The Hand of Saint Sebastian

[MLM-208 (5C08)]

 

Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong
Directed by Thomas J. Wright
Edited by George R. Potter
U.S. Air Date: November 14, 1997

[Transcribed by Emmett S. Land
Edited by Libby]

Transcriber's note:

Please note that I am not a professional at doing this so the below transcription may not be perfect. I broke it down into segments which consists of the events that occur between two commercials. –Emmett S. Land

First, a little history on Saint Sebastian:

 

Sebastian died a martyr in Rome, probably in AD 288. His tomb in the place named Ad Catacumbas on the Via Appia has been venerated at least as far back as the time of Saint Ambrose and probably had some connection to Milan.

Two hundred years after his death a legend sprang up about his life. According to this legend, Sebastian, a Christian, decided to go into the military during a time of persecution. This decision was not to save his own life, but in order to put himself in a position to comfort the martyrs, as he did with Mark and Marcellian. As a member of the military, the ones who captured and guarded the persecuted Christians, he was in ideal place to stay with them, encourage them, and even alleviate their sufferings without anyone being suspicious or keeping him out.

He showed such aptitude, however, in the military life, that the emperor Diocletian made him a captain without ever guessing Sebastian was a Christian. As more and more Christians died, it was inevitable that Sebastian would be found out. Diocletian was furious at what he saw as a betrayal after all he had done for Sebastian. He ordered Sebastian to be shot by archers.

Irene, a Christian, found Sebastian still alive and nursed him back to health. As soon as he could stand, Sebastian went looking for Diocletian. Sebastian didn't want revenge or a reprieve. He wanted to accuse Diocletian of all the cruelties he had committed. Diocletian had Sebastian beaten to death.

A Sebastian proconsul of Diocletian is also mentioned in connection with the legend of Santa Innocenza.

Sebastian is considered patron saint of archers and soldiers based on this legend.

His Feast Day is on January 20, according to both the New Roman Calendar (The Divine Office, London: Collins, 1974) and the Old Roman Calendar (Omar Engelbert, The Lives of the Saints, London: 1951).

End of transciber's note.

 

MONTI SABATINI, ITALY
998 A.D.

[We first see a forest mountain and its reflection in a lake on a wet cloudy night. Then, in the forest we see a man (from here on out referred to as Man #1) standing and holding a lit candle. As he starts to walk through the forest, he looks back as if to make sure he is not being followed. We hear distant thunder as he makes his way along a forest path. He is then startled by a man (from here on out referred to as Man #2) who appears from behind a tree and blows out the candle. They speak Vulgar Italian.]

MAN #2: Don't be afraid.

MAN #1: I do not fear for my life, but for the life of our cause.

MAN #2: They know. You have to be careful, now they have the blessing of the church.

MAN #1: The church is a snake in the open. It is the snake in the grass that causes concern.

MAN #2: Here.

[Man #2 grabs a pouch and hands it to Man #1.]

MAN #2: This should take you as far north as you need to go.

[Man #1 takes the pouch and secures it up his sleeve. He then reaches up under his robe a pulls out a larger pouch and removes from it something wrapped in a cloth and holds it out in front of Man #2. Man #1 then removes the cloth and we see a mummified hand. Man #2 looks down upon it.]

MAN #2: May Saint Sebastian bless us and our travels.

[Man #2 bends down and kisses the mummified hand and then looks back up at Man #1.]

MAN #2: This is who we are.

MAN #1: This is who we are.

[Man #1 wraps the hand with the cloth and walks away with it. Back at Man #1's camp, we see him and his people – consisting of about 8 to 10 men and women – putting out their fire and gathering their things. Man #1 hears something.]

MAN #1: Shh!

[A horseman comes galloping towards Man #1's camp with a bunch of men following behind him on foot armed with swords and hatchets.]

MAN #1: Run!

[We see Man #1's people scatter as some are stabbed in the back and killed. A man on foot with a sword swings at Man #1 but misses as Man #1 ducks and throws the man to the ground and kills him. The horseman comes galloping towards Man #1. Man #1 grabs a bag and runs through the woods. As the horseman is about to catch him, Man #1 grabs a large piece of wood and knocks the horseman off his horse and kills him as he lays on the ground in a daze. Man #1 hears rustling in the woods and walks in that direction. He comes face to face with Man #2.]

MAN #2: Are you well?

[Man #1 looks relieved when seeing Man #2 and smiles. Then, two men walk up beside Man #2 and aims their bow and arrows toward Man #1.]

MAN #2: The cause dies tonight.

[Man #1 quickly turns and runs. The two arrows enter his upper back and he falls dead to the ground. Man #2 searches his dead body but does not find the mummified hand. Man #2 rips open the back of Man #1's shirt and we see on his bloody back a tattoo of the ouroboros surrounded by various other tattoos.]

[fade to black]

[main titles]

[polaroid fade up]

"THE HAND OF ST. SEBASTIAN"

PEAT EXCAVATION SITE
BREMEN, GERMANY

[We see a large backhoe bury its shovel bucket into the peat bog and scoop up a load. As the backhoe operator swings the shovel bucket around, a co-worker walks into view carrying a thermos. The backhoe operator sets the shovel bucket on solid ground, shuts off the motor and climbs out. He speaks German.]

