Mission: Impossible (1988) s02e12 Episode Script

Cargo Cult

[ birds chirping .]
I thought you'd be here earlier.
I stopped along the way to, uh, pick up a few things.
Get the bodies out of here.
Throw them in the ravine.
You might want to wait on that.
Territorial Health Inspector.
He's been nosing around at the mine site today.
Let's not keep him waiting.
[ jackhammer rattling .]
[ men talking, laughing .]
[ pinball machine chiming .]
Mr.
Otagi.
I'll be brief and to the point.
This is a sample taken from an open sluice at your gold mining site.
I believe it is cyanide.
Your illegal use of this poison may be cost effective, but it is also responsible for the deaths of hundreds of villagers.
Aren't you forgetting something, Gibbs? I'm the commissioner of this province.
I don't care who you are, Mr.
Otagi.
Your wanton disrespect for human life will not continue.
Canteen is closed! - MAN: Oh, come on.
- Now! Get Gibbs a glass so he can join me in a drink.
You must be crazy.
I'd sooner die than drink with you.
That's exactly what I had in mind.
Hey, hey, what are you doing? Hey, no! No no, no no, no [ gags .]
[ gasps .]
He should have been worried about his own health.
[ theme music playing .]
[ organ playing "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" .]
The music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Not only a great composer, but I understand he was an accomplished organist himself.
It has over That would make it one of the largest in the world.
And one of the finest sounding.
Have a look at the pipes around back.
[ buzzing .]
[ beeping .]
MALE VOICE: Good morning, Jim.
On the surface, the Pacific Island Republic of New Belgium appears to be a jungle paradise.
But hundreds of villagers in the highlands have died recently under mysterious circumstances.
For centuries, the inaccessibly dense jungle has protected these simple hill people from wanton exploitation by outsiders.
But now, if reports are correct, the discovery of gold in this area may have changed that.
We suspect that the villagers are being poisoned by contact with cyanide.
Proper usage of cyanide is part of the most efficient method of extracting gold.
But outlawed methods which expose workers to this chemical can be deadly.
To the New Belgium government, where corruption and bribery is so rife, this inhumanity is simply overlooked.
Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to stop this genocide of one of the few remaining Stone Age peoples.
As always, should you or any member of the IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.
[ beeps .]
This disc will self-destruct in five seconds.
Good luck, Jim.
[ rapid beeping .]
[ hissing .]
The man responsible for the illegal gold mining is Michael Otagi.
He also just happens to be the commissioner for the territory.
He's building a new bridge across the Katu ravine, we think, to bring in heavy machinery so he can extend the gold mine.
NICHOLAS: And his political power base, no doubt.
Now, this is one very dangerous man.
Yes, he is.
I've sent Max on ahead.
He's already in position as a worker on Otagi's construction gang.
Has Max seen the gold mine in operation? No.
Otagi won't allow any of the bridge workers across into the highland jungle.
Then he must be using the tribal villagers to work the gold mine.
Well, why do they keep working for him when exposure to cyanide is killing them? Max thinks it's connected to this volcano.
The villagers worship it as a god.
Now, he says there's a strange rumor around that the volcano, which they call Obi Katu, is angry with his people.
If Max can't get past the bridge, how can we expect to? You and Nicholas will be going in with these credentials.
You are now full-fledged experts in the study of volcanoes.
Volcanologists, eh? You'll have access papers signed by the President of New Belgium and that should be enough to get you across the bridge.
And how about you and Grant, Jim? Otagi pays his construction workers in gold.
They don't like that.
They want cash.
So rather than expose his whole operation, he has very discreetly sent for this man, Philip Childs.
He's a black marketeer and a money launderer.
We've arranged to have him arrested through Interpol.
And Otagi's never met him.
So I'll be taking his place.
When you're carrying that much cash around, you better have a bodyguard.
That'll be me.
What happens when the bridge is completed? Well, the hill people of New Belgium won't stand a chance.
Max says it's very near completion.
So we have to shut them down before a whole tribe and its culture disappears.
Forever.
[ indistinct conversations .]
Finish him, Bull! [ excited shouting .]
Finish him now! [ excited shouting .]
