Pioneer One

Previously on Pioneer One.

You are holding one or more of our cosmonauts.

So you're not prepared to consider the Mars story at all.

If we maintain our position that we are holding a terror suspect, we should be okay.

We're not gonna find out what's really going on here if we send him back as a terrorist.

- And how can you make that call? - Because I'm the one making it.

Parents. Have you stopped to consider

why they would risk sending their only child back to Earth?

- I need evidence, proof. - They need you to start talking.

Sharing information helps, that's how science works!

Unfortunately it's not how governments work.

You can't call me here. If I need anything else I'll call you.

It's not enough.

So what? That's it?

I'll include it with my final report but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Why not?

They've already decided what they believe.

All the evidence is right there.

All it takes to see it...

is a little imagination.

You know, there's one thing I didn't include in the report.

Probably the best piece of evidence there is.

The boy.

Pioneer One 1x05

Is that you?

It's both of us.

I'm not using that shower again.

My foot is still killing me.

Maybe it's infected.

I put that stuff on it.

What stuff?

I don't know, whatever stuff was in there.

Don't worry, you still got the other foot.

How are you in such a good mood? I'm barely holding on to what's left of my sanity.

It's a state of mind, my friend. Mind over matter.

- Mind over matter? - Yeah. Just, I don't know, pretend you're...

at summer camp.

- You ever been to summer camp? - No.

Well, than that wouldn't work for you

No.

Wonder what that's about.

I don't know...

They never tell me anything.

I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

Any twos?

Go fish.

What happened?

We caught him snooping around the perimeter.

Someone from our fan club outside?

I don't think so. Says his name is Aleksei Chertov.

Russian I think by the sound of his accent.

He claims to know Dr. Walzer.

Really?

So he says.

Walzer's name is all over the press. He could just be a nut.

I agree.

Let me see him.

I'm Tom Taylor. I'd like to know what you were doing sneaking around my base.

My name is Aleksei Chertov.

I am a colleague of Dr. Walzer's. I need to speak with him.

Who's Dr. Walzer?

I know he is here. I saw on the news.

I'll consider it after you've given us your full cooperation.

I understand. But first may I ask that you remove these restraints?

I am not a dangerous man.

You were caught trying to break into a military base that's under quarantine.

You're staying put for right now. Why do you need to speak with to Walzer?

I believe I can be of assistance to him and to you.

Who says we need assistance?

I have information you will find useful.

Regarding?

The Soviet spacecraft that has returned from Mars.

Aleksei?

He's here?

So you do know him?

Yes, yes, yes I do.

He worked on the Mars program at Energia,

Russia's equivalent of JPL.

We met at a conference twelve, thirteen years ago.

He wrote the foreword to one of my books.

He says he has information on our Martian situation.

Any idea how he knows about that?

No...

Can I see him?

I haven't decided yet.

- What's the harm if he's already here? - I haven't decided that either.

- Taylor... - Doctor.

I understand we haven't had the best working relationship

but don't talk to me like I'm stupid.

How does he know?

You're right.

I apologize.

I contacted him a few days ago to get a second opinion on some things.

But I didn't tell him what was going on.

- He figured it out on his own. - How?

Apparently the spacecraft was transmitting telemetry and someone picked it up.

Once he heard I was here...

Did you know he was coming?

I told him not to.

Thank you for your honesty.

You ever lie to me again and your next book

will be written from inside a Federal penitentiary.

Get me?

Yes.

Now can I see him?

How are you, Dave?

Not bad, yourself?

Never a dull moment.

Quite a coup your guy pulled off.

Yeah... yeah, that was a surprise.

Though the difference is semantic, really.

Please...

When's he running?

Who says he's running for something?

Okay, sure.

Fine.

The Secretary is focusing all his attention on the current situation.

Spoken like the master obfuscator you are.

I'll take that as a compliment.

What have you got for me?

- Who's that? - I have no idea.

Aleksei.

- You sure about this? - Nope.

I told you not to come.

Yes, I am sorry. But the possibility of a human being returned from Mars...

I could not stay away.

I'd probably have done the same thing.

You said you had information.

Yes. As I explained before, the capsule was sending its telemetry data

and was picked up by a receiver at Baikonur. Nobody knew what it was.

Nobody knew what it was?

No, we knew it was one of our spacecraft but no one knew anything of this mission.

- How's that possible? - I don't know.

Many things were worked on in secret in those times

but the magnitude of such an undertaking...

it seems impossible. But I did some investigation

and found curious omissions in records.

Money and resources diverted and unaccounted for.

I made inquiries but no one could answer.

Well we're talking, what? Thirty years ago? It could be anything.

It's not uncommon for the Soviets to have

mysterious omissions on the records, but of this size?

- That's very unusual. - Could they even hide something that big?

I don't know.

Can I talk to you?

Jane says Yuri will be ready to talk when he wakes up.

I want you in there to translate if he starts up in Russian.

What about Jane?

She doesn't speak as well as you do.

And anyway, I want a second person in the room to confirm what he says.

- You don't trust her? - It's not about trust.

I just want someone to be there who doesn't share her relationship with the kid.

What about these two?

- I don't want them left alone. - Yeah, agreed.

Get DiLeo or Vernon to babysit, they're not doing anything anyway.

- Which one do you want? - Flip a coin.

These people. Do you trust them?

Yes. But it's their show.

They've made that very clear.

Zachary.

I must know.

Do you believe?

Is it real?

I think so.

I thought you were lunch.

I've got something better.

Than lunch?

I think we have some workable intel here.

Have you ever heard of an organization called White Wolf Elite?

That's a Russian agency isn't it?

It is, but it's not part of the Russian government.

It's a private security firm.

They helped round out the force that invaded Georgia a couple years ago.

- Okay... - It was founded by a man

named Viktor Klimenko.

Ex-KGB.

Ex-KGB, now there's a nice idea.

True enough.

After '91 he was one of the first to put a claim on the collectivized oil fields

and made billions.

And now he's in the army-for-hire business?

He founded White Wolf in 2000 after he became disillusioned

with the direction of the new Russia.

It's now the second-largest private army in the world, second only to Blackwater.

How disillusioned was he with the new Russia?

Very.

But this is why we care.

A few years ago, White Wolf

bought up surplus hardware from the Russian Space Agency.

Rockets, capsules, a whole lot of materiel.

So you're saying...

our favorite Martian is a White Wolf guy?

Not necessarily.

But it's a good bet that's where the capsule came from.

Any ties to known terrorist organizations or rogue states?

No. But they're mercenaries. They'll sell to whoever can pay.

This Klimenko sounds like a patriot.

He wouldn't back someone if it didn't further his own interests.

So we just got to figure out what they are.

He's also a business man.