Earth: Final Conflict s02e08 Episode Script
Redemption
What's going on? When Dr.
Park performed the procedure on Beckett's CVI, she took some brain tissue samples in order to run a simulation of the CVI's effects.
You mean you use Beckett as a guinea pig.
No more than the Taelons.
Beckett and Sandoval were among the first group of human beings to be implanted with CVI.
They're our first opportunities to study the CVI's long term effect on brain.
Lucky for you we did.
What do you mean lucky for me? Dr.
Park found something.
Now, the two primarily functions of CVI are increased brain capacity and an altered motivational imperative which forces loyalty to the Taelons.
But our will is stronger than even the Taelons imagined.
The brains of the people who were implants are now starting to reject the particular functions of the CVI that runs counter to that persons' nature.
So now they are becoming more intelligent but resisting control by the Taelons.
Exactly.
The human spirit won't tolerate having its freedom of choice taken away.
So Companion Protectors like Beckett and Sandoval are now only serving the Taelons because they want, and not because they are being programmed.
So what? They are still traitors.
No.
We have an opening here.
I can bring Beckett over to our side.
If you could talk to your mother now, what would you tell her? "I love you".
Even after she left you? I know it doesn't make any sense, but there's a bond between us.
It cuts across everything else.
She's my mother.
The UK Companion notified Sandoval, Beckett didn't report for duty.
He sent me to check on her and she is missing.
Well, she probably just needed to get away.
Now that her CVI isn't telling her how to think, she must be questioning everything.
I checked at her apartment and didn't find anything, but I talked to one of her neighbors who said that they saw her leaving with the climbing equipment.
That fits.
She's master climber.
Whenever she needs to clear her head she goes to the caves.
When the hell did you two get that close? The day I was born.
You know about the incident with Sandoval's CVI? Yeah, the CVI broke down and almost killed him before they replaced it.
Have we met? Her CVI is completely broken down.
It's infiltrated her entire brain.
We can't save her.
Well, how long does she have? She's on borrowed time.
How long? They are the Companions.
Aliens come to Earth on a mission of peace.
Their true mission, the secrets they hide, forever alter humanity.
Caught in the struggle between these Taelon Companions and the Human Resistance is Liam Kincaid.
A man who is more than human.
The mysteries of his past hold the key to Earth's future and the fate of mankind.
On Earth Final Conflict.
Siobhan Beckett.
You have been charged by the people with having committed crimes against humanity, not limited to, but including, kidnapping, treason and murder.
If you are found guilty as charged you will be sentenced to die alone, you family line dying with you.
If you are found innocent, you will be given a second chance.
Let the trial begin.
Jonathan Doors, for the people.
It is our contention that Siobhan Beckett is guilty of the crimes as charged.
Through this trial we will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lieut.
Beckett willingly turned her back on humanity.
Not only did she served the Taelons faithfully, but she also vigorously recruited other people into their service to fight against us.
Let us examine the Taelon propaganda that seduced Lieut.
Beckett in the first place.
Upon our arriving on Earth, we have felt the pain of those among your species who were without basic sustenance.
Your farmers have applied Taelon science to ensure that every child on this planet will go to bed with a full stomach.
Lieut.
Beckett never questioned these pronouncements.
On the contrary, she helped to perpetuate these lies.
And we will prove that even in the face of mounting evidence against Taelon benevolence, the accused never once wavered in her blind support to Taelons.
And, when she was presented with the opportunity to be implanted with the Cyber-Viral Implant, Lieut.
Beckett, willingly gave up her free will to serve the Taelons.
The CVI has been delivered.
Major Liam Kincaid, for the defense.
Virtually the entire planet welcomed the Taelon arrival on Earth with the sincere belief that an alien race could come in peace.
Siobhan Beckett was no exception.
As a soldier, the most effective way for Lieut.
Beckett to manifest her support to the Taelons was in the military capacity.
So she became a Companion Protector.
And like all soldiers, she was trained not to question orders.
In her world the chain of command is absolute.
These facts are not in dispute.
However, there is a story behind the facts.
You certainly have your troops worked out in pretty good shape.
Belfast militia, antiterrorism unit.
After the Companions came and helped us form the United Republic of Ireland, there was no IRA to fight.
Can't very well fight for nationalism when you see the Earth and its true perspective.
Is that why the Companions chose to serve them? Because of your antiterrorist expertise? They knew I was willing to die for a cause I believe in.
Or kill for one.
Lieut.
Beckett did agree to be implanted with the CVI.
She is a professional soldier.
When on a mission she seeks to eliminate all doubt form her mind, because doubt leads to fear, hesitation, mistakes and, ultimately, death.
Lieut.
Beckett simply embraced the opportunity to be the best soldier she could be.
The opening statements are complete.
We shall proceed with the presentation of witnesses.
The accused is charged with actively recruiting other human beings into service to Taelons.
Despite her direct knowledge of Taelon crimes against humanity.
Do you have any facts to offer in the case against Lieut.
Beckett? I first became acquainted with the accused when I was sent to Strandhill, Ireland, in search of the tomb of an ancient Taelon called Ma'el.
During the course of that investigation and afterwards, Lieut.
Beckett aggressively tried to persuade me to become a Companion Protector.
If you need a recommendation to further your Companion career, it would be my pleasure to assist you.
Thanks.
I'll think about it.
Have you reconsidered my offer to help you become a Companion agent? No.
I can't understand that.
Well, I'm not asking you to.
