Mission Impossible (1966) s04e01 Episode Script
The Code
Good evening, Mr.
Phelps.
This man, Vicente Bravo, the dictator of Nueva Tierra, intends to launch an invasion against the neighbouring democracy of San Cristóbal.
Within 48 hours, final details of the invasion plan will arrive in code from the UPR, the United People's Republic, which has sent this man, Nikkor Janos, to Nueva Tierra.
Janos is to supervise the invasion and the installation of Bravo as president of a puppet regime in San Cristóbal.
Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to break the code, get the details of the invasion plan, and shatter the alliance between Nueva Tierra and the United People's Republic.
As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.
This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.
Good luck, Jim.
Great, Barney.
There'll be no transmission problems, Jim, because the presidential mansion has its own television transmitter.
We'll simply piggyback onto the parabolic antenna and get a strong signal.
Now, their normal method of sending coded messages is by transatlantic cable, but for extra security precautions, the invasion plans are being delivered by a courier from the UPR.
He'll arrive at 3:00.
Will it just be in code form? No.
No.
It will be treated the same as the other messages.
It's a unique process where the code is hidden by a photographic overlay.
Some kind of chemical spray is placed between the code and the photograph allowing them to be joined together, and another spray separates them once the message has been transmitted.
Once the photograph gets into the communications room and is removed, the code's only visible for a few seconds.
That will be long enough.
Paris.
We've already tipped off Bravo's espionage agency that Lynn's an American agent.
She'll be on the plane tomorrow, Paris.
This is our man in Nueva Tierra, Willy.
And this is El Líder.
Yeah.
He was captured two weeks ago.
It's a closely guarded secret.
There have been no photographs of El Líder for seven years.
This is our edge, Jim.
Yes.
This is important enough for them to transmit immediately.
They should send it before 1:00.
That will give you just two hours before the courier arrives.
Yes, we have to break the code in that time or the invasion of San Cristóbal will be successful.
- Can it be done in that time? - If everything goes according to plan.
Plus we have one advantage.
Once they put our message into their code, we know exactly what the wording is.
May I help you, sir? You will remain calm.
Make no sound.
Now take me to the captain.
What is the significance of this picture? The woman is an American agent.
Pamela Roberts.
We believe that one of the doctors in this building was her contact.
We are checking on all of them.
And the woman? She managed to escape my agents.
She boarded a plane for the United States in San Cristóbal.
Flight 904.
I have reprimanded those responsible.
Including yourself, I hope.
Yes.
One moment.
Capitán Avila, airport security.
Urgent.
Yes.
Are you positive? El Líder has hijacked a plane, he's forcing it to land here.
Yes.
Yes.
A car will be sent for him.
What flight is he on? When the plane lands, hold one of the passengers, a Pamela Roberts.
Well El Líder's unscheduled arrival could be very helpful.
Wonder what he wants.
Hey, you want to buy a ticket to the lottery, huh? Good deal.
You can win all sorts of prizes.
Bunch of stuff.
Ten centavos, huh? How about it? You like that? This is an honour.
There is a car waiting to take you to Presidente Bravo.
We have cleared the plane except for Miss Roberts.
Good.
Hey, you wanna buy a ticket to the national lottery? Only 10 centavos.
For you, 5 centavos, huh? No? Good prizes, you can win them all, man.
A chance, only 4 centavos, huh? Oh, yeah? I demand to know why I'm being held.
You know very well why you are here.
Now, you can save us time and save yourself much embarrassment by giving us the information you received in San Cristóbal.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Do you wish to be searched? We can be very thorough.
I suppose it wouldn't be possible to speak to the American consulate.
Captain Avila, begin the search.
It's not in her clothes.
Or this.
Continue the search.
I do not think it will be necessary, Avila.
The name of one of the suspect doctors.
If you don't mind, take out your contact lenses.
Why the delay? Just a routine inspection, El Líder.
Excellent, Major Lacerda.
Excellent.
They found information on the girl.
Microdots.
Lacerda is having them enlarged right now.
El Líder has arrived, Presidente Bravo.
Send him directly to my office.
Yes, sir.
How well do you know him? I hardly know him at all.
We met only once, ten years ago, during the revolution here.
