Pioneer One (2010) s01e04 Episode Script

Previously on Pioneer One.
We need an expert in here, someone who knows what they're talking about.
And quietly.
Will you help us out doctor? My name is Jane, here we are.
- She's the best you got? - Given the circumstances? Hell yes.
- Media? - They seem to think that we've got Roswell part two in here.
You've got yourself two weeks.
Say I wanted to get off the base for a couple hours.
A little difficult with the quarantine.
I'm not convinced the Russians aren't hiding something.
You should to do a little more research before you put out a bogus cover story.
We continue now with our special report on the ongoing quarantine in Calgary.
One week out and there are still more questions than answers.
Many of Canada citizens are demanding that more information be released to the public.
Joining me now for the Canadian perspective is Simon Montag, blogger and political activist.
Mr.
Montag, you wrote a post on your blog that's been syndicated in the op-ed columns of several national and international newspapers.
Are you saying you don't believe the official story about the downed satellite from the former Soviet Union? By all appearances, it seems there's more going on here than we're being told.
I don't know if it's not a satellite, but things aren't adding up.
We're being kept in the dark.
And it's almost certainly a result of Americans wanting to keep the secret.
I'm not an expert on satellites or radiation, but the scale of the quarantine seems unwarranted given what we have been told.
But the point I'm trying to make is that it should be up to Canada to decide, not the United States.
For further perspective, joining us now is David Collins, speaking to us from Homeland Security Secretary Eric McClellan's office in Washington, DC.
Mr.
Collins is a senior advisor to the Secretary, is that correct? Yes, that's right, Deirdre.
Thanks for having me on.
Thank you for taking the time, I'm sure you're very busy.
I'm going to just go ahead and assume you disagree with most of what Mr.
Montag has expressed.
Yes Deirdre, I strongly disagree, strongly disagree.
Of course Mr.
Montag is entitled to his opinion, but there's a difference between an opinion and an informed opinion.
- Well of course I'm sure that you - Mr.
Montag, you'll get a chance to respond.
There are radiation concerns, and the quarantine is a precautionary measure.
Perhaps over-cautious, but we'd rather err on the side of public safety.
And I'm sure your viewers would agree.
Mr.
Montag? I hear a lot of fear-mongering out there about radiation and national emergencies, but it's diverting us from the main issues here.
Let me ask you, sir, why was the debris collected at the inactive Calgary base rather than the currently active base in Edmonton, where the "satellite" crashed? It couldn't possibly be because its closer proximity to the United States? Absolutely not.
There are safety and logistical considerations The quarantine is a joke! Personnel have been repeatedly spotted going in and out of the quarantine zone.
I've read at least half a dozen accounts that confirm that.
Supplies need to be delivered and waste removed from the site Why are medical supplies being delivered to the base? - Sir, I can't - Why are medical supplies being delivered to the base? - I can't possibly comment on - Witnesses have seen deliveries from Calgary General.
And no one, no one can tell us why! - Sir - The station Montana quarantine lasted for 36 hours! - Mr.
Montag - The only explanation for this quarantine lasting as long as it has, is that we're trying to keep secrets from getting out.
Mr.
Montag, please give Mr.
Collins a chance to speak.
Thank you Deirdre.
I'd caution you, Mr.
Montag, on making dangerous and baseless allegations.
By Mr.
Montag's own admission, he's not an expert on these issues, but that doesn't stop him from speaking as though he is.
A week and a half ago we were dealing with an emergency situation, the size and details of which were yet to be known, and our men and women acted accordingly and properly and within the bounds of the law.
There was a request made to our Montana office and our agents responded to it.
The Canadian government is behaving responsibly, the way it should when lives are at risk.
- When America - To use this as an opportunity to stir up anti-American sentiment and sell more newspapers or blogs or what-have- you is, quite frankly, inappropriate and counterproductive.
When things fall out of the sky, Mr.
Montag they don't care about borders or sovereignty.
The danger is indiscriminate.
And it is precisely because of the relationship between Canada and the United States that we were able to respond as quickly and effectively as we did.
I'm afraid that's going to have to be the last words for right now, so we can go to commercial but I do hope you both will stay with us so that we can continue this spirited debate after the break.
Pioneer One 1x04 You did good on that thing, but we're still getting our asses kicked in the press.
- Yes we are.
- When we're done here bang some heads together and let's come up with some new talking points.
These Internet assholes are amazing.