And did you agree to become a Companion Protector? Absolutely not.
And Lieut.
Beckett refused to accept the fact that I was not interested in this position so she pursued me with a vengeance.
Determined to destroy me.
No, I tried to stop you, not destroy you.
I tried to To entrap me! Or would you prefer to expose, unmask, compromise me? You were working against the Companions.
The witness is out of order.
You will return to the stand immediately! Mr.
Doors, you will instruct your witness to return to her place immediately or I will find her in contempt of this court.
People's Exhibit 3, Your Honor.
You used the fact of our security breach as bait to lure me to your hotel room last night.
That won't work again.
What happens between you and me is beyond our control.
What you do about Lili Marquette is not.
She's working for the Liberation as a spy.
That's a very dangerous accusation, Lieutenant.
Was the accused aware that Da'an was the only member of the Synod to be openly sympathetic to humanity? All protectors are aware of Da'an's position.
And, in spite of this knowledge, was there an incident in which Lieut.
Beckett attempted to kill Da'an when such an excessive force was not necessary? When Da'an was cut off of Commonality and regressed into the Atavus, Lieut.
Beckett and I were sent to search for him.
I found him first and was reasoning with him when Lieut.
Beckett burst in and immediately began firing at Da'an, even though, clearly, he posed to threat at the time.
You know me.
You won't hurt me.
No! No! That's not true.
Da'an had killed two innocent people at that point and I I will not warn you again, Lieut.
Beckett.
Another outburst like the last and I will sentence you as charged.
When Lieut.
Beckett offered to help you to become a Companion Protector, did she say that she was helping you because she supported the Taelon agenda? Her support of the Taelons was implicit in her offer to help me.
I'm not asking what was implied, simply what was stated.
No, she did not state her support of the Taelons.
Isn't it possible that Lieut.
Beckett offered you her backing because she respected you and wanted to help you advance in your chosen career? Yes, that is possible.
When you were serving in the Armed Forces, did you ever questioned orders form a superior officer? Of course, but never openly.
I've never disobeyed an order.
If you were a Companion Protector, like Lieut.
Beckett, would you ever refused to track down suspected Liberation members, or refuse to kill the Atavus on sight as she was ordered to? No, I would not have disobeyed the orders, but Lieut.
Beckett chose to become a Companion Protector.
She knew what she signed up for.
And what exactly was that, Capt.
Marquette? The agenda you think Lieut.
Beckett knew she was signing up for? To defend the Taelons and their plot to enslave humanity.
Which is what we're seeing here today.
Today? But Lieut.
Beckett didn't signed up to serve the Taelons today.
She signed up over three years ago.
When neither you, nor Jonathan Doors, nor anyone on this entire planet knew that there might be a hidden agenda to the Taelons arrival.
Isn't that true, Capt.
Marquette? The Taelons have been manipulating us since the day they arrived.
You're avoiding the question, Capt.
Marquette.
Could the accused have known about the Taelons hidden agenda when she, as you so euphemistically put it, signed up for service? If it pleases the court, I'd like to withdraw the question and ask another.
When the Taelons first arrived on this planet, were you aware that they had a hidden agenda? A simple yes or no will do.
No.
I've got to find her before Sandoval does.
It'll be my only chance to tell her the truth about me.
You do and she'll die.
Yeah, well, she's gonna die anyway.
Look, Liam, I know.
I'm doing everything I can here, okay? Oh, look, she's got all of her favorite cave climbs listed here in one section of her journal.
What do you think? Well, Lili told me that Sandoval assumed she'd be climbing in a cave close to her home.
So he'll use Belfast as ground zero and searching out from there.
Oh, look.
This might be something.
What is it? This cave in the Austrian Alps has an unusually high concentration of ferrous oxide in the bedrocks supporting the cave.
Now, it's significantly higher than any one of these other caves that she mentions here in the journal.
Why is that significant? Well, ferrous oxide, it's highly resistant to what? - Scanning devices.
Right.
- Scanning devices.
Exactly.
So, if she wanted to go to a place where it was hard to find her, this might be the one.
Why don't you plot the cave she got listed and see what it looks like? Bingo.
Definitely not the closest one to her home.
Which means that Sandoval may have not gotten to her yet.
Was there any doubt in your mind about the commitment of the accused to the Taelons? No, none.
Lieut.
Beckett believed whole-heartedly in the Taelon agenda.
Her actions support this conclusion.
And did the accused used any means necessary, including illegal activities, to achieve the goals set for her by the Taelons? Certainly.
She understood we were in a war and relied on her experience with terrorists to deal with anti-Companion sympathizers.
Thank you, Agent Sandoval.
I couldn't have put it better myself.
Now.
Where's Tim O'Malley? Do Companion Protectors show emotion? Companion Protectors have only one priority, Major.
That is to protect the Taelons.
There's no room for human emotions in this endeavor.
So a Companion Protector that showed this side of their human nature would be an anomaly? That is correct.
Did Lieut.
Beckett ever showed you her emotional side? Well, that's a question of interpretation, isn't it? They're called runes.
The Celtic form of tarot.
And you're using these to find the security breach? No.
I'm using these to understand your negative response to my physical overtures.
As I said in Ireland, my duty is to the Companions.
Nothing's gonna take away from that focus.
But a CVI doesn't take away our need for physical release.
As a matter of fact, it increases our physical capabilities.
I can only interpret that behavior one way, Agent Sandoval.
Namely that Lieut.