We were in different units.
At the time, he had not yet begun his colourful career.
I only know about him what I read in the papers.
That he is part fox, part snake.
Well, Vicente.
This is certainly different from our other meeting, huh? We were huddled together in the sugar-cane fields.
In the rain and in the mud, as I remember.
Oh, I am happy to see that one of us has changed his way of living.
You are not the man I remember.
And you have changed too.
But then, ten years and all of the creature comforts, they do alter a man, huh, Vicente? - This is Mr.
Janos.
- Of the United People's Republic.
El Líder.
You know each other? Indirectly.
His government tried to sell me some guns.
Unfortunately, you thought our price was too high as I recall.
Correct.
I will come straight to the point of my visit.
I want to know where I fit.
In what? Your invasion of San Cristóbal.
What makes you think there is going to be an invasion? Although my ground forces have not been active for many months, my intelligence network has been very occupied.
And they report with accuracy the military buildup here in Nueva Tierra.
And that your best divisions are stationed not more than three miles from the border in a state of maximum alert.
When will you invade? Naturally, you will be informed of the plan for the invasion as soon as it is properly approved.
And when will that be? Soon.
Soon.
Nothing vague about that, huh? Assuming I go along with this invasion, what will be my reward? One cannot divide a cake that we do not have yet.
Who gets what will be decided after the invasion.
I want to know now.
Perhaps I'm asking the wrong man? What do you have in mind? The presidency.
The presidency is out of the question.
Both countries must be united under one rule.
And under one ruler.
However, I was promised San Cristóbal a long time before you were, Vicente.
Promised? Promised by who? By me.
I spent ten years in those jungles.
In that time, if you had not won the country, you would have no claim to it by now.
I would have won my revolution a long time ago, if I'd been given the arms and the money I wanted.
Yes, but you didn't want to negotiate.
Perhaps I made a mistake.
Perhaps I have changed my mind.
And perhaps you should change yours about this invasion.
- Why? - You do not need it.
And after all, you run the very dangerous risk of Western intervention.
But not so with an internal revolution.
We are committed to an invasion, it cannot be called off now.
Invasions unite countries.
Even forces which have been opposed to each other find themselves united when faced with a common enemy.
Are you saying that you would fight with San Cristóbal against us? I am only saying that my forces are uncommitted.
Enter.
The enlargements of the microdots.
If you will give us a few moments, please.
It would be most unfortunate and embarrassing for you if I should meet with an untimely accident during my stay here.
In that case, you would fight a united San Cristóbal.
My forces have very exact orders.
I will be outside.
This confirms our earlier information about the deployment of the San Cristóbal army.
But this This is in much greater detail.
This should be coded and transmitted immediately.
We are still holding the girl.
You can release her as soon as the invasion begins.
What are we going to do about El Líder? Perhaps we should meet his demands.
Absolutely not.
There will be no invasion if I am not president of both countries.
All right.
We could offer him a high ministerial position? No, no.
I don't want him in the government at all.
We cannot afford to have him side with San Cristóbal.
I do not want to fight him, Vicente.
Are you suggesting that we give up the invasion? No, no, no.
No.
No.
Perhaps money.
Money.
He will not accept it.
He's not that kind of man.
No.
He does not seek wealth.
He wants power.
Perhaps he has changed.
That kind of man never changes.
You changed.
Every man has his price, Vicente.
I will try to reason with him.
But what if he doesn't listen to reason? Then we will kill him.
You had better get these coded immediately.
Bravo is on his way with our message.
Hello.
Hello, bird.
El Líder.
I am prepared to offer you a large sum of money.
Do you think I fought for ten years in those jungles just to be bribed? I do not want money.
I want power.
But if you side with San Cristóbal, you will end up with nothing.
We have vast resources.
We will win this thing.
Now, if you consider my proposal in that light, I think you will find it much more reasonable.
The presidency.
El Líder, you could have everything you missed in the jungle for ten years.
You could have everything you ever wanted.
Yes, like Vicente, huh? Yes.
Yes, you said you admired the way he was living.
Perhaps, but he is only a puppet.
Vicente is not a puppet.
All right, all right, yes.
But your case is different.
