Gentlemen, you have had four hours, you had better have results. Mr Creedy?
The Bailey area is quarantined, and all significant witnesses have been detained.
BE Brian Etheridge
A recording device was found wired into the central emergency broadcast system. The DCD was Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.
Add it to the blacklist. I never want to hear that music again.
E Etheridge
Yes, sir. We also doubled our random sweeps and are monitoring a lot of phone surveillance, indicating a high percentage of conversation concerned with the explosion.
Mr Dascombe, what are we doing about that?
RD Roger Dascombe
We're calling it an "emergency demolition". We have spin coverage on the network and throughout the InterLink, and several experts have been lined up to testify against the Bailey's structural integrity.
I want Prothero to speak tonight on the dangers of these old buildings and how we must avoid clinging to the edifice of a decadent past. He should conclude that the New Bailey will become the symbol of our time and the future that our conviction has rewarded us. Mr Heyer?
CH Conrad Heyer
Our surveillance cameras captured several images of the terrorist, though the mask obviously makes retinal identification impossible. We also managed to get a photo of the girl that Creedy's men were detaining.
Eric Finch Not sure, yet, sir, but we're working on several leads.
Finch We located the fireworks launch and found traces of the explosives used at both sites. Unfortunately, it appears that despite the massive amount of sophistication, these devices were homemade with over-the-counter chemicals, making them very difficult to trace. Whoever he is, Chancellor, he is very good.
Spare us your professional annotations, Mr Finch. They are irrelevant.
Finch Apologies, Chancellor.
Gentlemen, this is a test. Moments such as these are matters of faith. To fail is to invite doubt into everything we believe, everything that we have fought for. Doubt will plunge this country back into chaos, which is the last thing we want, and I will not let that happen. Gentlemen, I want this terrorist found, and I want him to understand what terror really means. England prevails!
PL Party leaders
England prevails.
Finch [Dominic Stone is driving Finch to Jordan Tower to find Evey, while he looks her up.]
This looks serious. Her parents were political activists. They were detained when she was 12.
Finch Juvenile reclamation project. For five years. We're going to need back-up, but keep it minimal.
You sure about that, sir?
Finch I just want a chance to talk to her before she disappears into one of Creedy's black bags.
Finch The terrorist obviously wanted us to have it. He wanted us to know the whole story or at least a part of it.
Am I to understand that you have read this document, inspector?
Finch Yes, sir.
Has anyone else read it, besides you?
Finch No, sir.
Then let me make this perfectly clear to you. The contents of this document are a matter of national security, constituting an assault on the character of several important party members as well as a blatant violation of the Articles of Allegiance. As the authenticity of this document cannot be verified, it could be an elaborate forgery created by the terrorist, as easily as it could be the deranged fantasy of a former party member who resigned for psychological reasons. Any discussion of this document or its contents will be regarded, at the very least, as an act of sedition, if not a willful act of treason. Is that understood, Mr Finch?
Finch Yes, sir.
You would do well, inspector, to put it out of your mind.
Finch I want to ask a question, Dominic. I don't care if you answer me or not. I just want to say this aloud... The question I want to ask is about St Mary's and Three Waters. The question that's kept me up for the last 24 hours, the question I have to ask, is: What if the worst, the most horrifying, biological attack in this country's history was not the work of religious extremists?
Well, I don't understand. We know it was. They were caught. They confessed.
Finch And they were executed, I know. And maybe that's really what happened. But I see this chain of events, these coincidences... and I have to ask: What if that isn't what happened? What if someone else unleashed that virus? What if someone else killed all those people? Would you really want to know who it was?
Finch Even if it was someone working for this government? That's my question. If our own government was responsible for what happened at St Mary's and Three Waters... if our own government was responsible for the deaths of almost a hundred thousand people... would you really want to know?
H Heyer
Chancellor, I know no-one seems to want to discuss this, but if we're to be prepared for any eventuality, then it can't be ignored any longer. The red report in front of you has been vetted by several demolition specialists. Now, it concludes that the most logical delivery system for the terrorist to use would be an airborne attack. A separate report has been filed suggesting a train, despite the fact that all the tunnels surrounding Parliament have been sealed shut.