[ excited shouting .]
[ cries out .]
Your work on the bridge should be this good.
I need a beer.
Michael Otagi? Who wants to know? Now, listen here, Slim, if you're interested in cash you can spend some place other than this pigpen, you head on over to that bar over there and get me a drink, huh? You heard the man.
Michael Otagi? Philip Childs.
Ready for business? Sure.
Clear a place for us.
PHELPS: Now, I have American dollars.
I've got Australian dollars.
I have English pounds.
If anyone wants Japanese yen, I can get some of that later on.
Let's get right to it then.
Boys, line up.
Why don't we start with you? Now, we're here to test the market with this small amount of currency.
If everything goes well, if we like it, if you like it, then we'll come back on a regular basis.
I want American dollars.
Well, $200 an ounce.
$29,000.
$200 an ounce! You're joking.
The exchange rate in New York and London is twice that amount.
Well, this ain't New York, and it's hardly London.
The exchange rate is $200 an ounce.
Take it or leave it.
Maybe we'll just take it.
[ men murmuring .]
Don't even think about it, gentlemen.
Mr.
Otagi, you prefer to keep your workers alive, talk to this man.
Easy, Bull.
Now, if any of you boys thought about putting your hand in this box, let me just warn you you'd better know the disarming code or your friends will be scraping you off the walls.
- Now - [ beeping, click .]
Where were we? Ten.
Twenty.
Twenty-nine.
Next.
Thirty.
Now, don't go spending it all in one place, eh? Nicholas and Shannon just arrived.
We could be in more trouble than we bargained for.
Jim, some of these guys haven't seen a woman in six months.
You better keep Shannon out of this.
[ men whistling and whooping .]
We're volcanologists.
We have permission from your prime minister to do some research at the volcano.
We were told to speak to Michael Otagi before we cross the bridge.
Do you really want to cross that bridge? Why don't we go outside and talk about it, huh? No, no, no, hey, hey, hey.
Where do you think you're going? You fool! I run this place! Well, then I think you better take charge.
We're here to do business.
What you do after we're gone, I don't care.
But, for now, it's business! Papers.
So you want to go to the volcano? And signed authorization.
So what, Otagi? No one crosses that bridge.
Your rules, huh? I make the rules, I change the rules.
So to make sure that they are safe, you go, too.
I get the feeling this is happening much too easily.
Tell me about it.
Good luck with your research.
I hope you get what you came for.
Max, when you've been working on the bridge, did you see anything in the jungle? Well, occasionally, I'd see a villager, but no men.
Just women and children.
What do you call them? [ excited chattering .]
[ chanting .]
: Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
What is this "Regehr, Regehr" they're chanting? Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
It's not what, Shannon, it's who.
- [ chanting .]
: Regehr - He's Regehr.
Well, maybe he's a priest or something.
- He's more than that.
- [ chanting .]
: Regehr He's some kind of god.
[ chanting .]
: Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr is pleased with his people.
Regehr thanks them for these gifts.
We're gifts? To him? For what? Regehr is a kind god.
Regehr will let his people keep their gifts to help them win back the love of his father.
[ chanting .]
: Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Keep them for Obi Katu.
[ chanting .]
: Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
Regehr.
- Three cheers for Regehr.
- Regehr.
Regehr.
Yeah, and his dad.
Regehr.
Regehr.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
A god who lives in an airplane, huh? [ chanting stops .]
Welcome to the Stone Age.
What the hell are you playing at? Being a god.
I thought you might have figured that out.
Why? Call it a golden opportunity.
I started out as a geologist, but, um, then I got promoted.
A golden opportunity.
He could be the key to this whole gold mining operation.
He's got the tribe doing anything he wants.
Unpaid labor.
No rules or regulations.
MAX: Yeah, it's like slavery.
But how does he get these people to believe in him? It's cargo cult worship.
The crashed plane, the flying gear he's wearing.
It all dates back to World War II.
Primitive tribes believing that crashed planes were gifts or signs from the gods.
Hmm.
Planes become temples.
NICHOLAS: And they set them up for other planes to land with other cargo.
My guess is this that their Regehr god dropped out of the sky as a result of a plane crash.