Where's the Ok, how long's he been in there? - About 20 minutes.
- Ah, wonderful.
Mr.
Ambassador.
- Apologies for the wait.
- I am waiting for Secretary Miller.
He sent me.
- I do not know you.
- Eric McClellan.
I'm one of Secretary Miller's deputies.
Deputies? I wish to deal directly with Secretary Miller.
I've been made the point man in this matter.
My authority comes directly from Secretary Miller and the President of the United States.
I'm the guy you want to talk to.
Very well.
So, Mr.
Ambassador What isn't your government telling us? What are we not telling you? Something fell out of the sky and spread radiation over my country.
We believe no, we know it was Soviet hardware.
What can you tell us about that? Please, Mr.
Secretary, you speak to me like I am your enemy.
The Cold War is over.
I seem to recall ten of your spies turning up in New Jersey not too long ago.
Or were we to assume they just didn't get that memo? Mr.
McClellan.
As your president says, let us cut bullshit, yes? Let's.
We believe No.
We know that you are holding one or more of our cosmonauts.
I'm sorry, Mr.
Ambassador, I may have misunderstood your accent, did you say cosmonauts? Yes, that is what I have said and you understand me fine.
Can we agree that the story of the satellite was a lie? I wouldn't categorize it that way.
Forgive me, sometimes my English fails me, but when you say something that is not the truth - you call it a lie, yes? - It wasn't a lie.
Do most satellites have people inside of them? If you lost cosmonauts, why didn't the Russian space agency contact us? Surely you know when you lose people.
These cosmonauts were lost longtime ago.
We insist they be returned to us immediately.
Mr.
Ambassador, I don't understand.
What were these cosmonauts doing? Where did they come from? And why did they crash in my backyard? They have come from a far away place.
And what far away place would that be? Mr.
Ambassador.
As your president says No bullshit.
Here we are, this little blue one right here.
But you already know what that looks like, 'cause you've seen it from far away.
Can you pick out Home? Mars on the map? This one.
She's made a real connection with him, I think.
He only talks to her.
What's he saying now? He's not making much sense.
I keep hearing one word though.
Home.
This has to happen faster.
We're not getting anywhere.
Enough with the bedtime stories.
I don't think this is the kind of thing you can force, Tom.
Are you alright? Are you alright? Fine.
Tired.
One more week.
Did you see that? He couldn't even bring himself to say it, it's so god damn absurd.
How do they know we're holding a suspect? They don't.
They don't know what we got.
They think we've got multiple guys.
When we only have that one.
What do you think he's holding back? They don't want us to think they're not in control of their own military.
They know as well as we do they've been hemorrhaging hardware and uranium since '91.
The thing that I don't understand is why they're still giving us this Mars crap.
He never actually said anything about Mars.
Because he doesn't want to sound like an idiot.
But if that's the game we're playing I can't believe I'm going to say this, but suppose this guy actually did come back from Mars.
How do we cover ourselves? Hypothetically? He might not technically be a Russian citizen.
He speaks.
What do you mean? Well, if he came from Mars what country is that? He'd literally be from another planet.
It was a Soviet spacecraft.
That's Soviet territory.
But there is no Soviet Union.
Weren't Soviet citizens living in Russia granted Russian citizenship? I'm sure there's some technicality we can exploit.
I mean, we don't even know anything about his parents.
It's true.
So he's a non-person, is that what we're saying? That works for now.
Look into Russian naturalization laws, but don't spend too much time on it.
Yes sir.
- I'll update Miller's office.
- Yeah, you do that.
No, wait! Brief Jacobs first, then Miller.
Jacobs? At the White House? I believe that's where he works, yes.
You know we're gonna catch six kinds of hell from Miller's people for going around them.
But not from Miller himself.
I've got a hunch.
Just do it yeah? Yes sir.
Oh, and put in a call in to Taylor and our friends up North.
I want to know if that kid's been saying anything yet.
- Thank you.
- Don't.
It's not very good.
I'm sorry we haven't been able to get you more time off the base, but we're under a lot of media scrutiny right now.
I understand.
You don't seem to mind very much.
I guess I'm enjoying the work.
It's nice to feel like I'm making a difference for somebody.
You care about him.
I do.
What's going to happen to him when the quarantine is over? That's part of why I wanted to talk to you today.
You've been doing great so far, he's rather responding to you being there, but we're not moving fast enough.
Fast enough? Is there anything you've noticed, that's not in the transcripts anything? I'm not sure what you mean.