BACKHOE OPERATOR: Come on. Break time is only fifteen minutes.

[The co-worker looks toward the shovel bucket with a slight look of shock on his face. The backhoe operator walks over and looks into it and we see, partially covered by the peat bog, the remains of a dead body partly decomposed and partly mummified.]

 

[We then see a computer screen showing the ouroboros with the words "There are 779 days remaining". The camera pans down on top of a glossy wooden desktop showing the reflection of the Millennium Group Elder. He is having a conversation with Peter Watts.]

ELDER: It has come to our attention that you have been engaged in an independent project.

WATTS: It began as curiosity.

ELDER: It's become much more. Now it's a distraction. And that which distracts should be excised. Mr. Watts, the uninitiated perceive time with no appreciation of the beginning. And no understanding of the end. To them time is an infinite commodity. We know better and we will not waste a second of it. This is who we are.

WATTS: Well, that's what I intend to find out, sir– Who we are.

ELDER: That question was answered when you were accepted.

WATTS: The answer only leads to more questions.

ELDER: What you want to confirm they will deny. What you want to find they will hide.

[The Elder leans forward and makes a circular motion, similar to the ouroboros, with his finger on the top of his desk.]

ELDER: You are on a path that has no beginning, no middle and no end, because it is a matter of faith. Maybe that is what you need to find.

WATTS: This is all about the science.

ELDER: Then you will never find it.

WATTS: I'm close. I just need a little more time.

ELDER: Peter, we don't want to lose you over this.

WATTS: Is that a threat, sir?

ELDER: A caution - because if we found out, they already know.

 

[We then go to Frank's house. We see a close-up of his face and we hear him typing on the computer keyboard. He has his glasses on and he seems to be concentrating on whatever he is working on. The camera pans around and we see that he is playing computer solitaire. We then see Watts standing outside the screen door. He knocks and Frank looks in that direction.]

FRANK: Peter, come on in.

[Watts opens the squeaky screen door and walks in. Frank looks at his pager.]

FRANK: I didn't get your page.

WATTS: I didn't send one.

[Frank takes his glasses off and puts them on the table.]

FRANK: Anything wrong?

WATTS: What I'm about to ask you is … unauthorized by the Millennium Group. If you tell me to take a flying leap I'll completely understand. It won't affect our professional relationship in any way.

FRANK: And our personal?

[There is an uneasy pause as Frank and Watts look at each other.]

WATTS: I need your help, your gift, and I can't tell you why but I can tell you it might be dangerous.

FRANK: You're asking for a leap of faith.

WATTS: More than you know.

 

BREMERHAVEN, GERMANY

[Frank and Watts pull into a parking spot and get out of a car. As they walk into a building, we see a man in a nearby parked car. He pulls out a gun and makes sure it is loaded as he watches Frank and Watts go inside. Once inside, Frank and Watts walk up to a door that is sealed off by police tape indicating that a crime was recently committed. Watts removes the tape and opens the door. They enter a lab that has been ransacked.]

FRANK: This is obviously unexpected.

WATTS: I spoke to Dr. Schlossburg on the phone just three days ago.

[We see the mummified body found at the peat excavation site earlier laying on top of a metal table. Then we see the tape outline where Dr. Schlossburg's body was found with blood on the floor. Frank puts on an examination glove. Watts sees a picture of Dr. Schlossburg and a woman (his wife probably) laying busted on the floor.]

FRANK: From the massive blood loss, I'd say the attack was violent and protracted. Looking around at this expensive equipment, the only motive that we can rule out is robbery.

[As Watts puts on a pair of examination gloves and walks over to look at the mummified body, Frank kneels down and shuffles through some papers scattered on the floor. He notices a xerox copy of a drawing or painting of Saint Sebastian tied to a tree with arrows in him. Watts turns on a bright light over the mummified body. Frank then comes across a drawing of the hand of Saint Sebastian. Upon seeing this drawing, Frank gets a vision of arrows going across the front of him and then turning toward him. After the vision, he looks over at Watts.]

[Outside we see another man joining the man in the parked car.]

FIRST MAN: [subtitles] They're inside.

[The second man pulls his gun out and makes sure it is loaded. They both get out of the car.]

[Back in the lab we see Watts trying to access Dr. Schlossburg's computer but it is password protected.]

FRANK: My advice, before we go any further, is that we talk to the German police.

[Watts pulls out his cell phone and makes a call. We then see Brian Roedecker laying on a hide-away bed eating snacks and watching the movie "Beneath the Planet of the Apes". As his phone rings, Roedecker says the words to the movie as the actors speak.]

ROEDECKER: (quoting movie) Help me? You ask me to help you? Man is evil, capable of nothing but destruction.

[In the movie, Charlton Heston gets shot by the apes. Roedecker picks up the phone and says these words as Heston says them in his death scene.]

ROEDECKER: (quoting movie) You bloody bastard.

WATTS: Roedecker, this is Watts. I need you to connect with the networking system at Hamburg University Science Department. The terminal in question is located in Bremerhaven, Germany. FTP - 204.48.18.31.

