The Undeclared War (2022) s02e05 Episode Script

1
They have introduced a worm
into the government system.
It's looking for something.
But what, exactly? We don't know!
Vadim? Saara says you have something.
A long alphanumeric.
Possibly a ciphertext.
Can we have it?
It could be really important to us.
When I'm safe.
We need Vadim Trusov.
We've got an attack
coming out of China at present,
and he holds the key.
The MAC address was stolen
on your login.
It can't be.
Barbara Napier.
I left her at the terminal.
Wait, you want me
to do something for you?
Are you out of your mind?
No, no, no.
These are very serious allegations
you're making here, Phil,
about a senior
and widely respected colleague.
I'm not making allegations.
Sorry, just too much Chinese slang.
Calvin is all over it.
Charlie. You OK?
I need to ask you
a couple of questions.
Fine. Um
How about later this morning?
I've got a team briefing
first thing.
I'm afraid it needs to be now.
Of course.
What's going on?
Let's talk in private.
Sure.
REPORTER: Britain is at a standstill.
All UK flights are grounded.
Banking systems are down,
and the FTSE 100 has hit a new low.
KNOCKING
Come in.
Cabinet Secretary's on the phone.
Thank you.
PHONE RINGS
Cabinet Secretary,
how can I help you?
Trade and Immigration
are still down.
It's a disaster
and you pulled the plug.
Get us back online now!
HE SIGHS
Well, it's been
a while since I've been in here.
Had a refurb?
So what's this about?
I'm sorry, this feels strange.
What is it?
Could you read this statement
from Phil Draper, Malware?
SHE CLEARS HER THROA
Do you remember this?
October 2022.
Yeah, it was a CCP malware attack,
I remember.
What did you do at Phil's terminal?
What did I do?
Not very much, actually.
You sat there for ten minutes
and didn't do much?
Sorry, should I have done something?
Charlie, what is going on?
Did you access the MAC address
at Phil's terminal?
Charlie,
why on earth would I do that?
You were there for ten minutes.
Someone accessed
the MAC address in that time.
Was it you?
Of course it wasn't me.
Barbara, please
this is difficult.
SHE SIGHS
The Chinese was slang.
I couldn't translate it.
I needed someone
with better demotic proficiency
so I brought another linguist down
to do the job.
Who was it?
Calvin is a friend and a colleague.
I
No, I'm not going to
throw him under the bus.
His family in China got into trouble.
We helped them out.
He's happy to help us.
And afterwards? What happens then?
Then we'll take care of him.
Calvin Song.
Wait here.
Joanna.
DOOR CLOSES
You need some rest.
I'll work through it.
What have we got?
Take a look.
We've analysed the worm.
It's built to evade whatever
anti-malware we throw at it.
Trade and Immigration
are still offline.
It's contained there for the moment,
but if it breaks out
Home Office, NCA, MOD
And through us
into the American systems.
We cannot afford
to piss off the Americans again.
We need something heavy-duty.
Lieutenant Williams?
Ma'am? You remember, against ISIS?
Tar pits.
It's a virtual deception network
that mimics the systems
a malware is targeting.
The worm jumps inside
and then we trap it.
Well, I'm feeling better already.
Let's go.
DOOR OPENS
Charlie,
what the hell is going on here?
HE SIGHS You're free to go.
Right.
Thank you.
I'm sorry you had
to go through all of that.
It's fine.
Does that mean that Calvin
accessed the MAC address?
RADIO CHATTER
PHONE CHIMES
It's from Saara.
I gave her
the new burner phone number.
Aw, you keep your girlfriend
up-to-date.
She says to stay where I am.
When the trade talks in London
are concluded,
they will send an embassy car from
Hong Kong to meet me downstairs.
They will provide me
with a diplomatic visa
and I will be taken
directly to the airport.
Sounds easy-peasy.
When do these talks finish?
Um, she says it could be days.
You tell your girlfriend
she doesn't get her code unless I
You'll get your Bitcoin.
And she's not my girlfriend.
Mm.
And be careful with this thing. Oh.
MUSIC: Miss The Girl
by The Creatures.