Beckett was romantically interested in you and did not hesitate to make you aware of it.
Do you agree? Yes, I do.
Did you contend that this would be an impropriate behavior for a Companion Protector? Isn't this inconsistent? Yes, it is.
And wouldn't it then follow that the reason for this behavior is that Lieut.
Beckett never fully let go of her human emotions? Possibly.
Tell us about Siobhan, Mrs.
Beckett.
She was the best daughter you could ever hope for.
Smart, beautiful, committed to her family.
And did something change? Yes.
Once she started to work for the Companions she thought of nothing else.
Only the Companions.
Would it be true to say that for your daughter the welfare of the Companions came above all else, including family, friends, any other relationships she had? Yes, it's true.
But it wasn't her fault.
She lost her way.
Do you have any other children, Mrs.
Beckett? No.
No, Siobhan was our only child.
We desperately wanted to have a large family but weren't able to have any more children.
Siobhan always said that she would make up for her dad and me by having 10 children.
Tell me about that.
Having children was always the most important thing in Siobhan's life.
It was the driving force behind her involvement in the anti-terrorist unit in Ireland.
She wanted to bring her children up in the United Ireland? She didn't give up.
She threw herself into the anti-terrorist unit.
Anything to create an Ireland that would be safe for her children.
For all the children.
And did she give the Taelons credit for bringing peace to Ireland? Yes.
The whole world believed that.
And she felt it was her duty to serve them.
If only we knew what they would turn her into.
The scan is negative, sir.
We're moving on to the next site.
Lieut.
Beckett's actions are inconceivable.
Her CVI compels her to act in the best interest of the Taelons.
Yet she disappeared without a trace.
How do you explain this? I cannot until I find Lieut.
Beckett and speak to her.
Our scientists believe that the motivational imperative function of the CVis may be breaking down in some of our implants.
Those implants would no longer be programmed to be loyal to the Taelons.
It is irrelevant, Zo'or.
The agents serving as Companion Protectors do so because they are committed to the Taelons.
That may be true.
But the CVis are insurance.
Is your CVI functioning, Agent Sandoval? Perfectly.
And what about Lieut.
Beckett's? To the best of my knowledge she wasn't experiencing any problems.
If our scientists are correct, it could explain Lieut.
Beckett's actions.
If she now has the capacity to second-guess her loyalties, perhaps, she is doing just that.
That is the possibility that must be considered, yes.
And if it proves to be the case? Lieut.
Beckett has extensive knowledge of Taelon activities It follows that she poses significant risk to the Taelons.
And therefore must be eliminated.
Major Kincaid, you may call your first witness.
My first and only witness, Your Honor.
The defense calls Siobhan Beckett to the stand.
Please, describe your activities prior to becoming a Companion Protector.
I was a member of anti-terrorist unit in the Irish army.
And your mission? To use all means available to prevent terrorist attacks on the citizens of Ireland.
Did you ever killed anyone in the course of your service with the unit? Yes.
Did you ever used illegal methods to ferret out terrorists and bring them to justice? Terrorists tend not to honor the rules of engagement.
We fought fire with fire.
And your superiors were aware of your activities? Of course.
And would you describe your anti-terrorist career as successful? I was decorated on numerous occasions.
My rate of promotion is highest in my unit.
So you were rewarded for killing terrorists? Yes.
And for using any means available to stop terrorists attacks whether those means were legal or not? Examine my military record.
I was promoted because I achieve results.
That's the reason I was recruited to become a Companion Protector.
What were your duties as a Companion Protector? Essentially the same as that in the anti-terrorist unit.
My mission was to protect the Taelons and the humans working with them against terrorist attacks by the Liberation movement.
Using the same method you used in the military? Yes, but our leeway was much broader.
Companions instructed me to kill anyone I reasonably believed to be working against them.
Civil liberties were irrelevant when dealing with the Liberation movement.
And you embraced this philosophy? I was fighting to protect the Taelons, the beings that have brought peace not only to Ireland, but to most of the world.
So, everything in your experience told you that you were acting in the world's best interest by joining with the Taelons and ensuring their safety at all cost? Yes.
In spite of all the positive reinforcement, did you ever questioned the morality of your actions? As a soldier I was trained to fight my instincts to question authority.
But I did have doubts.
And what was the nature of those doubts? In Ireland, as a soldier fighting terrorists, I could justify almost any action with the idea that I was protecting innocent children from random acts of violence.
When the Companions came and brought peace to Ireland, out of gratitude I committed myself to them and to furtherance of peace.
But as time went on, and I became more involved in Companion operations, I realized that my duties were no longer as simple as protecting my people from those who could kill them.
And yet you continued.
I'm a soldier.
I follow orders.
It was the belief of overwhelming majority of people on Earth at that time, that the Companions were needed.
I viewed my doubts as weakness.
But you still couldn't escape your feelings.
No.
Then a select group of us were told about the CVI.
This sophisticated Taelon technology will greatly increase our brains' capacity.
And you agreed to accept the CVI? It was an honor reserved for only for the most capable of Companion Protectors.
Of course, I agreed.
And did it work? Flawlessly.
My mental capacity dramatically increased.
And serving Taelon needs became my primal motivation.
But not anymore? I object, Your Honor.
Lieut.
Beckett's present state of mind has no bearing on this case.
I disagree.
The defense intends to show that Lieut.
Beckett has lost her compulsion to serve the Taelons.