ROEDECKER: (massaging his foot) I have office hours.

WATTS: The files are protected by a password system. How quickly can you bypass security and access the files?

ROEDECKER: I believe the work you're requesting is illegal under international, federal and state statutes.

WATTS: Are you saying that you won't do it?

ROEDECKER: What I'm saying is "Golden Time". What files are you looking for?

WATTS: Just get in and then contact me. You can reach me anytime on my cell.

ROEDECKER: Oh, my God. Don't tell me we had this conversation on an unsecured line, because in a court of law, this could be construed as a de facto admission of guilt.

WATTS: What conversation?

ROEDECKER: Gotcha. (English accent) Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Say no more.

[Watts hangs up his cell phone and puts it in his pocket. Then he starts looking through some papers in an opened cabinet drawer.]

FRANK: What the hell is going on? What are you looking for?

[Watts slams the drawer shut out of frustration. Then, the two men from the parked car come busting through the door with guns in hands.]

FIRST MAN: (speaking German) Halt! Don't move! Police!

SECOND MAN: (speaking German) Stay where you are!

WATTS: (speaking German) No! No! We are the police.

FRANK: What are you saying?

WATTS: (speaking German) Do you speak English?

FIRST MAN: You are also police? Let me see your stinkin' badges.

WATTS: I'm going to reach for my identification.

[Watts pulls out his wallet and takes out a card.]

WATTS: I know how this appears but Dr. Schlossburg was working with our group.

[Watts gives the card to the first man.]

FRANK: We are consultants to law enforcement in the United States. We entered this crime scene in that capacity.

FIRST MAN: Uh-huh.

[The first man looks at the card. It is a simple white business card with the name "Peter Watts" under the ouroboros symbol.]

FIRST MAN: What is this? I've never known this group.

SECOND MAN: (speaking German) We should take them in.

FRANK: That's right, take us in.

[Frank looks at Watts.]

FRANK: Then we'll be able to explain everything.

 

[A German police station. Frank and Watts are sitting on a bench in what looks to be a questioning room.]

FRANK: You said Dr. Schlossburg was involved with the group. What was he working on?

WATTS: An answer.

FRANK: To what?

WATTS: Who we are.

[Frank gives Watts a slightly shocked look. Then a very distinguished looking woman in uniform walks in with the first man from the lab scene earlier behind her. Frank and Watts stand up.]

CHIEF: My apologies, Mr. Watts, Mr. Black. The Direktor Der Bereitschaftspolizei informs me that the Millennium Group shall have our fullest cooperation. To fulfill his request, I bring to you Detektiv Heim.

[The police chief leaves the room.]

HEIM: (sigh) We stake out perp when you two were busted. Okay.

[Heim puts a folder down on the bench between Frank and Watts.]

HEIM: Dr. Schlossburg worked at Hamburg University science department. But you would know because, uh, you tailed him, correct?

WATTS: We know because we worked with him.

[Heim walks over beside Frank, who is now looking inside the folder, and looks over his shoulder. Watts is looking over Frank's other shoulder. They are looking at pictures from the crime scene.]

HEIM: And this is him after the hemorrhoid got through with him. The perp capped the mark at around, maybe, midnight three days ago.

FRANK: I hope you don't mind me saying so but you have a very colorful vocabulary.

HEIM: Danke schon. Thank you. I learn much about good detective work from American TV police shows. Sipowicz, Kojak, Hunter, Tony Scali.

FRANK: Who?

HEIM: The Commish.

WATTS: Have you established a motive for the murder?

HEIM: Robbery. The doctor surprised some freakin' dirtbag. The attacker escape in this window and from the blood trail we detect an injury. The doctor maybe kicked him in the, in the labonza. (snickering)

FRANK: Can we examine the body?

HEIM: Who loves ya, baby? Come on.

[They walk out of the questioning room and to a nearby desk. Heim makes a phone call.]

HEIM: [subtitles] Coroner Van der Sanden bitte. Josef Heim hier. [pause] Coroner? Ich habe zwei amerikanische Offiziere. Die möchten gerne Dr. Schlossburgs körper examinieren. [pause] Aha. [pause] Aja.

[He puts the phone down.]

HEIM: It seems a Mongolian cluster flock has appeared. Dr. Schlossburg's body is gone. It has been released. Has been (puff) cremated.

[Heim drives Frank and Watts back to their car.]

HEIM: Sorry about that. Uh, when you have question, uh, telephone.

WATTS: Yeah.

[Frank and Watts get out of Heim's car.]

HEIM: Catch ya later.

[Heim gives them a thumbs up and drives off. When Frank and Watts get in their car, Frank immediately spots a piece of knotted red wire on the floorboard and picks it up. Watts puts the key in the ignition.]

FRANK: What's this?

[Watts looks at the red wire Frank is holding and carefully removes his hand away from the ignition. They look at each other, then quickly get out of the car. As they run, the car explodes, knocking them to the ground. As they lay on the ground, Watts repeats the words of caution he received from the Millennium Group Elder.]

WATTS: If we found out, they already know.

[Fade from white.]