H Heyer
Chief Inspector Finch.
Do you have any evidence to support this conclusion, Mr Finch?
Finch No, sir, just a feeling.
If I am sure of anything, Inspector Finch, it is that this government will not survive if it is to be subject to your feelings. Mr Dascombe, what we need right now is a clear message to the people of this country. This message must be heard on every radio, read in every newspaper, seen on every television. This message must resound throughout the entire InterLink! I want this country to realise that we stand on the edge of oblivion. I want every man, woman, and child to understand how close we are to chaos. I WANT EVERYONE TO REMEMBER WHY THEY NEED US!
[As V, disguised as William Rookwood, is found by Finch] [puts out a hand]
That's close enough, inspector. [activates a debugger]
Finch We're not wired.
I'm sorry, but a man in my position survives by taking every precaution.
Finch You've information for us?
No, you already have the information. All the names and dates are inside your head. What you want, what you really need, is a story.
Finch A story can be true or false.
I leave such judgments to you, inspector.
Finch [Later on]
Can you prove any of this?
Why do you think I'm still alive?
Finch Right. We'd like to take you into protective custody, Mr Rookwood.
Oh, I'm sure you would. But if you want that recording, you'll do what I tell you to do. Put Creedy under 24-hour surveillance. When I feel safe that he can't pick his nose without you knowing, I'll contact you again. Until then, cheerio.
Finch Rookwood. Why didn't you come forward before? What were you waiting for?
Well, for you, inspector. I needed you.
We've got Creedy pinned like a butterfly for weeks. Still no word; what's he waiting for?
[the phone rings, and Dominic answers it]
Yeah? Inspector, it's for you.
Finch [takes the phone]
Yeah?
CC Captain Clark
Is that Chief Inspector Finch?
Finch It is.
CC Captain Clark
This is Captain Clark of the 137th ward at Southend. We found him.
Finch Found who?
CC Captain Clark
William Rookwood, the one you've been looking for. I saw your report a couple of weeks ago, thought I'd run it through our John Does. Sure enough, I hooked him; perfect dental match. He was a floater, a couple of fishermen picked him up. No ID, never solved. Until now, that is.
Finch William Rookwood is dead?
CC Captain Clark
I'd say so. 20 years now.
Finch [we then see a shot of Rookwood's face, revealed to be a mask used by V]
GOD DAMMIT!! That son of a bitch sat there and spoon-fed me that bullshit, and I ate it up!!
So what do we do now, Inspector?
Finch We do what we should've been doing. We find him!
I want anyone caught with one of those masks arrested!
Give me the money! Give me the **** money!
We're under siege here. The whole city's gone mad.
Finch That's exactly what he wants.
Anarchy in the UK! [fires shots into the air, then escapes with the money]
Finch Chaos.
Mr Creedy, I am holding you personally responsible for this situation.
Finch [we soon go to a new scene, where Creedy is revealed to have accepted his earlier deal with V.]
The problem is that he knows us better than we know ourselves. That's why I went to Larkhill last night.
That's outside quarantine.
Finch I had to see it. There wasn't much left. But when I was there it was strange – I suddenly had this feeling that everything was connected. It was like I could see the whole thing; one long chain of events that stretched back to before Larkhill. I felt like I could see everything that had happened, and everything that was going to happen. It was like a perfect pattern, laid out in front of me, and I realised that we were all part of it, and all trapped by it.
So do you know what's going to happen?
Finch No. It was a feeling. But I can guess. With so much chaos, someone will do something stupid. And when they do, things will turn nasty. And then, Sutler will be forced do the only thing he knows how to do. At which point, all V needs to do is keep his word. And then...
[V causes his completed dominoes to fall. During this, a martial-law like world is shown, with people attacking police and military vehicles.]
I went by Parliament. Never seen anything like it — tanks, anti-aircraft, infantry — it makes you wish that no-one would show up tonight. But if they do, what do you think will happen?
Finch What usually happens when people without guns stand up to people with guns. Pull over here.
We've been searching these tunnels for weeks. You really think we're going to find him now? [they pull up outside Charing Cross station. Finch gets out of the car.] Inspector? It's all gone wrong, hasn't it?