OK, so what now?
We wait for these trade talks
to end.
HE PUFFS
Many people
who lose their social credit
they must wait in their flats
like prisoners for years.
What do they do?
"Use their inner resources."
That's what my mother would say.
I'm not sure I have any.
I'm sure you do.
Let me check.
Is it here?
Or how about here?
Or how about
here?
You're enjoying this, aren't you?
Phil!
It was nothing - family emergency.
Welcome back. Thanks.
Glad you're back. Join Max's team.
He'll update you, OK?
MAX: Everything all right?
WHISPERS: Message from Charlie -
he thinks you should go
and see Barbara.
Shit. It's adaptive.
What anti-malware have you tried?
DOOR OPENS
There you are.
I've been looking all over for you.
So, um
Calvin
Yeah, I heard.
I'm sorry.
Are you OK?
I mean, there's just
There's just so much to deal with.
There's
the damage assessment,
and with the trade talks,
it's just
It's just a mess.
Is there
anything that you want to
talk about?
No, I don't think so.
I I wanted to, um
What?
Oh, damn it.
I'm gonna have to go - I've got
a call with the Foreign Secretary.
I'll, er
I'll see you later. OK. OK?
OK. OK.
Sorry to keep you, Foreign Minister.
Had a bit of a domestic emergency.
I think you'll find we've got
a bit of national emergency.
Which is why I had to close down
the systems at Trade and Immigration.
Yeah, unfortunately
just as the Prime Minister
is entering the final round of talks
at Admiralty.
Yeah, with the very state players
that are attacking us.
If this thing
gets into the NHS alone,
life support, dialysis -
they'll all go dark.
People will die.
Is signing this trade deal today
THAT important?
This is why I wanted to have
a word with you, all right?
Just you and me.
You won't be bullied, will you?
I'm starting to see that.
It's admirable.
But maybe political pragmatism
will work.
The PM wants this deal.
He says he's not gonna jeopardise
the future of 70 million people
DANNY SIGHS just because GCHQ
can't get this thing under control.
Come on.
But it's also about
something more important.
His legacy.
His place in the history books.
Yeah, I know, I know.
Political pragmatism, Danny.
China is his big thing.
It has been for a long time.
When he was my junior at Trade,
he was the one who pushed through
that nuclear deal.
Now, he wants nothing less
than resetting
China's relationship with the West,
and you, me, even GCHQ,
we are just a means to that end.
And the worm?
I've heard it's a potentially
nuclear-level threat.
Wow, I'm flattered -
you're quoting me back to me.
Can you just give me something?
Are you any nearer to finding a fix?
We're working on something -
Roz Cavendish, myself,
the whole team together.
OK. OK, that is good to hear.
Right, I'm gonna go back in there
and tell him that I hauled you over
the coals but you're nearly there,
and that crucially, for him
we're not gonna rock China's boat.
Yes?
Thank you.
Political pragmatism, Danny.
Now you owe me.
Have you got a question,
or are you just here
to see how it's done?
How near? Near.
Good. Do you have a minute?
Guys, can we have the room, please?
Yeah.
Thank you.
DANNY CLEARS HIS THROAT Marston.
What about him?
We're not really that close, Danny.
Him and the Prime Minister -
what's the deal there?
Like I said, we're not close.
Marston was president
at the Board of Trade
when Makinde was a junior there,
then Makinde leapfrogged Marston
and everyone else
and got the top job.
Richard's pragmatic.
I always understood he was just
hitching his waggon
to the greater star.
Makinde's got more of
the common touch.
And you're sure
there's no more to it than that?
No, but I don't think about it
that much.
Like I said - not close.
And I've got a tar pit to build.
OK, thank you.
It's clear now
that our colleague, Calvin, has
been working for a hostile power.
But this news
does not make Calvin a monster.
He is a good friend and colleague.
We don't know
what pressure he was under,
what threats were made.
We have to be dispassionate
in our judgment,
and compassionate towards him
focus on ourselves
on our mission, on recovery
and don't let
the corrosion spread.
QUIETLY: Thank you, team.