I need workable information.
There have been a few times when I've spoken to him in English, and he responded like he understood me.
He understands English? - I'm pretty sure, yeah.
- But he only speaks to you in Russian? Well, just because he understands English doesn't mean he can speak it.
Or he doesn't want to.
Why wouldn't he want to? Depending on what he's been told, he may think he's behind enemy lines.
He may have been given instructions not to speak.
Or he's just scared.
I'd rather hear that from him.
I don't know what else I can do.
I need to be able to talk with him.
I need him to answer questions.
I don't know if it's realistic right now.
There must be some way to take advantage of the relationship you have with him.
I don't think I'm comfortable with that.
The more information we have, the better off he'll be.
You mean the better off you'll be, don't you? The better off we'll all be.
I'm sorry.
I just care about him that's all.
My job is about finding out the truth.
And as long as you're in this building, you work for me.
I know.
Good.
See what you can get out of him and we can all go home.
He can't Yeah? - What? - Can I come in? Yeah.
- What you got for me? - Can I sit? Yeah.
There's this wacko on the outside making a lot of noise, a Dr.
Richard Hadfield, he's some kind of conspiracy nutcase.
And? I think he's called up every reporter I can think of trying to get somebody's attention.
He thinks we've got The Andromeda Strain in here.
I think he has a book coming out.
- Is anybody taking him seriously? - No - Just thought you'd get a kick out of it.
- You had to close the door to tell me that? No.
Can you tell me why are you really here then? This is a rather uncomfortable situation for me, but I have to ask something.
- What? - Is it possible that you and Captain Benton - could have been seen leaving the base? - Why? There's a report floating around that a witness saw two men, matching your descriptions in a car tailing one of the supply trucks.
- When was this? - I don't know, a few days ago.
Is it true? Some urgent matter required my attention.
That's all you need to know.
When something like this comes up I do need to know or I can't do my job.
We have to at least appear like we're taking this quarantine seriously.
- Noted.
Handle it.
- I am.
What? There something else? We got a problem.
This program has received exclusive information that one of the people brought into the quarantine zone is this man: Dr.
Zachary Walzer an adjunct professor at the University of Washington and an outspoken advocate for human Mars exploration.
Joining us in studio is Dr.
Avery Frank a former colleague of Dr.
Walzer's, to discuss what this may mean.
- Thank you for taking the time, doctor.
- Glad to be here.
Can you tell us a little bit about your relationship with Dr.
Walzer, and why a man with his credentials might have been brought in to consult in this investigation? Sure.
I worked with Zachary for about four years in the 80s when we were both at JPL The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena? Yes, just outside of Pasadena in California.
We were working on the development of a propulsion system to be used in unmanned probes eventually, with manned spacecraft that would be used to explore the solar system.
Dr.
Walzer has a background in nuclear engineering, and I imagine that's why he's involved in this situation.
I'd like to talk a little bit about his advocacy for Mars exploration.
Is it fair to say that he has achieved notoriety within the scientific community for his work on the subject? Yes, definitely.
From time to I've heard him referred to as reverently of course, "the man from Mars".
Do you feel that his Mars work has overshadowed his other accomplishments? I wouldn't say overshadowed, but certainly that's the direction he's moved in since I knew him, sure.
But he's known as a Mars expert.
The Mars expert.
I'm sure some of his colleagues would take issue with that, but It's strange that he would be the nuclear engineer called in to consult in this matter do you agree? I can't say.
Surely there are other scientists, perhaps even some on the payroll of the United States government, who are just as qualified in nuclear engineering? I would think so.
So it stand to reason that it's his Mars expertise that distinguished him from the rest? I'm not sure I understand where you're going with this What I'm trying to get at here is why would a Mars expert be brought in to investigate the crash of a Soviet satellite which, so as far as we've been told, has nothing to do with Mars? I'm not in a position to speculate.
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The Outer Space Treaty of 1967: "No celestial body may be subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty by means of use or occupation".
In other words, even if the Soviets had been there, they couldn't claim it as their territory The Rescue Agreement, elaborating on the provisions of Article 5 of said treaty: "Any state that is a party to the agreement must provide all possible assistance to rescue the personnel of a spacecraft who have landed within that state's territory.
The state where the object lands is required, upon request of the launching authority, to recover the object and return it".
This is all starting to make sense to me now.
If they say they've lost a spacecraft and a cosmonaut, we're bound by international law to turn'em over.