They started worshipping him, and he started believing it.
Our communicators are quite a hit.
I don't think it's going to be enough to buy our freedom.
[ beeping .]
Nicholas? Nicholas? I heard the signal from his communicator and now no follow-up.
Sounds like trouble.
Finish what you're doing over there, and then start on the drums.
Maybe we can get Otagi to take us across the ravine.
Good to see progress out here in the wild.
- Fortune favors the bold.
- So? Look at this fine bridge you're building into the wilderness.
We see a big investment.
GRANT: So there's got to be a fortune to be made, once you get some heavy machinery over there.
And settle your labor problems.
I have no labor problems.
Well, that sounds like a right clever operation.
We want to see it.
I asked you here for one reason.
Tomorrow you go.
Let's have a look over there.
Hmm, maybe taboo.
This guy's not taking any chances.
There's enough cyanide here to poison half the population of New Belgium.
Enough explosives to blow up whoever's left.
[ villagers talking nearby .]
[ door creaks open .]
They still treat him as a god even without his full regalia.
I wonder where he's going? SHANNON: Maybe to supervise the gold mines.
MAX: Maybe this is the only chance we've got.
[ water roars loudly .]
[ men coughing .]
[ coughs .]
Work hard for our volcano god.
He needs his yellow metal.
Work hard for Obi Katu.
Save the tribe from his anger.
[ vehicle approaching .]
[ man coughing .]
Production's slowing down.
We've brought more cyanide to strengthen the solution.
Oh, I don't think they can take the fumes from a stronger solution.
I mean, they're dropping like flies already.
[ men coughing .]
Strengthen the solution.
Well, I need a drink.
There'll be no more drinking until this bridge is finished.
I can't stand the sight of them.
You're their god, Regehr, the son of the mighty Obi Katu.
A god who brings them slavery and death.
Well, it won't last, Otagi.
And if they ever stop believing that I am not who they think I am You need a fresh crew here tomorrow.
See that they come with plenty of enthusiasm.
Well, I'm running low on healthy men.
I've got enough for maybe another two weeks.
Then use your warriors.
Use the women and the kids.
We won't need them much longer.
We'll have the machinery when the bridge is finished.
If I survive that long.
I gave you the answer to that, Regehr.
Stage a ceremony.
Show them what a generous god you are.
Sacrifice your prisoners.
And what happens when those volcanologists don't return to their base? This is the jungle, Regehr.
People get lost.
People die.
The jungle devours them without a trace.
Max, look out! MAN [ in distance .]
: Yeah, I'll take care of it.
[ men continue talking in distance .]
Nothing.
No contact for three hours.
Well, I'll keep trying.
[ Iow rumbling .]
What's that? You hear something? [ villagers murmuring .]
[ rumbling playing over speaker .]
[ rumbling continues .]
[ rumbling .]
[ villagers murmuring .]
- [ beep .]
- Nicholas? Max? Shannon? Do you read me? Come in please.
We've got to find a way to get you across that bridge.
Hold her! He's not a god! He's a man! He's using you! He's killing you with poison! Take it easy! He's holding all the cards.
I can wait.
Don't force me to kill her.
[ groans .]
[ chanting .]
: Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu I think your party games stink! You have no need to worry about your lady friend.
She'll remain with me as a symbol of my exalted status.
A fitting goddess for their revered god.
And, as for you two, I can think of no better end than to offer you as a sacrifice.
- [ whispers .]
: This is crazy.
- Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
[ rumbling plays over speaker .]
Obi Katu.
- A gift for my father.
- Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
[ chanting .]
: Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Wished you'd stayed in civilization? You're the barbarian.
[ Regehr chuckles .]
Regehr's got his festival under way.
BULL: Should keep 'em happy for awhile.
[ both laughing .]
[ grunts .]
[ grunts .]
You and I are going to get to know each other very well.
In fact, in the near future, the volcano god might just order you to share my bed become my wife.
You're a dreamer.
You're here for a long time.
You may as well enjoy it.
[ men coughing .]
This bunch has had it.
There's not much more I can do with 'em.
Regehr's breaking in a group tomorrow.