They've already cleared
Calvin's desk, Barbara.
VIDEO CALL RINGS
We'll connect these virtual nodes
to the infected network.
The nodes replicate the pattern
of the worm's first few moves.
The worm thinks it's entering
a real server.
It jumps inside.
And then it loops?
Exactly. It's trapped.
And we can also have
a good look at it then.
Excellent work.
HE SIGHS
And you need to
access these files why?
I'm concerned that there's
something underpinning
the Government's lack of support
for our response to the worm attack
and I think it dates back
to the China nuclear energy deal
a few years ago.
Marston and the Department of Trade
were given a clean bill of health
at the inquiry.
Makinde was Marston's
junior Trade Minister at the time,
but he was never
investigated individually -
the whole focus was on Marston.
I searched
the National Security holdings
and I found these recordings, sealed.
MI5 saw fit to bug the negotiations,
extracts from which
were redacted and sealed
on the day Makinde
became Prime Minister.
Look, firstly, you know material is
redacted for all sorts of reasons -
an off joke about President Xi
or some such.
Well, then why are they
in our holdings, sealed, then?
Because, I imagine,
we did some translation,
interpretation or security work
on them.
It was before my time.
But I can't
Danny, I know relations between you,
indeed, us,
and the Government are strained
but you have no proof
the Prime Minister is
in any way influenced by China.
Open them yourself, then.
Listen to them.
Tell me there's nothing in them.
If I were to open these files,
it would doubtless be flagged.
I mean, it could be seen to be
a declaration of war.
We do security and technology,
never politics.
That is our line in the sand,
is that clear?
Yes. Of course.
DOOR CLOSES
HE SIGHS
Are we nearly there? Minutes away.
We're installing the tar pit into
all the gov. uk startup services.
The tar pit launches
when we reboot the servers.
It generates virtual IP addresses.
The worm thinks they're real IPs
and propagates from one to the next.
It's like a hall of mirrors.
All that decoy data you added -
beautiful script.
You worked in the field, right?
GCO, tour of Afghan, Kandahar.
This is very touching,
but we need to go live ASAP.
We're ready, boss. All integrated.
OK, Max, call heads of I
at Trade and Immigration,
tell them we're putting them
back online.
Oh, and you might wanna
let Number 10 know as well,
and the Foreign Secretary.
Courtesy.
Roz, when you're ready.
Here we go.
It's found our fake host.
We've got it. It's trapped.
Yes!
Let's get Trade and Immigration
back online.
Great work, everyone.
Maybe you should come with me.
Your friend's gonna get me a visa?
I could ask.
Give up my whole life?
Maybe I like my home and my city,
my family and my friends.
Everyone always thinks
Chinese people
are the way our government
wants us to be -
no individuality,
hardworking, obedient.
Try being Russian.
When I was younger
all I wanted was to
run away from my family.
I blamed them for being obedient.
But now
Now I see
it's because they loved me.
They wanted to protect me.
And I'd be scared
to leave them behind.
The MSS are already watching.
Blind obedience is all they want.
I can't live like that.
PHONE CHIMES
Ah!
Ugh SIREN WAILS.
INDISTINCT SHOUTING
Fuck.
RADIO CHATTER
Move, Russki!
They told me to wait where I was.
So they can pick up your body?
Only an idiot
would trust the English.
Hey. What?
Cage. In. What?!
Now. What are you doing?
Ordering a parcel delivery. Go!
RATTLING
APP CHIMES
Tell your friends
we need their help now,
not after some piss-assed
talks with CCP.
All right, all right, the worm
has officially been contained.
Government systems are back up
and running.
Roz, Saara, Phil
COMPUTER CHIMES.
Lieutenant Williams in particular,
excellent work.
Enjoy the moment.
But containment is not a victory.
We still need to know
what it's after
OK?
Danny. Yeah?
It's Vadim, on Discord.
The safehouse where he's been hiding
has been raided.
They're trapped in the building.
We have to get him out.
MI6?
Well, we'd need
the Foreign Secretary's permission.
And he'd need the PM's sign-off.
And he's not going to do anything
to put his trade deal at risk.