In your case, there would be no strings attached.
Fifty million.
Plus a high ministerial position.
Such as? Such as the vice presidency.
Oh, I'm sure Vicente will like that.
Vicente will like what we tell him to like.
I will think about it.
For immediate photographic transmission.
Zoom in all the way and open up the lens.
Run the tape.
We've got it, Barney.
Run back the tape, Willy.
Hey, you got a match? - What's the matter, Jim? - It won't decode.
But it was our message, we know what it means.
Yes, I know it but there's a grouping variation that doesn't follow any pattern I can come up with.
I thought it might be a SIMEX transposition but it's not.
Well he turned you down, huh? Quite the contrary.
He's considering it.
He's up to something.
No.
I think he will accept.
What else did you offer him? Nothing.
Just money.
Yes? I see.
The courier has arrived.
He's early.
They changed his schedule for security precautions.
Jim, that only gives you 30 minutes to break the code.
Jim.
The courier has arrived.
- He's early.
- Yes, we know.
Have you broken the code yet? No, we have problems.
But proceed with the plan as scheduled.
Willy, tell Barney.
Barney.
The courier has arrived.
We've taped it, Barney.
- The photograph.
- What? Well, there has to be a key to the grouping variation somewhere.
We know that it's not in that message itself, but it could be on the photograph that the code was transmitted on.
Run the tape back.
Good.
The information we got from the American agent does not conflict with this.
Yes.
It says that the invasion is to be launched at 1530 hours.
Three-thirty.
So little time.
I will call the staff.
As a security precaution, each one of our attack units will know only its particular movement.
That way we know there is no leak.
Get me General Romero, Tovaris, Rodrigues.
May I see your pass, sir? What pass? I am El Líder.
I want to see el presidente immediately.
I can't admit you without a pass.
Then you tell el presidente that I am here.
Very well, sir.
Señor presidente, El Líder is outside.
He wishes to see you.
Tell him I'll be with him in a few moments.
I don't see a legible number anywhere in the picture.
I don't either, but it's gotta be in there somewhere.
The clock.
In the tower of the building in the foreground.
Two thirty-three.
Well, there can't be too many variations.
It could be that every second word of every third line of every third group is transposed.
Maybe every second line.
Yes.
What is your decision? I have decided to accept your offer.
Good.
I knew that we could come to an agreement.
You look amazed, Vicente.
I am.
I did not think you were a man who compromised.
Well, we all have to bend sometimes, huh? If it is to gain what we really want, huh? Now you will be contacted as to the details of the transaction.
And if I could be driven to the airport.
Arrange for a car.
Señor Janos, a word with you please in private.
Yes.
After you have conquered San Cristóbal, you will need a strong man to rule it.
It will take a long time for it to be as easily controlled as Nueva Tierra.
Vicente does not have the necessary strength.
I see.
Don't worry, El Líder, your hat is still in the ring.
Goodbye, Vicente.
Run the tape forward, Willy.
Hold it.
"Rio Verde Valley, four divisions, 1500 hours.
San Leandro Pass, two divisions, third tank corps, El Rae Bridge.
Sierra Norte, one division, 1530 hours.
" They get it in time? Bravo should be discovering that fact any moment now.
The first assault division should be coming up into position right now.
Excuse me.
Yes.
What? Are you positive? No, no, you idiot, they are not to continue.
Call them back.
The invasion is off.
The invasion is off? What happened? Our intelligence has just reported that all of the San Cristóbal forces have moved up to defend every position we were launching our strike forces against.
They knew.
But that's impossible.
How could they know? Only if somebody told them.
And you and I were the only ones who knew all of the strike forces.
Are you insane? I would never do that.
You were the one who believed that internal revolution was the better way.
No, no, no.
That was for his benefit.
You did not give El Líder money, - you gave him guns, equipment.
- That's a lie.
You decided to back him because you thought he was the stronger.
How could I have told him? Just before he left, you were alone together.
Vicente, I did not tell him.
Finished.
But if I did not inform Do not twist the truth.
Then it was you.
You're the one lying.
That's the reason you're covering up now.
Lies.
- You fool.
- Lies.
- You stupid, stupid fool.
- Lies! The alliance is broken.