[The police chief is inspecting the car which is still on fire. She walks over to Frank who is sitting on the back of an ambulance getting first aid.]

CHIEF: Do you have idea who explode the auto?

FRANK: No. I assume it was someone connected with Dr. Schlossburg. When you find out what kind of device was used on the car, you might have a little more information.

[Frank gives the red wire to the police chief.]

CHIEF: When can I expect your departure?

FRANK: Well, the visa's for six months.

CHIEF: Please hurry. I sniff at you two and I smell trouble.

[Frank walks over toward Watts who has just finished being questioned by another officer.]

WATTS: Did you tell them anything?

FRANK: Don't have anything to tell them.

WATTS: I think they lied to us about the circumstances surrounding Schlossburg's death. I don't think we can trust them.

FRANK: Can I trust you? I got on a plane to Germany just because you asked me to. I expect the same trust from you.

WATTS: Yeah.

FRANK: Tell me what's going on before I walk.

[We hear a camera clicking. Watts turns around and we see a passenger in a black car taking pictures of Frank and Watts and then the driver drives off.]

WATTS: Not here.

[Frank and Watts are now walking down a sidewalk with outdoor vendors.]

WATTS: There are certain things I can't tell you. There are secrets to Millennium that have to be earned. There are truths that you wouldn't understand even if I attempted to explain.

FRANK: Don't tell me, you took a blood oath.

WATTS: No less than having my breast torn open and my heart and organs thrown over my left shoulder and carried in the valley of Jehoshaphat.

FRANK: The decaying body in the lab isn't the only reason we're here.

WATTS: That's part of it, but I'm hoping that the body leads to a greater discovery.

[We see two individuals in black trench coats walking behind Frank and Watts (I refer to them as TCs from here on). One is a muscular woman with a buzz cut. She was the passenger in the black car who was taking pictures of Frank and Watts (I refer to her as TC1 from here on). The other one looks like a bigger built version of Patrick Stewart (I refer to him as TC2 from here on).]

WATTS: How long ago do you think that body was buried?

FRANK: It's very well-preserved. Just at a cursory glance, I'd say 50, 75 years at the most.

WATTS: Dr. Schlossburg has placed that body at a thousand years old. It's a bog mummy. The body is so well-preserved because of a polysaccharide called sphagnum. It's found in the peat moss. They found bodies at 2,000 years old– bodies that go back to the beginning of Christianity– back to the beginning of the Millennium Group.

[Frank and Watts stop at one of the sidewalk vendors.]

FRANK: That would be of great interest to archeologists– to historians. What's the interest to you? Why would anybody want to kill to stop this discovery?

WATTS: There have always been those who've opposed the group's methods and philosophy, but those are the snakes in the open. It's the snake in the grass that causes concern.

[Frank spots the two TCs through a mirror hanging on the vendor's display rack. The two TCs see that Frank spots them.]

FRANK: We're being followed.

[Watts grabs something from the display rack.]

WATTS: I think Taylor would love this.

FRANK: Uh-huh.

[As the two TCs turn and leave, Watts looks in their direction. Frank turns his head and watches them leave.]

FRANK: They're good. They knew we knew.

WATTS: Those are just the ones we spotted.

[Watts pays the vendor.]

WATTS: Danke.

[We now go to Frank and Watts in an elevator going up to their hotel rooms. The elevator door opens on Frank's floor and they are greeted by Cheryl Andrews. They are surprised to see her.]

ANDREWS: The police said you left the crime scene an hour ago, and my German wasn't good enough to get anything more out of them. Where the hell have you two been?

WATTS: Andrews, what are you doing here?

ANDREWS: The group asked me to conduct a workshop on kinesic interview and interrogation techniques at the police academy in Bremen. As soon as I heard what happened I came as fast as I could. You guys okay?

FRANK: Well, it's been a long day, but we're fine.

ANDREWS: (laughing) Well, I know you're not on vacation. You must be on a case. Why don't you give me the case file - I'll do some legwork?

WATTS: (shaking his head) No. It's not necessary, really. It's under control. If you don't mind, I'm-I'm beat. I'll go up to my room.

[Frank walks out of the elevator.]

FRANK: Good night.

WATTS: Night.

[Andrews looks in at Watts as the elevator door closes.]

ANDREWS: This is who we are.

WATTS: This is who we are.

[Andrews pushes the elevator down button.]

ANDREWS: Do you need anything, Frank?

FRANK: (shaking his head no) I'm just along for the ride.

ANDREWS: Sometimes when a car crashes it's the driver that's killed. Sometimes it's the passenger.

[The other elevator door opens and Andrews starts to walk in.]

ANDREWS: Be careful.

FRANK: Good night.

[The elevator door closes.]

[We now go back to the elevator that Watts is in. His cell phone is ringing.]

WATTS: Yeah?

ROEDECKER: It's Hacker Man.

[We see Roedecker at his computer desk shuffling through papers and reading from his computer screen. He is online.]

ROEDECKER: Uh, I been working on this little problem of yours, Mr. W.

WATTS: Go ahead.

ROEDECKER: Did the background check on herr doctor– Got his important dates, significant numbers, names of his relatives. I've already tried a dozen algorithmic combinations. So far, not even a nibble.