As for today, see that they make the quota.
[ coughing .]
BULL: All right.
Let's move! Join me in a drink to celebrate the fact that you're such a pretty woman.
Way too pretty to feed to Obi Katu.
My name's Regehr.
Lon Regehr.
REGEHR: Here, good Scotch whiskey.
SHANNON: I don't care to drink with a murderer.
Oh, come now.
I can't help what the natives believe about human sacrifice.
And the volcano will provide your friends with a very quick death.
SHANNON: You're killing those people for the sake of gold.
Truth be known that's not my fault either.
That's my partner.
No.
The truth is that you're a coward.
Jim.
Any sign of them yet? Not yet.
But I'm tracking 'em.
They're being carried up the volcano by the tribesmen.
And Shannon? Their leader appears to be a-a white man.
He's keeping her in the village.
[ sighs .]
I think she'll be okay for the moment, but Max and Nicholas, they're in real trouble.
Stick with 'em.
[ chanting .]
: Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
[ pants .]
- [ wind whistling .]
- Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
- [ coughs .]
- Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Obi Katu.
Somebody's sending us a message in Morse code.
Obi Katu.
A I M.
Aim.
Obi Katu.
S H O Shoot.
Great.
With what? Try this.
[ groans .]
My turn.
[ groans .]
[ murmuring .]
[ panicked shouting .]
[ groans .]
- Jim? - Yeah, Grant.
The darts worked beautifully, man.
The villagers are carrying away three of their warriors.
Well, they should revive in four hours.
Right at 4:00.
That's right.
I'll go get Max and Nicholas down.
We'll come and get you.
I'll meet you near the old bridge.
- Then we'll go to the mine.
- You got it.
NICHOLAS: Regehr tells them that they're dying because they're not working hard enough.
And he's talking as the son of the volcano god.
Yeah, but we've definitely placed some doubts about that relationship up on the volcano rim.
Yeah, and Obi Katu said "no" to the offering he sent.
So, he's already lost a little status.
We've got to get Shannon away from him.
We will.
Our strongest weapon will be to try to turn the villagers against Regehr and Otagi.
Definitely time for Obi Katu to show how angry he is with his son.
We're talking about major league blasting, Jim.
We'll need serious explosives.
I think that can be provided by Mr.
Otagi himself.
[ exciting chattering .]
[ door creaks open .]
[ radio static .]
SHANNON: Jim.
Jim, do you read me? - [ beep .]
- Shannon, are you all right? Yeah, I'm all right.
Have you heard from the others? Yes, we're here together help is on the way.
I'm glad to hear that.
Things could get a little out of control here.
Shannon? Shannon? We're running out of time.
Oh, I think I can modify our laser gun rifle so it projects an image.
The gear I need is in your Jeep.
- In the native village? - Uh-hmm.
We'll make setting the charges first priority.
Who's out there to help you? Who were you trying to reach on the radio? I wasn't trying to reach anyone.
[ radio static .]
Otagi? I've got to see you.
OTAGl: Can't it wait until tomorrow? No, It won't wait till tomorrow! I've got to see you now! [ wind whistling .]
I'm getting tired of your whining, Regehr.
I'm the goose who laid the golden egg for you, Otagi! Remember that! Now, you give me some backup and you give it now.
Right now! Gold is your backup, Regehr.
There's over ten million dollars worth already.
And when the bridge is finished, we'll have over 50 times that amount.
Oh, but we may never get to spend that money.
Your visitors have got some power of their own.
And they beat the gods.
And I'm not looking too good.
What do you mean, they beat the gods? Where are they? I don't know.
They've escaped! The girl? I've still got her.
I can change it - In an hour.
- Oh, okay.
I think I know who's been helping them.
Now, listen to me.
The girl, she's a witch, an evil witch.
Tell the villagers that she's to blame for everything, whatever's gone wrong.
Well, they may not buy that.
Then you make them believe it because a witch has to be cast out.
Their God will tell them what must be done with the witch.
Is that clear, Regehr? Obi Katu's ready to speak a mouthful.
NICHOLAS: Jim? Everything's all set up here.
Good work.
I'll meet you at the native village.
