Quantum Leap (2022) s02e08 Episode Script

Nomads

1
[BRIGHT TONES]
Previously on "Quantum Leap"
I have to give up the happy ending.
You should do what your heart tells you.
Whatever that is,
we'll get through it together.
I'm the one who's stranded and alone.
I gave a eulogy at your funeral.
I love you.
I'm secure in what we have.
And I don't know what
navigating a friendship
with you is like,
but will you be my hologram?
[GRAND MUSIC]

What the [CAMEL GROANS]
Toto, I have a feeling
we're not in Kansas anymore.
Hello, uh, I would like
to go back to Cairo now.
Hello, hi. Yeah.
- That way Cairo.
- Oh. That
okay, um.
I guess I'm walkin'.

Hey!
[WHISTLES]
- You're going to Cairo?
- Yeah.
- 20 American.
- 20, okay.
I don't suppose you have a helmet.
No? Insurance?
- Okay.
- Yeah, probably not.
Okay. [MOTOR REVVING]

[MYSTERIOUS MUSIC]

Welcome to Cairo.
Shepherd Barnes, station chief.
CIA.
I know what you're thinking.
Why would the station chief
himself sit in the lobby?
Long story, but you're not here
for my tears.
You recon the site?
Giza, just got back.
Still think your mysterious
sources are genuine?
Wanting to meet out there isn't
exactly discreet tradecraft.
Guess we'll find out.
- When are we meeting?
- 1:00 p.m.,
pink pocket square.
The East Germans love running
this kind of game,
blind source, dangling treasure.
This is your first field
operation, right?
Yes, it is.
Well, the good news is,
you've never been to Cairo,
so the Stasi don't know you.
The bad news is, if this is a trap,
they'll torch you and bury you
in the desert
with the rest of the pharaohs.
[GROANS] Relax, kid. I'm just teasing.
That doesn't happen often.
Make contact.
Follow your instincts,
and call me after.
We'll see if you save the world.
[TENSE MUSIC]

A spy.
Awesome.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You know, the secret
to good shakshuka is timing.
It's all about when you add the spices.
- I'm ready.
- Mm. [LAUGHS]
- Okay, paprika.
- Yep.
Thank you. Cumin.
- Cumin.
- Thank you.
Coriander.
- Come on. Come on. Come on!
- [LAUGHS] The pressure.
Cracking. [BOTH LAUGH]
Ah.
You know, I'm cooking here.
- Yeah, you are.
- [LAUGHS]
[PHONE RINGING]
- Is that the
- Secure line.
Uh, caraway.
Caraway, caraway.
Where art thou, cara
whoa.
[SOFT MUSIC]

[RATTLING]
[CLEARS THROAT]
- They need me in D.C.
- Is everything okay?
If it were a real emergency,
they'd have said.
Then again, they don't call me
just for kicks,
so I guess I'll see.
Need to go back.
What do you
what do you mean "a ring,"
like, a like, a ring, ring?
- Yes. An engagement ring.
- [LAUGHS] Oh, my God.
This is this is wonderful.
But you don't seem excited.
- Of course I am.
- Uh-huh.
Okay, you know what? For the record,
he hasn't actually asked me yet, so
I'm sorry. I know that it's a lot,
especially with Ben back.
I mean, technically, it's not
like you two even broke up.
What are you two whispering about?
- You.
- Magic.
Deception noted. Anyhoo, we found Ben.
Wanna guess where?
Egypt. This is amazing.
You've never leapt out
of the country before.
Oh, actually, I did.
It's just you all thought I was dead.
Still, this leap has got
to be important,
a special occasion.
Maybe it's because we've got
the band back together?
Maybe.
- Everything okay?
- [LAUGHS] Yeah, sorry.
It's just a busy morning, but, hey,
- I am looking at the Sphinx.
- Yeah.
So now we just have to find
Mr. Pink Pocket Square.
Ah, yes, well, it looks like
we're flying blind on this one.
All we know from the original timeline
is that you were a CIA analyst
based out of London.
You got an anonymous cable
that brought you to Cairo,
but you failed to make contact,
and nothing ever came of it.
Sounds like I just have to make contact.
Okay, Ben.
This is the world of espionage.
It's it's, like,
the opposite of you
everyone's a liar,
looking for someone to trust,
and they are all terrified of betrayal
because they betray for a living.
You're really starting to put a damper
on my "James Bond" fantasy.
Good, because this isn't a game.
And first meetings are all-or-nothing.
[UNSETTLING MUSIC]

Hey.
Follow him, not too close.

