I ought to be getting along.
Nothing else, Phil?
No, no, it's just a rush
of blood to the head.
I always like to be
the bearer of glad tidings.
Sorry to barge in. Thank you, Dick.
Sir Frank.
See you in Cabinet
in the morning, Phil.
Indeed.
See you then.
(DOOR CLOSES)
Shit! Fuck!
Jonesy.
(GRUNTS)
You scared the shit out of me.
What's happened?
She got away.
(CRIES OUT)
(SCREAMS)
Who are you and what are you
fucking doing here?!
You're Australian.
I am.
And you're a soldier.
Am I in Maralinga?
Will you let me go, please?
No.
I'm British, dammit.
So you're a Russian Brit
or a Brit Russian.
Either way, we're gonna keep you
under lock and key
until we check out your story.
What story?
The one you're about to tell me.
Get up.
(GRUNTS)
Jesus, Leo!
Disappear, Jonesy.
I'll handle this.
Are you gonna talk?
I may if I find someone
worth talking to.
Leo! I say, Leo.
(MUTTERS) God.
Sir.
Been looking for you.
They thought you might be here.
Oh, you seem to have company, Leo.
Ah, this young lady was going to
observe the tests with us, sir,
but her jeep rolled
and she suffered head injuries.
General Crankford.
Yes.
Eva Lloyd-George.
Lloyd-George? I say.
My uncle is Gwilym Lloyd-George.
The home secretary.
What?
Gwilly?
Yes, Gwilly.
I believe he sent you a telegram
to say I was to be stationed here.
Gwilly. Yes, yes, of course.
Totally slipped my mind.
We've met once or twice
when I was younger
at my grandpapa's house.
He was the British prime minister
during the Great War, by the way.
Oh, yes, of course.
Come here.
Are you alright?
I say, that's a nasty-looking crack
on the noggin there.
Yes, I'm fine now. Thank you.
Oh, this is St John
St John Moore,
of the Foreign Office.
Miss Lloyd-George, it's an honour.
How do you do, Mr Moore?
I should help Miss Lloyd-George
back to her room, sir.
I won't be a moment.
Of course, of course.
But don't dawdle.
I need to steal you away, Leo.
Because St John and I have
decided that it's about time
we met some Aborigines.
I beg your pardon, sir?
Aborigines, Leo.
Out there.
Now?
Yes. Now, if you please.
I see. Aborigines out there.
Um sir, you know
there are no Aborigines in Maralinga.
It's the official line.
Strict government policy.
I was just telling him that.
Yes, well, my wife
thinks the government's policy
is a load of old rot.
I mean, it stands to reason,
doesn't it?
We've seen them in other spots
all round the place.
Some of them have to be here.
We employ that chap.
The Scotsman to keep them out,
don't we?
Sir, let's debate about this
tomorrow, shall we?
It's night, even if we knew
they were here,
we wouldn't have a clue where.
It's a beautiful moon.
ST JOHN: It is indeed.
Well, that settles it, then.
I'll just get changed, shall I,
General?
No, she needs bed rest.
It's doctor's orders, sir.
General, I'm fine.
Very well. Off you pop, then.
Change away.
Quick sticks.
And call me Cranky.
LZ.
EVA: I told you I was British.
LEO: Yes, but I didn't realise
exactly how British you were
at the time.
Very, very British.
And the Russian?
My mother was very, very Russian.
So just 50% British, then.
But that 50% is doubly devoted.
So, what do you do, Doctor?
Why are you here?
I'm a meteorologist.
We already have one of those.
Dear Quentin, yes.
He was my tutor at Cambridge.
I have a new research project.
It's an enormous opportunity
to be able to describe
conditions out here.
Tell me, Major, are we going to
see any Aborigines tonight?
No, no chance whatsoever.
Oh, shame.
You know, I looked in the Britannica
and the wombat has more paragraphs
than the Aborigines.
As did the koala.
Oh!
Is that a fire?
LEO: What? Where?
EVA: Stop there, please.
Cranky. Cranky, wake up.
What?
Who's there? What's going on?
Where the bloody hell are we?
We're out looking for Aborigines,
remember?
Really? When do we leave?
There's a fire over there
beside us.
Who the blazes are you?
Eva.
Huh?
Gwilly's niece.
Oh, yes. The niece. Of course.
There's a fire, you say.
Well, let's put it out, then.
I think what Dr Lloyd-George
is getting at
is that it may be
an Aboriginal camp.
Really?
EVA: Yes.
Well, tally-ho!
To the fire with speed.
Of course, sir.
I say.
My name is
General Lord Harrington Crankford.
Doubtless you've heard of me.
It's delightful to meet you.
Er you may, of course,
call me Cranky.
So, tell me all about yourselves.
Leo, do they not speak English?
No, sir.
Well, you might have told me.
I look like a damned fool.
Sorry, sir.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Parlez-vous francais?
Nor French, sir.
Dammit, man! No English, no French?
I'm sure they mean no offence, sir.
Why don't you give them a present?
Present? We don't have any presents,
do we?
May I?
It's Furlong & Enmore.
It's lovely and soft.
Splendid. Let's give it a try.
A gift?
Please.
Furlong & Enmore, Savile Row.
Sir, maybe we should be getting on.
So soon?
Yes, I expect.
Well, it's been jolly nice
to have met you.