- Irrelevant! Still doesn't - And in retrospect, if she had been acting on her own free will, would not have been a party to the Taelon actions against humanity.
And if pigs had wings, they could fly.
Opposing counsel will approach the bench immediately.
If this court will not tolerate bickering between witnesses, it certainly will not tolerate it from you two.
And I will not tolerate defense counsel using "what ifs" to prejudice this case.
I, and I alone, will decide what is prejudicial to this case.
Is that understood? You may withdraw from the bench.
On matter of the prosecution's objection, this court rules in favor of the prosecution.
Objection sustained.
You may now proceed with your questioning of the witness.
I have no more questions, Your Honor.
Defense rests.
If the court will allow I'd like to lead the witness a little in order to make a point.
Only is the point is relevant to this case.
It is, Your Honor.
Lieut.
Beckett, if I were to say that mothers are to sons as fathers are to blank? Would you feel in that blank? Daughters.
Now, let's try a little more difficult one.
Eye glasses are to watches as fertilizer is to What? No? Let me give you a little hint.
- Does the name Khmer Rouge ring a bell? - Objection, Your Honor! - Or how about mass murderer, Pol Pot? - Prosecution is pushing! It's totally out of line, not to mention inflammatory and irrelevant! On the contrary, Your Honor, this line of argument is paramount to the people's case and if you will allow me a little leeway I will prove my point! You may proceed.
Thank you.
With caution.
Would you like me to repeat the question? No.
Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge party in the late 20th century.
Yes, the landscape artist who sowed The Killing Fields of Cambodia.
Pol Pot ordered his obedient soldiers to kill every man, woman and child who wore a watch or glasses, telltale signs of perceived intelligence, the dreaded enemy of progress, the seed from which all insurrection grows and every despots greatest fear! Which is how 3 million people came to be murdered before this bloodshed was over! This is ridiculous, comparing Lieut.
Beckett, a good soldier, to these obviously evil man.
Perhaps, the counsel will prefer a comparison to what? The SS, the KGB, Mussolini's Blackshirts? Good soldiers, one and all.
What defense counsel would prefer is for prosecution to shed some light on this line of questioning or to move on, due hasty.
It a little late for that, it's indeed over 60 years too late.
The allies beat me to it at a place called Nuremberg.
Where it was ruled that crimes against humanity could not be disavowed under the guise of "I was only following orders", as you would have us do for the accused.
Objection, Your Honor! The men tried at Nuremberg were the architects of the Third Reich acting out of free will and not some programmed imperative! Precisely! Lieut.
Beckett's crimes against humanity were even more heinous because, unlike the Nazi counterparts, she chose, she chose, to blind herself to the truth by giving up the free will! Free will.
That precious commodity for which millions of brave men and women have shed their blood since the dawn of time.
From the streets of ancient Athens to the steps of tsarist Russia, to the concrete barricades of Berlin, to the Killing Fields of Cambodia, - Sarajevo, Algeria, Afghanistan, - Stop it.
Stop it.
The Warsaw ghetto, Babi Yar, the apartheid prisons! Stop it! Stop it! We will proceed with the closing statements.
Mr.
Doors? Free will, Your Honor, the spring from which human conscious flows; that intangible force that allowed a mere foot soldier in Vietnam stop the killings of Mai Lai; that allowed King Christian of Denmark to defy the Nazis and wear a Jewish star; a two-edged sword, leaving the pure of heart without guilt, and the heavy of heart without excuse.
For without free will there can be no conscious, and without conscious - no law, no order, and, certainly, no justice.
And therefore, I ask you to find for the prosecution, and convict Siobhan Beckett of crimes as charged.
Major Kincaid? I'd like to add a final point to my submission, Your Honor.
Watches are to eye glasses as fertilizer is to killing fields.
Your Honor, I have only three words in defense of Lieut.
Beckett.
Duty, honor and country.
And with them I summon the fallen heroes of all the nations that have sacrificed their youth in battle.
If you would condemn Lieut.
Beckett for giving up her free will then you must condemn all of these people alongside her.
For if Lieut.
Beckett is guilty of anything it's looking to the stars for a better world.
Lieut.
Beckett, do you have anything to say before the court pronounces its verdict? If only, Your Honor, I could If only Turn all the "ifs" into gold, and we'd all be millionaires.
Isn't that right, mother? No, Your Honor.
I have nothing to add.
Very well then.
I'm afraid you leave this court with no option, but to find you guilty as charged and, as such, sentence you to death.
What you did we recognize you did with an open heart, giving up your free will for what you believed to be the betterment of mankind.
And though we cannot condone you crimes against humanity, we can draw on one of your species most splendid qualities in altering this verdict, one best exemplified by the words: to err is human, to forgive, divine.
This court is hereby adjourned.
I knew you'd come.
You defended me, you believed in me.
I know I can trust you now.
What do you mean I defended you? Does it matter? I've made lots of mistakes and I'll have to account for them.
Motivational imperative in my CVI is gone.
I'm finally free to think for myself.
And what are you thinking? You've got to fight the Taelons.
We cannot allow them to turn our planet into a killing field.
I promise you.
I promise you.
Oh, can you feel that bleeding? Do you feel that? My CVI is breaking down.
We can't remove it.
There's nothing we can do.
I'm not crying for myself.
I'm crying for the child I will never have.
I understand now.
We didn't have our time together here on Earth.
But you were brought to when I needed you the most.
If you ever loose your way, my son, look to the heavens, and I'll be shinning a star for you.