Who fired? What difference does it make?
Phelps.
This man, Vicente Bravo, the dictator of Nueva Tierra, intends to launch an invasion against the neighbouring democracy of San Cristóbal.
Within 48 hours, final details of the invasion plan will arrive in code from the UPR, the United People's Republic, which has sent this man, Nikkor Janos, to Nueva Tierra.
Janos is to supervise the invasion and the installation of Bravo as president of a puppet regime in San Cristóbal.
Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to break the code, get the details of the invasion plan, and shatter the alliance between Nueva Tierra and the United People's Republic.
As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.
This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.
Good luck, Jim.
Great, Barney.
There'll be no transmission problems, Jim, because the presidential mansion has its own television transmitter.
We'll simply piggyback onto the parabolic antenna and get a strong signal.
Now, their normal method of sending coded messages is by transatlantic cable, but for extra security precautions, the invasion plans are being delivered by a courier from the UPR.
He'll arrive at 3:00.
Will it just be in code form? No.
No.
It will be treated the same as the other messages.
It's a unique process where the code is hidden by a photographic overlay.
Some kind of chemical spray is placed between the code and the photograph allowing them to be joined together, and another spray separates them once the message has been transmitted.
Once the photograph gets into the communications room and is removed, the code's only visible for a few seconds.
That will be long enough.
Paris.
We've already tipped off Bravo's espionage agency that Lynn's an American agent.
She'll be on the plane tomorrow, Paris.
This is our man in Nueva Tierra, Willy.
And this is El Líder.
Yeah.
He was captured two weeks ago.
It's a closely guarded secret.
There have been no photographs of El Líder for seven years.
This is our edge, Jim.
Yes.
This is important enough for them to transmit immediately.
They should send it before 1:00.
That will give you just two hours before the courier arrives.
Yes, we have to break the code in that time or the invasion of San Cristóbal will be successful.
- Can it be done in that time? - If everything goes according to plan.
Plus we have one advantage.
Once they put our message into their code, we know exactly what the wording is.
May I help you, sir? You will remain calm.
Make no sound.
Now take me to the captain.
What is the significance of this picture? The woman is an American agent.
Pamela Roberts.
We believe that one of the doctors in this building was her contact.
We are checking on all of them.
And the woman? She managed to escape my agents.
She boarded a plane for the United States in San Cristóbal.
Flight 904.
I have reprimanded those responsible.
Including yourself, I hope.
Yes.
One moment.
Capitán Avila, airport security.
Urgent.
Yes.
Are you positive? El Líder has hijacked a plane, he's forcing it to land here.
Yes.
Yes.
A car will be sent for him.
What flight is he on? When the plane lands, hold one of the passengers, a Pamela Roberts.
Well El Líder's unscheduled arrival could be very helpful.
Wonder what he wants.
Hey, you want to buy a ticket to the lottery, huh? Good deal.
You can win all sorts of prizes.
Bunch of stuff.
Ten centavos, huh? How about it? You like that? This is an honour.
There is a car waiting to take you to Presidente Bravo.
We have cleared the plane except for Miss Roberts.
Good.
Hey, you wanna buy a ticket to the national lottery? Only 10 centavos.
For you, 5 centavos, huh? No? Good prizes, you can win them all, man.
A chance, only 4 centavos, huh? Oh, yeah? I demand to know why I'm being held.
You know very well why you are here.
Now, you can save us time and save yourself much embarrassment by giving us the information you received in San Cristóbal.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Do you wish to be searched? We can be very thorough.
I suppose it wouldn't be possible to speak to the American consulate.
Captain Avila, begin the search.
It's not in her clothes.
Or this.
Continue the search.
I do not think it will be necessary, Avila.
The name of one of the suspect doctors.
If you don't mind, take out your contact lenses.
Why the delay? Just a routine inspection, El Líder.
Excellent, Major Lacerda.
Excellent.
They found information on the girl.
Microdots.
Lacerda is having them enlarged right now.
El Líder has arrived, Presidente Bravo.
Send him directly to my office.
Yes, sir.
How well do you know him? I hardly know him at all.
We met only once, ten years ago, during the revolution here.
We were in different units.
