The Manifesto
Episode 9: "Echoes of the Past"
TEASER
INT. FBI ARCHIVES – NIGHT
Reid and Garcia sift through decades-old files and classified documents, searching for clues about the origins of Diane Turner's network. Dust settles as they uncover faded photographs, handwritten notes, and encrypted records.
REID:
This goes back further than we thought. Diane's operation is the latest chapter in a long history of covert mind control experiments.
GARCIA:
MK-ULTRA wasn't just a program—it was a blueprint. And it's been adapted, refined, and weaponized.
Reid pulls out a yellowed file labeled "Project NUN Z."
REID:
This is the key. If we understand the past, we can prevent the future.
ACT ONE
INT. BAU BRIEFING ROOM – MORNING
The team gathers as Reid presents their findings.
REID:
Project NUN Z was a secret CIA initiative aimed at developing psychological weapons—hypnosis, chemical agents, and behavioral manipulation.
PRENTISS:
And Diane's manifesto is a direct descendant of that project.
ROSSI:
The network we dismantled is just one branch of a larger conspiracy.
BENSON:
We need to find out who else is involved and how deep this goes.
JJ:
And protect anyone who could be next.
GARCIA:
I'm tracking financial flows and communications linked to Project NUN Z. There are still active cells.
MORGAN:
Then we keep digging.
ACT TWO
INT. SAFE HOUSE – DAY
Maeve meets with survivors, helping them piece together their fragmented memories.
MAEVE:
Your past is part of your strength. Remembering is reclaiming.
A survivor, JASON, struggles with flashbacks.
JASON:
I see flashes—rooms, faces, voices. But it's like trying to hold water.
MAEVE:
We'll help you hold on. Together.
Reid watches from a distance, inspired by Maeve's resilience.
ACT THREE
INT. FBI TECH ROOM – NIGHT
Garcia uncovers a new lead—a coded message hidden in a seemingly innocuous email chain.
GARCIA:
This message references a "Phoenix Protocol." It's encrypted, but it's connected to the original Project NUN Z.
REID:
Phoenix… rising from ashes. Could be a plan to reboot the network.
PRENTISS:
We can't let that happen.
ROSSI:
Time to find out who's behind this new threat.
ACT FOUR
INT. UNDERGROUND FACILITY – NIGHT
The team raids a hidden compound linked to the Phoenix Protocol. Inside, they find advanced technology, chemical labs, and digital files.
MORGAN:
This is bigger than Diane's operation.
JJ:
They're preparing for something.
Reid discovers a terminal with live data feeds.
REID:
They're monitoring us. They know we're here.
Suddenly, the facility locks down.
PRENTISS:
Trap!
Alarms blare as the team scrambles to find an exit.
ACT FIVE
INT. FACILITY CONTROL ROOM – NIGHT
Reid and Garcia work frantically to override the lockdown.
GARCIA:
I'm in, but it's complicated.
REID:
Keep at it. We don't have much time.
Elsewhere, Benson and Morgan fend off armed guards.
BENSON:
We're not leaving without those files.
Garcia finally breaks through. Doors unlock.
GARCIA:
You're clear!
The team escapes with critical data revealing the Phoenix Protocol's leaders—shadowy figures embedded in government and industry.
TAG
INT. FBI HEADQUARTERS – DAWN
The team reviews the new intelligence.
PRENTISS:
This is just the beginning.
REID:
But now we know what we're up against.
BENSON:
And we're ready.
Maeve stands beside Reid, looking determined.
MAEVE:
Together, we'll stop the cycle.
The camera pulls back as the team prepares for the next battle.
END OF EPISODE 9