Guide my soul until morning.
Park performed the procedure on Beckett's CVI, she took some brain tissue samples in order to run a simulation of the CVI's effects.
You mean you use Beckett as a guinea pig.
No more than the Taelons.
Beckett and Sandoval were among the first group of human beings to be implanted with CVI.
They're our first opportunities to study the CVI's long term effect on brain.
Lucky for you we did.
What do you mean lucky for me? Dr.
Park found something.
Now, the two primarily functions of CVI are increased brain capacity and an altered motivational imperative which forces loyalty to the Taelons.
But our will is stronger than even the Taelons imagined.
The brains of the people who were implants are now starting to reject the particular functions of the CVI that runs counter to that persons' nature.
So now they are becoming more intelligent but resisting control by the Taelons.
Exactly.
The human spirit won't tolerate having its freedom of choice taken away.
So Companion Protectors like Beckett and Sandoval are now only serving the Taelons because they want, and not because they are being programmed.
So what? They are still traitors.
No.
We have an opening here.
I can bring Beckett over to our side.
If you could talk to your mother now, what would you tell her? "I love you".
Even after she left you? I know it doesn't make any sense, but there's a bond between us.
It cuts across everything else.
She's my mother.
The UK Companion notified Sandoval, Beckett didn't report for duty.
He sent me to check on her and she is missing.
Well, she probably just needed to get away.
Now that her CVI isn't telling her how to think, she must be questioning everything.
I checked at her apartment and didn't find anything, but I talked to one of her neighbors who said that they saw her leaving with the climbing equipment.
That fits.
She's master climber.
Whenever she needs to clear her head she goes to the caves.
When the hell did you two get that close? The day I was born.
You know about the incident with Sandoval's CVI? Yeah, the CVI broke down and almost killed him before they replaced it.
Have we met? Her CVI is completely broken down.
It's infiltrated her entire brain.
We can't save her.
Well, how long does she have? She's on borrowed time.
How long? They are the Companions.
Aliens come to Earth on a mission of peace.
Their true mission, the secrets they hide, forever alter humanity.
Caught in the struggle between these Taelon Companions and the Human Resistance is Liam Kincaid.
A man who is more than human.
The mysteries of his past hold the key to Earth's future and the fate of mankind.
On Earth Final Conflict.
Siobhan Beckett.
You have been charged by the people with having committed crimes against humanity, not limited to, but including, kidnapping, treason and murder.
If you are found guilty as charged you will be sentenced to die alone, you family line dying with you.
If you are found innocent, you will be given a second chance.
Let the trial begin.
Jonathan Doors, for the people.
It is our contention that Siobhan Beckett is guilty of the crimes as charged.
Through this trial we will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lieut.
Beckett willingly turned her back on humanity.
Not only did she served the Taelons faithfully, but she also vigorously recruited other people into their service to fight against us.
Let us examine the Taelon propaganda that seduced Lieut.
Beckett in the first place.
Upon our arriving on Earth, we have felt the pain of those among your species who were without basic sustenance.
Your farmers have applied Taelon science to ensure that every child on this planet will go to bed with a full stomach.
Lieut.
Beckett never questioned these pronouncements.
On the contrary, she helped to perpetuate these lies.
And we will prove that even in the face of mounting evidence against Taelon benevolence, the accused never once wavered in her blind support to Taelons.
And, when she was presented with the opportunity to be implanted with the Cyber-Viral Implant, Lieut.
Beckett, willingly gave up her free will to serve the Taelons.
The CVI has been delivered.
Major Liam Kincaid, for the defense.
Virtually the entire planet welcomed the Taelon arrival on Earth with the sincere belief that an alien race could come in peace.
Siobhan Beckett was no exception.
As a soldier, the most effective way for Lieut.
Beckett to manifest her support to the Taelons was in the military capacity.
So she became a Companion Protector.
And like all soldiers, she was trained not to question orders.
In her world the chain of command is absolute.
These facts are not in dispute.
However, there is a story behind the facts.
You certainly have your troops worked out in pretty good shape.
Belfast militia, antiterrorism unit.
After the Companions came and helped us form the United Republic of Ireland, there was no IRA to fight.
Can't very well fight for nationalism when you see the Earth and its true perspective.
Is that why the Companions chose to serve them? Because of your antiterrorist expertise? They knew I was willing to die for a cause I believe in.
Or kill for one.
Lieut.
Beckett did agree to be implanted with the CVI.
She is a professional soldier.
When on a mission she seeks to eliminate all doubt form her mind, because doubt leads to fear, hesitation, mistakes and, ultimately, death.
Lieut.
Beckett simply embraced the opportunity to be the best soldier she could be.
The opening statements are complete.
We shall proceed with the presentation of witnesses.
The accused is charged with actively recruiting other human beings into service to Taelons.
Despite her direct knowledge of Taelon crimes against humanity.
Do you have any facts to offer in the case against Lieut.
Beckett? I first became acquainted with the accused when I was sent to Strandhill, Ireland, in search of the tomb of an ancient Taelon called Ma'el.
During the course of that investigation and afterwards, Lieut.
Beckett aggressively tried to persuade me to become a Companion Protector.
If you need a recommendation to further your Companion career, it would be my pleasure to assist you.
Thanks.
I'll think about it.
Have you reconsidered my offer to help you become a Companion agent? No.
I can't understand that.
Well, I'm not asking you to.
And did you agree to become a Companion Protector? Absolutely not.