I don't like this.
He's getting you alone.
Tradecraft 101, never be isolated.
You should say something.
No, I'm gonna follow his lead.
I bet that's what went wrong
in the original timeline.
I was new and got scared.
Maybe, but in the original timeline,
at least your leap host survived.
He's leading me somewhere
to talk, not to kill me.

[GASPS]
[TENSE MUSIC]

My backup's watching.
If anything happens to me, they'll know.
[GIGGLES] You don't have any backup
because you honored my request
not to bring any.
That is either very brave
of you or very stupid.
Do I get to pick which?
I'm Layla Adel.
I work here at Giza,
Luxor, all across Egypt.
- You're an archaeologist?
- Egyptologist,
but primarily I act as a guide,
giving private tours to elites
from all over Europe,
taking them to sites
where no one else can go,
letting them see things
that no one else can see.
That's the perfect cover for a spy.
And she can arrange meetings,
do jobs, take people
where they can't be surveilled.
Miss Adel, perhaps you could
show me around Giza.
I'd love to hear more
about what you have to say.
This must be brief.
I am watched all the time.
I want to go to the West.
Obviously, I cannot leave
by normal means.
Okay. Here we go.
Layla Adel,
impressive credentials
but nothing that screams "spy."
Maybe she is just a smart woman looking
for a free ride to the States.
Once I am in America,
I will give you details
on all the East German
and Soviet operations
across the Middle East,
including names of agents,
turncoats, and regional agendas.
Wow.
I mean, go on.
Hey, can you have Ziggy
cross-reference everything
we know about Layla
with everything we know about
an East German operative,
code name: Nomad?
Your station chief, Barnes,
will want proof of my worth.
This afternoon, I'm meeting
with the traitor from your embassy.
I've written the details on my card.
There are several cafés in the area
where you won't stand out,
so you can photograph the encounter.
All I ask is that you wait
to arrest the traitor
until I am safely out of the country.
- Of course.
- Okay, I'll bite. Who's Nomad?
A spy linked to some of East Germany's
most successful clandestine operations,
and for decades,
the U.S. has been trying
to figure out his identity.
Most analysts think he was a myth.
[COMPUTER BEEPING RAPIDLY]
When in reality he was a she.
It's no accident
that I cabled you, Mr. Allison.
I vetted you.
I've studied you, and now I've met you.
I believe you are a good man
and that I can trust you with my life.
Can I trust you with my life?
Yes. You can.
My number is on the card.
I'll be waiting for your call.
Nomad. [CHUCKLES]
Let's not get carried away, kid.
Nomad's a myth and if he's not,
he's certainly not
some part-time tour guide
who's probably slept
with half her clients.
Well, this is why
Layla got away with it.
She was smart and the world,
totally sexist.
Personal history aside,
we can't ignore her offer of proof.
And if there really is
a traitor at the embassy
There is.
Somebody's been leaking
top-secret cables from
that place for the past year.
It's the reason why
Cairo Station's been cut out
of the most significant operations
in the region and I've been put on ice.
If Layla's meeting them, then
We can't ignore that,
which is why
you're going to get there early
and bug the meet.
- I am?
- What part
of "My entire operation is compromised"
didn't you understand?
If I tell anyone,
the traitor could find out.
[WHISPERS] Yeah, okay,
but Layla's instructions
were to photograph the meet,
not to bug it.
Photos are useless to me.
And last time I checked,
I'm your boss, not her.
I don't want some
circumstantial evidence
that can be explained away.
I want the traitor on tape,
so I can send his ass to jail
for the rest of his life.
[FOREBODING MUSIC]
[FEIGNS A SNEEZE]
[CLEARS THROAT]
[SNIFFS]
You'll find a transmitter in the wallet.
You plant that in the shop
before your girl gets there.
Use the receiver in the briefcase
to record what they say.
Range is 300 yards,
so you'll have to stay pretty close.
You get me a clean recording
and I'll have Ms. Adel out
of Cairo by tomorrow night.
I know this is good news,
so why am I so nervous?
Because being a spy isn't
the fantasy people think it is.
In real life, you're on your own,
and if you make a mistake,
it is either you or Layla
at the bottom of the Nile.
Is that supposed to be a pep talk?
I think you've been spending
too much time with Jenn.
Sorry. Okay. Uh, how 'bout this?
Look, we know that Layla is Nomad.
So you get her out of Cairo,
not only do you leap,
but you also save the lives
of dozens of U.S. assets
that will otherwise be killed
over the next three decades.
Why'd you stop? That was good.
[DREAMLIKE MUSIC]