WATTS: This is time-sensitive material. People are trying to shut us down. I need to get through as soon as possible.

ROEDECKER: I've done a little research on the Internet. Our man has been a naughty little doctor. From his terminal, he has logged hundreds of hits on adult video web sites, online sex chat– you name it– all American-made. Probably prefers the production value and galaxy of stars available to satiate his, uh (pulling his crotch) unique perversity.

[The elevator door opens and Watts starts to walk out.]

WATTS: Get to the point, Hacker Man.

ROEDECKER: A guy who uses his work station for porn would most likely have other salacious material for use on hand, if you get my drift. It's a long shot, but maybe that's the key to his password.

[Watts returns to Dr. Schlossburg's lab. He busts through the door and tears away the yellow crime scene tape. Once inside, he looks around and finds a small metal box. The camera returns to Roedecker who is now asleep. We see his computer screen saver which is the ouroboros. Its head starts eating its tail and continues eating until it makes a complete circle. Then the body returns and it repeats. Roedecker's phone rings.]

ROEDECKER: Suicide hot line.

WATTS: I found his stash.

ROEDECKER: Mmm. Anything juicy?

WATTS: A couple of the magazines appear to be older with dog-eared pages– personal favorites, I presume.

[Roedecker has drool in the right corner of his mouth.]

ROEDECKER: Some of these stars have attained one-name status, kind of like, uh, Madonna or Cher in the mainstream. Ten to one he used a name for the password.

[Watts pushes some keys on Dr. Schlossburg's computer and the password prompt pops up.]

WATTS: I'm trying – Ginger.

ROEDECKER: Hmm, enthusiastic.

[The computer says access denied.]

WATTS: (sighs) Tracy.

ROEDECKER: Jail bait.

[The computer says access denied.]

WATTS: Seka.

ROEDECKER: Whoa, a blast from the past.

[The computer says access denied.]

WATTS: Here's one.

[Watts unfolds a page that has a picture of the porn star Christy Canyon. The bottom right corner of the page has the name of her fan club, The ChatterBox Club.]

WATTS: He's a member of her fan club. Christy.

ROEDECKER: Oh, yeah, she's hot– an ultra-babe-alicious, or so I've been told.

[The computer beeps and files begin to open and display on the screen.]

WATTS: I'm in.

[Roedecker leans back in his chair.]

ROEDECKER: Ah, that was good for me. Was it good for you?

[Watts hangs up his cell phone and watches the files come up. The computer beeps turn in to life support machine beeps as we go to a hospital room. We see Dr. Schlossburg laying in a hospital bed with his head bandaged. His eyes suddenly open. A nurse sees that his eyes are opened and she hurries to the door and shouts down the hall.]

NURSE: [subtitles] He's awake!

[Detektiv Heim jumps up from a chair and rushes to the room. He walks over to Dr. Schlossburg.]

HEIM: Dr. Schlossburg?

[Dr. Schlossburg looks frightened. They speak German.]

HEIM: [subtitles] Don't be afraid. You're safe.

[Heim shows Dr. Schlossburg his identification.]

HEIM: [subtitles] You're under protective custody, checked into this hospital under an assumed name. No one knows you're alive.

[Heim puts away his identification and pulls out a small pad and a pen.]

HEIM: [subtitles] Can you tell me anything about your attacker? A description, anything?

SCHLOSSBURG: [subtitles] I know who attacked me.

HEIM: [subtitles] Ja?

SCHLOSSBURG: [subtitles] His name is Peter Watts.

[Fade from white.]

[We see Andrews walking up a dark, rat infested alley. After being startled by someone, she pulls out her gun. It is Frank.]

ANDREWS: You were this close to having an additional rectum.

FRANK: I have reason to believe we're being monitored.

ANDREWS: Is that why you had me meet you outside instead of someplace warm and light that doesn't have the smell of urine?

FRANK: Watts is missing. I haven't seen him all day. I tried to page him. No response. I have never known him not to answer a page.

ANDREWS: He's been behaving in an uncharacteristic way. I've got to be honest with you, Frank. The group brought me over here to bring him in. He's been acting totally on his own, under the auspices of Millennium without authorization, without consultation, and he's brought you into this. It's jeopardizing your candidacy. We got to help him.

FRANK: What do you want me to do?

ANDREWS: Find him. He obviously trusts you. Determine his objectives and then contact me. I'm at this number here.

[Andrews writes a phone number – 471-656 – on the back of a Millennium card and gives it to Frank.]

ANDREWS: At that point we can decide to get him through it or get him out. You've already had one attempt on your lives. Whatever he's doing, it puts us all in danger.

FRANK: (agreeing) Mmm.

[Frank and Andrews leave in different directions. We then see TC1 walking out to a railing overlooking the alley where they were standing.]

[Frank has returned to Dr. Schlossburg's lab. He sees that the computer is on and notices a page laying beside it that talks about Saint Sebastian. He has another vision of arrows going past him and toward Watts with Watts holding his hands up in front of his face. The vision stops.]

WATTS: They're maintaining surveillance out front.