And Lieut.
Beckett refused to accept the fact that I was not interested in this position so she pursued me with a vengeance.
Determined to destroy me.
No, I tried to stop you, not destroy you.
I tried to To entrap me! Or would you prefer to expose, unmask, compromise me? You were working against the Companions.
The witness is out of order.
You will return to the stand immediately! Mr.
Doors, you will instruct your witness to return to her place immediately or I will find her in contempt of this court.
People's Exhibit 3, Your Honor.
You used the fact of our security breach as bait to lure me to your hotel room last night.
That won't work again.
What happens between you and me is beyond our control.
What you do about Lili Marquette is not.
She's working for the Liberation as a spy.
That's a very dangerous accusation, Lieutenant.
Was the accused aware that Da'an was the only member of the Synod to be openly sympathetic to humanity? All protectors are aware of Da'an's position.
And, in spite of this knowledge, was there an incident in which Lieut.
Beckett attempted to kill Da'an when such an excessive force was not necessary? When Da'an was cut off of Commonality and regressed into the Atavus, Lieut.
Beckett and I were sent to search for him.
I found him first and was reasoning with him when Lieut.
Beckett burst in and immediately began firing at Da'an, even though, clearly, he posed to threat at the time.
You know me.
You won't hurt me.
No! No! That's not true.
Da'an had killed two innocent people at that point and I I will not warn you again, Lieut.
Beckett.
Another outburst like the last and I will sentence you as charged.
When Lieut.
Beckett offered to help you to become a Companion Protector, did she say that she was helping you because she supported the Taelon agenda? Her support of the Taelons was implicit in her offer to help me.
I'm not asking what was implied, simply what was stated.
No, she did not state her support of the Taelons.
Isn't it possible that Lieut.
Beckett offered you her backing because she respected you and wanted to help you advance in your chosen career? Yes, that is possible.
When you were serving in the Armed Forces, did you ever questioned orders form a superior officer? Of course, but never openly.
I've never disobeyed an order.
If you were a Companion Protector, like Lieut.
Beckett, would you ever refused to track down suspected Liberation members, or refuse to kill the Atavus on sight as she was ordered to? No, I would not have disobeyed the orders, but Lieut.
Beckett chose to become a Companion Protector.
She knew what she signed up for.
And what exactly was that, Capt.
Marquette? The agenda you think Lieut.
Beckett knew she was signing up for? To defend the Taelons and their plot to enslave humanity.
Which is what we're seeing here today.
Today? But Lieut.
Beckett didn't signed up to serve the Taelons today.
She signed up over three years ago.
When neither you, nor Jonathan Doors, nor anyone on this entire planet knew that there might be a hidden agenda to the Taelons arrival.
Isn't that true, Capt.
Marquette? The Taelons have been manipulating us since the day they arrived.
You're avoiding the question, Capt.
Marquette.
Could the accused have known about the Taelons hidden agenda when she, as you so euphemistically put it, signed up for service? If it pleases the court, I'd like to withdraw the question and ask another.
When the Taelons first arrived on this planet, were you aware that they had a hidden agenda? A simple yes or no will do.
No.
I've got to find her before Sandoval does.
It'll be my only chance to tell her the truth about me.
You do and she'll die.
Yeah, well, she's gonna die anyway.
Look, Liam, I know.
I'm doing everything I can here, okay? Oh, look, she's got all of her favorite cave climbs listed here in one section of her journal.
What do you think? Well, Lili told me that Sandoval assumed she'd be climbing in a cave close to her home.
So he'll use Belfast as ground zero and searching out from there.
Oh, look.
This might be something.
What is it? This cave in the Austrian Alps has an unusually high concentration of ferrous oxide in the bedrocks supporting the cave.
Now, it's significantly higher than any one of these other caves that she mentions here in the journal.
Why is that significant? Well, ferrous oxide, it's highly resistant to what? - Scanning devices.
Right.
- Scanning devices.
Exactly.
So, if she wanted to go to a place where it was hard to find her, this might be the one.
Why don't you plot the cave she got listed and see what it looks like? Bingo.
Definitely not the closest one to her home.
Which means that Sandoval may have not gotten to her yet.
Was there any doubt in your mind about the commitment of the accused to the Taelons? No, none.
Lieut.
Beckett believed whole-heartedly in the Taelon agenda.
Her actions support this conclusion.
And did the accused used any means necessary, including illegal activities, to achieve the goals set for her by the Taelons? Certainly.
She understood we were in a war and relied on her experience with terrorists to deal with anti-Companion sympathizers.
Thank you, Agent Sandoval.
I couldn't have put it better myself.
Now.
Where's Tim O'Malley? Do Companion Protectors show emotion? Companion Protectors have only one priority, Major.
That is to protect the Taelons.
There's no room for human emotions in this endeavor.
So a Companion Protector that showed this side of their human nature would be an anomaly? That is correct.
Did Lieut.
Beckett ever showed you her emotional side? Well, that's a question of interpretation, isn't it? They're called runes.
The Celtic form of tarot.
And you're using these to find the security breach? No.
I'm using these to understand your negative response to my physical overtures.
As I said in Ireland, my duty is to the Companions.
Nothing's gonna take away from that focus.
But a CVI doesn't take away our need for physical release.
As a matter of fact, it increases our physical capabilities.
I can only interpret that behavior one way, Agent Sandoval.
Namely that Lieut.
Beckett was romantically interested in you and did not hesitate to make you aware of it.