So it sounds like if we maintain our position that we're holding a terror suspect and his weapon of mass destruction, we should be okay.
I still don't understand this Mars stuff though.
Couldn't they come up with something more believable? Turn the page.
The Registration Convention: "The convention requires that every nation furnish notice and details regarding every orbiting space object".
So by saying it's from Mars, we can't catch them on that.
Unbelievable.
What about the citizenship thing? Well, the parents' citizenship would have turned over in '91, and he'd have citizenship by birth.
We don't know anything for sure about the parents, so I think we're okay.
So where do you think we are on this? I think it's pretty thin but I think we have enough cover if that's the story they're giving us.
Maybe.
Assuming I can keep a straight face in there.
- Yes sir.
- No, really.
I don't want anymore talk about Mars in this office.
Come in.
- He's waiting for you sir.
- I'll be right there.
- Good job on this, by the way.
- Thank you sir.
- Where did you get all this? - Wikipedia.
Okay, next time I'd rather you make something up.
Yes, Mr.
Secretary.
And the Canadian Foreign Secretary is still trying to get a few minutes with you.
One pain in the ass at a time I assure you, Mr.
Ambassador, we are not holding any citizen of Russian or the former Soviet governments.
And this is the official position of the United States government? It is.
But you are holding someone, yes? This is an investigation of a possible terrorist act.
We are holding a suspect, but considering him an enemy combatant.
Unless you're telling me he's a Russian citizen? I am not a fool.
Do not talk to me like one.
If you have caught a terrorist, then why is the foremost expert on the subject of space travel to the planet Mars assisting in your investigation? I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean.
No? We see same news you do.
CNN makes it even to Moscow.
Don't believe everything you see on television.
Then you deny this? We'll have to get back to you on that.
You brought a civilian in on this without telling me? I believe I do have that authority.
But I told you not to pursue this particular line of inquiry.
At the time I thought it was prudent not to discount anything.
Well your prudence just made me look like a fool with the Russian ambassador.
Did somebody leak this from your end? We're looking into it.
What are the Russians saying? They're giving us the same story, but I don't think even they believe it.
Why would they do that? They have obviously complicity in this.
Either they were involved or they know who was.
The Mars story is their cover and it's starting to stick as hard as it is to believe.
The bigger the lie, as they say.
So you're not prepared to consider the Mars story at all? I think I've made myself very clear.
- Haven't we been through this once before? - I have to ask.
I have no idea how anybody knows that I'm here.
What does it matter? With your background, well, people are starting to put the pieces together.
And that's a bad thing? It's going to get out sooner or later.
If we can't control the flow of information it may affect our diplomatic efforts with the Russians.
We're talking to the Russians? What are they saying? Can't get into details.
Why does everything have to be such a big secret with you people? If we could just share what we know we'd be so much further along.
Do you even have an idea how long it's been since I've used a microscope? I barely know what I'm doing here! What are you doing here exactly? This is water from the recycling system in Yuri's capsule.
I'm checking to see if it contains any trace elements that might suggest it came from Martian permafrost or somewhere else on the surface.
A crew of three or more couldn't have survived for so long on the surface without finding a new water source.
How's it going? Well considering it's been about a hundred years since I took a chemistry lab, not that good.
If I could just consult with some of my colleagues, Can't do it doctor.
I'm in enough trouble for bringing you in here in the first place.
The quarantine is the only reason you're not on a plane back home.
Well it's nice to know I'm welcome.
- Anything? - No All I can tell you for sure is that it wasn't me.
I just talked to Walzer and he says he hasn't told anybody.
Could one of the protestors have recognized him when we first brought him in? I doubt it.
People didn't start showing up until after the press conference.
And even if he was seen, do you think he'd be recognized? No, probably not.
I just got off the phone with McClellan and he's not happy.
Should we have Walzer make a statement or something? No, it'd look like we got spooked if we respond directly.
Any other ideas? We could shine a light on it.
You have something in mind? - Maybe.
- Good.
Go do what you do.
Hey, it's Glenn Vernon.
Listen, I've got a guy I think might be a good fit for your show.
Yeah, the Earth is seventy percent, over seventy percent water! And we're supposed to believe that this was an accident? We are under attack here folks! See? See this what happens when you put a democrat in the White House.
We are not safe here, folks! The sky is literally falling on top of us.
And that's Mr.
Dicks taking a page out of the Chicken Little playbook, he's using this crash to justifiably foment a mass hysteria among the electorate And I do believe that this would put Mr.