- What can I get you?
- Just coffee.
On the house.
This is gonna sound strange,
but have we met before?
When I travel through time,
I leap into other people
to change history for the better.
Oh, my God.
Hannah.
Uh, I'll be back.
Thank you. That was
Um, I'll catch up with you after lunch.
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]

Ben, is that you?
[LAUGHS]
Yes, it is me.
[LAUGHS]
Oh, well, thank God.
If you knew how many people I've asked
in the past six years.
[BOTH LAUGH]
I told you our paths would cross again.
I knew it. [BOTH LAUGH]
So how have you been?
Good, good.
It's only been a few days
since I saw you.
Well, for me, it's been six years.
What are you doing in Cairo?
Who are you here to help?
- An East German spy.
- Wow.
In fact, now that I think about it,
this leap is pretty dangerous.
More dangerous than when
we were up against the Nazis?
[LAUGHS]
It's the same as before.
Hannah's not another leaper.
Okay, well, three times
is not a coincidence.
I got her whole history since Princeton.
She got her PhD, works at a lab
outside of New York,
and consults with the U.S. government.
She's in Cairo for the convention.
Okay, and we're sure
this leap isn't about Hannah?
No, no. It's definitely about Layla.
Well, then why does the accelerator
keep having them meet?
It's gotta be a two-person leap.
It's the only thing that makes sense.
[LAUGHS] What?
Nothing.
I've just waited a long time to see you.
See me.
That's a funny concept.
[LAUGHS] Well, I've missed you.
What if I say it like that?
I missed you too.
Not knowing whether or not
I would see you again was
Was hard, I know.
- [LAUGHS] What?
- I don't know.
I've been traveling
through time for so long,
not having any real human contact,
and no life of my own.
I don't really know
how I'm supposed to feel.
How do you feel?
Alive.
Me too.
So alive that I'm forgetting
I have a job
to do in, like, 30 minutes.
Oh.
Let me help you.
We could be partners.
I don't wanna waste a single
moment we have together.
Hannah, I appreciate that,
but I don't think you could help me.
Actually, I think she can.
Is that your hologram?
Hi. I'm Hannah Carson.
- [LAUGHS]
- You know, the polite thing
to do would be to introduce us.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Hannah, meet Addison Augustine.
She's my
my only link to where I'm from.
- Hi.
- Okay, look. Here's the deal.
Even with me being your eyes and ears,
you are not a trained operative.
Yeah, but I'm only planting a bug, so
You say that like it's not dangerous.
- What if you get caught?
- Yeah, she's not wrong.
Look, a guy in a suit looks like a spy,
but that same guy with a woman
looks like he's on his honeymoon.
- Huh.
- What did she say?
That alone I look suspicious,
but if I'm with a beautiful woman,
it'll look like I'm on holiday.
Did I say "beautiful"?
"Beautiful," she said that?
Okay, let's do this.
Yeah.
[MYSTERIOUS MUSIC]
- Well, that wasn't so bad.
- Hmm.
Yeah, all these crammed little shops
have plenty of places to hide a bug.
Now all we have to do is
sit here and enjoy our coffees.
- Sounds lovely.
- [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Darling, are you having as good a time
on our honeymoon as I am?
Why, of course, and I'm so glad
we picked Cairo.
Oh, me too.
I wonder where we'll end up
next or when.
Okay, hey, here comes Layla.
Just remember, don't make eye contact.
You don't even know her.
Wherever, whenever.
I'm sure it'll be another
adventure of a lifetime.
Uh-oh. Uh, Ben?
That's what you are, you know?
The adventure of my lifetime.
Ben, you bugged the wrong shop.
- What?
- What's wrong?
The trader must have
changed locations on Layla.
It's common tradecraft, and probably why
she wanted you to take photos.
Well, photos won't save her.
I bugged the wrong shop.
I have to move the transmitter
- before the meeting starts.
- Too late.
Too late.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[SIGHS] Without a recording,
Barnes will never help Layla
get out of Cairo.
Okay, look, there is a back entrance,
so you can get in,
but you might be seen.
Okay, you get the bug, then be ready.
- For what?
- For what?
The show.