We'll drop by again, shall we?
My wife will be delighted.
Good show.
(WOMAN SPEAKS
IN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE)
It was the most beautiful thing
I have ever seen or heard.
Really, quite devastating.
I will grant you, there are some
things you do exceedingly well.
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
What?
Who is it?
St John Moore, sir.
Enter.
Sir
Sorry to trouble you, sir.
What is it?
I feel extremely awkward about this,
sir,
but it's something I think you
I may be wrong,
but there's something I think
you need to know.
What?
Major Carmichael has been saying
some rather disparaging things
about tonight's adventure
with the blacks, sir,
and about you.
Leo?
I find that very hard to believe.
I know it's not my place, sir.
Leo?
I just thought you should know, sir.
This is a highly,
highly sensitive facility
and you, as commandant,
must know whom you can trust.
I'm a great admirer of yours, sir.
The Boer, Kenya, France, India.
You deserve respect, sir.
Thank you, Mr Moore.
That will be all.
Thank you, sir.
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
Just a second!
Hello?
Oh, good morning.
My name's Whicker. How are you?
Good. OK, thanks.
What can I do for you, Mr Whicker?
May I come in?
Not until you tell me
what I can do for you.
Oh, yes, of course. Terribly sorry.
How rude of me. My apologies.
(CLEARS THROAT)
I'm from the Australian Security
and Intelligence Organisation.
ASIO.
May I come in?
Oh, very, uh sweet little house.
Oh, how can I help you, Mr Whicker?
Two days ago, you visited
a top-secret military
installation at Maralinga,
presumably
in your professional capacity.
And there's at least six things
wrong with that sentence.
(CHUCKLES)
I came here to ask you
a few questions.
But, more importantly
I'm here to help you, Molly.
Listen, mate,
you've got the wrong girl.
I have no idea
what you're talking about.
Hm.
I see. (CLEARS THROAT)
(YELPS)
Now, you listen to me,
you little whore.
We know what you've been up to.
We've been tapping Lachlan's phone.
We tap ALL the ministers' phones.
Now, I could so easily
just kill you, you know?
But my super, well, my super,
he must be getting soft.
He said to me, he said,
"She's just a working girl."
"She sounds smart."
"Why don't you pay her a visit,
Whicker,"
"and tell her to be discreet
to the point of silence"
"about Lachlan and Maralinga"
"and to never go back there,"
"or we should be forced to put
a very quick and very final end"
"to the matter?"
"Not just for her, but for her
little friends as well."
Now, do you understand
my super's point, Molly?
Mm-hm. (GRUNTS) Yes. Yes.
Ooh!
Good.
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
Hello.
Just leaving. (CLEARS THROAT)
Good day.
What the hell do you think
you've been doing, huh?!
Leo? Leo!
Let go of me!
(SLICING NOISE, THUDDING)
(MOLLY GASPS)
(SHRIEKS)
Oh, fuck!
(MUTTERS)
Are you OK?
Uh-huh. (LAUGHS)
Who was he?
He said he was ASIO.
What did you do?
Nothing.
Look, there's a dead ASIO agent
on your floor.
We're not playing fucking games here!
I called Lachlan.
Jesus, why would you do that?!
'Cause I was pissed
and I just told him that we
would blow the gaff on Maralinga
if we didn't get Carm back today.
I didn't think
he'd be the type to do this.
He probably isn't.
ASIO was probably tapping his phone.
That's what he said.
That's exactly what he said.
They were tapping his phone.
Moll, we can't fight these people.
I'm calling the cops.
No, you're not, because if you do,
you'll be found dead in a cell
by sundown.
These are very serious fellas.
OK, so, here's what we do.
We both have to clean up.
I'll call Lenny. He'll know someone
who can help with the body.
Yeah, Lenny.
If you have to call anyone,
only use payphones.
You and the other girls
have to disappear, starting today.
Somewhere very remote.
Lenny can help with that as well.
You have to be out of this house
in an hour, tops.
Leo, I'm not leaving without Carm.
Not without knowing that she's OK.
(BREATHES SHAKILY)
What?
You recognise this?
No. Should I?
It's a big silver ring.
That's not Carmen's ring.
I'm sorry, Moll,
but the news is bad.
What we think happened
is somebody abducted her
when she went to the latrine.
He took her a few miles away,
probably raped her.
He probably left her out there
to die,
but she managed to walk back
towards the camp.
By the time the test went off,
she was just too close.
Listen, you can't afford
to melt down right now.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, but you have to clean up,
get your stuff together
and get out of here.
There's no time to mourn now.
(SOBS)
I want to help you.
OK? I have some money.
But, Molly, you need
to be tough right now, OK?
I am. Believe me, I am.
I am making you
the face of Maralinga.
Dad!
We only have about 90 seconds
before there'll be a knock
on the front door.
They're men I work with.
Oh, shit.
We can haul you away right now
and keep you in custody
pretty much forever.
Are you a spy?
Some of your people may be trying
to protect you from yourself.
You're not meant
to be seeing blacks, sir.
One of our balloons
has landed in the backyard
of one of my son's friends.
WILCOX: Is there something you know
that I, as the responsible minister,
ought to know about Maralinga?
I know it's you who's been doing
the leaking.
Captions by Red Bee Media
Copyright
Australian Broadcasting Corporation