Do you agree? Yes, I do.
Did you contend that this would be an impropriate behavior for a Companion Protector? Isn't this inconsistent? Yes, it is.
And wouldn't it then follow that the reason for this behavior is that Lieut.
Beckett never fully let go of her human emotions? Possibly.
Tell us about Siobhan, Mrs.
Beckett.
She was the best daughter you could ever hope for.
Smart, beautiful, committed to her family.
And did something change? Yes.
Once she started to work for the Companions she thought of nothing else.
Only the Companions.
Would it be true to say that for your daughter the welfare of the Companions came above all else, including family, friends, any other relationships she had? Yes, it's true.
But it wasn't her fault.
She lost her way.
Do you have any other children, Mrs.
Beckett? No.
No, Siobhan was our only child.
We desperately wanted to have a large family but weren't able to have any more children.
Siobhan always said that she would make up for her dad and me by having 10 children.
Tell me about that.
Having children was always the most important thing in Siobhan's life.
It was the driving force behind her involvement in the anti-terrorist unit in Ireland.
She wanted to bring her children up in the United Ireland? She didn't give up.
She threw herself into the anti-terrorist unit.
Anything to create an Ireland that would be safe for her children.
For all the children.
And did she give the Taelons credit for bringing peace to Ireland? Yes.
The whole world believed that.
And she felt it was her duty to serve them.
If only we knew what they would turn her into.
The scan is negative, sir.
We're moving on to the next site.
Lieut.
Beckett's actions are inconceivable.
Her CVI compels her to act in the best interest of the Taelons.
Yet she disappeared without a trace.
How do you explain this? I cannot until I find Lieut.
Beckett and speak to her.
Our scientists believe that the motivational imperative function of the CVis may be breaking down in some of our implants.
Those implants would no longer be programmed to be loyal to the Taelons.
It is irrelevant, Zo'or.
The agents serving as Companion Protectors do so because they are committed to the Taelons.
That may be true.
But the CVis are insurance.
Is your CVI functioning, Agent Sandoval? Perfectly.
And what about Lieut.
Beckett's? To the best of my knowledge she wasn't experiencing any problems.
If our scientists are correct, it could explain Lieut.
Beckett's actions.
If she now has the capacity to second-guess her loyalties, perhaps, she is doing just that.
That is the possibility that must be considered, yes.
And if it proves to be the case? Lieut.
Beckett has extensive knowledge of Taelon activities It follows that she poses significant risk to the Taelons.
And therefore must be eliminated.
Major Kincaid, you may call your first witness.
My first and only witness, Your Honor.
The defense calls Siobhan Beckett to the stand.
Please, describe your activities prior to becoming a Companion Protector.
I was a member of anti-terrorist unit in the Irish army.
And your mission? To use all means available to prevent terrorist attacks on the citizens of Ireland.
Did you ever killed anyone in the course of your service with the unit? Yes.
Did you ever used illegal methods to ferret out terrorists and bring them to justice? Terrorists tend not to honor the rules of engagement.
We fought fire with fire.
And your superiors were aware of your activities? Of course.
And would you describe your anti-terrorist career as successful? I was decorated on numerous occasions.
My rate of promotion is highest in my unit.
So you were rewarded for killing terrorists? Yes.
And for using any means available to stop terrorists attacks whether those means were legal or not? Examine my military record.
I was promoted because I achieve results.
That's the reason I was recruited to become a Companion Protector.
What were your duties as a Companion Protector? Essentially the same as that in the anti-terrorist unit.
My mission was to protect the Taelons and the humans working with them against terrorist attacks by the Liberation movement.
Using the same method you used in the military? Yes, but our leeway was much broader.
Companions instructed me to kill anyone I reasonably believed to be working against them.
Civil liberties were irrelevant when dealing with the Liberation movement.
And you embraced this philosophy? I was fighting to protect the Taelons, the beings that have brought peace not only to Ireland, but to most of the world.
So, everything in your experience told you that you were acting in the world's best interest by joining with the Taelons and ensuring their safety at all cost? Yes.
In spite of all the positive reinforcement, did you ever questioned the morality of your actions? As a soldier I was trained to fight my instincts to question authority.
But I did have doubts.
And what was the nature of those doubts? In Ireland, as a soldier fighting terrorists, I could justify almost any action with the idea that I was protecting innocent children from random acts of violence.
When the Companions came and brought peace to Ireland, out of gratitude I committed myself to them and to furtherance of peace.
But as time went on, and I became more involved in Companion operations, I realized that my duties were no longer as simple as protecting my people from those who could kill them.
And yet you continued.
I'm a soldier.
I follow orders.
It was the belief of overwhelming majority of people on Earth at that time, that the Companions were needed.
I viewed my doubts as weakness.
But you still couldn't escape your feelings.
No.
Then a select group of us were told about the CVI.
This sophisticated Taelon technology will greatly increase our brains' capacity.
And you agreed to accept the CVI? It was an honor reserved for only for the most capable of Companion Protectors.
Of course, I agreed.
And did it work? Flawlessly.
My mental capacity dramatically increased.
And serving Taelon needs became my primal motivation.
But not anymore? I object, Your Honor.
Lieut.
Beckett's present state of mind has no bearing on this case.
I disagree.
The defense intends to show that Lieut.
Beckett has lost her compulsion to serve the Taelons.
- Irrelevant! Still doesn't - And in retrospect, if she had been acting on her own free will, would not have been a party to the Taelon actions against humanity.