At the time, he had not yet begun his colourful career.
I only know about him what I read in the papers.
That he is part fox, part snake.
Well, Vicente.
This is certainly different from our other meeting, huh? We were huddled together in the sugar-cane fields.
In the rain and in the mud, as I remember.
Oh, I am happy to see that one of us has changed his way of living.
You are not the man I remember.
And you have changed too.
But then, ten years and all of the creature comforts, they do alter a man, huh, Vicente? - This is Mr.
Janos.
- Of the United People's Republic.
El Líder.
You know each other? Indirectly.
His government tried to sell me some guns.
Unfortunately, you thought our price was too high as I recall.
Correct.
I will come straight to the point of my visit.
I want to know where I fit.
In what? Your invasion of San Cristóbal.
What makes you think there is going to be an invasion? Although my ground forces have not been active for many months, my intelligence network has been very occupied.
And they report with accuracy the military buildup here in Nueva Tierra.
And that your best divisions are stationed not more than three miles from the border in a state of maximum alert.
When will you invade? Naturally, you will be informed of the plan for the invasion as soon as it is properly approved.
And when will that be? Soon.
Soon.
Nothing vague about that, huh? Assuming I go along with this invasion, what will be my reward? One cannot divide a cake that we do not have yet.
Who gets what will be decided after the invasion.
I want to know now.
Perhaps I'm asking the wrong man? What do you have in mind? The presidency.
The presidency is out of the question.
Both countries must be united under one rule.
And under one ruler.
However, I was promised San Cristóbal a long time before you were, Vicente.
Promised? Promised by who? By me.
I spent ten years in those jungles.
In that time, if you had not won the country, you would have no claim to it by now.
I would have won my revolution a long time ago, if I'd been given the arms and the money I wanted.
Yes, but you didn't want to negotiate.
Perhaps I made a mistake.
Perhaps I have changed my mind.
And perhaps you should change yours about this invasion.
- Why? - You do not need it.
And after all, you run the very dangerous risk of Western intervention.
But not so with an internal revolution.
We are committed to an invasion, it cannot be called off now.
Invasions unite countries.
Even forces which have been opposed to each other find themselves united when faced with a common enemy.
Are you saying that you would fight with San Cristóbal against us? I am only saying that my forces are uncommitted.
Enter.
The enlargements of the microdots.
If you will give us a few moments, please.
It would be most unfortunate and embarrassing for you if I should meet with an untimely accident during my stay here.
In that case, you would fight a united San Cristóbal.
My forces have very exact orders.
I will be outside.
This confirms our earlier information about the deployment of the San Cristóbal army.
But this This is in much greater detail.
This should be coded and transmitted immediately.
We are still holding the girl.
You can release her as soon as the invasion begins.
What are we going to do about El Líder? Perhaps we should meet his demands.
Absolutely not.
There will be no invasion if I am not president of both countries.
All right.
We could offer him a high ministerial position? No, no.
I don't want him in the government at all.
We cannot afford to have him side with San Cristóbal.
I do not want to fight him, Vicente.
Are you suggesting that we give up the invasion? No, no, no.
No.
No.
Perhaps money.
Money.
He will not accept it.
He's not that kind of man.
No.
He does not seek wealth.
He wants power.
Perhaps he has changed.
That kind of man never changes.
You changed.
Every man has his price, Vicente.
I will try to reason with him.
But what if he doesn't listen to reason? Then we will kill him.
You had better get these coded immediately.
Bravo is on his way with our message.
Hello.
Hello, bird.
El Líder.
I am prepared to offer you a large sum of money.
Do you think I fought for ten years in those jungles just to be bribed? I do not want money.
I want power.
But if you side with San Cristóbal, you will end up with nothing.
We have vast resources.
We will win this thing.
Now, if you consider my proposal in that light, I think you will find it much more reasonable.
The presidency.
El Líder, you could have everything you missed in the jungle for ten years.
You could have everything you ever wanted.
Yes, like Vicente, huh? Yes.
Yes, you said you admired the way he was living.
Perhaps, but he is only a puppet.
Vicente is not a puppet.
All right, all right, yes.
But your case is different.
In your case, there would be no strings attached.
Fifty million.
