The City and the City

Nowhere else works like the cities...

..Beszel...

..and Ul Qoma.

Since I was a kid, I have unseen Ul Qoma, as my parents

and teachers trained me,

but there are places where the cities meet,

where it's hard to observe the borders.

Mahalia Geary. 24, North American.

A few days ago, she disappeared in Ul Qoma,

but she turns up in Beszel.

And this time she's dead in the back of a stolen Besz vehicle.

She was always saying that people were on her back.

Dissidents, Reds, TCs. True Citizens?

They're an extreme right-wing nationalist group here in Beszel.

Connected to Major Syedr's NatBloc party.

They never found her, did they?

Your wife...

..last seen on GunterStrasz.

Take one single illicit step across the border,

and Breach will come for you.

I should know.

I'm a cop.

This programme contains strong language and some violent scenes.

This area is in the control of Breach.

All visitors must proceed directly to the terminal.

Please remain inside... I take full responsibility for this, sir.

Yes, you do. What the hell was he doing at GunterStrasz?

He went to where they found his daughter.

Walked out of a desench straight into Ul Qoma.

What have you done to my husband?!

Where was he going, Mrs Geary?

He was going to speak to speak to someone who knew Mahalia.

Where, in Ul Qoma? I don't know. It... it could have been Ul Qoma.

Well, did he give a name? Yolanda Stark? David Bowden?

I don't know! All I know is he was gonna do something!

Oh, my God, what have you done?!

Please, Mrs Geary... John, what've they...?!

You can't do this to people. He's a human being.

Listen, you have to tell me everything you know.

Mahalia was afraid, Inspector.

Who was she afraid of, Mrs Geary?

Who was she afraid of?! Stand back, sir.

Was it the True Citizens?

I think the True Citizens

put the frighteners on that van driver, chief.

Yeah? Well, maybe it's time to join up.

We are true TC!

TC! We are strong TC! TC!

We are one TC! TC!

I...

..admire...

..Ul Qoma.

Oh, no! No, I do.

Oh, sorry.

I admire their patriotism.

I admire their unshakeable strength.

I admire their willingness to do what is necessary.

A single party safeguarding a single state!

Mix me a klassniko?

No imports. I'll just have vodka and ice.

Beszel has become a dumping ground.

We need immediate repatriation of all immigrants.

Yes!

- Besz jobs for Besz workers! - Yes!

This is OUR city...

..and we want it back!

TC!

Very inspiring speech, Major Syedr.

I am not permitted to discuss Oversight Committee business.

No, I just wanted to thank you for your support...

I have people are waiting. I'm busy.

You know, because the owner of that van,

we think he was forced to leave his travel documents inside

and we think he was forced by the TCs.

Better speak to the True Citizens about that.

Yeah, well, there's lots of them here tonight, isn't there?

Why tell me? Because whoever stole that van must have had

a little helper at Copula Hall.

Are you accusing me of something, Inspector Borlu?

Absolutely not. Keep your nose out of politics.

Just do your job.

Oh, I intend to. Don't worry.

Don't worry about that. I will.

I'll have another vodka, thanks.

No, you won't.

Listen, I came here for a quiet drink.

Don't make me have to do my job.

Fuck off.

Your boss plays golf with the Major.

HE GRUNTS TC!

Since Kat went missing,

I appreciated a beating every now and then.

It sharpened me up...

Wanker!

..but this time, I didn't want to bleed out in a Beszel gutter.

Mahalia had changed all that.

I had things to do.

You're not going to press charges or anything stupid like that, are you?

I mean, technically, it was trespass.

Oh, oh, I'd hate to be a problem or anything.

Good. What's his handicap?

What are you talking about? Syedr, your golfing buddy.

Don't be facile.

Do you think I could run this department

if we made an enemy of Syedr?

Our next mayor?

The Ul Qoma authorities are taking over the case.

How did that happen?

They were in touch.

The girl was killed in Ul Qoma. Ul Qoma crime.

You can't wait to get rid of her, can you?!

It's an Ul Qoma case, Borlu. It's done.

I'm going to have to go to Ul Qoma. What?

I can't investigate it in Beszel.

You can't stop yourself, can you?

What colour is it?

What, what are you doing? You can't say it, can you?

I don't know what you're trying to do. What colour is it?

Say it!

It depends on how I look at it, doesn't it, sir?

Go to Ul Qoma.

Sir? What, you going to disagree with me?

Again?

You can do a two-day accelerated immersion course...

..provided their authorities agree.

You'll be there in a strictly advisory capacity. Thank you, sir.

This isn't Katrynia.

That case went to Breach.

It's over.

It's closed.

Mahalia Geary's isn't, though, is it?

Get out of my sight.

See how you like the Ul Qoman Militsya.

Trust in Breach.

Why did she keep this photograph?

Was she out there somewhere now...

..living a new life?

Yeah? - I cannot fucking believe this.

Are you dropping me off the investigation!? Come up.

What the fuck happened to your face?

Extreme sports.

Playing rough with those TC boys? Look...

..I need to find that girl who called me.

You know, talk to anyone Mahalia knew or worked with.

Find out who Geary was meeting.

I'm going to Ul Qoma.

Ul Qoma? Fuck that.

How many fucking hours of tape do you think I looked through?

How many cameras?

It took me all fucking night to go through all that shit.

Who else is prepared to do that?

Is your new bitch going to?

Christ, there is a new fucking bitch!

There is no new F-ing bitch, OK?

I'm a guest. I need to work with one of them.

It's that simple. It's shit.

Yes, it's shit.

Hey.

Come here.

Now we need to focus on this.

I thought I'm off the case.

No, not while I'm on it.

I need you to help me.

You stay on Syedr.

Besz favour?

Besz favour.

Consider it done, chief.

The immersion course re-orientates you in preparation for Ul Qoma.

I've been there once before.

It's a humourless slog with no surprises.

But not that first time.

Breach! Breach! Breach! Not yet, not yet.

- And go, go, go. - Breach! Breach! Breach!

Do they still play that game?

The old games are very instructive.

Breach! Breach! Breach! Good. Thank you. Well done.

Your orientation is a complete Ul Qoman immersion course,

designed to initiate a Besz citizen into actually being in Ul Qoma.

Each day, we'll take a different cross-hatched area of the city,

and train you to see the buildings and people that have been right

by your side you all this time, and unsee everything you know.

Let's start with the heavily cross-hatched area of VulkovStrasz.

The Ul Qoman parts of this street are known as Ul Maidin Avenue.

You are now leaving Beszel and entering Ul Qoma.

Sorry, should we be seeing this?

Absolutely. You're in Ul Qoma.

This woman here - fur hat, pearl earrings,

Beszel or Ul Qoma?

Ul Qoma.

No. Look at the buildings.

She's in Beszel on a visitors pass,

crossing VulkovStrasz now.

Not in Ul Qoma.

Colour will help you orient yourselves.

If you're seeing something red,

more likely than not, you're in Ul Qoma.

Yellow is frowned upon.

Katrynia, this gentleman next to the hotel?

A Besz businessman, from his look.

Very good.