FRANK: Yeah. I noticed that. I found another way in. You've been here all this time?

[Frank turns around and we see Watts sitting on the floor. Watts nods.]

FRANK: You made it into the system. Did you find what you were looking for?

WATTS: No.

FRANK: Maybe it doesn't exist.

[Watts sighs deeply. As we hear the following words from Watts, we hear a solemn violin playing the Millennium theme.]

WATTS: A thousand years ago, when this man was alive, Otto III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, dug up Charlemagne's bones for inspiration in the planning of a reformation of religious faith across Europe. What he saw in those bones gave rise to the persecution, torture, death of thousands. At the same time members of the Order of Knights Chroniclers, whose warnings about the upcoming millennium came into conflict with the new order of the empire, became hunted. And they were forced underground. The Knights had in their possession a holy relic, the hand of Saint Sebastian.

FRANK: Sebastian was ordered shot to death with arrows, but he miraculously survived.

WATTS: The bounty for the return of the hand was so lucrative that member turned against member, the group was almost destroyed, survivors dispersed all over the world, and the hand of Saint Sebastian disappeared. Legend has it that whoever has possession of the hand has the knowledge to overcome the evils of the millennium.

FRANK: That's a great story but you can't believe that a mummified hand, even if it is a holy relic, can tell us anything. The dead can't speak.

WATTS: They talk to you, Frank. It's your gift. I've seen it.

[Watts stands up and looks down upon the mummified body.]

WATTS: Otto III saw evil in the bones of Charlemagne. I want to find the good, the faith. When I first became aware of this project, I didn't know why I was interested. It was so –

FRANK: Unlike you?

WATTS: But when I look at him, this anonymous man from a thousand years ago, then I know why. There is no future without a past.

[Watts steps back and leans up against a table, looking toward Frank.]

WATTS: John Schlossburg called me three days ago and told me he had found the location of the circle– the preserved burial site of The Order of Knights Chroniclers. I have searched every scrap of information here. Maybe in a thousand years, someone will find it again.

[Christy's ChatterBox chat program pops up on the computer screen and we hear a female computerized voice as we see the chat displayed on the screen.]

VOICE: Come play with me. Come on, lover. I'm still hot from our session last night.

WATTS: Roedecker says Schlossburg was obsessed with these on-line sex chats.

FRANK: Last night? The policed said he's been dead for three days.

[Frank walks over to the computer and types.]

FRANK'S CHAT: Do you have the right man?

VOICE: You're always just right, Doc. Last night, and every night.

FRANK: (looking over at Watts) Schlossburg's still alive.

BREMERHAVEN CENTRAL HOSPITAL

[Frank and Watts are sitting in a car parked a little ways from the hospital. Frank is looking at the entrance through a pair of binoculars.]

FRANK: They're keeping him here in protective custody.

[Frank sees a cop in uniform walk up to Detektiv Heim who is putting on his coat and looking at his watch.]

FRANK: There's a shift change.

[Now in the hospital, Frank enters a hallway where the cop is getting settled at a security desk. Frank is carrying flowers.]

FRANK: Hi. Excuse me. You speak English?

COP: [subtitles] This area is not open to the public.

FRANK: I'm looking for Radiology. I must've taken a wrong turn or something.

COP: (pointing at a sign) Sign, the sign.

FRANK: Oh, if I could read that I wouldn't have to ask, would I? Could you help me find it, please? Could you show me? Please, it'll only take a second.

COP: Ja, ja. Okay, okay.

[The cop, somewhat annoyed, shows Frank the way to Radiology. After they leave the hallway, Watts enters and looks for Dr. Schlossburg's room. He enters the room and walks over to Dr. Schlossburg who has his eyes closed.]

WATTS: Dr. Schlossburg.

[Dr. Schlossburg opens his eyes.]

SCHLOSSBURG: [subtitles] Who are you?

WATTS: [subtitles] I am Peter Watts. We've talked many times over the telephone.

SCHLOSSBURG: There was another person. He introduced himself as Peter Watts, before he attacked me.

WATTS: Did he ask you anything before the attack?

SCHLOSSBURG: No. Nothing.

WATTS: Dr. Schlossburg, did you find the location of the circle?

[We see the cop return to the security desk and sit down. Watts leaves Dr. Schlossburg's room and walks in the opposite direction. The cop spots him through a security monitor.]

COP: [subtitles] What?

[The cop runs towards Watts.]

COP: [subtitles] Stay where you are! Halt!

[Watts runs and disappears around a corner. The cop runs back to the security desk and picks up the telephone. About that time, the two TCs enter the hallway. The cop looks at them very annoyed.]

COP: This area is off limits.

[The two TCs pull out guns equipped with silencers. TC2, with a stern look on his face, shoots the cop and watches him fall dead to the floor. The two TCs walk into Dr. Schlossburg's room. He turns and looks at them. He recognizes TC2 and gets frightened.]

SCHLOSSBURG: (speaking German) You!

[TC1 puts a pillow over Dr. Schlossburg's face and buries the barrel of her gun into it and shoots twice. The two TCs look at each other and then leave. We see blood seeping out of the gunshot hole in the pillow.]