PHELPS: Tell Otagi I want to see him.
I'll meet him at the shed over there.
BULL: Hey, keep away from that.
Just tell him it's about a deal concerning a cheaper supply of cyanide.
We won't do any talking, Childs.
I'm talking about more than just a bargain in cyanide, Otagi.
I've got a business proposition for you.
I'll put up all the funds you need for capital equipment for the mine and I'll market your gold for you.
Take it off your hands for, let's say, 30% of the take.
Not bad.
But, first I have to see the gold mine.
I have to have proof that the future is real.
My future won't interest you much longer.
You'll cross the bridge with us, all right, but you'll die on the other side.
Along with an evil, white witch.
And when we find your bodyguard, he dies, too.
[ gun chamber clicks .]
GRANT: I have to get our equipment - out of the Jeep.
- Now's your chance.
Now, I'm going to try to get to the airplane to get to Regehr's sound system.
My partner's bringing you some company.
You could have been a goddess, and lived a whole lot longer.
[ villagers chattering .]
[ rumbling plays over speaker .]
Regehr is powerful.
Regehr has caught the witch.
[ villagers murmuring .]
The witch who brings pain and death to his people.
She is evil.
The men who you took to Obi Katu are her slaves.
They used her magic to hurt our warriors.
Better get some of our own magic working.
[ rumbling continues .]
But the power of Regehr is more powerful than the power of the witch.
I am not a witch! He is a liar! He is tricking you! [ car doors open and close .]
And look.
Look! The gold boss, he has captured a sorcerer.
A white-haired sorcerer! [ villagers murmuring .]
The most evil of all sorcerers! The Regehr god will sacrifice the sorcerer to his father, the volcano.
REGEHR: Obi Katu is the father of all.
The volcano will destroy the sorcerers and their magic.
I've got a date with a shed full of cyanide.
REGEHR: But his people will go on working for the gold boss, and the volcano will be pleased.
Obi Katu will protect his people.
You will obey Obi Katu.
NICHOLAS: Disown him for all time.
Obi Katu has spoken.
Obey me.
REGEHR: You will work for the gold boss.
The poison sickness will go away.
Your people will be well and happy.
Heed the words of your god.
We're gonna show a little magic of our own any moment now.
Move it along.
The witch and the sorcerer kill you with their magic.
They must die for this.
Wait! Wait! We do no harm! Watch! [ villagers shout excitedly .]
They live! Their magic is evil! Take them to Obi Katu.
[ rumbling plays over speaker .]
You see, Obi Katu commands it.
Another gift from the gods.
Obi Katu will wake! [ villagers exclaim .]
[ clamoring .]
[ shocked murmuring .]
[ indistinct shouting .]
Kill them.
Now! REGEHR: Go on, kill them.
Kill the strangers.
[ shocked murmuring .]
See, I have summoned the volcano god.
Kill them! Kill them! NICHOLAS [ over speaker .]
: Release the strangers.
They are my chosen friends.
Let them leave in safety.
Kill them! I'll do it myself! No, you fool.
They think he's a messenger of the god.
[ arrows thud .]
NICHOLAS [ over speaker .]
: The Regehr god has betrayed you.
He has betrayed me.
Disown him for all time.
Obi Katu has spoken.
[ echoes .]
: Obey me, obey me [ villagers murmuring .]
Wait! Stop them! Kill them! [ engine starts .]
Don't don't touch me.
I'm your god.
[ gunshot, man cries out .]
[ clamoring .]
[ gunshot .]
[ angry shouting .]
[ engine starts .]
[ beeps .]
Two and a half minutes and the dynex goes up.
And the explosives do the rest? Yep.
It'll ionize the cyanide to 2,000 degrees, turning into harmless smoke.
What about our bringing Otagi and Regehr to justice? This is the Katu jungle, Shannon.
They'll be judged by the same kind of justice they handed out.
Any second now.
PHELPS: It's Otagi.
It's too late.
[ multiple explosions .]
Well, the bridge between the Stone Age and the 20th century is gone.
Hopefully, it'll stay that way.
Unspoiled by man.
Now that really would be progress.
[ theme music playing .]

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