Dicks in the title role of Chicken Little himself.
It is a particularly interesting strategy considering that nothing ever fell down when his guy was in office.
What? They liked that one in rehearsal.
But the big news of the day is the revelation that Dr.
Zachary Walzer, the outspoken Mars expert, was secretly brought in to investigate the satellite crash in Canada.
This has brought about wild speculation in the media, and joining us now for more wild speculation is Dr.
Richard Hadfield.
- Now you are a doctor of what exactly? - Astrobiology.
- Which is? - The study of life outside the Earth.
Life outside the Earth so Little green men? Is that what we're talking here? More like little green germs.
What? Sir, there's a guy on TV I think you should see.
Now you've heard about them bringing in this Mars guy this expert? Dr.
Walzer, yes.
Yeah, the Mars guy.
Now um, what do you make of that? I think it's obvious to anyone that's been paying attention.
Get me Calgary on the line, now.
Let's use our imagination, let's pretend, for a second that I have not been paying attention.
What have I, Joe Six-pack, John Q.
Citizen, what have I missed here? The pieces are there if you look for them.
Why bring an expert in on Mars unless you're dealing with something that had come from Mars - Something that had come from Mars? - Yes So what are you're saying? They've got aliens in there? This guy doesn't sound like that much of a nut job.
Wait for it.
Right, that would be ridiculous.
I'm watching.
Put the pieces together.
Follow the evidence.
Most people don't do that.
What pieces? Well, you have debris from a crashed satellite, the wreckage has been quarantined.
Medical equipment has been seen being taken to the base by eyewitnesses.
And an expert on the Mars consulting on the investigation.
What do all of these things tell you? - Space aliens.
- No.
We know there is no such thing.
Does this guy actually know anything? Cause he sounds like he might know something.
How many fucking leaks does this ship have? No, no, maybe you haven't been paying attention to the pieces that the regular people, you know, like me you I believe a probe sent to the planet Mars has brought back some kind of contaminant.
Some form of microbial life.
Perhaps even a bacteria or virus.
The quarantine is in place to prevent exposing it to our biosphere, which could unleash a Martian plague and wipe out the entire human race.
Dude! That's fuing crazy! Nevermind That was good.
Now somebody hears anybody talk about Mars they'll think of this wacko.
You've earned your paycheck for the week.
I was worried for a second there.
Yeah me too I'm here with you.
But they need you to start talking.
They have questions, lots of questions, and they need you to tell them things.
I want to stay with you.
But they won't let me if you don't answer their questions.
Do you understand? I'll go away.
They'll make me go away.
Do you want me to stay? Yes.
Did you hear the news? - Yeah, Vernon did good with that Hadfield - That's not what I'm talking about.
- What now? - Secretary Miller stepped down.
- Really? - Yeah.
- Who's running Homeland? - One guess.
Do you think this he was angling for this all along? I don't think I'm that cynical.
I'm exactly that cynical.
As the head of Homeland Security.
It has been confirmed that Secretary Miller has stepped down, there is speculation due to sharp criticism from the Right concerning the ongoing situation in Calgary, but the White House denies any connection.
Assistant Secretary Eric McClellan has been chosen to replace Mr.
Miller as the head of Homeland Security.
Again: it has been confirmed Did you tell anyone I was here? It's all over the news.
I haven't told anyone else.
It doesn't matter now but you can't call me here.
If I need anything else, I'll call you.
Yes, it was very helpful, thank you.
But listen to what I'm saying.
You can't call.
I'll call you if I need anything.
I will.
That's not a good idea.
No.
That's not a good idea right now.
Ok, bye.
So, you just watched episode 4 of Pioneer One and as you can see things are heating up.
In the next upcoming episodes - There are a lot of changes.
- There's a dramatic change that happens in my character Tom Taylor Suddenly things become more important than just being right.
When i read five it was like a kick in the head.
Lots of cool stuff happens in the next couple of episodes.
It was like a horse rearing up and giving me a swift kick with all four hoof hooves.
The whole thing takes a really crazy turn.
I don't think a horse could do that.
Episode six is a complete shift.
They have the opportunity to be more ballsy than network series.
You get the sense of the end of the last episode that this whole incident in Calgary is just the first part of a much bigger story.
I think you're gonna really like the plot twists in episodes 5 and 6.
Wait until you get to episode 6.
Just wait! So get ready, and keep watching!