[Fade from white.]

PEAT BOG
OBENALTENDORF, GERMANY

[Frank and Watts are beside a white van putting on waders.]

WATTS: Nothing makes any sense. Until today, I never met Dr. Schlossburg. But someone using my name attacked him. Why let him live? Then they make an attempt on our lives, but fail.

FRANK: Maybe the plan was meant to fail. So far, every move we've made has been in reaction to events out of our control.

WATTS: Until now, someone's been setting us up. I believe we'll find out who's responsible when we find the location of the burial site. Somehow, everything's tied into this body.

FRANK: What if the legend's true? The knowledge to fight the evils of the millennium are out there. (referring to the bog)

WATTS: That's what we're here to find out.

[Frank and Watts walk towards a gate, both carrying a backpack of supplies. Frank is also carrying a shovel. The gate is locked with a chain, but they are able to push it far enough to squeeze through. Inside the bog, we see Frank step from solid ground into wet spongy ground. After a small struggle, he is able to step back on solid ground. Behind him, Watts stops and looks at a map. The map is made up of a few aged yellowish parts of an old hand drawn map pasted to a larger white sheet to hold them in proper position. On the aged map we see the ouroboros. Watts looks up from the map and inspects their surroundings.]

WATTS: We're close.

[Watts hands Frank the map and walks on. As Frank rolls up the map, he gets another short vision of a shadowy figure of Watts being struck by arrows. We now see them proceeding cautiously through the bog with Watts up front. Frank steps to one side and starts to sink. This time he can not get back on solid ground. The more he struggles the deeper he sinks. He tries to use the shovel to grab a hold of something solid, but he sinks deeper. He is now sunk down to his neck.]

FRANK: Peter, Peter.

[Watts turns around and sees Frank's situation and runs to help him.]

WATTS: Frank!

FRANK: Wait, wait, wait. Go slow. Go slow.

WATTS: Give me your hand.

[Watts grabs a hold of Frank and pulls.]

WATTS: Come on.

[Frank grabs a hold of Watts and helps him pull.]

FRANK: Let's go.

[Frank is now back on solid ground panting. He removes the pack from his back.]

FRANK: We need the shovel.

[Frank reaches one of the straps of the pack out to Watts.]

FRANK: Hold on.

[Frank grabs the other strap and leans back down into the bog hole to grab for the shovel.]

FRANK: Okay. Easy. It's hooked on something. Pull.

[They pull and the other end of the shovel brings out a mummified body inside a cage made of plant stalk. Back outside the gate, we see three police cars pull up beside the white van. It is Detektiv Heim accompanied by a team of police officers. He looks inside the van and then addresses his men.]

HEIM: (speaking German) We've received information they are inside the bog. Consider the subjects armed and dangerous.

[They check their weapons.]

HEIM: Let's go.

[Heim and his men enter the gate. Frank and Watts are examining the bog mummy. Watts finds a leather pouch and carefully opens it. He pulls out the Hand of Saint Sebastian partly covered with a cloth. Watts sighs, cupping his hand over it. He looks as if he is about to cry.]

FRANK: The Hand of Saint Sebastian.

[Watts covers the Hand with the cloth.]

FRANK: Wow.

[Frank closes his eyes and lowers his head in amazement. They look at the bog mummy and we see a tattoo of the ouroboros.]

WATTS: This is who we are.

[They hear footsteps approaching. It is Heim and his men.]

HEIM: Peter Watts. You are under arrest for the murder of Dr. Schlossburg.

FRANK: You're making a mistake.

HEIM: Cuff him.

[Watts gives the Hand to Frank.]

WATTS: They must have killed him after I left.

FRANK: Then they wanted you to find him.

[They put Watts in handcuffs.]

WATTS: The body, Frank. Take care of the body.

[They take Watts away, leaving Frank with the bog mummy and the Hand. We now go to the police station where Andrews is shouting at the police chief.]

ANDREWS: This is an outrage! Peter Watts was an Assistant Director at the F.B.I. for ten years. He led the International Task Force on Crime for three of those years. He's a senior member of the Millennium Group! And I don't care what evidence you think you have! You have the wrong man!

CHIEF: Miss Andrews, Dr. Schlossburg identified Mr. Watts as his attacker prior to being murdered. We place him at the hospital via video surveillance before the crime.

[Andrews turns around and faces a man, apparently her colleague.]

ANDREWS: Take care of this. I want him out.

[Andrews walks over to Frank who is now entering the room.]

ANDREWS: You were supposed to apprise me of the situation. We were then to decide a cause of action. Now he's in deep, and so are you. They say you were excavating a body. Where is it?

FRANK: We were getting very close to finding out who's behind all of this.

ANDREWS: I want to know everything, Frank.

FRANK: There's a public storage building near the waterfront on Rastede. Meet me there tonight in a couple of hours.

ANDREWS: No more games, Frank.

FRANK: (shaking head no) MmmMmm.

[Andrews turns to leave.]

FRANK: No more games.

[Frank pulls out a cell phone and makes a call. We then go to Roedecker who answers his ringing phone.]

ROEDECKER: Hello.