So the Stasi only cared about Nasser.
In terms of expansion,
what are your orders on Nasser?
We have to be very careful.
Did you hear that?
[SOUTHERN ACCENT] Hey!
Don't think I don't know what you did.
Y'all cheated me.
This shop is closed.
Oh, don't you "This shop is closed" me.
I'm not the idiot American
you take me for.
[WHISPERS] Go, go, go.
[CRIES]
All I wanted was to buy
a present for my husband,
and you all sold me a fake.
If you don't get her out
of here, I am walking.
Miss, calm down, okay?
I happen to work for the embassy,
and we are going to figure this out.
We are?
I want you to come
in first thing tomorrow.
You'll make a report,
and I'll see to it personally.
Oh, thank you!
- Thank you so much.
- Mm.
[TENSE MUSIC]

Go, go, go, go.
Please.
Perhaps we should stop.
No, I have more to tell you,
the secrets I think the Stasi
will pay handsomely for.
Very well, proceed then.
I can't believe Palmer is the traitor.
Son of a Okay, kid, you scored.
Can somebody get me exfil plan Alpha?
We'll have Layla out
by this time tomorrow.
Great, and no grabbing Palmer
before then;
it could blow Layla's cover.
Do I look like a rookie to you?
That was so exciting.
The word I would use is "terrifying."
[LAUGHS]
I can't believe we did it.
We make a great team, all three of us.
Yeah, I guess Jenn was right.
[SIGHS]
- Layla?
- Call it off.
Whatever you have planned, call it off.
- What's wrong?
- [LAUGHS] What's wrong?
I told you to photograph the meeting.
I counted on your discretion.
Instead, you walk in,
in the middle of the meeting
to plant a listening device.
Admittedly, that wasn't
the smoothest of operations
Is this a joke to you, a trifle?
You get to come out
from behind your desk
and play secret agent.
You know nothing of risking your life.
- Layla
- My father worked
for King Farouk,
for a monarch who was cruel
and unjust to women,
so I stole secrets from him,
so that I could help free this country.
That noble purpose was twisted
by a man who I thought was honorable.
I was a fool to think I might find honor
on the other side.
You can trust him,
more than anyone in the world.
I know, because he risked his life
for me when he didn't have to.
He saved me and so many others
because he cares about
doing what's right.
So yes,
there may be more seasoned agents,
but there isn't a better man
on this Earth.
Very well. Give me the instructions.
[DARK MUSIC]

Addison?
I know why the accelerator
keeps putting them together.
They're in love.

- So.
- So.
[SWEET MUSIC]

Worried who's watching?
No, they turn the imager off
once they know I'm safe
and things are calm.
Well, that sounds promising.
- [BOTH LAUGH]
- Hannah.
Ben, it's been six years
since I've seen you.
At this rate, I'll be lucky if I get
to spend one week with you
over the course of my life,
one magical week.
Tomorrow,
after I get Layla out, I'll leap.
And after that, I don't know when
or where I'll see you again, if at all.
You know, most people live
their lives without urgency.
They think this lasts forever.
But we know better.
We know what a miracle any time is.
Tell me you don't want this.
Tell me what I've said that's wrong.
I can't.
Ben, I know you had a life before,
but now you're a nomad.
And for a nomad,
the only home is people.
It can't be an accident,
fate throwing us together like this.
There has to be a reason.
Maybe I'm your home.
I can't, for all those reasons.
I can't.
And that just makes me love you more.