Plus a high ministerial position.
Such as? Such as the vice presidency.
Oh, I'm sure Vicente will like that.
Vicente will like what we tell him to like.
I will think about it.
For immediate photographic transmission.
Zoom in all the way and open up the lens.
Run the tape.
We've got it, Barney.
Run back the tape, Willy.
Hey, you got a match? - What's the matter, Jim? - It won't decode.
But it was our message, we know what it means.
Yes, I know it but there's a grouping variation that doesn't follow any pattern I can come up with.
I thought it might be a SIMEX transposition but it's not.
Well he turned you down, huh? Quite the contrary.
He's considering it.
He's up to something.
No.
I think he will accept.
What else did you offer him? Nothing.
Just money.
Yes? I see.
The courier has arrived.
He's early.
They changed his schedule for security precautions.
Jim, that only gives you 30 minutes to break the code.
Jim.
The courier has arrived.
- He's early.
- Yes, we know.
Have you broken the code yet? No, we have problems.
But proceed with the plan as scheduled.
Willy, tell Barney.
Barney.
The courier has arrived.
We've taped it, Barney.
- The photograph.
- What? Well, there has to be a key to the grouping variation somewhere.
We know that it's not in that message itself, but it could be on the photograph that the code was transmitted on.
Run the tape back.
Good.
The information we got from the American agent does not conflict with this.
Yes.
It says that the invasion is to be launched at 1530 hours.
Three-thirty.
So little time.
I will call the staff.
As a security precaution, each one of our attack units will know only its particular movement.
That way we know there is no leak.
Get me General Romero, Tovaris, Rodrigues.
May I see your pass, sir? What pass? I am El Líder.
I want to see el presidente immediately.
I can't admit you without a pass.
Then you tell el presidente that I am here.
Very well, sir.
Señor presidente, El Líder is outside.
He wishes to see you.
Tell him I'll be with him in a few moments.
I don't see a legible number anywhere in the picture.
I don't either, but it's gotta be in there somewhere.
The clock.
In the tower of the building in the foreground.
Two thirty-three.
Well, there can't be too many variations.
It could be that every second word of every third line of every third group is transposed.
Maybe every second line.
Yes.
What is your decision? I have decided to accept your offer.
Good.
I knew that we could come to an agreement.
You look amazed, Vicente.
I am.
I did not think you were a man who compromised.
Well, we all have to bend sometimes, huh? If it is to gain what we really want, huh? Now you will be contacted as to the details of the transaction.
And if I could be driven to the airport.
Arrange for a car.
Señor Janos, a word with you please in private.
Yes.
After you have conquered San Cristóbal, you will need a strong man to rule it.
It will take a long time for it to be as easily controlled as Nueva Tierra.
Vicente does not have the necessary strength.
I see.
Don't worry, El Líder, your hat is still in the ring.
Goodbye, Vicente.
Run the tape forward, Willy.
Hold it.
"Rio Verde Valley, four divisions, 1500 hours.
San Leandro Pass, two divisions, third tank corps, El Rae Bridge.
Sierra Norte, one division, 1530 hours.
" They get it in time? Bravo should be discovering that fact any moment now.
The first assault division should be coming up into position right now.
Excuse me.
Yes.
What? Are you positive? No, no, you idiot, they are not to continue.
Call them back.
The invasion is off.
The invasion is off? What happened? Our intelligence has just reported that all of the San Cristóbal forces have moved up to defend every position we were launching our strike forces against.
They knew.
But that's impossible.
How could they know? Only if somebody told them.
And you and I were the only ones who knew all of the strike forces.
Are you insane? I would never do that.
You were the one who believed that internal revolution was the better way.
No, no, no.
That was for his benefit.
You did not give El Líder money, - you gave him guns, equipment.
- That's a lie.
You decided to back him because you thought he was the stronger.
How could I have told him? Just before he left, you were alone together.
Vicente, I did not tell him.
Finished.
But if I did not inform Do not twist the truth.
Then it was you.
You're the one lying.
That's the reason you're covering up now.
Lies.
- You fool.
- Lies.
- You stupid, stupid fool.
- Lies! The alliance is broken.
Who fired? What difference does it make?