Sydney expresses to Will how, after finding out her mother was alive, she imagined what it would be like to stand in a room with both her parents again and how comforting it was to her for the three of them to work side-by-side as a team in Kashmir. She felt it impossible that two people with so much deceit between them could ever find a way to breathe the same air. On a separate note, she also tells him that Devlin has approved Will to do research if he passes an allegiance test, then hands him an SOP on where to meet for the pick-up. Sydney later meets with Irina in an outside caged area at the CIA. Irina tries to justify her initial involvement with the KGB (empowerment, independence) and expresses her regret for allowing such an ideology to come before her daughter. They hug briefly but are forced apart by guards. / We then see Sark strapped down in an interrogation room at SD-6, with Sloane standing nearby. Sloane is angry that they acquired nothing in Kashmir and accuses Sark of betrayal. Sark defends himself by saying that Cuvee mistakenly believed Sark tipped off the Indian authorities and proposes to Sloane that a leak may have come from within SD-6.

Setting: Los Angeles-Warehouse/Storage Facility. Sydney and Vaughn meet following her mission in Kashmir.
Vaughn: So Sloane has no idea you sabotaged the operation in Kashmir?
Sydney: If he did, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Vaughn: Since Sark failed to deliver on his promise to Sloane, their partnership may not last for long.
Sydney: Unfortunately, it isn't over yet. Sloane is sending me to Paris with Sark.
[Vaughn looks at Sydney, concerned]
Vaughn: Why?
[Flashback to SD-6 headquarters. Sloane is briefing Jack, Sark, Marshall, and Sydney on the Echelon satellite system. He tells them the system is capable of filtering phone calls, e-mails, and faxes from around the world and flagging keys words on an NSA watch list, thereby indicating potential threats to national security. Sloane goes on to explain that Gerard Cuvee, whose crime syndicate headquarters were raided by Indian authorities, may have acquired the ability to access the computer terminal in which the Echelon program has been installed. He announces that Sark and Sydney are being sent on a mission to Paris to intercept the terminal, which is enroute to an undisclosed location, and bring it back to SD-6. The scene then returns to the warehouse where Sydney and Vaughn are meeting.]
Vaughn: If Sloane gets hold of that terminal, the Alliance will be able to eavesdrop on corporations, law enforcement, political campaigns. The potential for blackmail and insider trading would be unlimited.
Sydney: What's my counter mission?
Vaughn: I'll have technical services provide you with a secure deletion program. You'll upload it onto the Echelon terminal. When SD-6 turns it on, it will wipe the hard drive clean.
Sydney: Sloane will think that Cuvee installed a failsafe to prevent…..
Sydney/Vaughn simultaneously: Unauthorized access.
[They grin at each other]
Sydney: I'll do it on the return flight. Sark and I are are travelling separately to make sure none one can connect him to SD-6.
[Brief Pause]
Vaughn: Oh, by the way, I'm meeting with Will tomorrow to help him prepare for his psych evaluation.
[Sydney begins putting her coat on and smiles at Vaughn.]
Sydney: Thank you. . . . . and I like it.
Vaughn: (smiling) What?
Sydney: Your new suit.
Vaughn: Oh, it's not new. I just don't wear it that often. I came from a funeral.
[Vaughn pauses]
Vaughn: Alice's father died.
[Sydney looks somewhat disappointed at the mention of Alice]
Sydney: I'm sorry. How's she doing?
Vaughn: Okay. Well, not really. But she'll be fine.
Sydney: Let me know if you need anything.
[Vaughn nods his head in acknowledgement]

[Sydney and Sark head to Paris, successfully intercept and take possession of the Echelon terminal, and return home. / Jack meets with Irina and tells her that although she did not betray him in Kashmir, he doesn't necessarily trust her. It's his belief that Sark is working for her and that she has coordinated efforts to infiltrate SD-6 and the CIA. Jack offers her the opportunity to be relocated to a private residence on Puget Sound with 24-hour surveillance, which would be an improvement to her cell at the CIA. In exchange, he wants her to confess as to what she's doing there and why she turned herself in. He leaves, allowing her time to consider the offer. At Sloane's request, Jack then arrives at Sloane's office, where he is introduced to Ariana Kane, head of Alliance counterintelligence. Sloane tells Jack that Kane is investigating the events leading up to Emily's disappearance and the subsequent attempts to blackmail him.