You really think some force
is bringing them together?
I don't know.
I mean, do I think that
because I think that,
or do I think that
because if that's true,
I'm off the hook for loving Tom?
Addison, the one who put
you on that hook is you.
I know. I know.
Even Ben understands.
I mean, he may be hurting,
but he understands.
I want him to be happy.
I do. I wanna be happy.
But I [CLEARS THROAT]
I am happy.
I just miss Ben, and I don't
I don't know how I'm supposed
to feel about this.
When I got together with Beth,
I had all kinds of mixed feelings.
I could have come up
with ten reasons not to do it.
But the thing is,
we have to live the life in front of us,
be true to your present, Addison,
not some future you're wishing
for that may never happen,
because waiting isn't living.
Hey, sorry to interrupt,
but it's time for Layla's exfil.
The car is only gonna stop
for 60 seconds.
Layla's a pro. She'll be here.
Plus, I just walked the street.
You're good. We're good.
[SIGHS] Waiting.
I hate waiting.
Ben, with everything that's happened,
I know things have gotten
uncomfortable and complicated.
I want you to know I do love you.
And I want you to be happy
even if that is a little awkward.
I love you too,
and I wanna protect
all the good things we have.
I like Tom.
[MELANCHOLIC MUSIC]

Damn it, Addison. Where is she?
There. [LAUGHS]
- She's cutting it close.
- Yeah.
Well, like I said, she's a pro.
She's gonna use every second she has.
She's gonna make it.
[TENSE MUSIC]

What's she doing?
She was blown.
Ben, that's an East German spy.
Layla's cover was blown,
which means yours was too.
You have to go! Now!
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

I don't understand. What happened?
Barnes.
I'll call you back.
You arrested Palmer, didn't you?
- Sit down.
- You arrested him,
knowing it would blow Layla's cover.
I didn't have any choice.
What if he had run?
What if he was tipped off?
He was a huge security risk,
a massive leak, now plugged.
I was hoping it wouldn't
blow back on her, but it did.
Those are the breaks.
All right? Trust me.
In time, you'll look back
at this and see it
for the big win it is.
[SCOFFS] Hell with that.
- I'm finding her.
- You can't.
- Watch me.
- She's dead!
The Stasi picked her up
three blocks from the scene.
No, that's impossible.
He's right.
It's like he said. The Stasi killed her.
She was a good asset, helped us big.
I hate losing her.
I am sorry, kid.
You're not sorry. You're a coward.
You sit there risking nothing,
while people like Layla are
out there risking everything.
How did you become so cynical
that losing a hero like her
stopped feeling like a tragedy?
Don't go back to the hotel, kid.
The Stasi could be looking for you.
I know you're mad, but
Ben. Are you okay?
I-I thought you'd gone.
She's dead.
Layla's dead.
I failed.
Ben, oh.
- I failed.
- I'm so sorry.
I failed.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
I don't know what happens now.
I know I don't leave,
but I just don't know what happens.
Well, you are
in an interesting position.
You could invest in things,
make yourself a fortune,
or you could intervene in world events,
go on the TV, be the next Nostradamus.
Maybe this is why
we kept crossing paths,
so that when I ended up
stranded in time,
I wasn't alone.
Hmm, so what you're saying is,
I am the universe's gift
for a job well-done.
As far as compliments go,
that's not half bad.
You can still help people, Ben.
You don't need to travel through time
to make lives better.
Hmm, what?
Just saying that made me think.
Here you were,
on this great cosmic mission,
and maybe somehow I messed that all up.
Stop. First of all, you did nothing.
And second, I never saw this
as something great.
I wish I had.
I always felt like
it was some kind of trial
or a curse.
Maybe that's what I did wrong.
We're not giving up. I know that.
We're not making the same
mistake we did the last time.
This isn't the same situation, Magic.
It's not like we lost Ben.
We know right where he is.
He's just stranded.
Yeah, but that doesn't mean
we shut down the program
or stop trying to get him back, right?
What did Tom say?
Just that he's gonna hop
the first flight from D.C.
and not to tell anyone yet.
For now, nothing changes.
We redouble our efforts
to figure out a way
to bring him home.
Maybe we should be happy for him.
Look, Hannah's there.
Maybe this is how it ended for Sam.
Maybe 1961 is Ben's new home.
[SOMBER MUSIC]

[ELECTRONIC RINGING]
What's that?
Ziggy.
[SWEET MUSIC]