FRANK: Roedecker, is it possible to find out who accessed Schlossburg's account to go online two nights ago?

ROEDECKER: I can maybe get you the charge account of the user, can definitely get the phone number where they connected, especially if it's international. It'll just take some time.

FRANK: I'll take anything you can get. We're running out of time.

BREMERHAVEN PORT WAREHOUSE

[We now see Frank driving the white van up the street near the public storage building. From the other direction, the two TCs drive up in their black car and cuts him off. Frank jumps out of the van and runs to the storage building. The two TCs follow him with guns in hand. After checking a few doors, Frank finally finds one unlocked and makes it inside. The two TCs come running in right behind him. They split up. TC1 follows the direction Frank went and TC2 goes in another direction. TC1 gets off a few unsuccessful shots. We see sparks fly from the pipe where the bullets hit. We see Andrews in another part of the building. She hears the gunfire and runs in that direction. Frank runs up a set of stairs with TC1 running close behind. On the next level, Frank comes face to face with TC2 who has his gun aiming directly at Frank. Frank stops and slowly steps back. As we see TC2's finger starting to squeeze the trigger, we hear a gunshot. TC2 falls to the floor.]

ANDREWS: Over here.

[Frank and Andrews start running down a hallway.]

ANDREWS: What the hell is going on?

FRANK: Watts was set up. He was working with Schlossburg. They found the burial site of past Millennium members.

ANDREWS: The legend. Where is the body now? Is it safe?

FRANK: I hid it here: Unit 998.

[They stop at the end of a hallway that branches off both left and right.]

ANDREWS: This way.

[Andrews motions left and Frank starts to go in that direction. Andrews pops out the clip of blank bullets from her gun and reloads with live bullets. The two TCs come up the other end of the hallway Frank is heading. He turns to Andrews who is now pointing her gun at him.]

FRANK: You?

ANDREWS: Unit 998. Let's confirm before we tidy things up.

[Andrews walks with Frank, holding his arm and aiming her gun at him. The two TCs follow behind. They walk back downstairs.]

FRANK: Who do you work for? How much did they pay you to sell your soul? Not enough to kill us. You set up Watts to destroy the credibility of the group. I got it. What's so important about this body?

ANDREWS: What does your gift tell you, Frank?

FRANK: Tells me that this was a test of the heart, and you failed.

[They approach unit 998.]

FRANK: Key. (sighs)

[Frank removes the lock. As he opens the door, Detektiv Heim jumps out and unarms Andrews. At the same time, a squad of cops come rushing out of various other nearby storage units and unarms the two TCs. Andrews has a look of surprise.]

FRANK: Detective Heim, a ballistics test will prove that these are the weapons used for the murder at the hospital.

[Frank looks directly at Andrews.]

FRANK: You made one mistake. You gave me your number. It was the same phone line used to contact Christy's ChatterBox. That's how you set the trap to let us know Schlossburg was still alive.

HEIM: May I say it now, Mr. Black?

FRANK: (shaking head yes) Mm-Hmm.

HEIM: Book 'em, Danno. Murder one.

[We now see Frank and Watts in a room with the body they found. The Hand of Saint Sebastian is also on the table just above the body's head. Watts is walking around the body.]

WATTS: His body is covered with tattoos. I look at this man and I wonder. He fought the same fight we waged today. Did he have the knowledge that we lack? The knowledge to overcome the evils of the millennium? And did he have the foresight to pass that information on to us? Are these tattoos merely decorations or are they secrets to be deciphered? What does he say to you, Frank?

[Frank looks at The Hand and imitates it with his hand, placing his fingers in the same positions as those of the Hand.]

FRANK: He had the knowledge, Pete, but it's inside him. And I think that's what he's saying. It's inside us. We just have to find it for ourselves.

[fade to black]

[end titles]

Starring:

Lance Henriksen (Frank Black)
Megan Gallagher (Catherine Black)

Also Starring:

Terry O'Quinn (Peter Watts)

Guest Starring:

Philip Baker Hall (Group Elder (I))
Gottfried John (Josef Heim)
Allan Zinyk (Brian Roedecker)
CCH Pounder (Cheryl Andrews)

Co-Starring:

Stephen Dimopoulos (Detective Betzdorf)
Christine Lippa (German Police Captain)

Featuring:

Grahame Andrews (Dr Schlossburg)
Damon Johnson (Hospital Security)
Stefano Giulianetti (Fugitive)
Noah Heney (Provider)

Music by Mark Snow
Editor: George R Potter
Production Designer: Mark Freeborn
Director of Photography: Robert McLachlan
Executive Story Editor: Michael R Perry
Associate Producer: Julie Herlocker
Associate Producer: Kathy Gilroy-Sereda
Associate Producer: Jon-Michael Preece
Consulting Producer: Chip Johannessen
Consulting Producer: Darin Morgan
Co-Producer: Robert Moresco
Co-Producer: Paul Rabwin
Producer: Thomas J Wright
Co-Executive Producer: Ken Horton
Co-Executive Producer: John Peter Kousakis
Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong
Directed by Thomas J Wright

Executive Producers: James Wong & Glen Morgan
Executive Producer: Chris Carter

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