But we need that ciphertext.
It's the key we've been looking for.
Now, we can't afford to wait for MI6.
We've got to get him out ourselves.
If you're not comfortable with that,
I understand.
Williams, I'll need you
in the comms room with me.
Saara, of course.
Max, you're watch officer.
Yeah, go.
OK, where are we at?
Assembling the picture
on the ground.
Yeah, make contact, Saara.
We need visuals.
Here we go.
Saara? Vadim, this is Danny Patrick.
I'm with
Lieutenant Colonel Roz Cavendish.
Now, we're gonna get you
out of there Uh-huh.
But we need that ciphertext.
How about he gives it to you
in person, Mister,
when you get him to England?
Like I said, we'll get you out.
Over to you, Saara.
Vadim? Yeah?
What do we do, Saara?
We're tracking you through
the phone -
do not switch off.
There's a fire escape door
on the ground floor.
There's an alley.
I've texted a friend,
a delivery driver -
is it clear for him?
Checking.
WILLIAMS: I'm in the CCTV.
Alleyway is clear.
OK, we've got you, Vadim.
If we can see Vadim and Hai,
so can the MSS.
They'll be here soon.
We'll introduce a frequency shift.
We overload
the building's power system
by pumping in a dirty signal -
knocks out the cameras
and lighting.
Police.
CRASHING
Roz here.
When we pull the lights, keep still,
wait for them to pass,
then run for your lives,
head to the harbour.
OK, frequency really climbing now.
Can it go faster?
WHISPERS: Come on, come on, come on.
DANNY: They're right on top of them.
Nearly there.
Right, here we go.
All right, it's happening.
Good, CCTV's offline.
Come on, Vadim.
Come on.
LOUD CRASHING
Go, go, go, go, go, go!
VADIM PANTS
Run, Vadim.
VADIM GRUNTS
What's happened?
We don't know, Saara.
Shit! End the surge.
We've done what we can.
Has this been actioned?
Yep, that's been done.
Well Barbara?
Charlie.
I've got some bad news.
I wanted to tell you before the
rest of the department found out,
but it's Calvin.
He's been found dead.
What?
In his cell, hanged.
Hanged?
PHONE LINE RINGS
BUSY TONE
Fuck!
PHONE LINE RINGS
VOICEMAIL: Your call cannot be taken
at the moment.
Please leave a message
after the tone.
Nicky
Fuck!
Danny. Barbara had it sent up.
Danny, come and see this.
Do you need a minute?
Er, no, I'm absolutely fine.
They're alive,
but Hai's got a problem.
Well done on getting yourself
out of that building.
Where are you now?
Hai's friend, the delivery driver,
took us here
in the back of his truck
and gave us this phone,
but we can't stay here forever.
Don't worry, we'll get you out.
And if they can get Vadim out,
they can get you out too, Hai.
Hai, what's the problem.
She texted her sister
It doesn't matter - we got out.
We can't sit around
talking about our problems.
You need to get Vadim out of China,
Mister.
Tell us when you can.
What?
What are you looking at?
It's not your fault
your parents have been arrested.
Hai, the CCP are vindictive
like Putin.
But I am the cause of this
for my family.
No, no, THEY are -
the CCP, not you.
You heard him - he's going to
get both of us out of here.
Maybe if they have me,
they will let them go free?
We both know
it doesn't work like that.
Back in the car.
What the fuck, Mum? Back in - now.
It's, um
Change of plans - you're spending
the weekend at your granny's.
No, I've got a date.
Elliot, car - now!
This is not an exercise.
Go. Go!
It smashed through our defences,
yours could be vulnerable too, but
whatever it's looking for,
it's connected to the ciphertext.
I've known you for 15 years,
Michaela.
I've never asked you
for a favour like this.
I wouldn't waste your time.
Dan, if this asset
is as hot as you say,
I still don't get why
you don't extract him yourselves.
Well, neither do I,
but I intend to look into it.
In the meantime,
the clock is ticking.
I'll run it by General Perez.
HE SIGHS
HE SLAPS THE DESK
SHE SOBS