What?
[PHONE RINGS]
Hello?
It's for you.
Yes?
Look, I almost didn't call.
In fact, I'm not sure
I'm doing you any favors,
but I think I got bad intel before.
My guys on the street
say the Stasi are searching
the entire Islamic quarter,
going block by block.
You only do that when
you're looking for someone.
I think your girl escaped.
She's trapped somewhere now,
and they're looking for her.
Layla's alive.
I knew it.
I knew this wasn't your destiny.
- Oh, hey.
- Hey.
Addison, how did this happen?
You said she was dead.
Yeah, we think your speech to Barnes
changed the timeline again.
Originally,
he didn't call you to tell you
that Layla might still be alive.
He just let her die.
Ziggy says that she still dies
if we do nothing,
but now we have a chance to save her.
First we need to find her.
We know she's an expert guide,
so she has access to everything.
We also know where they're searching,
so we look for what she's looking for,
basically the best place to lay low.
The Qalawun Mosque.
The Qalawun Mosque.
Right here by the market.
So many streets around it,
it looks like a maze.
And Jenn says there's all sorts of rooms
and chambers in there that the public
doesn't have access to.
That's a good place to hide,
but with the East Germans all around,
how are we gonna get her out of there?
Yeah, that was gonna be
my next question.
[TENSE MUSIC]

Barnes, you ready to go back
in the field?
Good, 'cause to pull this off,
it's gonna take all of us.
[OVERLAPPING CHATTER]
[TENSE MUSIC]

Nice welcoming committee.
You sure you can find Layla?
No, but I'm hoping she'll find me.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Wait, shoes, shoes, shoes!
Let's go.
[PANTS]
- Finally.
- Oh, no.
[BOTH GRUNTING]
- I taught you that.
- Yeah, you did.
This place is like a maze.
You could hide, like,
ten Laylas in here.
I only needed to hide one.
- Layla, I'm sorry.
- I saw your face.
You were as betrayed as I was.
Yet now, I am asking you
to trust me again.
I have friends.
- I am safe here.
- You are not.
And I don't know how
to get you to believe me,
but if you don't come with me,
you will die.
Why contact me in the first place?
Why start all this?
I had a vision of my future.
I saw all the damage that I had done.
I wanted to change my destiny
by taking it into my own hands.
We can do that together.
[LAUGHS]
I assume you have a plan.

- You're clear. Wait!
- Whoa!
He's coming.
Layla, run!

I'm afraid Miss Adel must come with us.
[SOUTHERN ACCENT] Miss Adel?
Who on God's green earth is Miss Adel?
- Honey, do you know who that is?
- [SOUTHERN ACCENT] Mm-mm.
Search me.
Sugar, are these men gonna rob us?
I don't think we have
anything of value to them.

My car!
My car.
[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]
Shepherd Barnes.
Layla Adel, but you know me
better as Nomad.
[BRIGHT MUSIC]

Looks like Layla Adel was instrumental
in dismantling the Soviet spy network
in the Middle East.
- Not bad for a few days' work.
- Mm.
Not bad at all.
Addison give you some good news?
Thank you, Addison, for all your help.
She's welcome.
So is the cosmic train leaving?
[LAUGHS]
I'm gonna miss you.
I'm gonna miss you too.
But I'm glad you get
to keep doing what you do.
You have a purpose, Ben Song.
This girl once told me,
"Don't say goodbye.
Say, 'See you later.'"
Hmm, she sounds very wise.
[LAUGHS] She's spectacular.
[SOFT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC]

Promise me you'll find me next time.
I don't want to keep going up
to strangers.
[LAUGHS] I promise.
I spent more than two dozen
leaps looking backwards.
From now on, I go forward.
I love you.

What?
Hey, welcome home.
[LAUGHS] Hey.
- What?
- [LAUGHING] I'm sorry.
I after the last few days,
this is really nice to come home to.
Glad to hear you say that,
because these past few days,
I've been giving a lot
of thought to our future.

I think there's nothing we can't handle,
nothing we can't get through together.
I agree.
Good.
[EXHALES]
I was called to D.C.,
because they found something
on a fragment of a hard drive
in the discontinued DARPA project.
[LAUGHS] What? What is this?
A way to bring Ben home.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
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