Setting: Los Angeles. Will and Vaughn meet on the top level of a parking structure.
Will: You ever have a dream where you're back at school and they won't let you graduate because you failed a test? I had that last night.
Vaughn: Well, we don't screen for general knowledge. It's strictly a psych profile.
Will: So I can't fail but I can find out I'm a sociopath.
[Vaughn laughs]
Vaughn: Listen, some of the questions on the test may seem a little shocking.
Will: Shocking, how?
Vaughn: Like, things you might punch someone out at a bar for asking.
Will: I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but, if things go my way, what's next?
Vaughn: Well, you're cleared to read classified documents and you get a government salary, which isn't much.
Will: Compared to what I make now it's . . . . .much.
Vaughn: Oh, and just be honest because if you're caught in a lie, you're automatically disqualified. And since we don't know how often SD-6 keeps tabs on you, it's too risky to take the test at a federal building. So we've arranged for you to go to one of our operational fronts.
[Scene cuts to Will walking into the back entrance of a post office]
Vaughn: (voice over) Now when you get there, the officer will lead you in the back door.
[Will meets and follows an employee]
Vaughn: (voice over) He'll tell you the shipping manifest was lost in transit and he needs your help to ID the parcel.
[Will is led into the back room where he sees a desk with a folder and a pencil lying on top]
Vaughn: (voice over) He'll take you in the back room and that's where you'll take the test. Now, there's no time limit but it shouldn't take you more than an hour.
[Will picks up the pencil, opens the folder, and begins the test]

Setting: Los Angeles-a bar/restaurant that evening Sydney and Will sit at a table together, drinking and talking.
Will: I can't believe some of the questions they asked. Like, if forced to choose, who would you rather kill. A) Your mother. B) Your father. C) Yourself. And "none of the above" wasn't even an option. I mean, what the hell does that measure?
Sydney: How you see yourself in relation to authority. Basically whether or not you'd be willing to sacrifice your life for your country.
Will: Now that actually makes sense.
Sydney: By the way, I got Francie season tickets to The Hollywood Bowl for her birthday from the both of us.
Will: Oh, great, thank you. You know, she was right about what she said. We used to tell each other everything. Now I can't tell her anything.
Sydney: I know. I hate it, too. But after Danny and what happened to you, I've accepted the fact that it's a gesture of love to deceive the people I care about.
[She takes a drink of wine and looks up to see Vaughn and Alice walk in. She stares and clears her throat]
Will: What? (he turns around)
[Vaughn and Alice approach the table]
Alice: Hey, what are you doing here? Rita, right?
Sydney: Alice, hi.
Alice: Hi.
Vaughn: Hey, Rita.
Sydney: Hey. This is Will.
Will: Hey.
Vaughn: Hey. Michael. Nice to meet you.
[They shake hands]
Will: Michael, nice to meet you.
[Will shakes Alice's hand]
Alice: Hi. Alice.
Will: Hey.
Sydney: Michael and I work together at the state department.
Will: Oh. Great.
Sydney: (turning to Alice) I was so sorry to hear about your dad.
[Alice takes hold of Vaughn's arm and leans in toward him]
Alice: Oh, thank you.
[Camera cuts to Vaughn who is focused on Sydney. He swallows and looks uncomfortable]
Alice: Michael's been amazing.
Sydney: (glancing at Vaughn) He's an amazing guy.
[Will observes the looks between Vaughn and Sydney, sensing the tension]
Will: Oh, Rita, we're going to be late. We got to go meet some friends. I'm sorry.
Alice: Oh, it's no problem.
Sydney: It was nice running in to you guys.
[Sydney hurriedly puts her coat on and they say their good-byes. On her way out, Sydney looks back at Vaughn, then heads out the door. Vaughn, on the way to their table, looks back at Sydney.]