And if pigs had wings, they could fly.
Opposing counsel will approach the bench immediately.
If this court will not tolerate bickering between witnesses, it certainly will not tolerate it from you two.
And I will not tolerate defense counsel using "what ifs" to prejudice this case.
I, and I alone, will decide what is prejudicial to this case.
Is that understood? You may withdraw from the bench.
On matter of the prosecution's objection, this court rules in favor of the prosecution.
Objection sustained.
You may now proceed with your questioning of the witness.
I have no more questions, Your Honor.
Defense rests.
If the court will allow I'd like to lead the witness a little in order to make a point.
Only is the point is relevant to this case.
It is, Your Honor.
Lieut.
Beckett, if I were to say that mothers are to sons as fathers are to blank? Would you feel in that blank? Daughters.
Now, let's try a little more difficult one.
Eye glasses are to watches as fertilizer is to What? No? Let me give you a little hint.
- Does the name Khmer Rouge ring a bell? - Objection, Your Honor! - Or how about mass murderer, Pol Pot? - Prosecution is pushing! It's totally out of line, not to mention inflammatory and irrelevant! On the contrary, Your Honor, this line of argument is paramount to the people's case and if you will allow me a little leeway I will prove my point! You may proceed.
Thank you.
With caution.
Would you like me to repeat the question? No.
Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge party in the late 20th century.
Yes, the landscape artist who sowed The Killing Fields of Cambodia.
Pol Pot ordered his obedient soldiers to kill every man, woman and child who wore a watch or glasses, telltale signs of perceived intelligence, the dreaded enemy of progress, the seed from which all insurrection grows and every despots greatest fear! Which is how 3 million people came to be murdered before this bloodshed was over! This is ridiculous, comparing Lieut.
Beckett, a good soldier, to these obviously evil man.
Perhaps, the counsel will prefer a comparison to what? The SS, the KGB, Mussolini's Blackshirts? Good soldiers, one and all.
What defense counsel would prefer is for prosecution to shed some light on this line of questioning or to move on, due hasty.
It a little late for that, it's indeed over 60 years too late.
The allies beat me to it at a place called Nuremberg.
Where it was ruled that crimes against humanity could not be disavowed under the guise of "I was only following orders", as you would have us do for the accused.
Objection, Your Honor! The men tried at Nuremberg were the architects of the Third Reich acting out of free will and not some programmed imperative! Precisely! Lieut.
Beckett's crimes against humanity were even more heinous because, unlike the Nazi counterparts, she chose, she chose, to blind herself to the truth by giving up the free will! Free will.
That precious commodity for which millions of brave men and women have shed their blood since the dawn of time.
From the streets of ancient Athens to the steps of tsarist Russia, to the concrete barricades of Berlin, to the Killing Fields of Cambodia, - Sarajevo, Algeria, Afghanistan, - Stop it.
Stop it.
The Warsaw ghetto, Babi Yar, the apartheid prisons! Stop it! Stop it! We will proceed with the closing statements.
Mr.
Doors? Free will, Your Honor, the spring from which human conscious flows; that intangible force that allowed a mere foot soldier in Vietnam stop the killings of Mai Lai; that allowed King Christian of Denmark to defy the Nazis and wear a Jewish star; a two-edged sword, leaving the pure of heart without guilt, and the heavy of heart without excuse.
For without free will there can be no conscious, and without conscious - no law, no order, and, certainly, no justice.
And therefore, I ask you to find for the prosecution, and convict Siobhan Beckett of crimes as charged.
Major Kincaid? I'd like to add a final point to my submission, Your Honor.
Watches are to eye glasses as fertilizer is to killing fields.
Your Honor, I have only three words in defense of Lieut.
Beckett.
Duty, honor and country.
And with them I summon the fallen heroes of all the nations that have sacrificed their youth in battle.
If you would condemn Lieut.
Beckett for giving up her free will then you must condemn all of these people alongside her.
For if Lieut.
Beckett is guilty of anything it's looking to the stars for a better world.
Lieut.
Beckett, do you have anything to say before the court pronounces its verdict? If only, Your Honor, I could If only Turn all the "ifs" into gold, and we'd all be millionaires.
Isn't that right, mother? No, Your Honor.
I have nothing to add.
Very well then.
I'm afraid you leave this court with no option, but to find you guilty as charged and, as such, sentence you to death.
What you did we recognize you did with an open heart, giving up your free will for what you believed to be the betterment of mankind.
And though we cannot condone you crimes against humanity, we can draw on one of your species most splendid qualities in altering this verdict, one best exemplified by the words: to err is human, to forgive, divine.
This court is hereby adjourned.
I knew you'd come.
You defended me, you believed in me.
I know I can trust you now.
What do you mean I defended you? Does it matter? I've made lots of mistakes and I'll have to account for them.
Motivational imperative in my CVI is gone.
I'm finally free to think for myself.
And what are you thinking? You've got to fight the Taelons.
We cannot allow them to turn our planet into a killing field.
I promise you.
I promise you.
Oh, can you feel that bleeding? Do you feel that? My CVI is breaking down.
We can't remove it.
There's nothing we can do.
I'm not crying for myself.
I'm crying for the child I will never have.
I understand now.
We didn't have our time together here on Earth.
But you were brought to when I needed you the most.
If you ever loose your way, my son, look to the heavens, and I'll be shinning a star for you.
Guide my soul until morning.