[Sydney has just finished a mission briefing at SD-6. She learns that although the secure deletion program she uploaded to the Echelon terminal successfully wiped out the hard drive, Sloane andSark suspect that Cuvee may have duplicated the Echelon software and stored it on a secure server in a London facility. Sloane has requested that Sydney copy the files then delete them from the back-up server. Marshall intejects, saying that due to electronic countermeasures and secured encryption, the terminal will need to be accessed by someone knowledgeable in polymorphic algorithms. Sydney tells Sloane that she is not capable, at which time Sloane informs her that Marshall will be joining her on the mission, as he is the only one qualified to hack into the server]

Setting: Los Angeles-Warehouse/Storage Facility. Sydney meets with Vaughn.
Vaughn: We got your debrief. If Marshall succeeds in copying those system files, Sloane will be able to reboot the Echelon terminal.
Sydney: Marshall has a photographic memory. Once the files flash across the screen, he'll remember them.
Vaughn: Yes. We know that.
Sydney: I can't just give SD-6 a fake Marshall.
Vaughn: No, (pause) but we can pull him out of SD-6.
Sydney: What?
Vaughn: Devlin made it clear that we cannot, under any circumstances, allow SD-6 to access Echelon. And sabotaging the mission is too risky after Kashmir. Sloane could start to suspect something.
[Sydney turns her back to Vaughn momentarily, looking deeply concerned. She turns back to face him]
Vaughn: We've considered every option, Syd, there's no other way to do this. When you and Marshall return from London, we'll take him into protective custody. He'll be transported to Langley for an extensive debrief.
Sydney: As ridiculous as this sounds, SD-6 is his whole life. It's never easy finding out everything you believe in is a lie.
Vaughn: (in a reassuring tone) We'll do whatever we can to make it easier for him, I promise. And when he adjusts, he'll have the option to come work for us.
Sydney: What about his mother? Will they be able to make contact?
Vaughn: Well, that'll be up to Marshall but we can bring her into protective custody too.
Sydney: What's my cover story with Sloane?
Vaughn: As far as you'll know, the mission went without a hitch and you separated at the airport. We'll intercept Marshall on his way home.
Sydney: I should pack.
Vaughn: (momentarily drops his head) Listen ….about the bar...
Sydney: (looking uncomfortable) Did you see the security camera?
Vaughn: (drops his head, seemingly disappointed) Yeah, we sent an agent to pull the tapes so we couldn't be tied together.
Sydney: Good. Alice seems really nice.
Vaughn: She said the same thing about you.
[They share a silent look. Sydney gently touches his arm, forces a smile and walks out. Vaughn, watching her leave, looks dejected]

[Jack meets with Ariana Kane at SD-6. She questions Jack about his working relationship with Sloane and the fact the Sloane recruitedSydney without Jack's knowledge. Jack acknowledges that he would not have approved of it had he known but has since accepted the fact that Sydney was recruited to ensure that Sloane would not have to take Jack's loyalty "on faith." Jack then becomes offended when Kane starts questioning his intimate relationships. He ends the conversation and leaves angrily. / Sydney and Marshall have left for their mission to London. With Sydney's guidance, Marshall succeeds at hacking into the Echelon server and copying the files. They arrive back in L.A. At the airport, they say their good-byes. Sydney is visibly sad, knowing that Marshall will be intercepted on his way home and that all he has known is, presumably, about to be turned upside down. Enroute to his home, Marshall's limo is abruptly run off the road and he is ushered out of the car. A terrified and confused Marshall is then forced into an SUV and driven away.]

Setting: Los Angeles-CIA Ops Center. Vaughn, sitting at a desk, watches Jack leave Irina's cell via a security monitor. The phone next to him rings.
Vaughn: Vaughn here. What do you mean we didn't pick up Marshall at the intercept point. Who did?


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